Sunday, October 31, 2010

Week of November 1 - 5

Announcements for this Week:

Halloween Festivities 
I hope all of the students enjoyed a safe and happy Halloween weekend! I know we all had a wonderful time at our school celebration on Friday. I want to extend my personal thanks to all of the parents who donated treats, refreshments, supplies, and decorations, as well as those of you who dedicated your time to preparing treat bags, decorating the classroom, and helping out at the party. I feel particularly grateful to our devoted and hardworking Room Parents, Mrs. Daniels, Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Antoine, for planning and organizing such a memorable celebration. I hope the students will always look back fondly on our "Great Pumpkin" party. I know that my first Halloween at St. Jerome was truly unforgettable!

All Saints' Day Mass
We will have a Special School Mass on Monday, November 1 at 8:00 AM in honor of the Feast of All Saints. Please be sure that students arrive at school at 7:45 AM on Monday so that we may store our backpacks in the classroom and arrive at Mass in a timely fashion. Since we will be celebrating Mass together on Monday, there will be no school Mass this Friday, November 5.

A Quick Note about Math
As I reviewed our weekly Math quiz this weekend, I noticed that quite a few students had problems with understanding a specific concept in place value. I plan to review this concept in class this week, but I am also sending home a review assignment for homework on Monday night. Please take a moment to make sure that your child understands the difference between the digit in a particular place and the value of that digit. For example, the number 52 has 5 tens and 2 ones. The digit in the tens place is 5. However, the value of the 5 is 50 because it is in the tens place and represents 5 groups of ten. If a problem asks, "how many tens does 51 have?", the correct answer would be 5. If a problem asks, "what is the value of 5 in 51?", the correct answer would be 50. Expanded form is a way to break down a number to show the value of each digit. The expanded form of 52 is 50 + 2 (the value of the tens digit + the value of the ones digit). If you would like more information, please check out the "Math" link on the sidebar of our blog and look for activities to supplement Chapter 2. One of the games featured is a great review of this topic and can be accessed here. Click on the game for Chapter 2 "Expanded Form".

Our Star of the Week is: Sandra Rosas

Curriculum Update:
Reading: A Close Look at Snakes, Using Expository Text
Math: Review of Place Value, Comparing and Ordering Numbers
Religion: Review of the Ten Commandments, particularly those that
               deal with treating others with respect, kindness, and honesty
English:  Plural Nouns (-s, -es, -ies)
Social Studies: Landforms and Intermediate Directions (i.e. northwest, etc.)
                         (landform, valley, island, peninsula, lake)
Science: Vertebrate Animals (animals with backbones)
              (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians)

Looking Forward:

All Souls' Day Mass
There will be a special school mass on Monday, November 8 at 11:15 AM in honor of the Feast of All Souls. This will take the place of our usual school Mass next week.

Parent Conferences
Conference times may be scheduled for November 8 - 10. Please see the sign-up sheets in Building A to reserve a time slot. I encourage you to do your best to work with the time slots available, but I will make accommodations by special request. School will be dismissed at 12:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Veterans' Day Holiday
There will be NO SCHOOL on Thursday, November 11 and Friday, November 12 in honor of the Veterans' Day Holiday.

Animal Habitat Diorama
The Animal Habitat Dioramas will be DUE on Monday, November 15.

Field Trip to the California Science Center
We are still missing a few permission slips for our field trip to the California Science Center. Please return the completed slips as soon as possible along with $10 to offset our transportation costs. (Checks may be made out to St. Jerome School.) The field trip will take place on Wednesday, November 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Students should bring brown bag lunches from home on the day of the trip.

Casino Night
Save the date! Our St. Jerome Casino Night will be Saturday, November 20!  If you have not yet made a contribution to our "Hooray for Hollywood!" Silent Auction Basket, please send in your donation as soon as possible.

Homework for the Week of November 1 -5

Monday - All Saints' Day Mass
Math Worksheet
Spelling Word Sentences
Bring in a book about your animal by Friday
     (Please bring in a book from home or from the library about the animal
      you have chosen for your Animal Habitat Diorama by Friday, Nov. 5.
      We will be working on research and writing this week.)

