Week of Dec 15th - 19th

Chers familles,

We have many things planned for the week before the holiday starts. In English students are finishing up their letters to Santa. These letters and return addresses need to be "proofread" by parents before they go into the mail. By the way, no need for stamps when mailing to the North Pole! In French we are beginning to learn some of the irregular verbs, starting with être (to be). It is different than all other verbs and therefore needs to be memorized so that is can be applied correctly into our written and oral language. Ask your child to sing you the song we've learned to help us remember this verb.

Here is the verb "être" (to be) conjugated in the present tense, and the lyrics to our song:

Je suis                    Nous sommes
Tu es                      Vous êtes
Il/Elle est               Ils/Elles sont

In a sentence, for example: "We are very talented." in French would be "Nous sommes très talentueux."

In Math this week we are continuing to learn division and how it is related to multiplication. For example, if 12 ÷ 3 = 4, then 3 × 4 = 12 and 4 × 3 = 12. We are also learning to read and answer word problems, and identifying what the question is asking. We are looking for words such as "more than" (plus que), less than (moins que), altogether (en tout) to help us figure out if we are adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. Later this week, in preparation for learning to count money this term, we will have a "store" activity. Students will buy items using the dollars they have earned in class for speaking French and working hard. Each student will be purchasing at least one item. Also, counting coins will be part of our calendar routine in January. You can help your child be better prepared by helping them to identify each coin value, count and give change when at home or at the grocery store.

Today we had our Primary Concert rehearsal. Students have been working hard, practicing their ukulele song Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby. Students are encouraged (and optional), to wear a flower/colourful shirt, and/or a flower lei, Santa hat or deer antlers for this Primary concert on Wednesday at 1pm in the gym. We hope to see all of you at there! There is also an Intermediate Concert on Thursday at 1pm (which include performances by Quadra choir and ukulele club members). Students in this performance are asked to wear black bottom, and white, red or green tops.

Friday is pajama and pancake day! Students can come to school in pajamas's and a pancake breakfast is generously offered to them by Coast Capitol Savings. Students are invited to come straight to the gym in the morning, anytime between 8:30 and 9:00 am. There will be no line up outside. An announcement will be made by the principal when it's time to leave the gym and go to the classroom.

See you on Monday, January 5th, 2015. Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

Mme Elise Garcin

 

Dictée on Thursday

This dictée will be on Thursday, December 17th, 2014

The sound is an, which can be spelled in the following ways:

an, anc, and, ang, ans, ant, am, en, end, ends, ens, ent, em

1. Un petit faon gambade dans le champ.

2. Où peut bien être sa maman?

3. Un gros loup se promène dans ce champ.

4. Petit faon, retrouve vite maman!

Bonus:

5. Sauve-toi du loup méchant!

Week of Dec 8th - 12th

lundi le 8 décembre, 2014

Chers familles de division 6,

As holidays are approaching, many of our units are ending and we are starting new ones. Our next unit in Physical Activity (PE) will be hockey, and in Social Studies we are learning all about maps. In Math we are doing a variety of word problems where students have to read and figure out how to solve the problem, whether is be to add, subtract or multiply. This week in Math we are starting division as well!

In French Language Arts students are busy writing, writing and writing! Planet post cards are in the mail, constellation legends are posted in the class and our Doncaster pen pals letters are almost finished. Capitol letters, punctuation, spelling and grammar are all things we are working on in our written work. This week, students are going to begin writing a letter to Santa in English.

In Art last Friday, students created some beautiful angels and snowflakes. As a class, together we also made a beautiful tree from paper hand cut-outs and a very long paper chain to add to our classroom decorations! This Friday we will do more fun crafts. If anyone would like to come and volunteer from recess until lunch, send me an email. Come and visit our classroom to see you work!

By the way, we have an exciting Story Theatre performance in the gym on Wednesday this week, from 1-2pm.

Mark your calendars...

In Music, students are working hard to learn their ukulele song for the Winter Concert next week. Come and join us for this exciting school-wide event on Wednesday, Dec 17th from 1-2pm in the school gym.

Please drop off your clean household items/jewelry/toys/donations for the Loonie Emporium in the school Foyer by Wednesday this week (Dec10th). Ensure your child brings his/her sealed and labeled envelope with money inside (max 4 items), AND a few bags (cloth bags are the best!) by Thursday morning. We are going to the Loonie Emporium as a class on Thursday from 9:45 -10:20am. If you and/or your child would like to buy more items, please accompany them in the gym after school. Thank you to the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for organizing this exciting event!

That's all for now, have a wonderful week, Mme Garcin

Spelling words

This spelling test will be on Thursday, December 11th, 2014

1. each
2. earth
3. easy
4. eat
5. eight
6. either
7. elephant
8. energy
9. enjoy
10. equal
11. even
12. every
13. everyone
14. example
15. exercise

Bonus

16. experiment

Week of Dec 1st - 5th

lundi le 1 ier décembre, 2014

Chers familles de division 6,

This week, students are learning to write letters in French. Today students have begun writing their planet post cards. These will be sent home via Canada Post! Also very exciting, we have just received our first letter from our Doncaster pen pals. Students will write a response letter and continue to correspond throughout the school year. All of our letters include an outline, a rough draft, corrections and a final draft. Applying spelling, grammar and punctuation are very important. Now that students are in Grade 3, they are also learning and applying all these important aspects to their English writing. Once these two French writing projects are finished, students will be writing a letter to Santa in English.

In Oral Language, students have done a wonderful job of reading and presenting their constellation stories. They will be posted in the classroom for everyone to see! Students also continue to read on a daily basis. We are currently working on sustained reading for up to 10-15 minutes, where students select one interesting book and read independently the entire time. Next term we will read in pairs, with specific goals in mind.

In Math this week students are playing a variety of multiplication games using dice and cards. They are also working through a variety of words problems. We are continuing our graphing skills as we chart the changes in the weather. Below 0 temperatures are making for interesting observations and discussions.

In Art last week, students made festive gift boxes, and this week we will start making paper chains to decorate the classroom. In PE we are continuing our soccer unit and our rhythmic gymnastics has been postposed until further notice due to an ankle injury sustained by the instructor.

In Social Studies, we will continue our First Nation's sewing projects this week. In Science this Wednesday afternoon we have a special visit from the Vancouver Aquarium AquaVan! They come to inspire stewardship of aquatic habitats and the discovery of connections between animals, environments and ourselves with hand-on activities.

