Friday is ORANGE SHIRT DAY!

A very big thank you to one of our classroom parents for sharing this very important message about Orange Shirt Day.  Please show your solidarity by dressing your child in an orange shirt on Friday.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

In 1973 six-year old Phyllis Webstad was gifted a brand new orange shirt from her grandmother and wore it to the residential (mission) school she attended in British Columbia. Upon her arrival, school officials removed and discarded the shirt from her and replaced it with a school uniform. This greatly impacted the mental and emotional well-being of Webstad and symbolized that “her feelings never mattered”. September 30 was chosen as the date to commemorate all the children that attended residential schools as it was also the time of year that children had to leave their homes and communities to attend the schools. This annual campaign began in 2013 after Webstad shared this experience at a reunion with other survivors.

Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

C'est parti!

Here we are at the beginning of week 3!  This marks the official start of my oral French assessment for Grade 2 (I am always easy on the students at first, as they get used to their class and the new grade).

Starting this week, we have established a points system to motivate students to use their French in class.  The group knows that in Grade 2 they are expected to use French at all times.  It is also understood that their vocabulary is still growing.  Nevertheless, the effort must be heard when speaking to classmates and myself.

Our incentives: when students are using their French, they can be awarded a point.  After 10 points, they are invited to pick a prize from my treasure chest.  On the flip side, if they are using too much English, they will be awarded a point.  After 10 points, they will be given a penalty card which will be sent home to you.

Oral French is an integral part of the Immersion program, and contributes to the ultimate success in learning the language.  Please continue the discussion that we are having in class, encouraging your child to use French as much as they are able.  They are all capable...they just need a little push:)

Merci de votre collaboration!

Book Fair and Curriculum Night.

Happy third week of school!

Clairlea is hosting a book fair beginning this Wednesday, in the library. There are English and French books to choose from, from the Scholastic company. Curriculum night would be a good opportunity to visit the book fair with your child.

Visiting the book fair with your child is preferable to having your child browse alone for a couple of reasons; 1). When young students bring money to school, it often goes missing which leads to tears and frustration. 2). It's always valuable to choose books with your child so that you can help to guide their selections.

The Clairlea annual barbecue and curriculum night are this coming Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.
I'll be giving a very informal presentation of what your child will learn this year, as well as some reminders about classroom expectations. It's a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and for you to ask general questions about the upcoming year. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday evening!

Bienvenue à la deuxième année!!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful summer break! I'm excited to welcome parents, guardians, and especially students to my class and to our classroom blog. I'll be using the blog instead of sending home paper newsletters. We're an EcoSchool so we do what we can to reduce our negative impact on the planet.

Below I've posted our timetable. Please note that this is a preliminary timetable which may change after the first week or so of school. If it does, I will update it in a new blog post.

Please take a good look at it and take note of when we have Gym, Drama/Music, Visual Arts, and Library. You must come to school prepared for these subjects so that you can participate fully. For example, if you don't bring proper gym shoes, you will have to sit out for Gym. If you don't bring your library books back on time, you won't be allowed to take out another library book... oh dear!

In preparation for the start of the year, each student in the class will need to have the following materials ASAP.

1. Indoor, well-fitting running shoes; these will be worn in class every day and should be appropriate for gym class (ie. no Crocs, dress shoes, etc).  If your child is not able to do up their own laces, please rely on velcro running shoes.  
2. A reusable water bottle; students should keep a water bottle in class which may be filled from our water fountain.  Having a water bottle at the desk limits interruptions and the need to come and go from class.  Clairlea P.S. is an EcoSchool and plastic water bottles are not recommended.
3. One box of Kleenex; with 20+ students in the classroom, every year we go through many boxes of tissues.  I would be very grateful to receive one box from each family to keep our noses dry throughout the year.  Merci d'avance:)

First Assignment

Don't panic! It's a fun one! As a way to get to know each other and to exercise our French oral skills, students will be creating an "about me" bag. Each student will bring home a paper bag to be filled with FIVE things that reveal something about who s/he is. For example, if your child loves gardening s/he might put in a packet of seeds. Once five things have been collected, the bag comes back to school and your child will present to the class, explaining what each item is and why it is important or representative of who s/he is. I will model my own "about me" bag so that students are clear on what is expected. If you have questions, please ask your child to explain my presentation to you.

I look forward to getting to know everyone and to a wonderful new school year! If ever you need to reach me, please feel free to do so via a note in your child's agenda, a phone call, an email (recommended), or even via this blog.

Happy Labour Day Weekend and 

Welcome Back to Clairlea!!