December 7, 2010
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This will be the last newsletter from Core English for 2010. I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support and help in delivering the program. I look forward to the New Year and all the learning that will be taking place for both students, staff, and parents. I have collected all the folders, so everyone will be pleased to know there will not be any homework assigned again until after the holiday. I know the students have worked extremely hard throughout the term and they need to take some time to reconnect with family and friends through quality time together.
Thanks for making the Core English food drive an outstanding success. We collected over 100 food items which translates into almost one item for each student in the classes. Amazing work students and parents!
This week the students shared inforamtion about their home traditions and customs through the holidays. I shared with the students a book called 'The Mummer's Song' by Bud Davidge and Ian Wallace. It discusses a tradition called 'Mummering' that was popular in rural Newfoundland and dates back to the early 1800's. It occurs between December 26 until January 6 when people visit their neighbourhood homes dressed in outlandish disguises. Its a guessing game for fun loving souls. Once you guess who is under the costume, the disguise comes off. Although mummering became less widespread with changes in culture, in recent years it has made a comeback with the song by Bud Davidge. I know my family enjoys dressing up and taking part in this fun tradition with family and friends. Who knows...it may very well show up as part of our Christmas Concert on December 15th.
Have a safe and restful holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone again in the New Year!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
November 30
From the Desk of Ms. Legault
November 30, 1010
Thanks again for all the food donations you sent along as part of our door decorating initiative. Our door looks great! I realize the individual classes are now collecting,, so I encourage you to continue to bring the items in to your own class. The more we gather, the more people we can help. It is the season for giving!
The Primary students have now completed all their pre-primer words. We are now beginning the Primer list. Students are working hard on making sentences, as well as writing their letters to Santa.
The junior students have been discussing bullying and its effects. We have been talking about it in the context of our school and what we can do to help put a stop to it. Students in grade 5 and 6 have begun training as Peer Mediators and they are anxious to begin helping on the playground in this role. Hopefully we will be ready to begin in January.
All students have been participating in a Read Aloud of 'Just Kidding' by Trudy Ludwig. It is the story of how teasing can sometimes cross a line into bullying when the teaser's intent is to hurt, humiliate, ridicule or demean another person. Some websites that address bullying are
www.bullying.org
www.cyberbully.org
www.no-bully.com
www.stopbullyingnow.com
www.ifcc.on.ca/bully.htm
www.stopbullingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
www.stopcyberbullying.org
Homework
Grade 1 printing worksheet/reading poem/reading program
Grade 2 printing spelling words in sentences/ reading poem/reading program
Grade 3 cursive writing/ home reading
Grade 4 cursive writing/ home reading
Grade 5 home reading/ Bullying advice columm (See handout)
Grade 6 home reading/ Bullying advice column (See handout)
November 30, 1010
Thanks again for all the food donations you sent along as part of our door decorating initiative. Our door looks great! I realize the individual classes are now collecting,, so I encourage you to continue to bring the items in to your own class. The more we gather, the more people we can help. It is the season for giving!
The Primary students have now completed all their pre-primer words. We are now beginning the Primer list. Students are working hard on making sentences, as well as writing their letters to Santa.
The junior students have been discussing bullying and its effects. We have been talking about it in the context of our school and what we can do to help put a stop to it. Students in grade 5 and 6 have begun training as Peer Mediators and they are anxious to begin helping on the playground in this role. Hopefully we will be ready to begin in January.
All students have been participating in a Read Aloud of 'Just Kidding' by Trudy Ludwig. It is the story of how teasing can sometimes cross a line into bullying when the teaser's intent is to hurt, humiliate, ridicule or demean another person. Some websites that address bullying are
www.bullying.org
www.cyberbully.org
www.no-bully.com
www.stopbullyingnow.com
www.ifcc.on.ca/bully.htm
www.stopbullingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
www.stopcyberbullying.org
Homework
Grade 1 printing worksheet/reading poem/reading program
Grade 2 printing spelling words in sentences/ reading poem/reading program
Grade 3 cursive writing/ home reading
Grade 4 cursive writing/ home reading
Grade 5 home reading/ Bullying advice columm (See handout)
Grade 6 home reading/ Bullying advice column (See handout)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
NOVEMBER 24
Quite a busy week we just had in the Core English classroom. As many of you know I was in the office for much of the week assisting in that capacity. Luckily we had some awesome Guest Teachers who continued to deliver the curriculum for a practically seamless week.
We continued our work on Children's Rights using the book For the Rights of the Child and many students in the junior and intermediate classes took the Vow of Silence on Friday in support of Children's Rights and the Free the Children Campaign. Thanks to Leslie from Ms Spencer's class for leading the school in this initiative.
The food for our Food Drive has also been piling in and the door is starting to look very festive with the gifts. We have until December 14 and I would like to cover as much of the door as possible, so keep those non-perishables coming in. Special thanks to Julia and Jada for leading this initiative in the class.
I have been testing the Grade 1 and 2's on their sight words. Hopefully by next week I will send home the results. I am very pleased with the progress most students have made. Thanks for all your hard work in helping your children learn those words. Some of the students who have mastered the Grade 2 list have requested the grade 3 list. I will post it on line for your reference and if you would like a hard copy I will send home. I have also enclosed the Dolch word phrases for students learning the Pre-Primer words as I spoke about to many parents at the parent teacher conference. These are also posted on the blog. Sometimes it helps students learn the sight words when they are put in the context of a phrase.
grade one and two students have been talking about the 'keys to reading', which include four reading strategies. These strategies are to sound it out, to look for smaller words, to read on then go back and finally to look at the picture for clues. Students practiced using these strategies as we chanted the words to Alligator Pie by Dennie Lee. I will post these on the web site for your reference.
In all the classes we have been getting into the inferring activities. We began with a comic for the students to infer meaning. I will post examples of the different level responses for your reference shortly. In the grade 3 to 6 classes during their written response I have also brought their attention to the EASY Acronym in the level 4 response. You can ask your child what this means (hopefully they will know). I will post it as well shortly.
Finally on the newsletter last week it was brought to my attention that I mispelled Dominic's name. He was our fabulous MC for the Remembrance Day Assembly. I also forgot to mention Erin who volunteered endless hours folding paper cranes for our tribute. Thanks again
Have a great week!
P.S. We will start letter writing in the class this week, as Canada Post requires all letters to be in to Santa by December 3 in order for Santa to be able to respond.
Homework
Grade 1 Reading levelled book Worksheet Printing words(Last week of Pre-primer words)
Grade 2 Reading levelled book Worksheet Printing sentences/Spelling test(Tues
Grade 3 Home reading program Cursive
Grade 4 Home reading program Cursive
Grade 5 Home reading program
Grade 6 Home reading program
We continued our work on Children's Rights using the book For the Rights of the Child and many students in the junior and intermediate classes took the Vow of Silence on Friday in support of Children's Rights and the Free the Children Campaign. Thanks to Leslie from Ms Spencer's class for leading the school in this initiative.
The food for our Food Drive has also been piling in and the door is starting to look very festive with the gifts. We have until December 14 and I would like to cover as much of the door as possible, so keep those non-perishables coming in. Special thanks to Julia and Jada for leading this initiative in the class.
I have been testing the Grade 1 and 2's on their sight words. Hopefully by next week I will send home the results. I am very pleased with the progress most students have made. Thanks for all your hard work in helping your children learn those words. Some of the students who have mastered the Grade 2 list have requested the grade 3 list. I will post it on line for your reference and if you would like a hard copy I will send home. I have also enclosed the Dolch word phrases for students learning the Pre-Primer words as I spoke about to many parents at the parent teacher conference. These are also posted on the blog. Sometimes it helps students learn the sight words when they are put in the context of a phrase.
grade one and two students have been talking about the 'keys to reading', which include four reading strategies. These strategies are to sound it out, to look for smaller words, to read on then go back and finally to look at the picture for clues. Students practiced using these strategies as we chanted the words to Alligator Pie by Dennie Lee. I will post these on the web site for your reference.
In all the classes we have been getting into the inferring activities. We began with a comic for the students to infer meaning. I will post examples of the different level responses for your reference shortly. In the grade 3 to 6 classes during their written response I have also brought their attention to the EASY Acronym in the level 4 response. You can ask your child what this means (hopefully they will know). I will post it as well shortly.
Finally on the newsletter last week it was brought to my attention that I mispelled Dominic's name. He was our fabulous MC for the Remembrance Day Assembly. I also forgot to mention Erin who volunteered endless hours folding paper cranes for our tribute. Thanks again
Have a great week!
P.S. We will start letter writing in the class this week, as Canada Post requires all letters to be in to Santa by December 3 in order for Santa to be able to respond.
