French a la carte
aout 2009
Bonjour!
My name is Chambliss Skidmore and I am one of five French teachers at Sarah
Smith. This year, I will be teaching French to two 4th grade classes
(Blackwell & Chestnutt), four of the 1st grade classes(Cecil, Galloway,
Matthews, and Willis),and two of the 5th grade classes(Larkin & Payne).
Because Sarah Smith is a district-funded model program, your students will
get to see me for French class thirty minutes a day five days a week. If you
need to meet with me, I can usually be reached before or after school in the
French office (located in the media center). Otherwise, you may be able to
catch me moving from room to room with my cart!
As always, feel free to call or email me if you ever have any questions or
concerns. 404-802-3850
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and
don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the
endless immensity of the sea."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
1st grade Nouvelles
(4th and 5th grades below)
The 1st graders are already showing lots of enthusiasm and curiosity in
French class. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the language they soak up
in the first year.
As always, please encourage your child to make connections with the
flashcards/posters on the board and the words/songs/games/books we are
learning from in class. Also, please review all work that goes home.
I will include new vocabulary and/or activities below, please practice them
with your child. Thank you for your support.
Bonjour – Hello Aurevoir – Goodbye
Les numéros-numbers Les couleurs-colors
0-zéro rouge- red
1-un orange- orange
2-deux jaune- yellow
3-trois vert- green
4-quatre bleu- blue
5-cinq violet- purple
6- six marron/brun- brown
7-sept rose- pink
8-huit gris- gray
9-neuf noir- black
10-dix blanc- white
Comment ça va? – how are you?
Ça va bien! – It’s going great!
Merci – thank you
De rien – you’re welcome
MIAM, MIAM*
Each month your children can look forward to a food day in which they will be
able to sample some French cuisine.
Thank you to all of the parents who have already volunteered. September's
featured food is Brie cheese and baguette bread. Merci Mrs. Morrisroe, Mrs.
O'Brien, Mrs. Gannon, and Mrs. Harris!
Please let me know if your child has any food allergies so that we can make
any necessary accommodations.
*That’s French for “yum yum.”
4th grade Nouvelles
At the 4th grade level, the French program is designed to review and also
build on the themes that were covered in the previous grades. We will be
using the Visages 2 series to support our curriculum. Thanks to the PTA,
each student will receive a workbook that follows each unit of instruction.
The 4th graders will complete authentic tasks and projects that involve both
oral and written communication in French.
We will have some written tests, but the majority of their grades will
reflect class participation and cooperation.
You will find that many of the activities that we do in French class actually
reinforce what your children are learning with their classroom teachers.
Don’t worry if your child is new to French, he/she will catch up in a
surprisingly short time.
Nevertheless, here are some helpful hints for all students:
Watch me, what I’m pointing to, and use the pictures to aid understanding.
Listen attentively for familiar words and words that sound similar in English.
If you didn’t catch something the first time, follow a classmate’s example.
THEMATIC VOCABULARY
I will include new vocabulary and/or activities in the following newsletters,
please practice them with your child. Thank you for your support. With your
help, we will have a great year of learning French!
MIAM MIAM!!*
Each month your children can look forward to a food day in which they will be
able to sample some French cuisine.
Thank you to all of the parents who have already volunteered. September's
featured food isa cheese sampling with baguette bread. Merci Mrs. Hinternhoff
and Mrs. Porson!
*That’s French for “yum yum.”
5th Grade Nouvelles
At the 5th grade level, the French program is designed to review and also
build on the themes that were covered in the previous grades. We will be
using the Visages 3 series in the 5th grade classes. The thematic units in
the Visages program include a variety of age-appropriate activities that will
broaden the students’ base of vocabulary, useful phrases, songs, and
francophone culture. The 5th graders will complete authentic tasks and
projects that involve both oral and written communication in French. The
students can expect some written tests, quizzes, and projects, but the
majority of their grades will reflect class participation.
MIAM MIAM!*
Each month your children can look forward to a food day in which they will be
able to sample some French cuisine.
Thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered.
Merci beaucoup to our October French food volunteers —– Madame Ladisic and
Madame Beckley! The students adore mousse au chocolat.
