January News

Happy New Year !!!  Wishing you a year of good health so that you may accomplish your endeavors all year long and happiness throughout!

As we began January, students were immersed back into the French reality by being introduced to the pin system and returning to our Lecture homework.  They are now expected and required to speak in French in class at all times!  Rest assured that they have an out by asking "Comment dit-on...?" if they are stuck on a word.  After only a few days, it is amazing to hear them speak in French since they are required to make that extra effort.  Some students are stepping outside their zone of comfort and embracing this new system to practice their French.  Way to go!

In writing, we will learn about opinion texts: the format, sentence structures, and the correct vocabulary that needs to be used. We are also going over the format for questions with "Est-ce que...?" and "Pourquoi...?". Students are learning how to answer them in complete sentences.  This is used orally as we practice this and during our reading activities.

In Science, we will begin our unit on Pulleys and Gears toward the end of the month and in Grade 5, students will learn about Forces.  When the opportunity presents itself, take the time to discuss with your child where pulleys and gears can be found (ie. ski lift, car motor, tools, kitchen tools, etc) and help them understand how they work and the way they help us accomplish work: to change the direction of a moving object, to change the force applied on a moving object and to change the speed of a moving object.   Next week, students in grade 4 will participate in a pulleys and gears workshop given by Scientists in the School.
Grade 5 students can converse about the forces of nature, how it impacts the way we live and the habitats of animals (ex: forest fires in Australia, tornadoes, etc.).

In Social Studies, both grade 4 groups are working on the physical regions of Canada. In the 4/5 class, students have been introduced to the vocabulary they will use in the physical regions unit (gr4) and in the Indigenous unit (gr5).  As the students come to understand that the physical regions of Canada differ from each other in terms of landscape, vegetation, animals, climate and natural resources, they will apply this knowledge for their final task.

Please stay tuned for outdoor activities coming up such as snowshoeing next week and skating on the Scala rink in the next few weeks.