May 14, 2013
Just a reminder that we will be participating in the Variety Show tomorrow afternoon. The show is scheduled from 12-3. We will be eating lunch at 10:40. The kids must come in uniform, but may bring shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, shower caps, etc to change before the show.
Also, we will be singing at the All School Mass on Friday. We are celebrating our volunteers at this Mass! Hope to see you there!
We will have a science test tomorrow. The kids are bringing home their science books along with a completed vocabulary worksheet for the chapter that is a great review. Math fact worksheets will come home today and Wednesday. That is all for homework this week!
Happy last week of school!
April 28, 2013
Hello parents. I will not be at school tomorrow, April 29th. I have a sick child. I will be returning Tuesday. Reading groups will be meeting as usual this week. We had lots of interruptions last week, so we will not be testing and starting new stories until later in the week. We will be studying our completed word wall and working on transfer words. You will see that we will be working out of two math chapters beginning in the middle of the week. We are adding double digit computation. We will do this during our "fact time" on the days we do not have 100 facts. Please keep working on math facts at home. We are working for mastery and will try to complete our 100 problems in 9 minutes at school this week.
Have a great week.
April 24, 2013
I have a few reminders for this week! Mid-terms come home on Thursday. Please
sign your child's mid-term and return it Friday morning. We are also in charge of
preparing Mass on Thursday. If your child has a reading part, please be sure to
practice reading SLOWLY. Hope to see you there Thursday morning!
We will be completing our 100 math facts approximately three times a week. We are
working for fluency! Each week I am shaving off 30 seconds from the time. It is a
challenge, but it is important for the kids to know their addition and subtraction
facts without even thinking about them. I will NEVER take a grade on a timed math
sheet in first grade. We are just challenging ourselves and preparing for second
grade. All of the kids have shown improvement and that is what matters most. If
you see that your child is consistently not finishing his/her facts in the time
allotted, it is a good idea to invest in or make some flashcards for the summer.
Also, please remember to check your child's math fact sheet each evening. Your
initials are worth 1 out of 5 points for the homework score.
As we get closer to the end of the year, it gets harder to stay on task at school.
We ALL have spring fever! Please continue to make homework time an important part
of your evening and encourage your children to work hard at school.
Have a great week!
April 16, 2013
This week we will be wrapping up Chapter 7 in our math book. We will test over the Chapter on Friday. We have also started our 100 addition fact pages. This is a worksheet that is used in second grade. The expectation is for the kids to be able to complete the sheet in 5 minutes. Our starting time is 10 minutes. I will mark where your child stopped at the end of 10 minutes so that you can see progress. Whatever problems are remaining should be completed as homework. If your child brings home a completed sheet, you should simply check it and return for homework points.
Next Thursday, April 25th, our class will prepare Mass. Mass readings and assignments will be made on Monday. Hope to see you there!
Don't forget the auction dinner this Saturday, April 20th. Our project is truly gorgeous! Come out to take a look and support the school!
April 9, 2013
As April speeds by, we are getting more comfortable working in our small reading groups, working with partners and working independently. I see second graders in the making! We will continue our current structure until the end of the year!
Be sure to purchase your auction tickets in the school office! We are very excited about our classroom project! Our class can also earn a special activity day by having the most people in attendance representing our class. It is a great night of fun and laughter! Hope to see you there!
Mrs. Harness has worked so hard to make our auction project a success! She wanted me to remind you that any donations you would like to send to help out with the project need to be turned in right away. Thanks for your help! Also, a big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Miller for taking our pictures for our project. We couldn't have done it without you!
April 4, 2013
Hello, parents! You haven't heard from me this week because I have been getting our new reading groups up and running. I have struggled all week with the best way to post homework. Right now I have five reading groups reading from a variety of books including chapter books, leveled readers, non-fiction pieces and trade books. Because of the various lengths and different comprehension strategies, it is impossible for me to make homework correlate between the groups. While I was using a basil reader, even though I was actually using three different leveled basils, I was able to make one night a story reading night, one night a vocabulary night, one night a comprehension night, etc. That is no longer possible. Therefore, I need to know what you want in the way of homework correspondence. I can continue to post math and other homework on Monday and just leave reading out of the mix or I can just post daily with your child's reading group listed. I don't know how closely you watch the homework post and just want to make things the most convenient for you. Please send me an e-mail with your preference.
We will be wrapping up our science chapter next week, so look for information on a science test. We will also have one of two more new spelling lists next week. After that, we will spend the rest of the year reviewing our high frequency words!
Have a great week.
March 25, 2013
Last week was busy and exciting! Thanks again to all of the dads who attended our St. Joseph's Day "Donuts with Dads!". We had a great time having you here! It was also fun to see our classmates in "The Little Mermaid Jr." on Wednesday. Way to go Abbie, Mia, Lillie and Katie! We worked hard in reading and phonics and tested over chapter six in math! An altogether busy week!
This week we will spend extra time talking about Holy Week and the upcoming Triduum. We will attend all school Mass on Wednesday. Please return your rice bowls at this Mass.
When we return on Tuesday, April 2nd, we are responsible for planning Mass. Parts are coming home today. We will practice tomorrow and Wednesday at school, but it will be important for my readers to continue to review their readings over Easter break as we will have no time for practice Tuesday morning. Thanks for your help, parents!
Remember, Wednesday is an 11:00 dismissal!
March 4, 2013
We had a great time today at lunch celebrating our Read to Succeed success with ice cream sundaes! The Six Flags tickets will come later this year. Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and record with your children. I was thrilled with the response.
This week, we are wrapping things up before spring break. We are taking the STARR test again. I will compare these scores with our scores from January to determine new reading groups for the rest of the year. We have been working hard to gain independence in some reading, writing and spelling activities. This will be very important as I am planning on six reading groups to best meet the needs of each of my students!
Looking to the future, we will be inviting our dads to join us on Tuesday, March 19th to celebrate St. Joseph's Day. We will start the day by attending Mass and then hope our dads can join us for donuts and juice. Invitations will come home after spring break. I just wanted to give you a heads-up to mark your calendars!
Report cards will come home Thursday. Please sign your child's report card and return it to school. I will hand them back after spring break.
I will be out of town on Friday. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Spring Break!
February 25, 2013
In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, we will spend time learning about his life and reading many of the stories he has written. Your child may bring their Dr. Seuss books from home on Friday, March 1st to share with the class. Please be sure that your child's name is somewhere on the book so we can make sure the books get back to their owners at the end of the day.
Please be sure to return your child's Six Flags Read to Succeed book log by Wednesday. I have to have all of the information entered into their site and post marked by Thursday. Invitations to the Sundae party will come out on Friday. I can't wait! February Book-It forms are also due on Friday.
Read, read, read!
February 22, 2013
With Presidents' Day and a snow day, we have had a very short week! We will work with the same spelling list next week with a test on Friday. We should have covered all of our words for the year by the end of March, so there is no need to rush!
