Welcome to Semester 2!

Welcome back to our ESL students!  To those who are new to Saint Mother Teresa High School - Welcome!  We are going to have a good week!  In the next couple of days we will help you learn the routines and expectations and give you opportunities to make new friends.  You will LOVE it here! 

We use this blog, not just for homework, but to share good news, updates and events.   We have had a lot of amazing things happening lately!  Semester 1 was a time for hard work and a lot of fun - From Hallowe'en pumpkin carving, Remembrance Day activities, Christmas parties, games, debates and rousing discussions.   I am so proud of how far you have come!  Everyone's English has improved immensely!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Royal Canadian Legion's awards for the Remembrance Day Literary and Poster contest.  They had over 345 entries.  We had approximately 17 winners from Saint MT - 11 of those were ESL students!  Our students won in the essay, black and white poster, colour poster and poetry categories.  Below are some pictures of your work!  Everyone did amazing work - not just our winners - thanks to everyone who participated! 

  Period 3 and 4 groups also just completed Independent Novel studies using Notice and Note signposts.  These reading strategies for cloze reading worked incredible well.  Everyone finished and enjoyed their novel and were able to pull out amazing evidence from the texts to explain theme and character development.  Your finished mind maps were incredible!  Here are a couple of samples:

   We had such a successful first semester!  I am looking forward to seeing what you accomplish this spring!