In this issue
Preschool / Petite section		Pre-K / Moyenne section		K / Grande section		1st g / CP		2nd g / CE1
3rd g / CE2		4th g / CM1		5th / CM2		Alumni Spotlight		CAIS Workshop Dictee de la Baie

Preschool / Petite section

Les boulangers en herbe

Nous avons étudié l’album La petite poule rousse de Byron Barton. C’est l’histoire d’une petite poule qui fait pousser du blé pour en faire de la farine. Avec la farine, elle décide de faire du pain.
Comme la petite poule rousse, nous avons fabriqué du pain en classe. Tout d’abord, nous avons versé les ingrédients dans un saladier. Puis, nous avons pétri pour obtenir une belle boule de pâte. Nous l’avons laissée reposer une heure et l’avons mise au four. Nous avons dégusté le pain à l’heure du goûter avec de la pâte à tartiner au chocolat et de la confiture….quel délice !

Pre-K / Moyenne section

Les abeilles

C’est le printemps et la nature reprend vie, nous avons appris que les fleurs ont besoin des abeilles pour faire des fruits et que si les abeilles venaient à disparaître, plus de la moitié des fruits que l’on trouve au marché manquerait.
Le papa de Natasha Vallancey est venu dans la classe pour nous présenter quelques spécimens de sa ruche, la reine n’était pas là mais nous savons qu’elle est très importante et qu’elle est plus grosse que les autres abeilles. La durée de vie des abeilles est d’environ trois semaines, le goût du miel dépend des fleurs qui ont été butinées, nous avons d’ailleurs eu la chance d’avoir un petit pot de miel chacun.

Le système solaire

Nous avons parlé du système solaire. Nous avions plein de questions et plein de commentaires (certains plus ou moins justes !!).  Nous avons appris que notre soleil est une étoile et qu’il y a 8 planètes. Nous essayons de nous rappeller de leurs noms. Josie a apporté un appareil avec une lampe pour le soleil et un bras qui tient la Terre.  Quand on tourne le bras, la Terre tourne sur elle-même et autour du soleil. On a éteint les lumières et fermé les rideaux de la classe pour être dans l’obscurité et on a collé avec de la pâte à modeler un petit nounours sur la Terre. On a ri quand il tournait avec la Terre et on l’a suivi des yeux quand il faisait jour ou qu’il faisait nuit. Nous avons collé sur le mur de la classe le soleil et ses planètes, à leurs distances respectives du soleil. On a vu que les 4 premières planètes sont proches mais que les autres sont très loin.  Nous sommes aussi allés dans notre cour de récréation pour lancer une fusée en papier. Nous avons sursauté la première fois qu’elle a décollé !! Elle est montée à plus de 2 mètres. Demandez-nous comment on la fait décoller. Nous avons bien ri !

Papier recyclé

Du papier recyclé en classe de Moyenne et Petite Sections !
Nous avons fait quelque chose de très spécial : nous avons fabriqué du papier recyclé. D’abord, nous avons coupé des petits bouts de papier journal et nous les avons mis à tremper dans de l’eau pendant une nuit. Le lendemain, la maîtresse a broyé les morceaux de papier et cela a fait une pâte grise. Nous avions chacun un plateau avec un grillage sur lequel nous avons étalé la pâte. Nous avons appuyé plusieurs fois dessus pour enlever l’eau. Puis nous avons mis notre feuille de papier recyclé à sécher sur le bord de la fenêtre.
Une fois les feuilles sèches, nous avons fait de beaux dessins dessus et nous les avons affichées dans la classe. Nous vous invitons à venir les admirer dans notre classe.

St. Patrick’s Day cookies

 In March the children got the chance to make St. Patrick’s Day cookies in celebration of this special day. We started the process with a recipe for cookie dough that was given to us by a parent in our class. The children were involved in every step of the process of making the cookies and they also had the opportunity to learn a little bit about Ireland, shamrocks and crafty leprechauns! We talked about the ingredients that we used, how to follow a recipe and how the batter becomes solid once it is baked. The cookies were then shaped like shamrocks and then taken home and baked to be brought back the next day to be eaten for snack! The children thoroughly enjoyed the cooking activity and are looking forward to doing more.

K / Grande section

Les musiciens

Jeudi 12 mars était un jour important pour nos petits chanteurs et musiciens.
De leur plus belle voix et munis de leurs instruments, la petite troupe a donne sa représentation en exclusivité pour son public de choix. Parents et élèves de toute l’école étaient venus les écouter et les applaudir.

