last week before the holidays!

What a week we had and a week it will be coming up.  By now you have all read the news that our fabulous Mr. McGilvray is leaving us on December 20th.  Staff is really sad to see him go but excited for this great opportunity for him and his move closer to home.  In class this week, we will be preparing a little gift to present to Mr. McGilvray on Friday. 

Field trip
Words can't express what an amazing experience our downtown trip was last week.  Witnessing the students' faces light up as they gave out kindness kits to the homeless, was incredible.  Thank you to our amazing volunteers who trekked through downtown and fought the cold rink-side at Nathan Phillips Square.  Toronto EMS tweeted the day after our visit that they had received cards of gratitude and these cards warmed their hearts in their ambulances and dispatch centre; bravo!

Winter Concert Dec 18/19
Ms Purvis, Ms Wright and the students have been working hard on their pieces for this week's concert!  Our class will perform on Thursday evening.  Students are asked to wear black bottoms & a red top; they must arrive at school for 6:45 and head up to our classroom where I'll supervise them until the show starts at 7:00PM.

Last day Dec 20
To celebrate making it through the first part of the school year, we'll have some holiday festivities on Friday.  Students are welcome to dress in pjs, holiday sweaters, anything they'd like, and bring in board games from home (no electronics please).  In the afternoon we'll wind down with hot chocolate, popcorn and a movie before we head home for the break.

Have a great week!

week of Dec 9th

We have two weeks left until the winter break.  Over that time, we'll have lots on the calendar!

Downtown Field Trip - Dec 10th
Over the past few weeks we've been talking about homelessness in Toronto in an effort to build empathy.  I feel privileged to have such an open-minded group of students who consistently show compassion and a desire to help throughout our talks about poverty.  I'm very excited to head downtown with this fabulous group to spread some compassion and kindness.  Thank you for lending us your time and sending in wool socks!
We'll leave school at 9AM and head downtown via subway.  We're planning to hand out bagged lunches, wool socks and kindness cards at Allan Gardens, Covenant House & Sojourn House.  Feel free to follow us on Twitter (@ChrisTrott7), where I'll be posting messages throughout the day and inviting First Responders to meet us (EMS, Toronto Police & Toronto Fire).
Take a peak at the photos below showing students budgeting and planning ingredients for our bagged lunches!

Holiday Market - Dec 15th & 16th
Flyers were sent home on Thursday sharing news about our SLT's initiative; the Clairlea Holiday Market!  Students are asked to bring in gently used toys, books or anything "gift-worthy" over the coming week.  On the 15th and 16th, students will be able to shop for the holidays, purchasing gently used items for cheap!  All proceeds will go towards the SLT's eco initiative of getting a 2nd water filtration station on the 2nd floor.

French Book Fair - Dec 16th - 19th
We're really excited for our French book fair and invite students to come shop at recesses and lunch the last week of school. 

Winter Concert - Dec 18th & 19th
Last but not least, Ms Purvis and her crew are putting together the final details of our winter concert.  Our class will perform on the evening of the 19th.   We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a great week!

week of November 25th

We have many exciting things on our calendar as we head toward the holidays!

DOWNTOWN FIELD TRIP - Dec. 10th
Permission forms will be sent home on December 2nd for our downtown field trip.  We will travel downtown by subway and wander through the downtown, making our way to City Hall.  Parent volunteers are welcome! 
There are 2 components to our trip;
- hand out bagged lunches and new socks to the homeless
- skating at Nathan Phillip's Square

We are asking for donations of new wool socks to hand out to the homeless.  If you would like to help us out, please send them in by December 9th.

Students are encouraged to rent skates and helmets (mandatory) at Nathan Phillips Square to avoid lugging skating gear as we walk around the downtown on the morning of the 10th.  Skate rentals are $5 and helmets are $3.  The fee will be outlined on the permission form and paid via Cash Online. 

WINTER CONCERTS - Dec. 17/18
Ms Purvis and the students are working hard to finalize their performances for the concerts.  My class will be performing in the school gym on Thursday, December 19th.  Take a peak at our invitation for detailed info;

JUNIOR GIRLS' CLUB - Dec 3rd
I'm really excited to be starting up a Junior Girls' Club for students in Grades 4 to 6.  Permission forms were sent home last Tuesday.  Our first meeting is Tuesday, Dec 3rd over lunch, and every 2nd Day 3 on our school calendar.  Students cannot join without returning their permission forms.

CLAIRLEA READS - Dec 18th
Our next meeting of Clairlea Reads is on December 18th over lunch.  Our goal is to reach page 193 at that time.  Mark your calendars for our student & families celebration on the evening of January 30th!

