1. Welcome to Grade 4 French Immersion at Meadowcrest Public School!

2.  We are working with a new Language Arts Curriculum in French Immersion with a focus on French culture in Ontario  We will cover reading strategies just as they do in English and we will also have a continued focus on French grammar  We have a variety of fiction and non-fiction material at our disposal

3.  Audacity download site: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ for your child to practise reading and listening to him/herself read http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

4.  The students will work in teams and in pairs to work out math problems and will share their thinking with the other students in class  We will use math manipulatives to discover different ways to solve problems

5. We will use computer programs/activities to practise skills in a variety of strands Check out these “help with math” sites to use as an early review: http://www.megatfo.com/jeux/guerreDesMaths/ http://www.megatfo.com/jeux/guerreDesMaths/ http://www.tfo.org/education/eleves/mathadores/ http://www.mathplayground.com/ http://www.yvandemers.com/jeux/mathematique/tables/tables.htm

6.  This year we look at: habitats, pulleys and gears, rocks and minerals and light and sound  We will watch informative videos, read passages to gather information and run experiments

7.  Vocabulary lists/study guides will be sent home for review with each unit  Helpful site: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for- kids/0164-ecosystems.php

8.  This year we look at: Ancient civilizations, compare key aspects of them and investigate ways of life and the interaction with the environment

9.  We also look at the political and physical regions of Canada, issues and challenges based on human needs and wants and how industry and the natural environment can find balance (what we can do to be stewards of our environment)

10.  Music, visual arts, drama and dance make up the arts  We will be learning to read music, compose a simple piece of music, play the recorder, and sing as part of our studies  We will learn about the elements of design and work with lines, colours, and textures to start

11.  We will act out some simple plays to focus on speaking clearly and to an audience, using gestures and projecting to be clearly heard as part of drama  We will learn a variety of dances and have an opportunity to create our own

12.  We will learn about healthy living!  Canada’s food guide, healthy and balanced meals and reading/understanding food labels  Drugs: what are they? How do they change your thinking and ability to act and react? What are the long term and short term dangers? A focus on medication, alcohol, and cigarettes as “drugs” we commonly see

13.  Focus on peer pressure and how to say “NO”  General dangers/safety in the home and community  I grow and change: changes that take place during your lifetime (physical and emotion changes and responsibilities)

14.  We will work together to encourage your child to do his/her best every day  Your child will have expectations clearly outlined by me  In class, we will encourage each other to build a community within our classroom where we all feel safe to respond and share ideas and learn through mistakes

15.  Homework and monthly calendars should be checked so that you are aware of what we are studying  I am available to offer guidance/extra help during the school day to students who may want or need it and will try to also set aside a day before school to do so