First Grade Mrs. Mills

FEBRUARY 13-FEBRUARY 17

2012-02-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is a short week, as is the following week. Remember we have no school on Friday, February 17 and again on Monday, February 20. Spelling words will be going home on Monday, with the tests being moved up one day.

Tuesday is Valentine's Day. We will be having a party in the afternoon. A note went home on Friday. Make sure your child has enough valentines for the entire class. We have 19 students. All your child has to do is to sign their name on the card. Do not address them. Thank you.

Progress Reports went home on Friday. They are to be signed and returned by Thursday. Remember this is where your child is right now with the grades that have been entered. They still have the rest of the quarter to raise them.

Reminders: We have been having many playground issues. Please talk to your child about playground rules. Please remind your child to keep their hands and feet to themselves. If your child is bringing money to buy snacks, juice, cookies etc. please remind them they are not to buy for another child. Feelings get hurt. Thank you.

VOCABULARY WORDS

tasty
pulled
eaten
finally
guess
pictures
turned
crayons
spread
watch
listen
frankly
capture

Have a great weekend. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 10

2012-02-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great week with all of the Catholic Schools Week activities. A fun time was had by all. Hopefully we are back to a somewhat normal week. Thank you to all that drove back from the church. It was appreciated.

Tomorrow, Monday, is a Mardi Gras free dress day provided your child wears purple, green, yellow or gold.

Tuesday, February 7, is International Night. All of the reports are in and the students did a wonderful job. You will be able to see all of them Tuesday night. Hope to see you there. It will be a fun evening for all. It runs from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Progress Reports will go out on Friday and they are to be signed and returned by the following Friday. This is a good time to remind your child to always due their best, to follow directions, and to read all of the answers before choosing one. It is also a good time to remind you that your child needs to be reviewing vocabulary words, spelling words, and math vocabulary on a nightly basis. Some children are still rushing, not listening and making careless mistakes.

Our auction item has been completed. The book is WONDERFUL. I have a copy in my room and there is one in the office for you to preview. Feel free to drop by and see it.

VOCABULARY

air
square
storm
remember
city
donkey
distant
before
mystery
closet
caused
tasted
leave
paint

Have a great week. If you have read this blog let me know in the planner who was the Super Bowl winner. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 3

2012-01-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

It was great so see so many of you at the 5:00 Saturday evening mass to kick off Catholic Schools Week. The choir sounded wonderful. There are many activities planned for the week so make sure you keep the list of them where you can check on them daily.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK:

Monday: Faith movie for the students after lunch

Tuesday: BUDDY DAY Bring a small snack or gift for your buddy. It should cost no more than $1.00. It is also BLUE AND WHITE free dress for SPIRIT DAY. There is a home basketball game at 4:00. Hope to see you there.

Wednesday: Cherish Luncheon. The first grade will be part of the entertainment prior to the luncheon.

Thursday: Academic Super Quiz Game at 1:30. Moms vs Daughters/Fathers vs Sons Basketball Game at 6:00 in the OLM Auditorium. Should be fun to watch.

Friday: MASS AT ST. PATRICK'S. Students should arrive at St. Patrick's church by 7:50 a.m. They will be driven from the church to the school after mass. Make sure your permission slip is back by Monday. I am still missing several of them. If you are driving I will need you. We are short drivers. So if you are available to drive please see me or drop me a note in the planner. There is a Teachers vs. 8th grade volleyball game at 11:15. Dismissal will be at 12:30

REMINDERS FOR THE WEEK: All students need to bring a sack lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thank you.

As you can see it is a very busy week. There will be no new vocabulary words this week. Please have your child continue to review them on a nightly basis.

Have a super week. If you have read this blog have your child write down the theme for Catholic Schools Week in their planner. Hint: it is written on the yellow handout in your family envelope. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 23-JANUARY 27

2012-01-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

The school year is half over and we are moving right along. The Saturday evening 5:00 mass will kick off Catholic Schools Week. Make sure your child wears their school uniform to the mass that they are attending. Next week begins Catholic Schools Week. More information will be in next week's blog about all of the activities that will be occurring during the week. A permission slip will be going home this week for the All-School Mass at St. Patrick's on February 3. I will be needing drivers for that morning.

In Language Arts we have started the 2nd unit in Level 4. We continue to work on vocabulary, cause and effect, sequencing, predictions, classification, short vowels, nouns, verbs, blends, endings of ed, s, ing, plurals, contractions, compound words, digraphs, writing skills, reading fluency and comprehension. In Science we are learning about the weather and the seasons. In Social Studies we are learning about the Dominican Republic and other cultures. In P.E. we are doing dance and rhythms. We are also using bean bags. In Religion we are learning about the Eucharist, forgiveness and making the right choice. In Math we are starting a new chapter on shapes and solids. A vocabulary sheet about this chapter will go home on Monday. Please review the vocabulary terms with your child. They are used on the assignments and tests.

A few reminders:

All students had a homework assignment to write in the planner.

The only sweaters or sweatshirts allowed are OLM ones.

Coats and jackets are not to be worn in the classroom.

Please check the handbook for hair accessories. Some that are worn are not acceptable.

Leggings are not allowed. Tights are acceptable.

Please remind your child to use the bathroom before school, during recess and during lunchtime. It has really become an interruption during the school day. Students are asking to leave during instruction time, during tests and during assignments.

VOCABULARY WORDS

world
quiet
forever
family
attic
window
toys
climbed
empty
bored
million
share

Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 16-JANUARY 20

2012-01-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

JANUARY 9-JANUARY 13

2012-01-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

Your children seem to be back in the swing of school. Report cards went home on Friday. Also included was the SLE assessment. They are both to be signed and returned by Friday, January 13. There will be no school on Monday, January 13, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

International Night will be held on Tuesday, February 7 at 6:00. The first grade will be learning about the country of the Dominican Republic. Your child will be assigned a topic within the next week. A note will go home as to what is expected from them. They will have about 2 weeks to complete the assignment. It will be part of their Social Studies grade.

You should have seen the 4th level reader which your child brought home on Thursday evening. Hopefully your child did not go ahead and look or read any of the forthcoming stories. You noticed that the challenge in spelling is now dictation. Your children did quite well for the first time. You can help your child at home by giving them dictation sentences. Everything in the sentence must be correct in order to get a point.

Just a few reminders for the new year:

Sign planners every night
Return homework the following day
Only OLM sweatshirts are allowed
Any kind of jacket is allowed for outside wear
Review addition and subtraction facts
Review vocabulary words
Students should use the bathroom during their recess and lunch break

VOCABULARY WORDS

fourth
fifth
sixth
seventh
strange
whole
elephant
pillar
turn
agree
moral
great

Have a great week and stay warm. If you have read this blog have your child write in their planner what the weather was like over the weekend. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 2-JANUARY 6

2011-12-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings and Happy New Year. This is a wonderful time to thank God for all the things we have in our lives, especially our children. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and vacation. Thank you to all of you for the many gifts I received. I loved them all. It was very thoughtful of you and I appreciated them. Thank you to all who helped or sent food for the Christmas Party. The children had a great time.

The 2nd quarter has ended and we are now beginning the 3rd quarter beginning on Tuesday. Can you believe it? Report cards will go home on Friday. This again is a great time to remind your children to always do their best work. This quarter I will be giving effort grades randomly on written/coloring work completed in the classroom. I am hoping this will help with your child's neatness. Just a reminder: the Effort grade includes returning readers, returning homework and completing assignments.

We will have an all-school Mass on Friday at 8:15. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

In curriculum we have started the 4th Reading series. The reader is a hardback book. Please do not go ahead with your child to read more stories. When your child has read the story before I have introduced it the introduction to the story gets lost. Thank you for your cooperation. In Science we will be studying the weather. In Math we will start a new unit with math facts to 18. In Social Studies we will begin a unit on Our Changing World. In Religion we will be discussing what happened after the birth of Jesus. In Spelling we will be working on short u words and we will be starting dictation sentences instead of challenge words on the spelling tests. The students have been introduced to dictation. In P.E. we will be starting a bean bag unit. Timed tests will be combining subtraction and addition facts to 12. Some students are not showing much improvement. Please work on this daily at home. There should be progress if you are working at home on flashcards.

VOCABULARY WORDS

try
hard
rest
play
sing
please
thank
word
first
second
third

I hope you have a great week. Your child did not bring home their planner. I asked them to leave them at school. If I am not at school on Tuesday it is because I have jury duty. I am hoping they do not need me. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 12-DECEMBER 16

2011-12-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

We have been busy preparing for the Christmas Program. On Wednesday morning your children are to be dropped off at St. Patrick's Church by 8:00. Please do not take them to OLM School. I will be at the church by 7:30. We are having a dress rehearsal that morning. When we are done we will be going to Emeritus and The Hampshire for a prayer service. When we are finished we will be going back to school. All of the parents that have said they will drive will be used. I will write a note in the planner to let you know what time you need to be back at the church.

Your children should be at the church Wednesday evening by 6:15. They are to wear nice clothes. It would be nice if the girls were in dresses. I know that you will enjoy the Christmas Program. We have been working hard on it and most of the children know the words.

On Tuesday morning, December 13, the first grade will be participating in the morning Advent Prayer. You are all welcome to come. It will start at 8:00.

I have received many of the food items for the "Spirit of Christmas" dinner and many items for the D Street Shelter. Thank you to all. If you have not turned in anything please do so this week by Thursday, December 15. Thank you for all of your support.

Friday is a half day with dismissal at 12:30. Remember, there is NO extended care that day. The school closes down for Christmas vacation at 12:30.

VOCABULARY WORDS

return
should
old
pair
clothes
cook
knight
small
bring

Have a great week and a wonderful Christmas vacation. Remember the reason for the season. If you have read this blog have your child write down the color of the Advent candle that was lit this week on the Advent wreath. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 5-DECEMBER 9

2011-12-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am hoping to see lots of you at the Christmas Parade Saturday afternoon. Our float depicts the true meaning of Christmas. The OLM Lancer Band will also be performing.

Thank you to all that drove to The Nutcracker. The children really seemed to enjoy it. It was also fun to see 2 of their classmates perform. Our display of nutcrackers was awesome. We must have had about 15 different nutcrackers brought in. The children really enjoyed looking at all of them. Thank you for sharing them with the first grade.

We are very busy preparing for the Christmas Program. I hope your child is really working on learning the words. On Monday we will start practicing without the song sheets. Some of the children already have the words memorized. Please encourage your child to sing. This will be a big part of their music grade. Some children are not singing at all even with the words in front of them. Thank you for your support.

On Thursday, December 8, there will be an all school Mass. It begins at 8:15. We will be celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

On Tuesday, December 13, my first grade will be presenting the morning prayer for Advent. All of the children are involved. You are welcome to attend. It will begin at 8:00.

Thank you to those of you that have turned in sugar, salt or flour for the "Spirit of Christmas"

Because this is the Christmas season and the season of giving I would like students to bring in items for the D Street Shelter. Please turn items in by Thursday, December 15. Please be generous. Some suggestions: the dollar store has knitted caps, scarves, mittens, socks, small packages of Kleenex, hand sanitizer, lip balm, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, combs, shampoo etc. These are just some thoughts. Thank you.

Curriculum remains the same. We will be finishing up Level 3 in Reading this week. We will then move into a hardback reader with many stories. Continue to work on vocabulary.

I have not received all of the Progress Reports. They were to be signed and returned by Friday. If you have it at home please sign it and return. Thank you.

VOCABULARY

king
queen
prince
visit
head
along
need
food
sky
shall

If you have read this blog have your child write in the planner what color the 4 candles in the Advent wreath are. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 2

2011-11-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and will enjoy the time off. When we come back we will be very busy practicing for the Christmas Program. Your child should have brought home a song sheet with songs that are to be memorized. Hopefully they are working on that as they will not be having sheets in front of them the night of the performance.

Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. Please talk to your child about the season of Advent. It is a time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. We will be discussing this in our Religion class.

Progress Reports went home on Friday. Please review them and sign and return next week. This is also a good time to remind your children there are only 3 weeks left before the end of the second quarter, and that they should be putting forth their best effort.

Curriculum remains the same. In Language Arts we are in Level 3 and only have one more story before we enter Level 4. We will also be working on the short e sound. In Science we are discussing different kinds of animals. In Social Studies we are finishing up the Native American unit and will be talking about Christmas in other parts of the world. In Math we continue to work on place value and our numbers 1-100. In Religion we will be talking about Advent and Christmas. In P.E. we will start a unit with bean bags.

Plan on driving if you said you could drive to The Nutcracker. Also thank you to all the moms who helped out with the Indian Pow Wow. It was a great success and the children really loved it. Thank you to all the moms who sent in food or drink for the Pow Wow or the Thanksgiving Feast with Kindergarten. It was greatly appreciated.

VOCABULARY WORDS

FORGET
SHOW
SMART
PENCIL
BEST
READ
SCHOOL
TIME
BEING
PLACE
SOMETIMES

Dismissal will be at 12:30 on Friday. Have a wonderful vacation and I will see you all on Monday, November 28. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 14-NOVEMBER 18

2011-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

We have one week before Thanksgiving vacation. Dismissal is at 12:30 on Friday.

Progress Reports will be going home on Friday. They need to be signed and returned after Thanksgiving vacation. This is a good time to remind your child to put forth their best effort. Some of the students have gotten careless and have become talkative. They are also leaving the classroom during instruction time, or a test to use the bathroom.

Please make sure you sign and return the permission slip for The Nutcracker.

Curriculum remains the same. There are no vocabulary words this week. Now is the time to really review them and to also work on math facts. We have started subtraction timed tests starting with numbers up to 12.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write in the planner what holiday was on Friday. Thank you for all of your cooperation and help. It is greatly appreciated. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 7-NOVEMBER 11

2011-11-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Wednesday evening is the Thanksgiving Program and dinner in the OLM auditorium. The program begins at 6:30 with a Thanksgiving dinner following the program. Tickets are still available. The turkey centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner were made by the first grade. Thank you to the moms who came in and helped with that project. It was greatly appreciated.

Thursday there will be a Veteran's Day program at school. It will begin at 8:30 and all are invited to attend.

There will be no school on Friday, November 11, which is Veteran's Day. Enjoy the holiday and remember those who are or have been in the military serving our country.

Curriculum remains the same. Please continue to review vocabulary words and math facts. Please remember to sign the planners and if your child has homework it needs to be completed and returned the following day. If you have not sent in an old white t-shirt for your child please do so. We will be decorating the shirts on Wednesday. Thank you.

Progress Reports will be going home in another week. How the time flies.

VOCABULARY WORDS

pond
count
called
silly
morning
beautiful
put
tomorrow
today
book
belongs

Have a great weekend. If you have read this blog have your child write the name of an insect they saw in their backyard. Just write it in the planner along with the name of the book they read over the weekend. Thank you. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 4

2011-10-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

It was great seeing you at the Halloween Carnival on Saturday evening. I have some great news. The first grade won the Halloween Booth Decoration contest. That means the first grade will be getting a pizza party. Way to go parents! Thank you to all of you that helped out in any way.

