Announcements

May 13, 2013

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and had a beautiful Mother's Day.  Today was our Bike Rodeo and we were so excited to wear our helmets and ride our bikes and scooters.  A BIG thank you to Mrs. Wallace for arranging this wonderful event and our 5th grade friends who were great helpers! And thank you to the parents who were able to come and cheer us along. 
Isabella returned from France and shared with us some of the amazing things she saw and did in Lourdes.  She also brought in, for every classmate, water from the Blessed Mother's Domain.  Please look for this sacred gift in your child's backpack - and thank you to the Donahue family for thinking of us.  We continue to pray for Julia every day!

Here is what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on "plants".  We will listen and respond to a folk tale called "The Talking Vegetables".  We will review all of our sights words and the letters, /u/, /k/ and /l/.  We will also recognize describing words.  To enhance our unit, we will also be making our own "Hairy Harry", by drawing a face on a cup, filling it wth soil,  and planting some grass seeds.  We will make sure that they get sunlight and water - and we will observe the changes and watch the grass grow.  This grass will be the hair, and when it grows too long, we will give it a haircut.  

Math:

We will be continuing our unit on measurement.  This week we will focus on comparing weight and  describing length, height, and weight.  

Religion:
We will be starting a new chapter titled "We Celebrate Mary".  We will be honoring Mary during this holy month of May by crowning Her each day and reciting the "Hail Mary" - any child who wishes to bring in flowers for Mary may do so throughout the month of May. 

**REMINDERS**
This Thursday, May 16th is our class trip to Theatre Works USA at Upper Darby High School to see "Martha Speaks".
Language Arts unit 7 assessments were sent home today, please sign and return them.
School Mass is this Wednesday, May 15th at 8:30 am - all are welcome!

Have a wonderful week :)         


May 6, 2013

Happy May!  We will be crowning the Blessed Mother Mary each day during this special month dedicated to Her. 
I would like to thank all who participated in and supported our 2013 walk-a-thon last  Friday. It was definetly a success! We were so excited to wear our Bernie's shirts and walk with pride in honor of our wonderful school.  A HUGE thank you to Home and School for organizing this great event.  

Here's what we will be working on this week:
ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on plants, this week focusing on seeds.  We will listen and respond to the non-fiction story "Seed Secrets". We will even be planting our own seeds.  I wonder what will grow? We will read the high-frequency words "here" and "was", write and sound out the letter /Uu/ as well as blend sounds in words with initial and middle sound /u/.  We will be taking our Unit 7 assessment (on weather) this Wednesday. 

Math:
We will be starting a new chapter on "measurement".  We will compare lengths,  heights, and weight of objects.

In addition, we will be creating some very special Mother's Day crafts, for all of our amazing moms!

**REMINDERS **
 - There are no classes this Thursday, May 9th and Friday, May 10th.
 - Next Monday, May 13th is the Bike Rodeo - please check your child;s folder for an important letter from Mrs. Wallace
 - Next Thursday, May 16th, is our class trip

Have a wonderful week :)

April 29, 2013

Wow, hard to believe that April is ending and our last full month of school is upon us.  We still have much to do during the months of May and June! 

I would like to congratulate all of the students on a job well done on their earth day projects.  Very creatively done! We have planters, pencil holders, instruments, animal crafts, windchimes, earmuffs, banks, rockets, jetpacks, and cat litter/food scoopers!  These wonderful projects are on display in the cafeteria for all to see :)

Every child will be coming home with a very special plant this week (provided by Mrs. Blazer).  Fr. Papa began a Novena in church yesterday for Julia Donahue (Isabella's sister).  Mr. and Mrs. Donahue along with Isabella and Julia have been given the wonderful opportunity to travel as a family to Lourdes, France. We, too, started a Novena for Julia in Kindergarten and the  plant is a beautiful reminder for us to continue the prayers at home.  I told the children that every time they look at it, they should say a special prayer for Julia and her family.  Thank you to Mrs. Blazer for this wonderful idea!    

Here is what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We are beginning a new unit on "Plants".  We will listen and respond to a non-fiction story titled "Oak Trees" and the folk tale "The Sticky, Sticky Pine".  We will discuss the life cycle of an oak tree, the main idea, and use vocabulary to name parts of a tree.  We will work with the letter /Kk/  - blend sounds in words with /k/ and print it, in addition to matching the ck to the sound /k/.  We will read the high frequency words "little" and "said" and we will draw pictures and write sentences in our journals. 

Math:
We are beginning a new chapter on "Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11-19". We will be composing and decomposing  11 to 15 using manipulatives and drawings to show a group of 10 and some more.  We will also be working with "ten frames" to reinforce this concept. 

Religion:
We are beginning a new chapter "We Love Jesus". We will review and learn some new stories about Jesus and His great love for us.  We will also plan a  dramatization based on one of these stories. 

**REMINDERS**
Walk-a-thon takes place this Friday, May 3.  Please make sure you have sent in your donations and any additional chances you may want to purchase. Many fun activties are planned for that day. All half day students staying for the afternoon must be accompanied by an adult. 

Look for another letter in your child's folder regarding our upcoming Bike Rodeo on May 13th.  Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns. 

Kindergarten and 1st grade class trip is May 16th.
 
Math assessments on subtraction were sent home today - please sign and return them asap.  

Thank you and enjoy your week!  Rain, rain go away!!! 


April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day!!  Today we discussed how God gave us our wonderful planet and the many different ways that we can take care of it.  We will continue to discuss this theme throughout the week, discussing words such as "environment", "pollution", "recycle", and "landfill".  Please check your child's folder for a special Earth Day homework project due this Friday, 4/26.  Today we also participated in a "Safe Touch" lesson, then went to the gym where we received a baby bottle to bring home.  This bottle is for the mothers and babies at the Mother's Home in Upper Darby.  We have a few weeks to collect as many coins and bills as we can to raise money for this special cause.  

Tomorrow, 4/23,  is Troop Tango, which will take place in the afternoon.  We can wear either our gym uniforms or comfortable sweatshirts and sweatpants. We plan to dance and want to be comfortable!

Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will listen and respond to the realistic fiction story "In the Yard" and a non-fiction science article "A Year with Bears".  We will learn the high frequency words "and" and "what", identify initial and ending sounds /b/ and /l/ and write these letters, We will also discuss the seasons and what happens during each one, and write sentences about our favorite season and why.  

Math:
We will be finishing up our unit on "subtraction" and will take our assessment this Friday. We will be using manipulatives to make our own addition and subtraction number sentences.

Religion:
We are continuing our unit  "God Loves Us", focusing on God's gift of nature (which ties in with our Earth Day theme)

**REMINDERS**
School Mass this Wednesday, 4/24 at 8:30 am - all are welcome!
Troop Tango tomorrow - children can wear gym uniform or sweats.
Walk-a-thon takes place next Friday, 5/3.
Look for a letter in your child's folder regarding our upcoming Bike Rodeo on May 13th.
Kindergarten and 1st grade class trip is May 16th.  

