OCTOBER 1-OCTOBER 5

We will have an all-school Mass on Thursday, October 4, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.  It will begin at 1:15 and will be held outside.  We will hold the blessing of the pets after the mass.  If you are bringing a pet there will be a separate seating section for you and your pet.  Hope to see you there.

October is the Month of the Rosary.  We will be meeting once a week to say the rosary as a school family.  I am hoping you will find the time to say a rosary at home with your children.

The time period for wearing uniform shorts has been extended to October 31st.  Your children are allowed to wear their uniform shorts on Thursday for mass.

The Student Council will be selling pink shoelaces and pink style socks during the month of October in support of the fight against breast cancer.  The students will be allowed to wear the shoelaces and socks during the month of October.  Shoelaces will be $5.00 and socks will be $10.00.

Dismissal on Friday is 12:30.

Curriculum remains the same.  I would like your child to bring in some seeds if they have not done so.  I would like them by Wednesday.  Thank you.

VOCABULARY WORDS

your
where
make
fly
needs
be
tail
work
kite
day
by
that
down

Have a good week.  If you have read this blog, have your child write 3 short a rhyming words in their planner.  GOD BLESS YOU!

SEPTEMBER 24-SEPTEMBER 28

ITBS testing is over with and I would like to say thank you for the daily snacks.  They were truly appreciated and were gobbled up quickly.  It is hard to imagine that we are going to be into the month of October the following week.  Thank you to all that have returned the Progress Reports.  I am still missing a few.  Please make sure you sign them and return them if you haven't.

We are moving along in Language Arts.  We will be learning about contractions and adding the endings of (ed), (s) and (ing) to a root word this week.  We have started the last reader in Level 1.  We continue to read from the supplemental reader, Bells.  We will spend one more week on short a and will then learn about short i.  A vocabulary test will be given in about 2 weeks.  Please continue to review them on a nightly basis.  In Math we will start timed tests with addition facts whose sum will be up to 12.  In Science we are still learning about the Ecosystem.  In Social Studies we are starting a unit on maps and where we live.  In Religion we are learning about God's creation.

Friday is Free Dress Spirit Day.  Once again if your child is wearing free dress they must have on an OLM shirt.

REMINDERS:

Please sign the planners.
Please check your child's home folder nightly.
Please make sure your child returns their homework and reader.
Please put your name with money that is turned in and what it is for.
We are still having problems in these areas.


VOCABULARY WORDS

boy
girl
how
with
very
much
I'm
can't
I'll
it's
they
bet

Have a great week.  If you have read this blog have your child write in their planner what day we celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day.  GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 17-SEPTEMBER 21

Progress Reports went home on Friday. I also included the Conduct Rubric which is used by the school. Once again, remind your child to always put forth their best effort. The progress reports must be signed and returned by Friday, September 21. A reminder: the Progress Report is just that: progress---where your child is academically right now in my classroom. Some children are working really well, but when they are finished they do not use their time wisely. They have 2 library books in their desk and 2 readers. When finished with work they are to get out their books and read. Some students prefer to just sit and talk. This is not using their time wisely and it is disruptive to others who are still working. You may want to talk to your child about this behavior.

ITBS testing begins on Monday. It will continue all week. It is important that your child be at school for the test. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast. Once again just tell your child to do their best. Healthy snacks will be provided for the children during testing. Thank you to the parents who had a hand in providing the snack.

This week the spelling test will include 2 extra challenge words. The challenge words will be ones that your child should know how to spell. They will be short a words that will have 4-5 letters. Those 2 words will be included in the overall spelling grade.

Most of the students are doing well on the timed math addition tests. Others need to continue to work on these math facts at home. I wrote a note on the timed test to those that need that extra help. This is part of the math grade.

Continue to review vocabulary words nightly. When we are doing workbook pages sometimes your child must do the reading independently. If they do not know their vocabulary words these pages can be very difficult. Your child is also required to read a short story on the board which uses vocabulary. They are then required to draw a picture that goes with the story. This will also be difficult if they do not know their words. In a couple of weeks they will be individually tested on the vocabulary words. So please keep working on them every night.

The catalog sale ends on Wednesday. Hopefully you have been selling. I have seen a lot of penguins in our classroom. That is a good sign.

Friday, September 21, dismissal is at 12:30. It is also Spirit Free Dress Day. In order for your child to have free dress they must wear an OLM t-shirt.

Remember SHOP$SMART for SCHOOLS. Bring in your original receipts from any MERCED MALL store to the Customer Service Counter or to the office at OLM School. We want to be the school that WINS at the end of the year. THANK YOU.