Next week we will wrap up February. Please remember that the Six Flags Read to Succeed challenge is due by next Wednesday. I have to have all of the information sent off by Thursday for the kids to receive their tickets. Each participant will also be invited to an ice cream sundae party in my classroom before spring break. The February Book-It is also due by Friday.
Next Monday is Spring Picture Day and a free dress day. Information about spring pictures came home last week. There are extras in the office.
The third quarter ends next Friday, March 1st. Report cards should come home the following Thursday. I can't believe we will be entering the last quarter of the year!
Have a great week!
February 11, 2013
This is a very busy week! Please remember that tomorrow evening is the Mardi Gras celebration. The cafeteria will be closed tomorrow due to set up. Please send a sack lunch. Also, please remember to send a cake or dessert tomorrow morning for the raffle/dinner!
Wednesday morning we will attend Ash Wednesday Mass. Please be sure to arrive by 8:00 that morning so we can get to Mass quickly. Also, we will celebrate St. Valentine's Day on Thursday. Please send a Valentine addressed to each child in the class. The kids will have a chance to pass them out on Thursday afternoon. A class list came home last week.
Thanks to all of the wonderful parents who helped by sending treats for our Chinese New Year celebration last Friday! We had a great time and learned a lot!
Mid-quarter ended last Friday and midterms will come out on Thursday. Please sign your child's midterm and return it the following day.
Have a great week!
February 4, 2013
It is wonderful to be back on a regular schedule! I guess we better enjoy it because there are so many events coming up next week!
Thanks to ALL the great parents who helped out with the picture project the kids worked on for Christmas! It is beautiful and I will treasure it always!!! Mr. and Mrs. Hatley came and hung it up in my room yesterday afternoon. Stop by and check it out for yourself. It is perfect! Also, thanks for the additions to our classroom library. The gifts from the book fair are greatly appreciated! We have been reading some of the books in class and everyone is always excited for new books!
We have once again began preparing Mass for this Thursday. If your child has a reading part, it should have come home today. Please practice reading slowly and with expression! We hope to see some of you on Thursday morning!
Next week is a VERY busy week! Tuesday is Mardi Gras. The cafeteria will be closed and all children need to bring a sack lunch. Wednesday we will start the day with Ash Wednesday Mass. Thursday afternoon we will celebrate St. Valentine's Day. Each child should send a valentine for each of his/her classmates. A class list will come home tomorrow. We will make mailboxes for our valentines at school.
Have a great week!
January 28, 2013
Happy Catholic School's Week! We have so many fun plans. Today we made a yummy science experiment. Thanks to Mrs. Weaver, Mr. Carrico, Mrs. Harrison and Mr. Harness. My parents are the best! Tomorrow we will have a guest reader. Wednesday is pj day and game day so kids can bring their electronic devices. Thursday is super hero day and we will read with our Mass buddies. We will wrap the week up in our CSW t-shirts on Friday!
The kids are excited about the opportunity to slime me on Friday afternoon! They brought home pink beakers tonight. There is one beaker for each night. Count up how many minutes your child reads nightly and send it in each morning to help us meet the school goal of 110,000 minutes. I feel like a need a shower already!
Book-It forms for January are due on Friday. Keep recording those minutes for Six Flags Read to Succeed and Mrs. T's sundae party! Read, read, read!
January 22, 2013
Happy 100th Day of School! We celebrated with many 100th day activities including writing 100 words, counting 100 claps, stomps and jumping jacks, writing about what we learned in the first 100 days and eating yummy 100 shaped cake! It was a great day!
We also spent some time today practicing for our Mass on Friday. The kids are working very hard and we are excited to share our work with you on Friday! If your child has a reading part, please practice reading slowly with annunciation!
Remember, Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. Because of the short week, we will not have a regular reading story. We will also not have a math packet because we are preparing for a test this week. On Thursday, we will take a test over the review spelling words that came home today.
We are getting ready for Catholic Schools' Week here at school. Please send $5 for your child's CSW t-shirt this week. I will get them to you as soon as I receive them! Mark your calendar for the breakfast, Book Fair and kick-off Mass scheduled for Sunday. We have lots of exciting activities planned for the week!
We are in need of a few supplies for our classroom. We need wide-ruled, loose leaf notebook paper. We also need at single subject, wide-ruled notebooks. We will use these supplies at Shurley and writing times. Thanks for your help!
Have a great week!
January 15, 2012
I am so excited to be introducing a new reading strategy in our classroom! Ask your child about reading to self and reading with a partner. We are reading for stamina! The more you read, the better you get!
We will be preparing the All School Mass next Friday for the Conversion of St. Paul. Reading parts will be sent home on Thursday or Friday. Ask your child how he/she will be participating in this Mass.
Remember, next Monday is a free day in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be learning about Dr. King this week. Because of the short week, we will not have a regular reading story. We will also have a review list in spelling.
Have a great week!
January 7, 2012
We are back to our regular schedule and working hard already this week! Look for regularly scheduled homework in reading and math and a new spelling list. We will hopefully be all settled back in this week!
On Tuesday, the kids will bring home the Six Flags Read to Succeed Challenge. The majority of my class participated in this activity last year as well. Your child has from now until February 26th to record 360 minutes (6 hrs) of reading to win a free ticket to Six Flags! You may use the books you are recording for Book-It, but should not include homework assignments. Anyone who completes this challenge will also receive a special treat from me!
We do not have Mass on Thursday but will attend All School Mass on Friday. We will be responsible for preparing Mass on January 25th. Stay tuned for more information!
Last Friday was the end of the second quarter. Report cards will be sent home on Thursday and should be signed and returned Friday. I will send them back home after I have seen your signature. Thanks for your help with this!
Have a great week!
January 3, 2013
Welcome back! It was a great first day and the kids were right back to work! I am very excited about the rest of the school year! Today we learned a new memory verse from the book of Judges. We talked about Gideon and Sampson and their role in leading the Israelites. Ask your child what they learned about the book of Judges today!
Today we also started a new Shurley chapter, a new math chapter and a new science chapter. Not bad for the first day back! There will be no homework this week. We will start back in our reading and spelling curriculum.
The program I use to make our monthly behavior calendar has not been updated to January. I have found a chart to use while I look for a better solution. Please continue to initial the chart each day.
I received lots of Book-It forms today! January Book-Its are coming home today. December Book-Its are due tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will attend all school Mass in observance of Epiphany. We will talk about the three kings and their visit to Jesus.
Have a great week!
December 16, 2012
We have a very busy and exciting week ahead of us! Tomorrow evening is our Christmas program. All students should meet in the lower gym at 5:45. No jeans please! On Friday morning we will sing at Mass. All students should wear khaki pants and white uniform shirts. Please arrive by 8:00 so that we can get prepared and walk over to Mass together.
