Hello

Bonjour!

Hello!

I hope everyone is as excited as I am for school to start up again!

With a new year comes many new changes and a lot of excitement. This year you can add a new teacher into the mix! I know many of you (both students and parents) are likely a little nervous and/or anxious about this change. I am hoping with this introduction to ease some of your worries.

Firstly, here are a few things you should know about me.  I have a Bachelor of Arts in Honours French Literature with an Emphasis in Teacher Education, which I obtained from Trent University.  I then completed my Bachelor of Education with an Emphasis in working with youth at risk from Queen’s University.  I am certified to teach from kindergarten to grade 12 in Ontario schools.  I come to St. Gemma with previous experience in Ottawa at St. Thomas More. I have experience teaching intermediate and senior French, and understand the next steps of your child’s French second language education. I am excited and passionate about making French relatable and useful through authentic learning experiences. I have worked with a variety of organisations that work to build up resiliency skills in junior and intermediate age children to allow them to better address stressors such as self-esteem, body image, relationships, media literacy and mental health. I hope to bring this experience with me into the classroom to create a positive and safe learning environment. I am enthusiastic about building up students to encourage them to take pride in themselves and their accomplishments.  I have coached an array of teams including boys and girls soccer, wrestling, track and field, swimming, and cheerleading. During my undergraduate degree at Trent University, I played soccer on the Women’s Varsity soccer team.  On a personal level, I love outdoor activities, enjoy reading and cooking in my spare time, and love my two Australian Shepherds. 

If you have any questions or concerns I encourage you to contact me at my OCSB email (Jessica.longchamps@ocsb.ca) or to stop in and see me at the school during the week.  I will be continuing Mrs. Oliver’s blog and padlet.  I would also encourage you to “follow” me on Twitter (@MissLongchamps).  I will tweet out news updates, class reminders, and photos of activities we will be doing throughout the day. 

This week in grade 6 we will be continuing to work on the Heritage Fair!

I am looking forward to meeting all of you!