Passez une très belle semaine! Mme Garcin

Dictée next week

This dictée will be on Thursday, December 3rd, 2014

The French sound this week is u. It can be written in the following ways: u û hu ul us ut ux

1. Le lapin arrive au but.

2. Mais je ne vois pas la tortue.

3. Je crois qu'elle est perdue.

4. Dans la rue rien ne va plus.

5. Où est la pauvre tortue?

Week of Nov 24th - 28th

lundi le 24 novembre, 2014

Chers familles de Division 6,

Students are doing a variety of activities this week. We are integrating Language Arts and Space Science by writing and illustrating a constellation legend.  Today, many students presented their constellation legends to the class. In groups of 2, students also read and compared the similarities and differences of their constellations. Once we finish, students will begin writing a postcard describing their favourite planet.

In Math we are learning and practicing dice games, patterns and strategies for multiplying numbers up to 5 times 5. We are also continuing with our daily 3-digit number of the day, where students share their personal strategies when adding and subtracting large numbers.

In the computer lab, students are honing their typing skills and learning shortcuts for inserting French accents (using an English keyboard). Last week we started our Aboriginal sewing project, and with much anticipation, students will be continuing them on Wednesday!

To end the week, students have a special rhythmic gymnastics class on Friday, and another exciting visit from storyteller extraordinaire Mr Clark, our district Aboriginal cultural liaison.

Passez une belle semaine! Mme Garcin

Spelling for next week

Here is our list for the spelling test on Thursday, November 27th 2014:

1. dance
2. danger
3. dear
4. decimal
5. did
6. dinner
7. division
8. does
9. doesn't
10. done
11. don't
12. double
13. down
14. draw
15. drink

Bonus word:

16. during

Week of Nov 17th - 20th

Dear families,

This week students are doing a variety of new activities and some review. Today we had a special One woman Circus show in the gym! Today we also reviewed math and space concepts we have been doing since the end of September. We will have a quiz in both of these subjects this week. Afterwards in Math, we are continuing with multiplication by looking for patterns and strategies of up to 5 times 5. We are also integrating Science and Social Studies by learning about constellations and their First Nations legends.

In Language Arts we are learning to find and identify the subject, verb and noun of a sentence. Meanwhile, looking to see how the verb is conjugated in the present tense. We are learning songs to help us remember verb conjugations ending in -er , -re and -ir. We are also beginning to correct the spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and verb conjugations of our stories.

In both French and English, students are reading independently and one-on-one with me, as I give them specific feedback on their reading fluency, pronunciation and comprehension.

In Art, students have picked up their paint brushes and blended paint to create all the secondary and tertiary colours using the three primary colours. They have also been exploring abstract art using lines, shapes, directions and colour. Our sewing activity scheduled for last week has been postponed until further notice.

Last week outside we played four goal soccer. Students are applying their kicking, passing and receiving skills on the field. We will continue this unit both indoors and outdoors (as long as the weather stays beautiful!).

As usual, our dictée will be on Thursday. Please note, there is no school on Friday, Nov 21 this week, therefore remember to return and/or renew your library books on Thursday this week.

Take care and have a wonderful week! Mme Garcin

Dictée next week

Here are our sentences for the dictée on Thursday, November 20th. Please note, there is a PRO-D day on Friday, November 21st, therefore please return library books on Thursday next week.

Our phonetic sound is I, and here are all the different ways the sound I can be written in French (notice all the silent letters):

i î ï ie hi is it ix iz y

1. La souris se cache sous le lit.
2. La souris se cache sous le tapis.
3. La souris monte la pyramide.
4. La souris voit Max le Grizzly.

Bonus:
5. La souris se cache dans le riz.

Week of Nov 10th - 14th

Dear families of Div 6,

Today students did an excellent job of reciting the French translation of the poem "In Flanders Fields", by John MacRae (translated by Jean Pariseau). They kept a beautiful rhythm throughout and their French pronunciation sounded wonderful! Thank you for all your support at home by helping your child memorize these lyrics.

Now that our performance is complete, we were able to do our solar system collage this afternoon. Ask your child to recall the order of the planets in our solar system, and some of our their unique characteristics. The collages will be on display in our classroom for the next few weeks.

Please note that there is no school tomorrow because it is Remembrance Day. Once we are back at school on Wednesday we are seeking to complete and review concepts in Math we have been doing since September, such as place value, patterns, mental math strategies and addition/subtraction of large numbers. Meanwhile, students who are ready will begin learning and applying new multiplication strategies up to 5.

In preparation for upcoming report cards (in 3 weeks), students will be doing a French reading comprehension test and some individual reading with me. They will also be doing a journal entry in English as they learn to apply their knowledge of new vocabulary, spelling of common sight words, how to pluralize nouns and differentiate common from proper nouns with capital letters. We are also completing our French stories we have been writing for the past couple of weeks, and will begin the process of finding and correcting our mistakes.

In Social studies we will have some more Indigenous storytelling and begin a sewing project we had planned for last week. Time permitting, we will begin our mapping unit as we learn to read and create various types of maps.

Happy learning, Mme Garcin

Spelling list for next week

This spelling test will be on Thursday, November 13th.

1. call
2. came
3. carry
4. chair
5. chicken
6. clean
7. clothes
8. cold
9. colour
10. cookies
11. cotton
12. could
13. count
14. country
15. cut

Bonus: 16. continent

Week of Nov 3 - Nov 7

lundi le 3 November, 2014

Bonjour! This week and next, we have many exciting things happening. As part of our school-wide write, students are writing a short story in French about an adventure on their way to school. Four aspects we are working on are: 1) A story that makes sense- writing a clear message and adding some interesting details (adjectives), 2) Use of style - good vocabulary and varying sentence length, 3) Good story structure - with a beginning, middle and end, 4) Proper conventions - punctuation, verbs and capital letters. These are the skills we are building on in our writing. We will also have a dictée this week on Thursday.

Remembrance Day is next week and Division 6 has been chosen to recite the French translation of the famous poem "In Flanders Fields", by John McCrae (translated by Jean Pariseau). Students have brought a copy of the poem home today for practicing. Please help them try to memorize as much as possible. I have attached a video of the poem below to help practice. We will also be practicing at school every day. This poem will be recited at our assembly on Monday, November 10th and begins at 10:40 am. Students are asked to wear black bottoms (and shoes if possible) and a plain white top. If you or your child is in Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Guides or Navy League Cadets, we invite everyone to wear their uniforms. Everyone is welcome! Remembrance Day activities will also be integrated into English and Art.