Have a great week!!!!


    April 15, 2013

I would like to begin by thanking all of the moms and dads who came in to speak with the Kindergarten children about their jobs.  We loved having you and the children truly enjoyed learning about the different occupations.  We finished the week with presentations from Mr. Santoro (Alexia's dad), Lauren Bentley's mom (from K-B), Ms. Hill (Isaiah's mom) and Ms. Schultz (Aedan's mom).  Thanks again to all who participated!  
This week's "friend of the week" is Isabella.

Here's what we will be working on this week:
ELA:  
We will be beginning a new unit on "Weather".  We will be listening and responding to the nonfiction story "A RainyDay" and poems about different types of weather. We will work on two new high frequency words "this" and "do" and identify them in speech and text.  We will also identify the initial and middle /e/ sound and write the letter Ee.  We will create a word web and use sound words to describe the weather. We took our Unit 6 assessment on Friday.  

Math:
We will be continuing our unit on Subtraction.  We will show how to separate a group of objects from a larger group to represent a subtraction sentence.  

Religion:
We will start a new chapter titled "God Loves Us"...we will understand that we became God's children at Baptism, learn to take care of God's natural gifts, and celebrate God's gift of nature.  Also, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Bernadette tomorrow by attending Mass at 8:30 am and learning about how and when the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette when she was a child. 

**REMINDERS**
Unit 6 ELA assessments will be coming home this week.  Please sign and return them to school.

Last week a letter went home stating that school would be in session on May 24th. Originally, on our calendar, this was a Professional Development day for the teachers. We were going to use this day as a "make up" day for the days we lost due to Hurricane Sandy. However, it has been decided that May 24th will indeed be used as a Professional Develpment day so the teachers can work on our Middle States Report.  Therfore, there are no classes on May 24th.  Sorry for any confusion this may have caused!

Thanks and have a great week!!  

April 8, 2013

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and the beautiful weather.  Spring is in air and we are happy to see many signs of Spring all around us.  
We were so excited to have a special guest for "Young Authors Day" come to our classroom last Friday.  He helped us to write our own original song titled "Green Day" (a song about Spring) and  make our very first music video.   Mrs. Piel recorded our final product and we were pretty impressed with ourselves!   
This week we are happy to have Jack as our "star of the week" and we are looking forward to having a few more parents come in to speak to us about their jobs. 
Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be finishing up our unit on "Neighborhoods".  We will listen and respond to a folk tale titled "Ms. Mouse Needs a Friend" - identifying the lesson learned and sequence of events.  We will also be working on the letter /r/, blending sounds to form words with /r/ and /d/ and reviewing all sight words.  We plan to take our Unit 6 assessment on Thursday. 

Math:
We will continue with "subtraction" - and show how the minus sign represents "taking away" when recording subtraction problems. We will work with various manipulatives to reinforce this concept.

Religion
We will begin a new chapter titled "Jesus Lives God Love" - we will recognize that when we help and care, we live Gods's Love.  We will discover that we show our love for Jesus by living God's love for others and that the Mass helps us celebrate and live God's love as Jesus did. 
 
**REMINDERS**
If any parent wishes to come into the classroom and speak about his/her job some time this week, please e-mail me a.s.a.p.  
All trip money and slips should have been received by now.  Please contact me if you haven't yet sent these in.  

Enjoy your week and the wonderful weather


April 4, 2013
 
I hope you had a Happy Easter and enjoyed the break.  This is a short week, but we are anxious to get back to work!
Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be listening and responding to the realistic fiction story titled "Bus Stops".  We will discuss the main idea, the order of events, and discuss people and workers in the community.  We will be introduced to two new sight words - for and you.  We will also be working on the letter /d/ - sounding it out, writing it, and blending words the the initial and ending /d/ sound.  We will also be drawing and writing sentences in our journals.

Math:
We will be working on subtraction stories - using manipulatives to practice "taking away" and seeing how many are left.

**REMINDERS**
To enhance our unit on Neighborhoods, we sent a letter home offering any parent the opportunity to come in and speak the children about his/her job any day next week.  If you are interested, please contact me - we would love to have you :)  Thanks to Mrs. Egan (Chase's mom) for coming in today, telling us about her job, and bringing some delicious donut treats! We look forward to having Mrs. Blazer (Tallulah's mom) talk to us about her job tomorrow :)

Please send in your child's permission slip and payment for our upcoming class trip if you haven't done so already.   

Thanks and enjoy the remainder of the week and the warm weather!  

March 25, 2013

This week is a short week, due to the Easter holidays but we have lots of fun and exciting things to do in preparation for it!  Today we had a special guest visit our classroom who read us a story and made a special hat craft with us.  Thank you, Mrs. Hyland, (Matthew's mom) for spending some time with us today and preparing those fun activities.  Today we went on an egg hunt with Mrs. Wallace and the Easer bunny left a little surprise for all of us.  Tomorrow we will have fun dyeing eggs in our classroom and will be involved in many Easter-related activities. 

This is what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will continue our unit on "Neighborhoods".  A special note will be coming home in your child;s folder tomorrow regarding a "community helpers" activity we would like to have in our classroom.  If anyone is interested in coming in to speak to the children about his/her job, we would love to have you

Math:
We will be beginning a new unit on Subtraction. We will use manipulatives to practice how to "take away" and to figure out how many "remain". 

Religion:
We will talk about the true meaning of Easter and the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us. 

**REMINDERS**
Math assessments (on addition) were sent home in your child's folder today, please sign and return.

Please return all signed report card envelopes as soon as possible.

All field trip money and permission slips are due this Wednesday, 3/27th.

This Wednesday, 3/27, there will be a dress-down day  as a fundraiser for Catholic Charities - please don't forget to send in a $1 donation if your child dresses down.

Half day dismissal for all children on Wednesday, 3/27.  We are closed on Thursday, 3/28 , Friday, 3/29, and Monday, 4/1 for the Easter Holiday.  Fr. Papa gave us an additional day, Tues, 4/2, in honor of our new Pope.  Classes resume on Wednesday, 4/3. 

Have a Blessed Easter with your beautiful children and families!

