Dear secondary one students:

Ms. Bertrand and I – Ms. Halaris, extend our wishes and hopes for your well-being and health, as nothing is more important than this at this time. We look forward to the day where we will see your smiling faces and hear your chatter in our classes.

The circumstances for teaching and learning are not ideal, and we hope you all can somehow access what we are posting. Please remember that we will not be evaluating you at this time, but we would like to give you some work that we feel will keep you thinking, improving and enjoying “reading”. “Reading” is everywhere and necessary to understand our world and to improve in all your courses. READ! READ! READ!

Read and do some of the suggested activities suggested by the school board. Read the ad or the article in the magazine, the article on line- or even the memes, the novel collecting dust on the shelf or even the cereal box or the ingredients on the can etc. All have information to relay in different ways. Some use more words others more colour and images. Whatever you are interpreting or reading ask the English teachers’ favourite question: Why? Is it fiction or ‘fake news?’ Also consider what the message or theme is. How is the style different for each of the pieces you are interpreting? Who is the audience of what you are ‘reading?’ Is what you are ‘reading’ relatable to world events, similar to something else you have seen in a movie, book, in the world? What do you think about what is being said?

For example; does the meme that made you laugh, poke fun at something that is happening in the world today? What truth makes it funny? Who would find this meme funniest? Why? Look at the colours in ads or packaging. Can you come up with reasons why certain colours, images and slogans are used? In the poem, story or novel, who are the characters? What is the theme the author wants to relay to you?

This week Ms. Bertrand and I will do the following closing activities as a closure to the work we were doing in class. We are also asking you to commence a journal along with photos or drawings to record your feelings and creative ways you are dealing with this quarantine. You are experiencing a historical world event. It would be nice to see how you and others felt at this time and how you dealt with it. If you wish you can share these with us.

As of next week all groups will be suggested the same assignments at the same time and links will be given to our website. We will be following up with a stimulating reading activity and a fun creative writing project per week.

Spend quality time with your families. Sleep in, it is good for your immune systems. Don’t overdo it with gadgets. Try to move around a little each day and stimulate your minds with some suggested school work. Continue staying home. We know this is hard, but hang in there. IT WILL PASS.

If you need to reach out and talk to us for any reason you can email us at: shalaris@emsb.qc.ca or mbertrand1@emsb.qc.ca

Respectfully,

Ms. Halaris and Ms Bertrand

Here are some suggested sites for easy access.

Click here for The Giver's sparknotes page, including chapter summaries and theme analysis.

Click here for a link to the audio book, if you would like to refresh your memory of the novel and or do not have your novel at home with you.

Click here for an entertaining and quick overview of the novel.

Many of you expressed your frustration or confusion with the novels ending. Click here for an explanation.

Click here to access the full movie.

Ministry suggested lesson plan

Dear students,

You are experiencing history. Years from now you will be telling your grandchildren of how you survived the pandemic of 2020. What better way to spend the time at thome than to create a scrap book or journal recording what you did and what you were thinking.

People throughout time have written journals as a way to keep their thoughts organised,set and achieve goals, record their thoughts and feelings, relieve stress and be creative. Captain's keep ships logs to record itinerary, operational data and both routine and significant events. the Harvard business review states that outstanding leaders take time to reflect and that leadership requires journaling for reflection and success. Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Marie Curie, kept journals.

Your journal or scrap book could contain anything you like and can be digital , made of pieces of paper put together ,an old notebook a box where you place dated pieces of your writing. You can add pictures, drawings , doodles, articles you've printed from online, ads with jacked up prices for toilet paper or Purell.. Just remember to write something about why you selected these things.

The beauty of a journal is that you can write whatever you want. you can be happy sad, funny creative and even angry or mad. It is your book.

If you do find something that you would like sharing with your classmates, please send it to me and I will put it on the website.

click here if you would like to watch a video giving some very good reasons to journal.

Have a good week. Send me an email if you need something

Assignments for the week of April 13 to April 17, 2020

Dearest students,

Quarantine may have become a bit dull at this point, but the fact that the snow has cleared, the days are longer and the grass is starting to turn green again, lifts my spirits. A short walk daily - social distancing of course- is invigorating and refreshing. I look forward to chatting to share a joke, playing a game online or even turning on a computer camera and doing an activity with family and or friends. This has been a perfect opportunity to learn how to create a website and read the book collecting dust on my shelf- ebooks are neat too. I hope you too are finding creative ways to socialize, stay active and positive; as well as doing things to stimulate your mind.

