La dictée- le 4 mars

This week, we are reviewing personal pronouns. For extra practice, try to use the pronouns in a meaningful sentence using previous dictation words. 

Class Videos...

We started the morning singing songs about making connections; text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world. Enjoy our French version of the songs.  

When reading a text, a child can relate to the text by referring to other books he/she has read, by relating to his/her personal life experiences, or by relating to the world. 

Academic Update

The shortest month of the year is flying by and before we know it, it will soon be spring. We have truly been blessed with warm and bright days this winter.

Much like the weather changes, our class is beginning new units. 

In Language, we are improving our retell and comprehension skills through a unit on 'making connections'. When a student begins to relate to a story in terms of his/her own life, the story simply makes more sense and this creates the path for students to ''create meaning''. 

''When readers learn to connect:

-their minds become flooded with memories

-they are making sense of the text in terms of events and people in their own lives 

-they can make connections to pictures, plot, characters, and feelings from the story'' 

(The Power to Connect: p.35)

Continue to ask your child comprehension questions from the reading packages sent home every Thursday.

In Mathematics, our focus will be exploring time and money. Students will explore both concepts by making connections to real-life situations (e.g., grocery shopping, time left to finish class work). 

Students will use play money to pretend to purchase items in the classroom. They will also make a paper clock to use at school and at home.

Paper clock PDF : https://www.eduplace.com/math/mthexp/g3/visual/pdf/vs_g3_125.pdf

Try some of these activities with your child:

- Search for different types of clocks: analog, digital, alarm, timers, watches, etc. 

- Discuss time throughout your family's day. You might ask what time you usually eat breakfast, dinner, or lunch.  

-Look at both sides of a coin. Ask your child to describe and guess parts of a coin (''I am thinking of a coin with a boat on it.'').

-Ask your child to sort coins into groups and identify equivalent values (e.g., 4 quarters= 1 dollar, 10 dimes = 1 dollar, etc.)

- Have your child review addition and subtraction by counting mixed sets of coins. 

In Science, our focus is learning about energy which is power used to provide light, sound, heat or to work machines. We learned about sources of energy such as sunlight (soleil), wind (éolienne), electrical (éléctrique), fire (chaleur), sound (son) and physical (personnelle). 

Learn about renewable energy with Sid the scientist. 

Sid le petit scientifique -Les énergies renouvelables

 

Visit the Brain Pop website for more videos on Science related themes: https://fr.brainpop.com/sciencesdelaterre/energie/sourcesdenergie/

Dictation- This week, we are reviewing important sentence starters used daily. As you practice at home, please help your child make meaningful sentences using the following verbs (action words).

Bonne continuation!

Around the world and back!

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s),
Today the students were overjoyed to speak about their family heritage and culture for Show and Tell. The students and I learned about the Edelweiss flower from Austria, the Brigadeiro national truffle of Brazil, the famous hockey teams: Les Canadiens and Oilers of Canada, the colourful design and clothing of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the tropical fruits of Tobago and Jamaica, the Flower Celebration of the Philipines, and much more!

Who say's you need to travel in an airplane to learn about different countries.

Many thanks to the parents who went above and beyond by baking/cooking food for the class.

 

Together, we celebrate and honour diversity!

Fun Filled February

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s),
Due to the upcoming P.A. day on Friday, the dictation and the reading package will be postponed until next week. The following are events/projects taking place in our classroom.

1. Primary Arts Day- The primary students (Grades 1-3) will participate in an exciting day filled with crafts, scavenger hunts, and much more on Thursday, February 11th. 

2. Sick Kids Fundraiser- Our class decided to send a card with encouraging messages to the Sick Kids hospital on Valentine's day. It soon became a school-wide initiative and I am humbled by the amount of effort and thought that went into making these cards. Many thanks to all who participated!

3. 'A Year in my Life' Season Project- We have completed and posted our projects on discoveries for each season. Some students debated that we skipped winter this year. Although, now I beg to differ.

4. 'Mesure-moi' Math Project- We are in the process of completing an interdisciplinary project wherein we trace the body, identify and label vital organs in our body (e.g., lungs, heart, brain) and measure the parts of the body using non-standard units (e.g., cubes, paper clips).

5. Montre et raconte - Show and Tell was a big hit this month as each student came to class overjoyed today to speak about his/her family heritage and culture.

6. L'histoire du peuple noir- We are celebrating Black History month by reading books about inclusion. We read the book entitled "Comme toi" by Genevieve Cote. We are learning about the names, symbols, colours, design, and history of some of the 53 flags and countries of Africa.

7. P.A. Day on Friday, February 12th & Family Day on Monday, February 15th. Hence, there will be no school and a wonderful long weekend for you to enjoy!

8. Starting Tuesday, February 16th, the following is an updated schedule for our class deadlines:
Monday's (Day 5) -Library book is due.
Thursday's (Day 3)- Reading Buddies & Book Bag due. 
Friday's - Dictation 

Phew...I think that was it!   

Cultural Show and Tell

Since February is Black History month, we have decided that the theme for 'Montre et raconte' will be to address our cultural heritage. Presentations will take place Wednesday, February 10th. Unlike the usual weekly schedule, everyone will present on one day.

The following is an outline of the assignment tied to the Family Social Studies unit.

Montre et raconte 

Students will research their own cultural heritage and share it with the class.

What You Need

• Family members who can help students learn about their ancestry and cultural heritage 

What to Do

1. Students will ask family members about their traditions, symbols, flag, food, clothing, and objects found in that cultural heritage. A show and tell form will be sent home to help jot down important information.  
2. Students will prepare a presentation to include examples of things found in their cultural traditions. For example, students may collect and organize personal or magazine photos that show aspects of their heritage, make objects or drawings or come dressed in cultural clothing. 
3. NOTE: The objects students will show don't need to be elaborate, but may be quite simple—perhaps a handful of couscous (representative of a Moroccan heritage) or a drawing or photo of an Inuksuk (representative of an Inuit heritage). 

Bon courage!

Marble Jar Reward System

We are using a "marble jar reward system" in our classroom. We have two jars- one for the class and one for the teacher. Whenever students speak French in our community circle, at the carpet, in cooperative groups, or even during recess, a marble is added. The students are working TOGETHER towards a more complex reward this month. We are counting and praising both individual and group contributions. However, when students speak English, a warning is given and the next time it occurs, a marble is taken away from the class jar and placed into the teacher jar. 

Please reinforce the "marble system" with your child at home and feel free to check the Language and Parent Resource tabs on the right hand side of the blog to practice French vocabulary, phrases, etc.