Tuesday 
Practice Book p. 140
Math p. 24
Spelling Words in Reverse ABC Order and Dictation Sentence

Wednesday
Practice Book p. 146
Math p. 25
Spelling Word Clues
     (For each spelling word, write a brief clue as if for a crossword puzzle.
     Synonyms, antonyms, rhymes, and brief definitions are all acceptable.)

Thursday
Practice Book pp. 133 - 134
Math p. 26
Study for Spelling Test

Friday - Spelling Test

Spelling Words

below
coat
owe
soap
sold
woke

animals
between
before
knew
why

everywhere
nighttime

Dictation Sentence

Students will be graded on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and word order.

Why do some animals roam outside at nighttime?

Have a blessed week!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Week of October 25 - 29

Announcements for this Week:

Spelling Test and Assessments
Please take note! Our weekly Spelling Test and Math, Reading, and Vocabulary assessments will be moved to Thursday this week rather than our usual Friday in order to accommodate the Halloween festivities taking place on Friday. Please help students prepare for these assessments by this Thursday. 

Halloween Festivities
On Thursday, October 28, students will be allowed to wear Halloween accessories to school with their regular uniform.
On Friday, October 29, students will be allowed to wear their Halloween costumes to school, but please leave any prop weapons at home.
Our Great Pumpkin Halloween Harvest Party will take place on Friday after recess. Please send any candy, decorations, or other donations to school this week. We are looking forward to a spectacularly spooky soiree! 

Our Star of the Week is: Seth Williams

Curriculum Update:
Reading: Comparing and Contrasting Domestic and Wild Mice
Math: Place Value and Expanded Form
Religion: Review of the Ten Commandments
English:  Nouns
Social Studies: Basic Geography and Globe Skills
        (country, state, continent, nation)
Science: Introduction to Animals
        (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects)

Looking Forward:

Animal Habitat Diorama

On Monday, I will send home information about an Animal Habitat Diorama project I would like the students to complete over the next few weeks.The students will be working on the research and the written components at school. Students will be asked to create a shoebox diorama at home to show the animal in its environment. Please review the Diorama Guidelines and return the slip with your child's animal choice as soon as possible.

Field Trip to the California Science Center
Permission slips for our Ecosystems field trip were sent home last week. Please return the completed slips as soon as possible along with $10 to offset our transportation costs. (Checks may be made out to St. Jerome School.) The field trip will take place on Wednesday, November 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Students should bring brown bag lunches from home on the day of the trip.
 
Mass Schedule
There will be NO MASS on Friday morning this week as we will be celebrating Halloween and parading in our costumes. We will have a Special School Mass on Monday, November 1 at 8:00 AM in honor of the Feast of All Saints. Please be sure that students arrive at school at 7:45 AM next Monday. There will be no mass on Friday, November 5.

Parent Conferences
Conference times may be scheduled for November 8 - 10. Please see the sign-up sheets in Building A to reserve a time slot. School will be dismissed at 12:30 PM on these days in order to accommodate conferences. There will be no school on November 11-12.

Homework for the Week of October 25 - 29

Monday
Read for 20 minutes
Math Worksheet
Spelling Word Sentences

Tuesday 
Practice Book p. 124
Math p. 22
Rainbow Words and Sentence
     (Students should write each Spelling Word three times, using a different
     color each time. Then, students should write their Dictation Sentence
     using their one of their three colors for each new word.)

Wednesday
Practice Book p. 130
Math p. 23
Spelling Words in ABC Order
Study for Spelling Test

Thursday - Spelling Test
Read for 20 minutes - Reading Log DUE tomorrow!
Wear your Halloween costume tomorrow!

Friday - Halloween Parade and Great Pumpkin Party
October Reading Log DUE!

Spelling Words

baby
babies
bunny
bunnies
friend
friends

food
around
another
almost
under

dirty
world

Dictation Sentence

Students will be graded on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and word order.

The baby bunnies looked for food around the yard and under the bush.

Have a wonderful week!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Week of October 19 - 22

Announcements for this Week:

"Think Pink" Fundraisers
On Thursday, the Student Council is sponsoring a set of fundraisers to raise money for breast cancer charities. For $1.00, students may wear either a pink top or pink pants with their uniform. For $2.00, they may wear pink tops, bottoms, and accessories with non-uniform dress. The Students Council will also be selling Chili Fritos at recess for $1.50.