I also enjoyed meeting all of you at conferences. Continue to talk to your children about effort, doing their best, and reviewing their work. So many of the errors made are due to carelessness. I have also talked to the class about this. I also am encouraging you to have your child read aloud to you every night. 10-15 minutes is good. I usually send home a reader 2 nights a week. On the other nights read a book that your child has at home. Easy books are good. They help with reading fluency. When a book is too difficult, a child has difficulty with the comprehension.

There will be an all-school Mass on Tuesday, November 1, in honor of All Saints.

Dismissal on Friday is 12:30.

Curriculum remains the same. We have started Level 3 in Reading. We are working on contractions, compound words, endings of ing, ed and s, plurals, possession, cause and effect, sequencing, classification, short vowels a, i,o, vocabulary and comprehension. In Science we will start a new unit on different kinds of animals. In Social Studies we are learning about the Native American Indians, the pilgrims, and the United States. In Religion we have been making a saint book, and in P.E. we are finishing up jump ropes and will be working with rhythm sticks. In Math we are starting a new unit on place value. When the introduction page of the math unit goes home, please review the vocabulary words with your child. These terms will be introduced and used throughout the unit.

Some of you have asked if we are performing in the Thanksgiving Program. We are not. We will be performing in the Christmas Program and the Spring Program

Thank you to all of you that donated books or gift certificates to the classroom from the Book Fair. It was greatly appreciated. The response for the D Street Homeless was wonderful. We will be collecting again before we leave for Christmas vacation. I will give you a date next week.

VOCABULARY WORDS

any
animals
trouble
kind
gave
there
thing
nice
thought
answered
asked
belongs

Thank you again for all of your support. Continue signing those planners. You have done a wonderful job with that. And your children have gotten good at copying every morning what is on the board in their planner.

If you have read this blog just have a great day. The weather is gorgeous. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 24-OCTOBER 28

2011-10-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Report cards went home on Friday. They are to be signed and returned by next Friday. You may return them when you meet me at conference time. I am looking forward to meeting with you this week. Dismissal is at 12:30 everyday this week because of conferences. Remember, conferences are only 15 minutes long.

Next week is Red Ribbon Week. A schedule of all activities went home with your child on Friday. Next week is also the Book Fair. Your child will preview on Monday and bring home a wish list. You are free to browse at the Book Fair all week long. You also received information about a reading log on Friday.

Thank you to all the drivers who went to the Pumpkin Patch. Thank you to the moms who brought the snacks. The children all had a great time.

A note also went home about my service project. Please have your items turned in by October 27.

On Saturday evening from 5-8pm is the Halloween Carnival. The first grade has two booths. Hope to see you there!

VOCABULARY WORDS

knows
warm
goes
brothers
sisters
about
together
ears
eyes
legs
body
nose

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using the word Halloween in it. Just put it in the planner. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 17-OCTOBER 21

2011-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

The first quarter ended on Friday. Report cards will be going home on Friday. This is a good time to talk to your child and remind them what is expected of them. They are always to do their best work. They are to work quietly and when work is completed they should be reading and not bothering others.

Thursday we are off to the Pumpkin Patch. I have many drivers, so some parents are doubling up in cars. Some drivers do not have their driving information in the office. The office needs a copy of your driver's license, car registration and verification of insurance. Every year the information has to be resubmitted. Please have it in by Monday. Thank you. Another note: if you are an adult and you are going with us you must also pay the $3.00. Some of you have already sent in your $3.00. Thank you to those that have. Please be at the school by 12:25. We will try to leave by 12:40. Children are to wear their school uniform. It should be a fun afternoon for all.

On Thursday we say the rosary as a school. If you want to send a rosary with your child you may do so.

On Wednesday there will be free dress for $1.00. Everyone in free dress should be wearing pink. A prize will be awarded to the class wearing the most pink. Mrs. Blackburn is the judge. It is all for a good cause: breast cancer fund.

I finished the individual testing of all students on vocabulary. They did quite well. Please keep reviewing the words. We will be starting timed subtraction tests on Monday. In Religion we will begin a unit on saints.

VOCABULARY WORDS

then
never
many
always
soup
lunch
whose
was
baby
father
everything

Thank you for signing the planners and for making sure homework comes back the following day. If you have read this blog have your child write the names of 2 carnivores in their planner. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER10-OCTOBER 14

2011-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all that have turned in the Pumpkin Patch permission slip with the money. As of now I will be using all drivers for the Pumpkin Patch unless you do not have the needed paperwork. Those of you who said you could drive if I needed you, I do not need you as I have plenty of drivers. Thank you.

Our first grade service project will be to bring in items to be taken to the D Street Homeless Shelter. I will be sending home a note about the kinds of items that are needed.

We have started Level II in reading. In reading we are reviewing contractions, compound words, endings of s, ed, and ing, cause and effect, categories, predictions, short a and i, plurals, vocabulary, words in correct order for a sentence, rhyming, and comprehension. During the week I will be testing each child individually on reading vocabulary. In math we have started a new chapter on subtraction. Next week I will be giving subtraction timed tests. In science we are still working on the ecosystem. In social studies we are beginning to learn about the United States and symbols of our country. In religion we are talking about God's creation, Baptism, grace and the things we are thankful for that God gave us. In spelling we are working on short i words.

Friday is the end of the first quarter. Report cards will go out the following week.

Once again thank you for all of your support and for signing those planners. Your children have been very good about returning homework and returning the readers.

Please remember to mark your child's sweatshirts or sweaters. The weather has cooled off and it is difficult to know whose sweatshirt is whose if their is no name in it. I have tried to mark those that were unmarked.

Please remind your children to use the bathroom during recess and lunch hour recess. Recently some of the students are having to leave while I am giving a test or teaching.

VOCABULARY WORDS

some
may
more
mother
tell
when
again
long
he
she
surprise
was
grow

Have a great week. The fall weather is upon us. If you have read this blog have your child write the names of 2 herbivores in their planner. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 3-OCTOBER 7

2011-10-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

We will have an all-school Mass on Tuesday, 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. Hopefully you will find the time to say a rosary at home.

The time period for wearing uniform shorts has been extended to October 28. Students will be allowed to wear uniform shorts on Tuesday for the mass because it is outdoors.

The Student Council will be selling pink shoelaces during the month of October. They are $5.00 a pair and may be worn during the month of October in support of fighting breast cancer.

Curriculum remains for the most part the same. We are starting a unit on the United States in Social Studies. In Math we will begin subtraction. In Language Arts we have started Level 2 with our little readers. The reading vocabulary test will be given the week of October 10. The words this week will be included. Mrs. Bliss and I have been switching for art and P.E. It has been working out very well. When I am with her class in P.E. she is in my room teaching art.

We had a great assortment of leaves. Thank you for sending them in.

Dismissal will be at 12:30 on Friday. Thank you again for signing those planners. A reminder: when a homework paper is sent home please do only the side that your child has been asked to do. The other side is one that I have planned at another time. 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 in the planner 3 rhyming words. GOD BLESS YOU!

SEPTEMBER26-SEPTEMBER 30

2011-09-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

ITBS testing is over with and I would like to thank all of the parents that supplied the daily snacks. They were thoroughly enjoyed by the children. It is hard to imagine that we are going into October already. Thank you to all that have returned the Progress Reports. I am still missing a few. Please make sure that you sign and return them.

We are moving along in Language Arts. We will be learning about contractions and adding the endings of (ed) 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 2 weeks. Please continue to review them on a nightly basis. In math we will start timed tests whose sum will be up to 12. I have shortened the time to 2 minutes. Your children have gotten faster on the tests. In Science we are still working on the ecosystem. On Tuesday I want everyone to bring in a leaf. Your child needs to know what kind of leaf they have. I will be sending home an atlas for Social Studies. We are working on the reading of maps. I will be sending home a note to let you know what I would like you and your child to do with the atlas. I would like the atlas returned by Thursday. In Religion we are talking about Baptism and becoming members of the Church.

NEW VOCABULARY WORDS

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

A reminder: there is a Safe Environment meeting on September 28, at 6:00 p.m. in the school library. If you want to drive or help in the classroom you must have attended one of the meetings.

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

SEPTEMBER 19-SEPTEMBER 23

2011-09-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Progress Reports went out 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 23.

The first grade went to Mass with the 8th grade upstairs in the chapel. It was a beautiful Mass. Every month one class has mass in the chapel. If you have never been upstairs to visit it you should. It is a wonderful, quiet place for reflection.

ITBS testing begins on Monday. It will continue through Thursday. 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 the testing. Thank you to the parents who are providing the snacks.

This week the spelling test will include 2 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. I will be cutting the time on the timed math tests. Beginning this week they will have 2 minutes to do the 25 math facts. Your children are doing well. Keep on using those flashcards. Please work on 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 and short a words. 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 this week. Hopefully you have been selling. I have seen a lot of frogs in our classroom. That is a good sign.

The Basic Safe Environment Training will be offered Wednesday, September 28. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the OLM library. If you want to drive or help in the classroom you must have attended one of these meetings.

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.

Friday, September 23, is early dismissal at 12:30.

VOCABULARY WORDS

clean
all
of
why
up
would
this
but
take
because
find
circle
animal
turtle

Thank you for all of our support and for signing the planners and seeing that your child completes homework and returns it. If you have read this blog, have your child write in their planner the name of the ocean that is next to California. Thank you and have a great weekend. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 12-SEPTEMBER 16

2011-09-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Progress Reports will be going home on Friday. This is a reminder that a progress report is just that. It shows your child's progress 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 and to try and finish their work in the allotted time. Neatness, both in handwriting and in coloring is a part of the Effort grade. This is also a good time to review behavior both inside and outside the classroom. A conduct rubric will be going home. Progress Reports are to be signed and returned by Friday, September 23.

The timed math tests have begun. Our goal is that your child is able to memorize the math facts and not have to rely on beads, fingers or number lines. We are still working on math facts whose sum is no higher than 10. We have started an addition unit in math which should reinforce what you have been doing at home. Again, flashcards are good to be using.

Continue to have your child study vocabulary words and to read aloud at home. If your child struggles on vocabulary words, the workbook pages and the fill in board work can be difficult for them.

Spelling starts this week. On Tuesday their spelling list will go home. Please read the note that is with the list. Students will have a practice test on Thursday and the final test will be given on Friday. The score received on Friday is the score entered for a grade. Backward letters and upper case letters will be marked incorrect on a test. Please work on spelling words nightly. After a week I will be giving challenge words that go with the short vowel skill that we are working on for the week.

On Thursday a decorated bag will come home for a St. Vincent De Paul lunch. Fill it and return it on Friday. These will be distributed to those in need of a meal.

VOCABULARY WORDS

walk
run
jump
play
from
my
friend
is
fun
think
home
like

You are doing a great job in signing the planners. Keep it up. If you have read this blog, have your child write in their planner in the Sept. 12 box what country we live in. Thank you to all of you that are reading the blog. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 5-SEPTEMBER 9

2011-09-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

It was great to see you at Open House. I hope you enjoyed just browsing around the classroom and looking at the textbooks your child will be using in the First Grade. I hope you are enjoying your three day weekend.

Remember, there is no school on Monday. The OLM catalog sale kicked off on Friday. Your child should have brought home all of the information. Hopefully you have already started your sales.

Thursday, September 8, is the birthday of the Blessed Mother.

Thank you so much for the great job you are doing signing those planners. The students have really gotten into the groove about writing in them.

Curriculum remains the same. We are doing a lot of review in Language Arts. As you can see we have started the reading program. We will begin our third reader on Tuesday. Your children seem to be moving along with the vocabulary words. Please work on them every night. On Friday their first reading packet went home. There was a percentage printed up in the corner. That is to let you know what the letter grade was on those pages. There was also a note explaining the grading procedure.

We have started the Ecosystem in Science and we will start a unit on maps and where we live in Social Studies.

We will be starting the timed math tests on Tuesday. We will also be starting addition in our math books.

The ITBS testing will begin the week of September 19-23. Please make sure you do not schedule appointments during the school day, and make sure your child eats a good breakfast and gets a good night's sleep.

Just a note: Remind your children that their job in the classroom is to listen while I am teaching, follow directions and to complete their work in the allotted time. Some of the students are interrupting while I am teaching. Please remind them if they have a question they need to raise their hand. Thank you.

The Our Lady of Mercy Foundation is hosting their annual Wine and International Food Tasting on Saturday, September 10. It is always a fun event and is a great way to meet people. For tickets call the office: 722-7496.

VOCABULARY WORDS

found
going
am
for
under
across
bad
good
so
draw
are
look

Have a great weekend. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper the city and state he/she lives in. GOD LOVES YOU.

Remember SHOP$MART 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.

AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 2

2011-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

I hope to see you tomorrow at Open House. You will be able to see textbooks and some of your child's work. There will also be a delicious dinner served in the auditorium. Open House is 11:00-1:00. The dinner is over at 2:00.

The OLM catalog sale will kick off on Friday. Look for the information that your child will be bringing home.

There will be free dress on Tuesday for $1.00. The proceeds go to the SPCA.

There will be an all-school Mass on Friday. Remember shorts are not allowed on mass days. Dismissal is at 12:30.

Thank you so much for signing those planners. Your children have really gotten into the routine of filling them out as soon as they get settled in the classroom in the morning.

At the present we are reviewing the letters of the alphabet. We have started our reading program and are also using a supplemental reader. On Friday your child's first reading packet will go home. There will be a percentage in the corner. That is to let you know what the grade was on those workbook pages. I will be sending home a letter explaining the grading system on those pages. The workbook pages go right along with the story that we are reading.

In Math we are reviewing number order and number words. Your child should be able to read the number words zero to twelve. They do not have to spell them. The first timed test will be given on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Sums will be no higher than 10. There will be 25 problems and they will have 3 minutes to complete as many as they can. Eventually I will shorten the time.

In Social Studies we are studying about communities, rules, laws, and leaders. We will be finishing this week and will then start the Ecosystem in Science.

In Religion we are learning about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Church community, parishes, the Bible, Bible stories and we will then begin God's creation.

VOCABULARY WORDS

over
out
said
and
little
copy
far
away
come
here
now
in
want
bear

A REMINDER: Please talk to your child about money and the snacks that they bring to school. The money and snack is for them. They are not to be giving away their money or snack. I know they all want to be generous but I want to stop any problems before they begin. I have talked to them and I would appreciate it if you would also review this with them.

No more news at this time. Once again, thank you for all of your support. It is greatly appreciated. If you have read this blog, have your child write on a piece of paper the name of the mayor of Merced. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 22-AUGUST 26

2011-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have all survived the first week of school. The first graders are doing well what with all the new routines and the planners. You, as parents, are doing great with signing the planners. Remember, Monday is the day that signatures on the planner are required.

We have been working on our first list of vocabulary words. Remember they are just that, vocabulary. They must be able to read them, NOT SPELL THEM. Your child should also be reading number words up to twelve and the color words. I have checked them on their color words and they did well. Another list of vocabulary words will be going home on Tuesday. Add those to the list you already have. The vocabulary words should not come back to school. We will be starting our first little reader this week.

