Mme Bailie's Class

So, was it in like a lion?

2012-03-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's March already! And just 1 week until March Break.

Welcome back to Jessilyn & Lily V., who already had their vacations, the lucky ducks!

The book report for this month is in English, and needs to be on a non-fiction book. Forms were passed out on Friday, and it is due on Friday, March 30.

This week's journal is 'Mes vacances de mars parfaites' (my perfect March Break).

Congratulations to Laken who was on the winning Junior Battle of the Books team! French Battle of the Books has begun and all students are participating. School battles will be the last week of April & the first week of May.

We are really getting into our social studies units - Medieval Times for the grade 4s and Ancient Civilisations for grade 5s. We just began our play about the Trojan War - look for an invite coming home sometime after Easter!

February already??

2012-02-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

We must be having fun, because this year is just flying by!

Welcome back to Paige & Keese - they're both so tanned that everyone is jealous. Apparently, Wiarton Willie saw his shadow and forecast the quick end to winter. To which I say, we didn't have a winter at all this year!

Our journal subject for this week is 'My Best Friend'. We're really working on supporting our opinions with details - some of the kids really need some help with this, so please make journal writing a family event to help out. We have been working on 'paragraph hamburgers' in both French & English, learning how to set up a proper paragraph with supporting details. (check out this link for what I mean) This visual really helps students support their thoughts. Then, they can take the 3 details from their introductory paragraph and expand them each in their own paragraph to fully write out their journal. Supporting thoughts & opinions is an essential skill, so any help you can do at home to make it second nature is wonderful!

Important dates for this week:

Monday 13th - 3rd week of Winter Electives
Tuesday 14th - Valentine's Day & Valentine's Dance-a-thon!
Friday 17th - report cards go home!

Have a great week!

Helping Your Child at Home

2012-01-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

Parents are always asking how they can help their child at home. Usually, the answer from teachers is "Read, read, read!". Well, today I have a couple new things that you can do to help your child!

In math, we are beginning to work on multiplication. Grade 4s need to know their times tables up to 9x9, and grade 5s will be working on multiplying by double digits. Times tables are one of the few things for which rote learning actually works! While you're in the car, quiz your child on their times tables. At the grocery store, ask them how many juice boxes you'll be buying if you buy 3 packs of 4 boxes! Knowing their times tables cold is an essential skill.

In writing, both in English and in French, we are working on justifying and supporting opinion. You can help by asking your child their opinion about something - even something as simple as if they liked what they had for dinner that evening - and having them explain why they have taken that position. I like to use the analogy of a chair - the most sturdy chairs have 4 legs; and the best supported opinions have 4 proofs.

Because of the snow day on Monday, Winter Electives have been pushed back a week, so we will begin this Monday, January 30th.

English Book Reports are due on Wednesday, February 1st! (Usually they are due on the last school day of the month, but I made a mistake so I left it like that - lucky creatures!)

And the hard work continues!

2012-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

We have a very busy week ahead! Here are some important things to remember:

Grade 5s - Green Energy projects to be presented on Friday
Grade 4s - Endangered Species projects due on Feb. 6th
Book Reports (English) - due on Jan. 31st.

Winter Electives begin next Monday! Please remember to send in your payment if you have not already - cheques can be made out to Monck Public School.

This week's journal is 'My Favourite Animal'. I already told the monsters that they need to be working on supporting their opinion - this journal is a perfect exercise for that.

Have a wonderful week!

Welcome back!

2012-01-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had as nice a break as I did - but it's so nice to be back! I missed my little monsters, and I never know just how much I missed them until I see them again.

Bravo to Mary, who donated her hair to charity for the second time!

Just a few date reminders for January -

11th - elective payments due
20th - grade 5 PowerPoint presentations
23rd - electives begin

31st - English book report due - check your child's agenda pocket for this month's outline & rubric

This week's journal is 'Mes resolutions du Nouvel An' (my New Year's Resolutions).

Have a wonderful week!

Just a normal day in La cochonnerie!

Artists at Work!

2011-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to the parents who came out to help with Artman today! The kids had so much fun and did a great job - wait until you see what they produced! But be patient please!

They're clean - I'm the one who got paint on her clothes!