Homework
Grade 1 Reading levelled book Worksheet Printing words(Last week of Pre-primer words)
Grade 2 Reading levelled book Worksheet Printing sentences/Spelling test(Tues
Grade 3 Home reading program Cursive
Grade 4 Home reading program Cursive
Grade 5 Home reading program
Grade 6 Home reading program
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
VOW OF SILENCE PERMISSION FORM
VOW OF SILENCE
The Vow of Silence campaign is held in November because 21 years ago, on November 20, 1989, the world was introduced to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention, ratified by more countries than any other United Nations treaty, solidified the universal rights that every child in the world should receive regardless of race, nationality or religion. These include the right to an education, health care and proper development, as well as protection from exploitation and abuse. But after all this time we must ask ourselves: are the voices of children around the world being heard? Are their rights being upheld? The answer too often is no. Some children are still being silenced by hunger, others by lack of education. Some are forced to work as child labourers and are punished for speaking out against unsafe and unfair work conditions.
Your child has expressed an interest in staying silent for 24 hours to show solidarity with children whose human rights are not being upheld. You can find out more information about this grassroots campaign at www.freethechildren.com. With your permission, your child will receive a badge to wear prominently showing his/her participation in the campaign.
Thank you for your support
Ms. D. Legault
Please return the following form indicating your consent to have your child participate in this awareness raising event.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:_________________________________________________
I, (name)__________________________________ consent to having my son or daughter (students name) _____________________________________participate in the VOW of SILENCE event to take place on Friday, November 19.
The Vow of Silence campaign is held in November because 21 years ago, on November 20, 1989, the world was introduced to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention, ratified by more countries than any other United Nations treaty, solidified the universal rights that every child in the world should receive regardless of race, nationality or religion. These include the right to an education, health care and proper development, as well as protection from exploitation and abuse. But after all this time we must ask ourselves: are the voices of children around the world being heard? Are their rights being upheld? The answer too often is no. Some children are still being silenced by hunger, others by lack of education. Some are forced to work as child labourers and are punished for speaking out against unsafe and unfair work conditions.
Your child has expressed an interest in staying silent for 24 hours to show solidarity with children whose human rights are not being upheld. You can find out more information about this grassroots campaign at www.freethechildren.com. With your permission, your child will receive a badge to wear prominently showing his/her participation in the campaign.
Thank you for your support
Ms. D. Legault
Please return the following form indicating your consent to have your child participate in this awareness raising event.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:_________________________________________________
I, (name)__________________________________ consent to having my son or daughter (students name) _____________________________________participate in the VOW of SILENCE event to take place on Friday, November 19.
GRADE 5 AND 6 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
WRITE A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ABOUT THE VOW OF SILENCE. BE SURE TO INCLUDE DETAILS OF A WELL WRITTEN NEWS ARTICLE. (SEE BELOW)
DUE NOVEMBER 23, 2010 NAME: ________________________________________
RUBRIC complete adequate somewhat limited
ARTICLE ADDRESSES THE 5 W’S
(WHO,WHAT, WHERE, WHEN AND WHY) 4 3 2 1
SPELLING AND PROOFREADING 4 3 2 1
CONTENT ONE PAGE,TITLE,SUBTITLE 4 3 2 1
CLEAR, EFFECTIVE, VIVID DETAILS 4 3 2 1
DUE NOVEMBER 23, 2010 NAME: ________________________________________
RUBRIC complete adequate somewhat limited
ARTICLE ADDRESSES THE 5 W’S
(WHO,WHAT, WHERE, WHEN AND WHY) 4 3 2 1
SPELLING AND PROOFREADING 4 3 2 1
CONTENT ONE PAGE,TITLE,SUBTITLE 4 3 2 1
CLEAR, EFFECTIVE, VIVID DETAILS 4 3 2 1
Monday, November 15, 2010
November 16, 2010
November 16, 2010
The Remembrance Day Assembly was definitely a day to remember thanks to the hard work of many of our students. Thanks to especially to Ms. Spencer's class who assisted in putting together the assembly. Special thanks to our Master of Ceremonies Jarod, Kendra, Fiona and Dominique for leading the assembly both in English and French. Thanks to Kendra and Jenna for the informative speech about Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes. Thanks to Jenna, Morgan, Bryce and Dominique for making over a hundred paper cranes for the presentation of deployed parents. Thanks to many behind the scenes students who helped throughout the day putting up and taking down decorations including Brianna, Emma, Kendra and Leslie. Finally thanks to Morgan for the fabulous technical job controlling the sound system and slide show.
All students have begun their focus on the Rights of the Child. November 19th marks the 25th Anniversary when the declaration was signed by the United Nations. To mark this occasion students from Mme Spencer's and Ms. Malette's class have been learning about the grassroots campaign called the Vow on Silence. On Friday many students in the Junior/Intermediate divisions will be taking a Vow of Silence for 24 hours in support of the Rights of Children and to bring awareness to children who have been silenced in the world because of poverty and exploitation. The junior students are organising a short assembly on Wednesday to introduce this campaign to the students and provide information for students to bring home. Students interested in participating must bring in a note from home indicating their intent to participate. Students participating will have a badge to wear throughout the day. More information can be found at www.freethechildren.com
The Primary students have also been focusing on the Rights of Children through discussion of the book For Every Child by Caroline Castle. Students participated in a discussion of Children's Rights and they explored which Right they felt was the most important. Students have also enjoyed reading the book called The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. This is a wonderful book about a raccoon who is going to school for the first time and feeling scared. Many students made personal connections to the story as we recounted times when they had to do something that they were worried or scared to do for the first time. We focused on retelling the story using the words first, next, then and finally. We will continue to focus on this book next week and making inferences.
The holiday are quickly coming upon us and General Lake has proposed a door decorating contest to help bring about the Christmas Spirit. In this same spirit, the Core English class will be decorating our door with a little social awareness twist. Students are asked to bring in a non-perishable food donation. Students that bring in an item will receive a picture to colour of a 'gift'. Students will put their name on this 'gift' and it will be posted on the door. We hope to cover the entire door by December 14. You may send in items anytime.
Thanks to all the students who handed in their homework.
Ms. Legault
Homework
Grade 1 sight word printing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 2 sight word spelling reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 3 cursive writing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 4 cursive writing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 5 reading program /writing assignment
Grade 6 reading program/writing assignment
The Remembrance Day Assembly was definitely a day to remember thanks to the hard work of many of our students. Thanks to especially to Ms. Spencer's class who assisted in putting together the assembly. Special thanks to our Master of Ceremonies Jarod, Kendra, Fiona and Dominique for leading the assembly both in English and French. Thanks to Kendra and Jenna for the informative speech about Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes. Thanks to Jenna, Morgan, Bryce and Dominique for making over a hundred paper cranes for the presentation of deployed parents. Thanks to many behind the scenes students who helped throughout the day putting up and taking down decorations including Brianna, Emma, Kendra and Leslie. Finally thanks to Morgan for the fabulous technical job controlling the sound system and slide show.
All students have begun their focus on the Rights of the Child. November 19th marks the 25th Anniversary when the declaration was signed by the United Nations. To mark this occasion students from Mme Spencer's and Ms. Malette's class have been learning about the grassroots campaign called the Vow on Silence. On Friday many students in the Junior/Intermediate divisions will be taking a Vow of Silence for 24 hours in support of the Rights of Children and to bring awareness to children who have been silenced in the world because of poverty and exploitation. The junior students are organising a short assembly on Wednesday to introduce this campaign to the students and provide information for students to bring home. Students interested in participating must bring in a note from home indicating their intent to participate. Students participating will have a badge to wear throughout the day. More information can be found at www.freethechildren.com
The Primary students have also been focusing on the Rights of Children through discussion of the book For Every Child by Caroline Castle. Students participated in a discussion of Children's Rights and they explored which Right they felt was the most important. Students have also enjoyed reading the book called The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. This is a wonderful book about a raccoon who is going to school for the first time and feeling scared. Many students made personal connections to the story as we recounted times when they had to do something that they were worried or scared to do for the first time. We focused on retelling the story using the words first, next, then and finally. We will continue to focus on this book next week and making inferences.
The holiday are quickly coming upon us and General Lake has proposed a door decorating contest to help bring about the Christmas Spirit. In this same spirit, the Core English class will be decorating our door with a little social awareness twist. Students are asked to bring in a non-perishable food donation. Students that bring in an item will receive a picture to colour of a 'gift'. Students will put their name on this 'gift' and it will be posted on the door. We hope to cover the entire door by December 14. You may send in items anytime.