In Math this week we are beginning to learn how multiplication is related to division and addition (as a form of sharing and repeated addition). We will begin by learning to multiply 5 up to 10 and identify numbers ending in 0 or 5, also known as multiples of 5. As we continue, multiplication will be learned through a variety of sensory activities using blocks, tables, cards and word problems.

In Science we are continuing to learn about our planets and their unique characteristics. In Social Studies this week we will be exploring First Nations cultures through story telling and a sewing activity. In the gym, we continue to practice our soccer skills and play games that help us learn to move around the gym in a coordinated day (for example, moving side to side and finding empty space).

Please note, photo proofs and order forms went home today. Re-takes are on Monday, November 10th in the afternoon. Also, there is NO SCHOOL on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11th due to Remembrance Day.

Have a wonderful week, Mme Garcin

Poem: Au Champ D'honneur

Dictée next week

This dictée will be on Thursday, November 6th.

The focus is the phonetic sound a, which can be written in many ways.  Notice there are many silent letters!

a à â as at ats ha ap az ah

1. Je vais en safari avec ma camera.

2. Je vois une maman koala.

3. Je vois un chat qui chasse un rat.

4. Je vois un boa caché là-bas.

Bonus:

5. Je vois caché dans l’eau un piranha très gros.





 

 

Week of Oct 27th - 31st

Happy Halloween!

This week in Language Arts we are doing a variety of activities that tie into our Halloween theme. For example, in Oral Language and drama we will be doing Halloween safety skits (What do you do when you see a friend across the street? What do you do if a stranger invites you into their home?, etc). In Writing, we will create a small Halloween story that builds Halloween vocabulary and practices sentence structure. In a separate activity, we will apply the verb conjugations of -er verbs to sentences, find them in text and fix them. Next week we will begin writing short stories.

In English this week we are reviewing the difference between a common and plural noun, and how to make a plural noun (depending on the ending). For example, add an s, but when a singular noun ends in s-sh-ch or x add an es. Also, when a singular noun ends in y, change the y to an i and add es (eg. penny/pennies). Of course there are exceptions to all rules! Some just need to be memorized such as: man/men, woman/women, child/children, foot/feet, tooth/teeth and mouse/mice. On Thursday is our spelling test (see previous post). On Thursday afternoon we have guided reading groups, based on each child's reading levels. We will begin by focusing on pronunciation of our words, based on the English phonetic alphabet.

In the Computer Lab we are learning keyboarding/typing skills. This week we are also adding in how to type accents in the French language with an English keyboard. For example, â is ALT +131.

In Math this week we are learning to add and subtract large numbers. For example 126 + 32 = 100+20+6+30+2= 100+50+8= 158. Or 126-32= 100+20+6-30+2 = 100-10+4= 94. We are also reviewing various counting techniques such as estimating and grouping in 10's and 5's. This will also be integrated into our pumpkin carving activity on Friday (ex. estimating and counting seeds).

In Physical Education we are continuing our soccer unit (ball handling and passing techniques. In Science today we had a wonderful Space presentation and we will be reviewing what we learned in class. On Friday, as part of our special Halloween activities, we will have a scary story and a movie (shhh, it's a surpise!).

Have a wonderful week, Mme Garcin

Spelling

Here are the words for our spelling test on Thursday, October 30th:

1) ball
2) be
3) bear
4) because
5) been
6) before
7) best
8) better
9) big
10) bigger
11) black
12) boat
13) both
14) but
15) by
Bonus: 16) buy

Week of Oct 20th - 23rd

lundi le 20 octobre, 2014

This week in Language Arts student have started writing a weekly journal entry. Today for example, students wrote about what they will be dressing up as for Halloween. We are looking at making complete sentences with a noun (or pronoun), verb and as many descriptive adjectives as possible. Each sentence needs a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end. Also, now that we know what a common and proper noun is, we need to make sure our proper nouns are always written with a capital letter, even if it's in the middle of our sentence. This week, we are also starting our reading groups. Students will read together in groups of 5 or 6 while we focus on one or more reading strategies. This week our strategy is sounding out the words, while following along with our finger.

In Math this week we are working on our number sense by reviewing number patterns and learning to situate numbers on a number line. This will help us as we transition into addition and subtraction. During our morning calendar we are graphing our weather and temperature patterns, while also practicing adding numbers up to 1000 using our number of the day. For example, today our number was 349. We added 10, subtracted 10, added 25 and looked at the place value of 3, 4 and 9 (ones, tens and hundreds). Our numbers will get larger as we progress.

In Science, students are working in groups of 2 or 3 and are doing research on a planet in our solar system. Each group is posting their findings on our classroom research poster, where we are learning how to say and write large numbers and their units (eg celcius, km). The information on our poster is: distance from the sun, temperature, length of one day, diameter and colour. Next Monday we have a special presentation from the Royal Astronomical Society. They will help answer all the student-generated questions we have about space.

Halloween is fast approaching, and we are integrating this theme into many of our activities. This past Friday, students created a Picasso Cubist-style pumpkin face. Students learned about the life of Picasso, one of the most famous Spanish artists of the 20th century. Come and see our creations posted in the class!

This year, we are lucky to have a French Language assistant. Mr Gomez comes a few times per week and so far this term he is doing some exciting Oral Language and drama activities.

Friday October 24th is a PROD day and therefore there will be no school. As per usual, our dictée this week will be on Thursday (view previous post to see this weeks dictée words). Students will also write their spelling words for next week in their agendas (in case they want to start practicing them over the weekend!).

Finally, just a reminder that school ends at 11:50am both tomorrow (Tues, Oct 21) and Wed, Oct 22rd for parents/teacher interviews.

I look forward to meeting with all of you. Have a wonderful week! Elise Garcin

Dictée for next week

vendredi le 17 octobre, 2014

 

Here is the dictée for next week. It will be on Thursday, October 23rd. Please help your child practice this as often as possible throughout the week (without looking!) by writing the full sentences in their blue practice booklet that was sent home last week. This week our sound can be written in many ways (è, e, ê, ei, est, et ets, ai, aie ,ais ait, aix and hai). In English this sounds like ai in air. Good luck! 

 

1. Le zèbre est une bête rayée.

2. Il est noir et blanc.

3. Le zèbre aime le soleil.

4. Le zèbre ne mange pas les fraises.

Bonus:

5. Le zèbre mange de l'herbe.

 

 

Week of Oct 15th - 17th

mardi le 14 octobre, 2014

Spelling list this week (also written in agendas last Thursday):

1) a
2) able
3) about
4) again
5) agree
6) all
7) already
8) always
9) am
10) and
11) anybody
12) are
13) around
14) ate
15) away

Bonus word: answer

This spelling test is on Thursday, October 16th. By the way, Thursday is also photo day! I will get in the habit of posting these words on the Friday before, so that parents and students all have the words before the weekend.