On Thursday afternoon, K-2 will meet in the Holy Family Room to watch "The Polar Express." The kids will be allowed to bring blankets, pillows and stuffed animals for that afternoon. It should be a great time!
We will also hold our Christmas program on Friday after Mass. Mrs. Harness and Mrs. Weaver are planning activities for our class that day. If anyone would like to help by sending a snack or supplies, please let me know. I can let you know what we need! Remember, Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day.
Although we have special activities throughout the week, we will still be spending part of the day learning! We will be wrapping up a unit in math and will have a science test on Wednesday. Please keep an eye on the daily correspondence this week.
I know that we are all thinking so much about the families in Newtown this weekend. Father Ken reminded us at Mass this morning to bless our children every night before bed and in the morning when we send them off to school. My prayers tonight are for the Connecticut community as well as all of our children as they grow up in these difficult days.
Have a peaceful and blessed week.
December 10, 2012
After looking at this week's school day schedule, I have decided not to have a new reading story this week. We will resume work in our basal readers after the first of the year. During reading time until break, we will be learning and reinforcing many skills such as adding s and es to make words plural, introducing synonyms, talking about main idea, etc. We will also continue leveled reading during AR time. Likewise, we will not have any new spelling words until after the first of the year. This week we have a review list of twenty words. All of these words have been on previous spelling tests and the kids are expected to spell them correctly in their daily writing.
Wednesday is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We have discussed this special feast many times in the last week. Please remember your wrapped gift for the children of the migrant workers on this day.
Next Monday evening at 6:00 is the Pre-K to 2nd grade Christmas program. All students are asked to attend as a part of their music grade. Students should wear appropriate dress clothing. No jeans please! The kids will also sing a song at Mass next Friday, December 21st. They sound beautiful! Hope to see you then!
December 3, 2012
As we welcome December, we will be spending a lot of time learning about Advent and preparing for Christmas! We will continue working on a regular schedule in are reading and spelling curriculum for the next two weeks. We will also have a science test over Chapter 3 on Tuesday.
Monday is a free dress day and a 2:00 dismissal. Thursday is the feast of St. Nicholas. Remember, boys and girls who leave their shoe out Wednesday night can expect a sweet treat (candy or fruit) on Thursday morning! We will also celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on Friday.
Looking to the future, next Wednesday we will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On this feast day we bring wrapped clothing gifts to be delivered to the migrant children in the Cobden area. Please send your child's gift with him/her on this feast day.
Have a wonderful week!
November 26, 2012
This week we are back to our regular schedule! We will return to our readers and have reading and spelling tests on Friday. I originally thought we would have a science test this week, but we will be having it next week instead. Also looking to next week, we will use the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure on-line program in addition to our Promise series throughout the Advent season.
Here are a few things to remember as we move into December. Book-It for November is due by Friday. December Book-Its will come home next Monday and will not be due until after the first of the year. Also, the kids brought home a book order for December. I would like to order Friday or Monday so that the orders will be here before break. I have included the order the 2nd grade uses also as I have so many outstanding readers!
On Friday, December 21st the first graders will sing at the all school Mass. We are asking that every child wear a white uniform shirt with khaki pants. We will be singing like angels! Mark your calendar now!
Please remember to send your child to school with a coat each day. It is still very cool at morning recess. If it is warm at afternoon recess the teacher's aides allow the kids to take off their coats. We just need everyone to be warm! Have a great week!
November 18, 2012
This week we will be studying the first Thanksgiving during reading time. We will not have a reading story or a spelling test for this short week! We will continue our study of animals in science. Look for a test next week. Please keep working on the Book-It reading at home. December is just around the corner!
On Wednesday, we will attend all school Mass. Each child is asked to bring a canned good to donate to the Christmas baskets for the needy. The kids will have an opportunity to take them to the altar at offertory. Don't forget, we dismiss at 11:00 on Wednesday and extended care is not open.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 11, 2012
I hope to see everyone back and healthy tomorrow morning! This week we will be starting Chapter 3 in math studying subtraction. We will also start a chapter on animals in science. (We didn't start it last week due to all of the sickness!) We will start talking about the first Thanksgiving as we prepare for the upcoming holiday.
I am so excited about the kids' accomplishments in Accelerated Reading! The AR store will be open for the first time this week. Any child with five or more AR points will be able to visit. Keep encouraging your child to read! Also, keep working on the Book-It forms at home. I had a great response for October!
Have a great week!
November 5, 2012
We are off and running into November! This week we will be talking about the importance of voting and voting in a mock election. We will also be starting a new science chapter about animals this week.
We are so excited to be preparing the Mass for Thursday. We will be in charge of every part! We hope to see you there. Both the reading from the first letter of Peter and the gospel talk about the talents we have been given by God. We are excited to use our talents to praise God in a beautiful Mass! In addition, we will be singing for Veteran's Day Mass on Friday. Please wear a red, white or navy uniform shirt for this Mass.
It has been great to meet with all of you over the last couple of weeks at parent/teacher conferences. I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated group of parents to team up with! Please be sure to contact me any time you have any questions or concerns.
October 28, 2012
Get ready for another exciting week in 1st grade! Tomorrow is the first scheduled day for parent/teacher conferences. If you haven't signed up already, please do so as soon as possible. You may call the office to check for availability tomorrow evening or call to sign up for a conference next Monday. Please make sure that your have signed and returned your child's report card. I will return it to you at your conference.
Thursday we will celebrate All Saints' Day. Children are encouraged to come to Mass that morning dressed as a favorite saint. We will also participate in the All Saints' Carnival hosted later that day by the 5th-8th grade classes. First grade has been asked to bring in individually packaged cookies to be used as prizes at the carnival. You may send these to the classroom or the office.
October Book-It forms are due this week. I am hoping for 100% participation! The Book-It form asks for the kids to read 12 books a month. I know that some of my readers are reading chapter books. Feel free to count individual chapters or multiple chapters as equal to one book. Just use your own discretion! Read, read, read!!!
Have a great week!
October 22, 2012
We will have a busy week celebrating Red Ribbon Week! Refer to last week's Friday note for the daily theme! Tomorrow we will start the day in the gym with a kickoff rally. We will also participate in drug free lessons, art and projects throughout the week.
Report cards will come home on Thursday of this week. Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday, October 29th and Monday, November 5th. Please be sure to sign up for your conference in the office. I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you!
Last week we studied contractions in phonics. Starting this week, we will have a contraction as a part of our spelling list each week. These words are often difficult, but it is important that we can recognize them in reading and use them in writing.
On a personal note, many of you know that my brother was injured in a mining accident last Thursday evening. Because of this, I was not at school on Friday morning. The kids were able to take their reading tests with Mr. Herman on Friday morning. However, the spelling test was not given. To make things as fair as possible, I will give the spelling test on Monday morning. I will only count the test grade if it helps your child's overall spelling grade. It will not be recorded if it would lower your child's overall spelling grade. I will still introduce this week's spelling words on Monday so that we can get back on schedule.
