La gazette de 1ère année
École Captain Michael VandenBos
Mlle Goss, Mme Jacquie, Mme Jarvis et Mme Laszlo
February 2011
What’s New:
Valentine’s Day
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day at the end of
the day on Monday, February 14th. If your child would like to
make cards to exchange with their classmates, please refer to
the revised class list (attached) to ensure that no one is left
out. However, please also remember that this activity is
completely optional!
Should you wish to send a snack to share with classmates
that day, please keep healthy snacks and the nut-free policy
at VandenBos in mind. Joyeuse St. Valentin!
Primary Concert
th th
On February 16 and 17 at 6:30pm, the Primary classes
will participate in the Primary concert. Mme Jacquie’s and
Mlle Goss’ students will perform on Wednesday, February
16th, and Mme Jarvis’ and Mme Laszlo’s students will perform
on Thursday, February 17th. If your child is part of the Primary
Choir, they will also perform with that group on the Thursday
night (meeting with Mlle Goss in Rm. 112). The concert will
start at 6:30pm, but students are asked to arrive at their
classroom at 6:00pm on the evening they perform.
In Each Subject
Language:
In February we will continue to work on guided writing and
journal entries. Following an oral introduction and
brainstorming session, students will be asked to apply their
knowledge of language structures by completing written
sentences following a model. Students will continue to
prepare texts that communicate ideas, descriptions and the
basic sequence required for short stories. Students will be
encouraged to further extend their writing by applying their
phonetic knowledge, understanding of language structures,
and by utilizing classroom resources to compose their own
original sentences.
Home Reading Program:
Students are encouraged to read in French nightly. While
we hope that books will be returned for exchange as soon as
students are able to read the text fluently, we request that
books be kept for at least 2 nights to ensure that students are
able to read with ease, fluidity and expression.
As previously mentioned, the Étincelle books (with the
penguin on the cover) have audio files – all other readers do
not. Your child should still try to read these texts
independently before listening to the audio file for verification.
The Tumble Books website recommended in January can be
accessed through the Ajax Public Library system (under Web
Resources, Children’s sites):
http://www.townofajax.com/Page144.aspx#childrens
(TumbleBookLibrary)
Why not check out the other literacy resources listed there as
well!
Mathematics:
Students find the concept of problem-solving using addition
and subtraction challenging. We encourage you to continue to
review these concepts at home so that students can apply
them to real-life situations. In Grade One, we ask students to
use numbers, pictures and words when solving problems (e.g.
draw a picture, write the equation, write a sentence to explain)
to ensure an understanding of quantity.
e.g.
4+3=7
4 pommes et 3 bananes font 7 fruits en tout.
In addition to continuing to build and maintain competence in
the above-mentioned Number Sense procedures, we will also
complete a unit on Measurement. Students will explore various
non-standard units of measurement (e.g. paper clips,
unsharpened pencils, straws, cubes, etc.) and use these tools
in order to describe and compare the dimensions of various
objects. In addition, we will continue to hone our estimation
skills in relation to measurement and our weekly collection.
Science:
In our Structures unit, students have already begun to take
note of the many structures that surround them in the world,
differentiating those which are natural (present in nature) from
those that are man-made. They have learned that there are
different categories of structures: solid structures (e.g. a
hammer, a television), frame structures (e.g. a bicycle, a
bridge), and shell structures (e.g. a tent, an umbrella), and
that each has distinctive features and functions.
In February we will continue to discuss how the properties of
chosen materials, and the shapes evident in the final product
(e.g. triangles are often used to make structures stable), affect
the structure as a whole. Students will also examine some of
the fasteners used to hold materials together. All of these
concepts will be very important in preparing for our musical
instrument project. Your child may want to begin collecting
recycled/reusable materials that you/they think may be useful
for that purpose – more information to come!
Social Studies:
Students will continue to learn about different community
workers, such as policemen, firefighters and doctors, and will
begin to discuss the cardinal directions.
Reminder: Monday February 21st is Family Day.
There is NO SCHOOL on this day.