This week in Language Arts, we are learning about parts of speech (common nouns, proper nouns, adjectives, verbs and pronouns). More specifically in French, we are also looking at regular verbs ending in ER (eg aimer, danser, parler, etc) and how to conjugate them in the present tense using the root of the verb and the appropriate ending. In English, we are comparing proper versus common nouns, and plural noun endings (-s versus -es).

In Science we are starting our planet group projects and will continue until we are finished. Students will choose a planet and research their characteristics using a handout provided. They will then post their findings on a large information table and present their findings to the class with their group.

Today we begin our weekly visits to the computer lab! Students will begin by practicing proper typing techniques and finger placements using a fun program called Dance Mat Typing.

In Math we are looking at number patterns and place values. We are also playing various addition games and will begin talking about the relationship between addition and subtraction.

In Gym we are building our cardio strength by running laps around the school. We have also started our soccer unit. They are learning and practicing many different ball handling techniques.

In Social Studies we are continuing our environment unit by talking about ways to help our environment at home, at school and in the community. At school, students are taking turns sorting our recycling and compost.

Please remember that library books are due back on Thursdays. We go to the library on Fridays every week, but in case students forget, it is a good habit to return them on Thursday (especially when there is no school on Friday).

Today, orange parent/teacher interview request forms are going home in agendas. Please return them as soon as possible (tomorrow or Thursday) with your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. I hope to confirm and send out your interview time this Friday, or Monday so that you have time to make appropriate plans for work. Parent/teacher interviews are Tues. Oct, 21st and Wed, Oct. 22nd. School will be dismissed at 11:50am on both days. Please make appropriate child care arrangements. If you have any questions feel free to email or call me.

Have a wonderful week! Mme Garcin

lundi le 6 octobre, 2014

Bonjour les familles de division 6 :)

Four handouts were sent home today in the agendas. If any of these don't make it home, or if you need a second copy please email me and I will gladly send another along. The four items were: 1) a welcome letter from administration (Marilyn Campbell- Principal and Gillian Lawson- Vice- Principal). 2) a letter and small envelope asking for donations for the cost of agendas. 3) a PAC night movie and pizza order form, and 4) our first dictée attached to a note from me about how it works.

The first dictée will be this Friday, October 10th. Please help your child practice and be confident reading, writing and understanding the words throughout the week. I recommend a regular routine of homework about 30 minutes whenever possible (15 min for dictée practice, 15 min for French reading). Students need to remember that each sentence always starts with a capital letter and ends with a period. We will be discussing them in class, however, if you want to translate them there is a useful tool online called Google translate. Here is the dictée this week:

1) Léo est un bébé éléphant.
2) Il est un bébé géant.
3) Sa trompe est son nez..
4) Il a quatre grands pieds.
5) Léo aime bien jouer.

This week we are starting quite a few units. In French we are studying the sounds and syllables é, ed, er, és et ez, ée and ai. We are also going to review some basic French grammar such as vowels, consonnants, plurals using s and some regular French verb conjugations. In reading we will do a diagnostic reading comprehension exercise for end of grade 2/beginning of grade 3, silent individual reading on a daily basis, and I read books at the carpet a few times per week. Reading strategies will begin next week.

In Math we are starting with place value and number patterns with numbers up to 1000. Students are also learning various addition games and strategies using Power of Ten cards and worksheets. Towards the end of the week we will do a diagnostic math test for end of grade 2/beginning of grade 3.

In Science last week we began our space unit. Students will be learning about the planets and constellations in our solar system. We will do a variety of group and individual work that integrates vocabulary building, visual art, writing and oral language.

In Physical Education (PE), we a going to be running around the school regularly (while the weather is still nice) in order to build cardio and endurance. In preparation for our basketball, hockey, soccer and dance units we are doing some team building activities (parachute, relays) and learning important techniques (looking, stopping, turning, bending knees, etc).

In Social Studies we have begun our Environment Unit. We've read a book and talked about ways we can help the environment at home, at school and in our community. Today we harvested the soil from last year's class worm bin and created a new home for our "red wigglers". They can now continue to transform our food waste into soil. If any of you would like some freshly harvested soil, please bring a container to "Meet the Teacher" this Thursday from 6-7pm!

We are located in Room 100. I look forward to meeting you.

Tomorrow I will be sending home 2 more letters. One letter requesting that I share your contact information with the class for group email purposes, which also includes a request for photo consent. The second letter will be about our at-home reading program starting tomorrow.

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week!

Sincerely, Mme Elise Garcin

Welcome back to school!

mardi le 30 septembre, 2014

Dear Division 6 families,

I am very pleased to announce we will be a straight Grade 3 class, so far with 23 students. Today students got to know me as I showed them a suitcase of souvenirs since my childhood began in Ottawa many years ago. Afterwards we reviewed classroom rules and vocabulary. Students also taught me their names, interests and hobbies. I invite you to read the "About Me" section on the right hand column and I look forward to getting to know all of you in the coming months.

Students took home their new agendas today. Please help ensure this agenda stays in the backpack to allow regular communication with you. There will be special activities, homework, field trips and many more important handouts and information added regularly in the agendas. Some of this information will also be posted here.

Two items were sent home today. Please complete and sign both the Quadra "code of conduct" and "personal information" sheets. No worries if life is busy at the moment (I completely understand!), but please try to return by this Friday, October 3rd. I would love to have all your contact information so that I can send groups emails. If you prefer written communication and/or prefer not to be included in group emails, please let me know on your child's "personal information" sheet.

Tomorrow I will be sending home a school supply list for students who have not yet brought supplies. I will send more detailed classroom information and procedures throughout the next few days and weeks such a unit topics, volunteering opportunities, etc. For students to stay up-to-date and be successful, I encourage a regular routine after school that includes reading the agenda, at-home reading and studying for spelling before or after diner -as much as possible.

This will be an exciting year as we look forward to celebrating Quadra's 100th year anniversary. Next time you are at Quadra please come and introduce yourself. We are located in room 100. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to come see me in person, contact me by phone at Quadra school (after school is best), or by email at egarcin@sd61.bc.ca.

Sincerely,

Madame Elise Garcin (formerly Hoefer)

June 2014

mardi le 24 juin, 2014

Dear Div 16 families,

I looks like the end of 2013/2014 school year is here. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you and your wonderful children. Thank you for all your support at home and have a wonderful summer!

