Field trip forms...

Please please send in your field trip forms as soon as possible. Even if your child isn't going on the trip, I still need the form back to indicate that you do not give your permission.
The trip is next Thursday!
Thanks

Another great web site!

www.bestioles.ca
It's amazing and has MANY more animals listed than are available on jaitoutcompris. Go wild!

Field trip!

FIELD TRIP - DEC. 8th!
Students have brought home permission forms for a school trip on Thursday, Dec. 8th (AM only).  We will travel by school bus to the Théâtre Français to watch "l'Île au Trésor" (an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's book Treasure Island which dates back to 1881).  http://theatrefrancais.com/fr/spectacles/lile-au-tresor/

I am looking for ONE parent volunteer to help out that morning.  Please send a note or email me if you are available.

Panther assembly

This morning we had a panther assembly to celebrate empathy. To kick it off, Madame Trott's and my class presented a medley of recorder tunes accompanied by Mr Kryzanowski. They did a wonderful job! I believe that mme Trott recorded a video so you might want to check out her blog in case she posts it.

Spelling words and homework.

Because this is another short week, please return book bags on WEDNESDAY to give me time to read with your child and send home a new book. Thanks.

This week, we're going to review the sound "on". The words are:

1. le bonbon
2. la boisson
3. le biberon
4. le ballon
5. la confiture
6. la leçon
7. répondre
8. un avion
9. un camion
10. une fontaine

Homework is to continue to work on animal reports. The sections to complete this week are diet and life cycle. Don't forget that there is great information on many animals at www.jaitoutcompris.com under the "animaux" tab on the top left. Bon travail!

Diorama materials.

Don't forget to collect materials for making dioramas. I'm hoping to get started on them next week so perhaps this weekend, students could hunt through their houses and use their imaginations to think of things that would work for their creations.
Thanks!

Numbers with audio and video

This video comes from http://www.audiofrench.com/. It's a pretty handy site for French pronunciation but I thought that this video in particular would be helpful for students struggling with numbers.

It goes through all the numbers from 1 to 1000000 (we only need 200!).

Even when your child is able to recite the numbers in order, the key is to write random numbers down and ask what the number is. This is can be tricky with numbers between 11 and 20, as well as numbers between 69 and 100.

Have fun!

Homework, spelling, and book bags.

Hi everyone -
This was short week and I haven't had a chance to read everyone's book bag with them. As such, I'll get to them as early as I can next week.

Spelling words are:

1. un jouet
2. jouer
3. un trou
4. où
5. la soustraction
6. mon cou
7. en dessous
8. debout
9. trouver
10. ouvrir

Homework:
Students are bringing home a yellow folder. Inside it you will find:

• A model for the project on an arctic fox. This is to help guide students regarding length, content, and structure for their project. It may also provide some vocabulary.
• A page of useful vocabulary. I can't anticipate everything but this should be a good start.
• A worksheet on which students are to write their introduction, the appearance of their animal (including to which animal group it belongs), and its habitat (including continent and countries).

Please do not start a cover page. This will be a separate homework task.

Thanks and happy homework!

Scholastic book orders

New this year, Scholastic book orders under $30 come with a $5.65 shipping and handling fee 😕.
I'll collect orders and wait until there is a total amount over $30 - if I don't receive enough orders, I'll put a note in your child's agenda asking if you wish to pay the shipping and handling fee or cancel your order. Sorry folks!

Additional web site for animal project.

I just came across a web site for kids en français! Here it is:
http://www.jaitoutcompris.com/animaux/

Animals project update

Today, students are bringing home the project description, a list of helpful web sites, and the rubric (marking scheme).

For now, students are tasked with CHOOSING THEIR ANIMAL by Thursday of this week. They are NOT to begin the project. The written portion of the project will come home in chunks as homework.

In case your child loses the documents coming home... here it all is:

Grade 2 Science Project – Animals

Project is due in class on Monday, December 12^th.

As part of our unit on animals, the students will be making a diorama in class. The purpose of this activity is that they begin to understand the process of inquiry (research) and that they develop and share some knowledge about a particular animal.

For this project, you are to research an animal of your choice (I will approve the animal and let you know what it is).

Part 1 – Report (Do NOT use translation tools)

Your report must include:

Cover Page

Your cover page needs to have the following:

1. Title
2. Illustration of your animal in its natural habitat in colour (your own artwork only).
3. Your name and the date.

