Mrs. Cuocolo 1A

2020-2021

Diocesan Theme: Called to Serve

Important Dates

**Remember we have Gym on Wednesday and Friday. My friends need to be in Gym uniforms and girls should have their hair pulled back.

Tuesday, 4/13 -  bring in a crayon, a small ball of any color, something soft, something pointy, something hard - all must fit in a small brown bag or ziploc bag - this is for Science
Thursday, 4/15 -  bring in something big or small, round or square, red or blue and soft or hard (need 4 objects total - one from each category) for Science
Friday, 4/16 -   movie and treat from Day of Giving!  bring in a stuffed animal ( we will use it for adjectives for Reading and you can snuggle with it during the movie)
Monday, 4/19 -  bring in a picture of something heavy or light AND something hot or cold for science, bring in a picture of an invention for Reading, Art Fundrasier ends
Tuesday, 4/20 - Math Chapter 11 test    
Thursday, 4/22 -  Religion Chapter 16 test, bring in a picture of something from Mother Nature for Earth Day - an animal, a tree, a flower, the ocean, etc
Monday, 4/26 -  bring in a picture from your Baptism
Tuesday, 5/4 -  Math Chapter 12 test                          

 

Wednesday, March 31

We made it!! Hooray for Spring Break! I hope that everyone has a HEALTHY, happy, and relaxing spring break. 

~Remember to practice Math facts and HFW over the break.

~ Friends needs a picture of something you see in the sky on April 12. Put it in folders now and be done!

~ Check pencilcases and make sure we are ready for our return.

~ Thanks to all who contributed to our Easter snack today.

Happy, healthy Easter blessings to you all! 


Tuesday, March 30
We took advantage of the beautiful day and had our egg hunt this afternoon. Thanks to all who sent in eggs! We had so much fun!



Friday, March 26
~ I will not be updating my Week at a Glance tab for next week. It will be a week of wrapping up, Easter projects, and review. No new material will be covered.

~ There will be NO SPELLING LIST for next week. We will resume with Spelling the week of April 12. 

~ The children will have homework on Monday and Tuesday and my Homework tab has been updated to show this.

~ Please remember to send in any items for our Easter party and egg hunt. These should be sent in on Monday.

~ Friends need a plastic hanger for Religion on Monday.

~ Friends need 3 noun pictures for Monday - one person, place, and thing.

~ Check pencil cases over the weekend! Make sure pencils are sharpened and supplies are ready. 

Have a happy and healthy weekend!


Thursday, March 25

~ Happy 7th birthday to Matthew. We hope you have a great day and year ahead!

~ Thank you so much for the donations for the Easter baskets for the Emmanuel Dining Room. We talked about what it means to serve and the children worked together to assemble the baskets. They were so sweet as they arranged and rearranged the items. We are so blessed to be able to share with those who need it!



Tuesday, March 23



Monday, March 22
I hope that everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend. Bring on Spring!!

~ Thank you for all of the wipes and paper towels. I appreciate it!

~ Tomorrow is a Dress Down Day. Friends may wear silly, mismatched clothes or they may simply dress down. The dress down day for the rest of the school is on Wednesday, but we are doing ours tomorrow because of Gym on Wednesday. Friends must wear sneakers.

~ Science Unit 5 test is on Wednesday. The review was sent home today and includes all that you need to know.

~ Ask your child what color day they had and why they moved up/down. This is an important part of your daily check in with them!

~ Remember to look at the Week at a Glance and Homework tabs for the week.

~ Please send in towels again now that the weather is warming. We will be visiting our learning lane when possible!

~ Please pack extra water bottles now that the weather is warmer. My friends are drinking a lot of water and I do not always have extra bottles in the room for them. 

~ We took reading outside this afternoon on this beautiful day! We read our new story A Barn Full of Hats.


Stay well and have a great week!


Thursday, March 18
~ Thank you for signing up for our Easter celebration! We are happy we can celebrate!

~ Remember that all donations for the Easter basket collection for the Emmanual Dining Room are due by Monday.

~ Math Chapter 10 test is on Monday. The packet sent home today is optional but a good review.

~ Remember to check pencilcases over the weekend and to make sure all supplies are full and ready for a week of learning!

