FUN, FUN, and FUN!

What an extremely busy and fun week this has been for the students and I. I would like to thank each parent for contributing to our pot-luck for the class party today. The busy schedule of doing arts and craft activities, playing interactive games, showing off costumes, and eating yummy treats was unforgettable for some of the students. So thank you once again for your generosity!

I wish all of my students and their families an exciting, safe, and joyous weekend. See you Monday!
Here are pictures of our extravagant week:

Week at a Glance in Room 111

Monday, October 27th - Practice singing "La croisade des enfants".
Tuesday, October 28th- Clairlea spirit wear orders are due!
Wednesday, October 29th - Pizza lunch!
Thursday, October 30th- Homework package is due & Halloween Howl at Clairlea (5:30 - 8:30 pm)
Friday, October 31st - Panther Assembly, Costume Chaos Day, and class party in the afternoon.

This Friday is Clairlea "Costume Chaos Day"! The students and I have decided that it would be grand to have a party in the afternoon to celebrate our time together, our ups and downs, and to send best wishes for a wonderful Fall season. I will bring some crafts and treats for everyone and would be delighted if families wanted to send in some additional food items.

However, due to some student dietary restrictions, please do not send in foods containing the following ingredients:

-          nuts of any kind

-          gelatin   

 

Un grand merci!

 

Chanson pour le Jour de Souvenir

Dear parents/guardians,
Our class has begun rehearsing for the Remembrance Day assembly (Le Jour de Souvenir). We will sing the song titled "La croisade des enfants". The assembly will take place on Tuesday, November 11th. Yes it may seem far away, but practice makes perfect, especially when singing in a second language- French! It will be a team effort because 2 classes and 3 teachers will also be singing the song, so we must do our fair share of work.

I would appreciate your support in helping your child practice the song at home.
Merci infiniment!

Here are the lyrics. We are ONLY singing the refrain that consists of 4 lines and is in bold. The refrain is repeated 3 times throughout the entire song. 

La croisade des enfants (The Mission of the Children)

Pourra-t-on un jour vivre sur la terre 
Sans colère, sans mépris 
Sans chercher ailleurs qu'au fond de son coeur 
La réponse au mystère de la vie 

Dans le ventre de l'univers 
Des milliards d'étoiles 
Naissent et meurent à chaque instant 
Ou l'homme apprend la guerre à ses enfants 

Refrain
J'suis trop petit pour me prendre au sérieux

Trop sérieux pour faire le jeu des grands 
Assez grand pour affronter la vie 
Trop petit pour être malheureux 

Verra-t-on enfin les êtres humains 
Rire aux larmes de leurs peurs 
Enterrer les armes, écouter leur coeur 
Qui se bat, qui se bat pour la vie 

Refrain

Refrain

Reminders...

The following are reminders about upcoming deadlines/special events taking place in October:



1. Vision and hearing clinics are available in our school. If you would like to have your child's vision and/or hearing checked, please send in the form by Wednesday, October 22nd. 

2. The second language and math homework package was sent home Friday. The package is due Thursday, October 23rd.

3. Pizza lunch orders are due Friday, October 24th.


4. Please send in Pizza Lunch orders for the "Halloween Howl" as soon as possible.

5. Halloween Howl will take place on Thursday, October 30th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. See you there!

6. Spirit day and "Costume Chaos Day" will take place on Friday, October 31st. 


Lastly, thank you for your continued support in your child's education. I have heard from my students that many parents are checking the blog to view the interactive French websites.
Bravo et bonne continuation!

Important Dates!

Dear parents/guardians,

1. Homework is due tomorrow, Thursday, October 16th. Please return the completed package in the black folder. 

2. Student Info Verfication forms must be signed and returned tomorrow.

3. Picture orders and payments are due October 17th, 2014.

4. Clairlea spirit wear is due October 29th, 2014.

Merci!

Je suis reconnaissant(e) de...

Today, the students and I discussed what we are grateful for while reading the book "Mirror" by Jeannie Baker. The book displays pictures of the life of two different boys. One in North Africa and the other in Australia. Through discussion about differences in the young boys' lives, we came to the conclusion that we are grateful for:
-A warm home.
-Plenty of drinkable water.
-Available food.
-Access to the internet.
-Our family and friends.
-Our health.