Des invités de prestige

Nous avons eu l’immense joie d’accueillir des abeilles à l’école . Ces insectes extraordinaires ont ensoleillé notre journée.
Les enfants ont pu profiter d’observations, d’informations et même d’une séance de dégustation de glace au miel. Chaque enfant a pu repartir avec son petit pot de miel pour le gouter à la maison.
Un grand MERCI à Mr Vallancey d’avoir partagé avec nous un peu de son temps et ses connaissances pour le plus grand plaisir et l’immense intérêt des enfants.

Au coin des artistes

Dans la continuité de l’exploitation de l’album géant sur le castor AMIDOU, les enfants ont illustré un passage de leur choix sur cette belle histoire. Ces productions réalisées a la pastel à l’huile et à l’aquarelle ont fait notre fierté. Le 1er Avril est proche et met en scène nos poissons arc-en ciel. [papier déchiré, pastels estompes et aquarelles]

1st g / CP

Les CP vous proposent des devinettes avec les sons [g] et [j]

On y fait du surf,
Elles se soulèvent et s’abaissent,
Elles peuvent être dangereuses et ravageuses lors d’une tempête ou d’un tsunami,
On entend le son [g] quand on me prononce,
Que suis-je ?

Je les mets quand il fait froid dehors,
Je peux aussi en mettre pour jardiner, pour nettoyer ou pour ne pas me brûler en sortant un plat du four,
On entend le son [g] quand on me prononce,
Que suis-je ?

Je lis pour avoir des informations ou des nouvelles,
Les grandes personnes le lisent et le trouvent intéressant,
Il s’achète chaque jour,
Il existe dans tous les pays et toutes les langues,
On entend le son [j] quand on me prononce
Que suis-je ?

Elle a un long cou, quatre très hautes pattes,
Elle habite dans les savanes sur le continent africain
On entend le son [j] quand on me prononce,
Qui suis-je ?

• Les réponses :
  les vagues
  les gants
  le journal
  la girafe

Honey Bees

On March 18th, Mark Vallancey (a kindergarten parent) spoke to the first grade class about bees. He brought with him a bee hive and we learned about the lives of bees.  Mr. Vallancey brought a small jar of honey for each child, and he told us that honey doesn’t ever spoil.   Mr.  Vallency has two hives and this is a hobby of his.  This was an informative and fun presentation.  Thank you, Mr. Vallancey!  

2nd g / CE1

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflower paintings have been duplicated many times by various artists (although never reaching the vivacity and intensity of Van Gogh's) and displayed everywhere; from households to art expos to schools.
On Monday, March 30th, the second grade class did their very best to copy Van Gogh’s painting.  Please take time to walk by the second grade board in the hallway to see what magnificent work they did.

Le projet théâtre des CE1

Nous avons préparé avec Solange des petites pièces de théâtre que nous allons présenter aux familles et à d’autres classes de l’école.
Nous avons d’abord lu tous les textes, puis nous avons pu choisir les rôles que nous voulions jouer. Ensuite nous avons commencé à répéter.
Les pièces de théâtre les plus drôles sont « en voiture », « les couleurs », « les grenouilles », « c’est kiki », « la petite souris », « la mauvaise note » ; et les plus intéressantes sont « sans fil », « trouvé n’est pas volé » et « petits musiciens ».
Certains enfants ont trouvé le travail facile, ceux qui ont des rôles plus longs ont trouvé que c’était un peu plus difficile.
Il va falloir aussi s’occuper des costumes et des décors.
Les photos de notre spectacle seront dans la prochaine gazette.

3rd g / CE2

Chabot Space Center

Jeudi 19 mars quand on était à Chabot Space Center, moi j’ai aimé la classe de sciences car cela m’a beaucoup appris et c’était amusant.  On a fait des activités sur la santé et des jeux. J’ai appris qu’il n’y a pas de gravité dans l’espace et les astronautes doivent mettre des couches avec de la poudre chimique. (Alexandra)
                                                                                   
Ce que j’ai le plus aimé au musée, et qui m’a aussi étonné c’était l’expérience avec la balle qu’il fallait lancer dans une boîte avec des lunettes qui faisaient changer la vue. (Anselme)

Mon moment  préféré est  quand on a vu la planète Saturne parce que c’est ma planète préférée. J’ai aussi bien aimé pendant le premier film les explosions. J’ai aussi aimé quand le monsieur du livre ne voulait pas aller sur les planètes qu’on ne pouvait pas marcher dessus ou c’est trop chaud ou trop froid et les enfants voulaient vraiment y aller.
(Mel)