~ Please send in towels again now that the weather is warming. We will be visiting our learning lane when possible!

~ Please pack extra water bottles now that the weather is warmer. My friends are drinking a lot of water and I do not always have extra bottles in the room for them. 

~ Practice those Math facts and HFW nightly! Both should be automatic!!

~ Please remember to send in forks/spoons if your child needs them for lunch - I AM ALL OUT IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!

Stay well and tomorrow we do the Friday Dance!

Wednesday, March 17
~ We will be celebrating Easter on Wednesday, March 31. There is a sign up genius above. Thank you for your generosity!

~ Please send in towels again now that the weather is warming. We will be visiting our learning lane when possible!

~ Please pack extra water bottles now that the weather is warmer. My friends are drinking a lot of water and I do not always have extra bottles in the room for them. 

~ Practice those Math facts and HFW nightly! Both should be automatic!!

~ Please remember to send in forks/spoons if your child needs them for lunch - I AM ALL OUT IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our little leprechauns!!




Monday, March 15
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend!

~ Thank you for the canned goods. I will be putting them in the church outreach box. This was a great way to serve our parish community.

~ My friends have rainbow writing tonight. They should roll the dice twice for each word and write using the corresponding color. There are 12 spelling words this week but they only need to do the first 10 words.

~ Please remember to send in Easter basket donations by Monday.

~ STAR test results and a letter explaining are in your child's folder.

~ Report cards are being sent electronically today. Remember our work became more difficult and expectations for responsibility increased  and some grades may reflect that. Here's to our last trimester! Let's make it a great one!

~ A Study guide for Religion Chapter 15 was sent home today. Please use this for the test on Wednesday. I will send books home tomorrow, but all information is on the study guide.

Stay well and here's to a full week of school!


Friday, March 12

This is how we start a weekend! Hooray!!

~ Please pack extra water bottles now that the weather is warmer. My friends are drinking a lot of water and I do not always have extra bottles in the room for them. 

~ Practice those Math facts and HFW nightly! Both should be automatic!!

~ Please send in one canned good on Monday for Religion as a service project for Lent. Thank you!

~ Ask your child what color day they had! This is an important question each day. 

~ Please check your child's mask to make sure it fits properly. Some friends are not wearing them properly and need many reminders!

~ Please send in towels again now that the weather is warming. We will be visiting our learning lane when possible!

~ My friends need a picture of a person and animal working together for Monday.

~ Report cards will be sent electronically on Monday.

~ STAR test results will be sent home on Monday. 

Thank you for your generous donations for the Day of Giving! Our class was the highest donating class! We will have a special celebration as a thank you. I will keep you posted. Thank you for your generosity!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the family time!

Stay well!



Thursday, March 11

Favorite colors on a bright March day!!!


~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal!

~ Please pack extra water bottles now that the weather is warmer. My friends are drinking a lot of water and I do not always have extra bottles in the room for them. 

~ Practice those Math facts and HFW nightly! Both should be automatic!!

~ Please send in one canned good on Monday for Religion as a service project for Lent. Thank you!

~ Ask your child what color day they had! This is an important question each day. 

~ Please check your child's mask to make sure it fits properly. Some friends are not wearing them properly and need many reminders!

~ Please send in towels again now that the weather is warming. We will be visiting our learning lane when possible!

Thank you for your generous donations for the Day of Giving! Our class was the highest donating class! We will have a special celebration as a thank you. I will keep you posted. Thank you for your generosity!

Stay well!


Wednesday, March 10
~ Wear a shirt that is your favorite color from the rainbow tomorrow = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet. Wear gym pants with the shirt.

~ Friday is an 11:35 dismissal. Remember a morning snack!

~ Please send in one canned good on Monday for Religion as a service project for Lent. Thank you!

Tuesday, March 9

Environment collage work:








Monday, March 8

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyed the bright sunshine!

~ Math Chapter 9 test is tomorrow. Please return Math books to school on Wednesday.

~ My friends should wear a shirt that is their favorite color from the rainbow on Thursday. 

~ Friday is an 11:35 dismissal. All friends need a morning snack. Friends who stay for Eagle's Club need a lunch.

