Garage Sale!

Dear families,
As you know, Area 24 has been working on adding and subtracting strategies for the past several weeks. Check out a few of the excellent strategies that students have come up with for helping with problem solving!
Before March Break, we would like to put our skills into action in a very real scenario. We will be having a class garage sale! Students will each be given an equal amount of school money to spend, and will really be able to keep the item(s) they purchase. Before they are allowed to buy anything, they will need to decide what they would like to buy and add up their total. They will also have to calculate how much change they should receive.
We will work together to organize our garage sale, placing items into price categories. Students will need to decide how they would prefer to spend their money - buy a few less expensive items, or save their money for one special thing.
I will provide many items for our sale, but we are relying on donations as well. Each student is asked to donate one very small item. As with any garage sale, this should be something that you no longer want, but that someone else might still enjoy (so nothing broken). Good ideas would be a book, small toy or a small game. Please do not send anything edible, clothing or hats. It would also be best if all items are small enough that they fit easily inside a backpack. Please help your child think carefully about the item they choose to donate - they will not be able to get it back. After our event, any items not purchased will be donated to Value Village.
Please have your garage-saler bring in their donation by the end of next week, March 6th.

Yesterday we did a fun science experiment to see if different materials were absorbent or not. Ask your scientist what materials did soak up water and which did not.

In our next science unit, after March break, I would like to set up a few rather involved hands-on activities, that we could use help with. In addition, we have some books that need repair, glue bottles that need unclogging and refilling and markers and pencil crayons that could use a once-over. These last jobs are boring, I know, but definitely contribute to our days running smoothly.
If you are interested in helping with any of the above, please email me and we'll set it up.
Thanks in advance!

Gymnastics is over, but there is more fun stuff happening in the gym. Grade 1 house-league begins Monday. House-league means going to the gym at AM or PM recess and participating in a friendly game between teams. Interested students already had a chance to sign up and will learn which team they play for on Monday. The schedule of games will be posted, but it's best to send them dressed for gym (regular gym clothes & shoes) every day in case of changes. Bonne chance!

This week we did our February dictée and it's coming home today. We're getting better and better! Bravo to Club de Lecture Rouge for writing such a great story this morning at the writing centre. I didn't help one little bit with this!

Film Trip & Gymnastics

We made it safely back from our trip to the theatre today! Thank you to our chaperones, I was really impressed with how well organized our class stayed on the subway and in the busy crowds. We couldn't have done it without you!

I thought the film was a bit advanced for us, but we had a good conversation about it this afternoon, so hopefully students can tell you what happened and what the main message was. We also read a book about Viola Desmond's experience going to the movies in 1946 and her subsequent battle for equal rights. Here are a few questions to ask about both things:
- Who is Dolorès (Dolo) and how is she connected to Hilda?

- What does Dolorès want more than anything else, and how does she get it?
- What goes wrong in her plan?
- What does Hilda think about the idea of fiddling with nature in order to make things bigger or make more money? What do YOU think?
- Why was Viola Desmond forced to leave the movie theatre? Had she payed for her ticket?
- How do we know Viola was brave?
- Nowadays, would this same thing happen?
- Even though we know better now, people are not always as respectful, toward people that look or sound or behave differently, as they should be. What can we do about it?

Our exciting day continued with our gymnastics period this afternoon. Here is what gymnastics looks like!

Our next and final gymnastics period is THURSDAY. Please remind your athlete of their special outfit one last time. Thanks!

Yesterday we finished up the science experiment we started last week on our sisters and family theme day. We finished building our straw, wood and block houses and tested them against a wind storm and earthquake. Ask your scientist which material was the strongest overall and what design details helped keep the houses stable.

CHOIR!!

A big Bravo goes out to the whole class for their behaviour Thursday when I was away finishing up my math course. Mme Diamond left a note saying that we have such a nice class and that everyone was so helpful, she couldn't choose just two people for the Bravos. I love getting positive feedback about our class - it feels like my birthday!

Friday we had another theme day. This one was all about sisters and families, in honour of Taisia and Evelyn who love love love their sisters and families! We began the day by finishing up our paper family chains which we have been working on throughout the week.

For science, we started reading the story of the 3 little pigs and then discussed the materials they built their houses with. We are still working on completing our building experiment to decide which material would keep our families safest.

In math, we had the challenge of finding the combined age of at least 3 members of our families. Because the number often got quite big, we used a grouping by 10 strategy which allowed us to count by 10 and avoid counting upwards of 50 one-by-one. Ask your counter who's ages they added up and what their combined age was!
The mathematicians have been coming up with some great strategies for problem solving. So far we've been working only on addition, but we'll be doing some subtraction too. Here's a game we played to practice a "Doubles" strategy. If we know some basic facts, like what numbers make 10 and our doubles, we can use this to help us in more challenging questions. In this game, there are 2 of every number from 1 - 10. Play the game just like a memory game. If you turn up doubles, add the numbers!