We have yet another busy week ahead. Some important things to remember:

Monday - 1st dress rehearsal (9am) for Santa Goes Green. All our class needs to wear is red & green. Santa or Elf hats are a bonus!
- Battle of the Books begins!
Tuesday - Santa Goes Green performances 9:30 & 1:30
Wednesday - am - walking up the hill to BPS to see A Pirate Christmas
- Santa Goes Green performances 1:30 & 7pm

This week's journal: Les meilleures vacances de ma vie (the best vacation of my life)

Grade Fours: Don't forget to be working on your French Book Report (Le pyramide), due on the 23rd!
Grade Fives: Keep doing your research for your powerpoint presentations on your renewable energy source, to be presented on the 21st!

Have a great week everyone!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2011-11-28T07:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's only 3 weeks until Christmas! The weather isn't helping, either. Where is my snow??

Thanks to all of you who scheduled interviews on Thursday night - it was great to see so many of you.

We have a very busy week ahead:

Monday - Winter Elective Assembly, rough copy of French narrative story due

Tuesday - Grade 4s - test on the map of Canada, burgers & subs from Friday's PD Day

Wednesday - Book Report presentations - yum yum!

Thursday - French play presentations to select primary classes, Storybird assignment due

Plus all week we'll be practising our number for 'Santa Goes Green', this year's junior holiday musical.

See? Education can be fun!

2011-11-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

For the past 2 weeks, I've been cramming the kids' heads full of information about our military history from World War I to Afghanistan. And, as their journals this week show, they all learned something! They all understand why Remembrance Day is so important, and they truly appreciate the sacrifices that our soldiers went through to give us the life we are free to lead.

Our Remembrance Day Service this morning went off perfectly - I am so proud of my little monsters!

Back to a regular work week on Monday - I'm prepared for the whining and complaining. In math, we're moving into adding and subtracting of multiple digit numbers. In French, we're still working on conjugating regular -er verbs in grammar, and we'll begin writing our narratives in language arts.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Going over the top of a virtual trench!

2011-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Hallowe'en buildup continues! We got to be the first class to go through Mr. Reisenburg's haunted house today - that was an experience! Thank you so much to all the families who donated non-perishable food items for our school's October theme of Hunger Bites. It was a great success.

Monday will be a bit of a crazy day, of course, with all the excitement and impatience for Trick or Treating to start! But education, like the show, must go on. Book reports are due on Monday, and any students whose journals are due on Tuesday will still be expected to hand them in. It might be an idea to get it done over the weekend! Next week's theme is "Si j'etais le premier ministre" (If I were the Prime Minister). Corrections to "Il etait une fois" should also be completed.

Monday afternoon, we will have our traditional Monck Hallowe'en Assembly. Students are welcome to change into their costumes after lunch for the costume parade. When we return to our room we will have a little celebration. Please feel free to send in treats for the class to share. It would be nice if there were some options other than candy! Muffins and fruit are great choices. After Hallowe'en, I know that the kids like to bring their candy to school, but my classroom rule is that they may eat candy only with their lunches, and then only 2 pieces. I hope you will support me in this.

When November begins, it's time for our class to prepare for the Remembrance Day Service, for which we are in charge. We will be watching some videos about World Wars I and II, The Korean War, The War in Afghanistan and Canada's Peacekeeping Missions. We'll talk about the sacrifices made by our men and women, and what it means for us. I hope that it will lead to some great dinner table conversation.

Have a wonderful weekend!

HUNGER BITES!

2011-10-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here at Monck, we are a 'Me to We' school. One of the things our Student Parliament has decided to focus on is the needs of our community. Being the month of Halloween, October has been designated 'Hunger Bites' month!

Students are asked to bring in 2 non-perishable food items for the Manna Food Bank to participate in each event.

This Friday, October 14: Dress like a Vampire Day (wear black, white facepaint, slick back your hair & put in those fangs!)

Hunger Bites Cookiegrams - send a cookiegram to a friend for only 2 nonperishable food items! Delivery on the 21st.

October 28th - Haunted House! Only 2 nonperishable food items to gain access to the scariest classroom at Monck.

Help us help our community!

Happy Thanksgiving - and don't forget to vote!

2011-10-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

What a busy week we had yet again! On Monday, Mr. Alex Zygankiuk, Parry Sound - Muskoka candidate for the New Democratic Party of Ontario came to speak to us. We learned about the special issues facing Ontario's First Nations peoples, and the NDP's thoughts about health care, student loans and the environment.

We had several runners at the Hoya Hills run at Arrowhead Park in Huntsville this week - great success by all involved! And several top 10 finishers in yesterday's Monck cross-country races.

Today was the annual insane Turkey Trot assembly. We had some turkeys who were turkey winners - congratulations to Emma and Jessilyn!

Book report forms were handed out on Monday. All students will read a French novel and finish the activities for Monday, October 31.

