As I mentioned yesterday, your interview sign-up letter is coming home today. I have tried to impress upon your students how important this piece of paper is, and hopefully they will communicate my instructions to you. They were:
- I do not need the white paper back.
- I do need the green paper back (it will help me help you!)
- Please return it by Friday, but the sooner the better!
Last reminder that students need their shorts & t-shirt for gym tomorrow, and for the rest of the week. Actually, the gymnastics unit has been such a success for students so far that it has been extended for another week. This is great, it means we will get 5 periods with the equipment instead of 3. Please mark your calendars that Area 24 students will need their special outfits next Wednesday and Thursday as well. Yay!
I also forgot to remind students that February Scholastic orders are due tomorrow (Thursday if you forget).
Today we started doing a bit of measuring using non-standard units (such as a paper clip, tooth pick, pencil, our feet). We learned two important things about measuring that you might want to review. First, that when we measure, we're really comparing one thing to another (is it heavier, longer, taller?). Second, the smaller the unit that we choose to measure with, the more we need. For example, when we measured the width of the board with Popsicle sticks, we only needed 6 and a half. When we measured in toothpicks, we needed 13. We needed even more paper clips! Similarly, the bigger the unit we use, the fewer we need. This is a big concept, and it really helps us to become good prediction-makers. You can practise measuring anything and everything at home using different units of measurement (use hands, spoons, Lego pieces etc.). Happy measuring!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Monday, 4 February 2013
The new words of the week (we're up to 8 now) are:
la table, le zoo, un éléphant, je joue,
le vent, le soleil, la boue, la maison
You'll notice we have started including the article (la, le, les) with the words. In French, every object has a gender (le/un = masculin, la/une = féminin). I remember my exchange partner describing what she thought was a perfect spoon by saying "she is perfect", which of course made no sense to us in English. For someone growing up in an English-speaking home, it is almost impossible to remember the gender of every word as there are few hard and fast rules, and many exceptions. The best way to learn is just through listening, reading and repetition, so please include the article in your practise!
Please read last Friday's post for some info on some cool things going on at school and in our class. Just to remind you, we have gym Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so we don't need our short shorts tomorrow, but the rest of the week we will. The gym is all set up and looks very exciting!
Many pianists are getting quite good at the 5-note scale. Soon they will try to learn their first song, using fingers 1, 2 and 3. The song is Hot Crossed Buns. Give it a sing at home just for fun!
That's it for right now but stay tuned, and please be on the lookout for your interview sign-up sheet which should be coming home in the next few days. Interviews are optional this time, and the report cards contain much more specific information on how your child is doing (as well as his/her next steps), however I always recommend an interview, so please consider yourself invited!
That's it for right now but stay tuned, and please be on the lookout for your interview sign-up sheet which should be coming home in the next few days. Interviews are optional this time, and the report cards contain much more specific information on how your child is doing (as well as his/her next steps), however I always recommend an interview, so please consider yourself invited!
Friday, 1 February 2013
Les jetons, le gymnase et le piano!
This afternoon was really exciting for me because of a new motivational system that we have started using. I was going to introduce it on Monday, but Keira said, "Je ne comprends pas" to me during math, and I just got too excited at hearing a complete French sentence, so we stopped everything and I explained this new game. As soon as I was done explaining, I was overwhelmed with all the French I started hearing. It was like they were saving it up until they had a good reason to use it! SO amazing! Here are the guidelines:
1. When Mlle hears you speaking in French in class, you earn 1 jeton (playing chip). Keep your jetons in your pencil box, no replacements are given out for lost jetons.
2. When Mlle overhears you speaking in French to a friend, or in the hallway, you may earn 2 jetons instead of one.
3. Jetons are distributed at Mlle's discretion. The kids can outline some of what we discussed. Here are a few things... Jetons are generally not given for simple words such as "oui", "merci", "j'ai fini", or phrases that we have been using all year, such as "Est-ce que je peux boire?" (although all of those things are wonderful and will be encouraged). A jeton is well-deserved when French is used in a conversation we are having, in a full-sentence, or a word that we have just learned. I'm probably not going to reward students who interrupt the flow of a lesson or work period, just to say "Je t'aime Mlle Mitchell!", even though that is incredibly sweet - I don't want this game to distract us from our work.
4. Jetons can also be removed at Mlle's discretion. The kids can also outline how one might lose a jeton. For example, if they are particularly disrespectful (e.g., not listening to the speaker after several reminders), or take someone else's jetons (we would never do that!!).
5. When you have collected 5 small jetons, you can exchange them for 1 large cardboard jeton.
6. When you have collected 5 large jetons, you can exchange them for 1 school dollar.
7. When you have $2, you can buy something from the treat box. This is yours to keep!
This system is intended to encourage the kids to start speaking in French more often, which they should be doing around this time of the year. I hope that this will remain a friendly game, and not a competition. Everyone has, or will, earn their first jeton by reading their Special Moments work to the class. These projects are great, thank you for your help with them!
Please ask your student about this new system. Also, ask them how many jetons it will take, altogether, before they earn 1 large jeton, 2 large jetons, 3... How many small jetons will they have earned altogether before they get their first dollar? This is great for counting by 5s!
