Bonjour à mon blog 🙂
Hello all.
My apologies for not updating the blog sooner. It’s been a full and busy start to the year. The K-7 classes are moving ahead with confidence and, in most cases, enthusiasm.
Feel free to read the entire blog but if you don’t, please check out your child’s class for an update.
As you may know, I only see the K-Gr. 3 classes once a week. Even though, we don’t get as much time together, I am very impressed with how much the primary students retain each week. They are making great steps forward.
Kindergarten have learned hello and goodbye songs, how to greet one another, colours, some animal names, actions, numbers up to 10 and are currently working on 11-20 which is a help as they learn the calendar. Each class also provides an opportunity to begin reading in French.
Grade 1 had a strong year in Kindergarten and have started the year off well as they learn their first play, ‘La Poule Maboule’.
Grade 1/2 continues on from last year’s play, La Poule Maboule’ with the hope of acting it out later in the year. The Grade 1s are doing well with more challenging material.
Both the Gr. 1 & 2s are displaying very strong comprehension skills. They all enjoy singing.
Gr. 3 has started their new play, ‘Les 3 Petits Cochons’, learning the song ‘Qui a peur du méchant loup?’ A number of the students in the class are trying to speak in French. Congratulations. Reading of the new play has also begun and shortly, the class will begin some writing assignments.
I have the privilege of seeing the Gr. 4-7 classes twice a week.
Gr. 4 has recently started learning how to talk about the weather. They have finished reading the play ‘Comment y aller?’ and have begun reading and writing activities to reinforce their developing language skills.
Gr 5 is progressing well with their new and longer play, ‘L’arbre Ungali’. This group is very keen. The class has doubled in number since last year and the new students are definitely keeping up.
Gr. 6 is working on a play that I haven’t taught for well over 5 years, ‘Chat Angora’. This is a very challenging play but I believe that the Gr. 6 class can rise to the challenge. This class also has a number of new students and because of this, Gr. 6 has focused on review activities which serve to help the new students get up to date with their peers. Gr. 6 has had a number of assessments this term, oral and written. They are all making good progress.
Gr. 7, like the Gr. 5 and 6 classes, Gr. 7 also has a large group of new students. It’s been important to help the new Gr. 7s catch up so that, along with the rest of the class, I can prepare them for Gr. 8 French. There have been some struggles in this group, however, in the past few weeks, there have been significant steps forward. Using the chromebooks to access the class portal at school has been a real help to most members of the class. Currently, everyone is working on a writing assignment that helps them to summarize a past play in their own words (en français). At times, the new students have participated in activities led by their peers. It’s been a confidence building activity for those who have taken on the role of teaching.
I do not send home homework for K-3 and very rarely for 4-7 unless they have unfinished work in class. My hope is that students will review class work at home on the school French portal. Almost all classes have access to the portal. I am still handing out usernames and passwords. Kindergarten and Gr. 1 will not be using the portal.
Once all classes, Gr. 1/2 – Gr. 7 have been introduced to the portal and have learned how to use it, I will post another blog message explaining how to use the portal at home. Some intermediate students have already begun this review. If your son or daughter is in Gr. 5-7, please remind them to review a few times per week.
Merci,
Madame Somerville
French 