Your child should also be working on math addition facts whose sum is any number up to 10. In several weeks we will be starting the timed tests. My suggestion is to buy flashcards.

Thank you for taking your child to the auditorium if you arrive before 7:50.

REMINDERS:

Raffle tickets will be sold for $.25 this week to win a chance to have lunch with Mercy and Mrs. Blackburn. The money will go to the SPCA. A note went home on Friday with all the information.

Dismissal on Friday at 12:30.

Make sure your child knows whether they are buying a hot lunch or have brought a lunch from home.

Make sure your child knows who is picking them up and where they are to go.

A homework paper must be returned the following day.

Children should use the bathroom before school, during recess and lunchtime. When they leave during class they are missing instruction.

Please send two 8 packs of crayons with your child if you have not done so. We have already started do color-coded worksheets.

OPEN HOUSE is Sunday, August 28 from 11-1. Please come by and look around your child's classroom. There is also a tri-tip dinner in the auditorium from 11-2.

VOCABULARY WORDS (words to read)

rain
sun
on
white
it
get
to
do
have
color

THANK YOU for all of your support and help during this first week. It has been greatly appreciated. Keep signing those planners. If you have read this blog have your child bring Mrs. Mills an apple. If you don't have an apple, have your child draw one and color it and bring it in. Have a great week and GOD BLESS YOU!

AUGUST 15-AUGUST 19

2011-08-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Our Lady of Mercy School. I am looking forward to a great year with your children. It was good to see so many of you at Back To School Night. I realize I gave you a lot of information. Trust me, it will all fall into place. The first school bell rings at 7:50. School begins at 8:00. You are more than welcome to bring your child into the classroom and to help them find their desk and to get settled. My door will be open a little after 7:30. Mass will begin at 8:30. Because we are going to mass please make sure your child is in uniform. Boys should be in the long blue cords and the girls should be in jumpers. No shorts are allowed on mass days.

Dismissal is at 12:30. Please make sure your child knows where they are to go to be picked up. Feel free to pick them up at my door at 12:30.

Your child should have all of his/her supplies by Friday. All students should have the planner by Monday. They can be purchased from the office. The planner will be written in each day. It will go home and should be read by a parent and signed. It is to be returned the following day. I will be giving you a week to get into the swing of the planner. A note will go home later during the week with all of the information you need.

Your child will be bringing home vocabulary words to read on Wednesday. Please review them every night. Your child should be familiar with most of them as many of them were sight words they learned last year.

VOCABULARY WORDS TO READ

go
can
we
see
will
not
what
saw
the
went
you
help
did
looking
walking

Have a great week and I will see you on Monday. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 16-MAY 20

2011-05-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a good weekend. I saw some of you at Relay For Life. We are down to the final two weeks of school. The school year has gone by so fast. Please continue to have your child review vocabulary and do some reading every night. Continue to work on addition and subtraction facts.

Friday is the 8th Grade Carnival. The 8th graders will be around on Friday to sell tickets. Your child does not need more than $5.00. That is enough to buy food and to play games. If that is too much then $3.00 is a good amount. Dismissal is at 12:30 and it is a free dress day.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child give me a "high 5". GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 9-MAY 13

2011-05-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. Thank you for sending the 7-Up and cookies for the First Communion reception. Thank you to the moms who transported everything to the church and to those who helped serve on Saturday. It was greatly appreciated.

The grandparents who came on Friday had a wonderful time. They enjoyed the May Crowning and the entertainment. The first graders did a great job with everything. The signing and singing of the Hail Mary, Gentle Woman, reminds us how lucky we are to have Mary as our Mother too.

Things were so hectic on Friday that I postponed the spelling test to Monday. Curriculum remains the same. Continue to have your child review vocabulary words and math facts. Your child should also be reading at home.

Monday is the First Communion all-school Mass. All students are to be in full uniform. No shorts are allowed.

Friday is the Talent Show. Mrs. Blackburn will be running a rehearsal on Tuesday. Make sure if your child is in the talent show that they bring everything they need on Tuesday. K-4th grades will perform on Friday at 8:30, and 5-8th will perform on Friday at 10:30. If you can, please come and enjoy.

This next weekend is Relay For Life. We are also having a penny war this week to raise even more money for this event. So send those pennies and if you have time come out to walk for an end to cancer.

No more news this week. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using a compound word. Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 2-MAY 6

2011-04-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

I hope you have been enjoying your Easter break. Friday, May 6, is Grandparent's Day. It is also a day when we honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The first grade along with the 8th grade will be participating in the May Crowning. The May Crowning will begin at 8:00 and you are all welcome to join us. During the rest of the morning, breakfast will be served, classes will be providing entertainment and grandparents will be visiting the classrooms. It will be a very busy morning but well worth it. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

We will be part of the entertainment for the grandparents. I need your child to bring in 2 metal spoons, which we will be using. The spoons need to be larger than a teaspoon. Soup spoons and tablespoons would be great. Please have your child bring them in as soon as possible.

Saturday, May 7, is First Communion for the second graders. The first grade is responsible for the reception following the First Communion Mass. A note will be going home to let you know what you are to send to school. I will need several parents to help serve on Saturday. I will also need several parents to take the food and sodas to the church on Thursday morning at 8:15. If you can help out please let me know. Thank you for your cooperation.

We only have 4 weeks left until the school year is over. Wow! It has gone by so fast. Please continue to work with your child on vocabulary, reading and math facts.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence about something they did over Easter vacation. GOD LOVES YOU!

APRIL 18-APRIL 22

2011-04-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well the Follies are over and they were a great success. I am sure you enjoyed the show if you were able to go see it.

The first graders were so busy last week presenting the Stations of the Cross. They did a great job. Now we are preparing for the May Crowning that will be on Grandparent's Day on May 6. The 8th grade will once again be working with us. Please make sure that your child learns the words to the Hail Mary song. All first graders will be participating in the May Crowning.

The first grade is also responsible for the reception after the second grade's First Communion on May 7. I will be sending home a note to let you know what you are to bring. It will be either cookies or 7-Up. I will also need 2-3 parents to help out on that day and I will need 2 parents to take things over to the church on Thursday morning, May 5th. If you can help let me know. Thank you.

This is Holy Week and a good time to talk to your child about the events that occurred during that week. Hopefully you attended Mass on Palm Sunday. We have been discussing all of these events in class. The students have also made a Stations of the Cross booklet.

On Holy Thursday there will be a prayer service here at school at 8:00 in the morning in the auditorium. You are all invited to attend.

Curriculum remains the same. Continue to have your child review vocabulary words and read at home.

If you have read this blog have your child give Mrs. Mills' a "thumbs up". Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU. HIS SON, JESUS, DIED FOR US ON THE CROSS.

APRIL 11-APRIL 15

2011-04-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

We have a very busy week this week. On Wednesday we will be going to Park Merced for a prayer service and Stations of the Cross. Then on Friday we go to Emeritus and the Hampshire for a prayer service and Stations of the Cross. On Friday morning at 8:00 the first grade and 8th grade will be presenting the Stations of the Cross for the school. I do hope you can all attend. I will be sending a note home to let you know about times for driving. Thank you for all of your support.

The Follies will be held on Friday evening at 7:30 at Golden Valley High. They will be presented again on Saturday at 2:00 and at 7:30 in the evening. The Pancake Breakfast will be held on Sunday morning at the Parish Hall. It begins at 7:00 and ends at noon. Hope to see you there.

In Language Arts we continue to work on vocabulary, cause and effect, sequencing, contractions, compound words, digraphs, short and vowel sounds, endings of s, ed, and ing, possessives, summarizing, blends, problem solving, following directions and comprehension. In Math we begin a unit on time. Our timed tests will be mixed addition and subtraction. In Science we are learning about matter. In Social Studies we are learning about map skills and the land around us. In P.E. we are working with bean bags. In Religion we are learning about the Stations of the Cross and Holy Week. This is our last vocabulary list. Can you believe it?

VOCABULARY

envelope
writing
special
inviting
stamp
wish
should
caught
blew
peering

If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence and tell about one thing they did over the weekend. Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

APRIL 4-APRIL 8

2011-04-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Mini Relay For Life went well and the students had a good time. We will not know how we did in the penny war until sometime this week.

I sent home permission slips for prayer services that we will be participating in during the week of April 11th. Please make sure they are signed and returned by Tuesday of this week. I will be using all of you that have said they could drive. On Friday, April 15th, the first graders will also be participating in the living Stations of the Cross at school for morning prayer. It is always a wonderful prayer service and reminds us truly of the meaning of Lent. I hope you can attend.

This Wednesday evening is the Spring Program. The first grade is not participating in this program but it is always entertaining to come and watch.

Curriculum remains the same. In another week I will be starting math timed tests with a mix of addition and subtraction. Please make sure your child is reviewing all math facts whether addition or subtraction. There will be no vocabulary words this week. Continue to review the old ones. Continue to work on counting out money using quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. One of the areas I am really working on with your children is listening and following directions. This also includes reading directions and following them correctly. You can also work on this at home.

A reminder: some planners are not being signed, homework is not being returned, and reading envelopes are coming back not signed, or the book is missing. These are all entered into my grade book and affects your child's grade. Please make sure you check their homework and their planner.

Thank you for all of your support. If you have read this blog have your child give me a "high five." Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

2011-03-27T18:47:00.001-07:00

MARCH 28-APRIL 1

2011-03-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed meeting with all of you for conferences. I saw some of you at the 50's Night. A fun time was had by all that attended.

Thursday will be free dress for $1.00 in honor of Mercy's birthday.

Friday will be the Mini Relay For Life. The first grade will be participating at 11:15-11:45. There will also be a penny war that day. The class with the most pennies wins. We can sabotage other classes with silver and paper money. The money collected will go to Relay For Life. Activities on nutrition, sun safety, anti-tobacco, and physical activity will be run by CJSF students. We are also collecting money during Lent for Relay For Life. If you have spare change and wish to donate, please send with your child. Thank you for your support.

Friday there will be an all school Mass at 8:15. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

Curriculum remains the same. Please work with your child on counting out money. I will be introducing the quarter on Wednesday.

VOCABULARY WORDS

sniff
rough
fur
apples
carrots
smooth
smell
chew
flew
store

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using keep in a sentence. Once again thank you for all of your support and remember to sign the planners.

MARCH 21-MARCH 25

2011-03-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

This is very early because I will be going to the L.A. Religion Congress. Report cards went out on Thursday. This is also a good time to remind your child we are entering the last quarter of the school year. There is always room for improvement.

The first graders are presenting the morning Lenten Prayer on Tuesday in the auditorium. It will be at 8:00 in the morning. I hope you can attend.

The eighth grade dinner show is on Thursday evening. And on Saturday evening there is a Family 50's Night. It all promises to be great fun. I hope to see you there.

Monday is a full day. The remainder of the week dismissal will be at 12:30 because of conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with you. You may bring your child's report with you on your conference date and return it then. Next week the school is also holding a book fair in the library. Feel free to stop by and browse.

Curriculum remains the same.

VOCABULARY WORDS

breakfast
decorate
birthday
party
basket
fruit
secret
collect
curl
sound

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child put the following six words in alphabetical order: rain, line, ball, pie, around, path. GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 13-MARCH 18

2011-03-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

If you were at the Ash Wednesday mass I think you will agree that the first graders did a great job. The first grade will be presenting the morning Lenten Prayer on Tuesday, March 21. Please join us if you can. Morning prayer begins at 8:00 every morning. Hopefully you are still talking to your children about the meaning of Lent and the things they can do to become closer to Jesus.

We are now beginning the 4th quarter. How time flies. Report cards will go out on Thursday, March 17. You may keep them and return them when we meet at conferences.

In Language Arts we are now in the Level 5 Reader. We continue to review vocabulary, plurals, possessives, cause and effect, sequencing, inferences, word endings of s, ed, and ing, blends, digraphs, short vowel sounds, and long vowel a and i, word families, abc order, nouns, verbs, dictation, and comprehension. This week we will be beginning our money unit in math. In Social Studies we are learning about where people live and what we will find in an atlas. In Science we will begin a unit on matter. Students will learn about solids, liquids, and gases. In Religion we will be discussing Lent, Holy Week, and the Stations of the Cross. In P.E. we have begun a bean bag unit.

This week there will be a half day on Thursday, March 17. It is a free dress, green and white, day for St. Patrick's Day. Dismissal will be at 12:30. There will be NO school on Friday.

VOCABULARY WORDS

night
present
against
board
push
toward
happen
ground
gathered
crowd
favorite

Thank you again for all of your support and for signing the planners. It is appreciated. If you have read this blog, have your child write in their planner where St. Patrick was born. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 7-MARCH 11

2011-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

This is late because I went to Bakersfield with the Decathlon Team. I am happy to report that the Our Lady of Mercy team placed first in the competition. That means they will go to state in May. We were all so excited for the students. They and their coaches have been working hard on this.

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. We have been talking about Lent. Lent is a time to grow and change. It is also a time to do something extra for someone else. Please talk about this at home. The first grade is responsible for the mass on Wednesday. Your child will be either reading, singing, or bringing up the gifts. I hope you can attend as it is a great way to begin the season of Lent.

This week is the end of the 3rd quarter. Thank you for making sure all of the reading envelopes were returned. Hopefully you asked some of the questions that are on the back of the envelope. Curriculum remains the same.

VOCABULARY WORDS

package
bright
letter
string
another
everyone
right
shoes
inside
perhaps
grown
around
collected

If you have read this blog have your child use the words planted and spray in a sentence and write it down. Have a great week and remember: GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 4

2011-02-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you are able to attend the Mardi Gras Auction. The first grade has a beautiful rosary stepping stone, a statue of Mary, a rose tree and a basket that will be up for bids. It should be a fun evening for all who attend. The students really got into the Mardi Gras free dress.

Friday there will be a minimum day. There is no mass as we will be having mass on Ash Wednesday of the following week. The first grade is in charge of that mass. Some of your children will be coming home with readings that they are to practice for the mass.

Starting this next week, every Monday and Tuesday a reading envelope will go home with a little book in it. Your child is to read the book to you. There is a list of questions on the back of the envelope. You do not have to ask all of them. But they are a good starting point. You will then initial the envelope and your child will return it the following day. This is homework. Some of the books are easier than others. Easy books are good reading as it increases fluency. Harder books challenge your child. If you have any questions about this jot it down in the planner.

In Social Studies we will begin a unit on Where People Live. It will include reading maps. We are starting the Level 5 reader in our reading program. In math we are learning about shapes and solid figures.

VOCABULARY

tasty
pulled
eaten
finally
guess
pictures
turned
crayons
spread
watch
listen
frankly
capture

I hope everyone is well and will be back in class on Monday. We have been hit hard with illness in the first grade. Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using the words could and rain. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 21-FEBRUARY 25

2011-02-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying your 3-day weekend. I want to thank all of the parents who helped with food and the booth on International Night. It was so appreciated. The fried banana cakes, watermelon and mangoes were a hit.

Thankfully most all of the students are back in school and well. Remember, there is no school on Monday.