Have a wonderful week! God is good...
October 15, 2012
We have a very exciting week! We will kick off the week with pumpkin pancakes and a trip to the pumpkin patch. We will round off Monday with a little pumpkin science and math.
Remember, book orders are due on Tuesday. If you are interested in ordering, return forms to me or follow the directions to order on line.
Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. We will visit the library on Thursday this week.
Parent/Teacher conferences are just around the corner. Please keep an eye on the Friday note for details.
Keep working on Book-It forms! Our goal is 100% participation!
October 9, 2012
Last week we welcomed October by learning about St. Francis of Assisi and Christopher Columbus. This week we we are off to a great start continuing our study of plants! We all have new reading stories this week. Two of our groups are starting new readers! Yeah! We also took our first chapter test in our new math books today. We will have a review list in spelling with a test on Friday.
Next Monday, October 15th we will visit the Breezy Hill Pumpkin Patch. Look for permission slips to come home tomorrow. We will also participate in other pumpkin related activities!
Last week I sent home the Book-It form for October. I would like each student to participate in the Book-It challenge. Each child must read 12 books each month to receive the free monthly pizza from Pizza Hut. Anyone who completes all 6 months of this challenge will receive a surprise from me!
Accelerated Reading is going very well in our classroom. Many students are reading and testing weekly! We are saving our points to visit the AR store in the next couple of weeks. I will have a review of the accelerated reading tests your child has completed to discuss with you at Parent/Teacher Conferences at the end of the month.
September 30, 2012
After a great week of apple fun, we are back into our regular routine! We will work out of our readers this week but will have our test on THURSDAY instead of Friday. The spelling test will return to Friday as normal.
Please remember that Monday is a 2:00 dismissal and free dress day!
Thursday we will celebrate the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. All pets are welcome at 8:10 that morning for the blessing of the pets. Also, our school is collecting donations for the animal shelter. You will receive a free dress pass for any monetary or supply donation that you send which will be valid for use at a later date in the month of October.
Please be sure to sign and return your child's mid-term which was sent home last Thursday. Have a wonderful week!
September 23, 2012
This week we will be taking a break from our readers to study Johnny Appleseed. There will be no test on Friday. Also, we will have no reading story homework this week. The weekly comprehension page WILL be assigned. Also, the green reading group should be on the lookout for a new component to their reading curriculum. To celebrate Johnny Appleseed's Birthday on Wednesday, we will be baking apple pie and participating in other apple related activities.
We also have a couple of special projects in math this week. Therefore, the only math homework coming home this week are the math fact pages!
We will have library time on Tuesday instead of Friday this week. Please return library books at this time. If your child would like to renew his/her book, he/she can let Mrs. Lees or I know!
We will begin a new chapter in science this week on the topic of plants. It is a long chapter and will take 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to complete. We are also working on a new unit in phonics which includes inflectional endings (-ed, ing) and diagraphs (sh, th, ch, etc). We really enjoyed using our Pflaum Weekly and will continue working in our Promise book the remaining part of the week.
Remember, this is another short week! All of the teachers will be attending Mass in Belleville with the Bishop and participating in in-service training on Friday.
September 17, 2012
Another great week has come and gone in first grade! Last week, we started learning about our communities. We talked about community helpers and learned our addresses. We will continue our social studies unit this week by learning about our state and country! We will flip-flop social studies with science and will be returning to our science book next week.
Our class has library time scheduled every Friday afternoon. Because we are not in school this Friday, we will not be visiting the library. That means library books will not be due until Thursday, September 27th. We will be attending the library on that date. Normally, library books will be checked out for one week. If your child has checked out a lengthy book, he/she can let me know that the book needs to be renewed for another week. Otherwise, your child will have the opportunity to check out new books weekly. Thanks to Mrs. Lees and Mrs. Weaver for running the library for our class this year!
Thursday is the end of the mid-term and mid-terms will come home on Thursday, September 27th. Mid-terms should be signed and returned to school the following day if possible.
Thanks for remembering your red last Friday for Mass! Have a great week!
September 9, 2012
Things are going very well in first grade! Our reading groups are going great and we have already completed our first chapter in science! In religion, we are working in a Pflaum workbook that discusses the churches beliefs and teachings. In addition, we will begin our weekly lessons which follow the liturgical calendar in late September. The kids will bring home their first memory verse this week.
This week I will send a math homework packet home on Monday. We will complete one lesson a day in class. Please have your child complete one homework lesson a day, too. Please DO NOT complete all of the math homework at one time. The purpose of homework is extra practice and completing the homework after the lesson is the best way to support the curriculum. Thanks for your help!
September 3, 2012
I am so excited that our new math series has arrived! We have both a student textbook and a workbook. We will use the textbook each day in class. I have decided to use the workbook as homework. The workbook is copied front and back and is perforated. This week, I am going to send the first page home which will correspond with Lesson 1 and 2. The paper will come home on Wednesday and be due back on Friday. Please complete one lesson each night as that will be the work that supports what we learned at school. Next week, I will send home four lessons on Monday with one to be completed each day and the packet due back on Friday. We will see how this works out and reevaluate at the end of next week! Please contact me with any questions or concerns!
This week we will also complete our first chapter in science! Look for a vocabulary worksheet to come home as review. We are planning our first test for Thursday. Science tests are read aloud to the students. The vocabulary sheet that comes home and the questions at the end of the chapter are a great review!
It will be a short but busy week! Hope you have a great one.
August 26, 2012
We are off and running into this new school year! I am so pleased with everyone's great effort and attitude! Please remember that the comprehension worksheet that is assigned on Monday and due on Friday requires a parent's signature. Please make sure your child reads this assignment aloud to you and use the brief parent note to allow you to focus on the comprehension strategy for the assignment.
Remember, this Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. Have a wonderful week!
August 19, 2012
Just a reminder that we will be participating in the Variety Show tomorrow afternoon. The show is scheduled from 12-3. We will be eating lunch at 10:40. The kids must come in uniform, but may bring shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, shower caps, etc to change before the show.
Also, we will be singing at the All School Mass on Friday. We are celebrating our volunteers at this Mass! Hope to see you there!
We will have a science test tomorrow. The kids are bringing home their science books along with a completed vocabulary worksheet for the chapter that is a great review. Math fact worksheets will come home today and Wednesday. That is all for homework this week!
Happy last week of school!
April 28, 2013
Hello parents. I will not be at school tomorrow, April 29th. I have a sick child. I will be returning Tuesday. Reading groups will be meeting as usual this week. We had lots of interruptions last week, so we will not be testing and starting new stories until later in the week. We will be studying our completed word wall and working on transfer words. You will see that we will be working out of two math chapters beginning in the middle of the week. We are adding double digit computation. We will do this during our "fact time" on the days we do not have 100 facts. Please keep working on math facts at home. We are working for mastery and will try to complete our 100 problems in 9 minutes at school this week.