Have a great week!

Week of November 18th

A heartfelt thank you to families for coming in to discuss progress reports over the past 2 weeks.  As a teacher, it's always nice to meet families and build connections between school and home.  I am always available by email if you have any questions going forward, before our next report card.

A few things to note:

December 10th - field trip

With the winter holidays on the horizon, I like to focus my instruction around giving and helping those in need.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be having discussions around poverty and homelessness in Toronto and sharing ideas on how we can help those in need.  On Monday, December 9th, the students and I will spend some time preparing bagged lunches together (I will provide the food) that we will then distribute to the homeless on December 10th.  We will travel by subway and walk around the downtown core, handing out bagged lunches to the homeless.  We will make our way to Nathan Phillip's Square where we will rent skates & helmets and enjoy some winter skating as a class.  If you're available and interested in helping out, I'm looking for LOTS of adult volunteers for December 10th.  To help offset costs, I would ask that adult volunteers bring their own skates or rent on-site.  Permission forms will be sent home next week.

Sock drive

In anticipation of our field trip, we are collecting new socks to donate to the homeless on December 10th; we hope to add one pair of socks to every bagged lunch we hand out.  Feel free to read the following website for other ideas on how you can help.

https://www.fredvictor.org/2019/11/11/lets-help-homeless-this-winter/

Winter concert 

Last year's winter concert was such a huge success that we're going to offer the same format this December.  The concert will be on the evenings of December 18th & 19th; my class will perform on the 19th.  Join us in the gym for some amazing musical performances lead by our fabulous Ms Purvis.

Clairlea Reads

I'm blown away by the interest in our reading club this year; hopefully those of you who signed up are enjoying "The City of Ember".  Students have been very positive and engaged during our first 2 meetings.  Our next meeting is on December 18th over lunch; our goal is to read to page 193 by then.  Don't forget to mark your calendars for our final celebration on the evening of January 30th.

Have a great weekend!

week 9

I hope that everyone survived Halloween and the huge amounts of sugar!  It appears that with Halloween and October behind us, we're now into cold weather and darker days.  A friendly reminder to ensure that students come prepared for the weather.  You may want to stop by our school clothing swap to trade in your gems for some gently used gear and keep everyone warm this winter!

A few dates on the horizon:

Progress Reports
On Monday, November 11th students will bring home their Progress Reports.  A reminder that these reports are simply an overview of your child's progress over the past 2 months, and give teachers & families some data going forward.  I'm available to meet and discuss any questions or comments you may have on November 12th, 13th and 14th.  Please look for an interview letter which will go home with students tomorrow.  I will schedule interviews on a first come, first served basis.

Remembrance Day
November 11th also marks our annual assembly for Remembrance Day.  This commemoration is open to families; if you'd like to join us, we plan on starting at 10:15 in the gym.

Clairlea Reads
We hope you're enjoying "The City of Ember" at home with your child.  Our next book club meeting is on November 19th.

Congrats
And finally, huge congrats to several students in our class who had significant achievements over the past week.  Congrats to Cross Country runners, Girls Junior Soccer and our SLT reps for being exceptional Panthers!

I look forward to connecting after Progress Reports.
Bonne semaine!

week 8

I hope that everyone enjoyed the fabulous Halloween Howl put on by our

week 6

I hope that everyone enjoyed a lovely long weekend!  The following is an update on what's happening and dates on the horizon...

International Women's Month
October is International Women's Month and students are working hard on their biographies about a fierce female.  We are wrapping up research and the final product will be a Google Doc.  Thanks to families for helping out at home by discussing how women have opened doors for others.  I can't wait to read what students have written!

Measurement
Thanks to everyone who returned their homework slip last week; this week's homework is an intro into our measurement unit.  Students are required to use a ruler at home for their work - if you need to borrow one, please let me know.

Social Studies
The Grade 5s are doing their due diligence and preparing to vote at the Federal Election.  Thanks to families for engaging in conversations about party platforms and issues that are important to your family.  We'll be holding a student vote at school; stay tuned for results!  Grade 4s are learning about Canada's region with Mme Hassanle.

Important dates:
Oct 17th - Cross Country
Oct 18th - Track & Field
Oct 21st - Cross Country
Oct 23rd - Clairlea Reads
Oct 24th - Cross Country
Oct 25th - Halloween Howl
Nov 11th - Progress Reports go home

Week 5

We have a lot of uncertainty ahead of us this week; I'm sure we're all glued to the TDSB homepage waiting for news about tomorrow.  While we wait, here's some info...

