Bonjour! This week we have been learning about Terry Fox. We read a book about Terry's story and talked about some of the values he showed: bravery, courage, and perseverance. 

The students participated in the Terry Fox run this morning. It was wonderful to see the whole school outside running and participating for a great cause. 

We have also been learning "le vocabulaire d'automne" (Fall vocabulary). We brainstormed a list of things we can see in the Fall.

We then played a game where the students roll a dice and then have to say and colour the vocabulary word.

We have been very excited to notice the changes in our chrysalis this week. First the students noticed that the green became darker a few days ago. 

They then noticed that it turned almost black. Slowly, we started to see glimpses of orange...

And suddenly, this afternoon... un papillon! The students were jumping up and down with excitement :) 

Tomorrow we will have a little butterfly release celebration. We will do our final observation of the butterfly, we will make butterfly hats, and we will release our butterfly, which the students have decided to name Terry Fox! :)

Some Important Notes:
1) I have had several parents contact me about the Nutrition Breaks/lunches. Our morning learning block is the largest chunk of the day, and therefore the school's first scheduled Nutrition Break is not until 11:25. However, children cannot learn if they are hungry! The rule in my classroom is that if a student is hungry at any point during the day, they are allowed to take a few minutes to eat something from their lunch. If your child has mentioned being hungry or not having enough time to eat, please remind them to ask me "Est-ce que je peux manger?" (the answer is always yes!) :)

2) We have learned all about the sound "i" (sounds like "eee") and next week will be moving on to the sound "a" (sounds like "ah").

3) Homework... As a general rule, I do not send worksheets home as I strongly believe that young children need time to unwind and rest after a long school day! However, READING together is incredibly valuable, and we will be starting our home reading program (J'aime Lire) in October. By spending time reading with your child, not only are you spending quality time, but you are reinforcing what we are learning in class, practicing important skills (reading from left to right, sounding out words), and boosting their confidence. More information to come... Keep an eye out for the reading folder which will be coming home soon in your child's note tote!

Have a wonderful night,

Mme Bena

Bonjour! We are having a wonderfully exciting week in room 150!

On Monday, we were surprised to see how much our "chenilles" (caterpillars) had grown over the weekend. They doubled in size! We were very excited to see that one caterpillar was hanging upside down in a "J" shape, which means it will soon transform into "une chrysalide" (a chrysalis).
The students wrote in their journals, and many chose to write about the caterpillars.

While the class was in the gym, the caterpillar transformed, and we came back to find a brilliant green chrysalis! 

In Language Arts, we are are learning about the sound "i", with the help of our friend Mimi la souris. We have learned a song about Mimi, and today we made a craft version of Mimi. Tomorrow, the students will feed Mimi pieces of cheese with words containing the sound "i". We are excited!

We have now had a practice lockdown and a practice fire drill. The students did an excellent job and remained calm during both practices. Well done!

We also had our first visit to "la bibliothèque" (the library) this week. Visits will be every Tuesday morning, so please mark your calendars at home with a reminder to return books to school on Monday. Merci!

I would like to remind you that tomorrow is the Welcome BBQ and Meet the Teacher! I will be in the classroom (room 150, near the office) from 4:30-5:30 and I look forward to meeting you.

À demain!
Mme Bena

Bienvenue!

Bonjour, parents! Welcome to our class blog. We have been having a FANTASTIC first two weeks of first grade!

We have been practicing the rules and routines of grade one, and the students are learning quickly. Grade one is a big adjustment!

I hope that you will all be able to make it to our Meet the Teacher/Welcome Back BBQ, which will take place on Thursday, September 22nd. However, I know that you must be curious about where your child spends their day! I would therefore like to share a little virtual tour of our classroom :)

I am with the students for the first two blocks of the day, during which time we study French (encompassing Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and the Arts). The students have M. Joachim for Health and Physical Education, and then during the last block they are learning Mathematics with Mrs. Severson. 

We begin each morning at our carpet area ("le tapis") where we discuss our morning message ("le message du jour"). While we are there, we sing our song of the week. Last week we learned "Bonjour", which the students loved.

When we are not at the carpet area, we can be found moving around the classroom (doing yoga, dance, or other kinesthetic activities). Students work at desks when they are writing, making art, or doing other independent work. 

Our "Mur des Merveilles" (wall of wonders) is our showcase for our best work. For now, I have put the students' first craft in their frames, but later in the year students will begin to self-select work that they are proud of (any piece of art, writing, math, etc.) and it will be displayed in their frame.

You may have heard that we have Monarch caterpillars in the classroom! This has been a very exciting project that we started last Thursday. We received 5 caterpillars and one chrysalis. The students have been observing the caterpillars, and drawing or writing to describe what they see.

On Monday, the first chrysalis transformed into a butterfly! We observed it closely, and then released it during recess. Hopefully we will soon have five more butterflies to release!

A few notes and reminders: 

• Thank you to those who have returned the three school forms sent home last week. If you have not yet had a chance to return these forms, please do so as soon as possible. 
• On Monday, we sent home September's Scholastic book order. Please return the Scholastic order by tomorrow - Thursday, September 15th. 
• Although we have some cooler weather outside, it continues to be quite warm inside our classroom on sunny days. I would recommend sending your child to school wearing layers, so that they have the option of wearing a t-shirt or sleeveless shirt in the classroom, as many students have been complaining of being hot.
• We no longer have a water fountain in the classroom, so please send your child to school with a water bottle to minimize trips to the fountain down the hall. Merci!

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the week, 

Mme Bena