Thanks to all the students who handed in their homework.
Ms. Legault
Homework
Grade 1 sight word printing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 2 sight word spelling reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 3 cursive writing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 4 cursive writing reading program non-perishable food donation
Grade 5 reading program /writing assignment
Grade 6 reading program/writing assignment
Friday, November 12, 2010
READING LEVELS A-Z Equivalents
The following is a list of the Reading A-Z numerical equivalents. The students in Core English Grades 1 to 3 have been given a numerical Benchmark level. The books they have been assigned for homework are from the Reading A-Z program
(www.readinga-z.com)This is an online reading resource that requires a fee to access, although there are some free books available for downloading.
Level A = 1
Level B = 2
Level C = 3-4
Level D = 5-6
Level E = 7-8
Level F = 9-10
Level G = 11-12
Level H = 13-14
Level I = 15
Level J = 16
Level K = 17-18
Level L = 19-20
Level M = 21
Level N = 22
Level O = 22
Level P = 23
Level Q = 23
Level R = 24
Level S = 24
Level T = 25
Level U = 26
Level V = 27
Level W = 28
Level X
Level Y
Level Z
(www.readinga-z.com)This is an online reading resource that requires a fee to access, although there are some free books available for downloading.
Level A = 1
Level B = 2
Level C = 3-4
Level D = 5-6
Level E = 7-8
Level F = 9-10
Level G = 11-12
Level H = 13-14
Level I = 15
Level J = 16
Level K = 17-18
Level L = 19-20
Level M = 21
Level N = 22
Level O = 22
Level P = 23
Level Q = 23
Level R = 24
Level S = 24
Level T = 25
Level U = 26
Level V = 27
Level W = 28
Level X
Level Y
Level Z
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Home Reading grades 3,4,5, and 6
HOME READING PROGRAM
Students in grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 have begun a home reading program. The purpose of the program is to help motivate students to read, as well as to have students think about what they are reading. Enclosed you will find a calendar for students to record their reading on, as well as to record the genre.
Here is a genre choice list and coding system
P = Poetry
F= Fantasy
RF = Realistic Fiction
I = Informational
M = Mystery
B = Biography
HF = Historical Fiction.
As we work together we will probably find we need to add to this list. As this is a new format for me, I welcome all suggestions. I am very excited about trying this idea.
Remember on a busy night road signs, menus and such are informational reading. Also the students may read English or French. My purpose at this point is to have them read.
Every 25 days of reading will be rewarded with a small prize. 100 days will receive a bigger prize. Students may still take out books from the Reading A to Z series. Also I have included a copy of the rubric I will be using to assess the home reading program. The following is a description of the categories.
CATEGORY
Frequency
Level 4
Daily reading
for the entire
month.
Level 3
Read five days
a week - about
20 days.
Level 2
Read three
days a week -
about 12 days.
Level 1
Seldom read.
Read less than
12 days for the
month.
Variety of
Genres
Represented
Level 4
Sampling of
text from
different
genres.
Level 3
Read three
different
genres within
the month.
Level 2
Read two
different
genres within
the month.
Level 1
Little or no
experimentation
with genres this
month.
Responsibility
Level 4
Student
completed
reading log
and turned it in
on time.
Level 3
Student
completed
reading log
and turned it in
late.
Level 2
Parent
completed
reading log
and the
student turned
it in on time.
Level 1
Parent
completed
reading log and
the student
turned it in late.
Students in grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 have begun a home reading program. The purpose of the program is to help motivate students to read, as well as to have students think about what they are reading. Enclosed you will find a calendar for students to record their reading on, as well as to record the genre.
Here is a genre choice list and coding system
P = Poetry
F= Fantasy
RF = Realistic Fiction
I = Informational
M = Mystery
B = Biography
HF = Historical Fiction.
As we work together we will probably find we need to add to this list. As this is a new format for me, I welcome all suggestions. I am very excited about trying this idea.
Remember on a busy night road signs, menus and such are informational reading. Also the students may read English or French. My purpose at this point is to have them read.
Every 25 days of reading will be rewarded with a small prize. 100 days will receive a bigger prize. Students may still take out books from the Reading A to Z series. Also I have included a copy of the rubric I will be using to assess the home reading program. The following is a description of the categories.
CATEGORY
Frequency
Level 4
Daily reading
for the entire
month.
Level 3
Read five days
a week - about
20 days.
Level 2
Read three
days a week -
about 12 days.
Level 1
Seldom read.
Read less than
12 days for the
month.
Variety of
Genres
Represented
Level 4
Sampling of
text from
different
genres.
Level 3
Read three
different
genres within
the month.
Level 2
Read two
different
genres within
the month.
Level 1
Little or no
experimentation
with genres this
month.
Responsibility
Level 4
Student
completed
reading log
and turned it in
on time.
Level 3
Student
completed
reading log
and turned it in
late.
Level 2
Parent
completed
reading log
and the
student turned
it in on time.
Level 1
Parent
completed
reading log and
the student
turned it in late.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
November 9, 2010
Dear Parents,
Thank you to all the parents who stopped by to say hello. I am really pleased with all the positive comments and all the hard work we have done in Core English up to this point. Some changes, as a result of your input are as follows:
The newsletter will now list homework assignments by grade clearly on the reverse. Grade 3, 4, and 5 students will now bring their agendas to English class on Tuesday or Wednesday to ensure assignments are clearly listed. If you lose the assignments all information is posted on the blog (www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com)Assignments are generally due the following Tuesday.
Also as suggested here's a list of the Read Aloud books I will hope to use this term with the students. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown; Weslandia by Paul Fleischman; The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting; Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti; Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts; One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss; Faithful Elephants: A Story of Animals; People and War by Yukio Tsuchiya; and Just Kidding by Trudy Ludwig. As I indicated, my books centre around social issues which I am hoping will spark lots of conversation and dialoque, particularly in the area of inferencing which is our school wide focus. I am also very interested in the work being done at http://www.freethechildren.com/ so my lessons may be related to some of the issues addressed through this organization.
Also, as requested here is a list of the reading levels and their corresponding grades. Grade 1: 1 to 17; Grade 2: 17 to 22; Grade 3: 22 to 27. Remember this is only a guideline. Many children vary between these levels. Also it was suggested that I send home a sample of what reading at each level looks like. I am in the process of putting together samples.
Finally many parents expressed concern over the amount of homework. As a guideline the Board suggestS 10 extra minutes for each grade each night. Therefore grade 1 is about 10 minutes/night; Grade 2 is 20 minutes; Grade 3 is 30 minutes and so on. If your child is doing significantly more than that please let us know and we can adjust the amount of work. The most important thing to me is that the students are reading everyday, as well as learning to take responsibility for their work by setting aside some time daily to do some work.
Thanks again to everyone for the tremendous support and all the suggestions.
Homework:
Grade 1 printing sight words/reviewing sight words/reading enclosed levelled books Grade 2 printing sight words/practicing spelling/reading enclosed levelled books
Grade 3 cursive writing/reading at home program
Grade 4 cursive writing/reading at home program
Grade 5 read at home program/ research: Who is General Lake?/ check out: http://www.freethechildren.com/
Grade 6 read at home porgram/ research: Who is General Lake?/ check out http://www.freethechildren.com/
Thank you to all the parents who stopped by to say hello. I am really pleased with all the positive comments and all the hard work we have done in Core English up to this point. Some changes, as a result of your input are as follows:
The newsletter will now list homework assignments by grade clearly on the reverse. Grade 3, 4, and 5 students will now bring their agendas to English class on Tuesday or Wednesday to ensure assignments are clearly listed. If you lose the assignments all information is posted on the blog (www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com)Assignments are generally due the following Tuesday.
Also as suggested here's a list of the Read Aloud books I will hope to use this term with the students. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown; Weslandia by Paul Fleischman; The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting; Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti; Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts; One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss; Faithful Elephants: A Story of Animals; People and War by Yukio Tsuchiya; and Just Kidding by Trudy Ludwig. As I indicated, my books centre around social issues which I am hoping will spark lots of conversation and dialoque, particularly in the area of inferencing which is our school wide focus. I am also very interested in the work being done at http://www.freethechildren.com/ so my lessons may be related to some of the issues addressed through this organization.
Also, as requested here is a list of the reading levels and their corresponding grades. Grade 1: 1 to 17; Grade 2: 17 to 22; Grade 3: 22 to 27. Remember this is only a guideline. Many children vary between these levels. Also it was suggested that I send home a sample of what reading at each level looks like. I am in the process of putting together samples.