Have a great week.
April 24, 2013
I have a few reminders for this week! Mid-terms come home on Thursday. Please
sign your child's mid-term and return it Friday morning. We are also in charge of
preparing Mass on Thursday. If your child has a reading part, please be sure to
practice reading SLOWLY. Hope to see you there Thursday morning!
We will be completing our 100 math facts approximately three times a week. We are
working for fluency! Each week I am shaving off 30 seconds from the time. It is a
challenge, but it is important for the kids to know their addition and subtraction
facts without even thinking about them. I will NEVER take a grade on a timed math
sheet in first grade. We are just challenging ourselves and preparing for second
grade. All of the kids have shown improvement and that is what matters most. If
you see that your child is consistently not finishing his/her facts in the time
allotted, it is a good idea to invest in or make some flashcards for the summer.
Also, please remember to check your child's math fact sheet each evening. Your
initials are worth 1 out of 5 points for the homework score.
As we get closer to the end of the year, it gets harder to stay on task at school.
We ALL have spring fever! Please continue to make homework time an important part
of your evening and encourage your children to work hard at school.
Have a great week!
April 16, 2013
This week we will be wrapping up Chapter 7 in our math book. We will test over the Chapter on Friday. We have also started our 100 addition fact pages. This is a worksheet that is used in second grade. The expectation is for the kids to be able to complete the sheet in 5 minutes. Our starting time is 10 minutes. I will mark where your child stopped at the end of 10 minutes so that you can see progress. Whatever problems are remaining should be completed as homework. If your child brings home a completed sheet, you should simply check it and return for homework points.
Next Thursday, April 25th, our class will prepare Mass. Mass readings and assignments will be made on Monday. Hope to see you there!
Don't forget the auction dinner this Saturday, April 20th. Our project is truly gorgeous! Come out to take a look and support the school!
April 9, 2013
As April speeds by, we are getting more comfortable working in our small reading groups, working with partners and working independently. I see second graders in the making! We will continue our current structure until the end of the year!
Be sure to purchase your auction tickets in the school office! We are very excited about our classroom project! Our class can also earn a special activity day by having the most people in attendance representing our class. It is a great night of fun and laughter! Hope to see you there!
Mrs. Harness has worked so hard to make our auction project a success! She wanted me to remind you that any donations you would like to send to help out with the project need to be turned in right away. Thanks for your help! Also, a big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Miller for taking our pictures for our project. We couldn't have done it without you!
April 4, 2013
Hello, parents! You haven't heard from me this week because I have been getting our new reading groups up and running. I have struggled all week with the best way to post homework. Right now I have five reading groups reading from a variety of books including chapter books, leveled readers, non-fiction pieces and trade books. Because of the various lengths and different comprehension strategies, it is impossible for me to make homework correlate between the groups. While I was using a basil reader, even though I was actually using three different leveled basils, I was able to make one night a story reading night, one night a vocabulary night, one night a comprehension night, etc. That is no longer possible. Therefore, I need to know what you want in the way of homework correspondence. I can continue to post math and other homework on Monday and just leave reading out of the mix or I can just post daily with your child's reading group listed. I don't know how closely you watch the homework post and just want to make things the most convenient for you. Please send me an e-mail with your preference.
We will be wrapping up our science chapter next week, so look for information on a science test. We will also have one of two more new spelling lists next week. After that, we will spend the rest of the year reviewing our high frequency words!
Have a great week.
March 25, 2013
Last week was busy and exciting! Thanks again to all of the dads who attended our St. Joseph's Day "Donuts with Dads!". We had a great time having you here! It was also fun to see our classmates in "The Little Mermaid Jr." on Wednesday. Way to go Abbie, Mia, Lillie and Katie! We worked hard in reading and phonics and tested over chapter six in math! An altogether busy week!
This week we will spend extra time talking about Holy Week and the upcoming Triduum. We will attend all school Mass on Wednesday. Please return your rice bowls at this Mass.
When we return on Tuesday, April 2nd, we are responsible for planning Mass. Parts are coming home today. We will practice tomorrow and Wednesday at school, but it will be important for my readers to continue to review their readings over Easter break as we will have no time for practice Tuesday morning. Thanks for your help, parents!
Remember, Wednesday is an 11:00 dismissal!
March 4, 2013
We had a great time today at lunch celebrating our Read to Succeed success with ice cream sundaes! The Six Flags tickets will come later this year. Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and record with your children. I was thrilled with the response.
This week, we are wrapping things up before spring break. We are taking the STARR test again. I will compare these scores with our scores from January to determine new reading groups for the rest of the year. We have been working hard to gain independence in some reading, writing and spelling activities. This will be very important as I am planning on six reading groups to best meet the needs of each of my students!
Looking to the future, we will be inviting our dads to join us on Tuesday, March 19th to celebrate St. Joseph's Day. We will start the day by attending Mass and then hope our dads can join us for donuts and juice. Invitations will come home after spring break. I just wanted to give you a heads-up to mark your calendars!
Report cards will come home Thursday. Please sign your child's report card and return it to school. I will hand them back after spring break.
I will be out of town on Friday. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Spring Break!
February 25, 2013
In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, we will spend time learning about his life and reading many of the stories he has written. Your child may bring their Dr. Seuss books from home on Friday, March 1st to share with the class. Please be sure that your child's name is somewhere on the book so we can make sure the books get back to their owners at the end of the day.
Please be sure to return your child's Six Flags Read to Succeed book log by Wednesday. I have to have all of the information entered into their site and post marked by Thursday. Invitations to the Sundae party will come out on Friday. I can't wait! February Book-It forms are also due on Friday.
Read, read, read!
February 22, 2013
With Presidents' Day and a snow day, we have had a very short week! We will work with the same spelling list next week with a test on Friday. We should have covered all of our words for the year by the end of March, so there is no need to rush!
Next week we will wrap up February. Please remember that the Six Flags Read to Succeed challenge is due by next Wednesday. I have to have all of the information sent off by Thursday for the kids to receive their tickets. Each participant will also be invited to an ice cream sundae party in my classroom before spring break. The February Book-It is also due by Friday.
Next Monday is Spring Picture Day and a free dress day. Information about spring pictures came home last week. There are extras in the office.
The third quarter ends next Friday, March 1st. Report cards should come home the following Thursday. I can't believe we will be entering the last quarter of the year!
Have a great week!
February 11, 2013
This is a very busy week! Please remember that tomorrow evening is the Mardi Gras celebration. The cafeteria will be closed tomorrow due to set up. Please send a sack lunch. Also, please remember to send a cake or dessert tomorrow morning for the raffle/dinner!