Saturday, February 26, is the Parent's Club Mardi Gras Madness Auction. It begins at 5:00 at St. Patrick's Parish Hall. Your children have helped in making a rosary stepping stone. This item with a beautiful statue of Mary will be up for auction. It should be a fun evening and I hope to see you there.

In Language Arts we are reviewing cause and effect, sequencing, endings of s, ed and ing, short vowel sounds, long a sound, contractions, compound words, plurals, blends, digraphs, vocabulary and comprehension. In Math we are starting a new chapter on plane figures and solids. Our spelling words will be the ay word family. In Science we are learning about the water cycle and the 4 seasons. In Social Studies we are finishing up the United States. In P.E. we will be beginning a bean bag unit. In Religion we are learning about the Eucharist, the Golden Rule and forgiveness.

Please check the planners. Your child is going to have a reading assignment on Tuesday.

Please continue to have your child review math facts and vocabulary words. Please remember to read and sign the planners.

VOCABULARY WORDS

air
square
storm
remember
city
donkey
distant
before
mystery
closet
caused
tasted
leave

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your children write down who was the first president of the United States. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 14-FEBRUARY 18

2011-02-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Tomorrow, Monday, February 14, is Valentine's Day. We will be having a party in the afternoon. It is also "red and white" free dress. If your child is bringing valentines they are to bring one for each child in class. I have 26 students. Have your child sign their name to the back of the card. It is not necessary to address each card with a child's name. Thank you.

Progress Reports went out on Friday. They are to be signed and returned by Friday, February 18. This is a good time to talk to your child about effort and conduct. When your child is finished with their work they should be reading or writing in their journal. Some are not. Your children should be reviewing vocabulary, math facts and spelling on a nightly basis. Thank you for your help in this matter.

International Night will be held on Wednesday, February 16. It begins at 6:00 and ends at 8:00 Your children did a great job on their reports. Hopefully you will be able to come out and enjoy the evening by taking a trip around the world.

Hopefully money for the auction item has been turned in. Mrs. Abbate will be here this week to work on the stepping stone.

Many of my students were sick last week. As a result there will be no new vocabulary words this week.

There is no school on Monday, February 21.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write down one fact they know about East Timor. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 7-FEBRUARY 11

2011-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

I hope you have been enjoying your 3-day weekend. Catholic Schools Week was a huge success. The students had a great time with their buddies and they did a great job performing for the Cherish Luncheon. Thank you to all that brought in the 5 cans of food. The free dress day for those students is Thursday, February 10.

Progress Reports will go out on Friday and they are to be signed and returned the following Friday. This is a good time to remind your child to always due their best, to follow directions, and to read all of the answers before choosing one. It is also a good time to remind you that your child needs to be reviewing vocabulary words and spelling words on a nightly basis.

Curriculum remains the same. International Night will be the following week on Wednesday, February 16, at 6:00p.m. The reports that have come in are good and informative. Thank you for your help with this project.

A few reminders:
Please send in your donation for the 1st grade auction item if you have not already done so.
Some planners are not being signed. It is important that you read and sign the planners.
The class will have a Valentine's Party on Monday, February 14. Please make sure your child has a valentine for everyone. Do not have your child address their valentines. All that is needed is to sign the back with their name.

VOCABULARY WORDS

world
quiet
forever
family
attic
window
toys
climbed
empty
bored
million

Have a good week. If you have read this blog have your child write down who won the Super Bowl. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 4

2011-01-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

It was great to see so many of you at the 5:00 Saturday evening mass to kick off Catholic Schools Week. There are many activities planned so make sure you keep the list of them all where you can check on them daily.
Thank you to all that donated items for the D Street Shelter. It is greatly appreciated.

Activities for the week:

Tuesday ---BUDDY DAY. Bring a small snack or gift for your buddy. It should not cost more than $2.00. It is also BLUE AND WHITE FREE DRESS for SPIRIT DAY. There is a home basketball game at 4:00. Hope to see you there. (Your child will meet their buddy on Monday)

Wednesday-----Cherish Luncheon. The first grade will be part of the entertainment prior to the luncheon.

Thursday-----Food Drive for Catholic Charities. Anyone who brings in 5 canned food items will earn a FREE DRESS DAY on February 10. There is a Mother/Daughter and Father/Son basketball game at 6:00 in the evening at the OLM auditorium.

Friday----MASS AT ST. PATRICK'S. Students should arrive at St. Patrick's Church by 7:50 a.m. They will be driven from the church back to the school after mass. Make sure your permission slip is back in. I am still missing several of them. If you signed up to drive I will be needing you. There is a Teachers vs. 8th grade volleyball game at 11:30. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

As you can see it is a very busy week. There will be no new vocabulary words this week. I will begin giving the vocabulary test this week. Continue to work on math facts. Some of your children are doing very well. Some need to continue to study them every night.

Have a super week. If you have read this blog have your child write down the theme for Catholic Schools Week. Hint: it is written on the gold handout that went home with all students on Friday. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 24-JANUARY 28

2011-01-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

The school year is half over and we are moving right along. The Saturday evening 5:00 mass will kick off Catholic Schools Week. Make sure your child wears their school uniform to mass. Next week begins Catholic Schools Week. More information will be in next week's blog about all the activities that will be occurring during the week.

Items for the D Street Shelter are due on Friday. I have only received items from 2 families this month. Please think about donating one or two items. Thank you.

This week the first grade will be receiving the pizza lunch that was the prize for the best decorated Halloween booth. It will be written in the planner as to the specific date.

Reminders:

Please remember to sign the planners.

Some of the students are not returning homework the following day and they are leaving their readers at home and not returning them the following day.

Please remind your children to use the bathroom when they are at recess and lunch hour. Some of the students are leaving on a daily basis and are missing instruction time.

Your children are going to be taking a vocabulary word test within the next 2 weeks. You should be working with vocabulary words on a nightly basis.

VOCABULARY WORDS

swim
farther
drink
expect
built
hawk
grit
vacumm
edge
enough
clutch
gizzard
afternoon
everywhere

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write down the names of the two teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 17-JANUARY 21

2011-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed your day off in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you to all of you that signed and returned the report cards so promptly. It was much appreciated.

Your child will be bringing home a note about their topic for the country of East Timor. The report will be due back on Wednesday, February 2. Your child will be receiving a Social Studies grade on this project.

Curriculum remains the same. In Language Arts we are working on short vowel sounds, endings of ed, s, and ing, contractions, compound words, cause and effect, categories, predictions, sequencing, blends, digraphs, punctuation, sentence structure, nouns, verbs, vocabulary, comprehension and reading with expression. I will be giving a 2nd vocabulary test within the next couple of weeks. In Math we are finishing up with place value and counting by 2's, 5's and10's. We will soon begin addition math facts whose sum will be up to 18. We will then begin subtraction facts that start with numbers up to 18. We will also be working on a mix of addition and subtraction facts. In Social Studies we are studying about symbols of the United States. In Science we are learning about the weather, the 4 seasons, and the water cycle. In Religion we are learning about God's love for us and God's Law, grace, and the Lord's Prayer. In P.E. we will hold off on the bean bag unit as we will be entertaining for the Cherish luncheon during Catholic Schools Week, so we will be doing dance.

D Street items need to be turned in by January 28. Thank you.

VOCABULARY WORDS

fourth
fifth
sixth
seventh
strange
whole
elephant
pillar
turn
agree
moral
great

Remind your children to let all students join in when they are playing a game. We have had some recent problems with children telling other children they cannot play with them. I have talked about this in Religion class and would appreciate you talking at home about it. I have also asked children not to share their money or snacks. When this occurs children get their feelings hurt. There is never enough money or snacks for everyone and someone is going to be left out. I have explained that the snack or money you send is for your child. If we all work together we can make these situations better. If you are aware of any other problems please let me know as I am not always aware of them. Thank you for your help in this matter.

If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence telling me one thing Martin Luther King, Jr. did to help others. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 10-JANUARY 14

2011-01-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

Your children seem to be back in the swing of school. Report cards went home on Friday. They are to be signed and returned by Friday, January 14. On Tuesday, January 11, the first grade will have a free dress for having the most box tops turned in. A note also went home in the planner on Friday. There will be no school on Monday, January 17, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

International Night will be held on Wednesday, February 16, at 6:00 p.m. The first grade will be learning about the
country of East Timor. Next week your child will be assigned a topic for the country. They will have about 2 weeks to do their report. A note will go home as to what is expected. Their report will be part of their Social Studies grade.

You all should have seen the 4th level reader which your child brought home on Thursday evening. Hopefully your child did not go ahead and look or read any of the forthcoming stories.

I would like items for the D Street Shelter by January 28th. Thank you for all of you that have been so generous with blankets, hats, gloves and personal items. It has been greatly appreciated. A reminder: this is the first grade's service project for the year.

VOCABULARY WORDS

try
hard
nice
rest
play
sing
please
thank
word
first
second
third

Have a great week and stay warm! If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence about what the weather has been like this past week. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 3-JANUARY 7

2011-01-01T15:43:00.001-08:00

Greetings and Happy New Year. This is a wonderful time to thank God for all the things we have in our lives, especially our children. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and vacation. Thank you to all of you for the many gifts I received. I loved them all. It was very thoughtful of you all and I appreciated them.

The 2nd quarter has ended and we are now beginning the 3rd quarter beginning on Monday. Can you believe it? Report cards will go home on Friday. This again is a great time to remind your children to always do their best work. This quarter I will be giving effort grades randomly on written/coloring work completed in the classroom. I am hoping this will help with your child's neatness. While I am talking about effort this is also a reminder that if a reader goes home for one night it needs to be returned. The same goes for homework. When these items are not returned it can affect your child's grade in Effort. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

We will have an all-school Mass on Friday at 8:15. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

In curriculum we will be starting our 4th Reading series. The reader will be a hardback book. Please do not go ahead with your child to read more stories. When your child has read the story before I have introduced it the introduction to the story gets lost. In Science we will be studying the weather. In Math we are still working on place value and double digit numbers. In Religion we will be discussing what happened after the birth of Jesus. In Spelling we will be working on short u and we will be starting dictation sentences instead of challenge words. We will be practicing that during class. In P.E. we will be starting a bean bag unit. Subtraction timed tests starting with the number 10 and lower will begin on
Monday.

VOCABULARY WORDS

return
knight
cook
old
pair
should
clothes
small
bring
shall

I hope you have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper the date of the Feast of the Three Kings. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 13-DECEMBER 17

2010-12-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

Once again we have a busy week practicing for the Christmas Program. On Wednesday morning your children are to be dropped off at St. Patrick's Church by 8:00. Please do not take them to OLM School. I will be at the church by 7:30. Please make sure you have signed the permission slips. Only about half of them have been returned. They are needed in order that your child be transported back to school around 9:30. Drivers are needed.

Your children should be at the church Wednesday evening by 6:15. They are to wear nice clothes. It would be nice if the girls were in dresses. I know you will enjoy the Christmas Program. We have been working hard on it.

Curriculum remains the same. There will be no new vocabulary words this week. This is a great time to review. After Christmas break we will be starting timed subtraction facts. We will begin with problems in which the whole number that we start with is 10. For example: 10-3=7.

Thank you to those of you who have sent in the food items for the "Spirit of Christmas" dinner. Thank you to those of you who sent in items for the D Street Shelter. They were picked up on Friday. We will again be collecting after the new year. Again, thank you for your generous support.

Friday is a half day with dismissal at 12:30. Remember, there is NO extended care that day. The school closes down for Christmas vacation at 12:30.

Have a great week and a wonderful Christmas vacation. Remember the reason for the season. If you have read this blog have your child write down the color of the Advent candle that was lit on the Advent wreath. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 6-DECEMBER 10

2010-12-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

I saw some of you Saturday at the Christmas Parade. The OLM float showed the true meaning of Christmas and the OLM Lancer Band was looking good. We are very busy preparing for the Christmas Program. I hope your child is really working on learning the words to all of those songs. I know there are a lot, but children seem able to pick up the words. Please encourage your child to sing.

On Wednesday there will be an all school Mass. It begins at 8:15. It is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Friday at 8:00 the first grade will be presenting the morning prayer for Advent. All of the children are involved. You are welcome to come.

Items for this month for the D Street Shelter should be turned in by Friday, December 10. Thank you for your generosity.

Curriculum remains the same. Again, please make sure your child returns homework and readers if they have gone home to be read. Thank you.

VOCABULARY WORDS

king
queen
prince
visit
head
along
need
food
sky
shall

Have a great week. Remember the reason for Christmas. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper one thing he/she could do to be a "bucket giver" during Advent. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 3

2010-11-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the week off. When we go back we will be very busy practicing for the Christmas Program. Your child should have brought home a song sheet with songs that are to be memorized. Hopefully they are working on that as they will not be having song sheets the night of the performance.

Advent begins on November 28. Please talk to your child about the season of Advent. It is a time that we prepare for the coming of Jesus. We will be talking about this in Religion class.

Curriculum remains the same. In Language Arts we are in Level 3 with our readers. We are reviewing short a, i, and o. We will learn about short e next week. We are also reviewing contractions, compound words, endings of s, ed, and ing, cause and effect, categories, sequencing, predictions, digraphs th, ch, sh, and wh, and comprehension. In Science we will be finishing up the ecosystem. In Social Studies we will be finishing up the Native American unit and will talk about Christmas customs in other parts of the world. In P.E. we are working with jump ropes. In Math we are still taking timed addition math tests whose sum is up to 12. In the Math workbook we are going into a unit on place value. In Religion we will be talking about Advent and Christmas.

VOCABULARY WORDS

forget
show
smart
pencil
best
read
school
time
being
place
sometimes

A few reminders:

Please sign and return the Progress Report.

Please continue to sign the planner.

Please continue to review math facts and vocabulary words.

Make sure your child returns homework and the reader he/she takes home.

Make sure your child is working on memorizing words for the Christmas Program.

On Friday we will be attending The Nutcracker. If you have not returned the permission slip, please do so.

I will be notifying drivers for The Nutcracker next week.

Thank you to all of you for your help and support. It is greatly appreciated. If you have read this blog have your child write down the colors of the candles in an Advent wreath. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 15-NOVEMBER 19

2010-11-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving Program. The first graders did a great job with their rhythm sticks and in making the turkey centerpieces for the tables. We have one week left before Thanksgiving vacation. Progress Reports will be going out on Friday.

I saw some of you at Barnes and Noble listening to Mrs. Blackburn read with Mercy. It was an enjoyable morning.

Reminders:
Please remember to sign the planners.

Homework assignments should be completed and returned the following day. If you have misplaced an assignment please drop me note in the planner.

Readers need to come back the following day if it goes home.

Some of the first graders are being unkind to their classmates and to the kindergartners. Please talk to your child about this. I am discussing it in the classroom and would like reinforcement at home. Thank you.

Please talk to your child about using the restroom during recess and lunch recess. Many of them are leaving the classroom and missing instruction. Thank you.

Continue to review vocabulary words and addition math facts at home.