Mme Elise Garcin

Week of May 20th - 23rd

mardi le 20 mai, 2014

Dear families,

Students are learning about the letter X and x this week. Our new word is xylophone (same in French), and we have also learned another big word: extraordinary (extraordinaire). As we continue to identify, sound out and write letters, I can see a huge improvement in student writing (especially journal entries) and Oral language. We are also continuing to review common sight words we have been learning since the beginning of the year. For example , I (je), you (singular- tu, plural- vous), he (il), she (elle), we (nous), hello (bonjour), a (un, une), it is (c'est), here is (voici), the (le), I like (J'aime), I feel (Je me sens). Students are encouraged to use as many of these words as they can- at school and in their community!

In Math we are learning to identify and build 3-D shapes (also called nets). Our new 3-D shape vocabulary is: sphere (une sphère), cylinder (un cylindre), cone (un cône), cube (un cube), pyramide (une pyramide) and recangular prism (un prisme rectangulaire). We are comparing them to the 2-D shapes and learning to find them in the class (for example a clock versus a globe).We are also combining Writing and Math this week by completing a small book of numbers 1-10. Each number is represented using a symbol and the written word (un, deux, trois, ...).

Science this week is very exciting as we watch our large caterpillars transform into chrysalis! We will carefully place them into a large net and wait for the butterflies to emerge. Students are also feeding their worms with their lunch leftovers and watching food scarps turn into soil. Science is truly magical!

Mme Elise is beginning to pack up the classroom for our move back to Quadra at the end of June. Check out our school calendar on the News tab of the Quadra School website for information about exciting June events. The Primary Spring Concert will be on Wednesday June 18th from 1-2pm. Also, our French Immersion year-end field trip will be all day on Monday, June 9th, to Bamberton Park. Please return the yellow permission forms as soon as possible. If anyone can volunteer for this fun day at the beach, please contact me (or indicate on the form).

Also a reminder, please send a white 100% cotton t-shirt to school by June 2nd. We will be tie dying our shirts sometime in June. I will email you with further details.

Have a wonderful week! Mme Elise

Week of May 12th - 15th

lundi le 12 mai, 2014

Dear families,

Today we started the week with some colourful textured art in the style of Eric Carle, the author and illustrator of the book "A Very Hungry Catarpillar". Students are watching our caterpillars (les chenilles) grow and they will soon form a cocoon. The next few weeks wil be exciting as we observe them like real scientists and draw what we see in our journals.

Our letter this week is W and w. New words we are learning starting with this letter are: un wagon, un walkie-talkie and un wigwam (teepee). We are also reviewing all the French letters and the sounds they make in isolation (g, r, e). This helps us as we learn to read and sound out words we see in the classroom and in our books.

In Math we are reviewing basic 2-D shapes and learning how they differ from 3-D shapes. We will also be practicing basic addition up to 10 and continue to review counting up to 30.

Mark your calendars because there is no school this Friday, May 16th (PRO-D day), and no school on Monday, May19th (Victoria Day).

Have a wonderful long weekend,

Mme Elise

Week of May 5th - 9th

lundi le 5 mai 2014

Bonjour! This week students will be getting homes ready for our incoming crawly critters. We are preparing a worm bin for our "red wiggler" worms. We will watch them eat our food craps and learn to love and appreciate them as they create rich and fertile soil for our plants.  We are also getting butterfly lavae this week! We will observe them in a homemade netting as they transform from caterpillar to buttterfly. We will learn their important role as pollinators in our ecosystem. Many Language and Art activities will be centered around these themes. Our letter this week is V and v.

In Math we are now completing our measuring unit and will begin learning about 3-D shapes. In groups of two today we measured the length of our foot using cubes. Students will now compare their foot length with their peers. Students are also learning new Math games with Power of Ten cards to help solidify new concepts. For example, bigger (plus grand) and smaller (plus petit), as well as basic addition up to 10.
 
On Wednesday evening school administrators have organized a special evening for Quadra families. The Student Book Show Case event is at the school from 6:00-7:00pm. Division 16 student books on display will be the 5 Senses Science projects that some of you may have seen at the Student Led Conferences. Come and meet other families and see the writing talent of Quadra students!

Have an excellent week! Mme Elise

Week of Apr 28th - May 2nd

lundi le 28 avril, 2014

Bonjour!

Students were amazed to find their plants already growing small leaves and long stems today! As the germination process unfolds, students are learning to identify each step from seed to sprout and flower to fruit. Our letter this week is U and u. In Math we are continuing to learn about 2-D geometric shapes and measurement techniques.

Today we have integrated Math and Art by learning about one of the most famous 20th century artists, Pablo Picasso. Students have created a work of art in his cubist style with squares, circles, rectangles and triangles. Come see them on display in the hallway!

April Crunchy Cards will be collected this week for this 3rd and final month. Thank you for participating in our Healthy Eating and Exercise campaign. So far we have won a classroom skipping rope and we hope to win another prize this month!

Special events this week are on Thursday, May 1st. Our weekly walk is from 10:30am-11:30am, and the Intermediate Spring concert will be held in the gym from 1:00 - 2:00pm.

Have a wonderful week, Mme Elise

Week of April 22nd - 24th

mardi le 22 avril 2014

Salut tout le monde!

We have started off the week with some fun Math! Today we have continued our measuring unit by ordering different length crayons from smallest to biggest. The vocabulary being learned is plus petit (smallest) and plus grand (biggest). Students are learning to line-up the base of all the crayons (and any other objects they want to compare) on a straight line.

In Science we are watching the seeds we planted grow! We already see the roots (les racines), the stem (la tige) and some small leaves (les feuilles)! We will be studying every step of the growing process. As part of Earth Day today (April 22nd), I read "10 things I can do to help my planet". One of these is to compost our food. Students have expressed interest in building a worm compost bin, which we will begin making later this week and/or early next week.

In Language Arts our letter this week is T and t. Our new word is Tu (you- singular) . In our morning message we are emphasizing the importance of using the capital T (le T majuscule) at the beginning of a sentence and a name, and a small t (un t minucule) in the middle of a sentence or a word.

On Friday is a fun annual school-wide event called Jump Rope For Heart. This is a celebration of healthy living and a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We talk about the importance of regular exercise and celebrate this with skipping ropes and music! If you would like to help raise funds, there will be an envelope going home to collect donations from family, friends and neighbours.