Marks for language project
Final marks were sent home last Thursday for the Grade 4 "Who Am I" project.  Hopefully students have shared their slide show with you at home; their work is really amazing!  I encourage you to talk about the rubric when you've seen their presentation in order to set goals moving forward and celebrate their successes.  Everyone did a really lovely job; thank you for helping students better understand the history of their names.  Signed rubrics are to come back to me ASAP.

Social Studies
Grade 5s are getting ready for the Federal election!  They're looking closely at party platforms and assessing them against what's important to them and you, their families.  My hope is that you'll take a bit of time to share the issues that are important to your family to help them assess candidates with a "real-life" lens.  Perhaps education, immigration, childcare or the environment are on your political radars?  Thanks for taking a bit of time to engage with them at home about the election.

Field Trip cancelation
While our valuable CUPE colleagues are negotiating contracts, we've had to cancel our upcoming field trip (October 22nd) to the Théâtre Français.  Once job action settles down and we're back to "business as usual", we'll look at putting some trips on the calendar in the near future.

Homework
Math work was sent home with every student on Friday with a note attached, reminding you of my homework policy.  This math work is optional; if you haven't already done so, please let me know if you'd like to participate in math work or not.  Having said that, a friendly reminder that daily reading in French is mandatory; at least 20 minutes a day at home. 

Thanksgiving
Next weekend is an extra long weekend with a PD day on Friday(11th) and Thanksgiving Monday(14th).  Enjoy the 4 days off!

Wishing everyone a good week; bonne semaine!

Week 4

It took 4 weeks but if finally feels like we're settling in!  Thanks to families and students for showing great understanding and patience with our reorganization this past week; our class is now a 4/5 split with 16 grade 4s and 6 grade 5s. 

Some info as we move ahead:

Curriculum night
A heartfelt thank you to families for coming to our Curriculum Night on the 26th.  It was great to meet new families and welcome back familiar faces.  For those who missed it, here is some important info:
- English is taught by Ms. Vlachos-Daskalakis
- Social Studies & Science will be on rotation throughout the year; Grade 4s will go to Mme Hassanle and Grade 5s will stay with me
- a revised schedule is available below
- instructions on how to join "Remind" app are also below

Clairlea Reads
Our school book club has officially started!  Students were given a copy of their books at our first meeting on Friday.  Our first goal is to get to page 70 by October 23rd; students will meet with Ms. Purvis, Ms. Vincent and myself at lunch for a fun meeting

Orange Tshirt
September 30th is Orange Shirt day; don't forget to wear orange to show solidarity for residential school survivors

Terry Fox Run
Last Thursday our school laced up for the annual Terry Fox run.  Students showed a huge amount of spirit and endurance during our run and pushed hard for over 30 minutes.  Fundraising ends for us on Thursday, Oct. 3rd; students had set a personal goal of $20 goal per person - thanks for your support at home in encouraging them to find creative ways to earn a few dollars.

Upcoming dates:
October 2nd - picture day
October 11th - PD day
October 14th - Thanksgiving Day
October 22nd - Field Trip (Théâtre Français)
October 25th - Halloween Howl (evening)
November 11th - Progress Reports

Have a great week!

week 3

We had a very busy week with lots of big things on the go.  Our language project exploring "who we are" was completed on September 20th; oral presentations will start on September 23rd in class.  Thank you for your help at home in providing family photos for these presentations.

Reorganization - Sept. 25th
On September 16th, a letter was communicated to families explaining an upcoming reorganization of students in the junior division.  We are lucky to have been allotted a new French Immersion teacher in order to reduce class sizes in the junior division.  As a result, my class will become a smaller 4/5 starting September 25th, and a second 4/5 FI has been created.  It was a difficult process of selecting almost half of my students to move into a new class.  Academic and social needs were top of list when making these decisions.

I understand there was a mix-up with the letters sent home by the office on the 20th, confirming placements; if you're still unsure whether your child is staying with me or moving to the other 4/5, please email me at christine.trott@tdsb.on.ca.

Curriculum Night - Sept. 26th
In light of our reorganization, our Curriculum Night was moved to this Thursday, September 26th.  This will allow parents to meet with the correct teacher and get an overview of the year ahead.  I'm hoping to see as many families as possible; classroom presentations start at 6:00 & 6:20.  The evening will wrap up at 6:40.

Terry Fox Run - Sept. 26th
Our school Terry Fox Run is scheduled to take place during the afternoon of the 26th.  Students have set a personal goal of $20 in order to reach a target of $600 in our class.  Thanks for your support in helping them reach their goals!