And more!

In the afternoon, the students enjoyed making "Turkey Hands" for art. The lovely work was left in class to dry and will be sent home Tuesday.

Enjoy your long weekend with family and friends!

Les suites partout!

In Mathematics, we have been creating, extending, and describing number, letter, shape, syllable, word, and line patterns. "Chapeau" to my students for doing an amazing job with this unit. We co-created the success criteria and decided they had to create and extend patterns with two different attributes (e.g., size, colour, shape, etc.), to describe the pattern, and to count the number of sets.
Et voila!

 

You can try some of these activities at home with your child:

1) Play a sorting game. Sort some objects (e.g. toys, socks, kitchen objects) into 2 or 3 groups (e.g. adults' socks / childrens' socks). Ask your child to guess what rule you used to sort the objects.

2) Collect a number of hard objects and 1 or 2 soft objects to create a group. Tell your child that some things don't belong in the group. Challenge him or her to explain which objects don't belong.

3) Play a game of copycat. Tap or snap or clap a repeating pattern and ask your child to copy it. Ask your child to begin saying or tapping or singing a pattern for you to copy.

4) Have a scavenger hunt for patterns in your home, the mall or grocery store. You might find patterns on tissue boxes, clothing, blankets, wrapping paper, or books. Ask your child to identify them.



Montre et raconte

Last week, the students and I discussed what a "montre et raconte" presentation consisted of. Your child received a black folder with instructions on how to prepare for the oral presentation and what to say in French. Please help your child choose a suitable show and tell object and provide time for your child to practice saying the prompt phrases attached in the black folder. I have written the instructions both in French and in English to make it easier for parents/guardians.

Please refer to the schedule below to see what day your child is presenting (the date was also written in your child's agenda). We will begin on Monday, Oct. 6th.

Please remind your child to return the black folder to school on the day of the presentation.

Bonne continuation!

Les nouvelles de la salle 111

Salut!

What a week it has been for the students and I! First off, with the drastic change in weather, I would like to remind parents to dress their little ones appropriately for the weather. Layered clothing would be a good idea for this time of the year- feeling a little cooler. I wouldn't want anyone getting sick this early in the year- or at all for that matter. 

In Mathematics, we are continuing to explore, extend, and create number, shape, and word patterns. Students are learning the French vocabulary to describe and extend a letter model (i.e., ABCCABCC). For instance, they are learning that using the following letter model, ABCCABCC, they can replicate a shape pattern and a number pattern. Here are some results:

We are simultaneously working on addition and number patterns. For example, we practice counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's. It seems however, that if students continued to practice recognizing French numbers in and outside the classroom, it would help us move to higher levels in this unit. I urge students to visit the following websites for a better understanding of numbers and patterns.

1. Math Resources - www.arcademicskillbuilders.com (Play the game Jet Ski Addition)

2. IXL Curriculum Math Based Learning- http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-1/recognize-patterns

In Language, students should have already taken home their second sound booklet titled "L'histoire de chats". I would like to remind students to use the following reading strategies discussed in class:

1. Regarder l'image. (Look at the picture.)

2. Dire chaque mot lentement. (Say each word slowly.)

3. Chercher de petits mots dans les grands mots. (Look for smaller (and familiar) words within the bigger words.) 

4. Continuer et essayer encore. (Continue and try again.)

To help students with sound recognition, we have been practicing sounding out different combinations of vowels and consonants. You may choose to also do this with your child at home. 

Please remember to return the story of "L'histoire de chats" this week. 

In Science, we have started discussing the characteristics of living and non-living things. We recognize examples of living things we see in and outside of our classroom. To test your child's knowledge of identifying living and non-living things, please visit the following websites:

1. http://ecole.stex.free.fr/reportages/morbecque/jeu_vivant/jeu_vivant_non_vivant.htm

2. http://lece1laclasse.pagesperso-orange.fr/question/depart.html

In Social Studies, we are discussing the different roles and responsibilities we have as classmates, siblings/daughters/sons, and friends to animals and the environment.

Lastly, please continue to check for updates on tabs located on the right hand side of this blog for more information on what we are exploring and for interactive websites you and your child can enjoy at home!

Merci.