Finally many parents expressed concern over the amount of homework. As a guideline the Board suggestS 10 extra minutes for each grade each night. Therefore grade 1 is about 10 minutes/night; Grade 2 is 20 minutes; Grade 3 is 30 minutes and so on. If your child is doing significantly more than that please let us know and we can adjust the amount of work. The most important thing to me is that the students are reading everyday, as well as learning to take responsibility for their work by setting aside some time daily to do some work.
Thanks again to everyone for the tremendous support and all the suggestions.
Homework:
Grade 1 printing sight words/reviewing sight words/reading enclosed levelled books Grade 2 printing sight words/practicing spelling/reading enclosed levelled books
Grade 3 cursive writing/reading at home program
Grade 4 cursive writing/reading at home program
Grade 5 read at home program/ research: Who is General Lake?/ check out: http://www.freethechildren.com/
Grade 6 read at home porgram/ research: Who is General Lake?/ check out http://www.freethechildren.com/
No Homework this week
There is no homework for the next week in Core English. I will return homework packages on Tuesday, November 9. I am looking forward to seeing many parents at the progress report meetings on November 5. I will be available from 8:00 until 9:30. Then again from 11:00 until 4:00. If you are not available at these times please don't hesitate to write me a note and we will schedule a meeting. Thanks for all the imput provided. Have a safe weekend.
Our Retell of Moose’s Loose Tooth
Author: Jacqueline A. Clarke
In the beginning, Moose is in the forest. He bumps into a tree. His tooth is loose. The problem is his tooth will not fall out.
In the middle of the story his friends try to help pull out the tooth. Finally the tooth flies out and into elephants mouth. Elephant swallows the tooth. So elephant had to sleep with Moose so the tooth fairy can collect the tooth.
At the end of the story the tooth fairy leaves money for everyone. She leaves a little extra for elephant along with a note. She thanks him for taking good care of the tooth. On the last page elephant thinks he is getting a loose tusk.
In the beginning, Moose is in the forest. He bumps into a tree. His tooth is loose. The problem is his tooth will not fall out.
In the middle of the story his friends try to help pull out the tooth. Finally the tooth flies out and into elephants mouth. Elephant swallows the tooth. So elephant had to sleep with Moose so the tooth fairy can collect the tooth.
At the end of the story the tooth fairy leaves money for everyone. She leaves a little extra for elephant along with a note. She thanks him for taking good care of the tooth. On the last page elephant thinks he is getting a loose tusk.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
GREAT POEMS
WINTER IS WHITE by Rabab
Winter is white
Snow makes more height
I see sparkles in the snow
In the Spring snow get low
We make snowmans
With our warm hands
When its snowing
The clouds are showing
With the fun forts
And has rocks like warts
But when it melts
It has lots of felts
When the trees are back
The flowers are bloomed
We don't use a rack and people go zoomed
REMEMBER
Remember the soldiers who died
Everyone in the military does good things
Most important people in our country
Everyone cares for them
My Dad is in Afghanistan
By my side always in spirit
Everyone respect the soldiers over seas
Respect the soldiers for always
by Mikayla Duperron
CHIPMUNKS
Chipmunks are brown, white, black and grey
They like to jump, run, and play
They hide their nuts in the ground
They make a squeak sound
They play around
They always know where their nuts are found
They are very cute and sweet
Getting one for a pet would be a treat!
by Ryan Kernaghan
MY BUNNY
Twinkle, Twinkle little bunny
How you are so soft and funny
Watch you sniff
Watch you jump
See you nibble, hear you thump
The way I put you in your cage
Your fuzzy hair gets in my face
But I don’t care
I’ll love you into outerspace
by Abby Walker
MY DOG MILEY
by Emily Norman
She loves going for walks
She doesn’t like coming when called
She loves catching balls in the water
She doesn’t like bringing them back
She is always happy
Except when she doesn’t get any attention
She loves when you pet her
She doesn’t like to get needles
She used to love her red rubber bone
But she ate it!
She is very loving
But she doesn’t like birds
She is usually very quiet
Except when she snores and says “woof woof” in her sleep
She likes to curl up in my pink beanbag chair
She loves treats like pig ears
But she sometimes saves them to eat later
She loves her nickname Smiley Miley and Miley May
But she doesn’t like being called Bad
She is cute and cuddly
But sometimes she’s stinky!
But we LOVE her anyway!!
SEASONS
It’s Spring. It’s warm out
Plants are blooming. Rainy days
Splashing in puddles. People wearing raincoats
It’s summer. It’s hot out.
Going to the beach. Playing in the water.
School is out. Time to go camping.
It’s Fall. It’s cool Out. Leaves falling. Colours exploding.
Windy days and time to go trick or treating.
It’s winter. It’s cold out.
No leaves on trees. Making snowmen and forts.
Drinking hot chocolate. Snowball fighting.
Animals hibernating
By Jarod Kernaghan
THE DAY I LEFT HOME
On the day that I left home
It was not what I thought
When I wanted to roam
Everyday it got colder and colder
Yet everyday I got bolder and bolder
Until the day that I hit ground
And there I lay, so very proud
by Farati
POEM ABOUT FALL
When leaves fall off trees their colours change
In our school I want fall leaves around the stage
I like Fall because there’s Halloween and it’s scary
I think ghosts eat black food so I think of black berries
In Halloween there comes snow,
But when you play long you won’t know
Make sure to be warm and cozy
And comfortable and snoozy
by Rabab Azeem
A POEM BY BRAEDEN
I’ve got no idea what to say,
But I have to write this poem
Because my Mom says if I don’t
get it done to the movie I’m not going.
MY HORSE STORY
I would like a horse for my own
So every day I could say
Let’s gallop away
I love when horses raise their ears
It means they’re full
Of curiosity and cheer
When I walk outside
I want to see horses galloping and jumping
Excited with glee
I would groom my horse
Before and after I ride
So it would be comfortable and pretty
With a lot of pride.
I wish for the day
My dream will come true
So I can gallop away
On the morning dew
by Remi Lavoie
POPPIES
Poppies
Red and black
Bloom at the place where
Men who fought
Died
Poppies
Soft and smooth
Worn on the heart
Sad Remembrance Day
Remember
By Seth Malino
MY DOG AVES
My dog Aves
Hates waves
She likes to bite
But not at night
She sleeps in her crate
And goes to bed late
Sometimes she’s bad
But she’s the best dog I’ve ever had
She bit my brothers fingers and made them bleed
And when I take her for walks she tries to lead
Everyday I take her for a walk
And we walk around the block
She poops on the floor
And barks when someone’s at the door
She plays with me
And she loves me
I love her a lot
And I’m glad that she got bought
August is her month of birth
And she is worth
She was born on the 15th
And likes going over to the table underneath
by Abigail Jupp
PEACE TO THE WORLD
by Madison Hunt
Believing happiness and love
Being happy, loving people and helping
Being brave when people go to war
Helping stop war
Loving the people who died
Died so others could survive
Survive and go home with families
BOILED FISH
My Dad is allergic to dogs
My Dad is allergic to cats
My Dad is allergic to birds and all that
If my Dad meets a bunny
he’ll get really sick and that’s not funny
So I can’t have the pets that I wish
The only thing left for me is a fish
On one Winter day we went to the bank
Then to the pet store to get a good tank!!
Home in a bag came two fish of gold
My Mother was worried they might be cold
While I got their new home all prepared
They waited in a cozy spot “Don’t be scared.”
Okay, everything was ready...HEY!!! I cried with a frown
Why are my new fish floating upside down?
In their tank swim three new friends
Goldie, Chompers, and Kissy Face
This time my Mom didn’t put them
Too close to the FIREPLACE!!!
By Julie Deschambault
HALLOWEEN NIGHT
There’s a lot of kids
On Halloween Night
Oh my gosh
What a fright!
Can you see what I see?
There is a lot of scary
Costumes out there, if I weren’t a pirate
I would have been a girl, horse or mare.
