Joyeuses Pâques! Happy Easter!

This past month our calendar has featured different pictures that have initiated small conversations about how we feel.  We learned that we needed to use either the verb 'être' or the verb 'avoir' in order to express ourselves in full sentences.

Some students created short graphic texts using this vocabulary!  Great job!

The Grade 7/8 French club made bannock this week, which we thought was appropriate as it was "Country Week" in our school and the First Nations were being studied.  Bannock was also enjoyed during our Festival du Voyageur celebrations last month but we did not have a chance to prepare it then.

A recipe for bannock was posted last month in this blog entry:

Bannock recipe

Our bannock would likely have risen more had we used a frying pan with a lid or an oven, but it was yummy nonetheless!

We ended our week with an Easter egg hunt in the French classroom!  If a class succeeded in finding all 32 plastic eggs, we opened each one and found words that could be combined to make sentences similar to the ones we learned from the pictures in our daily calendar. The Grade 7/8 students did a very good job hiding eggs in all sorts of tricky places for the Gr. 4/5 class after them!

An egg symbolises new life in Christ. I wish "Joyeuses Pâques" to all our school families as we celebrate all that Jesus has done for us in His death and resurrection this Easter.  

Bonnes vacances!

Mme Christensen

Matt le magnifique!

It was wonderful to meet with families this week during our student-led conferences!  This week our school is celebrating "Country Week" and a number of our French classes in the afternoon will be cancelled.  Here are some links to some short, humorous cartoons created by a French teacher in Ontario, Ms. Sylvia Duckworth.   The main character, Matt, speaks in French about his everyday life.  Enjoy!

Matt le magnifique, episode 1

Matt le magnifique, episode 2

Matt le magnifique, episode 3

Matt le magnifique, episode 4

I'd like to remind families to bring in their registrations for our Spring Session of "After School in French".  

Bonne semaine!

Mme Christensen

Les sentiments

In French class this month, each school day on our calendar features an adjective that describes a feeling or a condition.  It is giving us a good chance to review and practice vocabulary that helps us describe how we feel.  Here are a few:

Je suis content(e)./I am happy.

Je suis excité(e)!/I am excited!

Je suis triste./I am sad.

Je suis fâché(e)!/I am angry!

Je suis fatigué(e)./I am tired.

If one is female, an 'e' is added to the adjectives which is why there is an (e) at the end of certain adjectives above.  ("Triste" already ends in 'e' so we do not need to change the spelling/pronunciation to describe a girl.)  We have been having fun acting out these emotions and using them in guessing games as well. 

This week we will be learning some more expressions, this time using the verb 'avoir' as well as the verb 'être' which is where the word "suis" comes from.  Using the verbs 'avoir' and 'être' will prepare our Gr. 7 and 8 students who will be learning to speak about events in the past tense.  

Nous sommes excités! We are excited for student-led conferences coming up this week so all students are practicing what they will be sharing with their parents.  I am looking forward to seeing you this week!

À bientôt,

Mme Christensen

Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, our French neighbours

Did you know that there is a small piece of France right here in North America?  Our Grade 3-5 students were very surprised to discover this information week when we were reading about unique schools around the world.

Students learned that the tiny islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which are located about 26 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland, belong to France, are inhabited by French citizens and are French in every way.  To find out more, check out: 

Saint-Pierre et Miquelon--Tourism and Travel information

Wikipedia information on Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

People speak French here, vote in France's elections, use the Euro as currency and drive French cars!

Grade Six students have been using the descriptive sentences they have learned to advocate for certain animals in a classroom game.  They have come to the defence of the likes of the ostrich, bat, pig and wolf!

Grade Seven and Eight students have spent time in the 'hot seat', answering questions as we practice our interrogative expressions and review our verbs.

After School in French

We would like to start a spring session of the After School in French Program if there are enough interested participants!  Please let Mme Christensen know soon if you would like your child to participate in a program!

Bonne fin de semaine!

Mme Christensen

Snow sculpture...completed!

Though we had quite cold temperatures, often with a considerable wind, students were determined to finish work on our snow sculpture.

Voilà!  A team effort!

This week we will be finishing up units in all classes.

À bientôt!

Mme Christensen