Lac du Bois

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P1090324.jpgP1090323.jpgP1090325.jpgP1090328.jpgP1090330.jpgP1090337.jpgP1090340.jpgWe bid adieu to Lac du Bois this morning after spending a magnificent weekend learning all sorts of French expressions, songs, games, dances, etc. I told the kids that this has been a wonderful weekend. I am incredibly proud of them for trying new things, for speaking French, for being the kind and thoughtful kids they are.

Merci!
Madame JP1090343.jpg







Les photos!

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Bonjour!

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Bonjour!

 It looks like a winter wonderland up here at Lac du Bois this morning! Beautiful! Our magnificent fourth graders are embracing this experience and have been actively engaged in all the activities. I am very proud of them! One of the counselors informed me that in his cabin this morning, one of our MPA students gave the rest of the cabin a French lesson! Fantastique!

I am including photos from our arrival yesterday at the Douane (customs). The kids checked into camp, exchanged money, chose activities for today and made name tags with their newly chosen French names!

Today is our busy day! We had "the most amazing petit dejeuner (breakfast)" this morning. How can you possibly go wrong with a big bowl of hot chocolate, NUTELLA, cereal, yogurt, fruit and juice? Miam, miam!  This morning the kids are playing. They are rotating through various activities including: awélé, course de café, concentration and making bannique (roasting bread on sticks over an open fire).

After lunch, our fourth graders will have the opportunity to try out their shopping vocabulary words when the store and candy shop will be open. They will also participate in an activity they selected last night. Some will be playing music, or creating art, playing handball,  playing games, and much more! We'll then head off for dance lessons before preparing for our banquet this evening. A very full day, to say the least.

The kids are happy and really trying to speak as much French as possible. They are kind, polite and eager to learn!

Madame Johnson




French Camp!

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Bonsoir!

We have arrived safe and sound! I shall post photos shortly!

Mme Johnson

Concordia Language Villages - 4/15- 4/17

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Greetings! I am including in this post a copy of the letter going home this afternoon with times and other important pieces of information. The packet coming home with your child includes: the letter below, a phone tree, the official letter from camp with FAQs, and the packing list. It looks as if it will be chilly this weekend. Please make sure your child has warm clothing.  


We are going to have a wonderful weekend!


Mme Johnson



 Dear Fourth Grade Families,

Just a reminder  that we are leaving for Concordia Language Camp Friday, April 15th, at approximately 11:30am. Please eat lunch at home before we leave. Additionally, the bus stops at a fast food restaurant at the midpoint of our ride so children can purchase  a snack. Please do not send other snacks for the bus ride as the bus company does not allow any eating on the bus. Games and books are encouraged to help pass the time. Please do not send any electronic games as camp is comprised of children from many different schools and it is easy for your child's electronic game to end up with the wrong owner and really no way for us to track it down.

 

Your child should come dressed in camp clothes. Make sure to pack lots of warm clothes and rain gear. It is often chillier up north and we want them to be able to participate in all outdoor activities. The more things you label with their name the more things will come home at the end of the weekend.

 

The bus is scheduled to arrive at Mounds Park Academy on Sunday between 3:30pm and 4:00pm. Please arrive at the earlier time so your child will not be disappointed if we get to school early and you are not there. They are generally very excited to see their family once again. On the other hand, do not worry if we are late as a road trip is always difficult to predict. We do  have a phone tree and will call if we have an emergency or an unforeseen delay. We suggest you talk with your child about the amount of spending money they can bring with them to camp. Please take into consideration the two snack stops at the fast food restaurant plus the souvenir  and candy store at the camp. 


Many thanks!

Unit 3

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We have just started studying Unit 3 in the DF Bleu textbook. We are focusing on vocabulary related to activities, telephone, vacations, sports, and general information. Grammar concepts are going to include: conjugating the verb être, and regular -er verbs, verbs plus the infinitive, question words, the verb faire and being able to express surprise or mild doubt. Cultural concepts will include: activities, parties and festivals, and francophone music.

I am incredibly proud of this class. They are doing a great job not only learning and applying these new concepts, but they are working hard at speaking French in class, writing, reading and following directions.
Concordia camp update: By now you have received all the information regarding camp and if you still owe money for the trip. Please turn in your checks (if this pertains to you) to me as soon as possible. After break we'll begin preparing for our wonderful trip to Lac du Bois!!!  -Madame Johnson

Recipes

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 images.jpgLes crêpes  

This is by far the best recipe for crêpes I have ever used.  My uncle Roger was a chef in France and desserts were his specialty.  I am proud to share this with you!