~ A sign up genius was sent for Easter basket donations for the Emmanuel Dining Room. The link is above and we have just a few spots left!! Thank you for your generosity. If anyone is willing to drive and deliver baskets to the Emmanual Dining Room on Thursday, March 25, please email to let me know. 

~ Friends DO NOT NEED to write their bonus word 2 times each for homework. They only need to write their 10 words.

~ Please look at the Homework Tab and Week at a Glance tab so you know what the week looks like!

~ Happy 7th birthday to Ofosu! We hope you have a wonderful day and year ahead!! He has treat bags that will be sent home tomorrow with his friends. Thank you for thinking of your friends on your special day!

Enjoy the beautiful weather that is coming this week.

Stay well!


Friday, March 5
Happy, healthy weekend to all! We celebrate making it through another full week of school!

~ Make sure your child has their 3 environment pictures on Monday.

~ Please check pencilcases and make sure all supplies are ready and pencils are sharpened for a new week together.

~ Look at all of the upcoming dates so you know what is coming. Please know all dates are tentative and subject to change.

~ Math Chapter 9 test is on Tuesday. The optional pretest that was sent home yesterday is a good way to prepare.

~ Order Chic Fil A on Smart Tuition if your child will be ordering. You should order for Wednesday, March 17 only.

~ Look at the Week at a Glance Tab and Homework tab so you know what our week will look like!


~ We finished reading Mr. Popper's Penguins. Ask your child about it!

Stay healthy!!!


Wednesday, March 3
~ Religion Chapter 12 test is tomorrow. All information is on the study guide that was sent home yesterday. You can read over Chapter 12 also. Please return books to school tomorrow.

~ My friends all need an item (toy, book, etc) for tomorrow. They will be describing it using one of their five senses.

~ Remember to read nightly!! Practice those HFW to help with reading fluency.

~ Practice adding to and subtracting from 20. Math facts should be automatic!!

~ Remember to check above daily as dates are all only tentative and are subject to change.

~ The birthday candles with your child's name that are sent home after their birthday are a "gift" from the school and can be redeemed for a dress down day. Hold on to these and use them on a day when your child wants to dress down - just not a Gym day. If you have thrown this away or misplaced it, just send a note on the day that they have chosen to dress down. 

Stay healthy!


Tuesday, March 2
~ Tomorrow is Gym. 

~ My friends need a picture of a person tomorrow and should be able to write their proper name (this is to practice writing proper nouns).

~ A study guide for Religion Chapter 12 test is in folders tonight. The practice test is attached. Please use both to prepare for the test on Thursday. Books will be sent home on Wednesday and should be returned on Thursday. 

~ Remember to order Chic Fil A if your child is interested. Please only place an order for Wednesday, 3/17.

~ Remember to look at the Homework Tab and Week at a Glance tab so you know what the week looks like.

~ Homework should be done nightly!

~ Remember to collect the 3 pictures needed for our environment collage. Please do not send in until Monday, 3/8. 

~ The Daily Warm Ups that are sent home each week in the Friday Folder are great sentences to practice reading. They focus on our spelling pattern, vowel sound and HFW for the week. 

~ The birthday candles that are sent home are a "gift" from the school and can be redeemed for a dress down day. 

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss








Stay healthy


Monday, March 1
Welcome to the month of March! I cannot believe how fast February flew by. I know March will bring warmer, brighter days and we are ready for it. Here's to a healthy and happy month!

~ My friends need to bring a favorite Dr. Seuss book tomorrow.

~ My friends should wear silly socks to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday tomorrow.

~ A study guide for Religion will be sent home on Tuesday. Religion books will be sent home on Wednesday. If you review the information on the study guide, your child will be ready for the test. 

~ Remember to order Chic Fil A on Smart Tuition. This should only be ordered for Wednesday, March 17.

~ Remember to look at the Homework Tab and Week at a Glance tab so you know what the week looks like.

~ Homework should be done nightly!

~ Remember to collect the 3 pictures needed for our environment collage. Please do not send in until Monday, 3/8. 

Here's to a great week!

Stay healthy!


