What amazing costumes, and thanks for all the treats! We had a great day including some Halloween stories, learning the song "C'est l'Halloween", painting ornaments, playing charades with Halloween creatures (in French!), and a Halloween-themed connect the dots and word search. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of our class all dressed up, but fortunately the children did a good job tidying up our classroom (which had pretty much exploded), so we'll be able to have another party sometime. :)
This morning, I was very pleased that we knew almost every word in the morning message, so we were able to read the whole thing together, and some brave students even wanted to read it on their own!! Later, each child wrote in their journal "C'est l'Halloween. Je suis..." and I helped them fill in what they are dressed up as. Ask the kids what I was dressed up as, and what book we read as a result!
Since I studied music, I also love having the opportunity to share some music stories when I can. Today, I told the class the story of the Erlking. This is a German song ("Erlkönig") by Schubert that tells the story of a father desperately trying to get his son to the doctor as he is very ill. The boy is having visions of the Erlking - an evil spirit who comes to children who are sick and tries to lure them away, kind of like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. I told the story on top of the music so that the children heard the singer (who plays all the characters) and the accompaniment while I told the story in simple terms in French (and English). The whole time, you hear the pulsating rhythm of the horse, carrying the father and son, running. I encourage you to look up this song on youtube and listen to it with your child. Perhaps they can remember enough about the different voices in the story and tell you what happens. It's a really cool piece of music, and a bit spooky sounding - perfect for Halloween!
Today, children are bringing home their masks, which we did a few days ago. They look great, but we haven't worn them yet... didn't want them to break before you saw them. It was a bit crazy at the end of the day with all the costumes, treats and accessories we had to pack. I think we did pretty well - no lunch bags left behind! Any sweaters or boots that didn't make it into the bag will meet up with you again tomorrow.
Have fun with your activities tonight, and please be safe!
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Monday 29 October 2012
Words of the Week – Les Mots de la Semaine
Dear parents,
Today I am sending home a letter explaining the Word of the Week program that several grade 1 classes are starting. It shouldn't take up much of your time - just a few minutes of practise each evening will make a big difference. Of course, if you would like to do more with the words, you can get as creative as you like. Hangman, for instance, is a great game for learning new words!
Today we made flashcards for our 5 words. They should be in the yellow folder, and the kids know that they should ask you to help them practise by showing the cards. We may not always do this with future words, but I encourage you to make them at home as one of your first practise activities!
Today we made flashcards for our 5 words. They should be in the yellow folder, and the kids know that they should ask you to help them practise by showing the cards. We may not always do this with future words, but I encourage you to make them at home as one of your first practise activities!
Here is the note:
In grade 1, children learn to read by using different strategies, but eventually very familiar words used pretty much on a daily basis will be instantly recognizable whether they are in context or out. You can support your child by asking them to review the words with you (on flashcards, a chalkboard, tracing them in flour etc.). We will begin with 5 words a week. These are words we have already practiced at school.
The 5 reading words for the week beginning October 29th are:
le, la, les, un, une
If you have any questions about the word of the week program, please don’t hesitate to email me!
Thanks so much for your support,
Tamara
Friday 26 October 2012
Weekend Homework!
Dear parents,
As you know, area 24 has discussed some ways that humans adapt to weather and seasonal changes (for example, the clothes we wear and the activities we participate in). We need your help with one last topic: shelter. This weekend, I encourage you to discuss, with your child, the features of your home that help protect you. Here are some questions you can ask and answer together:
- What are some things in our home that help keep us warm in the winter?
- What are some things in our home that help keep us cool in the summer?
- What are some features of our home that protect us from snow, rain and wind?
- What features of our home allow us to see, day and night?
- What features of our house allow us to keep and cook food to eat all year?
- What features of our home help keep us safe?
On Monday, I will ask the class what they discovered about their homes, and we will make a list of important features together.
As a follow-up activity, you might encourage your child to build a house, apartment, bus shelter or other structure that protects people using Lego, blocks or boxes. Encourage them to include features such as doors, windows, and so on.
Don't worry, I won't be checking off to see who has and has not had this discussion, but it is my hope that this will be a fun and interesting activity for you and your child to do together!
Have a great weekend,
Tamara
As you know, area 24 has discussed some ways that humans adapt to weather and seasonal changes (for example, the clothes we wear and the activities we participate in). We need your help with one last topic: shelter. This weekend, I encourage you to discuss, with your child, the features of your home that help protect you. Here are some questions you can ask and answer together:
- What are some things in our home that help keep us warm in the winter?
- What are some things in our home that help keep us cool in the summer?
- What are some features of our home that protect us from snow, rain and wind?
- What features of our home allow us to see, day and night?
- What features of our house allow us to keep and cook food to eat all year?
- What features of our home help keep us safe?
On Monday, I will ask the class what they discovered about their homes, and we will make a list of important features together.
As a follow-up activity, you might encourage your child to build a house, apartment, bus shelter or other structure that protects people using Lego, blocks or boxes. Encourage them to include features such as doors, windows, and so on.
