Week+1



Newsletter for Week of September 3rd, 2013 = Week in Review = We made it! What a great start to the school year! We would like to welcome one new student to our class this year, Alexa. We hope everyone will embrace our new friend in play dates and activities throughout the year and share with her parents what makes our LC community unique. Alexa already seems comfortable in her new school. Despite the very warm weather this week, we all have been able to return to the school routine with very few worries or concerns. We have been able to begin many of the classes in our schedule and to hand out and work in many of our books. I like to establish a routine for the children as quickly as possible, in order that the many changes in our school day does not create any apprehension. We are taking our days very slowly, trying to accomplish a little and understand how to take books, folders, and supplies in and out of our desk. Next week we will continue to grow as First Graders. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend. 
 * Religion **

We will be attending Mass with our school family on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. You are always very welcome to attend. Throughout the year we will be preparing 5 of our school liturgies. The dates are: **Wednesday,** You will hear more about our Masses as the dates approach. I will have each child involved in these five liturgies in one capacity or another. Your child will bring their specific part home to receive additional practice when the time comes. You are invited to sit with us on those special occasions. If it is not our planned liturgy, your First Grader will sit with their class and be asked to learn the appropriate responses and behaviors. Next week we will be celebrating Mary's birthday on September 6th. Within class, we are reviewing many of the Bible stories that have been introduced last year, as well as a few new ones. We will be reviewing the prayers that were introduced in kindergarten within our morning, lunch, and end of the day times. It will be most beneficial if the children practice the sign of the cross //correctly//, Bless us O Lord, the Glory Be, the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and the Angel of God prayer at home as they say their mealtime and bedtime prayers throughout the weeks and months ahead. (never all at one time)
 * •October 9th •November 20th •February 5th • March 19th •May 14th**

This week we will begin our first story, which is a gentle review of reading concepts from kindergarten. Throughout the year the children will be exposed to a basic reading story, a reading group story, many read aloud selections to promote comprehension strategies, and literature designed to promote an introduction of vocabulary beyond just the text. These words will be known as WOW words because they are just that. These words place an emphasis on building the vocabulary of our students. WOW standing for the "wonder of words" are introduced and used daily throughout the week in addition to the usual vocabulary and practiced within our daily smartboard lessons. We will continue to introduce and review reading skills each day throughout the year. The children have now received their first spelling list. Each list will incorporate a pretest to select the best list for each child. We practice in our book and use choice boards. The words chosen have a direct correlation to the story we will be reading during the week. The best format to practice the words at home is to have your child be able to read the word, listen for the sounds of the letters, say the word, and spell the word. Sometimes writing them, practicing them on the computer, using magnetic letters, writing them in shaving cream, pudding or sand, playing school on a chalkboard or whiteboard, painting them with water on a sidewalk or paper are all ways to help a child see and say the word. Just finding what works best for your child is the goal. Finally we will end the week's word work with a post test which we have selected to take place on a **Thursday** this year. We have also started our grammar books which will review of the basic kindergarten skills the children learned last year and expand their knowledge by leaps and bounds.
 * Reading **

Vocabulary for "Pam and Sam"
cheerful...genuine...interest...prefer...unique ...for...with...jump...has...not...Pat...hat...mat...ran...can...man...safety...rules...obey

This year we will implement the Common Core Math Standards. The First Grade has four major domains to master. They are **Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Numbers and Operations, Measurement and Data, and Geometry.** A pretest was administered to your child this past week for the initial standards. We will evaluate their results and place the children in flexible instruction groups to meet your child's individual needs. Your child will have all three teachers working with them throughout the year, Mrs. Smart, Mrs. Wermers, and myself. We are anticipating the completion of each group of standard instruction and mastery every few weeks. An assessment exhibiting mastery will be given at that time and a subsequent pretest will be given for the following standards we will pursue. You will be notified each time we complete a standard and a new flexible instructional group is established, as well as the teacher who will be providing instruction for your child.
 * Math **

= =   What do you call a wet baseball player? A pitcher. Why was the dog at the soccer game? Because it was the RUFFeree!
 * Riddles of the Week **

[|Current Thursday Folder] [|Pre-order Pizza and Sub Form] [|After Care Enrollment Form] [|Young Rmbrandts Registration form] [|Mad Scientist Registration] [|Chess Club Registration] [|LC Stings Registration] Monday - Music Tuesday-Technology, Guidance, Phy.Ed. (wear gym shoes to participate)Monday-Music Wednesday-Mass, Phy.Ed. (wear gym shoes), Art Thursday-Music and Art Friday- Phy.Ed. (wear gym shoes) and Guidance ** Sept. 10th.......... Scholastic Book Fair scheduled class visit--9 a.m. ** Sept.10th..........[|Parent Night]6:30 p.m. - MEET IN CHURCH **Oct. 9th............OUR first prepared class Mass ** **Oct. 16th..........Schlitz Audubon filedtrip 11:30-1:30 **
 * Important Dates **


 * *FYI......Each day your child will be bringing home their Homework notebook. I ask that you help them become responsible by checking to make sure their work has been completed. Please sign or initial their notebook in the corresponding bottom space of their daily homework. They in turn will receive a sticker from me and as stickers add up, they will receive a small reward for being so responsible. **