Friday, February 26
~ Happy Weekend! February certainly flew by!! Here's to a HEALTHY, brighter, warmer March!! Bring on Spring!!!

~ Remember to check pencilcases and make sure all supplies are in there for a week of learning! Please be sure that pencils are sharpened and ready to go!

~ My friends all need 2 pictures for Monday - 1. Reading - an animal and be ready to tell how it survives   2. Science - animal's shelter

~ Check out the homework tab and Week at a Glance tab so you are prepared for next week. 

~Please remember that if your child is exhibiting any signs of a cold or sickness, they must stay home until the symptoms are gone. We have been veery fortunate this year that colds and coughs have not been an issue, so these masks are working. Thank you for doing your part in keeping everyone safe and healthy!

~ There are a lot of things needed for next week so please be sure to have it all ready for a week of learning and fun.

~ Remember to order Chic Fil A on Smart Tuition!

~ The Daily Warm Ups that are sent home each week in the Friday Folder are great sentences to practice reading. They focus on our spelling pattern, vowel sound and HFW for the week. 

~ Friends are bringing home a sheet with an environment assignment. They only need to bring 3 pictures of animals/things in their environment to school on Monday, March 8. We will do the collage and writing in class! We will begin our environment unit next week but I am sending them home today so you have time to gather the pictures.

Happy memory making this weekend!

Stay healthy!



Tuesday, February 23
Happy 100th day! What a year to celebrate! This year the children have worked extra hard to reach this milestone and I am so proud of them! I am SO PROUD of the fact that we have been in person for 100 days!! This is such an accomplishment!

 We had a lot of fun with various activities involving 100 - as well as working in our school work. Here's to the next 80 (give or take) days. I tell this class all of the time but they are SO GOOD and they make my job so much easier. I want to keep them next year and will be sad to send them on to second grade!

I was so impressed by the creativity of the shirts and how unique they each are. We enjoyed sharing and admiring our shirts! Great job!!





The Science Unit 4 test is tomorrow. Please review the study guide that wa sin the folder yesterday. Science books should be returned to school tomorrow.

Please remember that if your child is exhibiting any signs of a cold or sickness, they must stay home until the symptoms are gone. We have been veery fortunate this year that colds and coughs have not been an issue, so these masks are working. Thank you for doing your part in keeping everyone safe and healthy!

We have Gym tomorrow. 

We took the Early Literacy section of STAR testing yesterday. My friends all did a great job! We will take the Reading test on Thusday morning and the Math test sometime next week. I told my friends that no one is allowed to get stressed or upset over STAR testing. We all will do our best! 

Please look at all of the dates for next week as children need items each day. Please be sure that your child has what they need in order to be successful for the day.

For homework tonight, my friends have worksheets for the 100th day in their folders.


Stay healthy and here's to warmer and brighter days that are coming!!



Monday, February 22
~ For Spelling homework, students are to complete the rainbow writing sheet that is in their folder. They should roll a dice for each word and write that word in the space and in the color that corresponds with the number that they rolled. They should only do this two times for each word - not all 5 colors!  This takes the place of two times each so they should only be writing each word two times!!

~ Friends received new Spelling books. Old books can be kept as a memory - they are yours to do what you want with. 

~ Tomorrow is the 100th day of school. My friends should wear their shirts with their gym pants to school.

~ A study guide for the Science Unit 4 test was sent home along with the Science books. The book can stay at home until our test on Wednesday. If you study the information on the guide, they will be okay. 

~ Please remember to refer to the Homework Tab and Week at a Glance tabs to the side for information that is needed for the week. 

~ The goodie bags that were sent home were from Caelyn for her birthday! Thanks for the treats and we hope you had a nice day!

~ Please empty and return Friday Folders.

~ Here's to a great FULL week of school!

Stay healthy!

Friday, February 19
~ Snow work for today can be found under the Snow Tab on the side. Please do your best to have your child complete all of the work. There is not much there but it is enough to keep them engaged and busy for a bit - and a good review of our week.

~ All books must be returned on Monday as we will be ready for a FULL week of learning.

~ Please make sure that all pencilcases and supplies are ready for the week. 

~ Our Spelling test will be on Monday. 

~ Your child needs a picture of a group of animals for Monday.

