Thank you!

Students are watching a movie in class and since it's PE time* and I am free for a few more minutes I wanted to thank you all for the support you have given me these past few months. I am blessed to have such wonderful parents (and students!) and I look forward to working with you more in the New Year. The gift card was a bonus as to me thank you notes mean more than anything. Thanks a million times!

I leave you with a very cute video found on YouTube last night.



Happy Holidays!

*Stretching the mind is also part of the curriculum (movie is in French with English subtitles...)

LED Sheep

Thanks to Lilia (Nicole) who spent her morning with us today. It was a pleasure having you around. I am looking forward to having you over again in the new Year! :-)


Here's the obligatory video. In case you don't know what to do with your Christmas lights...

Cereal Boxes Needed

Happy Saturday!

First of all, thanks for your kind donations for the Christmas Hamper. Despite the pouring rain Division 3 students managed to carry all the school hampers (that's 12 Divisions!) to parent volunteers' cars in a very short period of time. It's nice to see kids making a difference this way. When assigning everyone a task, they were all very keen to help.

Also, a big thank you to Chris (Eva) for getting us a box full of cloth shopping bags. It was definitely easier to carry the food that way. And of course thanks to all parents who helped carry the food to the Annex.

On a different note, I'd like to do a craft project with the students. If you have unwanted (and empty) cereal boxes kicking around, please send them to school. Boxes cannot be flattened, deformed or folded as the project will not work as well.

Due date: Thursday December 16

I leave you with a very cute video...

Kids - Music Project for the New Year

Great news everyone! Bill (Gina's father) has kindly offered to come and spend some time with us in January. He'll be working with us on a music project, one hour per day, for 5 days. Bill is a music teacher and has a lot of experience working on project like this. I look forward to playing some music with everyone!

Schedule will be as follows:

Tuesday January 4th: practice

Wednesday January 5th: practice

Thursday January 6th: practice

Friday January 7th: rehearsal for concert

Monday January 10: concert

Lessons will be taking place every morning from 9:00am to 10:00am. 

I will keep you posted with more details when we get closer to the concert date.

Here's a website with all the information your child need to have.  

https://sites.google.com/a/fraseracademy.ca/division-3/

Thanks so much for coming to class today and for giving us some of your time!

Christmas Hampers

Once again this year, our school is preparing Christmas hampers for families from Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

Details about the family: mom, dad and three girls (2, 4, and 10 years old)

Deadline for donations: Thursday December 9th, at 8h45 am

Please refer to this list to know exactly what needs to be purchased. I've added your child's number next to the items. If you feel like giving more, any additional items or gifts are welcome.



Thanks in advance for your support!

I

Project Soul Feedback

Now that we saw and experienced the dancing, it's time to reflect.

Here's some homework for you. These questions are there to help you write some good feedback to the artists. You don't need to use them all.

1. What did you think of the performance?
2. What emotions did you feel?
3. Do you have a different view of dancing now that you've seen this performance?
4. In what way did you feel inspired?
5. If you're a dancer, in what way do you relate to their stories?
6. All dancers had a different story to tell. What message(s) did they share that stood out?

Your answer should appear in the comment section of this post. Remember to only put your number when you sign at the end of your comment.

Length: you know when it's good enough.
Due date: as soon as you can!

Project Soul

Attention Attention!

Project Soul will be performing at our school tomorrow. Bright and early, a great way to start the day! Click on any of these words if you want to see a video.

Happy Monday!

Great news! I've added a 'Subscribe to RSS Feed' section which will let you know when I've updated the blog. If you are already using an RSS Reader or following RSS feeds you are only one click away. Otherwise keep checking the blog as I will update it regularly.


I came across this video and thought you'd be interested in viewing it.
 
 

Facebook, Bullying, Writing Tools and Christmas

Good morning everyone!

I've been collecting a bunch of interesting articles and cool websites, so before my list gets too long, I'd like to share a few with you. All links will also be added to the 'Liens Intéressants' section of this blog if they are targeted at students.

