Dear Parents,
Welcome back and happy new school year at OJCS September 2022-2023,
My name is Wanda Canaan, and this is my second year at OJCS.
I have been teaching French and all other subject areas in French for 20 years
now. With great pleasure I will be teaching Extended French, as well as
Social Studies in French to Grades 6, 7 and 8.
My educational experience includes a Master of Education from
Montreal University, as well as a Bachelor of Education degree from Rouen
University in France. I have taught internationally for many years and loved those
experiences from around the world. I used to live in Montreal and I have been in Ottawa the last 3 years
working in a private French school.
I am looking forward to working with you and your children. I believe that
teachers and parents are partners working for the best of children. I look forward
to meeting you all soon.
I wanted to touch base about an important homework routine that we are establishing in our Extended French and Etude Sociale classes.
To help develop your child’s vocabulary and comprehension skills, they are asked to spend 10-15 minutes each evening reading and reviewing our lesson notes.
The lesson notes for each day can be found on our . Within the lesson notes there is key vocabulary to review, short video clips in French to watch, and inquiry questions to think about.
Our daily routine is to use these lesson notes in our class; however, the extra review at home each evening would be beneficial for our next day’s class where we build on what was learned the previous day.
If you could please help remind your child that this is an expectation each evening, that would be greatly appreciated. More reminders at the beginning may be needed as they build this routine and new habit.
Our daily class slides are always featured on the blog so they can be easily accessed by both students and parents. I will be sending links that will be used everyday by students during class time and at home.
For grade 6 Please click: 6 ème année Septembre 2022
For grade 7 Please click : 7 ème année Septembre 2022
For grade 8 Please click : 8ème année Septembre 2022
This will offer you insight into what we are learning in both French and geography or history daily.
On the daily slides you will find the following:
- Specific learning goals for French
- Specific learning goals for Géographie or History
- Success criteria to achieve the goals
- A link for the various tasks
- Links for a dictionary and an online Bescherelle
- Documents that we use for specific expectations in French and in géographie.
Class time is very structured with a daily routine that students are now accustomed to. Some examples of things we are doing to increase their French proficiency are:
- Students will be reading a novel every day for 15 minutes (a book that they choose from the library). They will be writing a summary once they are finished.
- They have different projects that include research, comprehension, verbal expression, and written expression. They use technology, textbooks and watch documentary videos in French.
- They work individually at times and in collaboration with their classmates.
- During quizzes and evaluation they have access to their computers, their dictionary and the Bescherelle.
- We have evaluations and quizzes (which are announced 2 weeks ahead both verbally and written on the homework page).
- Every Friday students have a “Dictée” that they prepare for during the weekdays on the ” ESPACE NOUVEAU VOCABULAIRE”.
- Listening comprehension skills are practiced during class time through listening to different leveled novels.
From the beginning of the year we will be working quite intensively during class time, with the expectation that at home they review what was taught in class every night for 15 minutes. Our next goal is to see more commitment with homework habits and your support at home would be very helpful.
Please know that students are evaluated every day for different learning skills and tasks, however they only receive marks based on what I see in class. However, the homework is very important for reinforcing what they know. So that 15 minutes makes a significant difference in boosting their skills.
Thank you for reading this update! I like for parents to know all of the exciting things happening in our Extended French program. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you might have.
Merci,
Wanda Canaan