Don't worry, I won't be checking off to see who has and has not had this discussion, but it is my hope that this will be a fun and interesting activity for you and your child to do together!
Have a great weekend,
Tamara
Wednesday 24 October 2012
What we're up to...
We've been up to lots of good this week so far!
We have almost filled one whole box with items for the food drive. Thank you so much! We have until Friday, and another entire box of space available.
In reading, we've been working on the next sound 'u'. This sound does not exist in English, so your child will need to teach it to you. It is a very tight-sounding (and looking) vowel. When you make it, your lips scrunch right up into almost a fish face. We practised this a lot yesterday! Some beginning words are tu, une and la lune.
I have also started meeting with readers one at a time to check on how their reading is coming along. I am quickly checking their letter and sound recognition, seeing if they can read a few simple words that we've practised together, and then we're trying to read a short book together to see if they can apply the sounds they know. Over the next 2 weeks, ask your child if they have had their interview, and how it went (was it easy, hard?). So far, everyone has been excited to get to show off their skills and have a formal interview with me.
One cool idea that you might like to try at home is to encourage your child to look for the sounds in a word before trying to read it. First, look for all the 'a' sounds in a sentence, then all the 'e' sounds etc. We circle each sound in a different colour, and then read the sentence slowly, using all the sounds we've identified to figure out the words. I made photocopies of a short book for everyone, and today each reader started circling the sounds on their own, using a colour scheme that we talked about. This helps us to really think about what we know, and helps us read all the way through each word slowly, rather than rushing and missing sounds that we know.
We also talked briefly about apostrophes today. It came up because it was in the title of a book I was reading called "P'tit Jean et la Sorcière". Ask your child what the apostrophe's job is, and what letter it is replacing in this case! (Also, what happened in the first 3 chapters??)
In math, we have begun working on a strategy called "Faire 10" (Make 10). We have been using pictures and manipulatives to figure out all the different combinations that make 10 (e.g., 5 + 5, 4 + 6, 1 + 9 etc). It's been interesting to discover that the numbers can be reversed, and they still make 10. For instance, 6 beads plus 4 beads is 10, but a group of 4 beads plus a group of 6 beads is also 10. This concept will help students with addition and subtraction for years to come. You can try this at home by asking your student to complete a group so that there are 10. For example, Here are 6 pennies. How many more pennies do I need to make 10?
In science, we are soon going to wrap up our unit on Daily & Seasonal Changes - although it's the type of thing that we will keep talking about as more changes take place during the year. Our clothes sort today went well, thanks for the items you sent in. We ended up with 4 hula hoops, to represent the 4 seasons, filled with seasonal items and we discussed why it's important to dress appropriately for the weather. We have also worked very hard, in groups, to create 3-dimensional representations of the 4 seasons using various arts & craft materials. Each group chose an animal to include in their seasons, so we can see how that animal adapts to the changing weather. I was very impressed by the teamwork and group problem-solving I saw during this activity!
We've also made some spinning plates representing day and night. The bottom plate shows one or more daytime activities, while the half top plate shows the night sky, or nighttime activities. The two are attached using a brass fastener so that the night plate can spin revealing the daytime activities underneath. Cool eh?
Today, we received our beautiful picture proofs. You can order prints online, or by returning the picture envelope with with payment by November 8th. The company asks that all proofs be returned by November 8th, even if you are not ordering prints. Photo retakes are a couple weeks later, on November 21st.
I know how much you do to get your kids packed and ready for school each day (believe me, it's crazy trying to get them all back to you at the end). I am trying to help all my students to become gradually more independent by dressing and packing bags on their own, and I am constantly giving speeches about how important it is to have the yellow communication folder at school. I will keep on stressing this because it should really be their job, not yours, to bring it to school and put it in their mailbox. However, if you think of it, please remind them to make sure it's in their bag before school so that they have a safe place to put any notes I have. Thanks so much!
We have almost filled one whole box with items for the food drive. Thank you so much! We have until Friday, and another entire box of space available.
In reading, we've been working on the next sound 'u'. This sound does not exist in English, so your child will need to teach it to you. It is a very tight-sounding (and looking) vowel. When you make it, your lips scrunch right up into almost a fish face. We practised this a lot yesterday! Some beginning words are tu, une and la lune.
I have also started meeting with readers one at a time to check on how their reading is coming along. I am quickly checking their letter and sound recognition, seeing if they can read a few simple words that we've practised together, and then we're trying to read a short book together to see if they can apply the sounds they know. Over the next 2 weeks, ask your child if they have had their interview, and how it went (was it easy, hard?). So far, everyone has been excited to get to show off their skills and have a formal interview with me.
One cool idea that you might like to try at home is to encourage your child to look for the sounds in a word before trying to read it. First, look for all the 'a' sounds in a sentence, then all the 'e' sounds etc. We circle each sound in a different colour, and then read the sentence slowly, using all the sounds we've identified to figure out the words. I made photocopies of a short book for everyone, and today each reader started circling the sounds on their own, using a colour scheme that we talked about. This helps us to really think about what we know, and helps us read all the way through each word slowly, rather than rushing and missing sounds that we know.
