Last Week of School!

Each year seems to fly by even faster than the year before! As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take the opportunity to thank each parent/guardian for your help, support, and interest in your child's learning. I am very fortunate enough to have a class of students who are thoughtful, genuinely caring, and filled with excitement to learn! I congratulate my students for a wonderful year and wish them all the best as I send them off to their next grade.

Please be mindful of the following events/reminders in our classroom for the last week of school.

Monday, June 22nd -  Montre et raconte (Show and Tell) of your choice will begin Monday. Come prepared with the item you would like to share with the class.

Tuesday, June 23rd- Math and language centers madness! We will play math and language center games in the morning and begin our class clean up in the afternoon.
** Please bring a big bag to take home all workbooks and class projects. **

Wednesday, June 24th- Indoor and outdoor Pan Am games and obstacle courses. As an introduction to the exciting events that will take place in Toronto this summer, our class will put on our Olympian hats and compete in class sports such as, sprints, volleyball, badminton, soccer, etc. Everyone is a winner in our classroom!
http://www.toronto2015.org/sports

Thursday, June 25th- We will celebrate the last day of school with a school Awards Ceremony. Thursday will be proud purple day. We will have a class party. I will bring in some food items. If you would also like to bring in food items, please be mindful of the following allergies; nuts of any kind, soy, and gelatin.

Spelling Bee



For our last dictation of the year, the students will participate in a Spelling Bee on Friday, June 19th . It will be a friendly spelling competition to review all of the words/articles/verbs a Grade 1 student should be familiar with by the end of the year. You will find in your child's agenda a list of words to study for Friday.

Here are some basic rules for the class Spelling Bee.
1. The teacher pronounces the word, uses the word in a sentence, and says the word again.
2. The student listens carefully to the teacher and asks for the word to be repeated if necessary.
3. The student pronounces the word, spells it and then says the word again. The student must say it loud enough for everyone to hear.
4. The teacher determines whether or not the word was spelled correctly.
5. If the correct spelling was given, the student remains in the game.
6. If the spelling was incorrect, the student is eliminated from the game. The teacher gives the correct spelling of that word and then reads a new word to the next student.
7. When there are only two spellers left, if one player misspells a word, the other player must spell that word correctly, plus one more word to be declared the winner of the spelling bee.

There will be a prize for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Bonne étude!

P.S. The Alpha Jeune books in the reading packages will continue to be read in class through Guided Reading Centers and Mon Partage de livre programme. However, as of last Friday they are no longer being sent home. 

Science Trip - Tuesday, June 16th

Dear parents/guardians,
On Tuesday, June 16th, our class will be going to the Ontario Science Center. 

Many thanks to all the parents who expressed an interest in volunteering for the trip. However, six parent volunteers have already been chosen on a first-come-first-serve basis. You are kindly requested to arrive at 8:40 a.m. with your child and to bring adult TTC bus fare to and from the Science Center. 

What to Prepare for the Trip:
1. A packed litter-less, nut-free lunch and snacks are required. Please ensure that your child eats a good breakfast arriving to school.
2. Each student is responsible for carrying his/her own belongings. Please make sure that your child has an appropriate back pack/lunch bag to carry on the TTC and in the Science Center.
3. Dress your child in comfortable clothing and in running shoes so that he/she is able to explore the center and participate in a live aerobics show.
4. Wear protective sun gear (e.g., sunblock, hat).

Robot City

The students in Room 111 created and designed their own Energy Robot. They began by writing about the shapes that would be used to design the robot and three types of energy the robot used to be efficient (e.g., solar energy to make pancakes, wind energy to make wind mill hands, electrical energy to move, etc.). Knowing very well that many students are kinaesthetic learners, they enjoyed the second part of the culminating activity, which was building the robot. We tried to maintain our Eco Platinum status by using recycled material. Félicitations les amis!



Who knows, maybe these robot designs will take part in the FIRST Robotics Competition one day...

Scientist Josée

Today the students were excited to meet scientist Josée, who introduced us to 5 hands-on energy activities. Many thanks to the fabulous parent volunteers: Efthalia, Janet, Pinky, and Vivian. The students enjoyed the workshop so much so that the activities kept their minds off of the gloomy, rainy weather.

Energy Conservation Center: Students identified how to build and maintain an eco friendly home (e.g., insulation, turning off taps/lights, adding a solar panel, etc.).

Heat Energy Center: Students investigated how different coloured fabrics affect the absorption of heat energy and the temperature of an object. Now we know to wear light colours when it is hot outside!

Light Energy Center: Students discovered the importance of the sun's energy in the growth of our food and played a fishing game by identifying renewable and non-renewable energy. 

Solar Energy Center: Students discovered how the sun affects the movement of air over land and water to create wind and constructed pinwheels.

Solar Panel Center: Students used a solar panel to create electricity, spin a wheel, play music, and create a piece of artwork. 

Scientist in the School

 



On Monday, June 8th, the students in Room 111 will participate in the Energy Makes it Happen workshop. The workshop will complement and sum up our Science unit on Energy. Students will learn about energy conservation, solar panels, solar energy, heat energy, and light energy. Students will need to bring their creativity, curiosity, and teamwork skills in order to take part in an exciting morning.

La dictée - vendredi le 12 juin
The dictation words for this week are common verbs for Grade 1, conjugated in the first person singular Je "I". Please have your child practice writing complete sentences using the following verbs:
1. Je veux    (I  want)
2. Je peux    (I  can)
3. Je suis      (I  am)
4. Je vais      (I  will)
5. Je donne  (I  give)

Superhero Day Pictures

It has taken me a long time to finally upload pictures. The students were ecstatic to come to school in something other than ordinary clothes.

Meet...

Captain America & Ms. America

Super Girls

Batman 

Spiderman

Ninja 

The Hulk vs. Avengers

Superhero Visitors: Super Woman & Bat Girl