VOCABULARY WORDS

pond
count
called
silly
morning
beautiful
put
tomorrow
today
book
belongs

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write down how many days the first Thanksgiving lasted. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 8-NOVEMBER 12

2010-11-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening is the Thanksgiving Program at St. Patrick's Parish Center. The program begins at 6:30 with a Thanksgiving dinner following the program. The first graders will be performing and should be at the Parish Center by 6:15. I would like them to wear jeans and their Indian shirt. I will have their headbands to hand out that evening. I would like them to bring their Indian shirt back to school on Thursday as we will be using them again. The turkey centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner were made by the first grade. Thank you to the moms who came in and helped with that project. It was greatly appreciated.

Friday there will be a Veteran's Day program at school. It will begin at 8:30 and all are invited to attend.

Curriculum remains the same. Please continue to review vocabulary words and math facts. Please remember to sign the planners and if your child has homework it needs to be completed and returned the following day.

VOCABULARY WORDS

any
animals
trouble
kind
gave
there
thing
nice
thought
answered
asked

Have a good week. I will see you Wednesday evening. If you have read this blog have your child use one of the new vocabulary words in a sentence and turn it in. The sentences that have been coming in are good and I appreciate the fact that you are reading the blog. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 1-NOVEMBER 5

2010-10-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

It was great seeing all of you at the Halloween Carnival Saturday evening. The good news is that our first grade won the Halloween Booth Decorating contest. That means the first grade will be getting a pizza party. Thank you to all of you that helped out in any way.

I also enjoyed meeting all of you for conferences. As I said to all of you, the vocabulary words are very important. You should be reviewing them on a nightly basis. This week there will be no new words. This is a great time to review the ones that we have already had.

It is going to be very busy between now and Thanksgiving. The first grade will be making turkey centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner. We will be performing in the Thanksgiving Program and will be making Indian shirts and headbands for the program. We will also be feasting with the kindergarten. Once we are back from Thanksgiving vacation we will be preparing for the Christmas program, as we are also performing in that.

There will be an all-school mass on Friday, November 5, with dismissal at 12:30.

Curriculum remains the same. In reading we are working on contractions, compound words, endings of ing, ed, and s, plurals, possession, cause and effect, sequencing, short vowels a, i, o, vocabulary, and comprehension. In Science we are working on the ecosystem. In Social Studies we are learning about the Native American Indians and the pilgrims. In Religion we will be making a saint book, and in P.E. we are working with rhythm sticks.

Once again thank you for all of you who have been helping with various projects. It is greatly appreciated. Thank you to the parents who sent in food or helped with the Halloween party. Thank you to the parents who donated books from the Book Fair for the classroom. The response for the D Street Homeless Shelter was wonderful. Thank you to all. We will be collecting again by December 10. It was all greatly appreciated. Please continue to sign the planners. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what season of the year it is.
Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 25-OCTOBER 29

2010-10-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

We have a very busy week ahead of us. It is Red Ribbon Week. A note went home with activities that are scheduled for each day.

Monday: students may wear a hat to school.

Tuesday: students may wear sunglasses to school.

Wednesday: students may wear crazy socks to school.

Thursday: students may wear "red and white free dress" if they bring a canned food item to school.

Friday: students may wear their costume to school.

Report cards went out on Friday. They are to be signed and returned. You may bring it back for the conference. Dismissal all week long is 12:30 because of conferences. I look forward to meeting with all of you. Remember, conferences are only 15 minutes long.

Next week is also the Book Fair. Your child will preview on Monday and bring home a wish list. You are free to browse at the Book Fair all next week. You also received information on a reading contest. Reading logs are to be returned by Thursday. Remember they must be signed by a parent in order to count.

On Saturday evening from 5-8pm is the Halloween Carnival. The first grade has two booths. The first grade is also putting together a Family Fun Night Basket. Parents are asked to donate one item to be included in the basket. The items are to be brought to Mrs. Mills' classroom by Thursday. Thank you to all who have already brought in their items.

Thank you to all the drivers who went to the Pumpkin Patch. Your children had a great time. Thank you to the moms who brought the snacks.

A big thank you to all of you who sent in items for the D Street Shelter. Your response was wonderful. I will be collecting again next month.

Curriculum remains the same. Please work with your child nightly on vocabulary words. It is so important. If your child is having difficulty with vocabulary words the workbook pages will also be difficult for them. The first week in November I will start the timed math tests with sums up to 12. We are still working on addition.

VOCABULARY WORDS

knows
warm
goes
brothers
sisters
about
together
ears
eyes
nose
legs
body

I am hoping you are praying the rosary during this month of October. Mary can do wonderful things for us and she is a wonderful helper. Have a good week and try to be patient what will all the activities that are going on. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using the word Halloween in it. I like the sentences that I am getting. Remember: GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 18-OCTOBER 22

2010-10-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

The first quarter ended on Friday. Report cards will be going home on Friday. This is a good time to talk to your child and remind them what is expected of them. They are to always do their best work. They are to work quietly and when work is completed they should be reading and not bothering others.

Tuesday we are off to the Pumpkin Patch. Everyone who has signed up to drive will be driving. I have many drivers, so each vehicle will have either 2 or 3 children. Please be at school by 12:20. We will try to leave by 12:40. Children are to wear their school uniform. It should be a fun afternoon for all.

On Thursdays we say the rosary as a school. If you want to send a rosary with your child you may do so.

On Friday we will have free dress for $1.00. The proceeds will go to "Think Pink" and students are to wear something that has pink in it.

Friday is the deadline for sending in items for the D Street Shelter. On Friday we are also responsible for lunches for St. Vincent's.

Saturday is the "Think Pink" fashion show and luncheon at the Parish Center. It will begin at 11:00. Tickets are available at the office.

Please continue to review vocabulary words and math facts. In math we have gone into subtraction. Our timed tests are still addition. I have given all of the vocabulary tests and will keep them for conferences. Your children were also given the DIBELS screening last week. DIBELS is used to identify children who may need extra help to become good readers. I will also have those scores for conferences.

VOCABULARY WORDS

then
never
many
always
soup
lunch
whose
was
baby
father
everything
grow

Have a good week. If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence with the word pumpkin in it. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 11-OCTOBER 15

2010-10-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

I hope you have enjoyed your three day weekend. Thank you to all that have returned the Pumpkin Patch permission slip with the money. I will be using all drivers for the Pumpkin Patch unless you do not have all the needed paperwork. Thank you to all who have sent in items for the D Street Homeless Shelter. It is greatly appreciated. You have 2 weeks to bring in your items. I will be delivering all items on the 23rd of this month.

We are starting Level II in reading. In reading we are reviewing contractions, endings of s, ed and ing, cause and effect, categories, predictions, short a and i, plurals, naming and action part of a sentence, and comprehension. During the week I will be testing each child individually on reading vocabulary. In math we will start a new chapter on subtraction. We will continue math timed tests on addition facts whose sum are no higher than 10. In science we are working on the ecosystem. In religion we are talking about God's creation of the world and praising Him for all that he made. In spelling we are working on short i.

Friday is the end of the first quarter. Report cards will go out the following week.

VOCABULARY

some
may
more
mother
tell
surprise
when
again
long
he
she

Thank you for signing the planners. If you have read this blog, have your child bring in a leaf that he/she has found. For your information: October 2 was the Feast of Guardian Angels.

OCTOBER 4-OCTOBER 8

2010-10-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

The all-school Mass put on by the 6th grade was wonderful. There were so many pets that were brought to be blessed. We have started to talk about God's creation in Religion, and this really brought the creation of animals to life. I know the children loved seeing all of the different kinds of animals.

Thank you to all of the students who brought in rocks for everyone to see. We have started the Ecosystem in Science and we have been discussing the non-living part of the ecosystem. Your children were excited to be able to touch and see different kinds of rocks.

There will be a Safe Environment Training on Monday, October 4, at 6:00 in the library. Remember, if you want to drive for any of our field trips or help out for special activities in the classroom, you must have this training and be fingerprinted.

I have started timed math tests with sums up to 10. The children are given 2 minutes to do as many as they can. I will shorten the time as we go on.

In another week your child will be having a vocabulary test on the words that have gone home. This week's list will be included. Please keep reviewing the vocabulary words at home. As I have said before, these words are important. They are necessary in order to do workbook pages, board work and reading.

The end of the quarter is October 15, with report cards going out the following week.

There will be no school on Friday, October 8. All of the teachers will be in Visalia for an in service.

Computer Club cookie sales begin on Thursday. After your child has eaten lunch they will be allowed to purchase a cookie if desired. Cookies are usually $.25.

Pop-up pencils, smelly pencils and notepads are not allowed in the first grade classroom. They are a distraction. Thank you.

A reminder about uniforms: All socks must be above the ankle. Only the navy blue uniform sweater or sweatshirt is allowed to be worn in the classroom. No stretchy band bracelets are allowed. No nail polish is allowed. Only post earrings are allowed for girls.

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 down whose feast day is on October 2. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 1

2010-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

The ITBS testing is over with and I would like to thank all of the parents who supplied the daily snacks. They were thoroughly enjoyed by the children. It is hard to imagine that we are going into October already. Thank you to all that have returned the Progress Reports. I am still missing a few. Please make sure that you sign and return them.

We are moving along in Language Arts. We will be learning about contractions and adding the endings of (ed) and (ing) to a base word later on this week. We have started our 5th little reader. We continue to use the supplemental reader, Bells. We will spend one more week on short a and will then learn about short i. In math we will start timed tests whose sum can be up to 10 on Wednesday. I have shortened the time to one minute with the first set of timed tests. Your children are doing great. And they are getting faster which is why I have shortened the time. On Wednesday I will be giving them 2 minutes as this will be a new group of math problems. But I can sure tell you have been working at home. Thank you. We have started the Ecosystem in Science.

On Friday, October 1, we will have the all school Mass at 11:00. We will be celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. If you want to bring your pet to school for a blessing you are more than welcome to do that. Pets are to be brought at 11:00 for the Mass.

A few reminders:

Please make sure that your child does the homework that is sent home and returns it the following day.

When your child brings home a reader it must be returned the following day. Some of your children are not returning them.

Please read the planner and remember to sign it. Some are being returned with no signatures.

If your child wears a sweatshirt or sweater to school make sure a name is on it.

Dismissal is at 12:30 on Friday, October 1.

NEW VOCABULARY WORDS

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

Have a great week. Thank you for all of your help and support. It is greatly appreciated. If you have read this blog, have your child write on a piece of paper what Johnny Appleseed's real name was and the date we celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day.
GOD LOVES YOU

SEPTEMBER 20-SEPTEMBER 24

2010-09-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Progress Reports went out 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 24.

ITBS testing begins on Monday. It will continue through Thursday. It is important that your child be at school for the test. Please make sure they get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast. Once again just tell your child to do their best. Healthy snacks will be provided for the children during the testing. Thank you to the parents who are providing the snacks.

This week the spelling test will include 2 challenge words. The challenge words will be ones that your child should know how to spell. Those 2 words are included in the overall spelling grade. We will start our Ecosystem Unit this week. Your children have done great on their timed math tests. I am cutting the time this week to one and a half minutes. Please be working on math facts whose sum goes up to 10. We will be starting those timed tests in another week. A reminder about vocabulary words: please work on them every night. When we are doing workbook pages sometimes your child must read the sentences independently or figure out the missing words. If they do not know the words the pages will be very difficult for them. Your child is also required to read a short story on the board which uses vocabulary words. 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 have a vocabulary test. So keep working on those vocabulary words.

The catalog sale ends this week. Hopefully you have been selling.

VOCABULARY WORDS

clean
all
of
why
up
would
because
this
but
take
find
circle
animal
turtle

Once again, thank you for all of your support and for signing those planners. If you have read this blog have your child give Mrs. Mills a "high 5". Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 13-SEPTEMBER 17

2010-09-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Progress Reports will be going home on Friday. There will be no grade for Spelling or Science as we have not started those units. This is a reminder that a progress report is just that. It shows your child's progress 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 and to try and finish their work in the allotted time. Neatness, both in handwriting and in coloring is a part of the Effort grade. This is also a good time to review behavior both inside and outside the classroom. A conduct rubric will be going home. Progress Reports are to be signed and returned by Friday, September 25.

On Monday the timed math tests will begin. Hopefully you have been working with your child at home on addition math facts. It is time to start adding in math facts whose sum is no higher than 12. We have started an addition unit in math which should reinforce what you have been doing at home.

Continue to have your child study vocabulary words and to read aloud at home. If your child struggles on vocabulary words, the workbook pages and board work can be difficult for them.

Spelling starts this week. On Tuesday their spelling list will go home. Students will have a practice test on Thursday and their final test on Friday. The score they receive on Friday is the grade that is entered. Please work on spelling words daily. After a couple of weeks I will be giving challenge words that go with the short vowel skill that we are working on.

On Thursday a decorated bag will come home for a St. Vincent De Paul lunch. Fill it and return it on Friday. These will be distributed to those in need of a meal. On that note the service project that I have selected for the First Grade is to help with donations to the D Street Shelter. These donations will be handed out to the homeless in our community. A letter with more information will be forthcoming.

VOCABULARY WORDS

walk
run
jump
play
from
my
friend
is
like
fun
think
home

Thank you again for all your support and for signing those planners. If you have read this blog, have your child write down on a piece of paper who is the mayor of Merced. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 6-SEPTEMBER 10

2010-09-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

It was great to see you at Open House. I hope you enjoyed just browsing around the classroom and looking at the textbooks your child will be using in the First Grade. I hope you are enjoying your three day weekend.

Remember, there is no school on Monday. This is a reminder to those of you who have not gone to a Safe Environment Training Session, and want to work in the classroom when needed or drive on field trips. A training session is being offered on Tuesday evening at OLM at 6:00. In order to help in a classroom or drive on a field trip you MUST have this training and be fingerprinted. If you have already attended a session and have been fingerprinted you are fine.

The OLM catalog sale kicked off on Friday. Your child should have brought home all of the information. Hopefully you have already started your sales.

Wednesday, September 8, is the birthday of the Blessed Mother.

Thank you so much for the great job you are doing signing those planners. The students have really gotten into the groove about writing in them.

Curriculum remains the same. We are doing a lot of review. As you can see we have started the reading program. We are now on our second paperback reader. Your children seem to be moving along with the vocabulary words. On Friday their first reading packet will go home. There will be a percentage printed up in the corner. That is to let you know what the grade was on those pages. I will be sending home a letter explaining the grading system on those pages. Because of the three day weekend I had your children write the new vocabulary words and take them home. They were the last page on there work packet that went home on Friday. Look for it.

At the end of the week we will be starting addition in math. On Monday, September 13, they will take their first timed math test. There will be 25 problems and I will start with 3 minutes and then work down to 2 minutes. If they appear to be pretty fast I will shorten the time to under 2 minutes.

In Social Studies we are studying about communities, rules, laws, and leaders. We will be finishing it up in a week and will then go into the Ecosystem in Science.

Spelling words will start coming home on the week of the 20th.