Orange Shirt Day - Sept. 30th
On September 30th, we at Clairlea show our solidarity for Canada's Indigenous people by wearing an orange shirt.  This shirt is a symbol of reconciliation for the horrors that were Canada's residential schools.  For over 30 years, young Indigenous Canadians were forced into government-run schools where they were stripped of their culture, language, pride and human rights.  By wearing an orange shirt we take a stand against discrimination and show our respect for Canada's First People. 

Wishing you all a good week ahead!

Week 2

We had a very productive week, pushing ahead with our language project which we are trying to finish for our Curriculum Night on Thursday!  Thank you to those families who have sent in pictures and helped students better understand the history of their names. 

Some important info...

Curriculum Night
On Thursday, September 19th all families are invited to school for our Curriculum Night.  There will be a BBQ from 5:30 - 6:00 and then you're invited to come and meet me in room 205 where I'll talk about the year ahead.  First info session with me is from 6:00 - 6:20 and the second from 6:20 - 6:40.  I really look forward to meeting as many of you as possible on Thursday!

Clairlea Reads
A newsletter was sent home last week inviting students and families to sign up for our Junior/Intermediate book club.  The details on how our club works and the book pick are all on the form.  Please email me if you have any questions.  This is an exciting club for students and families from Grades 4 to 8.  Hope to see you there!

School Agendas
Every year students receive a school agenda which is used to keep track of our schedule and deadlines.  Our school agendas have not arrived yet so we're really behind.  This puts more responsibility on students to come prepared for library, assignments and various activities.  Please refer to our class schedule to help stay on track until agendas arrive.  Thanks for your patience.

French
The start of the year is always a transition for students and teachers.  The jump to the Junior division comes with increased responsibility and expectations.  A friendly reminder to talk at home about the importance of using French in class at all times.  This is key for success in oral language and helps build vocabulary.  In addition, as per my homework note, French Immersion students must be reading at home every single day for at least 20min.  Students have a chance to borrow French books from our school library every week.  In addition, the Toronto Public Library has a great selection of French books.  Finally, if you're interested in purchasing books that your kids enjoy, you may want to check out Renaud Bray.  Students will have a good sense of what books appeal to them and can help you navigate the site: https://www.renaud-bray.com/jeunesse.aspx  Thanks for your support!

STEM
We had our first STEM class with Mr. Farquharson this past week. We will working with him weekly to build our math and science skills with the help of our school robots.  Coding will be a big component and a great hook to get students engaged with all things STEM!

See you on Thursday!

Week 1

Félicitations - we survived week 1!  I hope that everyone feels good about the start of the year
and has recharged this weekend.

WHO AM I PROJECT

Students should be talking to you about a language project they are working on in class.
This will be a digital presentation to the class where they share their roots, their values and
the people & places that have made them who they are today. Your help in talking to them
about these things would be wonderful. Students will need to collect photos for their
presentation and have been assigned a TDSB Gmail account. Pictures can be sent from a
family member's account to your child's for Monday, September 9th.

The format of your child's email address is: firstname.lastname@student.tdsb.on.ca

If you run into trouble emailing photos, please send them to me: christine.trott@tdsb.on.ca

FIRST DAY PACKAGE

Each student received an envelope with the standard paperwork that is sent home every September.
Please read, sign and return all paperwork as soon as possible. Agendas will be sent home once the
school receives them.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

On September 19th, I'm hoping to meet as many of you as possible at our annual Curriculum Night. We'll have a BBQ at 5:30 and then teacher presentations start at 6PM.

GOALS

Students were asked this first week, what their goals are for Grade 4. Take a peak at their answers:

Have a great week!

Homework is due September 6th!

I hope that everyone is surviving the first week!

This is a friendly reminder that students' "Qui suis-je" homework is due tomorrow.  Students have activated their TDSB email accounts today and now have their addresses.   They will share their addresses with you at home.  If you are able to email some photos to your child's email, they will then incorporate the pictures into their presentation.

Thanks in advance!  Reach out if you have any questions.

Welcome to Grade 4!

It's with great enthusiasm that I welcome families to Grade 4 French Immersion, the Junior division at Clairlea and Room 205!  I hope that summer was restful and that everyone's ready for a full and exciting year ahead.

The first week of school is a transition for all of us so we'll ease back into things.  The first few days students will be reviewing routines and expectations and we'll build a class agreement together.  We'll also be working on our first language assignment.  Paperwork will be sent home including:

• a welcome letter from me with our schedule
• instructions to join Remind App
• a family assignment that is due Friday, September 6th
• a welcome package from the school
• an agenda

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 19th when we'll host our Curriculum Night (5:30 - 7PM).  I really look forward to meeting as many of you as possible to talk about my program in person.

I'm excited to work with you to ensure each child has a successful and happy year.  Do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions!

Wishing you all strength this first week!