March 18, 2013

I hope everyone enjoyed a nice, long weekend and had a happy St. Patrick's Day.  Last Thursday was an especially exciting day because there was a clever and quick little leprechaun at St. Bernadette School.  After we went to Mass with our prayer partners, we returned to find quite a mess in our classroom!  Our leprechaun friend left us a message and a "pot of gold", well, the chocolate kind that is.  We learned about the life of St. Patrick, listened to some Celtic Irish Music and even kicked up our heels a bit with some Irish Dancing. 
Our friend of the week last week, Matthew, was out sick all week so we look forward to his return and being our friend of the week this week.  Actually, many friends were out last week and we hope to have a full class this week :)

This is what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on "Neighborhoods".  We will review the non-ficiton story "Russ and the Firehouse".  We will listen and respond to a Social Studies Informational article about maps and a folk tale titled "The Black Cat".  We will identify the main idea and details, use sequence words, review all sight words, blend words with the initial /h/ sound, and publish and present pictures with speech balloons. 

Math:
We will continue working on adding to make 10 and preparing for our next chapter test on addition, which we will take this Friday. 

Religion:
We will continue our chapter on "Jesus Celebates" in addition to discussing Lent and how we can prepare ourselves for Easter.  

**REMINDERS**

 - Report Cards will be sent home today in your child's folder - be sure to read the letter attached to it .  You may keep the actual report card, but the brown envelope MUST be signed and returned.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

 - Unit 5 ELA booklet tests were sent home last week.  Please sign and return it as soon as possible. 

 - School Mass is this Wednesday, 3/20 at 8:30 am.  All are welcome!

 - Please take note that there was a change made to the April calendar and there will be no classes  on Tuesday, 4/2/13.  Wed, 3/27 is an 11:55 am dismissal for all students.  We are closed on Thursday, 3/28, Friday, 3/29, Monday, 4/1, and Tuesday, 4/2 for the Easter holiday.      

Have a great week!  

  
March 11, 2013

Hooray!!! We all made it through the Terra Nova's.  I am very proud of these Kindergarteners who worked so hard and tried their best.  
Last week we got a bit of sad news when we learned that our friend Aadiv is going to be with family in India and will not be returning.  We made him a special book to take with him so he can read it and think of us.  He also promised to e-mail us so we do look forward to hearing from him.  We will surely miss him and will keep Aadiv and his family in our daily prayers.  
Also, our friend Isabella is traveling to visit family in Brazil, but will be back in 3 weeks.  She also promised to e-mail us while she is away.  Wishing Isabella and family a happy, fun and safe trip.  
A special thanks to Luke who brought in some pretzels and cookies to share with the class on Friday.  This week Matthew is our friend of the week! We also enjoyed some ice cream, compliments of Principal Glennon, in celebration of successful completion of our Terra Nova tests. 
 
Here's what we will be working on this week in Kindergarten:

ELA:
Last week we finished up our unit on animals. Today we took our Unit 5 booklet test and tomorrow we will begin a new unit on "neighborhoods".  We will listen and respond to the non-fiction story "Russ and the Firehouse", discuss the main idea, and use sequence words.  We will be introduced to the new high frequency word "are"and identify it in speech and text. We will also be sounding out and writing the letter /Hh/ as well as blending words with the initial /h/ sound. We will also be drawing and writing sentences in our journals. 

Math:
We will be finishing up our unit on addition.  This week we will work on adding to make 10 - we will use manipulatives to show multiple ways to make 10.

Religion:
We will begin a new chapter titled "Jesus Celebrates" - we will recognize that Christians are a celebrating people and discover that Jesus celebrated God's love and invites us to do the same.  

Of course we will also be participating in many St. Patrick's Day learning activities as well.  We will dance an Irish jig and will be keeping an eye out for any leprechauns who may leap our way!

REMINDERS:
*There is no school this Friday, March 15th due to a faculty retreat day.

*Next Monday, 3/18 report cards for the second trimester will be sent home.

Enjoy your week :)

   

March 4, 2013

This week the students in grades K-7 will be taking the Terra  Nova tests.  It is very important that your child has a good nights' sleep and a healthy breakfast.  In Kindergarten, we do our best to make this experience as stress free as possible. The format of the Terra Nova's is very similar to our ELA booklet tests that we take at the end of each Unit.  The main things for them to remember are to LISTEN to the directions and to try their very best! 

Thanks to Olivia Houtz for bringing in munchkins from DD last Friday to share with us  ( a class favorite, for sure!)  This week Luke is our "friend of the week".

Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be reviewing all sight words and the letters /o/ and /f/ and finish up our unit on "animals".  We will listen and respond to a fiction story "The Mole and the Baby Bird", a non-fiction science informational article titled "The Pond is Our Home"and a folk tale titled "The Coyote and the Turtle".  We will discuss animal homes and the vocabulary word "habitat".  We will write lists, compare stories, write sentences and review positional words. 

Math:
We will continue working on "addition" - this week we will practice writing a # sentence using the plus (t) sign and the equals (=) sign and find the answer. 

Religion:
We will continue to discuss Lent and how we can prepare ourselves for Easter. 

REMINDERS:
Due to Terra Nova Testing, there is  NO HOMEWORK :)  Have a great week!    

February 25, 2013

It's hard to believe that this is our last week in February - this month went by so quickly. Next week (the week of March 4-8) there will be Terra Nova testing for grades K-7.  Look for more information regarding the Terra Nova testing this week in your child's folder.
Thanks to Isaiah for the delicious fruit tray that he brought in to share with the class last Friday!  This week Olivia Houtz is our "friend of the week".

Here's what we'll be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on "animals", listening and responding to stories, reviewing letter sounds and all high frequency words, and blending words with the initial /f/ sound.  We will also be doing some review and practice activities in preparation for the Terra Nova testing next week. 

Math:
We will continue working on "addition" - this week working with the following math vocabulary words:  join, in all, all together, and the plus and equal signs.

Religion:
We will continue to discuss Lent and how we should be working hard during this time to do good deeds. We will also finish up our chapter on God's special storybook, the Bible, and listen to some Bible stories.  

Have a nice week 



February 18, 2013

I hope you enjoyed a nice, long weekend with your family!  I would like to take the time to thank you for the Valentine's Day party contributions.  These kids had lots of goodies to enjoy :)  Your support and participation are very much appreciated!  A BIG thank you to Mrs. Blazer for all of her help coordinating things.  

This week we look forward to celebrating our 100th day in Kindergarten!  In celebration of this special event, we will 
 be attending and participating in a "Makin' Music" presentation.  We will also be using our math skills by counting to 100 in a variety of ways - by ones, two's, fives, and tens.

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on "animals".  We will be listening and responding to the non-fiction story "Animal Babies ABC".  We will classify and categorize animals, work in our journals, be introduced to the new high frequency word "play" and identify, sound out, and print the letter Ff.

Math:
We will be beginning a new chapter on "addition".  We will be using objects to join groups and solve addition stories.

Religion:
We will be beginning a new chapter titled "Jesus tells Stories".  We will discover that the Bible is God's special storybook and understand that Jesus told stories to reveal God's love.

Thanks to Sophie for the yummy cupcakes she shared with the class last week.  This week, Isaiah is our "friend of the week".