Main Report (to be completed at HOME)

1.             Introduction – explain why you chose this animal (1 or 2 lines).
2.       Research about your animal under the following headings:

·       Appearance (including to which animal group it belongs – mammal etc.)

·       Habitat

·       Diet

·       Life Cycle

·       Adaptation to the Environment

·       Interesting Facts

Your report should be 1 to 2 pages long. You may use library books, class books and the internet to research your animal.

Part 2 - Presentation to the class

Short presentation (2-3 minutes) telling us what you have learned about your animal. Don’t read your research, just tell us what you know.

Part 3 – Diorama (to be completed at SCHOOL)

Students will be given class time over the next few weeks, to create a diorama.  Each student must bring in a shoe-box.  Please help your child gather materials (e.g. a fish might need items to represent shells, seaweed, other marine animals etc. and a lion might need items to represent a savannah, rocks, grasses, sand etc.  Nature images cut out from magazines could make for a lovely background.) I can supply paper, paint, glue, and a few additional materials.  Each important element of the diorama needs to be labeled. These elements include:

•      The animal
•           Items of importance in its habitat (e.g. ice, or rainforest).
•         Prey
•        What preys on the animal

Students will create a title for their diorama e.g. Zebras by Jimmy Carson, Grade 2. This title will be pasted to the front of their diorama so that we may all appreciate each student’s hard work!

Below are some examples of what a diorama looks like:

Useful websites:

FOR ANIMAL RESEARCH:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/

http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/amazing-animal-facts-for-kids/

FOR TRANSLATING WORDS:

http://www.wordreference.com/

www.reverso.com

Please remember not to use translation tools such as (but not limited to) Google Translate. It is important that your child try to make sentences him/herself. I am not looking for perfection but for effort. Thanks!

Grade 2 Science Project – Animals

RUBRIC

	Level 1      (D)	Level 2      (C)	Level 3      (B)	Level 4      (A)
Knowledge of content	Demonstrates limited knowledge of content.	Demonstrates some knowledge of content.	Demonstrates considerable knowledge of content.	Demonstrates thorough knowledge of content.
Understanding	Demonstrates limited understanding of content.	Demonstrates some understanding of content.	Demonstrates considerable understanding of content.	Demonstrates thorough understanding of content.
Creativity	Produces works of art that express ideas inspired by observations of nature with limited care or creativity.	Produces works of art that express ideas inspired by observations of nature with some care or creativity.	Produces works of art that express ideas inspired by observations of nature with considerable care or creativity.	Produces works of art that express ideas inspired by observations of nature with great care and creativity.
Written communication TRANSLATION TOOLS ARE NOT PERMITTED!	Uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology about animals with limited effectiveness.	Uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology about animals with some effectiveness.	Uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology about animals with considerable effectiveness.	Uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology about animals with a high degree of effectiveness.
Written presentation	Written work is not neat and tidy or well-organized, and does not demonstrate that a good effort has been made.	Written work is somewhat neat and tidy, well-organized, and demonstrates some degree of effort.	Written work is neat and tidy, well-organized, and demonstrates a good effort.	Written work is extremely neat and tidy, well-organized, and demonstrates a great deal of effort.
Research	Little evidence of research.	Some evidence of research. Research is accurate/some categories are complete.	Project is researched and accurate. Most categories are complete.	Project is researched and accurate. All categories are complete.
Oral presentation	Presentation is not serious and/or very little information is shared with the class.	Presentation is serious but little information is shared with the class, or vice versa.	Presentation is serious and some information is shared with the class.	Presentation is serious and much information is shared with the class.
Attentitive listening/ respect	Demonstrates appreciation appropriately as an audience member, with limited effectiveness.	Demonstrates appreciation appropriately as an audience member, with some effectiveness.	Demonstrates appreciation appropriately as an audience member, with considerable effectiveness.	Demonstrates appreciation appropriately as an audience member, with a high degree of effectiveness.

Don't forget that we are an Eco School!!

Dear families,

Clairlea is an Eco School. We are trying our best to improve our performance on last year. Please remember that what comes to school, goes home again. In other words, all food packaging and leftovers will come back in your child's lunch bag. Packing whole foods will reduce packaging and is also a healthier choice for your child.

Please also ensure that your child's lunch bag and all other possessions are clearly labelled. This will reduce the number of items that end up in the lost and found and which are ultimately donated or put in the garbage.

