I welcome your questions, and will often post replies to general questions here.  You can find a pdf here of the newsletter I sent home on the first day here as I know papers sometimes get misplaced. newsletterseptembre2016

Communication:Mostly electronic. I update the blog Sunday evenings, and through the week as relevant. I usually email Mondays and Thursdays or Fridays. I post calendar reminders on the blog, and usually email reminders on a regular basis.

Note totes are sent home only when there is office information/forms to sign/or other important papers. Please return the note tote bags the next day for me to keep at school.

Homework routines and communication: I do not give formal homework in grade one. There are many studies on this topic, and you may have read some articles recently in the news that question the value of homework.  I do, however, strongly believe that children need to read on a daily basis. I send home a duo tang at the beginning of each term that outlines the weekly topics we discuss in our reading and writing lessons as well as discussion topics for building school skills.  I also send home reading books at your child’s reading level on a weekly basis. Children are invited to exchange their books through the week as they wish. I encourage parents to use this information and materials as they see best.

Based on my experience, combined with student and parent feedback through the years, I do not use agendas in grade one.

Grade one EFI structure:  Last year, the OCDSB went through a consultation process and changed the format of early French Immersion. The implementation of these changes has now started. This year, all grade one students receive one hour of daily mathematics instruction in English. The remaining subjects are delivered in French.  Grade twos and threes now receive math in English, as well as one hour of English for a total of two hours of English daily. Grades four, five, and six continue to receive two hours of English instruction daily (math and English). Starting in 2017, all students in the Early French Immersion grade 1-6 will receive two hours of English instruction (math one hour, English one hour) daily. Please refer to the OCDSB website if you have more questions about the delivery of the EFI program.

Transition to French program: September is a month full of transitions, and adjusting to working, listening, learning, speaking and participating in a French environment can add an extra challenge to this transition. As such, I understand that it is very natural for the children to need to gradually work up their stamina and capacity to participate in French. I have lots and lots of strategies to help with this and find with patience and reassurance from both me and parents, the children are able to adjust to these changes.