Please note that tomorrow (Wednesday, April 23rd) school is dismissed at 11:50am and students are going home and after school care at this time. Please return in the afternoon at your scheduled Student Led Conference time with your child. Your child will be leading you through their classroom to show you some of the things they have learned and work they have done. I look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely, Mme Elise

Week of Apr 14th - 17th

lundi le 14 avril 2014

Today we began an exciting Written and Oral Language project. We are making a digital classroom book using an ipad and animal puppets. Students have chosen their favorite animal and each have their own page within the book. Each page will have their photo and a recording of their voice saying: Bonjour. Je suis un ______. J'aime_______ (Hello. I am a ______. I like to _______.) This is just one of the many displays your child will be sharing with you at next week's Student Led Conferences on the afternoon of Wednesday April 23rd.

On Thursday we are walking to Parkwood Court to visit and share a friendship salad (fruit salad) with our local Elders. Please send one fruit of your choice to school with your child on Thursday for this fruit salad offering (eg. grapes, apple, orange, banana, ect).

In Language Arts our letter this week is S and s. We are also learning high frequency words and adding them to our word wall. For example, last week we learned the word Je/je (I) This week we are learning Il/il (he) and Elle/elle (she). In Math we are continuing to talk about numbers that come before and after other numbers, as well as comparing and measuring various objects in the class. In Science this week we will be sewing seeds and will begin talking about the life and parts of a plant. In Art we have been creating some beautiful egg shell patterns and last week we built a small paper basket to take home this weekend.

I will be sending home your confirmed Student Led Conference visiting time this Wednesday. Please contact me by email or phone if you are unable to attend and/or need to request a change. By the way, this is a 4-day week with no school this coming Friday, April 18th and Monday, April 21st .

Have a wonderful long weekend and see you back here on Tuesday, April 22nd!

 Mme Elise

Week of Apr 7th - 11th

lundi le 7 avril, 2014

Bonjour les familles de division 16,

In Language Arts, our letter this week is R and r. We will familiarize ourselves with this beautiful Frrrench letter by singing it in our alphabet song, reading it in our morning messages, listening to it during story times (and at the listening center), and by writing it in our journals. For example, our journal entry this week is : Bonjour. Je m'appelle ______. J'aime....manger/jouer. (Hello. My name is _____. I like...to eat/to play....).

In Math we are continuing to learn the words avant (before) and après (after) when sequencing and learning numbers in isolation up to 30. We will also begin measuring and comparing lengths of various objects in the room using non-standard units (blocks, feet, hands, pencils, erasers, etc).

In Science we are beginning to explore new plant and animal vocabulary by integrating them in our Language Arts activities (for example: une fleure= flower, l'herbe= grass, le gazon= lawn, un oiseau= bird, un chat- cat, un chien= dog, une vache= cow, etc) . In Health and Career we are also learning new food vocabulary and integrating that into our healthy eating and exercising activities (for example: les fruits= fruits, les légumes=vegetables, une pomme= apple, les carottes= carrots, etc). By the way, please help your child remember to fill out their April "Crunchy Cards" each time they eat a fruit or vegetable and do 15 minutes or more of exercise!

On Tuesday afternoon we have an exciting First Nations cultural presentation by Teddy the Hoop Dancer in our gym. To learn more about Teddy's inspiring message of unity among all people, you can view his website here: http://www.hoopdanceproductions.com/find_us/.  On Thursday we will have our school counselor coming in to read a very special book called Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Life and Death to Children, by Bryan Mellonie. This book will be followed by a thoughtful discussion and a sharing circle.

Have are wonderful week everyone, Mme Elise

Week of March 31 - April 4th

lundi le 31 mars, 2014

Wow, I have noticed a huge improvement in Oral French and comprehension by all students since the return of Spring Break. Students are understanding and speaking a lot more French now, which means I am speaking more and more throughout the day. Very exciting!

This week our letter is Q and q. Similar to p from last week, q is also a "basement letter" (une lettre au sous-sol), which means the stem goes below the line. We are integrating reading and writing of our weekly letters and new vocabulary into our morning messages on a daily basis. New words and phrases on our word wall so far include Bonjour (Hello), c'est (it is), un/une (a in feminine and masculine, and the number 1 is also un).

In math we are now learning to spell the numbers 1-10 (eg. 1= un) and 2-D geometric shapes (un cerle - circle, un carré - square, un rectangle - rectangle, un triangle - triangle). We are also learning the words avant (before) and après (after). This will help us as learn the relationship between numbers. Since Spring Break, I have noticed how quickly students are growing. We will therefore be measuring ourselves now, and again in June to see how much we are growing!

This week we are the school's garbage gobblers! With buckets and pinchers in hand, it is our turn to safely pick up garbage from the playground. This will be a wonderful opportunity to talk about our role as stewards of the land and what we can do to help keep our environment little free.

On Thursday afternoon we will have a special presentation by Ballet Victoria in our gym, and on Friday morning is our monthly assembly.

Have a wonderful week! Mme Elise

Week of March 24th - 28th

lundi, le 24 mars 2014

Bonjour, our third term has begun! This week we are reviewing classroom routines and positive school behavior. In Language Arts we are continuing to learn vowel sounds and hand gestures that complement them. We are studying the letter P and p, as well as reviewing all the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make when we read them.

In Math we are reviewing how to count up to 30 by 1s and up to 100 by 10s. During our calendar time, we are reviewing additional vocabulary such as days of the week, months of the year, weather terms (sunny, raining, cloudy and snowy) and how to say the date in a full sentence. Colours and numbers (up to 10) will also be reviewed through art activities.

In Science this week we are completing our final five senses project. It is a tri-fold paper that integrates art, science and writing. This will be one of the many projects students will have on display at our student/parent/teacher conference coming up on the afternoon of April 23rd.

Today we had a special visit from the ParticipACTION Play Funmobile, a program designed to bring back play by encouraging us to turn off our TV's and go outside. The program came to Quadra with skipping ropes, bean bags, hoola hoops, balls and even wheelchairs. Mme Elise also showed students how to play hop-scotch. You can view their website at http://www.participaction.com/get-moving/bring-back-play/ for more fun outdoor play activities.

To continue our promotion of physical activity, our weekly Thursday walks (10:30 -11:30am) will continue this week. We always need at least one parent volunteer to leave school grounds. If you can volunteer this Thursday or any other Thursday please email or call me in advance, thank you!

Have a wonderful week, Mme Elise

Week of March 3rd - March 7th

lundi le 3 mars, 2014

Bonjour mes amis!

This week students are learning all about the letter O and o. The French language puts a lot of emphasis on vowel sounds a, e, i, o, u. Therefore, this is a wonderful opportunity to look at vowels in more detail by learning gestures that help us remember how to pronounce them clearly and properly in French.