VOCABULARY WORDS

clean

all

of

why

up

would

this

but

take

because

find

circle

animal

turtle

Thank you for all of your support. Please continue to sign the planners and see that your child completes homework and returns it. If you have read this blog.....THANK YOU. Have a great weekend. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER10-SEPTEMBER 14

It is hard to believe that Progress Reports will be going home on Friday. A reminder: this is a progress report. It is just that. It shows your child's progress since the beginning of the school year and lets you know where your child is right now. The first 4-5 weeks have been review with some new skills added. This is a good time to remind your child to always do their best work. Some of your children are not completing their work in the allotted time. If papers are coming home with "Incomplete" on them you know your child was not using his/her time wisely. Neatness, both in handwriting and in coloring are a part of the Effort grade. Now is a good time to review behavior both inside and outside the classroom. Some children are not following the rules at lunchtime recess. I have been made aware of this. A conduct rubric will be going home. Progress Reports are to be signed and returned by Friday, September 21.

Some homework and readers are not being returned. It is so important that your child be responsible. They need to complete homework, return it and their reader. It is not your responsibility: it is theirs.

Timed math tests have begun. Our goal is that your child is able to memorize math facts and not have to rely on beads, fingers or number lines. We have started an addition unit in math which should reinforce the timed tests. Flashcards are the best way to practice.

Spelling will begin this week. The spelling words will go home on Tuesday with a note. Practice tests are given on Thursday, with the final and graded test on Friday. Backward letters and upper case letters will be marked incorrect on a test. Please work with your child nightly on the spelling words. After a week I will be giving challenge words that go with the short vowel skill that we are working on for the week.

There will be another Safe Environment Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 6:00 p.m.

Student photos will be taken either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thank you to all who turned in the sheet as to when you might be available to work. November is a very busy month and I will be calling on a number of you to help out in the classroom for several projects that are planned. I will be getting back to you when you are needed. Remember, you must have Safe Environment and fingerprints on file.

Many of you are sending loose money in the family envelope with loose slips. If you are sending lunch or milk money, please state who it is for and how much you have sent in. If you are sending in Pizza Hut money you can staple the money to the sheet. All of these items go into one large envelope and go to the office. I do not sort it, I just put it in the office envelope. Thank you for your help in this matter.

Remind your child to empty out their Home Folder and put any office items in my tray. A number of children are not turning in items until the end of the day. As a result, some items can be considered late. Thank for your help in this matter.

VOCABULARY WORDS

walk

run

jump

play

from

my

friend

is

fun

think

home

like

lift

Thank you to all who are reading the blog. If you have read this blog, have your child write in the planner what state they live in. Have a fabulous week. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 3-SEPTEMBER 7

It was great to see you at Open House. I hope you enjoyed your visit. I also hope you are enjoying your three day weekend. Remember: no school on Monday, September 3. It is a holiday.

The OLM catalog sale will kick off on Wednesday with an assembly at 1:30. Your child will be bringing home all of the information.

On Friday, September 7, the bishop will be here to celebrate the all-school Mass. It will begin at 8:15. No shorts are allowed on that day. All are welcome to attend. Dismissal will be at 12:30 that day. On Saturday, September 8 is the birthday of the Blessed Mother.

Thank you for the great job you are doing in signing those planners. The students have really gotten into the groove of writing in them every morning.

Curriculum remains the same. We are doing a lot of review in Language Arts. We have started the third reader. Your children seem to be doing well with the vocabulary words. On Friday the first reading packet went home with a note regarding the grading of the packet.

Timed math tests will begin on Tuesday. I will give them a week of practice before they are entered as part of their math grade.

Spelling words will go home the week of September 10 and their first practice test will be on Thursday, September 13. A note will go home with the first set of spelling words.

The Our Lady of Mercy Foundation is hosting their annual Wine and International Food Tasting on Saturday, September 8. It is always a fun event and is a great way to meet people. For tickets call the office at 722-7496.

REMINDERS:

There seems to be some confusion on buying pizza. The pizza from Pizza Hut MUST BE PREORDERED. Your child can not come to school that day and buy a pizza lunch. A separate slip goes home with a deadline for the order. Please be aware of it. On the day of the Pizza Hut lunch I hand out the preordered pizza slip to each child who has ordered it. I hope this clarifies this for all.

Remind your children that their job in the classroom is to listen while I am teaching, to follow directions and to complete their work in the allotted time. They are to always do their very best work. Randomly I will select a paper to give them an Effort grade. The effort grade includes name on paper, following directions correctly and neat handwriting and coloring. Some students are not returning their homework or their readers the following day. That is also a part of their Effort grade.

When a math paper goes home with math vocabulary please review these words nightly with your child.  These are words that are going to be used for the chapter.  This page comes right out of our math workbook and has a short note for the parents.

VOCABULARY WORDS

found

going

am

for

under

across

bad

good

so

draw

are

look

Have a wonderful weekend. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper one rule they have at home. GOD LOVES YOU!