Wednesday morning we will attend Ash Wednesday Mass. Please be sure to arrive by 8:00 that morning so we can get to Mass quickly. Also, we will celebrate St. Valentine's Day on Thursday. Please send a Valentine addressed to each child in the class. The kids will have a chance to pass them out on Thursday afternoon. A class list came home last week.
Thanks to all of the wonderful parents who helped by sending treats for our Chinese New Year celebration last Friday! We had a great time and learned a lot!
Mid-quarter ended last Friday and midterms will come out on Thursday. Please sign your child's midterm and return it the following day.
Have a great week!
February 4, 2013
It is wonderful to be back on a regular schedule! I guess we better enjoy it because there are so many events coming up next week!
Thanks to ALL the great parents who helped out with the picture project the kids worked on for Christmas! It is beautiful and I will treasure it always!!! Mr. and Mrs. Hatley came and hung it up in my room yesterday afternoon. Stop by and check it out for yourself. It is perfect! Also, thanks for the additions to our classroom library. The gifts from the book fair are greatly appreciated! We have been reading some of the books in class and everyone is always excited for new books!
We have once again began preparing Mass for this Thursday. If your child has a reading part, it should have come home today. Please practice reading slowly and with expression! We hope to see some of you on Thursday morning!
Next week is a VERY busy week! Tuesday is Mardi Gras. The cafeteria will be closed and all children need to bring a sack lunch. Wednesday we will start the day with Ash Wednesday Mass. Thursday afternoon we will celebrate St. Valentine's Day. Each child should send a valentine for each of his/her classmates. A class list will come home tomorrow. We will make mailboxes for our valentines at school.
Have a great week!
January 28, 2013
Happy Catholic School's Week! We have so many fun plans. Today we made a yummy science experiment. Thanks to Mrs. Weaver, Mr. Carrico, Mrs. Harrison and Mr. Harness. My parents are the best! Tomorrow we will have a guest reader. Wednesday is pj day and game day so kids can bring their electronic devices. Thursday is super hero day and we will read with our Mass buddies. We will wrap the week up in our CSW t-shirts on Friday!
The kids are excited about the opportunity to slime me on Friday afternoon! They brought home pink beakers tonight. There is one beaker for each night. Count up how many minutes your child reads nightly and send it in each morning to help us meet the school goal of 110,000 minutes. I feel like a need a shower already!
Book-It forms for January are due on Friday. Keep recording those minutes for Six Flags Read to Succeed and Mrs. T's sundae party! Read, read, read!
January 22, 2013
Happy 100th Day of School! We celebrated with many 100th day activities including writing 100 words, counting 100 claps, stomps and jumping jacks, writing about what we learned in the first 100 days and eating yummy 100 shaped cake! It was a great day!
We also spent some time today practicing for our Mass on Friday. The kids are working very hard and we are excited to share our work with you on Friday! If your child has a reading part, please practice reading slowly with annunciation!
Remember, Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. Because of the short week, we will not have a regular reading story. We will also not have a math packet because we are preparing for a test this week. On Thursday, we will take a test over the review spelling words that came home today.
We are getting ready for Catholic Schools' Week here at school. Please send $5 for your child's CSW t-shirt this week. I will get them to you as soon as I receive them! Mark your calendar for the breakfast, Book Fair and kick-off Mass scheduled for Sunday. We have lots of exciting activities planned for the week!
We are in need of a few supplies for our classroom. We need wide-ruled, loose leaf notebook paper. We also need at single subject, wide-ruled notebooks. We will use these supplies at Shurley and writing times. Thanks for your help!
Have a great week!
January 15, 2012
I am so excited to be introducing a new reading strategy in our classroom! Ask your child about reading to self and reading with a partner. We are reading for stamina! The more you read, the better you get!
We will be preparing the All School Mass next Friday for the Conversion of St. Paul. Reading parts will be sent home on Thursday or Friday. Ask your child how he/she will be participating in this Mass.
Remember, next Monday is a free day in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be learning about Dr. King this week. Because of the short week, we will not have a regular reading story. We will also have a review list in spelling.
Have a great week!
January 7, 2012
We are back to our regular schedule and working hard already this week! Look for regularly scheduled homework in reading and math and a new spelling list. We will hopefully be all settled back in this week!
On Tuesday, the kids will bring home the Six Flags Read to Succeed Challenge. The majority of my class participated in this activity last year as well. Your child has from now until February 26th to record 360 minutes (6 hrs) of reading to win a free ticket to Six Flags! You may use the books you are recording for Book-It, but should not include homework assignments. Anyone who completes this challenge will also receive a special treat from me!
We do not have Mass on Thursday but will attend All School Mass on Friday. We will be responsible for preparing Mass on January 25th. Stay tuned for more information!
Last Friday was the end of the second quarter. Report cards will be sent home on Thursday and should be signed and returned Friday. I will send them back home after I have seen your signature. Thanks for your help with this!
Have a great week!
January 3, 2013
Welcome back! It was a great first day and the kids were right back to work! I am very excited about the rest of the school year! Today we learned a new memory verse from the book of Judges. We talked about Gideon and Sampson and their role in leading the Israelites. Ask your child what they learned about the book of Judges today!
Today we also started a new Shurley chapter, a new math chapter and a new science chapter. Not bad for the first day back! There will be no homework this week. We will start back in our reading and spelling curriculum.
The program I use to make our monthly behavior calendar has not been updated to January. I have found a chart to use while I look for a better solution. Please continue to initial the chart each day.
I received lots of Book-It forms today! January Book-Its are coming home today. December Book-Its are due tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will attend all school Mass in observance of Epiphany. We will talk about the three kings and their visit to Jesus.
Have a great week!
December 16, 2012
We have a very busy and exciting week ahead of us! Tomorrow evening is our Christmas program. All students should meet in the lower gym at 5:45. No jeans please! On Friday morning we will sing at Mass. All students should wear khaki pants and white uniform shirts. Please arrive by 8:00 so that we can get prepared and walk over to Mass together.
On Thursday afternoon, K-2 will meet in the Holy Family Room to watch "The Polar Express." The kids will be allowed to bring blankets, pillows and stuffed animals for that afternoon. It should be a great time!
We will also hold our Christmas program on Friday after Mass. Mrs. Harness and Mrs. Weaver are planning activities for our class that day. If anyone would like to help by sending a snack or supplies, please let me know. I can let you know what we need! Remember, Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day.
Although we have special activities throughout the week, we will still be spending part of the day learning! We will be wrapping up a unit in math and will have a science test on Wednesday. Please keep an eye on the daily correspondence this week.
I know that we are all thinking so much about the families in Newtown this weekend. Father Ken reminded us at Mass this morning to bless our children every night before bed and in the morning when we send them off to school. My prayers tonight are for the Connecticut community as well as all of our children as they grow up in these difficult days.
Have a peaceful and blessed week.
