… a little catching up on all the fun we had during Sukkot…
Category: 1A
שנה טובה מילדי כיתה א – SHANA TOVA
Welcome to our blog family and friends!
It has been so nice meeting many of you in the last few weeks.
We are already deep into our learning and are excited to continue being the best that we can be throughout this new year!
Below is a little slide show beginning with a song for a sweet new year from our sweet Kitah Alef students. It also includes photos of some of the experiences we had so far – recognition of sounds/letters, starting our T’fila lessons, working as a team to line up and walk throughout the school in a respectful manner, a fun filled apple picking day and the fascinating Shofar workshop we had with rabbi Blum at Hillel Lodge.
Shanna Tova to you from us – Kitah Alef Students and Teachers.
Design by a.aizenbergnbsp;
Protecting the planet, prepositions, preparations!
Chers Parents,
Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s been happening in the Grade 1 French class.
The children have been learning the prepositions with a fun gesture song. Ask them to show you at home. If they can’t remember it, you can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdNL3IsAftA
This play dough activity has helped them to integrate the directional words in a hands-on way. Here the student was given the following direction: “Le dé est dans la pate à modeler.”
In preparation for la Semaine de la Francophonie, we have been exploring what it means to take care of our planet and they have learned the following sentences:
- Je protège la terre
- Je prends une douche
- Je plante un arbre
- Je fais du vélo
The children are LOVING these “taking care of the planet” French songs: Les enfants du monde https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aXA1jRXWnk ; Touche pas ma planete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m64uJtLH0J0
C’est la saison de la cabane à sucre, it’s maple syrup season. We have talked about the process for making maple syrup, learned associated vocabulary and enjoyed some apples dipped in maple syrup!
Finally, the children have been working hard to learn the combined sounds (oi, ch, eau, au, and ou). Up next is “eu”. We hope you have been enjoying playing the roll and read dice games at home!
We look forward to seeing you this week for Franco-fête!
Madame Maryse and Madame Efi
Learning while having fun!
The kids have been working beautifully, enriching their vocabulary, improving their writing, and practicing speaking French. We worked on the winter vocabulary, and we learned everything that is associated with the snow like winter clothes,sports etc. They played charades, memory games, and puzzles to help them remember them. We are fortunate to have two wonderful grandmothers, Madame Elizabeth and Madame Robin, who generously dedicate 2 periods per week each to supporting our students in improving their reading, writing, and speaking skills. We are continuing with our complex sounds like OU and OI, and the best way to practice is by doing ‘Je lis’ regularly. I insist on them listening to the story many times before recording so they pronounce the words correctly. I am happy to see that they have become more comfortable with common words like Voici, Je vois,Regarde etc. Right now we are practicing using EST when we make small sentences combining the vocabulary we already know. Thank you for all your effort and support on our journey.I hope you enjoyed your kiddos’ presentations. Enjoy the videos with Felix,Liv, Laz, Nora, Tamar and Charly.
French language resources (online games, films and stories) – ideal for Grade 1 children
Chers parents,
Madame Efi and I put together some fun and educational online activities that you can easily do with your child at home. We invite you to try these once in a while to bring more French into your home. Amusez-vous!
- Jeux Sam Amuse: Here you will find some vocabulary games, bingo and little videos that will help your child review vocabulary and learn new words. https://www.samamuse.ca/fr/
- https://www.logicieleducatif.fr/: Find the French activity section (français) and try out the letter sound games (lecture – sons) and the vocabulary activities (vocabulaire).
- https://www.lasouris-web.org/: More interactive french games for young learners. The graphics are a bit older but it’s useful and fun nonetheless!
In addition to these activities, here are some links to French films and stories for children:
- https://www.camptournesol.ca/30-french-films-for-kids/: A compilation of 35 best films and TV series for kids and their family
- https://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/stories: Children’s stories translated into French and spoken by a native French speaker. Great for kids… and adults too! Read along in French or English.
Let us know if you have any questions or need further help in finding the right resource for your child.
À bientôt,
Madame Maryse & Madame Efi
French Class Update
Chers Parents,
Hope you have been enjoying working with your children on the French reading sheets that we have been sending home. We appreciate your help in creating some space at home for your child to review the vowel letter sounds that we are working on at school. We want to ensure that your child has a strong grasp of the vowel sounds as this is one of building blocks for successful reading and writing in French. If you have any questions regarding supporting your child with French at home, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Here’s an update on what’s been happening in our French Program:
Vowel Work: We have moved from getting familiar with the sound A, to working with the sound O. The children are learning words with each of the target sounds and are doing many different listening, writing and reading games and exercises to integrate these sounds.
Vocabulary Development: In order for the children to be able to follow the class instructions and express themselves in French, we have been reviewing the vocabulary for school materials and common classroom words and phrases. They have also been doing some exercises to review the names of the colors. To raise the level of challenge we combine the vocabulary categories, and say to a child: Donne-moi un crayon rouge, apporte-moi quatre marqueurs, range les ciseaux, etc.