Facebook

Did you know that children under age 13 are not supposed to be on Facebook?

This was taken straight from their site:

No information from children under age 13. If you are under age 13, please do not attempt to register for Facebook or provide any personal information about yourself to us. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from a child under age 13, please contact us through this help page.

Parental participation. We strongly recommend that minors 13 years of age or older ask their parents for permission before sending any information about themselves to anyone over the Internet and we encourage parents to teach their children about safe internet use practices. Materials to help parents talk to their children about safe internet use can be found on this help page.  

If your child already has a Facebook account and you're fine with it, I recommend following these steps:

1. Read this article. I found it in Today's Parent magazine. Great article! It's a must read for all parents and teachers alike.

2. Visit the links I've included in the 'For Parents' section of this blog, under 'Internet Safety'.

3. Open your own Facebook account (if you don't have one already).

4. Discuss Facebook usage with your child (if he/she has his/her own account)

5. Know your child's password. (discussed in article listed in #1)
6. Discuss the consequences of postings pictures and saying 'inappropriate stuff' online (Facebook,  emails, etc.).

Writing Tools

Students are really lucky to have access to such terrific online tools. Here are some of my latest discoveries:

1. Here is a great (and quick!) online dictionary everyone will enjoy using. It even keeps a history of all the words searched.

Ninja Words

2. Celui-ci n'est pas aussi rapide mais tout aussi utile:

Le dictionnaire

3. For those who don't always have the name of something they are trying to describe:

Le dictionnaire visuel

Visual Dictionary

4. When having trouble deciding between two similar phrases:

Phras.in

5. For those of us who can't seem to remember the entire word and get obsessed with it. If only they had one like this for songs!

Tip of My Tongue

Christmas

And to end this on a funny note, I'd like to share this cute video with you. Have a great weekend!

Another Thank You! More News!

Thanks to those of you who responded to my previous posts. It's heartwarming to see that many parents are reading this blog.

I've started calling a few of you this evening but I honestly don't know how I will be able to finish this task. So... If you know other parents from Division 3, please remind them of this blog and let them know of these following items:


1. All students need to have one pair of indoor shoes. Indoor shoes are indoor shoes, they should never be used to play outside. It may seem like a silly thing to ask but believe me, it's really helpful to keep the classroom nice and tidy. Gym shoes are also needed (these can also be left at school) and everyone should be wearing warm boots to play outside at lunch and recess. It's cold out. Almost as cold as Québec!

2. Speaking of Québec, there will be a mandatory Québec meeting on Tuesday November 30. All Grade 7 parents must attend (one parent per family ok) and if Grade 6 students wish to host, Grade 6 parents must also be there. There will be many papers to fill out so make sure to bring a pen with you. I believe your child's care card number may be needed so make sure to have it handy. Another piece of information required will be your child's full name, the one that appears on the passport.

Classroom news:
1. Classroom meetings have officially started. After many weeks spent rethinking the format, I've finally come up with one that will work for everyone in the group. A great book that I use for inspiration is this one:

 On the agenda last week, students discussed their concerns with the guitar. Perhaps some of you didn't know this but there is a guitar in class that everyone is allowed to use. Up until now, there have been no real rules as to who could use it and when.  Little did I know that many students were annoyed with the fact that some played it while others were trying to work. It was never really loud enough that I felt the need to say anything but some spoke up and we all took turns listening to each other.

After discussing the issue we came to a vote and the rule is that the guitar can only be played when students are coming back from recess and lunch as well as during free time.

Another issue that will need to be discussed further is 'how long' each person is allowed to play the guitar. It's obvious that there are more students who want to play than there are guitars available. So if you know of any good deals let me know and I will consider getting one or two more.


2. I just discovered a great book: This is Compassion. I borrowed it from our school library and together in class we read some of the stories. As students were reading their story the entire class was silent. I could have heard a pin drop! 