In Science today, a student demonstrated what happens to calcium on an egg shell after soaking in soda pop overnight. We tried brushing off the dirty eggshell with a toothbrush without any luck. Students learned the importance of brushing their teeth before going to bed, especially after eating or drinking anything with sugar. We will also begin wrapping up our 5 senses unit by playing "I spy with my little eye" group games and reviewing the 5 senses vocabulary.

In Health and Fitness we are continuing the "Eat Well, Get Moving" program with a new March Crunchy Card in our duotangs tomorrow. Please help your child complete this at home by adding a check mark for each fruit and vegetable serving and 15 minutes of exercise they do at school and at home. At the end of each month (Feb, Mar and Apr), students are entered in a draw for small prizes (for example coupons, stickers and small toys). The February draw will take place this week.

On Wednesday morning we have been invited to a Landsdowne Middle School Concert from 8:40 am - 10:15 am. We need parent volunteers to walk there. Please email me if you are available, thank you.

On Friday March 7th, Report Cards go home and Spring Break begins! To help support your child's French language development at home during the holidays, have fun exploring some of these useful links:

French games and cartoons: http://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeunesse/petits/activites/ .

French and English ebooks: www.tumblebooks.com - this one requires a subscription, but well worth it!

French educational games: http://www.takatamuser.com/maternelle.php. 

The March homework calendar has gone home today, with activity ideas for every day. Reading books daily and finding family, friends and neighbours for French play dates are also ways we can integrate the joy of French into our lives.

Bonnes vacances de printemps! Mme Elise

Week of Feb 24th - 28th

lundi le 24 fév, 2014

Chers familles de division 16,

In Language Arts this week students are strongly encouraged to begin saying the French words and phrases they have been learning - in class and outside of school whenever possible. Do you have French speaking family, relatives or neighbors your child can speak with? See last week's blog entry for some of the phrases we have been practicing. You can also use google translate for the following phrases: Bonjour, comment ça va? Ça va bien? Ça va mal? Est-ce que je peux aller au toilettes? Je dois aller aux toilettes. Oui. Non. Merci. S'il vous plaît. De rien. Au revoir. J'aime... , Je vois..., Voila..., Pourquoi? Parce- ce que... . Our letter of the week is N and n. Now that our fine motor skills are developing, we are learning to write letters carefully on solid and dotted lines. In particular, we are learning that the lower case g, j, p, q and y go "in the basement" of the house (basement being below the line).

In math this week, we are continuing to review counting by 1's up to 30, and by 10 up to 100. In Science we are continuing sound and beginning our 5th and last sense, sight. In Social Studies we are exploring the different types of families we have and learning where our families come from on a globe and a world map.

In Physical Education (PE), we are playing with the gymnastics and climbing equipment. We are also learning hand eye coordination with hockey and badminton equipment in our centers. Students are also learning to express themselves physically by acting out emotions to the beat of a drum. For example, emotions we are learning are: content, triste, frustré, excité, étonné.

Have another wonderful week! Mme Elise

Week of Feb 17th - 20th

lundi le 17 février, 2014

Chèrs familles,

This week we will be celebrating our 100th day of school! Today students reviewed how to count up to 100 by 10's (10, 20, 30). Many student have handed in their 100-day projects. There are some wonderfully creative displays that include lego, rubber bands, photographs, fruit loops, beads, stickers, poms poms and cheerios. We will do some more 100 related activities, such as walking around the school, counting classroom materials and visiting other classroom projects.

In Language Arts we are doing the letter M and m this week. Opportunities to practice this letter includes decoding it in our morning messages, finding it in texts, tracing it on paper, and writing it in our journals. In writing today, we reviewed how to write lower case letters by starting at the top and working our way down, keeping our pencils on the page (for most letters). We will continue this as we carry on with our weekly letter exploration. In Oral Language, our classroom dog "Scruffy" is helping us to learn French greetings such as "Bonjour, comment ça va?"= Hello, how are you?, "Ça va bien, merci!" = Good, thank you, "Pourquoi"' = Why?, "Parce-ce que" = because. We will continue to learn conversational French to build on the letters and sounds we are learning. Students have learned "Est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes s'il vous plaît?" = May I go to the bathroom please? Please ask them if they can remember this phrase and have them practice this at home. Or at home they can say "Je dois aller aux toilettes" = I need to go to the bathroom.

In Science we are exploring the sense of hearing, which we did not have time to do last week. In music on Wednesday, we have a special presentation by a Folk Harp duo as part of a Ptarmigan Music Society funded musical experience. In preparation for their visit, students have been learning "Oh Suzannah," "Amazing Grace," and "Farewell to Novia Scotia".

Please note in your calendars that this Friday, February 21st there is no school for students.

Have a wonderful week, Elise

Week of Feb 11th - 14th

mardi le 11 février, 2014

Chèrs familles,

I hope you all had a wonderful Family Day weekend!

We have started our week with a visit to our local Senior Home and gave our beautiful, homemade Valentine's Day cards. Tomorrow, we will be continuing to learn how to count up to 100 using groups of 10 (10, 20, 30...) and by 1's (1, 2, 3, 4....). We will also be learning how to pronounce, write and identify the letter L and l.

Our family themed "Show and Tell" started today and will continue for the next few weeks. In Science, our sense this week is hearing. We will explore this sense by listening to glass jars filled with different amounts of water, and matching up shakers with different sounds (for example rice and sand).

And finally, students will be exploring free play centers as I begin term 2 assessments with individual students. Last week we read "Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids", by Carol McCloud. Students are learning to apply kindness by "filling each other's buckets" using kind gestures throughout their day, especially during free play. Feel free to ask your child about how their bucket and their friends buckets are doing today.

Have a wonderful week and a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Mme Elise

Week of Feb 4th - Feb 8th

mardi le 4 février, 2014

Dear families,

February is already here and we have many exciting projects coming up!

In preparation for our Parkwood Court Senior’s visit next week, we are creating Valentine’s Day cards in class today and tomorrow for our adopted grandma and grandpa's. As we learn to write individual letters (this week we are on K and k). Please note- I made a mistake to write L in yesterday's email), we are practicing writing a sentence in our cards, as well as in our journals. We are learning the most important parts of a sentence; capitol letters, periods and letter spacing. Sentence stems we are learning are “Je vois…” (I see), “C’est…” (It is) and “Voici…” (Here is).

In Science this week we are exploring the sense of smell. Students will be working in groups to identify and match containers with matching smells. For example, cinnamon and coffee. We are also continuing our Science presentations. Yesterday we made a chemical reaction with vinegar and baking soda. Wow, that was a hit!

