Fuzzball the hamster...

The students have been repeatedly asking me to post photos of our class pet - so here she is!

Oh wow!!! Great News!!!

After writing to the TDSB department responsible for contracts with vendors, our school vending machine has FINALLY been taken away - hopefully forever! Students wrote individual persuasive letters citing the various reasons why the vending machine is unwanted. We weren't sure if we could make a difference... Today we saw that our voices were heard. Our class has changed the world, at least a little bit! Every little bit counts and I cannot express how very proud I am of each and every one of them. Félicitations 2e année! 

Earth Day

This Earth day, Mme Trott's and my class took our learning outside. The combined classes engaged in nature study scavenger hunting, a garbage sorting challenge, a co-operative game to save the earth and a variety of other activities including simply enjoying being outdoors. The day was a huge success and was topped off with some diligent schoolyard clean up. Well done grade 2s! You are true Eco-Warriors!

2-dimensional figures.

Students very much enjoyed working with pattern blocks to create pictures. Once created, they traced their picture and then analyzed the shapes to see how many of each figure were used, how many sides, and how many corners were included.

La dictée – le vendredi 26 avril

C’est   - it is

une balançoire  - a swing 

Mince  - slim

je construis - I build

Une sucette - a lollipop / sucker 

se coucher - to go to bed

Un pinceau  - a paintbrush

une cruche - a jug

Parce que - because 

j’ai cassé - I broke

Fun with 3-D solids

In geometry, we've been learning about 2-D figures and 3-D solids. To liven things up, I gave the students toothpicks and mini-marshmallows with which to experiment. At first the students made rectangular prisms, square-based pyramids and cubes. However, it wasn't long before they discovered that the triangle is strongest structural shape - with that knowledge, most of them embarked on constructing enormous structures made entirely from triangular based pyramids! I apologize for any sugar highs that occurred!!! 

Little Project for Social Studies.

Dear families,

We are starting a fun project on heritage to build on the family tree that was sent home a few weeks ago.

Each student will make a paper person dressed in a traditional or national costume. Students may pick any country that appears in their family tree. For example, Mme Paré’s heritage is British, Hungarian, Canadian, and Jamaican. Mme Paré might choose to make a Hungarian costume.

This work will be done at school. However, we are asking families to help students to identify what the costume looks like and to then collect materials that can be glued onto a paper cut-out.

These materials (e.g. tissue paper, sequins, ribbon, fabric, yarn for hair, lace etc.) need to come to school next week please; by Monday if possible. Please take time to look at costumes on the Internet or family photos.

 

Thank you,

Mmes Paré et Trott.

La Dictée pour vendredi le 19 avril.

les gens - people

une éponge - a sponge 

le linge - laundry

la plage - the beach

un congé - a holiday / time off

un ongle - a nail (finger/toe)

je suis fatigué - I'm tired

mal à la gorge - sore throat

je suis guéri - I'm better (recovered)

une baguette - a baguette / a chopstick / a wand

Book Bags

Our class has 15 students in it and I've only received six book bags this week. Please please help your child to remember:
1. Read the book daily.
2. Bring it back, in its bag, every Thursday (or Friday at the latest).
It's impossible for me to gauge reading progress without regular time spent with each student, using levelled reading books.
Thanks.

La Dictée pour vendredi le 12 avril

un cadeau - a gift

un bloc - a block

j'écoute - I listen

un caillou - a pebble

un carré - a square

j'ai gâché - I wasted

la gomme à mâcher - chewing gum

un légume - a vegetable

Uh oh!!

Oops - I made a typo in the list of spelling words for last week!!! Please note that "il va joindre" does NOT have an "s" at the end!!! My mistake - if the students make this error I won't mark it wrong!!!