VOCABULARY WORDS

found
going
am
for
under
across
good
bad
so
draw
are
look

Just a reminder: Please talk to your child about money and snacks that they bring to school. The money and the snack is for them. They are not to be giving away their money or snack. I know they all want to be generous but we have had a few minor problems. I have talked to the class and I would appreciate it if you would also review this with them.

No more news at this time. Once again, thank you for all of your support. It is greatly appreciated. If you have read this blog, have your child take one of the new vocabulary words and write a sentence using it. The sentences that came in last week were very good. Thank you. GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 3

2010-08-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you that read my blog and sent in the apples. I cut them and they were enjoyed by the first graders. Tomorrow, August 29, is Open House at OLM. It begins at 11:00 and runs until 1:00. The tri-tip dinner begins at 11:00 and runs until 2:00. I hope you are all able to come and see your child's classroom and work.

Friday there will be an all-school Mass. Students may not wear shorts to Mass. Dismissal is at 12:30. On Monday, Sept. 6, there will be no school. Enjoy.

Please continue to work on the vocabulary words that have been sent home. We have started our first story in our reading series. Some of you may think the stories are a bit easy. For right now that is good, as your child needs lots of practice reading out loud. By reading out loud your child will become more fluent in reading. Another list of vocabulary words will be going home on Monday.

Continue to work on addition math facts whose sum is no higher than 6. Timed tests will begin on Sept. 13. Your child should also be able to read number words, zero to twelve. Please work on that at home.

VOCABULARY WORDS

over
out
said
and
little
copy
far
away
come
here
now
in
want
bear

Thank you so much for getting those planners signed. That is part of your child's daily homework. If you have read this blog, have your child take one old vocabulary word and write down on a piece of paper a sentence using that vocabulary word. Have them turn it in to Mrs. Mills. Thank you again for all of your support. GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 23-AUGUST 27

2010-08-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

We have all survived the first week of school. The first graders are doing well what with all the new routines and the planners. You, as parents, are doing great with signing the planners. Remember, Monday is the day that signatures on the planner are required.

We have been working on our first list of vocabulary words. Remember they are just that, vocabulary. They must be able to read them, not spell them. Your child should also be reading number words up to twelve and the color words. They will be checked on the color words this week. Another list of vocabulary words will be coming home on Tuesday. Add those to the list you already have. We will be starting our first little reader this week.

Your child also needs to be working on math addition facts up to 6. In several weeks I will be starting the timed tests. My suggestion is to buy flashcards. You can get them at the dollar store.

REMINDERS:

Please remind your child to use the bathroom before they come to school and during recess and lunch hour. Some are leaving class on a daily basis, thus missing instruction.

Make sure your child knows whether they are buying a hot lunch or have brought a lunch from home.

Make sure your child knows who is picking them up and where they are to go.

A homework paper must be returned the following day.

Some children still need the 8-pack of crayons. I have asked that you send two of them. We are already using the 8-pack.

OPEN HOUSE is Sunday, August 29, from 11-1. Please come by and look around in your child's classroom. There is also a tri-tip dinner in the auditorium from 11-2.

VOCABULARY WORDS

rain
sun
on
white
it
get
to
do
have
color

THANK YOU for all of your support and help during this first week. It has been greatly appreciated. Keep signing those planners. If you have read this blog have your child bring Mrs. Mills an apple. Have a great week and GOD BLESS YOU!

AUGUST 16-AUGUST 20

2010-08-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Our Lady of Mercy School and the first grade. It was so nice to see so many of you at Back To School Night. I know I gave out a lot of information that evening, and it may have overwhelmed you, but trust me, it will all fall into place.

Please make sure your child has all of their supplies by the end of the first week. The planner is most important and your child should have it the first day. Another note will go home to remind you what they need.

The first school bell rings at 7:50 and school begins at 8:00. The all-school Mass begins at 8:30. Because we are having Mass, all girls are to be in jumpers and the boys in long blue cords. You are more than welcome to bring your child into the classroom and help them find their desk and get their things put away.

Your child may bring a snack for themselves. We have recess at 10:00 and that is the time they will eat it.

Dismissal is at 12:30. Make sure your child knows where they are being picked up. You are more than welcome to come to my door to pick them up.

I know this is soon, but vocabulary words will be going home this week. Most of these words should be familiar as many of these were introduced last year while they were in kindergarten. It is most important that your child review these words every night.

VOCABULARY WORDS

go
can
we
see
will
not
what
saw
the
went
you
help
did
looking
walking

Please check the planner every night for homework or general information. Make sure you sign it and return it the next day. I will be giving you a week to get into the swing of things. Thank you for all of your cooperation. I am looking forward to seeing you all.

GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 24-MAY 28

2010-05-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

Oops, I am late with this blog. I am sorry.

Please make sure that your child brings a lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lunch is provided on Thursday.

Tomorrow night, May 25, at 7:00 at St. Patrick's Church, the 8th graders will be graduating. You are all welcome to come.

Please send a large bag with your child on Wednesday, as we will be cleaning desks and chairs and taking things home.

On Thursday your child will have free dress and will have a choice of a hot dog or hamburger for lunch. It is also Field Day.

Yearbooks will be coming out and your child is free to bring them to school to have them signed.

Mass will be at 8:30 on Friday. No shorts are to be worn that day. Dismissal is at 10:00. There is no Extended Care that day. School is officially out.

A sheet with helpful hints for academics during the summer will be going home with your child. Make sure that your child keeps reading.

Have a great summer and thank you for all of your support and help during the school year. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 17-MAY 21

2010-05-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

The Talent Show was good and the first graders who performed did a super job.
On Friday, May 21, the 8th grade puts on the 8th Grade Carnival. It is from 10-12, with dismissal at 12:30. Free dress is allowed that day. The 8th grade will be around to sell tickets on Friday. I would suggest $5.00. That will be enough to play games and get some food. If that is too much then $3.00 would be good. If your child wants to spend more I usually allow them to buy $5.00 and then have them keep the rest of their money and they can buy more tickets when they run out. Usually they do not run out.
No more news. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 10-MAY 14

2010-05-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there. I hope all of your parents that attended Grandparent's Day had a good time. I thought the first and eighth graders did a super job on the Mass, the May Crowning and signing the Hail Mary.

A good time was had by all at McDonald's. The class enjoyed the tour and their lunch. Thank you to all of my drivers. You were very much appreciated.

Friday at 8:30 the talent show will begin with K-4th performing first. After a short break grades 5-8 will perform. Hope you can come. We do have a few first graders who are in it.

Curriculum remains the same, however the students are being introduced to double digit subtraction.

Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 3-MAY 7

2010-05-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

We have a busy week at OLM.
Monday, May 3, is Open House all day long at OLM. The Open House will continue until 6:00 p.m. If you have time and want to drop by the classroom, please feel free to do so.
Thursday is the first grade field trip to McDonald's. We will be taking a tour of the facility and then eat lunch. The first graders have free dress that day.
Friday is Grandparent's Day. The first grade and the eighth grade are responsible for the May Crowning Mass that will be held at 8:15. All of the first graders will be participating. There is also a free breakfast for everyone and entertainment for the grandparents. The first grade will be part of the entertainment. We hope to see you there. Dismissal that day will be at 12:30.

Curriculum remains pretty much the same. In math we are moving into double digit addition and subtraction. The first graders will be taking a Reading Assessment this week. It is an assessment that goes with our reading curriculum.

Have a great week. Remember this is the month of Mary. It is a good time to pray the rosary. GOD LOVES YOU!

APRIL 26-APRIL 30

2010-04-24T22:43:00.001-07:00

Progress Reports went home on Friday. You have until Friday to sign and return them.

I saw some of you at the Comcast Clean-up Day and out at Relay For Life. Thank you for participating in these two events. The first grade did win the Mini Relay For Life penny war that was held several weeks ago on a Friday. We collected 65.00 that day. We won a free dress day that will be announced. The overall school penny war winner has not been announced.

Curriculum remains the same and we have completed all of the vocabulary words. So now it will be just reviewing them.

Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

APRIL 19-APRIL 23

2010-04-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you for the cookies and soda. The First Communion Mass was truly a religious experience. And the second graders all looked so nice in their new outfits. When the mass was over they all headed for the refreshment table. We had plenty of snacks. Thank you to those of you who took everything over to the church on Friday and set it up and thank you to those of you who helped on Saturday at First Communion. It was greatly appreciated.

On Monday there will be an all-school mass for the First Communicants. We hope you can join us. Progress Reports will go home on Friday. You have a week to sign and return them. Curriculum remains the same.

On Saturday and Sunday Relay For Life will be held at Merced College. If you have the time come out and join in the walk for a cancer cure.

VOCABULARY WORDS

thought
envelope
writing
special
inviting
stamp
wish
should
caught
blew
peering

Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU.

APRIL 12-APRIL 16

2010-04-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter vacation and celebrated the risen Christ.
We only have 7 weeks left of the school year. And we will be busy. Next Saturday, April 17, at 9:00 a.m., is the First Communion Mass for the second graders. We are in charge of the reception that day. I will be sending a note home on Monday as to what is needed. All first graders are to send in one 2-liter bottle of 7-Up and a dozen cookies by Friday morning. If you are needed to help on Friday or Saturday you will be notified.

Dismissal is at 12:30 on Friday.

In Language Arts we are now in Level 5 of our reading program. We continue to work on vowel sounds, digraphs, blends, contractions, compound words, the s, ed, and ing endings, double the consonant and add the ed or ing ending, sequencing, cause and effect, main idea, reading vocabulary and comprehension. In Math we are working on counting out money and we will be moving into telling time in a week. In Science we are learning about matter. In Social Studies we are learning about U.S. symbols. In P.E. we are finishing up a dance unit and will be moving into a bean bag unit. In Spelling we will start with long o this week. In Religion we will begin learning about the Holy Spirit as a helper.

Please work with your child counting out money. They should be able to take a group of coins and count it out for you. This is the way I teach it at school. I need to see how they got their answer. During this week I will be introducing the quarter. Thank you for all of your help with the reading packets that are going home. When your child is reading at home please have them think about reading loud enough for all to hear and to use expression while reading.

VOCABULARY WORDS

sound
sniff
rough
fur
apples
carrots
smooth
smell
chew
flew
store

If you have read this blog have your child write a sentence using the word Easter in it. Have a great week. I will see you on Monday. GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 29-APRIL 1

2010-03-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the pennies that were brought in for the "penny war" on Friday. I heard that we may have won. We had one full bucket and were starting in on a second one. Hurray, plus we were helping a good cause. Also the class did a great job on the morning Lenten prayer.

This is a short week. Dismissal is at 12:30 on Thursday. And then we are off for Easter vacation. There will be no vocabulary words this week. As far as spelling goes I am going to be giving a spelling test that will be a review of the long a, long i, and long e words that we have had previously. There will be no spelling list going home.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog, have your child write on paper what we call the day of the Last Supper and what we call the day that Jesus died. GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 22-MARCH 26

2010-03-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, I just returned from a great weekend in Anaheim at the Religion Congress. There were lots of good seminars. So this will be short. On Thursday at 8:00 in the morning, the first graders will be presenting the morning Lenten prayer. You are all invited to attend.

VOCABULARY WORDS

breakfast
decorate
birthday
party
basket
fruit
secret
collect
curl

Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 15-MARCH 19

2010-03-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed seeing all of you for conferences. Thank you to all the drivers who helped out during the week. The Stations of the Cross were well done and the residents enjoyed seeing it. The Spring Program was very good and your children did a super job. Thank you for all of your help and cooperation.

This is a short week, with dismissal at 12:30 on Thursday and no school on Friday. There is free dress (green and white) on Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day. Please continue to send in your pennies for our class jar for fighting against cancer. Thank you to all who have been doing that.

Curriculum remains the same, however in Science we are beginning a unit on Matter, and in Language Arts we will start working on long e. Remember, on Monday and Tuesday evening a reading packet will be coming home. Your child is to read the story and then you are to ask the comprehension questions on the back of the packet. You are to sign the packet and return the following day. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

VOCABULARY WORDS

against
board
push
toward
happen
hard
ground
gathered
crowd
favorite

Have a great week. I will be going to the Religion Congress down in Anaheim. If you have read this blog have your child write down who is the patron saint of Ireland.

MARCH 8-MARCH 12

2010-03-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

The first graders have a very busy week. On Wednesday evening, March 10, they will be performing in the Spring Program. It begins at 6:30 and your child needs to be in my classroom no later than 6:15. I will be here around 6:00. I sent home a note as to what your child is wearing or should wear. If you have any questions please ask.

On Wednesday morning and again on Friday morning the first graders will be traveling to Park Merced, The Hampshire, and Emeritus(formerly The Courtyard)for a prayer service and presentation of The Stations of the Cross with the 8th grade. All permission slips are in and drivers have been notified. Thank you for those that are driving.

On top of that Tuesday through Friday dismissal will be at 12:30. Conferences will be in the afternoon. You may return your child's report card when you come for your conference. There is also a Book Fair going on. Your child will preview the Book Fair on Monday and come home with a "Wish List".

Curriculum remains the same. I have started the vocabulary word testing. No vocabulary words will be going home this week. On Tuesday a reading packet will be going home. Your child is to read the book and orally answer the questions on the back of the packet. This will help with reading fluency and comprehension. Instructions are on the front of the packet. Thank you for your cooperation.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog give your teacher a "high 5" GOD LOVES YOU!

MARCH 1-MARCH 5

2010-02-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

The Stations of the Cross with the 8th grade was a great reminder of what Lent is all about. The first graders did a good job. There will be an all-school Mass on Friday, with dismissal at 12:30.

There is also a penny war going on amongst classes. We are all collecting pennies for a "cure for cancer".

The 3rd quarter has ended and report cards will be coming out on Friday. Again, this is a good time to remind your children that they should always put forth their best effort and to remember to follow classroom and playground rules.

Curriculum remains the same. I will be giving a vocabulary test beginning this week.

VOCABULARY WORDS

package
bright
letter
string
another
everyone
right
shoes
inside
perhaps
grown
around
collected
night
present

If you have read this blog have your child write down one kind thing they have done for someone else during this season of Lent. Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 22-26

2010-02-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

The first graders did a nice job participating in the Ash Wednesday Mass. This Friday the first graders along with the eighth graders will be presenting the living Stations of the Cross. It will begin after morning prayer at about 8:15. You are all invited to attend.

Curriculum remains the same. Your children took a Reading Assessment a week ago. I will review it with you at the March conferences. The first graders have St. Vincent lunches for Friday.

VOCABULARY WORDS

tasty
pulled
eaten
finally
guess
pictures
turned
crayons
spread
watch
listen
frankly
capture

A note about vocabulary words. Please review them on a nightly basis. I will be giving a vocabulary test in the near future.

If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper whose birthday it is on Monday. Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 15-19

2010-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

I hope you have enjoyed the 4 day weekend. We do have a short week, however the first grade is responsible for the Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday. The first graders will be reading, bringing up the gifts, or singing. The Mass begins at 8:15. This is a good time for you to talk to your child about the season of Lent. Lent is a time to grow and change. We will be doing a service project for the needy during Lent. More information will come later.