J’ai aimé le laboratoire de Biologie qui était très intéressant car j’ai pu voir comment la super éponge chimique marche et combien d’eau il faut mettre  pour que la poudre chimique bouge. J’ai aimé voir le film Le Voyage Cosmique, voir les sciences dans l’espace et tout ce qui est dans une goutte d’eau .J’espère qu’un jour je pourrai  aller dans l’espace. (Sami)

La partie que j’ai aimé le plus c’était quand  on est allé au IMAX film du planétarium. J’ai aussi aimé quand on était avec le monsieur pour faire les expériences avec lui. J’ai aussi aimé  quand on a vu le télescope. (Emiliano)

A Chabot, j’ai vu plein de choses intéressantes, mais ce que j’ai préféré c’était d’aller dans la classe (à Chabot) et de faire des choses différentes comme : essayer de construire des objets avec des mains d’astronautes, essayer de rester en équilibre sur des planches de bois qui bougent. (Laurenn)

Hier je suis allé à Chabot et j’ai adoré : l’Imax, la classe de biologie (manipulation de l’eau jaune pour voir combien elle peut en tenir), le Planétarium, la tranquillité du lunch, le bus de retour et le magasin était bien. (Tim)

Le moment préféré c’est quand Alexandra et moi avons fait le travail de couches  et que les astronautes ont besoin d’aller aux toilettes. (Ils  sont obligés de porter des couches). Il fallait mesurer combien de litres la couche pouvait tenir.
Et j’aimais bien monter sur les planches pour se tenir en équilibre. J’ai bien aimé aller au musée. La dernière chose que j’ai aimé voir c’est le premier film qui nous apprenait beaucoup de choses sur les planètes. (Fiona)

Hier je suis allé au musée Chabot Space Center  à Oakland. J’ai préféré le dernier film parce qu’il m’a appris plein de choses et c’était rigolo. J’ai appris qu’il y a des planètes sur lesquelles on ne peut pas marcher. Il y a aussi des planètes dangereuses et trop froides. J’ai aussi aimé la classe de biologie parce qu’on a fait plein d’expériences. (Cameron)

Mon moment préféré était au planétarium. Il y avait un film qui montrait deux garçons qui ont construit une fusée en carton. Puis ils allaient sur toutes les planètes. Ils avaient emporté un livre sur l’astronomie qui disait les informations et les dangers sur le soleil et sur les planètes. Il y avait aussi un garçon qui ignorait les dangers et faisait ce qu’il ne fallait pas faire. Mais il y avait un ordinateur qui disait les dangers alors le garçon qui faisait ce qu’il ne fallait pas faire perdait toujours. J’ai appris qu’il y a des dangers sur des planètes. (Kenji)

Special Events in Third Grade

We had two wonderful visits in March from parents who shared their special knowledge with us.
Mark Vallancey came with bees from his bee hive and explained how the bees live and work together, clean the hive and produce the honey.  As a special bonus Mark gave each student a jar of honey to take home!
On Saint Patrick’s Day we had a visit from Pauline Dhellemmes who comes from Ireland.  She decorated our notice board with Irish information and pictures, taught us how to say some words in Irish, and lent us some books about Ireland.  The students enjoyed homemade cookies, and even had the chance to make a shamrock necklace!
A big thank you to both parents for taking the time to visit our classroom.

4th g / CM1

Deux supers sorties ! Le Tech Museum et Chabot Space Center !

Notre visite au Tech Museum de San Jose
Nous sommes allés à ce musée pour faire un atelier sur le thème des tremblements de terre.
Nous avons construit une maison par groupe.
Notre but était que nos maisons résistent aux secousses.
On nous a donné du matériel :
- un pistolet à colle avec des recharges de colle
- une règle
- des bâtonnets
- des ciseaux
- des élastiques
- un petit personnage
- des tickets pour acheter du terrain pour notre maison et d’autre matériel.
C’était comme des problèmes à résoudre en suivant les consignes suivantes :
Notre maison devait mesurer 25 cm ou plus de hauteur
Les activités étaient chronométrées.
Notre maison devait résister au tremblement de terre pendant 15 secondes.
Notre maison devait avoir deux étages.
Notre petit personnage devait rester sur le 2ème étage sans tomber pendant le tremblement de terre de 15 secondes et on n’avait pas le droit de le coller.
 
Le groupe Eileen-Elise-Anna:
Notre 2ème maison a résisté, mais pas la première.

Le groupe Alexander-Sédric-Thomas-Brandon:
Notre 1ère maison s’est écroulée parce que la maison d’un autre groupe est tombée dessus mais notre 2ème maison a résisté un peu plus longtemps.

