Term 1

Welcome, bienvenue to Division 1!

Term 1 is all about establishing routines and getting to know one another. Please ensure that your child comes to school prepared every day with their agenda, their PdL and anything else they may need for the day. Here is a summary of what we will be doing during Term 1 and information about some ongoing routines in Division 1.

The most important component of the French Language Arts program in the class is the Programme de Lecture (PdL). Students bring together their reading, writing and oral skills in French by reading or responding to tasks in their red cahier. They should be reading or responding to tasks in their PdL for 15-20 minutes every day, either at school or at home. When they have finished reading their book and have completed their mini book report, they hand it in to be marked. Depending on how much they read and the quality of their responses, they receive a certain amount of tickets that they can put into our weekly draw for prizes. They also receive a sticker for our classroom PdL chart.

Mme Lampard and Mme Kremler will work together on different French activities and concepts. Mme Lampard will work on grammar exercises, Dictées and  various activities and projects.

Mme Kremler will be starting letters with our class on Wednesdays, as the class will have pen pals in France. This term we will send off the first letter and wait for the class in France to reply.

In English Language Arts this term we will work on writing skills. Polar Expressions Publishing, a small publishing company, holds a short story writing contest every year for youth across Canada, and our class will be submitting stories. Usually about half of our submitted stories are published into a book that showcases the writing abilities of youth from K-12 nationwide. 

We will also be starting some spelling exercises in class, though there will be no spelling tests. Instead, the students are encouraged to complete their spelling homework in order to strengthen their spelling knowledge in English.

For Math, we will be mostly using a program called Mathletics, which supports the basic math curriculum as well as encourages critical thinking and provides some challenges for those who are able to extend their knowledge. This term, Mme Lampard will focus on number sense and problem solving to start off with, while Mme Kremler will start with addition and subtraction strategies. 

In Social Studies and Science our class will take a cross-curricular approach. We will be using a program called Live It, a locally developed program that uses our region to teach the curriculum. We will be studying natural resources, sustainability, the rock cycle and Indigenous perspectives through this engaging resource. 

Mme Kremler will teach Art on Wednesdays and comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and projects in this area. 

Students will have Music classes with Ms. Harvey and Makerspace with Mme Taylor. Many of our Grade 5s will be participating in the Strings program this year, taught by Mrs. Fisher, two mornings a week before school.

In Physical and Health Education we are starting with cooperative games and will often be outside while the weather is nice. Students will want to ensure they have good shoes for physical activities on those days and are welcome to leave an extra pair of shoes at school in the cloakroom. We will also have the opportunity to learn some Ultimate in our gym classes, do a dance to warm the school up for our annual Terry Fox run and participate in skating sessions with other French Immersion intermediate classes. As well, our Fall Cross Country season will start up soon! Practices will take place some mornings before school and more information will be sent home regarding dates and locations of Meets for those who wish to participate.

We will be using the CSL digital portfolio (accessible through Parent Connect: https://parentconnect.sd61.bc.ca/) as a reporting tool this year and you can check it for updates on your child's progress and posts of our activities. You are welcome to leave comments on there (FYI, only the teachers can see these comments). More information will go home about at the beginning of the year.

Please check the link to the class calendar below for specific dates of activities.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me by email. I am looking forward to meeting you and getting to know your children better!

Rebecca Lampard

rlampard@sd61.bc.ca