How to Start Our Day on a Positive Note

With the arrival of a new school year, we are encouraged to learn very important life lessons such as, "whatever energy we give off, is the energy we get back". As such, during a class discussion of a healthy body and mind, we shared many unique ways of starting our day with a positive attitude.

For all those days we wake up on the wrong side of bed and we aren't feeling quite ourselves, let these steps help turn a frown upside down!
Here we go....
Step 1
As you get up from bed, rise slowly and relax your neck, arms, and legs. Shake it all out.

Step 2
Do some stretches, sit-ups, squats or jumping jacks. This will keep you awake and will get you ready for the day.
*Or attend Running Club Tuesday's, Wednesday's and Thursday's.

Step 3
Don't skip the most important meal of the day- breakfast. Try to eat a healthy and balanced meal.

Step 4
Drink loads of water and bring a water bottle to keep you hydrated throughout the hot weather.

Step 5
Smile on your way to school. Your day will go fine. If you're worried about something, let it go! You can't tell how things are going to happen.

Step 6
Think of all the good things you will be experiencing during the day.

Step 7
Be confident in yourself and be proud of your achievements and talents- big or small.

Step 8
Be nice to everyone. Treat people with respect and you will get the respect you deserve.

Step 9
Have fun! You don't want to be constantly thinking about past negative events. Relax and enjoy yourself and you will be happier.

Step 10 
Go to bed early and always get enough sleep so you don't feel irritated in the morning.

We will begin talking about a "Feel Good Box" in our classroom. We will be doing "Show and Tell" (Montre et Raconte) presentations next week. Please ask your child to bring an item from home that makes him/her feel happy and to explain why. The performance scale (rubric) and script for the presentation will be discussed in class and sent home this week.

Feel free to share some of your daily routines for a healthy mind and body on the blog.
Merci!

Terry Fox Run, Pizza Lunch & Picture Day

Please be aware of the following important dates this week:
1. Terry Fox Run tomorrow -Wednesday, September 24, 2014.
Please come prepared and dressed in the proper running attire, wear sunscreen, bring a hat and a water bottle.

2. Pizza Lunch is tomorrow -Wednesday, September 24, 2014.


3. Picture Day is Friday, September 26, 2014.
Please fill out the Picture Day form and choose your pose set and background colour before Friday.

Joyeuse mardi!

Merci aux parents

Dear parents/guardians,

 

I would like to thank you for attending Curriculum Night. I am glad we were able to discuss strategies we can both use to help your child succeed in Grade 1 this year. As you are aware, Grade 1 is a big change for your child, hence I have provided you with a detailed package discussing routines, responsibilities, Tribes agreement, co-created classroom contract, and reading and phonics homework that will begin in October.

Please make sure to read over the package and return the signed copy of our co-created classroom contract.  
 

The first few weeks of school were pleasant. The students are an amazing group of kids!

We like to sing, dance, and play. We learned our Grade 1 routine activities: Le Calendrier, La Chanson du Jour, et le Tableau de Maths. That's not easy to do right away, but we are here to learn and we will work hard to know how to lead the morning routine independently and in French!!

   

I was amazed with the students' counting skills. We counted up to 100 en francais. Later on, we began riddles about numbers and illustrated our favourite chiffres (digits).We had our real recesses and lunches in the schoolyard. We are big kids now!
 

On the second week of school, the story of "La petite souris" intrigued us with all of the sounds containing the vowel "i". It was our mission to discover all of the words in our classroom that had the sound "i" through a fantastic game of "Simon dit".

 

We discussed what it takes to be a good member of our class and school community. Completing a bio-glyph activity helped us understand that each of us are unique as we have our own likes and dislikes. Showing respect for others, listening to and appreciating each others' opinions became our new goal in Grade 1.

 

Please feel free to talk to your child about our great experiences in class thus far and reinforce our discussion on being a good student in class.

 



Curriculum Night

Dear parents/guardians,
I look forward to meeting you during Curriculum Night this Thursday, September 18th at 5:00 pm. 

Notre Superhero!

During class today, we discussed what a good student does, says, looks like, sounds like and how he/she feels as a result of the good behaviour. We came to the conclusion that a good student is like a SUPERHERO. Yes a superhero! He/she has the ability to change the community for the greater good and be a role model for others to look up to.

Here are the qualities of a good student (superhero) in our classroom:

Bio-Glyph

In order to learn about each other, the students in Room 111 have created amazing glyph art pieces of their faces. They were asked to follow a glyph (symbol) legend to display their likes/dislikes while drawing a funny face. I was impressed with my students' ability to follow instructions and read and understand a legend. Bravo!

Voici notre galerie:

Mimi la souris

Dear parents/guardians,
Every week, the students and I will be practising a French sound, learn vocabulary and construct a little booklet revolving around the sound. We began with the French sound "i", pronounced "e" in English and started reading the book titled "Mimi la souris" (Mimi the mouse). After two weeks of reading the booklet in class, the booklet will then be sent home over the weekend to be read with you.

This week, I will be introducing and reviewing reading comprehension skills. In addition, I will introduce "Les cinq au quotidien" (Daily 5) which is a system that will help students be engaged in language and literacy.

With the Daily 5, students will be given the option to visit a language center on a weekly basis. The centers will consist of Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work, and Talk to Someone. The students will be held accountable for their learning at this time, either by completing a reader response activity or by completing a work sheet, or recording their dialogue, all for assessment purposes.

This system will help free myself to be able to pull students for a guided reading or writing session during this time.

Voici notre petit livret "Mimi la souris":

Bonne lecture!

Les chansons de notre classe!

La routine du matin

Je me lève, je me lave

Je me brosse les dents

Je m’habille, je vais aux toilettes

Je quitte la maison

OH!

À huit heures, je prends le bus

Et je vois mes amis

Et quand j’arrive à l’école

Il est huit heures et demie

HEY!

Les lettres de l'alphabet





Les couleurs

 

 

À la claire fontaine

“À la claire fontaine” is another classic French children’s song.  It is a song about parting someone you love, but never forgetting them.

I like singing along to this YouTube video because you can watch the story unfold as you sing along. The song relates to the Grade 1 students because they are now big kids who remain in school for a full day and do part from their parents/guardians and miss them but they never forget them.

The lyrics are at the bottom of the video (karaoke style).

Agenda's, Forms & Dismissal

Dear parents/guardians,
A kind reminder to those of you who have not yet returned the yellow Clairlea package containing school forms (i.e., walking excursion forms, lunchroom forms, medical information, etc.) to return it to myself by Friday, September 12th. Please make sure to check that you have filled out all of the components outlined on each form.

Thank you to all who purchased an agenda to facilitate communication. The agenda costs $8.00. For those who have yet to purchase one, a kind reminder that it is an indispensable tool for dialogue between parents and teachers.

Finally, a gentle reminder that all students who are registered to go on the bus afterschool will be going on the bus unless parents have provided a written note to myself or called the school to notify us that your child is being picked up. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.


Merci!