In other news, next week, our gym teachers are planning a special gymnastics unit. The gym will remain set-up all week, requiring children to eat in their classrooms, as we did at the start of the year.
In addition, children need to wear shorts and a t-shirt in order to participate in the gymnastics activities. They need their bare skin to show in order to get a good grip on the equipment. They have been asked to wear their shorts and t-shirt underneath their regular winter clothes. A note is going home today explaining this in greater detail.
Please make sure your gymnast is dressed for success next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, when we have our gym periods. I'll try to remind the students again Tuesday night, but mark your calendars!
Finally, I am hoping to teach all my students some simple piano songs during the time at the end of the day when we do our communication folders. We have started by numbering the fingers on our right hand, beginning with the thumb = 1. We have matching numbers on our piano keys. Middle C is number 1, so that's where our thumb goes. We talked about proper hand posture... relaxed wrist and fingers. The fingers should curl slightly so that you play with the finger tips and don't get a stiff hand while playing.
Our first job is to practise using all of our fingers to play a 5-note scale: C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C (or, 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) (or, do-re-mi-fa-so-fa-mi-re-do). If you don't have access to a piano or keyboard, not to worry. Your pianist can play the air piano and sing along! You can play the air piano in the car, on the bus, at the park... it's an amazing instrument! When we've pretty much mastered using all 5 fingers, we will start learning simple songs using music that I have written out with coloured notes that match the stickers on our piano. For the students that take piano lessons, this will not be a challenge, but I know they will continue to entertain us with their own songs. I hope the musicians will tell you all about their piano lessons!
Have a great weekend,
Tamara
1. When Mlle hears you speaking in French in class, you earn 1 jeton (playing chip). Keep your jetons in your pencil box, no replacements are given out for lost jetons.
2. When Mlle overhears you speaking in French to a friend, or in the hallway, you may earn 2 jetons instead of one.
3. Jetons are distributed at Mlle's discretion. The kids can outline some of what we discussed. Here are a few things... Jetons are generally not given for simple words such as "oui", "merci", "j'ai fini", or phrases that we have been using all year, such as "Est-ce que je peux boire?" (although all of those things are wonderful and will be encouraged). A jeton is well-deserved when French is used in a conversation we are having, in a full-sentence, or a word that we have just learned. I'm probably not going to reward students who interrupt the flow of a lesson or work period, just to say "Je t'aime Mlle Mitchell!", even though that is incredibly sweet - I don't want this game to distract us from our work.
4. Jetons can also be removed at Mlle's discretion. The kids can also outline how one might lose a jeton. For example, if they are particularly disrespectful (e.g., not listening to the speaker after several reminders), or take someone else's jetons (we would never do that!!).
5. When you have collected 5 small jetons, you can exchange them for 1 large cardboard jeton.
6. When you have collected 5 large jetons, you can exchange them for 1 school dollar.
7. When you have $2, you can buy something from the treat box. This is yours to keep!
This system is intended to encourage the kids to start speaking in French more often, which they should be doing around this time of the year. I hope that this will remain a friendly game, and not a competition. Everyone has, or will, earn their first jeton by reading their Special Moments work to the class. These projects are great, thank you for your help with them!
Please ask your student about this new system. Also, ask them how many jetons it will take, altogether, before they earn 1 large jeton, 2 large jetons, 3... How many small jetons will they have earned altogether before they get their first dollar? This is great for counting by 5s!
In other news, next week, our gym teachers are planning a special gymnastics unit. The gym will remain set-up all week, requiring children to eat in their classrooms, as we did at the start of the year.
In addition, children need to wear shorts and a t-shirt in order to participate in the gymnastics activities. They need their bare skin to show in order to get a good grip on the equipment. They have been asked to wear their shorts and t-shirt underneath their regular winter clothes. A note is going home today explaining this in greater detail.
Please make sure your gymnast is dressed for success next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, when we have our gym periods. I'll try to remind the students again Tuesday night, but mark your calendars!
Finally, I am hoping to teach all my students some simple piano songs during the time at the end of the day when we do our communication folders. We have started by numbering the fingers on our right hand, beginning with the thumb = 1. We have matching numbers on our piano keys. Middle C is number 1, so that's where our thumb goes. We talked about proper hand posture... relaxed wrist and fingers. The fingers should curl slightly so that you play with the finger tips and don't get a stiff hand while playing.
Our first job is to practise using all of our fingers to play a 5-note scale: C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C (or, 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) (or, do-re-mi-fa-so-fa-mi-re-do). If you don't have access to a piano or keyboard, not to worry. Your pianist can play the air piano and sing along! You can play the air piano in the car, on the bus, at the park... it's an amazing instrument! When we've pretty much mastered using all 5 fingers, we will start learning simple songs using music that I have written out with coloured notes that match the stickers on our piano. For the students that take piano lessons, this will not be a challenge, but I know they will continue to entertain us with their own songs. I hope the musicians will tell you all about their piano lessons!
Have a great weekend,
Tamara
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