We had another piano lesson recently. This time we learned our first song: Hot Crossed Buns. For this song we need fingers 1, 2 and 3. Everyone did really well! Ask your musician to play it for you on the air piano!

In other music news, I am excited to share that our turn in Primary Choir is starting soon! Rehearsals will be every day 3, period 3. Because this is during instructional time, we have decided that everyone in the class should participate. From what I've seen (random outbursts into song), I don't think any member of my class will be upset that they have to go. Plus, having everyone there means I can go with them and sing along. The first rehearsal will be this Friday and we will continue every day 3 until the concert, which is April 30th. Save the date! 

Words of the Week

Last week we learned of 4 more ways to make the French ‘es’ sound. This week we have another 2 ways. ‘ai’ and ‘ais’ make the very same sound. Included in this list are some I (Je) statements. Encourage your child to write 5 sentences beginning with each one. E.g., 1. J’aime le lait. 2. J’aime les chiens.

j’aime, lait, l’air, je vais, je fais, je sais, 

maison, mais 

Bonus words: il fait, partenaire

Another reminder that this week we have gymnastics on Tuesday and Thursday, so please remind your athlete about their special outfit. Tuesday morning is also our trip to see Tante Hilda so please be sure your student is right on time for school. Students may give a water bottle or juice box to their parent chaperone to carry for them during the trip. Thanks!

Summer Plans

I hope everyone had a relaxing long weekend. Today we welcomed our new Principal, Mme Robinson, to Dewson with some exciting radiator problems and leaky pipes. What a day! I'm looking forward to meeting her and showing off our awesome class!

Thanks for remembering about gymnastics today. Mme Mary Ann said that our class was the most prepared and cooperative of the day! There may even be an announcement about us tomorrow morning! We have gym on days 2 and 5, so our next class is Thursday. Please be prepared once again with shorts and a t-shirt under warm clothes.

It's crazy to be thinking about summer considering the weather lately, but I know this is the time that you're starting to make plans for the kids. My hope is that you'll find time for something French over the summer - we've already come such a long way, it would be a shame to let it get dusty over the summer. If you can keep up your reading routine, maybe review some sounds and words, that's enough for me. I did have several parents ask about camps though, so I just want to draw your attention to the list of links to the left. These are just ideas that have been passed on to me. I don't know much about them, but it might be something to look into if you're interested in doing a French camp. If you know of another good French program, please let me know so I can add it. Hope this helps!

Words of the Week

That crazy E again! We’ve learned about the accent aigu (é), now we have all the others.

è = E-accent grave

ê = E-accent circonflexe

ë = E-tréma

Any of these accents help the e make exactly the same sound as the French ‘es’ sound. Think of “les” or, in English, “best”. “-et” makes the same sound when it’s at the end of a word.

When it comes to all these accents, it can be tricky to remember which one goes which way. I like to act them out. I see the accent aigu as a plane taking off, or a salute. The accent grave looks like a plane landing. The accent circonflexe is like a little hat! Encourage your child to show you which accent the word needs by acting it out with their body!

mère, père, tête, juillet, la chèvre, 

après, violet, forêt

Bonus words: chère, frère

Here's one group playing our newest math game. We used Wizard dice, which go up well beyond 6, to practice adding numbers using counters and our "Faire 10" strategy.

Happy Valentines & Family Day!

We had a fun-filled day today with reading buddies, dance & drama and all our Valentines activities! We had our card exchange this afternoon and we hope you also like the special cards and messages we worked on for you! It was very sweet watching the children walking around delivering their cards to each other.

Wednesday we completed our February social skills challenge. It was a really fun one! In a group of 5, we made human knots by holding hands with people across from us, then we worked as a group to undo the knot without letting go. During this task, we were focusing on participating, listening to our group members and using calm voices. All the groups really worked well and untangled themselves several times. We were able to keep our voices fairly quiet even when we were excited, which is something we need to think about all the time at school - 21 people in a room can make a lot of noise without meaning to if we're not all being careful! The rubrics came home Thursday.

Wednesday we also reflected on our report cards and wrote down one thing we already can do well, and set a goal for the next term. Ask your student what they wrote as the goal they've already scored and what they're going to work on. Thank you for discussing this at home in advance, the goals are all very appropriate for each student.