Jewish Holidays: Where possible, we like to make a place for the Jewish Holidays and rituals in our French classes. This is an opportunity for the children to live their Jewish experience in a French context. For Rosh Hashanah, the children made cards and collages and learned the names of the Rosh Hashanah treats in French!
Song: With the Fall season here, we have been singing and acting out the following fun song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZmObD5sbac and today the children drew a picture showing Michaud going up the apple tree and wrote their first sentence in French: Michaud est monté dans un grand pommier.
Orange Shirt Day
Bonjour!Bonjour!Bonjour!
Hello OJCS parents and welcome to Grade 1!
Can you believe another school year is upon us?If you don’t already know me, my name is Madame Efi Mouchou. This is my 2nd year at OJCS. I look forward to forming relationships and teaching your kiddos. It has been a pleasure working with your children, and I have seen so much growth and learning already in the short amount of time we have had together. Last week we spent time getting to know each other and establishing the classroom rules. We played games revising the letters of the alphabet, and practicing the calendar, we did some writing activities and we read lots of books.This week’s focus was on the french greetings, and saying our name in French. I look forward to meeting you all at back-to-school night on the 19th when you will have the chance to see your kids’recordings.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me through email or a phone call.
Building, Mapping and Collaborating in 1A
Building, Mapping and Collaborating in 1A
Collaboration is a learning skill that all grade one students work on throughout the year. Working and communicating with different partners and small groups takes lots of patience.
Teachers help students navigate any problems or conflicts as they arise. They arrange for students to work with different classmates throughout the year to practice communicating and collaborating.
In Social Studies, students started creating maps with a partner. Each group created a community map and presented it to the class.
The class had so much fun creating their communities that we decided to work all together to create one community. Each student chose a specific community helper to research. They also needed to make the community building each helper worked at. The ER doctor built a hospital, while the principal and teacher made a school and playground together.
| Student | Zev | Delilah | Rachel | Levi | Ilay | Aliyah & Maia | Miles | Nate | Emma |
| Community Helper | Vet | Vet | Postmaster | Farmer | Chef & Restaurant Owner | Teacher & Principal | Policeman | Firefighter | ER Doctor |
| Community Building | Animal Hospital | Animal Shelter | Post Office | Barn&Farm | Restaurant | School & Playground | Police Station | Fire Station | Hospital |
The students researched and wrote about their community helper’s role and responsibilities. They presented their findings to the class. They designed and created community buildings. Together they decided on symbols for the map key and worked on mapping the 3D community.
The collaboration I have seen over the last few weeks has been terrific. The children have been so supportive and encouraging with each other. Best of all, the children had so much fun.
Memories of our year in 1A
It was a wonderful year in 1A! The Grade One team loved teaching these amazing students.
Here is a link to the Summer Learning Resource page
Dear 1B Students,
It has been an incredible experience watching each and every one of you grow, learn, and evolve into the amazing individuals you are today. I am SO proud of each of you and the progress you have made throughout this year. Thank you for being such a wonderful group of students and for making this year so fun and memorable. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication have made my role as your teacher an absolute joy. You have inspired me with your hard work and determination, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your educational journey.
Dear Parents,
It has been an absolute joy to watch your children grow both academically and socially this year. Thank you for all of your support throughout this school year. It has been an honour and a privilege to be your child’s teacher this year and I want to thank you for entrusting me with their education and growth.
Summer is upon us and it is time to recharge our batteries by taking time to enjoy our family and friends. Whatever way you choose to embrace the summer months, we hope it is filled with fun and laughter. As I have stated in your child’s report card, here are things to use at your discretion to strengthen their understanding of a particular concept or improve their reading and math fluency.
From Ms. Karissa
A school where fun never ends!
The school is buzzing right now! There has been so much activity lately at the school, and students are shining. Kids enjoyed spending a morning with their grandparents doing fun activities in all three languages, and they proudly showed them their work. For Mother’s Day, they made beautiful cards with wishes in French, and we read how people celebrate this special day in other countries. They keep practicing their reading and writing skills through reading buddies and playing games so that they can review all the new vocabulary, such as spring, the parts of the body, and animals. We are currently learning about animal habitats like the sea, the jungle, the farm, and the type of food they eat, and of course, as the weather steadily improves, we spend some time outdoors. As the end of the school year is getting closer, I insist on reading with the children daily so they can finish Grade 1 positively and successfully.
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The Three Little Pigs
1A had fun reading The Three Little Pigs recently. After reading the story, I challenged the class to build three solid houses that the big bad wolf couldn’t blow down. The requirements were that each group needed to make a straw house, a stick house, and a brick house. The students got excited and started to build. The Big Bad Wolf/Mrs. Bennett came calling.
I huffed and puffed, used a hair dryer, and made wind with a plastic top. As much as I huffed and puffed, I could not blow the houses down. All the structures were stable and standing: the children were so happy.
The class wanted to write a new version of the Three Little Pigs. Listen to the children read their story of The Three Little Pigs.
Listen to the stories we wrote and recorded. We hope you enjoy them.