A thank you to all you helped with the Valentine's Party and International Night. Both were fun and a big success.

In Language Arts we are learning about long a. We continue to review the short vowel sounds, digraphs, contractions, compound words, endings of s, ed, and ing, sequencing, cause and effect, problem solving, main idea, summarizing, vocabulary and comprehension. In Religion we will be studying about Lent and the Stations of the Cross. In P.E. we will be introduced to a dance unit. In Science we are working on the Four Seasons and weather. In Social Studies we will be learning about the United States, symbols, and the flag.

VOCABULARY WORDS

air
square
storm
remember
paint
city
donkey
distant
before
mystery
closet
caused
tasted
leave

A reminder: Progress Reports have to be signed and returned by Friday. Thank you.
Have a good week. If you have read this blog have your child give their teacher a "high 5". GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 8-12

2010-02-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday. We had a great week with all of the Catholic Schools Week activities. I think the highlight was Buddy Day. We met up again with our buddies on Thursday and did P.E. with lots of fun dances. It was great fun. Thank you to all the parents that helped transport children back from Mass.

A reminder that Friday, February 12 and Monday, February 15, are holidays and there will be no school. So we have 2 short weeks coming up.

Tuesday evening from 6-8p.m. will be the International Night in the auditorium. It is free and I hope to see you there. The first graders did a great job on their reports about Kenya. They will be on display.

On Thursday, February 11 there will be a Valentine's Party beginning at 1:30. A note went home on Friday with information.

Curriculum remains pretty much the same. In Language Arts we will start learning about the long vowel sounds. We will be taking a Reading test this week. It covers the reading skills that go with our Reading program and the workbook pages.

Progress reports will go out on Thursday. They need to be signed and returned the following week. This is a good time to remind your children how important it is to continue to study vocabulary, spelling words and math facts. Your child should always do their best work, whether it is copying something from the board or coloring. Please remind them about classroom, auditorium and playground rules.
Thank you.

VOCABULARY

world
quiet
forever
family
share
attic
window
toys
climbed
empty
bored
million

Enjoy your day and have a good week. If you have read this blog, have your child write down the winner of the Super Bowl. GOD LOVES YOU!

FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 5

2010-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well we are off to Catholic Schools Week at OLM. We have a busy week so I will try to give you some of the happenings.

Monday is parent appreciation day. Be expecting a note home from your child.

Tuesday is Buddy Day. It starts off with a Pep Rally as we have a big basketball game that afternoon against McSwain. Your child will be buddied up with an 8th grader. It is a free dress day with students wearing blue and white. Your child should bring a small goodie for their buddy. We ask that it be no more than two dollars. Cookies, a candy bar, or pencils are good. During the day we will be meeting up with our buddies and they will be eating lunch with them. It is a fun day for all.

Wednesday is the Cherish Luncheon. The first graders will be part of the entertainment for that day.

Thursday morning there will be a short patriotic show for the school. During the day we will be making valentines for the Veterans. That evening at 6 p.m. will be a Mother/Daughter-Father/Son basketball game.

Friday is the all-school Mass held at St. Patrick's. Please remember to drop your child off at St. Patrick's Church by 8:00. Mass begins at 8:15. Your children will be transported back to school in private vehicles. All of the permission slips have been turned in and all of you who volunteered to drive I will be using you. Thank you. At 11:15 there will be the annual Faculty/8th Grade Volleyball Game. Dismissal is at 12:30.

As you can see we have a very full and busy week. There will be no vocabulary words this week. Just keep reviewing the ones that have come home more recently. Curriculum remains the same. The reports on Kenya were all wonderful and so very different. Thank you for your help on this project. The International Night will be on February 9, 6-8pm. We hope to see you there.

As you can see we are very busy this week, but it is always a fun week. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what day is February 2. Have a good week. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 25-JANUARY 29

2010-01-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hi! On Friday Mrs. Van Pelt came in and did all of the fingerprints on the auction item that the First Grade is doing. Remember, Mardi Gras Madness Auction is Saturday night at the Parish Hall. It begins at 5:00pm. Hope to see you there.

Sunday, January 31, kicks off Catholic Schools Week. Our choir will be singing at the 9:00 Mass. If you attend that mass please have your child wear their school uniform so that the parish knows they attend Our Lady of Mercy School.

Please make sure that your child brings a sack lunch on Monday. There will be no cafeteria service.

Curriculum remains the same, however in math we are moving back into addition and subtraction facts up to 18. Your child's project on Kenya is due on Friday. Make sure that they turn them in.

VOCABULARY WORDS
swim
farther
drink
expect
built
hawk
grit
vacuum
edge
enough
clutch
gizzard
everywhere
afternoon

Hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the football games. If you have read this blog have your child give their teacher a "high 5". GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 22

2010-01-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying the day off on Monday. Thank you to all that participated in bringing in money for Haiti. It was appreciated very much. And the students loved having free dress.

Curriculum remains the same. There are two areas that all of the students should be working on. One is math facts, both addition and subtraction. Some students are improving, but some are not. Flash cards should be used on a nightly basis. Encourage your children to memorize the math fact. They should not be using their fingers. The answer should be automatic. Another area in math that your child should be working on is counting by 10's, 5's and 2's. Lots of the children already know how to do this, but some do not. The second area is vocabulary. There are some students who are unsure of the vocabulary words when asked to read them. The vocabulary reflects the workbook packet grades. Many of those pages they are required to read independently. Thank you for your help in both of these areas.

Your child should have come home with his\her topic on Kenya. We are starting to learn about the country, the flag, the tribes, the weather, etc. Your children are excited about it.

VOCABULARY WORDS

fourth
fifth
sixth
seventh
strange
whole
elephant
pillar
turn
agree
great
moral

No more news. If you have read this blog please answer this question: Did you see any rainbows over the weekend? Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

JANUARY 11-JANUARY 15

2010-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

We had a great first week back after Christmas vacation. Your children were great workers and seemed happy to be back. Report cards went home on Friday. Please sign them and return them by Friday, January 15. A permission slip will be going home this week for the Catholic Schools Mass at St. Patrick's Church. Please sign it and return as soon as possible. Thank you. There will be a safe environment training session on Wednesday, January 13, at 6:00 in the auditorium. This may be the last training session for the year.

Curriculum remains the same. This quarter I will begin unannounced spelling tests with the words they have already had. Your children should be able to spell the spelling words at any time correctly. This grade will be included in their overall spelling grade. I will also begin dictation sentences as part of their spelling grade. The entire sentence must be correct in order to get the extra point.

We have begun subtraction facts on timed math tests. Please work on the math facts at home. Math facts, both addition and subtraction, should be worked on nightly.

VOCABULARY WORDS

try
hard
nice
rest
play
sing
please
thank
word
first
second
third

Remember we do not have school on Monday, January 18, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what the predicted high temperature for Monday will be according to weather reports. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

2010-01-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you for all the wonderful Christmas gifts. I really did appreciate them. If you sent food or candy, my family and I have eaten it all. We do love sweets. Thank you to the parents that helped with or brought food or items for the Christmas party. A fun time was had by all. Another thank you to all of you that sent in flour or sugar for the needy. Many people went home with full bags of groceries at the "Spirit of Christmas" dinner. The food was much appreciated. I hope you all had as enjoyable vacation and holiday as I did. Let us remember to keep Christ in our hearts during this new year.

On Friday we have an all-school Mass with dismissal at 12:30. Report cards will be going home that day. Remember to sign and return them by the following Friday.
Since this is the beginning of the new quarter this is a good time to remind your child to do their best work (which means their handwriting should always be their best), to stay on task, and to remember classroom and playground rules.

In Reading we have started the Level 4, Unit 1 hardback reader. It is really important that when your child brings the reader home to read the story of the week, they do not go ahead and read other stories. When your child does that it makes it difficult for me to introduce and set up the story as they have already read it and know what happens. So, please do not suggest they read ahead. Thank you. In Language Arts we will continue to work on vocabulary, plurals, short vowel sounds, contractions, compound words, digraphs, blends, short vowel chunks, cause and effect, sequencing, main idea, conclusions, and comprehension. In Science we will begin learning about the weather. In Social Studies we will be studying about the United States, the flag and other symbols. In Religion we will be learning about the miracles Jesus performed. In Math we are still working on place value and number order up to 100. We will be starting timed tests working with subtraction facts up to 12. In P.E. we are still using jump ropes.

For International Night we will be working on the country of Kenya. All first graders will be responsible for a report. I will be assigning each child a subject area. I will be sending the assignment home soon. Be looking for it. It will give you the information that you need.

VOCABULARY WORDS

return
should
old
pair
clothes
cook
knight
small
bring
shall

Have a great week. If you have read this blog, have your child write on a piece of paper what is the date of the Feast of the Three Kings. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 14-DECEMBER 18

2009-12-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Wow! The Christmas Program Wednesday evening was wonderful. I especially think the first graders did a super job. They sang with all of their hearts. All of those practices surely paid off. I am hoping you all enjoyed the evening. And our own Dominic's little sister was Baby Jesus.

This week we are back to normal. Dismissal is Friday at 12:30. Remember there is no Extended Care that day. The school shuts down for Christmas vacation at 12:30. On Friday, December 18, a pizza lunch will be provided for the first grade.

VOCABULARY WORDS

fallen
head
king
woods
along
food
sky
need
queen
prince
visit

Have a great week. Remember the reason for the season: Jesus. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what Jewish celebration began on December 11 and how many days does the celebration last. GOD LOVES YOU!

DECEMBER 7-DECEMBER 11

2009-12-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

The first graders did a great job on their morning Advent Prayer. I was very proud of them. Thank you to all of the parents who came and watched.

We have a very busy week ahead of us. On Tuesday there will be the all-school mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Wednesday you are to drop your child off at by 8:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church. We will have a rehearsal at the church for the Christmas Program. The children will be transported back to OLM School in private cars. I have not had all of the permission slips returned. It is very important that you sign the permission slip and return it by Monday. Thank you to those of you who will be helping out with the driving.

Your child should be at St. Patrick's Church no later than 6:15 on Wednesday evening. The program begins at 6:30. Please have your children dress appropriately. I sent home a note on attire. Girls should wear a dress if they have one and the boys should wear nice slacks and a shirt. I would prefer no jeans. Your children have been practicing everyday. Thank you to those of you who worked on the words during Thanksgiving break. It was a great help.

There will be no vocabulary words this week. This gives your child a chance to review the ones they already have.

Remember this is the season of Advent. It is a time to reflect on our blessings and to think of others. Thank you to those of you who have already turned in the flour or sugar for the needy. If you have read this blog have your child write down on a piece of paper whose feast day was December 6th. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 4

2009-11-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all having a great week. Thank you to all the parents that helped with the Powwow and the Thanksgiving Feast. A fun time was had by all. When we come back to school the first graders are going to be busy practicing for the Christmas Program which will be held, Wednesday evening, December 9th at St. Patrick's Church. Hopefully your child has been working on learning the words to the songs that we will be singing. On Monday when we come back we are going to try to rehearse without the words.

Progress reports went home last Friday. Please make sure that you sign and return them. Thank you.

Curriculum remains the same in Reading. In Math we are beginning a unit on tens and ones. In Social Studies we will be discussing different Christmas traditions in other countries. In Religion we are finishing up the saints and will be learning about Advent. The entire first grade will be saying the morning Advent prayer on Friday, December 4. You are all invited to attend. It will begin at 8:00.
Friday, December 4 is also a minimum day with dismissal at 12:30.

VOCABULARY WORDS

forget
show
smart
pencil
best
read
school
time
being
sometimes
place

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful for all the good things you have. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what the picture clues for short a, short i, short o, and short e are. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 16-NOVEMBER 20

2009-11-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

We have one week until our week of Thanksgiving vacation. The first graders made the turkey centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday evening at the Parish Hall. Thank you to the moms and grandmother who helped with that project. When the dinner is over the first graders will be allowed to take their turkey home. If you were unable to attend the Veteran's Day assembly you missed a great performance by each class. The veterans loved it as did the parents who were able to attend.

On Thursday all students are allowed to have a free dress day. On Friday morning there will be a Thanksgiving Prayer Service at 8:15. You are all invited and welcome to attend. Also on Friday the first grade will be joining the kindergarten to have their annual Thanksgiving feast. Thank you to the parents that are helping.
This week we will also begin practicing for the Christmas Program. First grade will be performing in that. If a list of songs comes home please work on your child learning the words. I have not yet decided how I will work this.

Curriculum remains the same. Just a note about math facts. It is very important that your child work on these everyday. The goal is that they increase there speed with accuracy and not use fingers, beads, or number lines to figure out the answer. Flashcards are the best way to get to this point. In the end memorization is a big part of it. Thank you for your cooperation.

VOCABULARY WORDS

POND
COUNT
CALLED
SILLY
MORNING
BEAUTIFUL
PUT
TOMORROW
TODAY
BOOK
BELONGS

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child find out and write down the name of the American Indian who taught the Pilgrims about putting a fish in the ground to help grow their crops. Enjoy the fall and the wonderful colors of the leaves. God truly is at work. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 9-NOVEMBER 13

2009-11-08T10:36:00.001-08:00

Greetings!
It was nice to see all of you last week at conferences.
On Tuesday, November 10, we are having a Veteran's Day celebration. It will begin at 8:30 in the auditorium. All classes are participating. You are welcome to attend and if you have veterans in your family be sure to invite them. We would love to have them. We do have school on Wednesday, November 11.

The first graders will be making the Thanksgiving Dinner centerpieces this week. We are not in the Thanksgiving Program, but will perform in the Christmas and Spring Program.

Curriculum remains the same. We are starting the 3rd level of our reading program. Through conferences I think you realize the importance of knowing vocabulary. It ties together with the workbook pages, board work and reading. Thank you for working with your child in this area.

VOCABULARY WORDS

any
animals
trouble
kind
gave
there
thing
nice
thought
answered
asked

I hope you have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child write down on a piece of paper how many days the first Thanksgiving lasted. GOD LOVES YOU!

NOVEMBER 2-NOVEMBER 6

2009-11-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings! This week is conference week. Dismissal will be at 12:30 each day. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you. On Friday there will be an all-school Mass at 8:15, with dismissal being at 12:30.

I hope you all enjoyed the Halloween Carnival. I enjoyed seeing so many of you there. Thank you to all that worked in the booths and that donated candy and items for the gift basket. It was much appreciated.

Curriculum remains the same. This week there will be no vocabulary words. This is a good opportunity to review the old ones.

No more news. If you have read this blog have your child write down on a piece of paper what holyday November 1 is. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 26-OCTOBER 30

2009-10-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Thank you to all of you that helped drive to the Pumpkin Patch and to those of you who provided the snacks. It was a great afternoon and the children had fun. We are into Drug-Free week. You will notice that the doors of all the classrooms have been decorated in that theme.

On Friday the students are allowed to wear their costume to school. A notice went home about the costume contest. There is also a pumpkin carving contest and a note went home about that. So we do have a busy week. On Saturday evening is the Halloween Carnival at school. I hope to see all of you there.

