I hope you all had a wonderful March break! I heard about lots of fun trips and visits yesterday! Please help your child find all of the classroom books they borrowed and return them so that we can continue sharing them. Thanks!
It seems crazy to be thinking about summer already, but I know this is the time of year when you need to register for summer camps and activities. If you haven't already made your reservations, I would like to draw your attention to my "Summer Programs" link list to the left. These are a few French camps in and around the city that look interesting to me, or that have been passed on by parents and teachers. Any chance that your child has to speak French in the summer will be such a great boost for them heading into grade two. In grade 1 we learn so much so fast, and it's a shame to let it slip over the summer months. I hope these ideas are helpful. If you have been to one and have feedback, or know of another good French option, please let me know so that I can share with others.
In a shameless bit of self-promotion, I must also tell you about one additional day camp that is neither French, nor in the city, but if your child takes music lessons, it may be of interest to you. Durham Music Camp is for piano, violin, viola, cello, guitar and flute students of all ages. There is a special "mini-camp" for students aged 6 and under and if your student is not yet playing an instrument, but is interested, you can go as an observer, and participate in some of the non-instrument classes at a very very low cost. My mom, Laurie, who has visited our class several times and is a Suzuki violin teacher, is one of the directors and founders of this camp, and this year, I am offering a "Music and Stories" class which will feature some of the musical stories I've already told our class, and many more. This camp runs only for the first week of July. Please share with any friends or family who may be interested in this great music camp! All the information you need is available here.
As you all know, Mlle Bradfield has been teaching science in our class every Wednesday for a while now. In a couple weeks she will begin her block - that is a full month in our classroom during which she will gradually take over all of the teaching responsibilities. By the end of April, she will be teaching language, math and art, in addition to science. For me, my practicum blocks were the most important part of my teacher training. I look forward to supporting Mlle Bradfield during this time, and will continue to be with her and the students at all times.
In the two weeks we have before Mlle Bradfield begins teaching language, we are working on a fun report-writing/research project. Already, students have selected an animal and a book about that animal from our class library. Now, the researchers are looking for information in their books on where their animals lives, what it eats, what it looks like and other interesting facts. They are marking important pages and passages with sticky notes and a symbol to remind themselves of what they found. Next week we will work on writing out this information either using a report template, or a brochure template. Ask your researcher what animal they are writing a report on!
Also coming up soon is Dewson's annual dance-a-thon! Students brought home their collection envelopes before the break and went to an assembly today to learn about how it all works. You're probably familiar from Kindergarten, but if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me. The envelopes are due on the day of the event: April 1st.
Words of the Week
Now that we’re experts in tons of French sounds, we’re
reviewing all our sounds within slightly more complex words. Each week,
challenge your expert to figure out which sound is found in all the words on
the list. Suggest that they circle all the ‘a’s in green, ‘e’s in blue, ‘i’s in
purple (for instance).
pas, mars, avec, mal, calme, la balle,
le
canard, avril, le rat
Bonus words: ajoute, théâtre