I hope my Jewish students had a Happy Passover and those of the Christian faith a Happy Easter, despite the social restrictions. I am sure that many of you found creative ways to celebrate. I am also sure that there was more time to reflect on the meaning of these holidays, and you felt the love of your families and friends despite their absence. When things get back to normal, I hope you reflect back on this time and remember what is most important.

This week I would like you to complete what was assigned the previous week and continue with the journal. Not only is it a great way to record your thoughts it also can clarify your thoughts and help you release some anxiety. It needn't always be a paragraph , it can be a poem, a drawing, a picture etc.

This week's assignment is a poem. Why not try your hand at a poem about one of your parents. Like this poem, it needn't rhyme.

*Under the ministry's suggested lesson plan I have added a link where you can access ebooks.

*** Both your mental and physical health is top priority during this period. Should you have started feeling anxious,stressed, have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning or can't seem to focus please read the article below. It may answer your concerns about Covid-19 , but also has a site with resources that may be helpful for you.

Stay safe. Stay Healthy.

Ms. Halaris

Ministry suggested lesson plan

Interesting reading material.

Click here if you would like to access some interesting reading material and audiobooks suggested by our librarian. Username: ABDO Secondary

Password: 2020

Assignments for the week of April 20 -24

Dear students,

I hope you are continuing to be well , working on the assignments provided by the ministry ,and reading and exploring the extra links I provide. I miss you all a lot, and wonder how you are doing. We are all in charge of a group of students to contact every week, but this does not mean you can not reach out to any of us.

I'd like to hear what you are doing. Please share some of your assignments. Even though I may not be marking them, I will enjoy reading them. Perhaps, I could share one or two each week for all to enjoy. Some of my older students are sharing pictures, artwork and jokes. These would be great to share as well.

This week the ministry has suggested you work on 'list poetry'. You will find links to a definition of this type of poetry as well as some examples. this will clarify what you have to do.

I have also added a link to spot fake news ads which I thought might be interesting.

Please do not worry if you have not completed all work. Do as much as you can, keep your minds stimulated, and try to move around a little each day.

Remember: " I **** you all , equally." ;) Have a good week.

Ms Halaris

shalaris@emsb..qc.ca

Ministry suggested plan

Click here if you would like an explanation and examples of 'list poetry'.

Click here for some examples of list poetry.

Assignments for the week of April 27 to May 1, 2020

Dear students,

I really appreciated , the emails and sample writing pieces I received from students the past week. i know it is hard working from home, but I hope you are trying to do something each day. Despite the limitations we have a lot to be grateful for. Try to think of at least three things each morning. Today I was grateful for my health, the fact that I am not alone under quarantine- although my kids can get a bit messy etc and ability to access entertainment so readily from TV or computer, and good friends I can text or talk to. Thinking like this helps me put things in perspective.

This week you will be working on diary entries from a character's point of view or perspective. Some of you already did so when we read the short story "Charles" when you wrote diary entries as the teacher instead of writing a letter as the teacher to the parents. Here you are asked to do the same. Pretend you are the little boy in the video and write how you felt on each of the days. I have included a video that explains how to write good diary entries.

Congratulations to Maggie's and Mark's for their wonderful poetry. I have also received some wonderful pics, which were thoroughly enjoyable, but can not share these as some comments even jokes towards students can be taken badly...

What have you written? Why don't you share something with me?

As always I wish you health and look forward to when I see you in person rather that communicate through emails. Please reach out if you need to talk or share.

Ms.Halaris

Click here to find out how to write good diary entries.

Cats

Sly faces,

Glowing eyes,

They love tight spaces,

They wake you with their eyes and faces,

They slink around,

Without a sound,

But they make good surprises.

By Maggie Steele

Ministry work for May 4, 2020

Dear students,

Some students have emailed me to tell me they could not access the ministry's directives. Though I am working to correct this glitch, you will see that once it is corrected that I have been providing you with the explanations and some resources to do exactly what the ministry requested. In other words, you have not missed a portion of the lesson. I have been clarifying, and giving you tools to work with. Here is a snapshot of this weeks assignment.

This week the ministry wants you to work on psychology. The way we dress, move as well as how we decorate our homes and rooms says a lot about us. Seeing as most of you do not own homes and you are usually in uniform or clothes purchased by your parents... the ministry wants you to reflect on what is predominantly your space- your room.

Though many of you at this age do not have much control over how your room looks like, or may even share the room it probably still has elements that reflect your personality. Nevertheless, if this is the case, then the results of the quiz below I have offered in the links below will not be a completely accurate representation of you.For more accurate results of who you are you may want to fill the quiz keeping in mind how you would design your room to reflect who you are based on the knowledge you have acquired from both video clips. I would love to see a pic of your real or imagined rooms along with your thoughts and analysis. Have fun with this lesson . i look forward to your emails and sharing some of your work.