In Language Arts we continue to review sequencing, cause and effect, categories, s, ed and ing endings, plurals, possessives, contractions, compound words, comprehension, short a and i and I am introducing short o this week. I have been testing your children on vocabulary. Hopefully I will be finished this week. In math we are finishing up subtraction. In Science we are finishing up the ecosystem and in social studies we are beginning our Native American unit. In Religion we are starting our saint book and in P.E. we are jump roping. As you can see we are busy.

I am hoping you all had your children become familiar with First In Math as they will begin doing that in their computer lab.

VOCABULARY WORDS

knows
warm
goes
brothers
sisters
about
together
ears
nose
legs
eyes
body

A reminder: please remember to sign planners and if your child brings home a reader it needs to be returned the following day. Thank you.

I am hoping you all had a great weekend. I did. I went to a wedding and then helped celebrate my aunt's 90th birthday. She still lives alone and is in good health. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what a pumpkin becomes when you carve it out. Another THANK YOU to all of you that read my blog. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 19-OCTOBER 23

2009-10-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Thank you to all of you who drove to The Hampshire and The Courtyard. It was much appreciated. The children did great with their songs. This week we are off to the Pumpkin Patch on Thursday afternoon at 12:30. All of you that have signed up to drive will be used to drive. Please be at school by 12:30. We will be returning by 2:30. I will jot you a note in your child's planner.

Please show your child how to log on for First In Math. In another week they will be playing First In Math in their computer class. Therefore they need to know how to log on and play the game. Thank you to all who have been playing the game.

Tuesday afternoon is the Catalog Sale awards assembly. It will be held at 1:45. On Friday the first grade is in charge of lunches for St. Vincents. A decorated paper bag will come home on Thursday. Please fill it with a lunch and return. Thank you.

In Language Arts your child is learning about contractions, short a and short i, endings of s, ed, and ing, cause and effect, conclusions, categories, sequencing and comprehension. In Social Studies we are beginning a Native American unit. In Science we are finishing up the ecosystem. In Religion we will be learning about saints and will be making a saint book. In P.E. we are starting a jump rope unit. As you can see we are busy.

The first grade's service project for the year is helping the homeless. More information will follow.

Thank you for being so conscientious in reading and signing the planners. I do so appreciate it.

VOCABULARY WORDS

then
never
many
always
soup
lunch
where
was
baby
father
everything

Please continue to pray the rosary. I hope you are getting outside to enjoy the autumn air and fall colors. If you have read this blog have your child write down the name of one Native American Indian tribe. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 12-OCTOBER 16

2009-10-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

It is hard to believe that the first quarter is over with already. Report cards will be sent home on Friday. They are to be signed and returned. Now is a good time to remind your child to always put forth their best effort and to remember the classroom and playground rules.

On Friday the first graders will be going to The Hampshire and The Courtyard for prayer services. Half of the children will be going to The Hampshire and the other half will be going to The Courtyard. Mrs. Blackburn and Mrs. Fister will be accompanying one group and I will be with the other. I will be using all parents who said they could drive. Please remember to have all driving information in the office no later than Wednesday. Some of you do not have the needed forms in the office. Thank you for your cooperation.

Friday, October 16, is the last day to wear shorts.

VOCABULARY

some
may
more
mother
tell
surprise
when
again
long
he
she

Your child will be tested on vocabulary the week of the 19th. Continue to have them review the words on a nightly basis.

Remember to pray the rosary during this month. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper what we celebrate on October 12, and give it to Mrs. Mills. GOD LOVES YOU!

OCTOBER 5-OCTOBER 9

2009-10-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

This will be a short week. There will be no school on Friday as the teachers have a Diocesan in service in Visalia. As a result, the spelling words will be going home on Monday. The practice test will be on Wednesday and the final test on Thursday. This Friday will be the end of the quarter and report cards will be going out on October 16. How the time has gone by!

Thank you to all who paid for First In Math. It is greatly appreciated.

As we move along, please remember how important the vocabulary words are. With a new group of words each week it is extremely important that your child review the words each night. Flashcards are a great way to do this. I will be giving a vocabulary word test within the next several weeks. Also keep working on addition math facts up to 10.

Thank you to all that have offered to drive for the service projects. Those of you who offered to drive on Oct 16th, know that I will be using all of you. Hopefully you have all attended the Safe Environment Training and that you have been fingerprinted and you have all your driving information on file in the office.

VOCABULARY WORDS

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

Have a great week. Remember to pray the rosary during this Month of the Rosary. If you have read this blog have your child bring in a leaf. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 2

2009-09-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hi! Thank you to all the parents that brought in snacks and drinks for our snack during the ITBS Testing. The children loved them. I appreciated them too. Thank you once again. Please make sure you have returned your child's permission slip for the service trips that we will be taking in October and March. Not all of them have been returned and I am still missing several progress reports. Remember they are to be signed and returned. Thank you.

This Friday there will be an all school mass at 11:00. It is the Blessing of the Pets Mass. If you are bringing a pet you will bring them to the mass. Do not bring them to school in the morning. The blessing of the pets will take place after the 11:00 mass. Dismissal will be at 12:30.

On Monday we will be beginning our daily timed math facts worksheet. It will consist of 25 math facts up to 10. Your child will have 2 minutes to complete it. As they get faster the time will be cut to 1 minute. Please work on math facts with your child at home. Flashcards are a great way to practice.

VOCABULARY WORDS

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

Please continue to review vocabulary words. If you have read this blog have your child give Mrs. Mills a "high five". Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 21-SEPTEMBER 25

2009-09-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings. We are off to a busy week. ITBS testing begins on Monday and will finish on Thursday. Please make sure your child is on time for school and eats a good breakfast and gets plenty of rest. Thank you.

Progress reports went out on Friday. They must be signed and returned by Friday. The progress report is just that. It shows your child's progress and where they are at this particular time in the school year. The first 4-5 weeks were spent in review with new skills being added and learned. This is a good time to remind your children about behavior both inside and outside the classroom. Encourage them to always do their best and to put forth their best effort. Continue to review vocabulary words. If your child is having difficulty reading the vocabulary some of the reading assignments will be difficult. On the 28th we will begin timed math facts. The math facts will go up to 10. I will then add math facts up to 11 and 12. Flashcards are a great idea. In Science we are studying the ecosystem. Many of your children probably have come home and asked about bringing rocks or seeds to school. I welcome them. Friday we learned about the seed coat. In spelling this week I will be adding 2 challenge words. They will be 4 letter short a words.

For those of you who will at some time be helping in the classroom or driving for field trips you must have been fingerprinted and have attended a Safety Environment meeting. The next one is on Tuesday at 6:00 in the auditorium. Please attend if you want to help out and have not attended one yet. Thank you. A note will be going home this week on future service trips within the community. I will need drivers. If you can help I would appreciate it. You will need all the needed information on file in the office: copies of driver's license, car registration, and car insurance. It must be new this year. Last year's information is not accepted.

VOCABULARY WORDS

clean
all
of
why
up
would
because
this
but
take
find
circle
animal
turtle

Remember to keep reading and signing the planners. You are all doing a great job. Thank you. If you have read this blog have your child write on a piece of paper who the mayor of Merced is. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 14-SEPTEMBER 18

2009-09-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I hope to see all of you on Sunday at Open House. The Open House is from 12:00-2:00 and the dinner is being held from 12:00-3:00. Please come and enjoy the day.

Progress Reports will be going home on Friday. They are to be signed and returned the following Friday. A rubric for the conduct grade will be going home with your child. I have gone over it in class with your children. It would also be a good idea for you to review it with your child. On this note: please remind your children of the playground rules.

We are starting a new chapter in math. There is always a "letter to parents" page that will go home with a new chapter. Please look at the math vocabulary and review it frequently with your child. It is a great reinforcement for the math vocabulary that is being used in the classroom. I will let you know when we are beginning the timed math facts daily worksheet.

We will also be starting spelling tests this week. The spelling word list will go home on Tuesday with a note. A practice test will be given on Thursday and the final test on Friday. The grade your child receives on Friday's test will be the recorded grade.

On Thursday a decorated brown bag will come home with your child. It is to be filled with a lunch for St. Vincent de Paul. Please return the lunch on Friday as the first grade is responsible for the lunches this week.

VOCABULARY WORDS

walk
run
jump
play
from
my
friend
is
like
fun
think
home

Please keep reviewing the vocabulary words. Some of the students are not confident when reading them. This is so important for reading the story of the week and for doing the reading workbook pages. In about 3-4 weeks they will be tested on these words.

Have a great week. If you have read this blog have your child print his/her first and last name in their very best handwriting. GOD LOVES YOU!

SEPTEMBER 7-SEPTEMBER 11

2009-09-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I hope you did enjoy your Labor Day weekend. Things are progressing nicely in the first grade. Thank you to all of you who sent the oranges. Once again I cut them up and we ate them for snack. The children really enjoyed them.

Tuesday, is the Blessed Mother's Birthday. Picture days are on Wednesday and Thursday. Make sure your child wears the uniform. I do not know which day we will be going.

On Friday, September 11, from 2:30-4:00 the student council has planned an afternoon full of games for students in grades kindergarten through second. If your child wishes to attend the cost is $4.00 and a snack and drink will be provided.

Next Sunday, September 13, is Open House at the school. The classrooms will be open 12:00 to 2:00. There will be a tri-tip lunch served from 12:00 to 3:00. I hope to see all of you there.

Last week your child brought home the first reader in our reading program. Some of these little readers are pattern books. They can be quite easy. One thing you can do to make sure your child is not memorizing the story is to have them find certain words for you. This will be a good indicator whether or not your child is memorizing or actually recognizes the words. Your child also brought home another reader with many stories in it. This is a supplemental reader and very good for extra reading.

Thank you for continuing to sign the planners. Everyone seems to be in the groove. Your child will have a math homework paper on Wednesday night. It is a problem solving worksheet. Please sit with your child, give directions and help if necessary.

VOCABULARY WORDS FOR THE WEEK

found
going
am
for
under
across
good
bad
so
draw
are
look

Just a reminder: The vocabulary words are just that. Words that your child should be able to read. These words are not spelling words. In another week we will be starting the spelling tests which is a different list of words.

Once again thank you for all of your help and support. Keep selling those catalog items and cookie dough. If you have read this blog have your child give Mrs. Mills' a "high five". GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 4

2009-08-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Your children have had a good week and they thoroughly enjoyed "free dress", the Student Council assembly, the catalog kick-off, and the raffle drawing for the lunch with Lancey. A kindergarten student won the lunch with Lancey.

Friday is an All-School Mass day. Remember that your child may not wear shorts on a mass day. Every Friday the Student Council will be selling healthy snacks at the morning recess. Your child is in charge of their own money. Just a reminder: talk to your children about eating their own snack. Sometimes children want to share which is great. But there is a problem: there is never enough to go around to all of the children. Then we have hurt feelings. Thank you.

Usually on Monday your child will be bringing home a list of new vocabulary words.
They are always to be signed and returned the next day. Please look for them. This Tuesday your child will be bringing home a math homework paper. Please go over the directions with your child and help them if needed. Every week your child will be bringing home a little paperback reader. They are to read this story to an adult and the reader is always to be returned the following day. For some I realize the reading might be very easy. That is good. It is always good to be reading stories that are easier in order to increase reading fluency.

VOCABULARY WORDS FOR THE WEEK

OVER
OUT
SAID
AND
LITTLE
COPY
FAR
AWAY
COME
HERE
NOW
IN
WANT
BEAR

I appreciate the fact that some of you have made word cards with 3x5 cards. Please continue to work on them at home. It will greatly help your child. If you have read this blog please have your child bring in an orange for their teacher. Last week thank you for all the apples. I cut them up and we ate them for snack. Thank you. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 24-AUGUST 28

2009-08-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We have completed the first week of school. Your children seem to be getting into the swing of things. They are doing well writing in their planner. I am hoping you all read my letter that went home on Friday with their packet of work. It is very important that you check your child's home folder and planner, sign it and return it the following day. I also use the planner to let you know about lunch tickets and milk tickets. Oftentimes I will jot you a note to give you a "heads up" on behavior. I have found this works well. Feel free to respond back.

In Reading your child should be reading the vocabulary words on a nightly basis. They should also be reading color words and the number words that went home on the math paper. We will be starting our first little reader next week. Knowing those vocabulary words will be a big help. Every week they will be receiving a new list of vocabulary words. I will be putting those words up on the blog the first week in September.

Some of your children do not have an 8-pack of color crayons. This is a necessary item. Please make sure they have them. We do many color coded papers and I want them to use the correct color crayon.

If your child brings $1.00 on Friday they may have free dress. The money will go to the SPCA in honor of Lancey's birthday. Your child may bring their money in prior to Friday as I may collect it.

Thank you for all of your cooperation. If you have read this blog have your child bring Mrs. Mills an apple. Thanks. GOD LOVES YOU!

AUGUST 17-AUGUST 21

2009-08-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I HAD A GREAT SUMMER AND I AM HOPING YOU DID TOO. I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN THIS YEAR.

School starts at 8:00. Mass on Monday is at 8:30. Your child is to be in full uniform. Remember no shorts for mass. Remind your children about behavior at mass. Dismissal on Monday is at 12:30. Make sure your child knows where they are to picked up. I will be helping them get to where they need to be.

I would like all school supplies as soon as possible. We will start using the planners on Tuesday. I will be sending home a short letter on Monday and I will also be sending home the playground rules and the detention slip. Please go over both sides with your child and make them aware of the consequences. The slips need to be signed and returned. I would like them all back by Friday.

There will be many new procedures in the first grade, please do not be overwhelmed. It does all work out.

I will see you all on Monday. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 25-MAY 29

2009-05-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

We are now at the end of the school year. Thank you to all of you for your help and support. It was a good year and your help was so appreciated.

Tuesday, Mrs. Mills' class will be going to Day Out to entertain. Drivers should be at school by 10:20. Wednesday we will all be cleaning desks and chairs. Please send a large paper bag to school with your child. Thursday is Field Day. Free dress is permitted. Mrs. Bellini and Mrs. Mills have the activities planned. Room mothers will be contacting you. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided for lunch that day. We will need the extras. Mass will be at 8:30 on Friday. Dismissal will be at 10:00 Students are to wear uniforms on Friday.

A note about lunch. Lunches are to be brought on Tuesday and Wednesday for Mrs. Bellini's class. Mrs. Mills' class will only need to bring a lunch on Tuesday. Lunch will be provided by a parent on Wednesday.

Just a note about the summer. Please continue to have your child read and work on math facts during the summer break. Thank you. GOD LOVES YOU!

MAY 18-MAY 22

2009-05-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hi! Everything is pretty much the same. Friday is the 8th Grade Carnival. It will start at 10:00 and end at 12:00. Dismissal will be at 12:30. The 8th grade will be around on Friday morning to sell tickets for the carnival. 3-5 dollars is plenty to bring. That will be enough for food and a few games. Your child does not need more than 5 dollars. The students are allowed to have free dress on that day. Have a great week. GOD LOVES YOU!