**REMINDERS**

Tuesday, 2/19 is 11:55 am dismissal for all students

Look for Unit 4 Math assessments in your child's folder this week.  Please sign and return.

Remember to look at your child's Lent calendar each day during Lent and discuss each day's activity with them.

Have a wonderful week!!!!

February 11, 2013

I am happy to report that on Friday we reached the very top of our "Hooray, we did it!" chart and earned ourselves an ice cream party today.  We were able to choose either chocolate, vanilla or strawberry with the option of chocolate syrup topping.  Nice job, kindergarteners!  
Our Valentine's Day celebration in the classroom is this Thurs, 2/14.  Thanks in advance for all of those who are contributing items!  Please keep in mind that when sending in valentines, we prefer that your child sign his/her name but not address them to anyone in particular.  This will make distribution quicker and easier.  There are 13 boys and 10 girls in our class.  

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will continue our unit on "Animals".  We will listen and respond to the nursery rhyme "The Three Little Kittens", blend sounds with the intial and middle /o/ sound, read the word "is", compare stories, and recognize sentences.  We will also be reviewing all sight words. 

Math:
We will be finishing up our chapter on "Composing and Decomposing numbers to 10".  We will be taking our next assessment this week. 

Religion:
We will focus on a new chapter titled, "We Celebrate Lent".  We will discuss how Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season and that Jesus invites us to grow in love during Lent.  We will also be celebrating Valentine's Day and recognize that this day is a time to share love with others.  A special Lenten calendar will be sent home this Wednesday - please keep it somewhere at home where you can discuss it each day with your child.  

Thanks to Layla, last week's "friend of the week", for the delicious cupcakes she shared with the class last Friday.  This week Sophie is our "friend of the week".  

**REMINDERS**

 - 8:30 am Mass this Wednesday morning; ashes will be distributed.  All are welcome!       

 - Valentine's Day party in the classroom on Thursday, 2/14

 - No classes this Friday, 2/15 and on Monday, 2/18

 - 11:55 am dismissal on Tues, 2/19

Have a great week and a beautiful Valentine's Day  


February 4, 2013

Happy February!  After a week full of special activities in celebration of "Catholic Schools Week", we are ready to get back to our normal routine.  A big thanks to Mrs. Blazer and Mrs. Fedele who supervised the children during our faculty vs. student basketball game on Friday!  I need to brush up on my foul shots for next year's game :)
Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We are beginning a new unit on animals.  We will be listening and responding to a few stories.  The first one, which we read today, is a fiction story titled "Mama Cat has three Kittens" - we will be making predictions, sequencing events, comparing the cat and kittens' actions, and using the positional words on, off, under, next to, and behind.  We will discuss action words and fill in the journal prompt, "Kittens can ______".  We will also be reading a non-fictional science article about veterinarians and using the information to compare/contrast animals.  We will also be introduced to the new high frequency word "is" and identify it in speech and text.  In addition, we will identify the initial /O/ sound, sound it out and write upper and lower case Oo's.

Math:
In Math we will be showing ways to compose (make) and decompose (take apart) 8, 9, and 10 using concrete objects, drawings, and numbers. 

Relgion:
We are beginning a new chapter titled "Jesus Gathers Friends".  We will deepen our awareness of Jesus's friendship and appreciate that we are friends of Jesus who gather together to thank God.  We will be reminded of what being a good friend means.    
 
Thank you to Savannah who brought in some delicious pretzel bites to share with the class on Friday.  This week, Layla is our new "star of the week".

*REMINDERS*
 - Please look in your child's folder for a letter that was sent home today regarding a change in our behavior chart.
 - We are in need of baby wipes, Clorox wipes, tissues, and large glue sticks.  
 - Unit 4 Language Arts assessments were sent home on Friday.  Please sign and return them as soon as possible. 
 - We will be having a Valentine's Day celebration next Thursday, 2/14.  Mrs. Blazer will soon be sending an e-mail with further information.

Have a great week


January 28, 2013

Happy Catholic Schools Week 2013!  We have so much to celebrate and to be thankful for here at St. Bernadette School.  Last week we were looking forward to viewing our school lip dub video and it was especially exciting to see ourselves in it!  In addition to our regular work, we were busy preparing for Catholic Schools Week.  We had the chance to tell, write, and draw about why we love our school. We celebrated Savannah's and Jeffrey's birthdays with some delicious munchkin treats.  We learned some new things about our "friend of the week" Olivia Highland - much thanks to Olivia for the yummy brownie treats that she shared with class.  

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will be reviewing Unit 4 skills and taking our Unit 4 assesment.

Math:
We will be composing and decomposing the numbers 6 and 7.

Religion:
We will be focusing on "Catholic Schools Week" - thanking God for the wonderful gift of St. Bernadette School and recognizing all of the people who help to make our school a safe, loving and happy place to be. 

This year's theme for "Catholic Schools Week" is "Catholic Schools; Raise the Standards".  We will be involved in many special activities this week in celebration of this event.  Today we had an "open house" from 9-10 am and we participated in a "Thank-you" presentation at O'Brien Hall to our local police officers and firefighters. Tomorrow we will attend Mass at 8:30 am (all are welcome!) with our prayer partners and also will participate in a service project for the local homeless shelter.  On Wednesday we will recognize our parish priests and  Thursday is "teacher-switch" day - Mrs. Dignam will be teaching in Mrs. Nenna's Pre- K-4 class for about 30 minutes while Mrs. McIntosh visits our class with a fun lesson ready for us.  Thurs night is McPrincipal's night at McDonald's from 5:00-7:00 and Friday will be a day full of fun - dress down day, crazy hat day, and the faculty/student basketball game in the afternoon.  We hope you can make at least one of these special events this week!

A special thank you to Isaiah, Layla, Tallulah, and Brian for reading during our "Open House" yesterday. They did a fabulous job and I am very proud of them :)

Have a wonderful week! 



January 22, 2013

We used yellow and red manipulatives to make 4 and 5; we learned that there are different combinations of numbers that can equal 4 and 5.  We also listened to the beautiful story called "God's Dream" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu - and we discussed who Dr. Martin Luther King was and how his dream was very similar to God's.  Alexia was our "friend of the week" and did a great job telling us about herself and her family.  Thanks to Alexia and family for sending in the delicious cupcake treats!!  

Here's what we will be working on this week:
ELA:
We will be finishing up our unit on "Foods", listening and responding to poems, and reviewing all of our sight words.  
Math:
We will be decomposing the numbers 4 and 5 - we will separate one whole group into 2 smaller groups using manipulatives and drawings.  
Religion:
We will beginning a new chapter titled "We are God's Children"....we will discuss how people everywhere are God's children and that they are alike and different.

We will also be preparing for "Catholic Schools Week".

