Carnaval and Whole-School
Tribes
OMLTA Fall conference 2014
Marybeth Kigar
kigarm@hdsb.ca
Who I am….
• Grade 1/2 French Immersion teacher
• Halton District school board
• fairly new teacher in Halton but have been teaching for almost 10
years
• Started School-wide Carnaval at our school after 10 years (voluntold)
• changed it over the years
• always looking for new ideas and suggestions so please share
• Who are you??
Where to start???
• First make sure you have support
• Make sure you have support from you administration (possibly you can get
release time for planning)
• Get the support of the other teachers in your school as you will be taking
away some of their teaching time
• Get other teachers to help organize the different events with you
• Get parent council and parent volunteers on board
• Decide the length and number of Tribes events and Carnaval you
would like to run
• 1 day of Tribes activities a month, or every 2 months, or just 3 times a year
• A whole week of Carnaval activities or just 1 day of Carnaval
Whole-school Tribes
• The biggest challenge is splitting the whole school into Tribes
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Try to make the tribes as even as possible
Decide how many tribes you want and try and split each grade up evenly
Try to put 2 teachers with each Tribe
Assign a classroom to each Tribe and have it always be that room (even if the
teacher changes)
• You can either assign names for each Tribe or you can have each Tribe come
up with their own name
• At our school we started with each letter of the alphabet and then they each came up
with a name based on that i.e. the Rocky Racoons or the Alpacas
• Figure out with your administration how you want to run Tribes
events
• Will coverage teachers follow their regular schedule or will teachers
miss part of their regular preps?
• What periods of the day and which days will your events take place?
(try to spread it out so it doesn’t always cause the same teachers miss
their preps or their classes
• Where will you hold your activities? Can you do 1 assembly or do you
need to do 2 if you have one? Which classrooms will be used?
Communication!!!
• Make sure all staff are aware of your plans for each event
• Make sure parents are aware of the activities and events
• If you don’t ask for donations you will not get any
• Make sure your students are aware of the events especially if they
need to bring in something or wear something particular
• Have students or student parliament make posters to let everyone
know what is happening throughout the week
• Use the signs in front of your school to let the community know about
your Carnaval
Possible Whole-School Tribes activities
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Terry Fox run/walk
Minute to win it day
Holiday/winter centres
Pink/anti-bullying day
Monthly assemblies
Cup stacking competition
Multicultural day (exploring different cultures/celebrations)
Franco-Ontarian day
French cultures day
French Cafe
CARNAVAL
Key points for a week of Carnaval
• Can have a theme for each day
• School will be in their Tribes for most activities all week
• Be sure to constantly inform staff of events
• Tie in French Canadian culture as often as possible
• Remember that not all staff speak French so bilingual events are
important in order to make sure all feel included
• Plan early to ensure you get as many donations as possible
Bringing your event to life:
Bonhomme costume
• Pick music to help
build up the
carnaval (some
songs on CD)
• We had each
French teacher
teach the
Carnaval theme
song to the
students and then
sang it as a school
• Some boards have cut
outs that can be passed
from school to school
• Some schools has
costumes that can be
borrowed
• Could have an art class
make one if you start
early enough
Possible Full week of Carnaval ideas
• Monday A (Red and White day)
• Opening ceremonies
• Students get into their tribes (go to their designated Tribe room)
• Everyone sing the Carnaval song together (have it posted on wall, or students holding
large signs with the words, or projected on wall)
• The principal give Bonhomme the key to the school (A large key out of cardboard)
• The students return to their Tribe classroom and make their individual ice blocks (a blue
piece of paper then used to build an ice palace on the school wall)
• Start collecting soap carvings for the contest and put in display case
Monday B (Canada Pride or Olympic Pride)
• Craft Day
• Each grade does a different craft (this way each year we can do the
same activity just change which grade they are in)
• Each class is provided with a bucket that contains instructions and the
materials needed for their craft (teacher decides when throughout the
day they would like to do the craft)
• Have parent volunteers come in to help organize craft buckets
• List of crafts: grade 1 – marshmallow bonhommes; grade 2 – paperbag
puppets; grade 3 – milk carton floats; grade 4 – yarn ‘ceinture fleche’
sashes; grade 5 – ice bricks for ice palace; grade 6 – paper plate masks;
grade 7 and 8s – snowshoeing (we rented them from MEC)
• Tuesday A (Tuque Tuesday)
• Pancake lunch
• Students to their tribe classroom and have pancakes and juice
• Send a letter out to parents before hand asking about any food allergies or concerns
• Have parent volunteers and any teachers who have offered to help come in and
cook pancakes all morning
• Prepare containers with syrup, juice, cups, plates, cutlery and napkins the night
before – on each container put the tribe list that says how many students are eating
regular pancakes and how many have special ones (i.e. gluten free)
• Parent volunteers place pancakes in portable aluminium containers and wait at the
ends of the halls for the tribe leaders to come pick them up
• Play carnaval and French culture music over the PA system while they are eating
• (Over the past few years all or most of the supplies have been donated by parents.