Le groupe Auréann-Natalia-Elodie:
Notre 1ère maison est tombée juste avant les 15 secondes, mais la 2ème maison a résisté.

Nous sommes aussi allés à Chabot Space Center – on a adoré ces activités d’astronautes !

Spring in 4th Grade-Field Trips, Coloma, Our Reflections

This past March, the FASSV 4th graders worked efficiently in all academic areas of our curriculum and also went on some exciting field trips.  Early in the month of March we went to the Tech Museum of Innovation, located in downtown San Jose.  The class went with our teachers, Anastasia and Marie-Claire, and also the 5th grade class and teachers, Penny and Martine.  We had another field trip on March 19, 2009 to Chabot Space Science Center, located in Oakland.  The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes all attended the Chabot field trip, as this has become a FASSV tradition every school year.  This was an outing requiring a lot of preparations in class; along with Penny and the 5th graders.  At Chabot, students launched a mission to the moon, explored the museum exhibits, and watched an IMAX movie about the possibility of life on other planets.  We also enjoyed a personalized tour of Chabot’s three telescopes.  We learned that the telescopes had special names and are open for free public viewing on Friday and Saturday evenings when the skies become dark.  Even better, each student wore his or her own t-shirt commemorating FASSV’s 2009 Chabot visit; featuring an iron-on image of a lovely drawing by 5th grader Kay Boissy. 

The 4th graders are leaving for Coloma on Monday, April 6, 2009.  We have been learning about the gold rush in our study of California history to prepare for this exciting adventure.  We will report on our Coloma happenings in the next issue of the Gazette!
Here are some reflections from the 4th graders about our recent adventures:
At Chabot I liked the trip to the moon, the telescope room, and the movie we watched in the planetarium. (Alexander Eischen)

This March the 4th graders worked hard on our curriculum and also went on some field trips. We went to the Tech Museum. We learned about earthquakes, and we made these little buildings out of popsicle sticks. It had to hold without falling during an earthquake of 15 seconds.
At Chabot Space Center we accomplished our mission to the moon.  We had each a T-shirt featuring an iron-on image of the lovely drawing by 5th grader Kay Boissy. (Anna Bakalov)

This past March, the FASSV 4th graders worked on these packets about the gold rush. We learned a lot of things about the gold rush like this janitor who worked at the mint (a bank) was supposed to get rid of rats. He got rid of the rats but each day he would take 20 gold bricks and sewed them into the rats before throwing them away, and then he would collect the money.
 We also learned that basically the whole population of San Francisco lowered to 200 people. Many men and women left their families to look for gold. Gold fever wasn’t an actual sickness; they just compared it to having a fever because they were so excited to find gold. There were also a lot of consequences such as your  back and hands would get sore, it was really easy to get tired, and it was hard work.
We’re going to get to go to Coloma this April and I’m really excited to be going! (Brandon Roul)

This past March, the FASSV 4th graders worked efficiently in all academic areas of our curriculum and also went on some exciting field trips. Early in the month of March we went to the Tech Museum of innovation in downtown San José. The 5th graders went with us to also the teachers’ Marie-Claire, Penny, Martine and Anastasia. We also went to Chabot Space Center, that is very fun. We went on a fancy bus and we also saw 3 telescopes and they all had names. They also have free nights at the space center to see the stars. We did get our picture on the bulletin board saying that we accomplished our mission; we are also going to Coloma which is going to be very fun. (Eileen Faury)

This past March, the FASSV 4th and 5th graders went to them Tech Museum of Innovation. It was fun because we had to build a building out of wooden sticks 25 cm. tall so it can resist an earthquake.
Also we went to Chabot Space and Science Museum where we were supposed to complete a mission to the moon. I had a pretty hard and important role, because I was on the Navigation Team (NAV) where I had to land the space ship. (Sedric Grady)

Our March field trips were a great success to the 5th graders and the 4th graders! We had so many exciting field trips, like: The Chabot observatory, the Tech museum… At Chabot, we had to launch a mission on the moon and return to Earth safe and sound. Our launching was going smoothly, and we had lots of problems to put us in jeopardy.
We have been hit by little meteors, and a few minutes later, we had a big damage caused by a gigantic meteor!
The lights went out and we quickly fixed the problem! We explored the museum with curiosity after our mission was completed. The Tech Museum was very interesting, too. We got to do a structure and test it if it can survive, then we made another one with a little figure and pretended that it contained 100 people. Her name was Betty. She survived many of our structures without falling!
Then we spent the rest of the time exploring the museum in different groups. We had so much fun! (Natalia Spritzer)