We also talked briefly about apostrophes today. It came up because it was in the title of a book I was reading called "P'tit Jean et la Sorcière". Ask your child what the apostrophe's job is, and what letter it is replacing in this case! (Also, what happened in the first 3 chapters??)
In math, we have begun working on a strategy called "Faire 10" (Make 10). We have been using pictures and manipulatives to figure out all the different combinations that make 10 (e.g., 5 + 5, 4 + 6, 1 + 9 etc). It's been interesting to discover that the numbers can be reversed, and they still make 10. For instance, 6 beads plus 4 beads is 10, but a group of 4 beads plus a group of 6 beads is also 10. This concept will help students with addition and subtraction for years to come. You can try this at home by asking your student to complete a group so that there are 10. For example, Here are 6 pennies. How many more pennies do I need to make 10?
In science, we are soon going to wrap up our unit on Daily & Seasonal Changes - although it's the type of thing that we will keep talking about as more changes take place during the year. Our clothes sort today went well, thanks for the items you sent in. We ended up with 4 hula hoops, to represent the 4 seasons, filled with seasonal items and we discussed why it's important to dress appropriately for the weather. We have also worked very hard, in groups, to create 3-dimensional representations of the 4 seasons using various arts & craft materials. Each group chose an animal to include in their seasons, so we can see how that animal adapts to the changing weather. I was very impressed by the teamwork and group problem-solving I saw during this activity!
We've also made some spinning plates representing day and night. The bottom plate shows one or more daytime activities, while the half top plate shows the night sky, or nighttime activities. The two are attached using a brass fastener so that the night plate can spin revealing the daytime activities underneath. Cool eh?
Today, we received our beautiful picture proofs. You can order prints online, or by returning the picture envelope with with payment by November 8th. The company asks that all proofs be returned by November 8th, even if you are not ordering prints. Photo retakes are a couple weeks later, on November 21st.
I know how much you do to get your kids packed and ready for school each day (believe me, it's crazy trying to get them all back to you at the end). I am trying to help all my students to become gradually more independent by dressing and packing bags on their own, and I am constantly giving speeches about how important it is to have the yellow communication folder at school. I will keep on stressing this because it should really be their job, not yours, to bring it to school and put it in their mailbox. However, if you think of it, please remind them to make sure it's in their bag before school so that they have a safe place to put any notes I have. Thanks so much!
Monday 22 October 2012
Reminders
There were a few reminders today, and it's lovely to know that so many of you are checking the blog that your children are actually asking me to post my reminders on here!
1) Pizza forms are due TOMORROW. If your child was away Friday, they got their form today. If there is ever a time when you cannot find your pizza form, feel free to write the order on another piece of paper. Slices are $2.00, and juice is $0.50.
2) I mentioned in a previous post that we will be doing a clothing sort activity to talk about how we adapt to weather changes. This activity will take place WEDNESDAY. If possible, please send in a piece of clothing that is season-specific (e.g., mittens, raincoat, shorts, sweater). As always, please make sure it is labelled. They will come home again the same day.
3) This week is the food drive. We are trying to fill up two large boxes in area 24! The families are most in need of baby food, canned vegetables and pasta.
Finally, next Wednesday is Halloween. It's still a bit early, but in case you are thinking about what to get for school, here is the plan: We will have a short "party" after lunch. This will consist of Halloween themed art activities, music and stories. Students are welcome to bring a costume that they can change into at lunch. There is no need to send food or candy, but if you would like to send something, there are 23 students in our class. Please make sure that food/candy is store-bought (not home-made) and is clearly labelled as peanut-free. A good alternative to candy is to get Halloween themed pencils or erasers from the dollar store. They're peanut and sugar-free, and are useful in our classroom! Again, no need to send anything at all, I will give a small treat to each student at the end of the day.
1) Pizza forms are due TOMORROW. If your child was away Friday, they got their form today. If there is ever a time when you cannot find your pizza form, feel free to write the order on another piece of paper. Slices are $2.00, and juice is $0.50.
2) I mentioned in a previous post that we will be doing a clothing sort activity to talk about how we adapt to weather changes. This activity will take place WEDNESDAY. If possible, please send in a piece of clothing that is season-specific (e.g., mittens, raincoat, shorts, sweater). As always, please make sure it is labelled. They will come home again the same day.
3) This week is the food drive. We are trying to fill up two large boxes in area 24! The families are most in need of baby food, canned vegetables and pasta.
Finally, next Wednesday is Halloween. It's still a bit early, but in case you are thinking about what to get for school, here is the plan: We will have a short "party" after lunch. This will consist of Halloween themed art activities, music and stories. Students are welcome to bring a costume that they can change into at lunch. There is no need to send food or candy, but if you would like to send something, there are 23 students in our class. Please make sure that food/candy is store-bought (not home-made) and is clearly labelled as peanut-free. A good alternative to candy is to get Halloween themed pencils or erasers from the dollar store. They're peanut and sugar-free, and are useful in our classroom! Again, no need to send anything at all, I will give a small treat to each student at the end of the day.