Some has been bought from our schools budget)
Tuesday B (Pyjama Day)
• Pancake lunch and opening ceremonies
• Half the tribes head to the gym for opening ceremonies (need another teacher or
admin to lead ceremonies – also use 2 grade 8 students)
• Other half of tribes head to their tribe classrooms for their pancakes (again all
supplies in buckets for each tribe)
• Opening ceremonies – bilingual MCs by grade 8 students
• Carnaval song projected onto wall
• Key to Bonhomme
• Introduction of King and Queen (they get a crown and tiara that can be worn all
week. Pick 2 grade 8 students who will be comfortable in these roles – we used
our Prime Minister and Vice PM)
Wednesday A (Wacky sash day)
• School wide BINGO
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Before the week begins give teachers the required vocabulary images
Each student is given a paper that has 4 bingo cards on them
Over the PA system students call out the vocabulary (in French and English)
Each teacher has a large copy of the images and is able to show them as they
are called
• The rules are that the students have to walk to the office to claim their prize,
once a student arrives they wait 2 minutes for anyone else to come
• We play 4 different games – 1 line; and X; 4 corners; and whole card
• The prizes again in the past have been donated by the community or bought with
the school budget
Wednesday B (Jersey Day)
• Photo Day
• Have a student or teacher dress up as Bonhomme
• Goes around to each classroom to take photos with each class
• Try and plan bonhommes visits so as to not interrupt when teachers
are on prep
• Photos can be used in yearbook
Thursday A (Tropical day)
• Post card writing
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This is at the discretion of each teacher
It is done whenever they want to during the day
(It is also able to be used as a writing mark if they want)
It could be written in French or in English
Once they have finished writing the postcard it is folded with their name on it
They are all brought down to the office and then on Friday there is a draw which
could be done at closing ceremonies or over the PA system (we usually do
multiple draws)
• Again prizes have been donated
Thursday B (Twin Day)
• School Wide Bingo
• Each student is given a double sided bingo card
• The vocabulary was pre-drawn and each teacher was given the cards
in order (very helpful to those teachers who do not speak French)
• As the words were called the teachers post the vocab card on the
board
• If they win they walk to the office to collect their prize (announcer
than gives a 2 minute warning for any other winners to WALK to the
office)
• Play 2 rounds – 1: 2 lines; 2: an X
• Have a teacher or VP or secretary call the bingo over the PA (this way
all students can particiapate as well)
Friday A
• Play day
• The tribes rotate around to each station (we have 2 circuits of the same
activities)
• In the past we had each tribe given a fabric sash to help identify
• The daily schedule is altered slightly to accommodate
• The grade 8s lead the stations and the grade 7s become the leaders of the
tribes
• Teachers supervise their Tribes
• Bonhomme wanders around for the day
Friday B (Tuque et Ceinture)
• Play day
• Because the winter Olympics were happening this year we tied the 2 events
together
• The first 2 periods of the day are normal followed by indoor recess for all students
• Students then head to their Tribes classroom to get ready for the play day
• In their tribe each student is given a lanyard (old ephigies that we ordered from
Carnaval website) – students were told to hang onto the lanyard so that they could
get their snow toffee (to help us ensure each student got 1 toffee and that we got
the lanyards back)
• We had 8 stations which had 2 tribes at each
• 1 station was hot chocolate and maple cookies and a movie in the gym (it was a very
cold day so we had to change things around a little) – half the tribes were in the gym
for movie and snacks while the others did the other stations; we then switched
• Grade 8 students lead the stations
• Grade 7 students lead their tribes (teachers ensured students were behaving and
that they followed the rotation schedule)
• Used the bells to signal rotation (to ensure tribes didn’t move before the next group
was finished – remind staff that they need to wait until the bells to rotate)
Closing ceremonies
• Can be done as whole school or in 2 assemblies or even over the PA
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The key is returned to the principal
The school sings the theme song again
Soap carving contest winners are revealed
Thank yous
* We also had a potluck lunch for all teachers and volunteers – there was a signup in the staff room
One day Carnaval activity ideas
• Make sure staff are well informed of what is happening