If you'd like to order a copy of it to see for yourself you will be able to find all the information needed on this site.



I leave you with a few pictures of our "Grande Allée". One of them was taken by a student a few weeks ago, and the other was taken yesterday morning as I entered our beautiful site near the forest. I don't think I need to specify which of these two pictures was taken yesterday. Our living conditions are not easy but I have to admit living near the great outdoors is still a lot of fun!

 

And last but not least, here is a cool art project some students may be interested in doing at home. I know Taylor will love it... Anyone else interested in trying? :-)

Writing Tools

Brainstorming ideas and planning a written response isn't always easy. Whether your child has mastered these two skills or not, he/she is encouraged to use this great (and free) web application when working from home.

This would be a perfect tool to use when preparing for a home reading reflective entry. These entries are due every Wednesday and are being evaluated using parts of the  BC Performance Standards for Writing.


Site: http://bubbl.us/

Rubrics used:

Marcel the Shell...

A cute video I wanted to share with you...


MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Do you read this blog?

As I am looking at the blog stats this evening I noticed that very few people are referring to it.  It's very unfortunate as it can be a very useful tool to keep you in the loop.  And believe me, the more people make an effort to read it,  the more I will feel motivated to add information about your child's learning.

Please let me know:
1. If you read this post...
2. If you consult this blog regularly...
3. If you think I should stop using it...
4. If you like it and find it useful...
5. If you have anything you'd like to add to this feedback!

The best way for you to do so is to add a comment to this post.  You don't need an account to comment, you can do so anonymously. But to make sure I know who you are please add your child's number he/she uses in class. If you don't know what I mean by this you child will.

Thanks! :-)

Mandatory Meeting - Québec

It's official! Grade 7 students will be travelling to Québec in the spring!

A letter was sent to you electronically. If you haven't received it, I've included a copy of it on this blog. Don't forget, it's mandatory.

Salema Noon & Teaching Sexual Health

Salema Noon is coming to your school! An information letter has been sent home today so make sure to read it fully.

I've had the chance to see her talk and I strongly encourage all parents to attend this session.  If you have questions about what she will be discussing in class, please visit her website.


Since teaching sexual health is mandated by the Ministry of Education, I will also be discussing this topic in class. I've attached a copy of the letter I like to give parents before I start teaching these lessons. Let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Halloween!

Something fun for the kids...

Click here 

Student Leadership - Guitar Club - Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Another busy week for Division 3 students!  There are many things I've been wanting to share with you since the last post...

1. Student Leadership

We Day (event in which some of our Student Leaders participated in a few weeks ago) will be aired on CTV this evening at 7:00pm.  I was there and it was magical!  If you can't get it on tv this evening you can also watch it all by clicking on this link.

Even if your child is not enrolled in the Student Leadership program he/she will have a chance to participate and/or help throughout the year.  So far students from Division 3 are helping out with the school juice box recycling program.  We have also started working with both Grade 4 classes, doing some math games and reading aloud.

2. Guitar Club

The guitar club will take place on Fridays at lunch time.  All levels welcome.  The only requisite is that all participants must bring their own guitar for that period.  Acoustic guitars only please.

3. Pumpkin Soup Recipe

To celebrate Halloween, we made (and ate!) pumpkin soup in class.  Many students loved it and wanted me to share the recipe on this blog.

Gingered Pumpkin Soup

2 cups pumpkin
3 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup light cream
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium apple, diced
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh ginger)

salt to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Sauté onion, apple and ginger until tender.  Stir in pumpkin and broth.  Remove from heat.  Process or blend until smooth.  Serve with a drizzle of cream or if feeling brave, add cream to the entire batch before serving. 


I leave you with a picture of a fun project with did in class.  Unfortunately I did not take any picture of it so the picture you see was taken from another blog where I got the idea.

Happy Halloween!

 

Thank you!

