Dear Parents,
Thank you to everyone who purchased books at the Book Fair to donate to our
class.
On Thursday our class will have a pizza party for selling the most gift wrap.
Nate’s sales amounted to 24% of the entire school’s sales!! If your child has
hot lunch on Thursday you’ll probably want to cancel it.
As I mentioned to everyone at conferences, our greatest need for improvement
is in listening and following directions, both oral and written. Our class
scored in the 51st percentile on the listening portion of the ITBS test.
Listening/direction following exercises will become part of our daily routine.
I’m researching listening skills and if I find any activities that can be
done at home I’ll pass on that information.
When we return from Thanksgiving vacation we will begin a unit of study about
family and ancestors, including customs and Christmas traditions around the
world. As part of this unit the children will dress a paper doll in
traditional dress from a country of their ancestors’ origin. This can be done
as simply or as elaborately as you and your child desire. I suggest using
scraps of fabric, lace, yarn, etc. The children will also write a brief report
about the country that their doll represents. Today I am sending home the
doll and an outline. Both will be due Friday, December 4th. The following
week the children will use their outline to write a report about their
country. Please discuss with your child what country he/she will be reporting
on because tomorrow they can check out a book on their country from the
library. For the more common countries (Ireland, Italy, Mexico) you may want
to check out a book from the public library or use the internet because we
never have enough books for all the children who choose these countries.
Encourage your child to continue reading over the break. All November reading
leaves will be due on Tuesday after we return.
There is no scripture verse this week. Instead, please help your child learn
the Act of Contrition.
If you would like your child’s Reconciliation book checked and returned before
the holiday, please return it to school on Thursday. Those that come in on
Friday probably won’t be returned until after the break.
Blessings, Cathee Smith
Shining Star:
A.J.
Saint of the Week:Sarah-St. Elizabeth of Hungary
What We're Learning This Week:
Religion: Saying we’re sorry
Language arts: nouns
Spelling: consonant digraphs
Math: two digit addition
Social Studies: America’s Past
Coming Up:
Fri. 11/20 Social studies test
Fri. 12/4 Country outlines/paper dolls due
Thurs. 12/10 7:00 p.m. First Reconciliation
Some tips from Dr. Oz pertaining to the flu:
The only portals of entry are
the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic, it's almost impossible to
avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with
H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in
order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of
secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most
official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock
N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing
2. "Hands-off-the- face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of
face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)
3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen
Peroxide if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial
infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic
symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt
water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an
infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful
preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm
salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. *Blowing the nose softly once a day and
swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very
effective in bringing down viral population.*
5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. *If you
have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to
boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm
liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They
wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they
cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
7. Take Vitamin D.