This spring in 4th grade first we went to the tech museum, where we made earthquake proof houses and lots of other cool stuff. We also went to Chabot Space and Science Center.   We did a mission where we had to return to the moon and I was in the Navigation team. Then we looked at some telescopes and we also went to the planetarium. I was very pleased to go to Chabot. Soon we will be going to Coloma. I bet that it will be lots of fun!! (Thomas Greenhill)

5th / CM2

Chabot

Le jeudi 19 mars, les élèves de cycle 3 sont allés au Chabot Space and Science center. Nous, les élèves de CM1 et Cm2 avons participé à une mission. Nous avons lancé une navette dans l’espace pour la mettre en orbite autour de la lune. C’était très cool ! Nous portions tous un tee-shirt blanc sur lequel il y avait le logo de notre mission. La moitié du groupe est allé dans la navette pendant que l’autre procédait au lancement. Nous avions tous un travail bien précis à faire et nous devions travailler tous ensemble pour réussir notre mission. C’était cool ! Ensuite, nous sommes allés au planétarium, c’était impressionnant. Nous avons déjeuné dans le jardin, puis nous sommes partis visiter le musée. C’était très intéressant. Cette journée est passée bien trop vite.

CYRM Voting Takes Place

What an amazing day we had!  On Wednesday, March 25, 2009, the 5th grade class invited the kindergarten-4th grade classes to come vote for their favorite picture book/novel.  These books were chosen by the CYRM (California Young Reader Medal). 
The picture books that the K-3rd graders had to vote for were:

The 3rd-5th graders also had to vote for some picture books, these included:

The 3rd-5th  graders also had to read 3 novels and vote on their favorite. 
The 3 novels were:

On May 1st, 2009, the results from all participating schools will be available. 
To find the list of the winning titles please visit the CYRM website at www.californiayoungreadermedal.org

Alumni Spotlight

Name: AJ Shalabi
Year graduated from FASSV: 1999     
Languages spoken: English and French

Schools attended since FASSV
Middle School(s): Fisher Middle School (Los Gatos, CA)
High School(s): Los Gatos High School
University(s): UCLA

If in University, what is your major?  If not yet in University, what do you want to study later on?  Why is that field of interest to you?
I am currently studying to be an aerospace engineer, with a technical breadth in engineering sciences. Ever since my stepdad bought me my first model rocket, I've wanted to be an aerospace engineer. I'm hoping to eventually one day design a space shuttle that will further our reach into space.

What career do you think you might like to pursue as an adult?
While NASA is always an ideal dream, I think I would much prefer going with a private company that deals with rockets, such as Northrop, Boeing or Lockheed.

What are your pastimes and interests (extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, etc.)
I'm currently involved in Baja, which is a club that builds an off-road vehicle and competes in national competitions in the spring. I also love to play basketball and soccer with my friends whenever I have free time. If I'm not doing any of that, I'm simply listening to music as I do my homework.

What is your favorite memory from your years at FASSV?
My favorite memory would have to be playing soccer with everyone on the field near the school. We would always use the trees as goal posts, and our field was always wider than it was long.

What is something you appreciate about France or the French culture?
(it could be anything such as a favorite city, food, musician, author, film-maker, movie, or lifestyle?)
I love Paris as a city, but the south of France is so much more laid back. Paris still has the hustle and bustle of a large city (not to mention a great metro system), but cities like Nice just feel more at home.
And how can someone NOT love French food?

How has learning French impacted your life?
(has it enabled you to do better in school, in other languages, to travel, communicate with others abroad, led you down an unexpected path, etc.).
Learning French has affected me in multiple ways. I have the option to travel to France at anytime without being out of place, and during high school I had the chance to do so.
More importantly though, the time and dedication it took to learning a completely different language helped me throughout my academic life. I developed the drive and determination needed to arrive at UCLA because I started off by working hard to learn French at FASSV

Do you keep in touch with your former classmates from FASSV?  If so,with whom?
Sadly, I don't keep in touch with too many of my former classmates. I still keep in touch with Laurent Ginestet every once in a while, but different schools took us down different paths.

Teachers' In-Service

CAIS Worshops

On Monday, March 9, 2009, I attended a wonderful inservice day in Oakland at Head-Royce School, with my fellow FASSV colleagues.  My workshops were highly informative and strongly pertained to my daily teaching.  Going to an event such as this is truly a learning experience: being in classes again as a student; the camaraderie amongst fellow educators; and also a reminder of the privilege and responsibility we have been entrusted with in the teaching your children.

