École Swan River South School

French Immersion 2e/3e

Bonjour,

My name is Madame Jennifer Markham. I will be your child's teacher. I graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Education degree. I am currently completing my Masters of Education Degree with a specialization in Second Language Education. Throughout my career, I have had many professional opportunities. I have experience teaching as an Immersion teacher and International teacher. I have also taught and travelled in various countries, including France, Egypt and Japan. While living abroad and during my free time in Swan River, my pastime is volunteering. I have included some important information in the following paragraphs. Please look through it carefully. It will briefly outline how the classroom and school routines will be this year.

Grades 2 and 3 are critical years in a child's life. It is a time of growth, socially, emotionally and academically. Our goals for your child are that they develop a love of learning and that they will begin to build a strong foundation for learning later in life. We will do everything we can to ensure that your child has a wonderful experience in school. We will continue to build on what they learned last year.

Drop-off and dismissal pick up

Morning supervision outside will begin at 8:40 am. A staff member will greet students who have been dropped off by parents at the South Exit D, on 3^rd St South. All 2/3 students will enter and exit using the South Exit D. All students will enter the school at 8:55 am. If you are late, they will have to buzz the office using the intercom at South Exit D, and they will be let in.

The same applies for dismissal; when the school day finishes at 3:40 pm, pick-up students will walk out the back South Exit D doors, and those that take the bus will exit at 3:40 pm and walk straight to their bus line. If you are late at the end of the day, please get in touch with the school. Kindly remember the playground is closed until 4 pm to the public to avoid confusion for pick up and buses.

Communication

Part of ensuring a great year is communication between parents and teachers. If at any time you have questions about our activities at school or have any concerns, please feel free to call me at the school, send a note in your child's agenda or write me an email at jmarkham@svsd.ca.

Agendas

Your child should take home their agenda every night and return it the next school day. The agenda serves both as an organizational tool and for our communication (i.e. the day's activities, upcoming events and/or any miscellaneous items). I will look through it every day. Please initial/sign any messages to show me that you have read them as well. If you have any questions, comments, or notes for me, you can write them in the agenda. Any handouts or forms will be folded up and slipped into the front pocket of the agenda.

Website

Follow the links from the ÉSSRS website, and you will find French Immersion Grade2/3 ---Mme Markham. On the website, you will find subject overviews for the year and contact information. Most importantly, you will find learning links (liens d'apprentissages) for each subject area. These links are to foster in-class learning, including numeracy, literacy and linguistic skills.

Water bottle/Change of clothes

Please send in a water bottle that can be kept at their desk. Your child is encouraged to take their water bottle home at the end of each week for sanitation. Sometimes accidents happen, please also send a change of clothes that can be kept in their lockers if ever they need a clean pair of clothes.

Allergies

Please let me know if your child has any allergies. This is extremely important as we all eat in the same classroom together. There is a nut allergy in the school, so please be mindful of this when sending snacks and lunches.

Snacks

We have two in-class snack times in addition to lunch. Please pack a few extra items for snacks. During the first snack after morning recess, we encourage fresh snacks; fruits, yogurt, etc. Our school is in its 5^th year as an APPLE School. This innovative school-focused health promotion initiative seeks to improve students' lives through healthy eating, physical activity, and mental health. If your child wants, they can bring an afternoon snack to be consumed outside during recess.

Toys

I ask that all toys be left at home. They are distracting and can quickly become broken or lost. The exception to this rule is if/when your child has been asked or given permission by a teacher to bring something to share with the class. If your child has a special treasure they would like to bring to show the class at any point, parents can write a note in the agenda.

As always, if you ever have any concerns or questions, I would be happy to hear from you at the school 204-734-4518. You are also welcome to email me at jmarkham@svsd.ca. I expect the 2022-2023 school year to be a marvellous journey for all.

Bonne Courage,

Mme Jennifer Markham

Madame Markham