Classes

Miss Laforet's Classroom

Welcome to Class 5!

Teacher: Ms Laforet
Educational Assistant: Tracy
Float Educational Assistant: Dave

About our Program

Our program consists of many opportunities for students to explore math and literacy in whole class, small group and indepedent learning settings. During whole class learning, students engage with their classmates, participate in group discussions and practice turn taking. In our classroom, we use whole group learning circles to read stories and teach or reinforce new skills and concepts. Small group learning is ideal for teaching specific skills to a few students focusing on individualized differentiated instruction. Individual learning gives each child opportunities to work on activities based on their individual learning plans. Technology and play based learning are often used in independent learning as a motivational tool.

Another huge part of our program is core communication. Core language is modelled for the students consistently throughout the day using both a communication board and Vantage. Students are also encouraged to use core communication in their daily interactions through oral language, core communication boards, Minspeak devices and Step by Steps.

Our Schedule

Timetable	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9:00-9:30	OT Bins	OT Bins	OT Bins	OT Bins	OT Bins
9:30-10:00	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle
10:00-10:30	Literacy Circle	Literacy Circle	Literacy Circle	Literacy Circle	Literacy Circle
10:30-11:00	Reading A-Z Books	Journals	Communication Circle	Journals	Reading A-Z Books
11:00-11:25	Gym/ Physio Goals	Gym/ Physio Goals	Gym/ Physio Goals	Gym/ Physio Goals	Gym/ Physio Goals
11:25-12:25	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12:25-1:15	Music with Mrs M	Music with Mrs M	Music with Mrs M	Music with Mrs M	Music with Mrs M
1:15-1:30	Math Circle	Math Circle	Math Circle	Math Circle	Math Circle
1:30-2:00	Independent/ Small Group Math Work	Independent/ Small Group Math Work	Independent/ Small Group Math Work	Independent/ Small Group Math Work	Independent/ Small Group Math Work
2:00-2:50	Technology	Technology	Technology	Technology	Technology

Communication Circle: Activities based on AAC Language Labs or Circle of Friends lessons
PALS: The first 10 minutes of technology, some students are pulled to do the PALS program
Assessment: During technology time, students are pulled to assess IEP goals

Mrs. Tracy, Ms. Laforet & Mr. Dave

Our students

What We Are Learning

We had a great start to the 2017-2018 school year! Our main focus in September was getting to know each other, building an inclusive classroom community and developing a routine. During our morning circles, we have been learning about each others families, pets and personal perferences such as our favourite colour and favourite food. We have really enjoyed getting to know all of the students in the classroom and are eager to continue to get to know them throughout the year.

In October, we learned to read Vantage and Boardmaker modified texts on our Minspeak devices and Step by Steps. This activity has led to a lot of great conversations! After reading the stories, the students answered "wh" questions based on texts that they read. Students have also been learning to write journals using sentence starters such as "I like" on their Minspeak talkers. Some of the students using boardmaker symbols have begun to use core language or to choose between two picture phrases to describe photos of themselves. Our weekly journals have been a source of pride for many of our students. They have really enjoyed sharing their work with the class as well as listening to the journals other classmates have written. In math this month, we worked on identifying numbers 1-5. We learned number poems to help us identify what each number looked like and used manipulatives to show quanity to 5.

In November, we are going to be focusing on measurement. During whole group math lessons, students will be exposed to various types of measurement (ex. time, temperature, length) and student's small group and independent math activities will be based on each child's specific IEP measurement goals. In literacy, we will be starting both the Balanced Literacy program and a modified version of the Kindergarten PALS Reading program. Balanced Literacy is a program that focuses on early literacy instruction for beginning readers. It integrates guided reading, supported writing, word study and phonics activities built around an animal theme. PALS is a highly structured literacy program that focuses on letter-sound correspondence, decoding, phonological awareness and sight words. All students will do both programs in whole group lessons, with some students doing additional work in small group activities or independently.

December is going to be a busy month! Our class is going to be learning about Canadian holidays and traditions as we prepare for Christmas by reading stories and making various holiday crafts. There is also a lot happening around the school this month with the family fun day, the christmas concert, pajama day and the movie day. Please make sure to check your child's newsletter, calendar or the school website to keep track of everything happening this month. In literacy, we are going to be continuing the explore both the Balanced Literacy and the PALS programs. Students responded really well to both of these programs last month and in December we plan to delve deeper into them. The math strand that we will be working on is patterning. Students will copy a variety of patterns on the smartboard, iPad and using manipulatives in both large group and small group sessions as well as one on one.

We hope all of the families in Class 5 have a safe and happy holiday session! We will see you all on January 8th.

In January, students will work on identifying the story elements of a fiction text. Various stories will be read to the students and using picture prompts, they will work on identifying the character and setting. In math, we will be working on geometry. Students will explore 2D figures and learn about their attributes through the use of manipulatives and song. In January, we will also be saying goodbye to Mrs. M who has taught at JMCC for 40 years and welcoming Ms. MacDougall as our new arts teacher.

Our math focus for February will be Number Sense and Numeration. We will be using manipulatives to show 1:1 correspondence to 5, 10, 15, or 20 depending on our IEP goals. Students will compare groups of numbers with different quanities to determine which group has more and which group has less. They will also explore basic addition by combining the groups and counting the images to find the sum. In literacy, we will be reading familar nursery rhymes. After read alouds, we will sequence the stories together as a class using picture cards from the book. Once the students hear the nursery rhymes several times, they will be asked to identify the first image in the story, the first and last image in the story or the first, middle and last image in the story. In February we will also be learning about and celebrating Valentines Day. We are looking for family members to come into our classroom as guest readers. If you interested in doing so, please contact Ms. Laforet.