The first workshop of the day that Penny and I attended was on the topic of easing the transition to middle school; taught by middle school teacher Dawn Carleton of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School.  As 4th   & 5th grade teachers, it is never too early to start thinking about the year after next, and what needs to be done in the present to prepare for this massive transition.  Ms. Carleton addressed the importance of preparing students for middle school by emphasizing the development of study skills, organization, and time management.  Her presentation gave us a further understanding of what challenges children face as they transition to many classes and teachers a day. Furthermore, this workshop affirmed to us that we 4th and 5th grade teachers must do our best in training our students to ensure that they are prepared for all aspects of this life change. (Anastasia Thomas and Penny Pagonis)

The second workshop Martine and I attended emphasized the use of establishing positive dynamics with each child while establishing a positive classroom community.  “Creating A Classroom That Works” stated that the authoritarian and permissive approach to discipline often do not work, and can easily backfire on the unsuspecting teacher.  Stacie Newman, of The Harker School, reminded us attendees that as teachers, we set the tone in our classroom.  It is up to the teacher as to what type of environment we want our students to enter into and leave.  We found Ms. Newman’s words very relevant and were once again reaffirmed of the type of classroom that we find effective:  organized, peaceful, fair, structured, and positive. (Anastasia Thomas and Martine Trusz)

Georgia Ellis, Martine Trusz and Anastasia Thomas both attended a workshop featuring the keynote speaker, Dr. Rob Evans, entitled “Family Matters: Dealing With Today’s Parents”.  Dr. Evans stressed that parents are anxious in these uncertain times; and addressed ways in which parents and teachers can work together to allow each child to have a positive journey during their years at a school.  Having confidence in a school’s philosophy creates an enriching and enjoyable experience for all, according to Dr. Evans. (Georgia Ellis, Martine Trusz, and Anastasia Thomas)

On April 9th, I attended a workshop entitled:”Newton and you: Inquiry into Force and Motion”.
It was an interactive workshop presented by two teachers on a thematic unit on force and motion aimed at 2nd and 3rd grades but definitely modifiable for older grades. The focus was the Three Laws of Motion of Newton.    
They started by explaining the 3 laws of motion and giving some word definitions. Then we moved to activities.
Basic concepts of force and motion (like gravity, center of gravity, centripetal and centrifugal forces, inertia, acceleration and friction) were illustrated through a series of discovery-based activities such as building a marble roller coaster, exploring center of gravity of  our body and of objects, playing with centripetal and centrifugal toys, hot wheel racers, modifying the mass of object by adding weight and observing the effect on speed and distance.
It was an enjoyable and excellent hands-on workshop, which gave us new ideas applicable in the classroom. (Josie Bove-Salama)

I participated in an elementary P.E. activities workshop for first-fifth grades using noodles, playground balls, hula hoops,
beach balls, and unstable platforms aimed at developing balance, tracking skills, and general fitness. This workshop was interesting and provided me with some ideas for fun games for the students.
The other 2 workshops were computer-related.  One workshop presented multiple free technologies (notably Google Docs, Audacity). One workshop demonstrated how videos, audio, and effects can create more engaging and interactive multimedia presentations. Both workshops provided me with some elements to adapt and integrate in my students activities in our computer lab. (Marie-Claire Vacher)

On Monday, March 9th the entire staff attended various workshops sponsored by CAIS at the Head Royce School in Oakland. The workshops included tips and techniques to be employed to aid the effectiveness of teaching strategies in the classroom. We all attended three workshops which were about an hour to an hour and a half long. Out of the three I have to say the the Intery to Mintery Nursery Rhymes class was the best. It was upbeat and fun and quite the way that I would imagine the preschool/prek classes to look like. The presenter engaged the class in clapping, singing and rhythm exercises and closed with a poem by William Carlos Williams. This class offered practical and fun material to introduce to the children that could also be adapted for older kids as well (April London)

The first class I chose at the CAIS workshop focused on communication between parents, teachers/ administration.  At this workshop two division heads and a parent discussed how to create a successful and meaningful communication system that places partnership at the center of the conversation thus helping to avoid resentment and misunderstanding.  (Georgia Ellis)

One of the workshops I was able to attend was “Aspergers 101: An Introduction to Terms and Techniques.  This workshop addressed the issue of independent schools seeing an increased number of students who are diagnosed with either High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.  We were provided with an overview of these diagnosis and techniques that can be used in the classroom.  (Melanie Bell)