~ Please email me  with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will be using this for Religion on Monday. 

~ Our 100th day will be Tuesday so finish up those shirts this weekend.

~ Science books and a review for Unit 4 will be sent home on Monday. The test will be on Wednesday. Books can be kept home until Wednesday. 

~ I will not be sending out a Sunday email. This is your information for the upcoming week!

~ The Homework Tab and Week at Glance tab have been updated do refer to them for information for next week. 

~ On Monday, refer to my teacher page for information regarding the spelling homework.

~ My friends will be getting new Spelling books with smaller lines next week. Old books can be kept at home. You do not need to send them back in on Monday!

~ Wishing Caelyn a happy 7th birthday this weekend!! Have fun celebrating with Fiona!

Stay safe and stay healthy. I can't wait to see my friends on Monday!!





Thursday, February 18
~ A link was sent for ZOOM for today. Please check your email.

~ My friends should complete their homework at the completion of our ZOOM meeting:

Spelling - study, ABC order sheet
Math -  DO NOT DO PAGE 342 as we did not do the new lesson - No Math HW today!
Reading -  passage
Grammar -  was/were sheet

~ All books must be returned to school on the next day that we return.

~ The 100th day will still be on Tuesday, February 23. Today counts as a school day!

GO PLAY IN THE SNOW!!!

Stay healthy!


Wednesday, February 17

~ Please cover the new Math book and return to school tomorrow.

~ I realize that this "new Math" is quite different and seems to involve many steps, but this is a part of our Math curriculum and the children must learn and complete it using the steps that I am teaching in school. I apologize that I sent home the worksheet last night without giving an example. Below is an example for you to use as a reference:





~ Religion Chapter 11 test is tomorrow. A practice test is in folders tonight. Please return Religion books tomorrow.

~ We are adding to a sum of 20 now. Please practice Math facts each night. We do a daily review in the classroom and my friends are not all as quick as I would like for them to be. A nightly review would certainly help! Thank you!!

~ Please practice those HFW each night and remember to add the new words each week. 

~ By Friday, February 19, please send in an index card with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will use these for Religion. They can be sent in at any time. 

~ Remember to check out the Homework tab and Week at a Glance tab for next week. Spelling words for the week are always listed under the Week at a Glance tab.

~ My friends will now have VOCABULARY WORDS each week that they need to know. These can be found under my week at a glance tab under Language Arts. They can also be found on the weekly Spelling sheet that is sent home at the start of each week. 


Father Joe came in to begin our Lent with a prayer and by placing the ashes on our heads. 


~ Wear those PJs inside out, put a spoon in the fridge, sleep with a white crayon under your pillow, and flush those ice cubes! Let's enjoy one more snow day!!!

Stay healthy!



Tuesday, February 16
~ Religion books can be kept at home until Thursday. We do not need them in school tomorrow. Please study for Chapter 11 test on Thursday.

~ New math books will need to be covered tomorrow night for homework. Please make sure that you have contact paper.

~ We are adding to a sum of 20 now. Please practice Math facts each night. We do a daily review in the classroom and my friends are not all as quick as I would like for them to be. A nightly review would certainly help! Thank you!!

~ Please practice those HFW each night and remember to add the new words each week. 

~ By Friday, February 19, please send in an index card with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will use these for Religion. They can be sent in at any time. 

~ Remember to check out the Homework tab and Week at a Glance tab for next week. Spelling words for the week are always listed under the Week at a Glance tab.

~ My friends will now have VOCABULARY WORDS each week that they need to know. These can be found under my week at a glance tab under Language Arts. THey can also be found on the weekly Spelling sheet that is sent home at the start of each week. 

Stay healthy!


Friday, February 12
~ Remember there is NO SCHOOL on Monday. Enjoy the long weekend.

~Thank you for the treats for Valentine's day - for myself and the treats for the class to enjoy.

~ Check all supplies and pencilcases over the weekend. Sharpen pencils for next week.

~ My friends need an animal picture for Tuesday and they should be able to tell me how the animal's body protects it.

~ Scholastic Book Orders can be placed online. The deadline to order is Monday. Our class code is QFX2R. This is a great way to add to your library with level appropriate books.