A reminder that tomorrow is a PD Day, and Monday is Thanksgiving, so you get an extra long weekend to spend with your child. Have fun!

And remember to get out and vote today!

Can You Believe It's October?

2011-10-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, September flew by, didn't it?

We have 2 short weeks to start off the month of October. This Friday is a PD Day, and Monday, of course, is Thanksgiving! A super long weekend for my monsters.

There is another change to the Annie Williams Run - just to be on the safe side, it has been rescheduled for Thursday 6th, not Tuesday as originally planned.

This afternoon at 1:30, we will be hearing our final speaker, Alex Zyganiuk of the NDP. Don't forget to vote on Thursday!

Welcome back Emily and bon voyage Harly!

Artist at work!

Running for Terry!

2011-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was our annual Terry Fox Run. I am so proud of all the kids - I have so many athletes in my class!
Here is just a little hint of the fun being had by all:

Just a little intense, aren't they?

Annie Williams Run POSTPONED

2011-09-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Because of the expected rain today, the Annie Williams Run has been postponed until next Tuesday, October 4.

Busy little beavers

2011-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, did the kids work hard this week! Mastering rounding numbers and estimating money amounts, learning how to use a French dictionary, read maps and identifying various types of governments. I should remind the Gr 5s that my class is definitely a dictatorship.

We have a very busy week ahead. Here are the important dates:

Tuesday - Annie Williams Fun Run after school

Wednesday - picture day, pizza lunch

Thursday - Terry Fox Run in the afternoon, healthy snack & lunches begin

Friday - Barron's Run in North Bay

Have a wonderful weekend!

Democracy in Action!

2011-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we had the privilege of listening to Parry-Sound-Muskoka Green Party candidate Mr. Matt Richter speak! He taught us how politicians usually answer questions (by not answering at all!) and had a few students practice answering without answering why their homework wasn't done and why they didn't eat their vegetables.

He created 3 new political parties that would improve Monck PS (The Swimming Party, The No Kids Party and the No Teachers Party) and we had an election by show of hands. The No Teachers Party was the clear winner. My No Kids Party was last. Go figure.

Then we had a question and answer session with Mr. Richter. The questions asked were so thoughtful! The students learned how the Green Party intends to lower the provincial debt and reduce hospital wait times, among other things.

On October 3, local New Democratic Party candidate Alex Zyganiuk will be joining us. We can't wait!

Journal writing begins!

2011-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

The kids are coming home today with a list of journal topics for the year glued into their journals. At the top of the page is the day that their journal is to be handed in.

Journals alternate between French & English. The minimum length is 1 page (every other line) for 8 1/2 x 11 journals, or 2 for smaller ones. And of course they may write more than that - as much as they'd like!

The purpose of the journal is to encourage students to write. They will not be evaluated in a traditional 'creative writing' kind of way. I will be looking to see that students are transferring skills learned in English & French language writing classes to their writing.

Today, students were introduced to my 'Ajoutes-y de la magie' (Make It Magic) evaluation system. For every writing assignment, they are given written feedback of 2 things they did well, and 1 thing to work on. When they have mastered that area of concentration, it becomes magic. It is these areas of concentration that I'm looking for when I'm reading their journals.
I hope everyone had a great weekend!

On to week #2!

2011-09-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

What a great first week we had! The kids are settling down into routines and I am in love with every last one of them. As parents, you should all be very proud of the fantastic kids you are raising.

Just a reminder that Mrs. Vine would like all the students to have a 1" binder for English, and I would like them to have a notebook to use for their weekly journal, beginning on Monday.

I will be absent tomorrow afternoon (Thursday 15th) for an appointment, but will be back at school in time for the Corn Roast to meet you all! Our class' job, along with Mme Clouthier's class, will be to husk the corn. The Book Fair in the library will be open until 7:00 on Thursday night.

From time to time, I'd like to post pictures of what we are doing in class on our page. If you do not want your child's picture posted, please send me a quick note in the agenda or email me so that I am aware.

Bienvenue a la cochonnerie!!

2011-09-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Pigsty - not that our room is messy, but it is filled with my stuffed pig collection.

I am so excited to be back in the classroom this year after being a Lit Coach for 3 years. And I am even more excited to have my wonderful 23 grade 4s and 5s!

Dates importantes/Important Dates

Thursday, Sept. 15 - Meet the Teacher Corn Roast

Tuesday, Sept. 27 - Picture Day

Friday, Sept. 30 - Terry Fox Run (pm)

I'm looking forward to meeting you at the Corn Roast!