Talk to your child about the importance of protecting the world around us. You can encourage conserving energy, reusing items, riding a bike instead of driving, or spreading awareness of environmental issues. Let's keep it green!

Best wishes from your Clairlea Eco Team.

Week of November 14th

Next week will be a very busy week at school. 

REPORT CARDS
On Tuesday, Nov. 15th, Progress Reports will go home.  I will be meeting with parents & guardians on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  If you have not yet confirmed your interview time with me, please do so ASAP. Today, in agendas, I will write in the confirmed time I have given you, if have responded to my note.

FRENCH BOOK FAIR  

Next week, we are fortunate enough to be hosting a FRENCH BOOKFAIR all week. 
PLEASE take some time to visit the library when you come for parent-teacher interviews.  There are many titles that your children are familiar with and have studied with me in class.


SCIENCE PROJECT
Next week, Grade 2 students will be assigned a project on animals.  During the week, they are expected to choose an animal that they find interesting (NO PETS PLEASE!). Over the next 4 weeks, they will need to identify the habitat, appearance, food, life cycle, etc.  More info will go home next week, but you may want to start talking about a cool animal to research at home - perhaps one for which you already have a book? I do have a large selection of animal books stored in my classroom - unfortunately, most are in English - however, the students are welcome to browse them and borrow them if they wish.

HOMEWORK
Along with their levelled readers, students will have some math homework.
Our dictée next week will be on Thursday, Nov 17th.  We are reviewing the sound [ai] (pronounced é).  The words are:

1. la maison
2. j’ai
3. vais
4. mais
5. laisser
6. aimer
7. jamais
8. le balai
9. du lait
10. vrai

Looking forward to meeting with you all next week!Bon weekend:)

Animals project

Yesterday, I introduced a project that the students will be working on over the next few weeks. For the moment, ALL THEY NEED TO DO is bring in an empty shoe box with their name written on it.
Students will be choosing an animal to research and will be making a diorama IN CLASS as well as writing a report at home.
I'll provide more information in the coming days - no stress and no rush!!

Counting to 100.

As you know, we are learning to add with regrouping (carrying over). Many of the students are having a great deal of trouble counting to 100 in French. Please have them practise at home as much as possible as fluency with these numbers is crucial to their success in the fundamentals of math.

Overdue library books

Our librarian, Ms. Vincent, has put out a heartfelt request to have parents and students make a concerted effort to find and return overdue library books. Merci!

Remembrance Day

On Friday, November 11, the school will be having a Remembrance Day assembly. Each student will be given a poppy to wear for the ceremony and traditionally, we make a donation to support Canadian veterans. Please consider sending in a small donation any day next week. Thank you.

Spelling words and homework

This week's sound is "oi", which in English, sounds like "wa".

1. le poisson
2. l'oiseau
3. le doigt
4. trois
5. le tiroir
6. le boisson
7. l'étoile
8. le miroir
9. pourquoi
10. le pois

Homework:
This week, we started to work on addition with regrouping. This is when the one's column adds up to more than 10 and you have to carry over. I'm sending home a practise sheet which is due next Friday. We will continue to work on regrouping all next week so the students should become increasingly comfortable with the concept as the week wears on.

Making shortbreads!

This week, we began a new unit in Language. We have finished recounts and have begun procedure writing with style... we spent an hour in the staff room today baking shortbread cookies and the students LOVED it. Thank you so much to the three parent volunteers who came in to help! 

Over the next days, we will learn how to write up everything we did to make a step-by-step procedure for how to do it. If all goes well, your child will bring home a booklet, complete with pictures, so that you can make shortbreads at home! Below are the fruits of their labours... 

How very rude of me to forget to thank our parent volunteers again. We couldn't have done it without you and you are very much appreciated by all of us!

French book fair!!

November 14th to November 19th is the Scholastic French Bookfair in the Library, Festival du Livre.

Here's what to expect:

• French books in a variety of reading levels - Immersion and Core
• Book fair will be open until 4 pm daily for that week 
• Open in Thursday evening
• Cash, credit card, cheque and direct debit

It is extremely unusual that we would host a French book fair and I think it's very exciting! What a terrific opportunity to purchase French titles for your children. Please come and show support for our French Immersion program.

A percentage of sales goes to the purchase of new French books for the library and/or classrooms!