• Plan the day and provide a schedule to all staff and student leaders
• Be sure to have a signal that tells everyone when they need to rotate
• Make sure you have a plan for if you run off schedule or behind
schedule
• Make sure you plan around staff breaks and lunches
• It is really important to make sure the rotation leaders know what
they are supposed to do, and what to do if there is an issue, also
make sure they know where to find extra material that they may need
Possible Activity day ideas
• Snowball races (spoon and egg races)
* snow sculpting
* Skeleton (Scooter races)
• Icicle toss (ring toss)
* Scarf juggling
* Snowman target (stuffed dolls)
• Mural painting
* scooter board races
* Speed skating relay
• Snowball chuck (bean bag toss with cut-outs)
* chalk graffiti
* Soap carving contest voting
• Hot chocolate and snack station
* Dance party
* Bowling
• La Pitoune (Pillow fight)
* Bingo
* Hockey shoot-out
• Course de canots (obstacle course)
* Face painting
* Tug-o-war
• Dog-sled races (crazy carpets/recycle bins)
* Crazy curling
* Dodgeball
• snow ball fight (ping pong balls and goggles)
* Musical chairs
* Team skiing
• Snow toffee (Great Canadian Company)
* Outdoor camping shelter building
Things to do before the event
• Have French teachers introduce the carnaval theme song (Provide them with a cd that
has the theme song as well as some other carnaval songs)
• Have French teachers introduce the carnaval (and Bingo) vocabulary
• Request for donations from the community and parents
• Create a map for the play day activities
• Have a session with the grade 8s on how to lead the stations (and grade 7s on how to
lead the tribes)
• Have grade 5 and 6 students to make posters to help promote and get the students
excited about the event
• Have a box of activities and videos for the other teachers to use during the carnaval
events if they’d like to
• Decide what kind of activities you want to run and how many
• Have some other teachers help by creating a sheet that has the materials and rules for each activity
for the leaders to follow
Cross-Curricular ideas and activities
• Grade 7s can do a research project on Québec City (Posters can be
hung up around the school) – the cities could be some of the Tribe
names
• Art – could make masks or pictures with chalk or textures around
the theme of Carnaval
• Dance – create a dance to the Carnaval theme
• Culture – discuss Mardi Gras and other Carnavals around the world
• Writing - Post cards to Bonhomme
• Grade 2 – simple machines (make soap box floats on wheels)
• IT – make posters to advertise the event
Things to think about:
• Activities should be planned for indoor as well as outdoor (depending on the weather) – also
activities should be able to be done with or without snow
• Signs for the tribes or groups
• Activity locations and materials required
• Daily announcements throughout the week
• Advertisements – posters, letters home, etc
• Donations from the community for activities and stations
• Keep in mind other teachers preps and duties when making the schedules
• Tribes or groups should have a marker of some sort for identification (i.e. fabric sashes, same tshirt colours, washable marker on faces)
• Get release time for the teacher who is planning the day
• KEEP THE STAFF INFORMED!!! – the more information they have the more willing they are to help
and support
• ***THANK YOUS!!!!!
Other Carnaval ideas
• Do pancake lunch in the gym (if large enough) and have grade 8s serving (and speaking French);
have parents cooking; have a French theme – including fiddlers, table cloth
• Having Dukes and Duchesses leading the teams and crowning 1 of each at the end of the event
• Crafts – marshmallow bonhommes, cotton ball snowmen, etc.
• Poster contest (do the week before so that the posters can be used as advertising)
• Parade – masks or soap box floats which were made by students the week before
• Community evening with fiddlers
• Soap carving contests (to look like ice sculptures)
• Have binders with different activities for teachers to use throughout the week to help promote and
encourage your events (separate binders for each divison left in photocopy room for staff to copy
as they need)
• Any other thoughts?????
List of resources
• Carnaval website: www.carnival.qc.ca
• Tralco-Lingo “Le Carnaval: Vocabulaire”
• Poster Pals “Le Carnaval de Quebec”
• Tralco-Lingo “Le Carnaval de Quebec”
• Tralco “Bingo Carnaval”
• Musique: “Que la fete continue”; “Depuis toujours”; Etienne “Au
Carnaval”
Merci
• If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me:
kigarm@hdsb.ca
• All information is in a shared file on the cloud – if you can’t access it
please email me
• Thank you for participating today and for sharing any ideas you might
have to help us all – please feel free to add any ideas to shared file