Thursday 18 October 2012
Chat & Chew suggestions...
Happy Friday everyone! One more quick update before the weekend.
We have now looked carefully at three different ways to make the 'o' (oh) sound. Of course, 'o', as in "mot", works. In addition, you can make the same sound using 'au', as in "aujourd'hui", and 'eau', as in "bateau". We found lots of examples of words with the 'o' sound during our reading. We also looked ahead to a future sound and discovered that when paired with u, o doesn't have the same sound anymore (e.g., jour = oo). Here are our 'o' words sorted into the 3 spelling categories:
We recently finished another art project, now on display beside our classroom. This time we explored different kinds of lines, including straight, diagonal, zigzag, wavy, dotted etc. After drawing lines with either white or coloured wax crayons, we painted over the whole paper and the crayon lines appeared like magic!
Here are our new artists of the month. Who made these?
This weekend, ask about how the sun helps us and what happened to our shadow when we drew it in the morning and in the afternoon? How does a thermometer work, can you count backwards from 20 using a calendar to help, what are the three ways to make the 'o' sound, what types of mistakes has Mlle been making in the morning message, and what did you write in your "Day of the Week Journal" for Saturday??
Bonne fin de semaine!
Lice Checks!
Hi parents,
As many of you know, we have a bit of a lice situation going on in Area 24. I even had them check my hair today just to make sure!
A couple days I sent home a sheet with specific instructions for the proper removal of the eggs. Look for this sheet in your child's yellow folder. To clarify, it is not enough to do the chemical shampoo only. Eggs must be carefully removed by hand. You can purchase special combs at the drugstore that help with this. Students are only permitted back to school once the eggs have been removed.
We ask that any child who is sent home with lice visit the office upon return to school. They are keeping track of all our lice patients! This means that if your child came home today, and you do the treatment tonight and think you got it all, you will need to go to the office tomorrow when you bring them to school. I know this is an inconvenience, but better to know when you drop them off than get another call later!
Be sure to wash pillow cases and check all family members, including yourselves! Believe me, I'm checking my hair constantly!
Thanks so much for your understanding and cooperation!
As many of you know, we have a bit of a lice situation going on in Area 24. I even had them check my hair today just to make sure!
A couple days I sent home a sheet with specific instructions for the proper removal of the eggs. Look for this sheet in your child's yellow folder. To clarify, it is not enough to do the chemical shampoo only. Eggs must be carefully removed by hand. You can purchase special combs at the drugstore that help with this. Students are only permitted back to school once the eggs have been removed.
We ask that any child who is sent home with lice visit the office upon return to school. They are keeping track of all our lice patients! This means that if your child came home today, and you do the treatment tonight and think you got it all, you will need to go to the office tomorrow when you bring them to school. I know this is an inconvenience, but better to know when you drop them off than get another call later!
Be sure to wash pillow cases and check all family members, including yourselves! Believe me, I'm checking my hair constantly!
Thanks so much for your understanding and cooperation!
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Hi everyone!
Sorry for the wait on these pictures from last week! Here is the list of 'i' sound words to practise. Again, it really helps to cover up the end, then the beginning of the word so that you can focus on one sound at a time. Don't feel that these particular words need to be memorised, they are simply examples of high frequency words that contain these sounds. It's more important to associate the sound with the vowel so that we can recognise it in other new words.
Sorry for the wait on these pictures from last week! Here is the list of 'i' sound words to practise. Again, it really helps to cover up the end, then the beginning of the word so that you can focus on one sound at a time. Don't feel that these particular words need to be memorised, they are simply examples of high frequency words that contain these sounds. It's more important to associate the sound with the vowel so that we can recognise it in other new words.
These are the posters we made in our presentation groups!
Here we are in our counting centres. This group is using picture cards that have the number on the back and they are taking turns counting and saying the number in French.
This group is drawing a set to accompany a number up to 23. It turned into a cool mural!
This group is playing dominoes.
Finally, this group is asking "de plus que" and "de moins que" questions using counters.
Today we took advantage of the nice day to go outside for a science experiment!
As part of our unit on daily and seasonal changes, we discussed the sun and temperature. In the morning, we discussed what the sun does for us (some of our ideas were that it gives us light, warmth, and helps the plants grow). We wrote about the sun in our journal and read a couple short books about sunny day activities. Outside this afternoon, we talked more about where the sun is, what it might feel like if we could touch it, and how it helps us. Ask your child what they wrote in their journal about le soleil!
Then, we looked at a giant thermometer. We learned how it works and how to read it. Our experiment today was to see how temperature can be altered by different materials. Before school, I put thermometers in 5 different boxes each containing a different material (e.g., cotton balls, aluminium foil, white fabric). Those boxes sat in the sun all day, and once outside, we made some predictions about which material would have kept the thermometer warmest, and which one would be the coldest. We then read each thermometer and put the boxes in order. Ask your child which material kept the thermometer warmer and which kept it cooler!
