Hello parents!
As you have been able to see, things have been quite busy, especially with our Christmas concert practices. I've been fortunate enough to get a sneak peek, and the kids sound great!
Despite things like practice time, we have still been working very hard in class, particularly with our French Language Arts.
Today we started a "Je peux" wall in our classroom. "Je peux" means "I can". It is important that the students not only learn each day, but that they understand what they are learning and what they are capable of.
The "Je peux" will be staying up all year round. Today, the students told me some of the things they are able to do for French, Math, Science, and Leader in Me. We wrote quite a bit to really show ourselves that we've already come quite a ways. In the future, as we are learning a concept, we will addindividual "Je peux"s, as they come along. Sometimes things will be erased, and replaced with new or "upgraded" achievements. For example, one of the things the kids said they can do is identify a letter name and sound. We will soon be able to erase this, and in it's place put, "Je peux lire des sons complexes" ("I can read complicated sounds), such as "in", "ou", "ch", "gn", etc.
We will also be adding little drawings next to our Je peux statements, to easier recognize them.
Je peux statements can be very empowering for students, and we will continue to use them throughout the year. The students are starting to use an action as well. "Je" (point to self) "peux" (flex that arm muscle!!).
As you have been able to see, things have been quite busy, especially with our Christmas concert practices. I've been fortunate enough to get a sneak peek, and the kids sound great!
Despite things like practice time, we have still been working very hard in class, particularly with our French Language Arts.
Today we started a "Je peux" wall in our classroom. "Je peux" means "I can". It is important that the students not only learn each day, but that they understand what they are learning and what they are capable of.
The "Je peux" will be staying up all year round. Today, the students told me some of the things they are able to do for French, Math, Science, and Leader in Me. We wrote quite a bit to really show ourselves that we've already come quite a ways. In the future, as we are learning a concept, we will addindividual "Je peux"s, as they come along. Sometimes things will be erased, and replaced with new or "upgraded" achievements. For example, one of the things the kids said they can do is identify a letter name and sound. We will soon be able to erase this, and in it's place put, "Je peux lire des sons complexes" ("I can read complicated sounds), such as "in", "ou", "ch", "gn", etc.
We will also be adding little drawings next to our Je peux statements, to easier recognize them.
Je peux statements can be very empowering for students, and we will continue to use them throughout the year. The students are starting to use an action as well. "Je" (point to self) "peux" (flex that arm muscle!!).
We continue to use all sorts of different strategies to become better readers.
One example that the kids enjoy is with the practice of our sight words:
At our school we have Leader in Me notebooks for each child. These are binders that follow the student through the various grades, and contain things such as mission statements, goals, shining moments, etc.
Currently in their notebooks, the kids have a sheet with various sight words we are practicing. They get into pairs and one student will hold up a sight word for the other to read. If the second student reads it correctly, the first student says "oui", and the second student colours in a box next to the word on his or her own sheet. If the first student needs to help them out, the second student puts a little circle in the centre of the box, indicating that it's a word that just needs a bit more practice.
The students are paired up for practicing the words, but the tracking they do on their own, individual sheets is self-evaluation. The kids love it when they see a word, that previously had a circle, get coloured in!
One example that the kids enjoy is with the practice of our sight words:
At our school we have Leader in Me notebooks for each child. These are binders that follow the student through the various grades, and contain things such as mission statements, goals, shining moments, etc.
Currently in their notebooks, the kids have a sheet with various sight words we are practicing. They get into pairs and one student will hold up a sight word for the other to read. If the second student reads it correctly, the first student says "oui", and the second student colours in a box next to the word on his or her own sheet. If the first student needs to help them out, the second student puts a little circle in the centre of the box, indicating that it's a word that just needs a bit more practice.
The students are paired up for practicing the words, but the tracking they do on their own, individual sheets is self-evaluation. The kids love it when they see a word, that previously had a circle, get coloured in!
In math, we continue to study concepts like patterns, but we are also looking more closely at the numbers from 11 to 20, and how to represent them in different ways. For example, the digits, the numbers written with letters, looking at the number with groups of ten and ones, etc. We are also doing some addition in class. As December comes, we will continue to focus on these things, but while going higher in numbers, and in addition
A definite highlight of the month of November was related to science... our trip to Helen Schuler!
It was a bit on the cold side, but the students were able to go outside and learn some things about animals and seasonal changes. There were even some geese overhead, that seemed to be a bit slow going South for the winter. Thank you again to all the parents that came out to help us! It was great having extra eyes and hands, and the kids certainly loved having you there!
It was a bit on the cold side, but the students were able to go outside and learn some things about animals and seasonal changes. There were even some geese overhead, that seemed to be a bit slow going South for the winter. Thank you again to all the parents that came out to help us! It was great having extra eyes and hands, and the kids certainly loved having you there!
We have started with our Etoile de la semaine in class, and have had a few etoiles already. Every student will get a chance to shine! Your child will come home with a certificate, and another copy of the certificate goes in the "Je brille" (Shining moments) section of their Leader in Me notebooks. The certificate describes what being Etoile de la semaine involves, but it includes being able to sit in a soft, comfy chair all week, having classmates describe l'Etoile and make a card for him/her, and having a Show and Tell presentation.
The month of December will certainly be short, but there will be a lot going on. There is, of course, the Christmas concerts, Toy Drive, and Sock it to'em campaigns, Christmas parties and sing-a-longs, family skating at Henderson, staff vs. students basketball game, movie and popcorn in the gym, Lunch-on-the-go, etc. Please refer to the class calendar that went home for specific dates. It can also be found in the "documents" section of this site.
Merci et Joyeux Noel !
Merci et Joyeux Noel !