Upcoming January birthdays:  Savannah - 1/24     Jeffrey - 1/26

**REMINDERS**
Next week is Catholic Schools Week.  Please see the handout that was sent home today in your child's folder detailing the special events happening next week.  If you are planning to attend the open house on Sunday, 1/27 and would like to have your child read, please fill out the back of the handout and return it to school as soon as possible. 

Have a great week 
         


January 13, 2013

Last week was a busy week in Kindergarten!  Here are some of the things that took place.... We reviewed all of our sight words and used many of them to make our own sentences.  After reading and discussing the story "Apple Farmer Annie", we chose a fruit to fill in the prompt "We can go to see the __________ farm" in our journals.  What great drawings and sentences!  We also practiced sorting pictures according to the initial and ending sound of "n" and we blended sounds together to make words that begin and end with the /n/ sound. In Math we practiced the ordinal positions 1st-10th.  We used manipulatives to reinforce the concept and we enjoyed picking friends to form lines and then identifying which child was 1st, 8th, etc.  We did not have our Unit 2 math assessment test as planned, but will have it this coming week.  In Religion we focused on how God gives us neighbors and community helpers.  We were especially happy to have Isabella's dad, Firefighter Donahue, come to our classroom.  He showed us his uniform , demonstrated how his equipment works, and reviewed some very important fire safety rules with us.  We really enjoyed his visit and we thank him for coming and for helping to keep us safe.  We celebrated two birthdays - Brendan's and Kyle's!  Thanks to both of them for the munchkin and cupcake birthday treats! Not only was Brendan one of our birthday boys, but he was also our "friend of the week" and told us many things about himself and his family.  He brought in some delicious rice krispies treats to share with the class - thanks, Brendan!  This week Alexia will be our "friend of the week".  We also participated in a school fire drill and Principal Glennon made a special visit to our class saying how proud she was of us.  We all made it out  quicky, quietly,  and safely. Nicely done

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will be continuing our unit on "Foods". We will be listening and responding to a folk tale titled "The Goat in the Chile Patch" and a story called "Our Special Sweet Potato Pie".  We will be identifying the sequence of events (first, next, and last) and comparing/contrasting the two stories.  We will be introduced to the new sight word "have" and practice printing, identifying, and sounding out the letter "c". 

Math:
We will review ordinals 1st-10th, take our Unit 2 assessment test, and begin a new chapter on "composing and decomposing numbers to 10", this week we will show ways to make 4 and 5 using manipulatives, drawings, and numbers.

Religion:
We will be beginning a new chapter titled "Jesus Comes to Us", We will learn that through signs and symbols we encounter love, beauty, truth and God.  We will appreciate the signs of God's love for us.   

**REMINDERS**:
ELA Unit 3 assessment tests must be signed and returned - please make sure this is done as soon as possible.  
This Thursday, 1/17, is Preschool/Kindergarten Information Night for perspective families.  
Have a wonderful week!!!

  January 7, 2013

We were happy to get back to our normal routine and first full week back in the new year!  The Christmas show and tell last Friday went very well.  Each child had the chance to give clues about his/her gift (color, shape, how it's used, etc) and the rest of us enjoyed taking guesses as to what it was.  Looks like Santa was very pleased with these Kindergarteners!  Aadiv was our "friend of the week" and shared many interesting things about himself and his family.  Thank you to Aadiv and family for the delicious donut treats. Yum!  This week Brendan is our "friend of the week".  Also, I am happy to report that our class family book is finally complete.  Every child will have the opporunity to bring this special book home to share with his/her family for a weekend.  

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We are beginning a new unit on "Foods".  We will be listening to and responding to an informational-fiction story called "Apple Farmer Annie", which is about a farmer who grows her own apples.  We will make a list to help us with the concept of putting things in the order in which they happened.  We will be introduced to the new sight word "to" and practice printing, identifying, and sounding out the letter "Nn" - we will also be identifying words with the beginning and ending /n/ sound.  *Please check your child's folder for their Unit 3 assessment test.  

Math:
We will be working on ordinal numbers first-tenth to identify position.  We will be using hands-manipulatives as well as activity sheets to name the position of an object as it appears in a line or row.  We will also be taking our next unit assessment.   

Religion:
We will be beginning a new chapeter titled, "God Gives Me Neighbors".  We will appreciate the neighbors and community members God has given us, understand who our neighbors and community members are and discover how to be good neighbors and show God's love.  

**REMINDERS**:

*Unit 3 ELA assessments will be sent home today in your child's folder. Please sign and return it as soon as possible.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  

Have a great week :)     
     

January 2, 2013

Welcome back and Happy New Year!  I hope you had the chance to relax and spend time with your loved ones over the holidays.  Now it's time to get back into the swing of things in Kindergarten!  Since this week is a short week, we will be reviewing some things we started before the break.  We will review the letters we've worked on and their sounds as well as all of the high frequency words.  We will also review ordinal numbers.  

We will be working in our journals and taking our Unit 3 assessment in Language Arts on Friday.  Also on Friday we will have a special Christmas Show and Tell.  The children may bring in one gift that he/she received for Christmas....it could be their favorite gift or one from someone special.  (no weapons please)

I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each of you for your thoughtful Christmas gifts.  I especially loved the hand-made cards from the students and showed them off to my family members over the holidays.  Your generosity and kindness is very much appreciated!

I am looking forward to a new year full of wonderful things with this wonderful class!       


December 17, 2012

We are getting closer and closer to the birthday of baby Jesus and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!  As we "light" the third candle on our advent wreath, we are reminded that this candle symblolizes "joy" .  Our focus this week is on Christmas and we have many fun activities in store for us in the next few days....
We will be pairing up with our prayer partners to attend the 8:30 am Mass this Wed, 12/19, followed by our Lip Dub taping that we have been practicing for!  We are looking forward to our "Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus" celebration this Thursday, 12/20.  Thanks in advance for the cupcake and drink donations! On Friday we have our "Jingle Ball" and half day dismissal.  We will also be involved in many Christmas-related learning activities.   Thanks to Graham. last week's "star of the week", for the delicous choc chip cookies he shared with us!  This week Aadiv is our "star of the week".

I would like to take the time to thank each one of you for sharing your precious children with me, especially at this beautifully magical time of the year.  I am grateful for your kindness and support.  Wishing you a very blessed, merry Christmas and Happy New Year full of wonderful things.  I look forward to seeing the children in the new year and enjoying many more fun and memorable learning experiences with them. 

REMINDERS:

Friday, 12/21 is our Jingle Ball and half-day dismissal for all students.  Please send in a Santa hat or reindeer ears for the Jingle Ball on Friday.

Classes resume Wednesday, January 2, 2013.