Our Star of the Week is: Ariyanna Foster

Looking Forward:

Halloween Festivities
Our Halloween Parade and "Great Pumpkin" Class Party will take place on Friday, October 29. The Room Parents are hard at work organizing the decorations, refreshments, treats, and activities for this fun and festive celebration. Thank you to them and to all of the parents who have already signed up to contribute to our Class Party! If you have not yet signed up to donate refreshments or supplies for the party, there is still time! The sign-up sheet is posted on our classroom door. Please stop by to sign up!

Animal Habitat Diorama
Next week, I will send home information about an Animal Habitat Diorama project I would like the students to complete over the next month. This project will supplement our Reading, Science, and Social Studies units which focus on animals, observations, and learning about the world around us. The students will be asked to choose an animal to research, write a paper about the animal, its habitat, and its unique adaptations, and create a shoebox diorama to show the animal in its habitat. Much of the research and the writing will take place at school, but the diorama should be completed at home. More information will be forthcoming next week. The project will be due Monday, November 15.

Field Trip
Plans are also in the works for our first class field trip! I have planned an exciting trip to the California Science Center and their amazing Ecosystems exhibit. Each zone in the Ecosystems gallery allows students to explore a different ecological principle in a hands-on, interactive way. Students will learn how the physical and living worlds are interconnected as they look closely at the world around them and make observations about the relationships between living things and their environments. For more information on the exhibit, check out the Science Center's website at: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/WorldOfEcology/WorldOfEcology.php
The field trip will take place on Wednesday, November 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The cost will be approximately $10, and students should bring brown bag lunches from home. Please expect to see more information and permission slips sent home next week!


Homework for the Week of October 19 - 22

Monday
No School

Tuesday 
Practice Book pp. 101-102
Math p. 19
Spelling Word Definitions and Dictation Sentence
       (Students should write each Spelling Word, underline it, and write
        a brief definition for each word. Then, students should practice
        writing the Dictation Sentence for this week.)

Wednesday
Math p. 20
Science Review Sheet
Study for Science Chapter 1 Test - Test Tomorrow!
        -Review Chapter 1: All about Plants
        -Study the Chapter Vocabulary
        -Be able to label the parts of a plant and tell what each part does
        -Identify the ways seeds can be scattered to allow new plants to grow
        -Describe how plants are grouped
        -Understand that plants in different environments need different
          adaptations for survival
        -Give examples of adaptations for woodland, prairie,desert, and marsh
          environments

Thursday - Science Test and "Think Pink" Fundraiser
Math p. 21
Spelling Word Sentences (with 5 Questions)
      (Students should use each spelling word in a sentence, writing each
      sentence on a new line with the spelling word underlined. Five of the
      sentences should be in the form of questions.)
Study for Spelling Test

Friday - Spelling Test

Spelling Words

bright
sight
line
side
sky
try

because
whole
carry
goes
don't

hidden
mirror

Dictation Sentence

Students will be graded on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and word order.

We don't see the stars in the sky tonight because they are hidden from sight.

Have a wonderful week!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Week of October 11 - 15

Announcements for this Week: 

Sunday Family Mass
I would like to extend a huge and heartfelt "thank you" to all of the parents and families who dedicated their time and effort to the Sunday Family Mass this morning! Your contributions were truly appreciated. The children seemed to have a wonderful time, and it was great to see so many families in attendance.

Scholastic Book Order
The October Book Order is DUE tomorrow (Monday, October 11). The Book Order for November will be distributed this week and will be due back on Monday, November 15. It is already available for viewing and ordering online at the Scholastic website. Our Class Access Code is GVG4H. 

Our Lady of the Rosary Mass
There will be a Special School Mass on Thursday, October 14 at at 11:15am in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. Please make sure that students wear their regular uniforms on this day (not P.E. uniforms). This Special Mass will take the place of our usual Friday Mass for this week. 

Educational Websites
If you are looking for some more resources to help support and reinforce your child's learning at home, please check out some of the websites on the sidebar. I am including links to the websites which correspond to our Religion, Math, Social Studies, and Science programs. These websites include review materials which can supplement your child's classwork and home study.

Our Star of the Week is: Taylor Lugo

Looking Forward:

School Holiday
There will be no school on Monday, October 18.

