Good morning, bonjour and welcome!  If you are reading this, it means you have found Mr./Monsieur Gelder's homework blog.  It is here where you will find important information pertaining to the classes offered by Mr. Gelder at Dundas Valley Secondary School, semester two, 2015-16, which are

FSF1D1-21 (Grade nine academic French, period one)
CHG381-23 (Grade eleven Genocide, period three)
FSF1P1-24 (Grade nine applied French, period four).

There are several ways to get a hold of Mr. Gelder.  They are:

By e-mail: rgelder@hwdsb.on.ca (school e-mail)
By phone: 905-628-2203 ext. 524 (leave a voice mail)
Twitter: @rgelder (This is a personal and NOT a professional account, so be forewarned!)

Also, I am a proponent of using digital tools for direct and frequent communication with students via acceptable and safe platforms.  As such, I will be using a tool known as "Remind" which involves my sending SMS text messages for students who opt in.  I hope as many students will opt in as possible and here's how:

FSF1D1 -  Send a text message with @fsf1d1-20 in the body of the message to 
(289) 803-3108;

FSF1P1 - Send a text message with @fsf1p1-24 in the body of the message to 

(289) 803-3108;

CHG381-23 Send a text message with @chg381-23  in the body of the message to  (289) 803-3108;

I hope to offer a welcoming and supportive environment in all of my classes, where the emphasis is on learning and engaging and not on the "mark" (incidentally, as per the prescription in the provincially-mandated Growing Success document, I will issue a percentage mark only twice this year, at the mid-term and after the final evaluations.  There will be ongoing, fluctuating mark as you may have traditionally seen.  There will be plenty of descriptive feedback along the way, however).

A word about technology:  it is welcome in my class, be it a laptop computer, tablet, smart phone.  Access to digital tools is an effective means by which to not only engage adolescent learners, but to actually teach them.  The only caveat is that the expectation is that such digital tools be used effectively and appropriately during instructional time.

A few other expectations: in terms of French you must understand that it is an interactive, live language and not something that can be simply reduced to worksheets involving verb tenses.  Students are expected to engage and SPEAK in the language.

For Genocide, students will be exposed to some graphic and upsetting material by the very nature of the course.  However, students will be expected to look beyond the material and engage in the course in a critical fashion.  Consider the following philosophy: the teacher isn't always right and nor is history as it is written or generally understood.  Students will be expected to challenge not only the teacher, but the course material as it is presented.

I, for one, am looking forward to an engaging and enjoyable semester.  I hope students and families are as well.  Should you have any questions, please feel free to avail yourself of any of the communication options above at any time.