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