On Monday, March 9th the entire staff went to the CAIS workshops.
All the staff took a yellow bus to go to Head Royce School in Oakland. We all attended 3 classes during the day.
My first one was about music in 4th and 5th grade and was vey interesting. We experienced activities that lead to mastery in class through a pop song by Manu Chao.
Through learning this piece we also learned much about ensemble, community, chords, call and response and patterns. Every music was a little different because of choices and patterns the students create. (Solange Emsallem)

Web 2.0 for Newcomers
This workshop was for teachers who were familiar with basic computer skills, but wanted to extend their skills using new tools.  We explored many websites and discussed how these websites could be used in the classroom setting. I found this workshop to be very interesting. (Penny Pagonis)

Building Leadership in 5th Grade
In leadership class, a fifth grader (at Head-Royce School in Oakland) once verbalized that, “the goal of a leader is to inspire others to follow.”  The fifth graders at this school focus on public speaking, learning and then educating the younger students on issues about the environment, meeting with school administrator’s about issues in the school and helping run assemblies. 
This workshop was very interesting and even though we were already implementing these ideas in our classroom, we are now ready to implement some new ones. (Martine Trusz and Penny Pagonis)

On March 9, the FASSV faculty spent a day attending workshops at the Northern Regional Meeting of the California Association of Independent Schools.  One of the workshops we attended concerned intervention strategies for struggling readers.  The presenter explained how to teach phonemics and phonics explicitly, and to carry out drills with students who are weak in specific areas.
We are already using some of the methods covered in our Kindergarten reading program; however the workshop included systematic exercises which will be incorporated into our bank of teaching methods.
The workshop was very applicable to our program and many valuable strategies were explained. (Louise Varma and Carine Lahitette)

On Monday, March 9, 2009, I attended a great in service day at Head-Royce School in Oakland.  I went to a variety of workshops, the three of them were very interesting.
The first workshop of the day was on the topic of discipline the brain smart way, it’s always nice to have the opportunity to ear from others how they manage difficult times with kids and to get some advice on how to deal with problems in a different way. It helped me to figure out that there are many ways to create a supportive class community.
The second workshop was about visual arts and how to print on paper, from big to small pieces to create a multiple color print. It was very nice to use paper, scissors and paint with grown ups (you are not scared about dirty brush in your back or scissors next to your hair). I think we will use the techniques in the class with the kids.
The third workshops was featuring Dr. Evans talked about how parents are anxious in these uncertain times, and explained how parents and teachers can work together to help each child to have a positive experience during their school years. (Charlotte Raveneau)

We attended a workshop entitled Impressionist Art and Collaborative Murals in the Kindergarten classroom.  In the first part of the meeting, we were provided with ideas in introducing painting masterpieces of the masters of Impressionism to students.  We were shown ways of guiding the students’ perception in their observations of the details of these pieces, and their communication and expression of it.  After this introductory approach of impressionism, in a second phase, the students were invited to produce artwork applying à la manière de, technique of Matisse, Seurat and Van Gogh.  It was a very simple and effective way of exposing students to such a complex and beautiful art form.
In the second part of the workshop, we were suggested appropriate themes for a commun classroom project, such as murals representing the details of a city, a zoo, or a forest.
Certainly these make fabulous classroom productions, and moreover make the students feel empowered with accomplishment and beauty. (Sophie Volpe and Catherine Wallace)

The Franklin Project
The Franklin Project was designed by History teacher Bruce Taylor “Mr. T”, at Tehiyah Day School.  It examines Benjamin Franklin’s list of 13 virtues from his famous autobiography.  The project is designed to be a powerful student-centered self-discovery program which can be incorporated into a History or Social Studies lesson.   It is ideal for 5th grade and upwards, but can be adapted for younger grades as well.  By working on one virtue week by week, students can gain a tremendous sense of inner strength, self-confidence and self-discipline. (Stephanie Vives)

Study Skills:  The Making or the Breaking of a Successful Middle School Student
This session discuss the Study Skills program at Head-Royce School in Oakland.  The transition from elementary school to middle schools is challenging one in many respects.  Students must learn to deal with multiple subjects, multiple classrooms, and multiple teachers, and can be easily overwhelmed.  Study skills a specific class devoted to teaching students organizational skills, time management, note-taking and researching skills.  Proficiency in these areas can make a significant difference is a student’s learning and performance in academic disciplines. (Stephanie Vives)

Screening of the Documentary “Slipping Behind”
This session discussed the documentary “Slipping Behind” which tackles the tragic side of our achievement-focused society and takes a deep look into the hidden world of over-burdened students and young people who have burned out.  The film provides and in-depth look at the increase demands and stress on today’s elementary, middle, and high school students.  The main story follows a Bay area private school family and their children’s struggles with keeping up with all that is expected of them socially, academically, and emotionally.   The film debates whether or not the young people of today are being prepared to step fully and productively into their future, with passion, creativity and internal motivation.  “Slipping Behind” is a call to families, educators, experts and state and national leaders to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. (Stephanie Vives)

Dictée de la Baie

A vos stylos, prêts, dictée !