December 10, 2012

We "lit" the second purple candle on our Advent wreath today which is the candle of "peace" as we are preparing our hearts for Jesus during this second week of Advent.  We are really looking forward to our Christmas show this Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm at O'Brien Hall.  There have been some inquiries about what the children should wear.  The Kindergarten-B class will be shepards so we are asking each child to bring in a towel for their head - we will supply the twine to wrap around it.  We will send an e-mail out to everyone as well.

Last week we enjoyed learning some new things about Jeffrey and today he brought in some yummy cupcakes to share with the class.  Thanks to Jeffrey and family for that!  This week Graham is our star of the week.

Today, in your child's folder, is his/her report card.  Please keep the actual report card and sign and return the envelope.  If you have any questions regarding the report card, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

Here's what we will be working on this week:
ELA:
We will continue  our unit on "Transporation".  We will be listening and responding to a non-fiction story called "On the Go" which shows the many different ways people travel all over the world. We will also write sentences in our journals about vehicles, be introduced to the new sight word "go", and practice printing and sounding out the letter Ii.  

Religion:
This week we will begin a new chapter titled "God Gives Me Teachers" - we will appreciate all of the teachers God has given us, appreciate our family members who teach us, and we will also learn that we can teach, too.  

Math:
We will be comparing #'s 5 - 10, drawing a group of objects to show how many, determining which group has more and less, and using the concept of "one more" to identify a # between 5 and 10 that is one larger.  

REMINDERS:
 - Please sign and return your child's report card ENVELOPE as soon as possible. 
 - Christmas show this Wednesday, 12/12/12 at 7:00 pm in O'Brien Hall.  E-mail will be sent with some further info regarding what to bring. 

Have a wonderful week :)

   

December 3, 2012

The Advent Season is upon us and we are preparing for the upcoming Christmas holiday.  In today's Family Folder you will see an envelope for "Santa's Secret Shop".  With the help of our prayer partners we will be "shopping" tomorrow (Tues, 12/4).  Please fill out whom your child should buy for and how much to spend.  (Most items are between $1 - $10).  Please return the envelope tomorrow!!

Also, last week Brian was our "Star of the Week" and shared with us the information he wrote on his poster.  We enjoyed looking at his yellow corvette show and tell and especially enjoyed the delicious home-made chocolate chip cookies that he brought in to share with us.    Thanks to Brian and family for those yummy treats!  This week Jeffrey is our "Star of the Week".....

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

ELA:
We will continue our unit on transportation discussing ways to travel by air, land and sea.  We will work hard in our journals and listen to a non-fiction social studies photo essay in our "Big Book of Explorations".  We will be reviewing all of our high frequency words and listening for the beginning and ending /t/ sound.  Also, Unit 2 assessments were sent home in your child's folder today - please sign and return it as soon as possible.

Math:
We will work on identifying groups of the numbers 9 and 10. We will match groups of objects having those given amounts and make groups of objects containing each amount. We will also use picture clues to determine how many.  

Religion: 
We will be learning about the Advent season and how it is a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus's coming and that showing love for others is one of the best ways for us to prepare.  We will be discussing the Advent wreath and the meaning of the candles.  This week we "lit" the first purple candle which is the candle of "hope".  We will also be celebrating "St. Nicholas Day" this Thursday, 12/6. 

REMINDERS

There are no classes this Friday, 12/7.

Santa's Secret Shop is TOMORROW, 12/4.  Please look in your family folder for the envelope and info. 

"Holiday Hang-out" is this Thursday evening, 12/6 at O'Brien Hall - Mrs. Blazer sent out an e-mail with further info.   

Have a beautiful Advent season and a wonderful week!

   

November 26, 2012

We hope that you had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday!  The children shared such lovely stories about where and how they spent their Thanksgiving.  Before break, Aedan was our first "Star of the Week" and we enjoyed learning some more about him!  Thanks to Aedan and his family for sending in some yummy munchkins for us to share.  This week Brian is our new "Star of the Week"...

As discussed at our conferences, report cards will be sent home on December 10th.  You may keep the actual report card, but please remember to sign and return the envelope.  It was a pleasure meeting with all of you!  

This is what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be learning the sound of the letter /T/ and practice printing upper and lower case Tt's.  We will be introduced to our new high frequency word "see" - the sight words "like", "a", and "see" will be added to our word ring.  Please continue to practice all of the words on the ring.  We will be having a Unit 2 assessment test on Thursday this week. 

Math:
We will work on identifying groups of the numbers 6, 7, and 8.  We will be adding objects to a group of 5 to make it equal 6, 7, and 8.

Religion:
We will begin a new chapter titled, "God Gives Me Friends"...we will talk about what it means to be a kind and loving friend to others. 

I am happy to announce that we filled in our last box on our "Hooray, we did it" chart.  (Each time the whole class displayed especially good behavior, a box was colored in).  Mrs. Wallace reported that they were "super" during gym class today and we earned our last box.  Hooray for us!  Now we are looking forward to a pizza party, which will take place this Wednesday, 11/28. Half day children are encouraged to stay a bit longer - I will contact parents of half-day children with the details.

Have a great week and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at sdignam@stbl.org.

    

November 19, 2012

Today and tomorrow we will be preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We have been learning about the first Thanksgiving long ago and the story of the Pilgrims and their journey to America.  We also have been learning that Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks to God for all of our blessings, and that the best part of it is being together with family and friends.  We will be joining Mrs. Pedano's class tomorrow for a special "Thanksgiving" themed prayer service, then we will have our own mini "feast" enjoying some of the same foods that the Native Americans and the Pilgrims shared so long ago - such as corn bread, pumpkin bread and fruit.  Yum :)  With the help of our 4th grade prayer partners, today we created a Native American headband or Pilgrim hat to wear for our feast. Thanks to Mrs. Carney and her 4th graders for their assistance! 

We will also be participating in our first practice tomorrow for our school Lip Dub.  We've been listening to the song and learning some fun dance moves!

I just want to take the time to say what a pleasure it was meeting with all of you these past few weeks.  Your support and cooperation is very much appreciated.  It is a delight having each and every one of them in class!  Please keep in mind that we are closed Wednesday, 11/21, Thurs, 11/22 and Friday, 11/23. 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday with your families.  I am so very grateful for the blessing of your children.    

November 12, 2012

I would like to extend a special thanks to everyone for the special treats and goodies that were sent in for Grandparent's/Special Friends Day!  A special thanks to Mrs. Blazer for coordinating the effort. It was a memorable day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  Please check out some pictures that were recently added by clicking on the links on the left.

This week Parent/Teacher conferences are taking place.  A confirmation of your conference time was sent home last week. Please contact me if you are unable to come at your scheduled time. 

Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will be listening and responding to the story "Friends All Around", review our high frequency words and be introduced to the new word "a", and we will discuss upper and lower case "Pp" and what sound it makes.  