In the next 2 weeks as we continue talking about daily and seasonal changes, we will be discussing daytime and night activities as well as changes that occur in our own lives as a result of weather and seasons changing. These include changes in our recreational activities, the fresh produce we eat, and the clothes we wear. Feel free to have conversations about these changes, and more (e.g., changes to animals as the seasons change), at home. In addition, we will be doing a sorting activity using clothes next week. To help us with this, I would love if every student could bring ONE article of clothing that we can sort. It won't work if everyone brings something for fall weather, so dig deep and see if you have something left in the closet from summer or for winter. Please send this to school, clearly labelled, on Monday. We will bring them home again on the day of our sorting party (before the end of next week). Thanks!
Two more quick happy things! We are working on making good lines (one-by-one, hands to ourselves) and walking quietly through the halls. Today, we did an excellent job with this. Keep it up! Secondly, a HUGE Bravo to everyone for helping with the big clean up after our painting activity today. Wow, I saw people working together to clean paint off desks, chairs, even the floor! I saw people cleaning up areas where they weren't even working, and people picking up paint brushes that weren't theirs. Merci beaucoup!!
Thursday 11 October 2012
Listening Centre Now Open!
Dear parents,
An exciting new development in Area 24! Our listening centre is now open for business. Today, we went through how to use the listening centre from start to finish. This includes how to carefully set up the materials, how to follow along in the book while listening, and how to put away the materials so that they are ready for the next person. It would be great if you could ask your student to explain to you all the things they have to remember when using the listening centre so that they are ready for their first turn.
The listening centre is available to two people during independent reading time each day, as well as to anyone who has completed their work a little early. We will check ourselves off each time we take a turn so that those who haven't had as many turns get priority. Obviously, it will take a couple weeks before everyone has turn number 1!
Today we also did something a bit different in math. I set up 4 centres, each with a different activity (some old, some new) to practise our counting skills. Please ask your mathematician what the 4 activities were. Maybe you can relive their favourite counting activity at home! Pictures coming soon!
An exciting new development in Area 24! Our listening centre is now open for business. Today, we went through how to use the listening centre from start to finish. This includes how to carefully set up the materials, how to follow along in the book while listening, and how to put away the materials so that they are ready for the next person. It would be great if you could ask your student to explain to you all the things they have to remember when using the listening centre so that they are ready for their first turn.
The listening centre is available to two people during independent reading time each day, as well as to anyone who has completed their work a little early. We will check ourselves off each time we take a turn so that those who haven't had as many turns get priority. Obviously, it will take a couple weeks before everyone has turn number 1!
Today we also did something a bit different in math. I set up 4 centres, each with a different activity (some old, some new) to practise our counting skills. Please ask your mathematician what the 4 activities were. Maybe you can relive their favourite counting activity at home! Pictures coming soon!
Wednesday 10 October 2012
Dear parents,
A reminder that the October Scholastic orders are due TOMORROW!
Friday is our new library day, so don't forget to send back any books from last week.
Well, we've moved on to another vowel sound. We have quite a long list of 'i' words (words containing the sound 'ee'), with many additions that students found themselves while reading. (I'll add a picture to this ASAP.) Next we're going to tackle 'o', which sounds like 'oh', and can also be written "eau" or "au". Today I asked volunteers to come circle the letters that make the sound before we tried to read the word. Breaking a longer word up into syllables really helps us focus on each individual vowel sound so that we don't guess the word based on the first letter. Please keep reviewing words from the 'a', 'e' and 'i' list, even as we move on. We'll do this at school as well so that we add to what we know and don't forget past sounds!
Today in our Daily and Seasonal Changes unit, we talked about the different times of day when we're awake: before, during, and after school. Students helped me make a list of things that they do at all three times of the day. We had many activities in common. Tomorrow we will review our lists and the children will work in groups to illustrate them. Ask your child what other activities people do during the day, or share what you do during the day while they're at school!
In math today we reviewed our "de plus" and "de moins" questions (we're getting really good) and then worked on illustrating some numbers and counting some sets. I heard lots of French counting! You may have noticed our little booklets that came home yesterday. These illustrated numbers up to 10. We're pretty good up to 10 (although there are a lot of backwards numbers that I didn't catch before they went home that you may want to correct); however, past 10 is pretty tricky. It just takes practise - lots of practise counting while looking at a group of objects so that we start to associate the word with the number (what does fifteen really mean anyway?). We will continue to work on this every day at school, but any extra help at home will make a huge difference! Thanks!
Today we also had a class discussion in our circle about how their new lunch routine is going now that they eat in the gym. There are some things we can do to help our class get dismissed for recess a bit sooner. Some of our ideas are:
- Start cleaning up as soon as you hear the bell!
- Look around on the floor and make sure there is no garbage left behind.
- Put your lunch bag in the blue bag right away.
- Make sure your coat is on and you are sitting down.
Maybe you can review these tips at home so that we get a nice long lunch recess tomorrow!