December 10, 2012
After looking at this week's school day schedule, I have decided not to have a new reading story this week. We will resume work in our basal readers after the first of the year. During reading time until break, we will be learning and reinforcing many skills such as adding s and es to make words plural, introducing synonyms, talking about main idea, etc. We will also continue leveled reading during AR time. Likewise, we will not have any new spelling words until after the first of the year. This week we have a review list of twenty words. All of these words have been on previous spelling tests and the kids are expected to spell them correctly in their daily writing.
Wednesday is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We have discussed this special feast many times in the last week. Please remember your wrapped gift for the children of the migrant workers on this day.
Next Monday evening at 6:00 is the Pre-K to 2nd grade Christmas program. All students are asked to attend as a part of their music grade. Students should wear appropriate dress clothing. No jeans please! The kids will also sing a song at Mass next Friday, December 21st. They sound beautiful! Hope to see you then!
December 3, 2012
As we welcome December, we will be spending a lot of time learning about Advent and preparing for Christmas! We will continue working on a regular schedule in are reading and spelling curriculum for the next two weeks. We will also have a science test over Chapter 3 on Tuesday.
Monday is a free dress day and a 2:00 dismissal. Thursday is the feast of St. Nicholas. Remember, boys and girls who leave their shoe out Wednesday night can expect a sweet treat (candy or fruit) on Thursday morning! We will also celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on Friday.
Looking to the future, next Wednesday we will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On this feast day we bring wrapped clothing gifts to be delivered to the migrant children in the Cobden area. Please send your child's gift with him/her on this feast day.
Have a wonderful week!
November 26, 2012
This week we are back to our regular schedule! We will return to our readers and have reading and spelling tests on Friday. I originally thought we would have a science test this week, but we will be having it next week instead. Also looking to next week, we will use the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure on-line program in addition to our Promise series throughout the Advent season.
Here are a few things to remember as we move into December. Book-It for November is due by Friday. December Book-Its will come home next Monday and will not be due until after the first of the year. Also, the kids brought home a book order for December. I would like to order Friday or Monday so that the orders will be here before break. I have included the order the 2nd grade uses also as I have so many outstanding readers!
On Friday, December 21st the first graders will sing at the all school Mass. We are asking that every child wear a white uniform shirt with khaki pants. We will be singing like angels! Mark your calendar now!
Please remember to send your child to school with a coat each day. It is still very cool at morning recess. If it is warm at afternoon recess the teacher's aides allow the kids to take off their coats. We just need everyone to be warm! Have a great week!
November 18, 2012
This week we will be studying the first Thanksgiving during reading time. We will not have a reading story or a spelling test for this short week! We will continue our study of animals in science. Look for a test next week. Please keep working on the Book-It reading at home. December is just around the corner!
On Wednesday, we will attend all school Mass. Each child is asked to bring a canned good to donate to the Christmas baskets for the needy. The kids will have an opportunity to take them to the altar at offertory. Don't forget, we dismiss at 11:00 on Wednesday and extended care is not open.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 11, 2012
I hope to see everyone back and healthy tomorrow morning! This week we will be starting Chapter 3 in math studying subtraction. We will also start a chapter on animals in science. (We didn't start it last week due to all of the sickness!) We will start talking about the first Thanksgiving as we prepare for the upcoming holiday.
I am so excited about the kids' accomplishments in Accelerated Reading! The AR store will be open for the first time this week. Any child with five or more AR points will be able to visit. Keep encouraging your child to read! Also, keep working on the Book-It forms at home. I had a great response for October!
Have a great week!
November 5, 2012
We are off and running into November! This week we will be talking about the importance of voting and voting in a mock election. We will also be starting a new science chapter about animals this week.
We are so excited to be preparing the Mass for Thursday. We will be in charge of every part! We hope to see you there. Both the reading from the first letter of Peter and the gospel talk about the talents we have been given by God. We are excited to use our talents to praise God in a beautiful Mass! In addition, we will be singing for Veteran's Day Mass on Friday. Please wear a red, white or navy uniform shirt for this Mass.
It has been great to meet with all of you over the last couple of weeks at parent/teacher conferences. I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated group of parents to team up with! Please be sure to contact me any time you have any questions or concerns.
October 28, 2012
Get ready for another exciting week in 1st grade! Tomorrow is the first scheduled day for parent/teacher conferences. If you haven't signed up already, please do so as soon as possible. You may call the office to check for availability tomorrow evening or call to sign up for a conference next Monday. Please make sure that your have signed and returned your child's report card. I will return it to you at your conference.
Thursday we will celebrate All Saints' Day. Children are encouraged to come to Mass that morning dressed as a favorite saint. We will also participate in the All Saints' Carnival hosted later that day by the 5th-8th grade classes. First grade has been asked to bring in individually packaged cookies to be used as prizes at the carnival. You may send these to the classroom or the office.
October Book-It forms are due this week. I am hoping for 100% participation! The Book-It form asks for the kids to read 12 books a month. I know that some of my readers are reading chapter books. Feel free to count individual chapters or multiple chapters as equal to one book. Just use your own discretion! Read, read, read!!!
Have a great week!
October 22, 2012
We will have a busy week celebrating Red Ribbon Week! Refer to last week's Friday note for the daily theme! Tomorrow we will start the day in the gym with a kickoff rally. We will also participate in drug free lessons, art and projects throughout the week.
Report cards will come home on Thursday of this week. Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday, October 29th and Monday, November 5th. Please be sure to sign up for your conference in the office. I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you!
Last week we studied contractions in phonics. Starting this week, we will have a contraction as a part of our spelling list each week. These words are often difficult, but it is important that we can recognize them in reading and use them in writing.
On a personal note, many of you know that my brother was injured in a mining accident last Thursday evening. Because of this, I was not at school on Friday morning. The kids were able to take their reading tests with Mr. Herman on Friday morning. However, the spelling test was not given. To make things as fair as possible, I will give the spelling test on Monday morning. I will only count the test grade if it helps your child's overall spelling grade. It will not be recorded if it would lower your child's overall spelling grade. I will still introduce this week's spelling words on Monday so that we can get back on schedule.
Have a wonderful week! God is good...
October 15, 2012
We have a very exciting week! We will kick off the week with pumpkin pancakes and a trip to the pumpkin patch. We will round off Monday with a little pumpkin science and math.
Remember, book orders are due on Tuesday. If you are interested in ordering, return forms to me or follow the directions to order on line.
Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. We will visit the library on Thursday this week.
Parent/Teacher conferences are just around the corner. Please keep an eye on the Friday note for details.
Keep working on Book-It forms! Our goal is 100% participation!
October 9, 2012
Last week we welcomed October by learning about St. Francis of Assisi and Christopher Columbus. This week we we are off to a great start continuing our study of plants! We all have new reading stories this week. Two of our groups are starting new readers! Yeah! We also took our first chapter test in our new math books today. We will have a review list in spelling with a test on Friday.
Next Monday, October 15th we will visit the Breezy Hill Pumpkin Patch. Look for permission slips to come home tomorrow. We will also participate in other pumpkin related activities!