Today you are receiving a very important letter from our gym teachers - it is also posted on the Dewson blog. To summarize, for the next 2 weeks, all classes will get to participate in a really neat gymnastics unit during their regular gym times. The gym will be set up with tons of climbing and gymnastics equipment and all classes for the next 2 weeks will take place in the gym, not outdoors. There are a few important things to note:
- In order to use the climbing equipment safely, all students must wear shorts and a t-shirt. Students need to have some skin exposed in order to grip the equipment. On gym days, please have your child wear his or her gym clothes under his/her regular clothes. This way they can change quickly in the gym. Nobody should have to visit the washroom in order to get changed for gym. Students will also be removing shoes before using the equipment. Of course, hair needs to be tied back and glasses need to be removed or secured. Thank you for helping your child remember this on the right days - without the appropriate attire, students will not be able to participate fully in the program. OUR GYMNASTICS PERIODS WILL OCCUR ON FEB. 17, 19, 24 & 26. Mark your calendars!
- For the duration of the program, students will be eating an early lunch in classrooms (11:20-11:40) and then going outside for a long recess. Please make sure they have lots of warm clothes to put on!
**I repeat! The first gymnastics period for our class is TUESDAY - the very next day we are at school. PLEASE don't forget the special clothing!**

Enjoy a lovely family day weekend!
Tamara

Words of the Week

This week we are back to the sound, ‘é’. In November, I mentioned that there were other ways to make this sound. They are ‘-er’ and ‘-ez’, but only when they fall at the end of a word, not within (even at the end there are plenty of exceptions). This week you may want to play a sneaky game of -er v. -re. It is not uncommon, at this stage, to confuse the order of letters that form a sound, but ‘er’ and ‘re’ are two completely different sounds. Challenge your writer to find the mistakes in the words you’ve written (end some words with ‘re’ instead of ‘er’)!

déjeuner, février, chez, aller, manger, 

vous avez, visiter

Bonus words: vous allez, jouer

Report Card Etiquette

Hello parents,

As you know, report cards are coming home tomorrow, Tuesday February 10th. If we are having an interview, in the envelope you will find a half sheet of white paper with your interview time on it. 

If your interview time doesn't work, please email me so that we can reschedule. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume that means you're coming. 

Just like in November, I will be having a discussion with students about what their report cards mean and some things to remember on report card day. Here is some of what we will discuss:

• Report cards are personal, don't share your marks with anyone. Everybody is good at different things, and it never feels good to compare.
• Only open your envelope once you are with your parent/caregiver.
• Take learning skills comments seriously. It is hard to make progress in subject areas without strong learning skills.
• When I was in school, getting an A meant you were doing well. Today, a B means you are doing well and meeting expectations. An A means you are going beyond what was expected, so it's not an easy mark to earn. C means you're getting there, maybe you need a little extra help from the teacher or at-home review. It's nothing to get upset about.
• Trying your best is the most important thing - try not to put a ton of emphasis on the letter grade. In the subject comment boxes, I explain what you've accomplished so far, and what you can try to do next in order to get an even better mark next time. Read these with care and decide what you will try to do better (pick one thing). Parents can also select one thing they'd like to work on more at home. In our interview, we can discuss what each of us is going to do going forward, myself included.
• Please take a moment to write your goals on the bottom of the second page and return it to me with your envelope so that we can reuse it in June. You can bring this to your interview or send it with your child to school.

I'm sure you already know that this week the French Book Fair is happening in the library. Last week you received a little pamphlet with a ticket you can return for an opportunity to win $50 worth of books for at home and our classroom. If everyone returns that ticket, our class would have a great chance of winning! You can check out the book fair before or after school, or when you come for your interview. If you feel comfortable, you can talk to your child about bringing money to school (where to keep it and what they may spend it on) and allow them to visit the book fair at recess. There are usually small things (pencils, erasers) for just $1, and books tend to be between $8 and $25. Due to the book fair setup we will not be going to the library for our regular book exchange on Thursday. You can keep your current books until Monday the 23rd.

Thanks for your ongoing support, see you later this week.

Tamara

Math & Art

I'm running out of bulletin boards for all the fantastic art we've been doing! Please be sure to check it all out when you're here for your interview. Here's a preview of the broken hearts we made. We used a pastel layering technique to create shadows on the heart. Ask your artist how we did this.

I forgot to tell you about the theme day we had last week. Last Thursday we had a day about horses in honour of Azadeh and Kasia. In the morning we got to design our own horse and then we were challenged to write about it using complete sentences and giving lots of details. Writers described what their horses looked like, what they could do and what they liked eating, among other things. 

In the afternoon we had a math mystery to solve. We knew that in the barn there were 28 legs (belonging to horses), but we had to figure how many horses that made. Three different strategies emerged: drawing horses and counting legs until we reached 28, drawing 28 legs first and then grouping them into groups of 4 for each horse, and finally skip-counting by 4 and counting how many 4s that made.

On Friday, we reflected on these strategies and used them to use another leggy question, this time with chickens and cows. Here are the 3 strategies in action for the second animal problem:

Today we learned how to write a complete addition sentence (we had not focused on the + symbol before), and we played a fun dice game to practice adding single-digit numbers, using counters, and writing the matching number sentence. We will eventually set up some centres where we play different games that get us adding, subtracting and writing number sentences, but our focus will always be the open-ended show your strategy type questions, like the horse question. Ask your mathematician to show you the dice game - they really loved it today!