Tomorrow (Thursday), I expect to be sending home a small information package that you will want to look out for. It will contain a brochure outlining the grade 1 curriculum as it applies to Area 24, Area 24's 5-day schedule, and 1 or 2 other things. Some of this information was included in the first day newsletter, and as always, this blog is the best way to stay up to date with what we are up to! Anyway, please be sure to check for that tomorrow or Friday!
Talk to you soon,
Tamara
A reminder that the October Scholastic orders are due TOMORROW!
Friday is our new library day, so don't forget to send back any books from last week.
Well, we've moved on to another vowel sound. We have quite a long list of 'i' words (words containing the sound 'ee'), with many additions that students found themselves while reading. (I'll add a picture to this ASAP.) Next we're going to tackle 'o', which sounds like 'oh', and can also be written "eau" or "au". Today I asked volunteers to come circle the letters that make the sound before we tried to read the word. Breaking a longer word up into syllables really helps us focus on each individual vowel sound so that we don't guess the word based on the first letter. Please keep reviewing words from the 'a', 'e' and 'i' list, even as we move on. We'll do this at school as well so that we add to what we know and don't forget past sounds!
Today in our Daily and Seasonal Changes unit, we talked about the different times of day when we're awake: before, during, and after school. Students helped me make a list of things that they do at all three times of the day. We had many activities in common. Tomorrow we will review our lists and the children will work in groups to illustrate them. Ask your child what other activities people do during the day, or share what you do during the day while they're at school!
In math today we reviewed our "de plus" and "de moins" questions (we're getting really good) and then worked on illustrating some numbers and counting some sets. I heard lots of French counting! You may have noticed our little booklets that came home yesterday. These illustrated numbers up to 10. We're pretty good up to 10 (although there are a lot of backwards numbers that I didn't catch before they went home that you may want to correct); however, past 10 is pretty tricky. It just takes practise - lots of practise counting while looking at a group of objects so that we start to associate the word with the number (what does fifteen really mean anyway?). We will continue to work on this every day at school, but any extra help at home will make a huge difference! Thanks!
Today we also had a class discussion in our circle about how their new lunch routine is going now that they eat in the gym. There are some things we can do to help our class get dismissed for recess a bit sooner. Some of our ideas are:
- Start cleaning up as soon as you hear the bell!
- Look around on the floor and make sure there is no garbage left behind.
- Put your lunch bag in the blue bag right away.
- Make sure your coat is on and you are sitting down.
Maybe you can review these tips at home so that we get a nice long lunch recess tomorrow!
Tomorrow (Thursday), I expect to be sending home a small information package that you will want to look out for. It will contain a brochure outlining the grade 1 curriculum as it applies to Area 24, Area 24's 5-day schedule, and 1 or 2 other things. Some of this information was included in the first day newsletter, and as always, this blog is the best way to stay up to date with what we are up to! Anyway, please be sure to check for that tomorrow or Friday!
Talk to you soon,
Tamara
Sunday 7 October 2012
Friday 5 October 2012
Joyeux Jour de l'Action de Grâce!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Your children were very thoughtful this morning as they told me what they are thankful for. They have written it down, and drawn it, on a card that they are bringing home today. Please encourage them to read it to you! Our artists are also bringing home a pine cone (pomme de pin) turkey (dinde) that was very challenging to make. We hope you like them!
Today students are bringing home an invitation to a Fire Station Open House. I'd like to draw your attention to this because People in the Community is a social studies topic for grade 1, so this would link very nicely to the unit we are doing later this year.
In math this week, we have been practising counting questions with "de plus que" and "de moins que". Students are really getting the hang of this, and are remembering that "plus" means "more" and "moins" means "less". Keep asking your child to count sets of things (crackers, grapes, books) in French at home, or draw a set to match a number you give them. This really helps us associate numbers with words. (We have been working on a little booklet with an illustration of every number from 1 - 10 that we will show you soon.)
In addition, we worked in pairs today to practise asking our own "de plus que" and "de moins que" questions in French. Every student had a turn being the teacher with their partner. I was SO excited to hear students actually asking each other questions and answering in French! Wow! To help us with this activity, each group had a grid with 10 squares, and 10 playing chips to add or take away. (I'll post a picture of this soon.) You can play this game at home by drawing a grid on a piece of scrap paper and using pennies or the pieces from a game of checkers. Being able to manipulate objects (actually remove them or add them to the existing set) is incredibly helpful for beginning adding and subtracting.
Our current science unit is on Daily and Seasonal changes. This includes changes involving night and day, weather, the 4 seasons, changes in animals and humans etc. We have talked quite a bit about the seasons (I think I mentioned this a while ago as a good thing to talk about when you're outside) and especially fall, since we are noticing lots of fall things right now. Yesterday I was super impressed when the class named 10 or so changes that they notice in the fall. I think they named everything in the book that we were about to read!
I divided the class into 4 groups, and each group had the task of drawing a picture that included the signs of a different season. For their season, they considered what animals do, what people do, clothing, food that we harvest or eat at that time, special holidays in that season, weather, what it looks like outside and more. Today each group presented their picture and every student took a turn telling us about something that their group included. Of course, the presentations weren't entirely in French, but they were still very exciting and a great example of teamwork. Please ask your scientist about their very first grade 1 presentation!!