Halloween night is my favourite
Time of the year
Because when I am dressing up
I can look in the mirror
I love Halloween night
Because it’s so much fun,
Especially when we can start
And the sun is gone
My sister and I love to decorate
But our favourite time is on Halloween Night
by Bobbi Lavoie grade 2
HE SHOOTS HE SCORES
He shoots He scores
Hockey is fun speed and strategy to score goals
Team work is how you get the goals
Winning the face off is about speed and stick handling.
by Tommy Campbell
Winter is white
Snow makes more height
I see sparkles in the snow
In the Spring snow get low
We make snowmans
With our warm hands
When its snowing
The clouds are showing
With the fun forts
And has rocks like warts
But when it melts
It has lots of felts
When the trees are back
The flowers are bloomed
We don't use a rack and people go zoomed
REMEMBER
Remember the soldiers who died
Everyone in the military does good things
Most important people in our country
Everyone cares for them
My Dad is in Afghanistan
By my side always in spirit
Everyone respect the soldiers over seas
Respect the soldiers for always
by Mikayla Duperron
CHIPMUNKS
Chipmunks are brown, white, black and grey
They like to jump, run, and play
They hide their nuts in the ground
They make a squeak sound
They play around
They always know where their nuts are found
They are very cute and sweet
Getting one for a pet would be a treat!
by Ryan Kernaghan
MY BUNNY
Twinkle, Twinkle little bunny
How you are so soft and funny
Watch you sniff
Watch you jump
See you nibble, hear you thump
The way I put you in your cage
Your fuzzy hair gets in my face
But I don’t care
I’ll love you into outerspace
by Abby Walker
MY DOG MILEY
by Emily Norman
She loves going for walks
She doesn’t like coming when called
She loves catching balls in the water
She doesn’t like bringing them back
She is always happy
Except when she doesn’t get any attention
She loves when you pet her
She doesn’t like to get needles
She used to love her red rubber bone
But she ate it!
She is very loving
But she doesn’t like birds
She is usually very quiet
Except when she snores and says “woof woof” in her sleep
She likes to curl up in my pink beanbag chair
She loves treats like pig ears
But she sometimes saves them to eat later
She loves her nickname Smiley Miley and Miley May
But she doesn’t like being called Bad
She is cute and cuddly
But sometimes she’s stinky!
But we LOVE her anyway!!
SEASONS
It’s Spring. It’s warm out
Plants are blooming. Rainy days
Splashing in puddles. People wearing raincoats
It’s summer. It’s hot out.
Going to the beach. Playing in the water.
School is out. Time to go camping.
It’s Fall. It’s cool Out. Leaves falling. Colours exploding.
Windy days and time to go trick or treating.
It’s winter. It’s cold out.
No leaves on trees. Making snowmen and forts.
Drinking hot chocolate. Snowball fighting.
Animals hibernating
By Jarod Kernaghan
THE DAY I LEFT HOME
On the day that I left home
It was not what I thought
When I wanted to roam
Everyday it got colder and colder
Yet everyday I got bolder and bolder
Until the day that I hit ground
And there I lay, so very proud
by Farati
POEM ABOUT FALL
When leaves fall off trees their colours change
In our school I want fall leaves around the stage
I like Fall because there’s Halloween and it’s scary
I think ghosts eat black food so I think of black berries
In Halloween there comes snow,
But when you play long you won’t know
Make sure to be warm and cozy
And comfortable and snoozy
by Rabab Azeem
A POEM BY BRAEDEN
I’ve got no idea what to say,
But I have to write this poem
Because my Mom says if I don’t
get it done to the movie I’m not going.
MY HORSE STORY
I would like a horse for my own
So every day I could say
Let’s gallop away
I love when horses raise their ears
It means they’re full
Of curiosity and cheer
When I walk outside
I want to see horses galloping and jumping
Excited with glee
I would groom my horse
Before and after I ride
So it would be comfortable and pretty
With a lot of pride.
I wish for the day
My dream will come true
So I can gallop away
On the morning dew
by Remi Lavoie
POPPIES
Poppies
Red and black
Bloom at the place where
Men who fought
Died
Poppies
Soft and smooth
Worn on the heart
Sad Remembrance Day
Remember
By Seth Malino
MY DOG AVES
My dog Aves
Hates waves
She likes to bite
But not at night
She sleeps in her crate
And goes to bed late
Sometimes she’s bad
But she’s the best dog I’ve ever had
She bit my brothers fingers and made them bleed
And when I take her for walks she tries to lead
Everyday I take her for a walk
And we walk around the block
She poops on the floor
And barks when someone’s at the door
She plays with me
And she loves me
I love her a lot
And I’m glad that she got bought
August is her month of birth
And she is worth
She was born on the 15th
And likes going over to the table underneath
by Abigail Jupp
PEACE TO THE WORLD
by Madison Hunt
Believing happiness and love
Being happy, loving people and helping
Being brave when people go to war
Helping stop war
Loving the people who died
Died so others could survive
Survive and go home with families
BOILED FISH
My Dad is allergic to dogs
My Dad is allergic to cats
My Dad is allergic to birds and all that
If my Dad meets a bunny
he’ll get really sick and that’s not funny
So I can’t have the pets that I wish
The only thing left for me is a fish
On one Winter day we went to the bank
Then to the pet store to get a good tank!!
Home in a bag came two fish of gold
My Mother was worried they might be cold
While I got their new home all prepared
They waited in a cozy spot “Don’t be scared.”
Okay, everything was ready...HEY!!! I cried with a frown
Why are my new fish floating upside down?
In their tank swim three new friends
Goldie, Chompers, and Kissy Face
This time my Mom didn’t put them
Too close to the FIREPLACE!!!
By Julie Deschambault
HALLOWEEN NIGHT
There’s a lot of kids
On Halloween Night
Oh my gosh
What a fright!
Can you see what I see?
There is a lot of scary
Costumes out there, if I weren’t a pirate
I would have been a girl, horse or mare.
Halloween night is my favourite
Time of the year
Because when I am dressing up
I can look in the mirror
I love Halloween night
Because it’s so much fun,
Especially when we can start
And the sun is gone
My sister and I love to decorate
But our favourite time is on Halloween Night
by Bobbi Lavoie grade 2
HE SHOOTS HE SCORES
He shoots He scores
Hockey is fun speed and strategy to score goals
Team work is how you get the goals
Winning the face off is about speed and stick handling.
by Tommy Campbell
October 28, 2010
From the Desk of Ms. Legault
Dear Parents,
Thank you for all your support and assistance getting the homework completed. I received many fine examples of poetry and I hope to submit many of these shortly to the contest, as well as showcase some of samples on our classroom blog (www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com). The primary students did an excellent job sharing their procedures to the class. Some of the work is on display outside the classroom. We had a great variety including pizza, jack’ o’lanterns, turkey, lego and so much more. Students have demonstrated a lot of improvement in speaking clearly and loudly. Thank you to everyone for helping to make this an exciting and enjoyable experience for the students.
In the classroom we have been reading and responding to a number of stories. The grade 1 and 2 students have been retelling the story of a Bear in War by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat. Grade 3 and 4 have been working on a book called The Enemy: A story about Peace by Davide Cali and Serge Bloch
and the grade 5 and 6 class have been reading Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Corr. Many students also followed instructions provided online at http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-a-Paper-Crane-1100 to fold their own paper crane. Origami square (scrapbooking) paper is available at Dollarama.
As part of a schoolwide initiative to improve students skills in literacy, we will be beginning a focus on the development of inferring skills. Inferring is drawing conclusions, making predictions, evaluating and judging using information from the text. The key point we are trying to stress with the students is that they need to provide proof by referring to the text/story. One question you can ask during your daily story time is “What does the author want us to learn from the text?” You can also talk about the characters and what we learned about the characters from the story. Be sure to ask your child to provide evidence from the story to support their thinking. I will send more information about this home as I begin exploring it with your child at school more in depth.
Homework
Grade 1 and 2: New sight words and word patterns to print and spell. For those who like technology, I stumbled on an APP for the Ipod that helps children with sight words. My twin daughters are in grade one. One of them loves this game, the other does not care for it. Its just another way to help them learn their words. You can find it at http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/dolch-sight-words-complete/id352798485?mt=8
Grade 3 and 4: Continue with the handwriting work and research frameworks are due on Nov 3.
Grade 5 and 6: Research frameworks are due November 3. Students from these grades have shown an interest in beginning a Peer Mediation program to help younger students solve their problems on the playground. Some students have also been selected to assist with the Remembrance Day assembly. Watch for more information to be sent home soon.
Thanks again for your support. Enjoy your week. Ms. Legault
P.S Any parents interested in assisting with the Remembrance Day Assembly or the Peer Mediation Program please contact me or send a note. I am looking for someone to speak at the Assembly. Thanks again
Dear Parents,
Thank you for all your support and assistance getting the homework completed. I received many fine examples of poetry and I hope to submit many of these shortly to the contest, as well as showcase some of samples on our classroom blog (www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com). The primary students did an excellent job sharing their procedures to the class. Some of the work is on display outside the classroom. We had a great variety including pizza, jack’ o’lanterns, turkey, lego and so much more. Students have demonstrated a lot of improvement in speaking clearly and loudly. Thank you to everyone for helping to make this an exciting and enjoyable experience for the students.