*** I have also added a link to a wonderful story I found online that i think you would like and would appreciate your feedback.

click here to view the video the ministry has suggested.

Additional links and assignment:

click here to do a fun quiz that theoretically helps analyze your personality. Remember no one really knows you but yourself. DO NOT POST ANYTHING IN THE COMMENTS.

Click here for a link to a very interesting story. Write me what you think.

Ministry work for May 11, 2020

Dear Students,

It was nice seeing some of you last Thursday at school even under the strict directives. I was on duty at the Draper so I only saw those that were walking towards Somerled. I hope you enjoyed the rainbow balloons as you entered the school. These were courtesy of Student Life. It was a small gesture, to add a little colour to a day that may have been a bit bittersweet or scary for some - teachers and all school staff include. Ideally we would like things to return to normal, but for now our safety and health is more important.

The ministry suggests you create a comic strip this week. Look below for the ministry's links as well as others suggested by me.

Few of you have been sharing. I would love to see more of your work.

Please relay a very Happy Mother's Day to your moms and or maternal figures in your life.

click here for the ministry's link to on how to create a comic strip.

click here for story ideas

Additional links

click here for a clip on how to write a short comic strip story

click here for how to create a comic strip on google slides.

click here for additional tips on how to create a comic strip on google slides

Ministry work for the week of May 18, 2020

Dear students,

This week classes will begin online with all teachers. Please be patient with us, because we are all learning how to use new platforms. As Monday was a holiday, your English class will be next week Monday, May 25, 2020.

I will be using Teams as this is what we are asked to use in the future in our school board. For now, I will be using website and the online classes, till we all are more comfortable with Teams. Soon I will be posting everything in the notes section of Teams.

Here is this week's suggested ministry lesson for English. It asks you what you would do if you found yourself with godlike powers. As always, I am adding links that I feel will enrich your knowledge and give you inspiration.

Short Film: Script, Monologue, Journal

Information for students

Film: If I Was God

Directed by two-time Oscar®-nominated animator and long-time NFB collaborator Cordell Barker (The Cat Came Back, Strange Invaders), the short film If I Was God… explores the difficult gateway between childhood and adolescence, when the approaching power of adulthood is often mistaken for omnipotence.

· Now that you are in isolation, if you suddenly found yourself with godlike powers, what would you do? Write a script, journal or monologue describing your ideas.

· Share your piece with your family or a friend online.

Material required

· Link to the film If I was God: https://www.nfb.ca/film/if_i_was_god/?ed_en=feature_1&feature_type=w_free-film

· Paper, pen, phone, tablet or computer.

Information for parents Above all, this activity is designed to be simple.

We hope it will appeal to your students.

click here for the link to the video

click here to learn about the gods of Olympus. It is interesting to learn about them, as they are similar to both Egyptian gods and Roman gods. Much of the literature we read , alludes to these gods. Some of you are also familiar with the Percy Jackson series.

Ministry work for the week of May 18, 2020

Dear students,

This week classes will begin online with all teachers. Please be patient with us, because we are all learning how to use new platforms. As Monday was a holiday, your English class will be next week Monday, May 25, 2020.

I will be using Teams as this is what we are asked to use in the future in our school board. For now, I will be using website and the online classes, till we all are more comfortable with Teams. Soon I will be posting everything in the notes section of Teams.

Here is this week's suggested ministry lesson for English. It asks you what you would do if you found yourself with godlike powers. As always, I am adding links that I feel will enrich your knowledge and give you inspiration.

Short Film: Script, Monologue, Journal

Information for students

Film: If I Was God

Directed by two-time Oscar®-nominated animator and long-time NFB collaborator Cordell Barker (The Cat Came Back, Strange Invaders), the short film If I Was God… explores the difficult gateway between childhood and adolescence, when the approaching power of adulthood is often mistaken for omnipotence.

· Now that you are in isolation, if you suddenly found yourself with godlike powers, what would you do? Write a script, journal or monologue describing your ideas.

· Share your piece with your family or a friend online.

Material required

· Link to the film If I was God: https://www.nfb.ca/film/if_i_was_god/?ed_en=feature_1&feature_type=w_free-film

· Paper, pen, phone, tablet or computer.

Information for parents Above all, this activity is designed to be simple.

We hope it will appeal to your students.

click here for the link to the video

click here to learn about the gods of Olympus. It is interesting to learn about them, as they are similar to both Egyptian gods and Roman gods. Much of the literature we read , alludes to these gods. Some of you are also familiar with the Percy Jackson series.