•    The crêpe batter should be made the day before and placed in the refrigerator.  It also tastes fine if you make it just before you cook up the crêpes.  I have done it both ways with great results.

Ingredients:
¾ cup of flour
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice (from an orange or lemon)
1 cup of milk
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter * to be added to the batter just before cooking the crêpes.   


Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, and put in refrigerator for a day (or a few hours). Add the melted butter to the batter just before you cook the crêpes. Pour a little batter into a hot frying pan or crêpe pan (if you have one) and spread the batter so that a thin layer covers the entire pan. Crêpes are very thin pancakes, so do not use too much batter.  Flip the crêpe when the edges begin to brown.  Because you add the melted butter to the batter, there is no need to grease the pan. You should make about 10 crêpes.


Spread either sugar, lemon juice, any flavor of jam, or Nutella (contains nuts) on the crêpe. Roll the crêpe up and enjoy!


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Vinaigrette Recipe

This is another family recipe and a prefect dressing for a green salad.

In a small bowl mix:
1 tsp honey mustard
salt and pepper
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
fresh finely chopped chives
garlic powder (to taste)

I sometimes double the recipe if I am preparing a large salad. I also add parsley if I have it on hand. The honey mustard is key in this recipe. I suggest you add salt and pepper and garlic to taste. I usually just sprinkle enough of each of these ingredients to lightly cover the bottom of the bowl. Add a little at first and taste it. You can always add more.


Lac du Bois

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Au revoir! We have had a fabulous time here at Lac du Bois!

 As we busy ourselves with packing, cleaning our cabins and saying goodbye to our new friends, I'd like to take this moment to say just how proud I am of our fantastic 4th grade French students! They have embraced French this weekend, been polite and respectful, and had a great time in the process! I look forward to traveling with them again in the future!

Don't forget to ask about:
La salade
Pêche, pomme, poire, abricot...

Merci et à la prochaine!

Madame Johnson

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Lac du Bois

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While our fabulous 4th grade French students are busy reflecting and writing "un petit poème" to be shared with the group after our banquet meal this evening, I thought I'd take a moment or two to add some more photos and fill you in on what we have been up to here at French camp!

After a delicious breakfast we learned a few more songs and then in our families (and for the record, it's MaRsupilani not Masupilani) we partook in four different and interesting activities; historical games, an interesting  ball game, fanorona (a game from Madagascar), vocabulary and all the necessary lingo for making purchases in the stores here at camp, and concentration; a game where you have to figure out what the rule is in order to win.

We had quite a treat for lunch! Each family grabbed a picnic bag and chose lovely spots around camp and by the lake to have a picnic!  My group chose the lake, right by a beaver dam... for real!  I'll add a picture of it below.

After lunch, we had several options including a film, games, etc., but shopping seemed to be the most popular! Our MPA French students tried out their shopping vocabulary and bought lots of French candy and Fanta!  Thankfully, the counselors followed this activity with a vigorous dance lesson!

When we arrived yesterday, students were asked to choose an activity for this afternoon. The choices included: le handball, la cuisine (cooking), le cirque and le yoga. I'm adding some photos along with this entry of these events!

Well, it looks as if we need to go dress up for the banquet this evening. I'll add more later!

Madame JohnsonP1070153.jpgP1070125.jpgP1070166.jpgP1070169.jpgP1070119.jpgP1070115.jpgP1070113.jpgP1070112.jpgP1070110.jpgP1070101.jpg

Lac du Bois!!!

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P1070079.jpgOur fabulous 4th grade French students are settling in well to life here at Lac du Bois and really embracing the language and culture!  We are living in chalets with the exotic names of Bruxelles, Lome, Strasbourg and Saint Boniface. We have also all  been assigned families for meals. The names of our families are taken from popular cartoon characters like: Masupilani, Spirou, Schtroumf, Prince et Princesse, Petit Nicolas, Famille Choupignon, Lagaffe, Mimi-Cracra and Asterix!

The counselors are fabulous and have been teaching us all sorts of songs and games. I am hearing lots of French from our MPA students, which is fantastique! This morning Alex E., Hayley H., Aly A., and Silvia H. volunteered to be "super français" which means that they get to wear special tags all day and have agreed to speak French all day (no English, Italian, Russian, Spanish, etc.)

Off to play some games and learn more songs!

Madame Johnson

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