In the classroom we have been reading and responding to a number of stories. The grade 1 and 2 students have been retelling the story of a Bear in War by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat. Grade 3 and 4 have been working on a book called The Enemy: A story about Peace by Davide Cali and Serge Bloch
and the grade 5 and 6 class have been reading Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Corr. Many students also followed instructions provided online at http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-a-Paper-Crane-1100 to fold their own paper crane. Origami square (scrapbooking) paper is available at Dollarama.
As part of a schoolwide initiative to improve students skills in literacy, we will be beginning a focus on the development of inferring skills. Inferring is drawing conclusions, making predictions, evaluating and judging using information from the text. The key point we are trying to stress with the students is that they need to provide proof by referring to the text/story. One question you can ask during your daily story time is “What does the author want us to learn from the text?” You can also talk about the characters and what we learned about the characters from the story. Be sure to ask your child to provide evidence from the story to support their thinking. I will send more information about this home as I begin exploring it with your child at school more in depth.
Homework
Grade 1 and 2: New sight words and word patterns to print and spell. For those who like technology, I stumbled on an APP for the Ipod that helps children with sight words. My twin daughters are in grade one. One of them loves this game, the other does not care for it. Its just another way to help them learn their words. You can find it at http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/dolch-sight-words-complete/id352798485?mt=8
Grade 3 and 4: Continue with the handwriting work and research frameworks are due on Nov 3.
Grade 5 and 6: Research frameworks are due November 3. Students from these grades have shown an interest in beginning a Peer Mediation program to help younger students solve their problems on the playground. Some students have also been selected to assist with the Remembrance Day assembly. Watch for more information to be sent home soon.
Thanks again for your support. Enjoy your week. Ms. Legault
P.S Any parents interested in assisting with the Remembrance Day Assembly or the Peer Mediation Program please contact me or send a note. I am looking for someone to speak at the Assembly. Thanks again
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
OCTOBER 20, 2010 CLASS UPDATE
Dear Parents,
An exciting week in Core English as the Remembrance Day contest came to a close. Thank you to all the students who participated in the contest. You can view many of the students work in the halls of General Lake. The winning entries will be entered in the Legion’s contest. Congratulations to the following students Connor Chalmers-Wein Grade 5, Erin O’Hara Grade 2, Clancy Bridger Grade 2, Marissa Nelson Grade 1, Emily Norman Grade 3, Farati Femi-Babalola Grade 3, Nic Bennett Grade 1, Emily Scott Grade 4, Rabab Azeem Grade 3, Emma Baird Grade 1, Kalee Granter Grade 1, Emma McKinnis Grade 2, Mackenzie Carter Gorin Grade 4, Bethany Marquardt Grade 2, Erin Stacy Grade 6, Jada McInnis Grade 6, Ridge Chartrand Grade 4, Gabe Layden Grade 5 , Elizabeth Houde Grade 5, Ryan Kernaghan Grade 3, Alexis Arnott Grade 5, Carson Gallant Grade 4, Jenna Chan-Watson Grade 5, Julia Suprenant-Johnson Grade 6, Zac Corrie Grade 5.
Grade 1/2 Homework: Students in Grade 1 and 2 are asked to make an oral presentation of the procedure they followed to make something. It can be something they already made, or something you create together. I am looking for their use of the words first, then, next and finally in the presentation. The following is the rubric I will use to mark this assignment. Presentations will begin for students whose first name begins with the letters A -J on Wednesday; K-Q on Thursday; and R - Z on Friday.
Rubric
Topic
Speaks in simple correct sentences yes no
Speaks loud enough to be heard yes no
Has a prop (picture or model) yes no
Tells how it was made using first, then, next, finally yes no
Uses some descriptive adjectives to add interest
(e.g. colour, texture, quantity words) yes no
Grade 2 only Write out the instructions using the words first, then, next and finally
Students should continue learning their sight words and practicing reading daily. Students who know their sight words are encouraged to begin practicing spelling the sight words. I have enclosed a book for students to practice spelling their words. Students should choose 10 words from the sight word list beginning with the pre-primer. Using the words in a sentence will help students associate the spelling with meaning. See the classroom blog www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspotcom for a list of tips.
Grade 3 - 6
Part 1 Poetry Writing Contest. Students are asked to submit one poem of the topic of their choice. Poems should be of 24 lines (maximum) or less. Ms Legault and her a group of esteemed judges will select several poems from each grade level to be submitted in the Young Writers of Canada Poetry Contest. All poems eligible for the contest must be submitted by October 27th. Students may submit more than one to Ms. Legault but only one entry per student may be submitted to the Official Contest. Students may not wish to submit an entry to the contest but all students must submit one poem as part of their homework. First prize of thee Young Writers Contest is $50.00 and a free book with their poem published. There are over 75 awards of excellence. All poems accepted for publication will receive a certificate to mark their achievement.
Part 2 Students in grade 3 to 6 have been talking about a number of historical events related to peace and Remembrance Day through their read alouds in English class. Students are asked to research one aspect they are interested in using a research framework, jotting notes to answer five guiding questions which may include who, what, where, when. why and adding any interesting details they may find. For example we talked briefly about the Battle of Passchendaele. Students may use the internet or the library to find out information.
Research rubric
Five guiding questions clearly labeled on framework 1 2 3 4
Located and recorded information which clearly covered the topic 1 2 3 4
Organized, easy to read notes 1 2 3 4
Wrote notes using own words 1 2 3 4
Oral presentation (3 minutes) not required N/A 1 2 3 4
Students may wish to present their information to the class with a 3 minute presentation which can include props and pictures. Students will be given until the week of November 3 to complete this research. Oral Presentations will begin Nov 3 for students whose first name begins with the letters A -J on Wednesday; K-Q on Thursday; and R - Z on Friday.
Thank you for your continued support
Yours truly Debbie Legault
An exciting week in Core English as the Remembrance Day contest came to a close. Thank you to all the students who participated in the contest. You can view many of the students work in the halls of General Lake. The winning entries will be entered in the Legion’s contest. Congratulations to the following students Connor Chalmers-Wein Grade 5, Erin O’Hara Grade 2, Clancy Bridger Grade 2, Marissa Nelson Grade 1, Emily Norman Grade 3, Farati Femi-Babalola Grade 3, Nic Bennett Grade 1, Emily Scott Grade 4, Rabab Azeem Grade 3, Emma Baird Grade 1, Kalee Granter Grade 1, Emma McKinnis Grade 2, Mackenzie Carter Gorin Grade 4, Bethany Marquardt Grade 2, Erin Stacy Grade 6, Jada McInnis Grade 6, Ridge Chartrand Grade 4, Gabe Layden Grade 5 , Elizabeth Houde Grade 5, Ryan Kernaghan Grade 3, Alexis Arnott Grade 5, Carson Gallant Grade 4, Jenna Chan-Watson Grade 5, Julia Suprenant-Johnson Grade 6, Zac Corrie Grade 5.
Grade 1/2 Homework: Students in Grade 1 and 2 are asked to make an oral presentation of the procedure they followed to make something. It can be something they already made, or something you create together. I am looking for their use of the words first, then, next and finally in the presentation. The following is the rubric I will use to mark this assignment. Presentations will begin for students whose first name begins with the letters A -J on Wednesday; K-Q on Thursday; and R - Z on Friday.
Rubric
Topic
Speaks in simple correct sentences yes no
Speaks loud enough to be heard yes no
Has a prop (picture or model) yes no
Tells how it was made using first, then, next, finally yes no
Uses some descriptive adjectives to add interest
(e.g. colour, texture, quantity words) yes no
Grade 2 only Write out the instructions using the words first, then, next and finally
Students should continue learning their sight words and practicing reading daily. Students who know their sight words are encouraged to begin practicing spelling the sight words. I have enclosed a book for students to practice spelling their words. Students should choose 10 words from the sight word list beginning with the pre-primer. Using the words in a sentence will help students associate the spelling with meaning. See the classroom blog www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspotcom for a list of tips.
Grade 3 - 6
Part 1 Poetry Writing Contest. Students are asked to submit one poem of the topic of their choice. Poems should be of 24 lines (maximum) or less. Ms Legault and her a group of esteemed judges will select several poems from each grade level to be submitted in the Young Writers of Canada Poetry Contest. All poems eligible for the contest must be submitted by October 27th. Students may submit more than one to Ms. Legault but only one entry per student may be submitted to the Official Contest. Students may not wish to submit an entry to the contest but all students must submit one poem as part of their homework. First prize of thee Young Writers Contest is $50.00 and a free book with their poem published. There are over 75 awards of excellence. All poems accepted for publication will receive a certificate to mark their achievement.