Last week I sent home the Book-It form for October. I would like each student to participate in the Book-It challenge. Each child must read 12 books each month to receive the free monthly pizza from Pizza Hut. Anyone who completes all 6 months of this challenge will receive a surprise from me!
Accelerated Reading is going very well in our classroom. Many students are reading and testing weekly! We are saving our points to visit the AR store in the next couple of weeks. I will have a review of the accelerated reading tests your child has completed to discuss with you at Parent/Teacher Conferences at the end of the month.
September 30, 2012
After a great week of apple fun, we are back into our regular routine! We will work out of our readers this week but will have our test on THURSDAY instead of Friday. The spelling test will return to Friday as normal.
Please remember that Monday is a 2:00 dismissal and free dress day!
Thursday we will celebrate the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. All pets are welcome at 8:10 that morning for the blessing of the pets. Also, our school is collecting donations for the animal shelter. You will receive a free dress pass for any monetary or supply donation that you send which will be valid for use at a later date in the month of October.
Please be sure to sign and return your child's mid-term which was sent home last Thursday. Have a wonderful week!
September 23, 2012
This week we will be taking a break from our readers to study Johnny Appleseed. There will be no test on Friday. Also, we will have no reading story homework this week. The weekly comprehension page WILL be assigned. Also, the green reading group should be on the lookout for a new component to their reading curriculum. To celebrate Johnny Appleseed's Birthday on Wednesday, we will be baking apple pie and participating in other apple related activities.
We also have a couple of special projects in math this week. Therefore, the only math homework coming home this week are the math fact pages!
We will have library time on Tuesday instead of Friday this week. Please return library books at this time. If your child would like to renew his/her book, he/she can let Mrs. Lees or I know!
We will begin a new chapter in science this week on the topic of plants. It is a long chapter and will take 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to complete. We are also working on a new unit in phonics which includes inflectional endings (-ed, ing) and diagraphs (sh, th, ch, etc). We really enjoyed using our Pflaum Weekly and will continue working in our Promise book the remaining part of the week.
Remember, this is another short week! All of the teachers will be attending Mass in Belleville with the Bishop and participating in in-service training on Friday.
September 17, 2012
Another great week has come and gone in first grade! Last week, we started learning about our communities. We talked about community helpers and learned our addresses. We will continue our social studies unit this week by learning about our state and country! We will flip-flop social studies with science and will be returning to our science book next week.
Our class has library time scheduled every Friday afternoon. Because we are not in school this Friday, we will not be visiting the library. That means library books will not be due until Thursday, September 27th. We will be attending the library on that date. Normally, library books will be checked out for one week. If your child has checked out a lengthy book, he/she can let me know that the book needs to be renewed for another week. Otherwise, your child will have the opportunity to check out new books weekly. Thanks to Mrs. Lees and Mrs. Weaver for running the library for our class this year!
Thursday is the end of the mid-term and mid-terms will come home on Thursday, September 27th. Mid-terms should be signed and returned to school the following day if possible.
Thanks for remembering your red last Friday for Mass! Have a great week!
September 9, 2012
Things are going very well in first grade! Our reading groups are going great and we have already completed our first chapter in science! In religion, we are working in a Pflaum workbook that discusses the churches beliefs and teachings. In addition, we will begin our weekly lessons which follow the liturgical calendar in late September. The kids will bring home their first memory verse this week.
This week I will send a math homework packet home on Monday. We will complete one lesson a day in class. Please have your child complete one homework lesson a day, too. Please DO NOT complete all of the math homework at one time. The purpose of homework is extra practice and completing the homework after the lesson is the best way to support the curriculum. Thanks for your help!
September 3, 2012
I am so excited that our new math series has arrived! We have both a student textbook and a workbook. We will use the textbook each day in class. I have decided to use the workbook as homework. The workbook is copied front and back and is perforated. This week, I am going to send the first page home which will correspond with Lesson 1 and 2. The paper will come home on Wednesday and be due back on Friday. Please complete one lesson each night as that will be the work that supports what we learned at school. Next week, I will send home four lessons on Monday with one to be completed each day and the packet due back on Friday. We will see how this works out and reevaluate at the end of next week! Please contact me with any questions or concerns!
This week we will also complete our first chapter in science! Look for a vocabulary worksheet to come home as review. We are planning our first test for Thursday. Science tests are read aloud to the students. The vocabulary sheet that comes home and the questions at the end of the chapter are a great review!
It will be a short but busy week! Hope you have a great one.
August 26, 2012
We are off and running into this new school year! I am so pleased with everyone's great effort and attitude! Please remember that the comprehension worksheet that is assigned on Monday and due on Friday requires a parent's signature. Please make sure your child reads this assignment aloud to you and use the brief parent note to allow you to focus on the comprehension strategy for the assignment.
Remember, this Friday is an 11:00 dismissal day. Have a wonderful week!
August 19, 2012
We had a great first week of school! We started with reading, writing, phonics, language and math last week. This week we will add spelling, science and religion as well as start working in our leveled reading groups. It should be an exciting and productive week!
Please remember to check your child's behavior calendar daily. Please initial it each evening so I will know that you have seen it. Remember, a star indicates a great day! A check mark indicates that we had some minor problems in class (talking, out of seat, playing with supplies, etc.) I will let you know if there is any major problem.
I hope to see you all at Parent Orientation on Wednesday! We will talk about our curriculum in-depth and discuss about our classroom goals for the year!
Welcome to First Grade
I am so excited about the new year and all I have planned! This year we will focus heavily on reading
and writing. We will use the accelerated
reading program for independent reading.
We will add Shurley English to our curriculum and will be using the
Saxon math series. We will also study
spelling, science, social studies and religion.
First graders attend Mass on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Please review the kindergarten sight words if your child is not fluent with them! We
will be working with them in class the first couple of weeks. We will also be working in leveled reading
groups this year. Ms. Martin, Mrs. Ellis
and I will lead groups on a rotating basis.
The groups are fluid so children will be moved to keep them in a group
that is a good fit.
We will use the red parent/teacher communication folder. Your child will have homework daily. Math homework will come home most evenings as
well as reading. Math tests are given
every five lessons and reading tests each Friday. Spelling words will be assigned on Monday
with a test on Friday. The kids will
bring home science homework occasionally to review and prepare for tests.
In the back of the parent/teacher communication folder, your
child will have a monthly behavior calendar.
Please check and initial the calendar at the end of each day. A star indicates a good behavior day. A check indicates a minor problem such as too
much talking, talking in the hall, out of seat, etc. I will make a note of any reoccurring or
troublesome behavior. Ten stars will
earn a trip to the treasure chest.
I am very excited about spending this important year with your
child. As always, I am eager to hear
your comments or concerns. Please feel
free to contact me at school or at home.
Let’s work together and have a great year!