Halloween Festivities
Our Halloween Parade and Celebration will take place on Friday, October 29. A flyer with more information about costumes, volunteer opportunities, and party contributions will be forthcoming.

Homework for the Week of October 11 - 15

Monday
Read for 20 minutes
Animal Assignment
Math Review Sheet - Test Tomorrow!

Tuesday - Math Test
Read for 20 minutes
Practice Book p. 98
Study for Social Studies Unit 1 Test - Test Tomorrow!
        -Study Vocabulary and Main Ideas from the Core Lessons.
        -Review the Reading Guides the children completed in class.
        -Practice using the skills from the Skillbuilder lessons.
        -Use the Unit Review on pp. 58-60 to guide your review.

Wednesday - Social Studies Test
Math pp. 55-56
Practice Book pp. 85-86
Write Spelling Words in ABC Order and copy the Dictation Sentence.

Thursday - Our Lady of the Rosary Mass (No P.E. Uniform!)
Practice Book p. 93
Spelling Word Sentences
      (Students should use each spelling word in a sentence, writing each
      sentence on a new line with the spelling word underlined.)
Study for Spelling Test

Friday - Spelling Test

Spelling Words

passes
passing
teaches
teaching
wishes
wishing

mother
myself
warm
keep
new

danger
paint

Dictation Sentence

Students will be graded on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and word order.

The mother wishes she could keep her eggs warm.

Have a wonderful week!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Week of October 4 - 8

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers for me as I recovered from an illness this week. I am feeling much better now, and I am ready to get back to work on Monday.

Announcements for this Week: 

ITBS Testing
We will complete our ITBS Testing this week on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Again, please refrain from scheduling appointments during the morning hours this week and make sure that students are arriving at school on time as testing will begin promptly at 8:00 am each morning. The students have been working very hard over the past week, and I know they are ready for testing to be completed. Please support me in keeping their spirits up as we finish up the last few sections of the test. Make sure to encourage them to come to school with a relaxed, positive attitude and to try their best.

Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be distributed on Tuesday, October 5 only for students who may need extra support or effort in a particular content area. 

Scholastic Book Order
The due date for the October Book Order has been extended to Monday, October 11. If you would like to order books online, the Class Activation Code is: GVG4H.

Classroom Library Donations
We have already received a few generous donations to our Classroom Library! Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to foster a lifetime love of reading! Check out our Wish List on the Scholastic Book Club website.

Sunday Family Mass
Last week, our Room Parents sent out an email announcement about our Family Mass on Sunday, October 10 at 9:00am. Despite the short notice, I hope that you will all be able to participate in this special fundraising opportunity for our class. We need volunteers to help greet parishioners, bring up the gifts during mass, and bring up canned goods during the offertory. We also need donations of orange juice, milk, and $5 for doughnut purchases. Please help out however you can. Flyers will be distributed on Monday for those of you who were unable to print the electronic copies. I look forward to seeing you at Mass next Sunday!
 
Our Star of the Week is: Aleni Sio

Looking Forward:

Our Lady of the Rosary Mass
There will be a Special School Mass on Thursday, October 14 at at 11:15am in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. Please make sure that students wear their regular uniforms on this day (not P.E. uniforms). This Special Mass will take the place of our usual Friday Mass for that week.

School Holiday
There will be no school on Monday, October 18.

Halloween Festivities
Our Halloween Parade and Celebration will take place on Friday, October 29. I am looking forward to seeing all of my little monsters in their costumes!

 
Homework for the Week of October 4 - 8

Monday
Read for 20 minutes
Math p. 15

Tuesday
Read for 20 minutes
Math p.16
Study for Religion Unit 1 Test
     -Review vocabulary from Chapters 1-3.
     -Think about the main ideas from each chapter.
     -Pay close attention to the Sacrament of Baptism.
     -Think about the meaning of Church (with a capital C), the hierarchy and
       leadership of the Church, and your participation in the life of the Church.

Wednesday - Religion Test
Math p. 17
Practice Book pp. 67-68
Write your Spelling Words in ABC Order

Thursday
Read for 20 minutes
Math p. 18
Study for Spelling Test
 
Friday - Spelling Test

Spelling Words

jumped
pulled
pushed
crossed
wished
picked

house
never
took
these
off

candy
shiny

Have a blessed week!