Les saisons

Video about the four seasons -Sid le petit scientifique

Montre et raconte - Janvier 2016

Montre et raconte 

Show and Tell

Show and tell will take place this week. Check the above schedule to make sure you come prepared.

1. Please help your child choose one suitable show and tell object (e.g., holiday gift, toy, picture, game, book, travel souvenir, etc.).

2. Provide time for your child to practice saying the prompt phrases. I have written the instructions both in French and in English to make it easier for parents/guardians.

Bonne chance!

Academic Update

So far, a fantastic start to 2016!
As you view the pictures at home, ask your child to fill you in on what he/she is learning. Please continue to reinforce speaking in French in the classroom. Merci!

In Mathematics, we are learning about surveys, bar graphs, pictographs, and new vocabulary in the Data Management unit.

In Language, we are delving into the poetry unit as we discuss poems and songs about winter.

Winter Vocabulary

Snowman Song

Petit Ours (Little Bear) Poem

We are reviewing words with the vowel /o/ from the book entitled ''Une orange pour Solange''. The following are the dictation words for Friday, January 15th:

In Science, we are beginning a project revolving on the four seasons entitled ''A Year in My Life''.


REMINDERS:
1. Book bag ('sac a livre') and Reading Buddies are Monday's (Day 3). 
2. Dictations are every Friday. 
3. Library book is to be returned Wednesday's (Day 5). 
4. Show and Tell ('montre et raconte') is at the beginning of every month. 

C'est l'hiver!

This is a song to help us learn French vocabulary about winter activities and outdoor attire. 

Bonne année- 2016!

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s),
A very happy new year to all of you. Hopefully the winter break was relaxing and a good opportunity for some great family fun!

Updates for 2016:

1.Show and Tell (Montre et raconte)- As soon as students enter the classroom after the winter break, they are filled with stories about what gifts they received, or the places they went to or activities they took part in. Starting Monday, Jan. 4th, students are asked to bring a show and tell of their choice (e.g., picture, toy, card). For a different spin on the traditional activity, students will guess who brought what item in. 

2. Holiday Memory Book- Students are asked to think of their favourite holiday outing or gift. We will share the memories and then bind them all together to make a class book.

3. New Year's Resolution- Returning from winter break is the perfect time to reflect upon the past year and to make positive changes for the new year. We will discuss what goals we have as a class (e.g., projects, trips, etc.).

4. Dictée- This week, we will continue to practice the sound /in/. The words are derived from the story ''Ou est mon lutin", which will be sent home this week. Here are the new dictation words for January 8th.
1.  Le matin  (the morning)
2.  Le pain    (the bread)  
3.  Le pantin  (the puppet)
4.  Le poussin  (the chick)
5.  Le médecin  (the doctor)

I look forward to seeing everyone in good health and high spirits!

Community Projects

Before the break, the first grade students were sent home with the completed box model of a place in our community. Students were learning about mapping and directions in Mathematics, so we decided to integrate our knowledge of math to our Social Studies community project. We enjoyed looking at a map of our community through Google maps and Google Earth.

We discussed that a community is comprised of people (e.g., doctor, teacher, mother, father, etc.), transportation (e.g., bicycle, taxi, car, truck, etc.), and buildings (school, bank, grocery store, etc).

Each student chose a place in our community to visit, learn about, make a box model, and then present. Bravo les amis!

Finn - Fire station

Nathan- Post Office

Lily- Park

Lennox- House

Jaya- Bank

Iana- Walmart

Aahana- House

Abdallah- Police station

Sarwa - Gas station

Kingsley- Clairlea Public School

Axel- Hospital

Brayden- Apartment building 

Youpi- We are Finally Writing!

Before the winter break, the first grade students spent two weeks learning about the writing process (e.g., brainstorming ideas, using a graphic organizer, writing a draft and a good copy, proofreading, and using word walls/dictionary). Students were prompted to write a story with an unlikely and/or comical ending. We had fun incorporating an interdisciplinary approach by using what we learned about shapes in Mathematics and about lines in Art to create a setting for our story using only shapes.

Writing these stories has been a stepping stone from our weekly journals; we are now starting to create a text using a graphic organizer that expresses a clear message without relying on a picture.

Success Criteria
1. Brainstorm ideas for a story- a setting, 1-2 characters, a problem, and a solution.
2. Write the story in a chronological sequence that makes sense.
3. There are capitals at the beginning of a sentence, ending with a period. There is clear spacing between words.
4. Spelling is correct for most words. It is evident student used the word wall ''mur de mots'', a dictionary, and proofread his/her work.

Next Steps:
Throughout the month of January, we will continue to use various story map graphic organizers and discuss story structure, pre-writing brainstorming, and transitional words that can be used to signal sequences of events.

Writing Themes in January:
- Writing Process- Memory book of our winter break
- Identifying nouns, verbs (action words), and adjectives (words that describe a noun)
- Discussing and applying new vocabulary for winter (e.g., clothing we wear, weather, activities, etc.)
- Developing a transition word chart
- Analyzing and reciting poems about winter