Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. Here are a few important updates:

Announcements:

Black History Month Assembly: This Friday, the 28th, at 9:30 AM, we will be hosting our Black History Month assembly. The event will feature speeches, performances, and the presentation of Transformation Awards. Parents whose children are receiving an award have already been notified via email. Some of our students will also be participating as speakers in both English and French. We would love for you to join us in celebrating this special occasion.

Performing students from my class:

• Leiyah (Français)
• Naima (Français)
• Teveyah (English)
• Jackson (English)
• Teyana (Français)

EQAO Practice: Students have completed a practice EQAO assessment in both Math and Language. This gives them an idea of what to expect when the real EQAO takes place in May-June (exact date will be shared). When possible, I will send home additional practice as homework to help further prepare them for the assessment. This practice is not graded but is an important opportunity for both students and educators to assess progress.

Homework Reminder: Homework will be sent home tomorrow, Feb 26th. It will be due next Wednesday, March 5th. Details can be found in your child’s cahier de devoirs.

Folkstone is on Instagram: Feel free to follow @folkstoneps if you wish.

Additionally, please note that 4 grades will be shared soon:

• Health (in-class activity)
• Math test (completed on the 24th)
• Science project (in English)
• Social Studies project (in French)

I will send an email once these grades are sent home.

Learning Update:

French: In French, students are focusing on confidently speaking the language. We are continuing to read books aloud and encourage student participation. Recently, students have been creating short sentences where they introduce themselves as an animal, explain their reason for choosing that animal, and then compare it to a fruit or vegetable. For example: “Mme Sitar est un oiseau parce qu’elle aime voyager. Mon oiseau est un melon.”

The students took turns coming up to the stage to share their sentences, which helped them build confidence in speaking French. It’s all about taking one step at a time! 😊

Social Studies (in French): In Social Studies, students had a meaningful discussion about life in Canada 200 years ago compared to life now. They explored how things have changed, starting with “Back then, we had no…” and “The First Nations were…” to “Now we have…” Students wrote sentences about these changes in both English and French. We will review their work as a class and create sentences together in French moving forward.

Math: Yesterday, students completed a quiz. We are now focusing on patterning and algebra. Students have been using manipulatives in class, independently, during quizzes, and during group work. Sometimes, manipulatives really help with counting and understanding the math concepts.

Additionally, students completed an EQAO practice assessment in class. This practice gives them an idea of what to expect when the EQAO happens sometime in May-June (exact date will be shared). Please note that this is a practice assessment and is not graded. It is mainly for educators to analyze the data and see how students are progressing. During the assessment, students received headsets and Chromebooks, and they also had the option to click on instructions so that it could read aloud to them. This helps ensure that students aren’t struggling with understanding the questions.

Language (English): In Language, students have been working on a biography project about an influential Black person. They have also learned how to write a letter, with the Valentine’s Day letter sent home to parents/guardians as part of the assignment.

This week, we will start working on writing paragraphs. We’ll focus on creating strong topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences. For example:

• Topic Sentence: “Dogs make great pets because they are loyal and friendly.”
• Supporting Details: “Dogs love to play and often follow their owners everywhere. They can also be trained to do tricks, which makes them enjoyable companions.”
• Conclusion: “For all these reasons, dogs are considered one of the best pets to have.”

Just like in Math, students also completed a practice EQAO assessment for Language. This is another opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with the format and expectations.

Science: Students have completed their presentations and did an excellent job! We will now continue learning more about structures and stability. I’ll provide more details about this in my next update.

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing you at the assembly!

Best regards,

Mme