Sky Spirits

Happy New Year to all! I am quickly writing this little update to fill you in on some adventures we had this week. In eager anticipation of the northern lights, science experiments linked to states of water were put on hold. We watched a video and gazed in awe of the colours that danced in the sky. We also read a beautiful personal experience narrative titled: Sky Sisters, written by Jan Bourdeau Waboose and illustrated by Brian Deines.

This Ojibway story tells the tale of two sisters who journey up a hill to get a view of the Sky Spirits (northern lights). The magical experience of lying in wait and seeing the light show connects them to their mother and auntie who made the trek before them, and to the Sky Spirits who seemed to wave to them from above. In the words of their Nokomis, "Wisdom comes on silent wings," and while quietly taking in the lights, the sisters make another connection in the stillness and call the Sky Spirits "Sky Sisters".

We responded by grasping ribbons and dancing around the room, as we waved, and twirled and rhythmically let our ribbons flow through the air.

Thinking that northern lights would truly be visible to us, we prepared a backdrop to paint a collaborative mural.

And while it was a disappointment to many (me especially!), we continued with the mural as planned, and used the art from the book, and the video we watched to inspire our mural. First, a chalk line was made in waves to replicate the flow of light. Then pastel paint was created by mixing colour with white tempera. The children traced over the chalk line, leaving a good amount of paint on the paper. Another child followed behind the wet paint with the "dry brush" and swept the paint in an upward motion. This process was repeated for each ribbon of colour.

While many of the children have yet to truly experience the wonder and magic of the northern lights, I know that it will stay with them a lifetime when they do. And for a fleeting moment, maybe we did experience them here in the classroom - at play with our paint brushes and our ribbons.

Thank you for visiting our atelier.