Ministry work for the week of May 25, 2020

Take a Stance

Information for students

This activity is all about forming an opinion.

Instructions • Watch the following video that shows some teens talking about being digitally connected: c•

Think about how being digitally connected affects your life

How does being connected improve your life? Does being connected also have some negatives?

Take a stance and formulate an argument to either support or argue against the following statement: Social media improves the lives of teenagers in Canada

Can you find reliable information (research) to support your view?

Watch this short video to get some tips on finding out if what you read online is true or false: https://safeyoutube.net/w/0APF

Write a short argument that supports your view (a page or two.)

Refer to some reliable sources to back up what you say .

Materials required

• Internet connection •

Writing materials

Information for parents About the activity Students are asked to watch two videos that pertain to how teens interact with and are affected by the digital world. The first video presents perspectives on whether or not social media improves the quality of teen’s lives. The second video helps students evaluate the reliability of the news they receive online.

Parents could: • ask the student to share their view on this issue • listen to the student’s perspective and ask questions about it.

Can the student support their view with evidence that goes beyond their personal experience? This is a complex issue, and talking about it, and the evidence and research around it, is necessary for both teens and parents

Secondary I English Language Arts Appendix: Take a Stance Information for students Evaluating if online material is true and reliable is important.

Here are a few sites that can teach you how to do this and a few sites that are dedicated to revealing what’s true and not so true.

This site provides you with some reliable sources of trustworthy news—great go-to sites for honest reporting.

• Site A and Site B are dedicated to checking facts and online stories.

Ministry work for the week of May 25, 2020

Take a Stance

Information for students

This activity is all about forming an opinion.

Instructions • Watch the following video that shows some teens talking about being digitally connected: c•

Think about how being digitally connected affects your life

How does being connected improve your life? Does being connected also have some negatives?

Take a stance and formulate an argument to either support or argue against the following statement: Social media improves the lives of teenagers in Canada

Can you find reliable information (research) to support your view?

Watch this short video to get some tips on finding out if what you read online is true or false: https://safeyoutube.net/w/0APF

Write a short argument that supports your view (a page or two.)

Refer to some reliable sources to back up what you say .

Materials required

• Internet connection •

Writing materials

Information for parents About the activity Students are asked to watch two videos that pertain to how teens interact with and are affected by the digital world. The first video presents perspectives on whether or not social media improves the quality of teen’s lives. The second video helps students evaluate the reliability of the news they receive online.

Parents could: • ask the student to share their view on this issue • listen to the student’s perspective and ask questions about it.

Can the student support their view with evidence that goes beyond their personal experience? This is a complex issue, and talking about it, and the evidence and research around it, is necessary for both teens and parents

Secondary I English Language Arts Appendix: Take a Stance Information for students Evaluating if online material is true and reliable is important.

Here are a few sites that can teach you how to do this and a few sites that are dedicated to revealing what’s true and not so true.

This site provides you with some reliable sources of trustworthy news—great go-to sites for honest reporting.

• Site A and Site B are dedicated to checking facts and online stories.

Ministry work for the week of May 25, 2020

Take a Stance

Information for students

This activity is all about forming an opinion.

Instructions • Watch the following video that shows some teens talking about being digitally connected: c•

Think about how being digitally connected affects your life

How does being connected improve your life? Does being connected also have some negatives?

Take a stance and formulate an argument to either support or argue against the following statement: Social media improves the lives of teenagers in Canada

Can you find reliable information (research) to support your view?

Watch this short video to get some tips on finding out if what you read online is true or false: https://safeyoutube.net/w/0APF

Write a short argument that supports your view (a page or two.)

Refer to some reliable sources to back up what you say .

Materials required

• Internet connection •

Writing materials

Information for parents About the activity Students are asked to watch two videos that pertain to how teens interact with and are affected by the digital world. The first video presents perspectives on whether or not social media improves the quality of teen’s lives. The second video helps students evaluate the reliability of the news they receive online.

Parents could: • ask the student to share their view on this issue • listen to the student’s perspective and ask questions about it.

Can the student support their view with evidence that goes beyond their personal experience? This is a complex issue, and talking about it, and the evidence and research around it, is necessary for both teens and parents

Secondary I English Language Arts Appendix: Take a Stance Information for students Evaluating if online material is true and reliable is important.

Here are a few sites that can teach you how to do this and a few sites that are dedicated to revealing what’s true and not so true.

This site provides you with some reliable sources of trustworthy news—great go-to sites for honest reporting.

• Site A and Site B are dedicated to checking facts and online stories.