Part 2 Students in grade 3 to 6 have been talking about a number of historical events related to peace and Remembrance Day through their read alouds in English class. Students are asked to research one aspect they are interested in using a research framework, jotting notes to answer five guiding questions which may include who, what, where, when. why and adding any interesting details they may find. For example we talked briefly about the Battle of Passchendaele. Students may use the internet or the library to find out information.
Research rubric
Five guiding questions clearly labeled on framework 1 2 3 4
Located and recorded information which clearly covered the topic 1 2 3 4
Organized, easy to read notes 1 2 3 4
Wrote notes using own words 1 2 3 4
Oral presentation (3 minutes) not required N/A 1 2 3 4
Students may wish to present their information to the class with a 3 minute presentation which can include props and pictures. Students will be given until the week of November 3 to complete this research. Oral Presentations will begin Nov 3 for students whose first name begins with the letters A -J on Wednesday; K-Q on Thursday; and R - Z on Friday.
Thank you for your continued support
Yours truly Debbie Legault
Dante's Poetry
My Mom I love my Mom
She is really calm
She likes to shop
And drink lots of pop
She has her own store
And it’s called ‘Decore I Adore’
She sells lots of gum
And man it’s really yum!
My Dad
I love my Dad
And he hates when I’m bad
He loves to play hockey
He hates disc jockeys
He works in construction
But he hates destruction
He loves his wife
And has a happy life
My Dog
My dog’s name is Piper
And she is really hyper
She has lots of hair
She’s like a bear
She’s really small
She’s a fury ball
She likes to sleep in my bed
All curled up by my head
She is really calm
She likes to shop
And drink lots of pop
She has her own store
And it’s called ‘Decore I Adore’
She sells lots of gum
And man it’s really yum!
My Dad
I love my Dad
And he hates when I’m bad
He loves to play hockey
He hates disc jockeys
He works in construction
But he hates destruction
He loves his wife
And has a happy life
My Dog
My dog’s name is Piper
And she is really hyper
She has lots of hair
She’s like a bear
She’s really small
She’s a fury ball
She likes to sleep in my bed
All curled up by my head
Monday, October 18, 2010
SAMANTHA: My Nice Caring Good Friend
Wishes to be a teacher or a doctor
Who wonders about animals and insects
Who fears spiders
Who likes to colour and use her imagination to draw and hang out with friends
Who loves animals,
Who believes in friendship
Who plans to be a teacher or a doctor
Sam is a good friend
By Emily
Who wonders about animals and insects
Who fears spiders
Who likes to colour and use her imagination to draw and hang out with friends
Who loves animals,
Who believes in friendship
Who plans to be a teacher or a doctor
Sam is a good friend
By Emily
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
OCTOBER 12, 2010
I hope everyone had a happy and relaxing holiday. Thank you to all the students who returned last weeks homework. It may take several weeks for us to get into the routine of getting it in on Tuesday. If I have not received homework from your child I made a note on this sheet.
Homework:
Grade 1 and 2’s continue working on sight words: Please continue to work on the words, as well as the printing practice worksheet enclosed in folder. Grade 1’s are also reviewing the ‘m’ sound.
Grade 2: Grade 2's need to practice spelling the enclosed sight words: away, down, my, up we and I as well as the new list bat, cat, hat, mat, rat, sat and flat. Grade 2’s will have a spelling test next Tuesday.
Grade 3 and 4: Students continue to complete their handwriting worksheets. Complete a couple of sheets then practice what you learned on lined paper. Return all practice sheets for me to monitor. Students should also continue reading daily. After they read I encourage them to discuss the characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of the story. This will reinforce what we are talking about in the classroom.
Grade 5 and 6: Students will complete 3 entries again. This time I request that at least one entry be a proper paragraph including a topic sentence, three supporting details and a conclusion. We have been using the hamburger model, which I have attached to the journal for quick reference.
EVERYONE SHOULD CONTINUE TO READ, READ, READ DAILY
In the classroom students in all grades had an opportunity to ‘read’ a procedural writing piece in the form folding instructions. Students folded fortune tellers, frogs, and paper cranes. I have assessed all the reading levels of the primary students. The following is a guideline of recommended reading levels
By the end of Grade 1: Level 17
By the end of Grade 2: Level 22
By the end of Grade 3: Level 27
By my assessment, your child appears to be currently reading at level: _______
Our target for January for Grade 1 students is level 8; Grade 2 students is level 17; Grade 3 students is level 22.
I will send home information to the Junior students in the near future. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Yours truly, Debbie Legault Be sure to check out the blog at www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com
Homework:
Grade 1 and 2’s continue working on sight words: Please continue to work on the words, as well as the printing practice worksheet enclosed in folder. Grade 1’s are also reviewing the ‘m’ sound.
Grade 2: Grade 2's need to practice spelling the enclosed sight words: away, down, my, up we and I as well as the new list bat, cat, hat, mat, rat, sat and flat. Grade 2’s will have a spelling test next Tuesday.
Grade 3 and 4: Students continue to complete their handwriting worksheets. Complete a couple of sheets then practice what you learned on lined paper. Return all practice sheets for me to monitor. Students should also continue reading daily. After they read I encourage them to discuss the characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of the story. This will reinforce what we are talking about in the classroom.
Grade 5 and 6: Students will complete 3 entries again. This time I request that at least one entry be a proper paragraph including a topic sentence, three supporting details and a conclusion. We have been using the hamburger model, which I have attached to the journal for quick reference.
EVERYONE SHOULD CONTINUE TO READ, READ, READ DAILY
In the classroom students in all grades had an opportunity to ‘read’ a procedural writing piece in the form folding instructions. Students folded fortune tellers, frogs, and paper cranes. I have assessed all the reading levels of the primary students. The following is a guideline of recommended reading levels
By the end of Grade 1: Level 17
By the end of Grade 2: Level 22
By the end of Grade 3: Level 27
By my assessment, your child appears to be currently reading at level: _______
Our target for January for Grade 1 students is level 8; Grade 2 students is level 17; Grade 3 students is level 22.
I will send home information to the Junior students in the near future. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Yours truly, Debbie Legault Be sure to check out the blog at www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My Grandpa by Alexis
I admire my Grandpa. He is like a Dad to me. His name is James, but everyone calls him Jim or Jimmy. He is awesome, the best and so cool. He also does everything with me including hunting,fishing,taking me to hockey games, watching tv with me. You name it, and he does it. He is practically like a Dad to me. My Grandpa is my hero and most important he is my best friend.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
OCTOBER 5, 2010
Oct 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
What a wonderful September we have had in Core English, and I am now offering a variety of homework packages to assist you at home and help students become successful in the English language. A special thank you to Mrs. Claudia Major for volunteering her time and putting together these packages.
Grade 1, 2: Sight word review. Enclosed in the folder you will find your child’s list of sight words. The highlighted words are the words your child successfully identified. Also in the folder you will find a printing worksheet with this weeks sight words. In the printing worksheet we are working on:
1. Practising the formation of the letters
2. Practising where the letters go on the line.
3. Learning our sight words. As your child is writing the word, have them read it.
Please continue to practice placing the letters in the correct space and to have a finger space between each word. If your child is having trouble, ask them to show you how we are practising spelling sight words at school. Here’s a prompt “Sit on our chairs for the letters a,c,e ......sit on the floor for the letters y, j....stand up with our hands above our heads for ...b,d,f.... Please return the folder every Tuesday so I can monitor their progress and add additional printing worksheets and update sight word progress.
Grade 3 and 4 Students have a handwriting practice book using the ‘Handwriting without Tears’ Program. I encourage students to work slowly at the cursive writing activities and to practise the letters they learn on separate sheets of paper. Please return the folder every Tuesday so I can monitor their progress.
Grade 5 and 6 students are asked to keep a journal which we will call their ‘Super Thought Spots.’ I have provided students with a book for them to record a minimum of 3 entries/ week. Students can write on anything they wish....fiction or non fiction. The idea is to get students writing about anything that is important to them. Thought spots are to be handed in on Tuesday’s for me to monitor their progress. One writing entry should be about someone they admire. We will be using this information next week to create poetry.
Classroom Update: In the classroom the students presented their wonderful Remembrance Day homework in both small and large groups. I was very impressed with the student's hard work. Posters will go on display shortly in the halls. We will choose the top 2 from each grade level to enter in the Legion's contest. We have been reading a variety of books in our Read Alouds. The Grade 1 and 2 students read Proud as a Peacock, Brave like a Lion by Jane Barclay. The grade 3, 4, 5, and 6’s read A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes . Be sure to ask the students about their reading. We are currently working on retelling these stories in our own words. We will continue to work on a theme of Peace for the next few weeks as Remembrance Day is coming soon. Ms. Spencer’s class examined the words to the song ‘One Tribe’ by the Black Eyed Peas and Ms. Gibson’s class, Ms. Bernardins class and Ms. Turgeon’s class sang a song called ‘This Little Sign of Peace’. Ms. Bell’s class and Mr. Mallette’s class have been reading the story of Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. Be sure to ask these students to show you how to fold the paper cranes.