~ We are adding to a sum of 20 now. Please practice Math facts each night. We do a daily review in the classroom and my friends are not all as quick as I would like for them to be. A nightly review would certainly help! Thank you!!

~ Please practice those HFW each night and remember to add the new words each week. 

~ By Friday, February 19, please send in an index card with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will use these for Religion. They can be sent in at any time. 

~ Children will be receiving their second Math workbook next week and they will need to be covered in contact paper. You may want to order some if you do not have any left at home. Books will be sent home on Wednesday and should be covered and returned on Thursday.

~ Remember to check out the Homework tab and Week at a Glance tab for next week. Spelling words for the week are always listed under the Week at a Glance tab.

~ My friends will now have VOCABULARY WORDS each week that they need to know. These can be found under my week at a glance tab under Language Arts.

Happy Valentine's Day fromthe lovebugs of 1A!!



Stay healthy and stay warm!!



Wednesday, February 10
~ We have Math Chapter 8 test tomorrow. The pretest was a great optional review.

~ Scholastic Book Orders can be placed online. The deadline to order is Monday. Our class code is QFX2R. This is a great way to add to your library with level appropriate books.

~ We are adding to a sum of 20 now. Please practice Math facts each night. We do a daily review in the classroom and my friends are not all as quick as I would like for them to be. A nightly review would certainly help! Thank you!!

~ Please practice those HFW each night and remember to add the new words each week. 

~ By Friday, February 19, please send in an index card with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will use these for Religion. They can be sent in at any time. 

~ Remember to make sure that ALL homework is completed each night. Please check homework books and the Homework tab so you know what the nightly homework is. 

~ Children will be receiving their second Math workbook next week and they will need to be covered in contact paper. You may want to order some if you do not have any left at home.

~ We finished Math book number 1. They will be sent home today and can be kept at home.

~ If you volunteered to send in items for our Valentine's treat on Friday, please remember to do so.

~ Friday is a Valentine's Dress Down. My friends may wear Valentine shirts or Valentine colors. Sneakers must be worn as we do have Gym.

~ My friends suprised me with a Valentine's song and play today. They have been working on it in Music with Mr. D and did a great job and were so excited to share with me!


~ Stay healthy and stay safe if we do get snow tonight!

Tuesday, February 9
~ Tomorrow is Gym. Remember gym uniforms and hair pulled up. On Friday, friends may wear Valentine's shirts and colors. Friends must wear sneakers on Friday as we do have Gym.

~ Scholastic Book Orders can be placed online. The deadline to order is Monday. Our class code is QFX2R. This is a great way to add to your library with level appropriate books.

~ Mailboxes should be sent in to school tomorrow. Please be sure that your child's name is on their box.

~ We are adding to a sum of 20 now. Please practice Math facts each night. We do a daily review in the classroom and my friends are not all as quick as I would like for them to be. A nightly review would certainly help! Thank you!!

~ Please practice those HFW each night and remember to add the new words each week. 

~ By Friday, February 19, please send in an index card with your child's name and the meaning of their name. We will use these for Religion. They can be sent in at any time. 

~ Remember to make sure that ALL homework is completed each night. Please check homework books and the Homework tab so you know what the nightly homework is. 

~ Math Chapter 8 test is on Thursday. The pretest packet was sent home yesterday and while it is optional, it is a good review of the chapter. I know many parents (myself included) were not a fan of this "new math", but it is a part of our curriculum and it is helping the children think in terms of making groups of 10 to make addition easier. I see it is much easier for my friends now that we have spent a few weeks working on it. I hope you feel the same!

~ Children will be receiving their second Math workbook next week and they will need to be covered in contact paper. You may want to order some if you do not have any left at home.

~ Our Reading theme is "How do we get our food?". We have been talking about nutritious and delicious foods. We enjoyed working in groups to create collages today! We are limited with how much we can work together but I do try to do this as often and as safely as possible. Learning to work in a group is such an important part of being in school. 







Stay healthy!


Friday, February 5
~ Remember to empty Friday Folders.

~ Check pencilcases and replace supplies. 

~ 21 Valentines are due on Monday. Remember to not complete the "to" section.