Before I go, I'd like to say a couple Bravos. First, to the students who are really trying to sing "O Canada" in French each morning by watching and listening to me. Second, to the whole class for a fantastic Dance & Drama class last Wednesday - Mme Janvier was very impressed with EVERYONE and wanted me to pass this on.
Wishing you a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with your family,
Tamara
Your children were very thoughtful this morning as they told me what they are thankful for. They have written it down, and drawn it, on a card that they are bringing home today. Please encourage them to read it to you! Our artists are also bringing home a pine cone (pomme de pin) turkey (dinde) that was very challenging to make. We hope you like them!
Today students are bringing home an invitation to a Fire Station Open House. I'd like to draw your attention to this because People in the Community is a social studies topic for grade 1, so this would link very nicely to the unit we are doing later this year.
In math this week, we have been practising counting questions with "de plus que" and "de moins que". Students are really getting the hang of this, and are remembering that "plus" means "more" and "moins" means "less". Keep asking your child to count sets of things (crackers, grapes, books) in French at home, or draw a set to match a number you give them. This really helps us associate numbers with words. (We have been working on a little booklet with an illustration of every number from 1 - 10 that we will show you soon.)
In addition, we worked in pairs today to practise asking our own "de plus que" and "de moins que" questions in French. Every student had a turn being the teacher with their partner. I was SO excited to hear students actually asking each other questions and answering in French! Wow! To help us with this activity, each group had a grid with 10 squares, and 10 playing chips to add or take away. (I'll post a picture of this soon.) You can play this game at home by drawing a grid on a piece of scrap paper and using pennies or the pieces from a game of checkers. Being able to manipulate objects (actually remove them or add them to the existing set) is incredibly helpful for beginning adding and subtracting.
Our current science unit is on Daily and Seasonal changes. This includes changes involving night and day, weather, the 4 seasons, changes in animals and humans etc. We have talked quite a bit about the seasons (I think I mentioned this a while ago as a good thing to talk about when you're outside) and especially fall, since we are noticing lots of fall things right now. Yesterday I was super impressed when the class named 10 or so changes that they notice in the fall. I think they named everything in the book that we were about to read!
I divided the class into 4 groups, and each group had the task of drawing a picture that included the signs of a different season. For their season, they considered what animals do, what people do, clothing, food that we harvest or eat at that time, special holidays in that season, weather, what it looks like outside and more. Today each group presented their picture and every student took a turn telling us about something that their group included. Of course, the presentations weren't entirely in French, but they were still very exciting and a great example of teamwork. Please ask your scientist about their very first grade 1 presentation!!
Before I go, I'd like to say a couple Bravos. First, to the students who are really trying to sing "O Canada" in French each morning by watching and listening to me. Second, to the whole class for a fantastic Dance & Drama class last Wednesday - Mme Janvier was very impressed with EVERYONE and wanted me to pass this on.
Wishing you a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with your family,
Tamara
Tuesday 2 October 2012
De PLUS et De MOINS
Here are some math terms that will be important for years to come! Let's learn them once and for all!
Today we answered some questions as a group, using some cubes to show more and less, for example, what is two more than 9? What is 1 less than 8?
Even with a limited knowledge of French, you can help your child practise using and understanding these terms at home by using them in a question that is otherwise entirely English. For example, What is 3 de plus que 5? or What is 2 de moins que 10? We need to associate the term with the meaning, so keep the actual math simple and focus more on what the question is asking. Are we adding or taking away?
Many children impressed me today when they were able to understand what a printed question was asking by looking at the first letter of the word. (Is it P for plus or M for moins?)
+ De plus que means more than. +
- De moins que means less than. -
Today we answered some questions as a group, using some cubes to show more and less, for example, what is two more than 9? What is 1 less than 8?
Even with a limited knowledge of French, you can help your child practise using and understanding these terms at home by using them in a question that is otherwise entirely English. For example, What is 3 de plus que 5? or What is 2 de moins que 10? We need to associate the term with the meaning, so keep the actual math simple and focus more on what the question is asking. Are we adding or taking away?
Many children impressed me today when they were able to understand what a printed question was asking by looking at the first letter of the word. (Is it P for plus or M for moins?)
Scroll down to read my last couple posts and see what we look like!
Monday 1 October 2012
This is what we look like.
We practised reading some words with the 'e' sound in them. Here is a picture so that you can review them at home! Does your name have the French 'e' ("put") sound in it?? We are currently working on the sound 'i' (ee).
For our second art project, we went outside to collect some fallen leaves, then we painted them in fall colours and made prints on blank paper. Later, we cut out our leaves and turned them into trees! It makes a beautiful forest just outside our classroom!
Just before our Terry Fox day, we read a book about his life and talked about what he accomplished. We came up with four different sentences about Terry Fox and each student selected one to write on their shoe. You can see an example of each one below. What did your child write??