Thanks to those of you who take the time to read this blog. You may not realise this but as a francophone, writing in English is not always easy. Every time I send a letter home it needs to be proofread by at least two people. So when you take the time to respond and read my work it makes me feel very happy.

I leave you with a beautiful piece of art done by Kerry James Marshall, the artist whose work we will be seeing tomorrow at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Jars Needed!

I am looking for various types of jars for a Halloween project. Please send them my way if you have any. They can be of any size, as long as they are clean and do not have a label or glue left on them. Thanks in advance!

Bag Idea for Library Books - Part II

A friendly reminder that all students must carry their library books in a plastic bag. Rainy season is upon us so let's be prepared!

Congratulations to Taylor for taking the time to create her own plastic bag using an idea I've given everyone a few weeks ago.

Here is the same project, presented in a more visual way.

Goal Setting Conferences

We will be having our goal setting conferences next week. A letter was sent home today to explain how it will work. Please take some time to read it fully.

A schedule for our Division will be posted after school tomorrow (Thursday) so make sure you come and sign up. If you can't make it to the school this week please ask your child to secure a spot for you.

You also need to remember that your child will have to be available during that time slot as it is his/her time to shine.

Looking forward to seeing you again!

Bag Idea for Library Books

To protect library books, students will need to have a waterproof (and somewhat sealable) bag that they will keep in their school bag.

I came across a cool project and thought some of you might be interested in making it at home. Who doesn't have extra plastic bags to spare?

Needed!

Thank you so much for coming to "Meet the Teacher Night"! This has been by far the biggest turn out in my years at JQ. All parents (except one) were present that night. I look forward to working with you and your child this year.

Something I forgot to mention is that I'm always looking for donations or loans for the classroom. Since I'm big on reusing 'stuff', I would rather not buy any of these in the first place. Let me know if you can help.

My wish list this year:

1. Guitar (s) - My old one got stolen last summer so if it is a very valuable instrument it might not be a good idea to lend it to us...

2. Cushions of all sizes - I have a lot of extra fabric at home to sew cushion covers so all types and colors are welcome!

3. One or two floor lamps - This style is perfect as I can easily switch shades.

4. A Bisssell sweeper - To keep the white carpet in our reading corner looking good.

5. Books for our classroom library

Thanks in advance!

Good Study Habits

Something to keep in mind when your child is at home studying.

From the NY Times: Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits

School Supplies List - 2010-2011

This is what students will need for the 2010-2011 school year:

-One 1 1/2 inch binder- if you have something else at home that isn't of that size I'm sure it will be fine - reusing is best!
-One set of dividers, 8-10 subjects - can be homemade
-A basic calculator - should not cost more than $6
-A clip board - $3.99 for 2 - share the cost with a friend!
-A pencil case - reuse the one your child had last year
-A reusable water bottle
-One Kleenex box
-One pair of indoor shoes
-A pair of gym shoes - these need to be left at school at all times as we will be active every day

I will provide your child with the following supplies:
-notebooks (math, science, writing, etc.)
-lined paper
-graph paper
-pencils
-pens (red and blue)
-a purple highlighter
-coloring crayons
-markers
-an eraser
-a ruler
-a pair of scissors
-a glue stick

School fees are $25 and the agenda is $10. One $35 cheque per student please.

**Let me know if you need a subsidy. We will cover the cost of any of these supplies, the school fees and/or the agenda. All subsidy requests remain confidential.

Your child is very lucky to be in a combined class!

I couldn't say it better. How many of us only work and spend time with people our own age? One of my best friends is 53 and if I had limited myself to that rule, I would not be where I am today.

Here is a good article I found in Today's Parent magazine on the subject.

Welcome to our site!

Another school year has begun and I'm very excited to be teaching a combined class this year! I can assure you that the 2010-2011 school year will be a fun and memorable one for your child.

I hope this site will prove to be useful. I will try to update it frequently so that you have a good idea of what is happening in the classroom.

Don't forget to come back regularly...