Today, a newsletter with a description of two home - based projects were sent home in purple duotangs. The first is a Family Show and Tell Project, and the schedule for your child's presentation date was also sent home today. The second project is a 100-Day project, which is due on Monday, February 17th. See attachment sent home for details about these projects. Feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have any questions.

Over the next few months we are participating in the Eat Well Get Moving (EWGM) initiative. Each month, students will have a Crunch & Go Card stapled to their duotangs. Please keep this attached and help remind your child to check it off. Each time your child does 15 minutes of exercise and eat a fruit or vegetable, they can add a check mark to their card (at home and at school). At the end of each month, the card will be used to enter a draw for a prize. A Free Admission Recreation Pass will be sent home tomorrow to kick off Eat Well Get Moving!

Have a wonderful sun-filled week, Elise

Week of Jan 27th - 31st

lundi le 27 janvier, 2014

Chèrs familles,

Today, students had a special presentation on Dental Hygiene, provided by Dental Hygiene students from the Camosun College Dental Clinic. The presenters emphasized the importance of brushing for a minimum of twice per day, for at lease 2 minutes at a time. Each student was able to practice circular brushing strokes with a giant toothbrush and teeth! They were given a toothbrush as a take home gift. Key vocabulary for this lesson is "les dents" (teeth), "une brosse à dents" (toothbrush), "la bouche" (mouth).


Our letter this week is J and j. We will sing it, write it and look for it in our morning messages. For example: Bon_our! L' étoile du _our c'est _____ (Hello, the star today is__students name___). In language arts, we will continue to build on storytelling by sequencing and colouring illustrations of our story "The 3 Little Pigs". In science, our sense this week is 'Touch'. Students will be given a set of different fabrics and objects with varying textures. Matching fabric textures will be added to our Science station for further exploration. We are also continuing our science experiments where we predict, collect materials, follow instructions, observe and reflect on what we see. In math, we are practicing our pencil grip and writing our numbers 1-5. In social studies, I read a book today "10 Things I can do to help my world". I brought my bicycle in to prompt a discussion about ways we can help the environment. Tomorrow, there will be a special presentation by BC Lions Energy Champions. This is a program that emphasizes the important of environmental responsibility. 

We will end the week by celebrating Chinese New Year and making lanterns. We are also visiting our big buddies for a reading activity and building snowmen with cotton balls and recycled buttons.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Mme Elise

Week of Jan 20th - 24th

lundi le 20 janvier, 2014

Dear families,

This week students are continuing to develop their French language skills in a variety of ways. In collaboration with Mme Koski and Mme Stewart, we will be introducing storytelling and re-telling by presenting a puppet show of the familiar story "Les trois petits cochons" (The Three Little Pigs). The purpose is to explicitly teach the key elements of a story (setting, characters, problem, solution). Our goal is to provide students with tools they need to read, create and re-tell meaningful stories.

Our letter this week is I and i. We are continuing to write and draw in our journals. Today we wrote and drew our favourite sense out of the five we posses: smell, taste, sight, touch and sound. We will now explore each sense in more detail. At the end of our 5 senses unit, we will look back to see if our favourite sense is still the same... or has it changed?!

In math, we are practicing writing our numbers from 1-5 with a special three sided, grip pencil. In social studies, I will be reviewing proper hand-washing technique and talking about personal grooming and cleanliness. We will have a special presentation next Monday, January 27th by Dental Hygiene specialists from Camosun college. Also, this Thursday, January 23rd, we have another special presentation about the importance of cultural awareness. By the way, there will be no school this Friday, January 24th.

Have a wonderful week everyone, Elise

Week of Jan 13th - 17th

lundi le 13 janvier, 2014

Dear families,

In Language Arts (French studies) this week, we are reading the story "Les trois petits cochons" (The 3 Little Pigs). We will be practicing our oral language skills by reading and re-telling this story in a variety of ways, for example, using drama, pictures and puppets. Our letter this week is H and h, which is a silent in French. In writing, we have started writing in our journals. Today we wrote "C'est ma famille." (This is my family.), and students drew their family members, some are even labelled! In reading, the Listening Center is now open and students are following French stories along, word by word, or listening to songs. If anyone has any beginner French books or music accompanied by a CD, please let me know if you are able to lend it. The more variety, the better!

In math we are reviewing our numbers 1-30 and counting down using a rocket ship take off :10-9-8...take off! During our calendar we are learning to identify numbers that come before an after today. For example, if today is the 13th, what was yesterday and what will tomorrow be?

This week we are starting our 5 senses unit by creating 5 large art collages of things we can smell, see, touch, hear and taste. We will integrate French, Science, Math, Art, Physical Expression and Technology to engage our 5 senses and make our learning fun!

Have a wonderful week, Mme Elise

Week of Jan 6th - 10th

lundi le 6 janvier, 2014

Bonne année à tous! Happy New Year!

Our last and final colour this week is blanc (white). The last letter c is silent. We will practice pronouncing and spelling this word during our morning calendar and white- related activities in some of our directed centers. We will also be learning oral hygiene, which we began today by doing a dot-to-dot picture of a white tooth. I will do a flossing and brushing demo at school, so if you get a chance, please ask your children to show you the steps to properly brushing their teeth and why oral and physical hygiene are important. As cold and flu season picks up, I will also be reviewing proper hand washing.

Our letter this week is G and g. We did not have a chance to do it before the holiday during our busy week, therefore we are resuming our literacy foundation this week with G. We will also be reviewing proper pencil grip using some special pencils, and work on developing fine motor control when drawing pictures and writing words.

In math, during our calendar routines, we are counting up to 30 and 10 down to 1. Counting forward and backwards will be a foundation for adding and subtracting. Also, our math centers will include number and their quantity relation (1= un= *. 2=deux= **, etc) as well as number printing. I also show simple addition, when the opportunity arises, with fingers, objects and on the white board when a good concrete example comes up (eg 1+1, 2+2).

Our take-home science experiments are continuing this week, and we will soon begin a 5 five senses unit: le goût (taste), la vue (sight), l'odorat (smell), l'ouïe (sound), le toucher (touch). In gym we are continuing our centers where we learn to use all the different gym equipment safely. In class, I will also be adding some new centers during our free play time, such as the listening center (stories and songs), as well as the painting easel. There will also be a new January homework activity calendar going home. These activities are simple and can help students make important connections with their school, home and community environment.

If anyone is able to volunteer for our weekly neighborhood walk on Thursdays from 10:30 am -11:30 am please let me know by email. 

Happy learning! Mme Elise