This is what we look like during independent reading time. We have been at 13 minutes for a few days, and we're working on being even more focused before we attempt 14!
This is what we look like when we play dominoes! This group was really good at taking turns.
This group ended up with a perfect rectangle and started a new game.
This group was really focused on the game.
This group eventually made up a new game using the dominoes as cards.
Dress for Success
Our gym teacher wanted me to pass on a reminder that all students need to have appropriate footwear (and clothes that they can move comfortably and safely in) in order to participate in gym class. We have gym on days 3, 4 & 5 (after the Thanksgiving holiday this will be Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays). However, even on non-gym days, I make sure the class has some active time, so it's important for kids to have running shoes at school every day.
If you don't need them at home, runners can be left in our cubbies at school. When we start wearing boots to and from school, we will keep them in our class' shoe bag at school.
Merci!
If you don't need them at home, runners can be left in our cubbies at school. When we start wearing boots to and from school, we will keep them in our class' shoe bag at school.
Merci!
Scholastic 101
Dear readers,
Every student was super excited to receive the October Scholastic catalogues today. Many told me that they had already spoken to their parents about wanting to order books, and they had lots of questions about how to go about it.
This made me realize that it may be the first year you are participating in a Scholastic program, and it's probably more important for YOU to know how it works (although I did try to explain it to the class today).
Here's what you do:
1. Look through the catalogues and decide what you would like to purchase. Note the item number.
2. Turn to the order form at the back of each catalogue. Find the items you wanted using the item number, and make sure the titles match up. In the box beside the title, write the quantity that you would like to order (usually 1).
3. There are about 5 different columns showing different prices. The pink one is for Ontario, so we always use the price in that middle column. Note the price in the empty box to the right.
4. Add up the total cost and the total number of items (this really helps me know that I haven't missed anything when reading your order) and write them in the two boxes at the bottom.
5. Write a cheque, made out to Scholastic Canada Ltd., for the total amount of all orders OR find exact change.
6. Send in the order form with your payment by the due date (see to-do list). An envelope or zip lock bag in the yellow folder is perfect.
The books usually arrive within 2 weeks, and I will distribute them at the end of the day with the original order forms.
I have found Scholastic prices to be very reasonable, often cheaper than in stores. Plus, when our class order is large enough, we sometimes earn free books for our class library!
The Club de Lecture catalogue is the only French book catalogue, and it serves a very large age range. If you look closely, you will see that each book has a level (Niveau) - look for the coloured circle at the bottom of the picture. Of course, you are welcome to purchase whatever you like - there's no harm in children looking at books they cannot yet read. However, if you are looking for books with words that your grade 1 student can start to sound out or read with your help, you will want to look for Niveau 1 books. By the end of the year, hopefully we will be closer to Niveau 2. There are always books that fit the theme of the season, and audio-books, that are great for any age.
Children are welcome to bring their French books to school for reading time, or for moments when they finish their task a little early.
Hope this helps you navigate the Scholastic catalogues a little bit. I have also posted two links to Scholastic sites in the language section to the right.
Happy reading!
Every student was super excited to receive the October Scholastic catalogues today. Many told me that they had already spoken to their parents about wanting to order books, and they had lots of questions about how to go about it.
This made me realize that it may be the first year you are participating in a Scholastic program, and it's probably more important for YOU to know how it works (although I did try to explain it to the class today).
Here's what you do:
1. Look through the catalogues and decide what you would like to purchase. Note the item number.
2. Turn to the order form at the back of each catalogue. Find the items you wanted using the item number, and make sure the titles match up. In the box beside the title, write the quantity that you would like to order (usually 1).
3. There are about 5 different columns showing different prices. The pink one is for Ontario, so we always use the price in that middle column. Note the price in the empty box to the right.
4. Add up the total cost and the total number of items (this really helps me know that I haven't missed anything when reading your order) and write them in the two boxes at the bottom.
5. Write a cheque, made out to Scholastic Canada Ltd., for the total amount of all orders OR find exact change.
6. Send in the order form with your payment by the due date (see to-do list). An envelope or zip lock bag in the yellow folder is perfect.
The books usually arrive within 2 weeks, and I will distribute them at the end of the day with the original order forms.
I have found Scholastic prices to be very reasonable, often cheaper than in stores. Plus, when our class order is large enough, we sometimes earn free books for our class library!
The Club de Lecture catalogue is the only French book catalogue, and it serves a very large age range. If you look closely, you will see that each book has a level (Niveau) - look for the coloured circle at the bottom of the picture. Of course, you are welcome to purchase whatever you like - there's no harm in children looking at books they cannot yet read. However, if you are looking for books with words that your grade 1 student can start to sound out or read with your help, you will want to look for Niveau 1 books. By the end of the year, hopefully we will be closer to Niveau 2. There are always books that fit the theme of the season, and audio-books, that are great for any age.
Children are welcome to bring their French books to school for reading time, or for moments when they finish their task a little early.
Hope this helps you navigate the Scholastic catalogues a little bit. I have also posted two links to Scholastic sites in the language section to the right.
Happy reading!
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