Math:
We will do a brief review of the concepts we've learned over the past few weeks and prepare for our first unit assessment on Friday.

Religion:
We will begin a new chapter titled "God Gave Us Our Families".  We will be discussing all of the wonderful things we can do with our families and how each of our families is special and unique.   *Look for a special homework activity revolving around our families!  

Special Request
Please keep Julia Donahue (the sister of Isabella) in your prayers.  She is having an MRI done tomorrow.  We certainly remember her each day when we pray and tomorrow, thanks to the help of Mrs. Blazer, we will be wearing special pins that we made today in the hopes for good results on her test.  

**Original Works Fundraiser**
Your child came home with their artwork and order forms today.  All orders are due by 11/27! 

Have a wonderful week     


 

November 5, 2012

We are happy to get back to our daily routine after all of those days off last week!  Our Halloween parade and party last Friday was much fun and went well.  Sending many thanks to Mrs. Knisely, Mrs Piel, and to all who donated paper goods and treats - and a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Blazer for coordinating everything!!!  

This week we are looking forward to another special event which is Grandparents/Special Friends day this Wednesday, Nov. 7th.  The day will begin with 8:30am Mass, followed by coffee and danish for the adults in O'Brien Hall.  The children will entertain the group with songs and poems followed by a special time to play games with our special guests.  Please remember to send a board or card game with your child that day. 

Here's what we will be working on this week:

ELA:
We will complete our work with the letter "s", discuss "opposites", work in our journals, and review all of our sight words. 

Math:
We will be working on "problem-solving", using our knowledge of more than, less than, equal to, and one more.       


Religion:
We will be starting a new chapter titled, "God Gives Us 5 Senses".  We will be discussing our five senses and how God helps us to use them to explore the world aroundus. 

**Parent/Teacher Conferences
A  note was sent home in your child's folder today regarding a schedule for parent/teacher conferences which will be taking place the weeks of 11/12 and 11/19.  Conferences will be scheduled on a first-come-first-serve basis so I encourage all parents to complete and return the form as soon as possible.  I will let you know when your conference is once the schedule is complete.

Have a great week

October 29, 2012

We are very thankful that Hurricane Sandy is past us and feel blessed that we made it through with minimal damage.  We certainly are keeping all of the people in neighboring states who were greatly affected in our prayers and may God give them strength through their recovery! 

Our Halloween activities have been postponed until Friday, 11/2 (parade, party and Harvest Fest).  Please remember to send in $5 for your child to participate in the Harvest Fest in the afternoon.

Since we will only be in school 2 days this week, we will be reviewing in ELA and Math.  In Religion, we will be learning about All Saints Day and will deepen our appreciation of the saints.  

REMINDERS:
   
*  Please help your child practice their phone #, address, and date of birth.  These skills will be checked for the report card.  

*  We have 2 children with a nut allergy in our class - please keep this in mind when sending in treats for the class. 

*  We are closed on Thursday, 11/1 in honor of All Saints Day.

*  ELA Unit 1 Assessment tests were sent home on Friday, please be sure to sign and return it.

Enjoy the remainder of your week and have a happy and safe Halloween!  


October 22, 2012

Hello parents!  I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Fall weekend.  Here is what we will be working on in Kindergarten this week:

ELA:
We are beginning a new unit which revolves around the theme of "Friends".  We will be introduced to the new high frequency word "like" and will be working on upper case and lower case Ss.  We will be listening to and responding to stories, working in our journals, sounding out words, and making predictions. 
We will be having our Unit One assessment test this week.

Math:
We will continue to compare #'s 0-5, finding the group that has greater than, less than, and equal to.  We also will be working on the concept of "one more".  

Religion:
We are working on a new chapter titled "God Gives Me Feelings" - we will be identifying the many feelings that God gives us and we will talk about ways to share our feelings.  

Reminders:

** Some students still have not brought in a recent photo that was due last Friday.  Please send this in if you haven't done so already.

** Please help your child practice their phone #, address, and date of birth.  These skills will be checked for the report card. 

Thanks and have a wonderful week!    


October 15, 2012

Here's what we will be working on this week in Kindergarten :)

ELA:
We will be reviewing the letters "a" and "m" and sorting pictures according to their initial sound of /a/ or /m/.  We will also review our high frequency words "I", "can", "we" and "the". 

Math:
We will be finishing up the concept of "greater than" and move on to the concept of "less than".  We will also be comparing numbers 0-5.

Religion:
We are starting a new chapter called "God Creates Me".  We will be discussing how each of us is a special gift from God. We will also be talking about the special talents we each have and how we can use our talents to praise God.

Please send in a recent photo of your child by Friday, 10/19.  This picture will be used as part of an art project.

Reminder
** There is no school tomorrow - it is a professional development day for teachers.

Enjoy your week!



October 8, 2012
Here's a look at what we will be working on in Kindergarten this week:

Language Arts:
We will become familiar with the new high frequency word "the" and will be working to recognize, identify, and write it in a sentence.  We will also be focusing on sounding out and writing the lshort vowel sound /a/, blending sounds, and continuing our "family" theme. This week the story "The Picnic at Apple Park" ( which ties in our letter and our theme) focuses on what some families do together.  

Math:
We will be using one-to-one correspondance to determine whether groups are equal to each other and to identify a group that is greater than another group.  We will be using many hands-on manipulatives to reinforce this concept. 

Religion:
We will be beginning a new chapter titled "God Creates and Loves All People".  We will discuss how God created each of us in a unique way, how God created people who love them, and how we can show our love toward others.  We will also be practicing our special prayer to Mary, the Hail Mary, and the Rosary.  We will be participating in "The Living Rosary" on Friday at 1:00pm.  

*REMINDERS*

Cherrydale fundraiser begins today, please see envelope that was sent home in your child's folder. 

Scholastic Book Fair also begins today and ends this Friday.  We visited the Book Fair with our prayer partners and they helped us complete a wish list, which lists books that we particularly liked and their prices.  Please look in your child's folder for their "wish list".  If you would like your child to purchase a book(s) from their list, send the money in a sealed envelope with your child's name on it no later than Wednesday, 10/10 - that is the day Kindergarten is scheduled to purchase books.  Please keep in mind that all parents are welcome to attend the Book Fair tomorrow night from 6:30 - 8:00 - you certainly can make your purchases at that time as well - home and school will be providing some yummy ice cream treats  

Information about our Halloween Parade and Harvest Fest was sent home today in your child's folder.

Homework will be sent home tomorrow and is due on Friday.

School Mass is this Wednesday at 8:30 am - all are welcome!

Library books are due each Friday.  A new book cannot be selected until the previous one is returned.

Thank You and have a great week!!! 