Quatre familles de la FASSV (Dardenne, Gackiere, Greenhill et Steuperaert avec 3 adultes et 6 enfants inscrits) se sont retrouvées, ce samedi 28 mars, à la Dictée de la Baie, évènement organisé par San Francisco Bay Accueil (SFBA). Cet évènement se tenait  à l' école bilingue de Berkeley, avec le concours du Consulat général de France, du Consulat général de Suisse, du Consulat général du Canada, du Lycée Franco-américain de San Francisco, du Lycée Français La Pérouse, de l’Ecole Internationale de la Péninsule et de l'Alliance Française de Berkeley.  La Suisse était à l’honneur cette année avec des textes de Corinna Bille et Maurice Chappaz, choisis par une école suisse. 
40 adultes francophones, 15 adultes francophiles et 70 enfants du CP à la première, venus de tous les coins de la baie, se sont battus avec les accords de la grammaire française et les mots insolites. 
Cela s'est fait dans une ambiance décontractée et bon enfant, quand même suivie de longues discussions techniques par les professeurs de français. 
Après l’effort, le réconfort: un délicieux goûter fut servi, suivi d’une remise de prix et certificats par Pierre-François Mourier, Consul général de France et Bernard Jaquet, vice-Consul de la Confédération suisse.  

Les enfants de la FASSV étaient à l'honneur puisqu' il faut noter deux premières places: Hugo Greenhill (CP) et Tim Steuperaert (CE2) et deux secondes places: Anastassia Dardenne (CE1) et Thomas Greenhill (CM1).
Bravo aux enfants et félicitations à l' équipe des enseignants de la FASSV ! Pas de prix cette année pour les parents de la FASSV, mais ils pourront ressayer l' année prochaine pour la 7ème édition de la Dictée de la Baie qui se déroulera à ISTP !

Voici le palmarès complet:

Dictée adultes francophones    
1 Françoise Morelieras
2 Pierre Neuval
3 Yvette Chalom

Dictée adultes francophiles 
1 Connnie Anderson
2 Veronica Kugler
3 Charlie Klein

Dictée élèves CP
1 Hugo Greenhill  FASSV et Ryan Hamidi ISTP

 Dictée élèves CE1  
1 Jules Salters EB et Micah Maheo EB
2 Anastasia Dardenne FASSV
3 Michel Lopez

Dictée élèves  CE2    
1 Tim Steuperaert FASSV
2 Ketan Prunet EB
3 Liana Ndiaye EB

Dictée élèves  CM1
1 Keishi Foecke ISTP
2 Thomas Greenhill  FASSV et Sarah Hamidi ISTP 
3 Margot Thomas EB

Dictée élèves CM2 
1 Alexandre Dusserre-L’heureux La Pérouse
2 Amir Kerrar FAIS
3 Alexandre Thomas EB

Dictée élèves  6ème    
1 Larson Holt FAIS
2 Marc Robert Wong ISTP
3 Natha Canadas EB

Dictée élèves  5ème    
1 Roman Lyman La Pérouse
2 Zacharie Laik Jordan Middle School
3 Amelia Fielding FAIS

Dictée      élèves  4ème 
1 Emilie Robert Wong ISTP
2 Soumeya Kerrar FAIS

Dictée élèves  3ème    
1 Paloma Sat-Vollhardt FAIS
2 Montserrat San Mames FAIS 

Dictée élèves  première
1  Andrew Schreyer

Et le texte de la dictée des CP/CE1 pour vous donner une idée: 

La Neige
Les flocons de neige ont souvent la forme d'une étoile. Les flocons se forment quand il fait froid et se posent lentement sur le sol en silence.
Lorsque les étoiles de glace tombent sur votre visage, elles pincent la peau et fondent sous vos doigts. Sur le sol, l'or blanc brille dans le soleil et garde la marque de vos pas. 
Les enfants aiment se coucher sur le tapis blanc et agiter les bras comme les ailes d'un papillon, mais le plus amusant est la bataille de boules de neige.