November 11 to November 15

Hope everyone is enjoying the 3 day weekend!!! It's been relaxing for sure. :)

It's a short week, but very full.

*****Reminder- shoebox items need to be in by this Thursday, November 14, 2013.  We will be packaging the items with our Faith Families this Friday.  

 Another reminder,  we have had many students who have been late to school.  I realize that getting children up and ready is a big task, especially when there's more than 1. However, the beginning of the day is very important.  Students use this time to get organized and ready for the day.  Planners are filled out,  lunch & roll is taken, and bags are unloaded.  When your child is late, they start the day in a frenzy.  When students are on time, this time is valuable and gives the child time to get settled so we can start the days lessons without delay.  I really appreciate your support and understanding on this matter.

Another important issue of concern is about absences.  Unless your child is running a fever or really coughing, please make sure child comes to school.  First grade is so important- there is much to learn.  

There are many new concepts introduced each day.  Even when the work is sent home to complete, they are missing the lesson or the review of a concept.  Please remember that school/ academics should be the priority.  And not only that, I miss them when they are out :). Please remember that your child's best interests are always my number one concern! Thanks again for the support :)

This is some of what we will be learning:

Reading / phonics

~ review if digraphs- ch, th, sh, wh. Please review these sounds with your child.  Go over beginning and ending sounds. chop, with, shop, wish for example.

~ review of short vowels: a, i, o

~ words endings - ing, s,es,ed

~ r blends: tree, brick, crab for example

*****There will be no new vocabulary this week.  There will still be spelling words .  These

 are the words:

branch

think

wasn't

trash

block

trick

print

stamp

spill

shock

Math

~review place value: ones, tens.  

~One less, one more, and numbers in between.

~ greater than, less than, equal to

~ numbers 1-100, number words

Religion

~ forgiveness and sin

Science

~ types of animals- mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish

Social studies

~Native Americans, early settlers to America 

Upcoming events:

Thanksgiving feast with kindergarten. Wednesday, November 20, 2013.  First graders will be dressed as Pilgrams.  It should be lots of fun.  We will be having a snack together starting at 10 am.  If you would like to join us, please do! Mrs. McParland is in charge of organizing the snack for that day.  There will be more info to follow next week.

First week of November ! Feel the chill outside!!

Along with this beautiful , but cold and crisp weather, comes the dreaded cold and flu season.  Please remind your child about washing their hands after they sneeze or blow their nose.  They can raise their hand to leave their seat to get a Kleenex and then they may either use our sink to wash their hands with soap or use the antibacterial lotion. I will provide the soap and antibacterial lotion for them to use.  My goal is to keep everyone as healthy as I can. We will also wipe our desks down often too.  Please remind them about these healthy hygiene habits.  I'll remind them at school :-) Thank you !  Remember that shorts are no longer allowed until May.

This week we will start meeting with our 8th grade reading buddies.  This is another way for them to listen to good reading skills and to practice their reading fluency skills too.  My students are so looking forward to this, So are the 8th graders!

Timed math facts tests- we will start taking addition tests of sums to 12.  Start practicing subtraction facts of ten and lower ex 10-7 =  or  6-5=.  We will start those after Thanksgiving break.  

Vocabulary this week:

pond

count

called

silly

morning

beautiful

put

tomorrow 

today

book

belongs

Spelling this week

wasn't 

block

saw

moth

didn't

chop

spot

with

cloth

frogs

We have two events coming up to help those less fortunate:  

Catholic Charities food drive 

First graders are being asked to bring 2 cans of cranberry sauce each- this needs to be brought in any time before Friday, November 15.  

Operation shoebox

First graders are asked to bring in miscellaneous items such as t- shirts, socks, ball, cap, sunglasses, hair clips , toy jewelry, watches, flashlights ( with extra batteries) etc...  Please check the family envelope for the flyer that went home to see what age range your faith family is buying for.  We will write the faith family number in your child' s planner this week.  These items also need to be brought in anytime before Friday , November 15.  

This is just another way we can get our children involved in becoming an Active Faith-Filled Citizen!!!!

This Friday we will be hosting a Veteran's Day Assembly @ 8:30.   If you are a veteran or you know someone who is - this event is for you !!! Please extend this invite to friends, family , or neighbors who you know are veterans .  This is a wonderful event!! 

Last week of October ! October 28- November 1

I really enjoyed seeing many of you last night in your costumes!  It really was a fun night!  I wanted to thank those of you who helped out last night - especially Mrs. Zambelli and Mrs. McParland.  It was definitely a Job Well Done -BRAVO!

This is a very busy week; it is red ribbon week and Halloween !  Here is a list of the days events:

Monday - with their faith families they will be coloring red ribbons and decorating the school.

Tuesday- red and white free dress -  please be in those colors it's school spirit!

Wednesday- crazy socks day - we will be having a sock hop in the afternoon.

Thursday- wear your Halloween costume!  We will be having a school costume contest, also there is a pumpkin carving contest- if you bring in your carved pumpkin you could win !  We will also be having a party in the afternoon starting at 1:30.  The room parents are in charge of this.

Friday- All school Mass - for All Saints.  Students must be in full school uniform. Shorts are no longer allowed until May.  We will be also be visiting the saint wax museum put on by the 8th grade some time that morning. Don't forget it's a 12:30 dismissal day!