October 1, 2012
Happy October!  I am very pleased with how well the children are adjusting to Kindergarten and our classroom routine. We are looking forward to a new month of learning and playing together.  We have many exciting things in store for us this month.  Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

Language Arts:
We will be introduced to a new high frequency word "we" and will be working to recognize and identify it.  We will also be focusing on the letter /Mm/, and making predictions when reading a story.  We are beginning a new unit which revolves around the "family" theme.  This week the story "Whose Baby Am I?" focuses on animal families.  

Math:
We will be reviewing our numbers and using pictures to find information to complete a graph.  

Religion:
We are beginning a new chapter titled "God Creates Animals"....we will be discussing our pets and the animals in our world.  
** This Sunday, 10/7/12, Fr. Papa will be blessing animals outside the church.  All are welcome to bring their family pet :)

REMINDERS
Picture day is tomorrow!

This Friday, 10/5 is a half day for all students; 11:55 am dismissal.

Homework is due by Friday.  A homework packet will be sent home tomorrow and is posted on the" homework" link.
 
Library books are due each Friday.  A new book cannot be selected until the previous one is returned.  

Have a wonderful week.  As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at sdignam@stbl.org.      

September 24, 2012

This week promises to be a special one in Kindergarten as we continue to learn, play and grow together.  Tomorrow we will be gathering in O'Brien Hall to welcome our new pastor Fr. Papa.  All children in grades K-8 will present Fr. Papa with a song/poem.  We practiced our song today with all of our Kindergarten friends and we are sounding really good.  See if your child can sing it for you!

Here's what we will be focusing on this week:

Language Arts:
We will be reviewing the sight words "I" and "can".  We will be listening  and responding to stories,  working in our journals, and matching upper case letters to the appropriate lower case letters.     

Religion:
We will be discussing how God created the world because God loves beauty and life.  We will appreciate God's beautiful gifts of nature including God's wonderful creations found in the city and on the farm.  

Math:
We will be reviewing the #'s 6-10 and practice our number recognition skills with those numerals.  We will also be matching those numbers with their corresponding groups. 

REMINDERS:
A homework packet was sent home today.  Please make sure it is completed and returned by this Friday, 9/28.  Make sure your child writes his/her name on the front cover.  

All library books MUST be returned each Friday.  

Have a wonderful week :)   
 
 
Sept 17, 2012
We are looking forward to another wonderful week in Kindergarten!  We are really getting the hang of things and becoming more independent each day.  Since we have spent much time focusing on and reviewing the classroom rules, we will begin with our behavior management chart this week.  Every child begins each day with a green smiley face - the goal is to "stay on green".  Every child who remains on green will receive a ticket at the end of the day.  On Friday, tickets can be exchanged for a prize. 

Here's a look at what we will be focusing on this week:

Language Arts:  We will review the sight word "I" and be introduced to our new high frequency word "can".  We will discuss actions that we can do.   We will also be reviewing the alphabet and what alphabetical order means.

Math:  We will be reviewing #'s 1-5 and practice our number recognition skills with those numerals.  We will also be matching those numbers with their corresponding groups.

Religion:  We will be discussing the gifts God has given us in the day and nighttime skies.

REMINDERS:
Just a reminder that we have two children with a nut allergy in the classroom.  Please, when sending in birthday treats, do not send any food item that contains nuts.

Please remember to check your child's folder daily.  It should be emptied and returned the next day.  Today in your child's folder is their first written homework assignment, which is due on Friday.  You can check the "homework" link as well. 

Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any questions or concerns - either with a note in your child's folder or via e-mail at SDignam@stbl.org. 

Have a great week !!!     



Sept 11, 2012

I forgot to mention in yesterday's update that tomorrow evening (Wed, 9/12/12)  is Back to School night for grades 1 - 8.  I will not be in my classroom since we already had our Information Night last week.  However, if you will be attending for another grade, feel free to stop by our classroom to take a look at our "All About Me" books.  These books will be sent home on Thursday, so no worries if you aren't coming!  

Sept 10, 2012

What a great first few days of Kindergarten!  The children are doing a wonderful job getting to know their teachers and classmates and are becoming acquainted with our classroom routines.  This morning we got lots of exercise with Mrs. Wallace during our Gym time and then a bit later we sang and danced with Ms. Zimmerman during our Music class.  Both teachers were impressed with how well we listened. This afternoon we paired up with our 4th grade buddies and practiced some hymns in the Church. 
 
This week we will continue to engage in "Getting-to-know-you" activities. Please remember to send in your child's brown paper bag that was distributed on Information Night.  The bag should be decorated and filled with 2-3 items that will tell us about your child.  Check the date written on the bottom of the bag and send the bag with your child on that date.    

Just a reminder that tomorrow we will have Art with Ms. McNulty, and Spanish with Ms. Panos.  On Wednesday, we will have computers with Mrs. Geller and on Friday we will have Library with Ms. Sheen.

*Nut Allergy* - We have 2 children with a nut allergy in our class.  Please remember this when you are sending in birthday treats; they should NOT contain nuts. 

Please remember that all children need a drink for morning snack.  If your child is full-day, he/she needs 2 drinks.   Also, make sure everything you send in, especially nap supplies, lunchboxes, and jackets) are labeled.  Thanks so much :)

I am so proud of the great job all of the children are doing.  I hope that they are enjoying Kindergarten as much as I am!!!! Looking forward to a great week!  

9/1/12
Welcome to Kindergarten!!  I am so delighted to be your child's teacher for this coming school year.  Last year I was one of the Pre-K-4 teachers here at St. Bernadette's.  I am ecstatic about moving to Kindergarten and feel blessed to be working with a grade partner who has a wealth of early childhood experience and knowledge.  We will be working  closely together throughout the year in order to provide a positive, interactive, caring, nurturing, and comfortable classroom setting so that each student will have the confidence to succeed every day in school. 

To start our year off we will have an Open House on Weds, 9/5/12 at 9:00am or 11:00am.  Each parent should have received a letter a few weeks ago specifying which session you are scheduled for.  If not, please contact Mrs. Repino in the office as soon as possible.  This Open House will give the children a chance to see the classroom, meet some classmates, and do some fun Kindergarten activities.  

We will also be having an "Information Night" on September 5 at 7:00 pm.  This will give us the chance to meet the parents and go over some important information for the beginning of school.  

In order to make the transition to Kindergarten a little easier, we will begin with a half day for ALL students.  So Thursday, 9/6/12, we will dismiss everyone at 11:30 am.  Friday, 9/7/12 will be our first FULL DAY for any student registered for that option. 

I am so much looking forward to meeting you and your child at our Open House this Wednesday, 9/5.  It will be held in our classroom , room 15, on the first floor.  If you have any questions please feel free to call the office at 610-789-7676, ext 202.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Dignam
 
Last Modified: Monday, May. 13, 2013
 
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