Le mois d'octobre 2009
Bonjour!! In Kindergarten, I have memorized all of the names of my 170
Kindergarten students- most days! Although we only meet twice a week, they
are making great progress, both academically and in their adjustment to new
rules, teachers, and classmates. It will be a great year! Please keep sending
in well-rested, relaxed children!! Each is different, and has to grow and
learn at his or her own speed. It is not a race, so I try to keep class fun
and celebrate each child. (Because music is such a powerful learning tool,
they don't realize how much is going into their brains!!)
We are continuing with the basics-- greetings, numbers, colors, calendar,
weather, family vocabulary, basic classroom objects, and a little
geography. Eventually, I'll let them choose a French name, if I am brave
enough! (Over Fifty and Forgetful am I!)
Thanks very much to the parents who signed up to help with small art
projects, to bring in French food, and to record our students and make a CD.
(The kids love to hear themselves-- a good car CD!!!)I can always use more
help. Please contact me at the e-mail address below, if you can help. Merci!!
In second grade, we use and our spell our French names, and continue to
review greetings, colors, numbers and requests, such as asking to use the
restroom. The students who are new to Sarah Smith particularly benefit from
the review. If they really listen and watch the gestures, they catch on
quickly.
We are finishing up our first theme, Max et son crayon. It's a unit about
stories that Max, a school boy, tells when he comes to school daily without
his pencil. Some stories are believable and some are "incroyable." One of the
goals is to get the students to write stories. I hope you saw the story we
sent home about the Atlanta Flood 2009. First(D'abord),it rained hard, then
(puis) the creeks rose, and then( et puis),trees fell over the roads. Alors,
(so)... Sarah Smith was closed on Tuesday, September 22.
Thanks to second grade parents who signed up to help with our French food
day. Please email me if you would like to help with an art project or with
recording our students and then burning CDs. I will cover the expense. I just
need help!!
Soon, I will show all of my students a video of my two trips to Haiti. Last
year's students were very interested in helping the children in the remote
village of Nouvelle Cite. Nouvelle Cite is on the island of La Gonave, which
has no electricity, plumbing, garbage clean-up, paved roads, public health,
or reliable public schools. The children are hungry most everyday, which
saddens our students. We hope to continue a partnership with an elementary
school in Nouvelle Cite.
The 5th grade trips to France over spring break are great! Many
students come with a parent, but several each year come with a teacher
chaperone. Everyone has a great time and we all learn a lot. We work with
ACIS, an educational tour company. They are awesome. Check out their website,
www.acis.com.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions. If you
do not hear from me, you can assume that your student is doing very well!! I
have 170 K students and 85 second graders, so, sadly, I'll only be in touch
if there is a concern.
mfranchot@atlanta.k12.ga.us.
Merci!! Madame Noëlle (Marty Franchot)