Yes, it will be a fun- filled week.  However, students must behave or they may not be able to attend the fun activities if they don't.  Please talk to them about following rules and making good choices.  Thank you for your support!

We will still be having a practice spelling test Thursday and a final spelling test on Friday.  These are their spelling words:

was

you

soft

crop

clock

and

drop

pops

socks

shop

Here are the vocabulary words this week:

any

animals

trouble

kind

gave

there

thing

nice

thought

answered

belongs

asked

I enjoyed meeting and talking with each of you last week about your child. With open communication and support , your child will have a successful first grade year!  Thanks for all the support to me and your child ! 

October 21,2013- October 25, 2013

It's conference week and our Book Fair! I look forward to meeting with you to discuss how wonderful your child or children are :). It's a good time to discuss the goals we have for your child this year.  

Tuesday, October 22 is PINK free dress.  Your child must wear pink.  At 6 PM is the Mother Daughter volleyball game!  That should be a fun game to come watch!

This Wednesday, October 23 is our trip to the Pumpkin Patch!!! Things to remember:  please be at school With your child's booster seat on time- 7:50 AM. (At the first bell).  This will give us time to take roll and get organized before morning prayer.  After prayer, we will organize the children, with their booster seats, into their groups/ cars and leave by 8:30.  Snack will be provided after we have participated in the organized activities and after they have picked their pumpkins.  We will then return to school when we are done.  Your child will be at school before the school day ends at 12:30.  If you are driving, you must have the required insurance and registration info turned in before Wednesday morning.  Remember this information must be turned in each year to be eligible to drive.  You must also have completed safe environment training and have had fingerprints done.  We will check with the office to confirm.  If you don't meet any of these requirements, you will NOT, be able to drive and/ or attend this trip.  These are the rules of the diocese.  Thank you.

Saturday, October 26 Is our annual Halloween Carnival from 5- to  - 8PM.  You must purchase a bracelet for $10 .  No tickets are sold for the games.  Food will also be for sale. It's a really fun and safe night for kids of all ages.  Hope to see all of you there! 

These are some of the things we will be covering and can be reinforced or practiced at home:

-Contractions & compound words

-Short a, i, o vowel words

-Addition and subtraction concepts

-6 parts of an ecosystem- sun, nonliving things, herbivores, carnivores, plants, recyclers / cleaner-uppers.

-Plains Indians 

-Saints

-The Rosary

-of course vocabulary words from each week should be reviewed continuously .  I can tell a few of the students are not doing this.  It shows in their daily reading. 

Vocabulary this week: 

knows

warm

goes

brothers

sister

about

together

ears

eyes

legs

body

nose

Spelling words this week will be short o vowels ( practice test Thursday - if your child gets all the words plus the challenge words correct, they will not have to take the final test on Friday ) 

They are :

not

pot

hot

cot

dot 

on

box

pop

top

stop

Friday is our turn to bring in a St. Vincent lunch to be distributed to the homeless.  Please have your child help with this; it's a great opportunity to discuss the many things we are thankful for :). We will decorate a bag on Thursday to take home that night to fill with a great lunch.  Please send it in with your child when they come in the morning. Thank you :)

October 14-October 18

We have made it through the first quarter ! My students know the rules and procedures of my classroom.  They understand the planners and that it must be signed 5 days a week.  Homework is getting done and being returned the next day when it is assigned.  I have already seen growth in many of them.  I am so proud of my students !!!

Report cards go home this Friday.  They must be signed and returned by Monday so we can discuss them at conferences.  Thank you.

Just a reminder:  we do not have show and tell.  Please do not let your child bring in things to show the class unless I have specifically assigned it.  I will have them write it in their planner if I'd like something brought in.  Thank you. 

Next week is the Pumpkin Patch field trip. Wednesday , October 23 please send in your child's booster seat.  We will leave first thing in the morning.  Your child will not be able to go if a booster seat isn't brought in. It's the law!  Please mark their seat with their name please.  If you are driving, you Must have all the registration, insurance, and drivers license information into the office BY THIS WEDNESDAY!  If your info is not in and up -to -date for this new school year , you will not be able to drive for this trip.  It is very difficult to change car groups at the last minute because of this.  We appreciate your support in this matter. Thank you.  There will be more info on next week's blog.

Vocabulary this week:

then

never

many

always

soup

lunch

whose

was

baby

father

everything

Spelling this week :

big

and

did

map

the

fin

ran

jig

had

it

Just a note........ I so appreciate all the help and support I have received this year.  I have taught for 15 years, but teaching first grade is a whole new world!  I love my students, and always have their best interest at heart :-) Thanks again for your patience!!!

Wrong dates!

I posted this week that next week is conference week, 12:30 dismissal, and the book fair.  These events are not until the following week of October 23- to October 27th.  I am very sorry for the mistake!  Thanks for your understanding :)

October 7- October 10

This is a short week.  We are off because the teachers attend a religious conference in Visalia on 

Friday .  Due to the short week , we will not have a practice spelling test on Thursday.  We will just have a final test Thursday.  

Next week is conference week. It is also the book fair! It will be 12:30 dismissal all week.

Spelling words this week still follow the short i sound:

big

wig

hit

pig

dig

sit

fig

jig

swim

him

Vocabulary this week:

some

May

more

mother

tell

when

again

long

he

she

surprise

was

grow

Math. We are still doing addition math facts tests up to the sum of ten. Start practicing subtraction facts subtracting from 10 and lower.