NEWSLETTERS

English:
Class 5 September Newsletter
Class 5 October Newsletter
Class 5 November Newsletter
Class 5 December Newsletter
Class 5 January Newsletter
Class 5 February Newsletter

Arabic:
Class 5 September Newsletter
Class 5 October Newsletter
Class 5 November Newsletter
Class 5 December Newsletter
Class 5 January Newsletter
Class 5 February Newsletter

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iPads are a great tool for students to independently practice math and language skills.

Sorting real world 2D figures

Art with Mrs. Mac

Working on eating skills

Helping each other complete our IEP goals

Congratulations on passing level 14.

Morning Calendar Routine

Singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider

Each morning one student signs the entire class in. This helps us recognize the images in our classmates and learn their names.

Our fake snow was a fun sensory experience.

When the snow melted, we made our own out of baking soda and conditioner.

Some students are learning the preposition under. After reading the book Under, we placed the rooster under different things in our classroom.

Great walking! Look at her go!

Students love our gym time.

Building strong muscles in our legs.

We love playing chasing games in the gym - it is also an opportunity to practice the core words "stop" and "go."

Congratulations on your retirement Mrs. M. The staff and students at JMCC will miss you.

After exploring the snow, we learned the steps to build a snowman and then built our own.

When its too cold to play outside, we bring the snow inside.

In math, some students are learning the terms "hot" and "cold."

After touching the snow, we discussed if it was "hot" or "cold."

1:1 correspondence cards

Exploring different ways to make 5 with coloured counters.

Exploring snow.

Thank you to Caeser's Windsor for donating antlers to all of the students at JMCC!

Our class around the Christmas Tree :)

Family Services made a holiday themed photo booth

It's Santa!

Students had a lot of fun taking pictures in the photo booth

Even some parents joined in on the fun!

Students loved the variety of Holiday themed props.

Thank you to all of the families who donated winter wear to our Tree of Giving. Our class helped pack up all of the items and give them to the Salvation Army.

Reading a book and practicing core words with Mrs. Tracy

Practicing core words in both English and Arabic with Mrs. Maria

Getting excited as we prepare for the holidays in our classroom

After learning about patterns in math, several students added patterns to their gingerbread houses.

Once all of the students finished their gingerbread houses, we did a gallery walk.

Look what I made!

Students loved having their parents in our classroom

Look at these happy faces :)

Decorating gingerbread houses with our families

Exploring our facial features

Sorting by one attribute

Exploring the rain.

Making 5 in different ways. After we matched the coloured cubes to the picture, we counted them and figured out the 3 pink cubes and two green cubes is 5 cubes all together.

With practice and determination, look who can now independently put beads on wooden dowels.

A former JMCC student read us a book on his communication device.

Look who I ran into at the CP Holiday Train!

OT Time! We are practicing transferring wooden dowels from one hand to another.

Matching animals to their homes in Balanced Literacy

Our class got a sphero!

The students have enjoyed moving the sphero around the classroom.

Using guided access on the iPad helps us have better control over the sphero,

After a class vote, we named our sphero balloon.

Working with Mrs. Tracy

Making a jack-o-lantern

Trick or Treating

Our class put on the Remembrance Day assembly.

In November, we learned about soliders and how they fought for our freedom.

We learned the core word in and out and practiced them by putting our hands in and out of a pumpkin.

Before we put our hands in the pumpkin, we made predictions about if it would feel hot or cold.

Dressing up on Halloween is so much fun!

Halloween at JMCC was so much fun! We made a lot of Halloween crafts to decorate our classroom, handed out candy to the preschool kids and went trick or treating.

Our class on Halloween.

Decorating a pumpkin.

Counting from 1-10 using manipulatives.

Mr. Potoato Head with Mrs. M.

Making puffy ghosts to hang in our classroom for Halloween.

Enjoying a cupcake.

Happy birthday! Thank you for sharing cupcakes with your friends.

Lacing mummies combines an OT goal and a Halloween craft.

Check out this Lexia Core 5 Superstar!

Congratulations! Keep up the good work.

Learning about different types of families with Angela and Katie.

Listening to books in Arabic on Unite for Literacy

Learning quantity to 3.

Each morning the students wash their hands and face - goodbye germs!

Math time! Can you sort these blocks based on big and little?

1-1 Correspondence to 10.

In music, the students are learning to move their instruments at different speeds to make different sounds.

"Watch this! I don't even have to pick it up all the way to make music."

After reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, we worked on letter identification when given two choices. Mrs Laforet held up two letters in the alphabet and students tried to identify which letter was called out.

After reading the story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, we painted palm trees and then stamped alphabet letters

Everyday two students get to hold our Canadian flags during O' Canada. Students request a turn orally, through gestures or using their devices.

We are learning to use our talkers to read Vantage modified books.

Exploring Play McGivney. The students love the new accessible playground.

A favourite OT activity. We also use to it reinforce core language such as "go," "stop," and "turn."

Mr. D brought in his two puppies Stella and Lucy.

The next day, Ms. Laforet printed off the students pictures with the puppies and they used their Minspeak devices and communication boards to write about their experience.

Look at the excitement on his face!

The students really enjoyed interacting with the puppies.

Music class with Mrs. M

Students love using their walkers in the gym.

Puzzles are a great way to enhance our fine motor skills.

After I took this picture, the tower fell down. "Can I see the picture so I can rebuild it?"

Mrs. Tracy is practicing the core word "go" using toys as a motivational tool with this student.

Building strong arms by pulling suction cups off the cabinet.

Dancing in the gym to "Baby, Baby."

This student loves gym time!

Look at that level of concentration as she practices her OT goals.

Reading "The Big Cat" to a small group of students in the classroom.