Watch out for the following coming activities in the next update:
General Lake Great Reading Challenge: I hope to have all the reading levels completely assessed next week and I am hoping to begin a reading challenge for all students.
Students will have the opportunity to enter a poetry contest. The maximum number of lines is 23. It is open to all students grades 2 and up.
Finally I would like to invite you to view my classroom blog at www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com. I hope to post all these letters as well as pertinent classroom information, homework assignments and samples of students work in the near future. Of course no student pictures will be posted. Thanks for your continued support.
Ms. Legault
Dear Parents,
What a wonderful September we have had in Core English, and I am now offering a variety of homework packages to assist you at home and help students become successful in the English language. A special thank you to Mrs. Claudia Major for volunteering her time and putting together these packages.
Grade 1, 2: Sight word review. Enclosed in the folder you will find your child’s list of sight words. The highlighted words are the words your child successfully identified. Also in the folder you will find a printing worksheet with this weeks sight words. In the printing worksheet we are working on:
1. Practising the formation of the letters
2. Practising where the letters go on the line.
3. Learning our sight words. As your child is writing the word, have them read it.
Please continue to practice placing the letters in the correct space and to have a finger space between each word. If your child is having trouble, ask them to show you how we are practising spelling sight words at school. Here’s a prompt “Sit on our chairs for the letters a,c,e ......sit on the floor for the letters y, j....stand up with our hands above our heads for ...b,d,f.... Please return the folder every Tuesday so I can monitor their progress and add additional printing worksheets and update sight word progress.
Grade 3 and 4 Students have a handwriting practice book using the ‘Handwriting without Tears’ Program. I encourage students to work slowly at the cursive writing activities and to practise the letters they learn on separate sheets of paper. Please return the folder every Tuesday so I can monitor their progress.
Grade 5 and 6 students are asked to keep a journal which we will call their ‘Super Thought Spots.’ I have provided students with a book for them to record a minimum of 3 entries/ week. Students can write on anything they wish....fiction or non fiction. The idea is to get students writing about anything that is important to them. Thought spots are to be handed in on Tuesday’s for me to monitor their progress. One writing entry should be about someone they admire. We will be using this information next week to create poetry.
Classroom Update: In the classroom the students presented their wonderful Remembrance Day homework in both small and large groups. I was very impressed with the student's hard work. Posters will go on display shortly in the halls. We will choose the top 2 from each grade level to enter in the Legion's contest. We have been reading a variety of books in our Read Alouds. The Grade 1 and 2 students read Proud as a Peacock, Brave like a Lion by Jane Barclay. The grade 3, 4, 5, and 6’s read A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes . Be sure to ask the students about their reading. We are currently working on retelling these stories in our own words. We will continue to work on a theme of Peace for the next few weeks as Remembrance Day is coming soon. Ms. Spencer’s class examined the words to the song ‘One Tribe’ by the Black Eyed Peas and Ms. Gibson’s class, Ms. Bernardins class and Ms. Turgeon’s class sang a song called ‘This Little Sign of Peace’. Ms. Bell’s class and Mr. Mallette’s class have been reading the story of Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. Be sure to ask these students to show you how to fold the paper cranes.
Watch out for the following coming activities in the next update:
General Lake Great Reading Challenge: I hope to have all the reading levels completely assessed next week and I am hoping to begin a reading challenge for all students.
Students will have the opportunity to enter a poetry contest. The maximum number of lines is 23. It is open to all students grades 2 and up.
Finally I would like to invite you to view my classroom blog at www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com. I hope to post all these letters as well as pertinent classroom information, homework assignments and samples of students work in the near future. Of course no student pictures will be posted. Thanks for your continued support.
Ms. Legault
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
SECOND WEEK
September 15, 2010
Dear Parents/guardians,
Welcome to the second week at General Lake. We had a great first week in Core English getting back into the routines and serious business of learning. Be sure to ask students in Mme. Gibson’s, Mme Turgeon’s and Mme Bernardin’s classes about Ms. Legault’s ‘serious business’. The students in all classes have been learning about different kinds of reading. We enjoyed reading Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever and some student’s in Ms. Spencer’s class performed their own adaptation of the story. All students participated in a Multiple Intelligence survey to find out their learning preferences. It is based on a theory by Howard Gardner that found that kids have different learning styles. We can use multiple intelligence theory to help identify the students' strengths and better help them learn by personalizing instruction and assessment. I look forward to sharing this information with you in the near future.
What we have been doing in Grade 1 and 2: The students have participated in many getting to know you oral language activities, as well as shared reading (looking at text together). This week the students in grade 1 and 2 are practicing how to read by themselves by doing a picture walk. I am in the process of assessing the students on their sight word knowledge as well as their reading ability. Once I have assessed all the students I will be sending home a sheet highlighting the words your child knows. I will also be sending home books for your child to read appropriate to their reading level. For this week, please continue to read daily with your child. Reading aloud to a child has many academic benefits including developing attentiveness, expanding vocabulary and develing imagination and creativity.
*****As a homework assignment I am asking the students to complete the following oral language assignment:
Students are asked to share about themselves with the class orally. Students should talk about their family, their favourite activity, their favourite book and their favourite toy. (e.g. My name is Lauren and I live with my mom, dad, brother, and sister. My favourite thing to do is colouring. My favourite book is about Chester and my favourite toy is my rock collection.) Students may bring in props to share. Ask the students about our friend Buddy Bear and what he shared. The following rubric will be used to assess this assignment.
Oral Language Assessment
Speaks in simple correct sentences yes no Speaks loud enough to be heard yes no Has a prop picture or model yes no
Date due: September 21st
What we have been doing in Grade 3 , 4, 5 and 6: The students in these classes have been participating in various getting-to-know-you oral language activities. They also have explored the various classroom books and began looking at them and identifying the various genres (or kinds of books). I am encouraging the students to discuss what they are reading in terms of its genre, then to explain what characteristics makes it that genre. Ask your child the genre of Robert Munsch’s ‘Love You Forever’. The students have just begun talking about the characteristics of a biography through our discussions of Terry Fox. I will be assessing the students reading ability in the next couple of weeks through the PM Benchmarks and CASI Reading Assessment. I look forward to sharing this information with you in the future. In the meantime, please continue to set aside a regular time to have your child read daily. Students also benefit greatly from being read aloud to even in the junior grades. Reading aloud to your child helps motivate them to read, helps build listening skills and expands their vocabulary. It also provides a purpose for sharing time together and bonding.
****As homework this week I am asking the students to share some information about themselves in an autobiography. Students may choose how they would prefer to present this information. It may be a written piece, a visual display, an oral presentation or any other way that has been given the okay by the teacher. It needs to include some information about their family, their background, their preferred genre of reading, their interests, three goals for the future, as well as some interesting facts. An oral presentation should be only 2-3 minutes and the written product should be a maximum of 2 pages.
Autobiography Rubric
All information is included 1 2 3 4
Format:
Visual presentation is visually attractive 1 2 3 4
Oral presentation is clear and loud enough to be heard 1 2 3 4
Written piece uses conventions appropriate to grade level 1 2 3 4
Project is handed in on time 1 2 3 4
Planning notes (to be completed at school) 1 2 3 4
Date due: September 22nd
Thank you for your support and I look forward to meeting you on September 23rd at Meet the Teacher Night.
Ms. Debbie Legault
WELCOME
Welcome Back! September 2010
Dear Parents,
It's school time again! My name is Ms. Debbie Legault and I will be your child’s English teacher for 2010 -2011 school year. I am new to General Lake, but I have been teaching for 20 years. I believe that by all of us working together we can make this a very successful year. I consider it of prime importance that you be an active part of your child's education. You are invited to phone me any time that you have a question concerning your child's progress. I also welcome volunteers in my classes, if you have some time you would like to share. To keep you informed I will send home regular newsletters, as well as samples of your child’s work. I have four basic classroom rules or Agreements which are to demonstrate mutual respect; to show attentive listening; to have the right to participate and sometimes pass; and to show appreciation only to others/no putdowns allowed. For this first week we will be reviewing these Agreements during our class. I will begin sending homework next week once we get into the swing of things.
I consider it a great privilege and responsibility to be your child’s teacher and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Debbie Legault
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)