December

Week of December 18th

Hello parents!

Here is your LAST weekly update for 2023!

French Language Arts

Our plan this week is to finish up the work on our poetry unit. Most students are already done the majority of the lessons, so it’ll just be a bit of catch up and finishing lesson #6, which we began late last week.

Social Studies

We’ve reached the end of our Japan unit! Students will have one final quiz in the next day or two (depending on the class), looking at the changes that took place in the Meiji era, as it concerns the military, social structure, education, and culture. Students have been given a study guide and they also have the option of making a little index card of info that they can access during the quiz (there’s a lot of info to keep track of!)
Following the quiz, we’ll do a unit summary as a class, which we’ll revisit after the Renaissance unit (coming up next) and after the Aztec unit (at the end of the year).
To end the week (and likely using up some of our French periods as well), we’ll watch The Last Samurai. This movie is a historical fiction, showing how American soldiers came to Japan to train the new army of the Meiji era, but how some of the traditional people (particularly the samurai) were resistant to the change.

Some last-days-before-the-break info…

Our Student Council have organized some theme days, so if your child would like to participate, the themes are as follows:

Yes, that’s right! Students will have a dance on Friday following our break. Earlier in the day, we’ll have time to organize binders, clean out lockers, and other pre-winter-break essentials.

Re locker cleanup - Gym strip needs to be washed. Tupperware needs to come home (or go in the trash, depending on what may be growing inside it). The 18 hoodies that live in their lockers might be useful during the snowy days. Locker cleanout is also a good chance to gauge what school supplies might be in need of a replenish. Although they’re not flashy, pencils, glue sticks, pencils, scissors, pencils, rulers, and pencils all make great stocking stuffers!

IF YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE HERE ON FRIDAY, PLEASE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE TAKING THE TIME TO CLEAN OUT THEIR LOCKERS PRIOR TO THE BREAK.

Classes will resume on Monday, January 8^th. I hope that you all have a safe and restful holiday, and you’ll hear from me again in the new year!

Katt

Hello parents!

Here is your update for this week.

French Language Arts

This week and next week, we’ll finish up our poetry unit with two final songs: Dommage by Bigflo & Oli and On écrit sur les murs by Kids United. Our focus for this week will be on the first of the two, Dommage. As per usual, the work is being completed in a poetry booklet I’ve provided for them, and helpful links can be found in Google Classroom.

Social Studies

We’re almost done our Japan unit! This week, we’re finishing up notes and reviewing the military and social changes (including changes to their education system), with just the cultural changes left to go. We’ll work on these notes and review this week, for one final quiz next week.

Wednesday – Over to Cochrane High to see Beauty and the Beast

On Wednesday afternoon, all Grade 8 students will be heading over to CHS to see their production of Beauty and the Beast. The performance begins ag 1pm, so students will NOT be able to go downtown for lunch that day. Instead, they’ll eat at school, then we’ll head over during lunch recess so we’re good to go for the 1pm start time. The performance should be done by 3, so students will be back here on time for dismissal at the end of the day.
If you need to pick up your child between 1pm and 3pm, they should NOT attend the performance, as they will not have their cell phones with them and we will not be interrupting the performance to take a child back to Manachaban or to the CHS office. Should this be the case with you, you could pick up your child at lunch, or they can remain at Manachaban and catch up on work in the HUB until you need to come and get them.

Have a great week!

Katt

Hello parents!

Here’s your update for the week.

French Language Arts

Today, I took 8-2 over to École Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School next door to read our Frisson stories, and I’ll do the same with 8-1 tomorrow morning.
Following this, we’ll be back to our poetry unit. For our third song, we’ll listen to two different versions of Toi + moi, analyzing the lyrics and looking at the different performers.

Social Studies

This week, we’re focusing on reviewing the Iwakura Mission and the political changes that took place at the start of the Meiji period. We’ll correct these notes and then students will be given time to review before writing a quiz later this week. After that, we’ll look at how the military and social structure changed.

Term 1 Over, Term 2 Starts Tomorrow

Term 1 came to an end today, and with Term 2 starting tomorrow, students will be going to their new options. These are visible on PowerSchool, and students have had a lot of opportunities to change their options with Mme Yersh at the office.

Thank you for the donations!

Thank you to everyone who was able to contribute to the Cochrane Activettes’ Share Your Christmas campaign. In total, 8-1 and 8-2 brought it over 20 gifts and over 65 food items.

Have a great week!

Katt