~ Start thinking about your 100th day shirt!

~ Mailboxes are due on Wednesday. They do not need to be fancy - just a place to hold your Valentines.

~ Look at the dates above so you know what is coming.

~ Homework for next week is under the Homework Tab so please be sure to check it out so you know what your week looks like!

Hooray for a sunny Friday recess!



~ Have a great weekend and stay well!


Thursday, February 4
~ Tomorrow is Chic Fil A if your child ordered. Please pack ketchup or any condiments as we often do not receive them. 

~ We have Gym at 7:45 tomorrow so please try to arrive on time.

~ There is NO HOMEWORK tonight for student appreciation.

~ There is no spelling test this week. We will take our test next Friday.

~ Remember Valentine's cards should be sent in by Monday. Remember the "to" section should not be completed and all friends need 21 cards to distribute.

~ Please check the dates above for all upcoming tests and events. Remember dates do change so please be sure to check in every so often. 

~ Please remember to send in the small travel sized bottles of mouthwash for our outreach program. These are due by Friday. Again, thank you for giving to those in need.

~ We do go outside every day - even if it's just for 5 minutes to run around - so please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately and has gloves and a hat.

~We had fun in the Gym with our CSW parachute activity today! Thanks to Mrs. Schock for a fun activity!


We have been talking about what makes Catholic Schools and especially SJB so special this week. THANK YOU for choosing SJB and for the sacrifices that you make for your child to attend!

Tomorrow we do the FRIDAY DANCE!!!

Stay well!



Wednesday, February 3
I was so happy to see my friends today and to hear about their snowy adventures! February is a short month filled with lots of fun ! let's make it a great one!

~ My friends should wear navy blue shirts tomorrow with gym pants and sneakers for our special activity in the gym.

~ There will be NO SPELLING TEST on Friday. We started our new Reading Unit today and will carry over in to next week. Our Spelling test for the current list will be next Friday, 2/12.

~ THANK YOU for your generosity in supporting our Day of Giving! I am always amazed by the giving spirit of the SJB community.

~ We enjoyed ice cream and BINGO today for CSW.

~ Reminder Chic Fil A is on Friday if your chidl ordered.

~ Please remember to send in the small travel sized bottles of mouthwash for our outreach program. These are due by Friday. Again, thank you for giving to those in need.

~ We do go outside every day - even if it's just for 5 minutes to run around - so please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately and has gloves and a hat.

~ Remember that we have 21 students in our class for Valentine cards. Please do not complete the "to" section. Your child should only sign their name. You should bring 21 cards as you will get one from yourself. This will make it easier when distributing the cards.

~ Stay warm and stay healthy!


Monday, February 1
I hope that everyone is enjoying the snow break! Please click on the Snow Work tab on the side to see your assignments for the snow day on Tuesday, February 2. THERE IS NO ZOOM ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2. 

~ My friends need to bring a picture of their favorite food for Wednesday.

~ Remember they can wear SJB spirit wear this week. We do have gym on Wed and Fri and a gym activity on Thursday so sneakers should be worn each day. 

~ Please remember to take part in the Day of Giving if you are able to do so. ALL FUNDS go directly to the students at SJB. Thank you for your generosity!

~ The calendar above has been adjusted to reflect the snow days. We will get back on track but please be patient if anything(homework etc) is "off" over the next few days.

~ Remember that we have 21 students in our class for Valentine cards. Please do not complete the "to" section. Your child should only sign their name. You should bring 21 cards as you will get one from yourself. This will make it easier when distributing the cards.

~ Have fun and stay warm and stay healthy!


Sunday, January 31
Happy Snow Day!! Per the CDOW, tomorrow is a true snow day with no snow work to be assigned! I am so happy for the children as they all deserve the excitement that comes from a work free school day! Our new spelling words are posted under the Week at a Glance tab, so my friends may practice these words to prepare for Friday. They can also go on Freckle Math to practice those Math facts. If we do end up being off again on Tuesday, I will let everyone know what the assignments for the day are and how we will proceed with our week at school.

My friends may wear SJB spirit wear every day this week for CSW. They should all wear navy blue on Thursday for our class activity in the gym with Mrs. Schock.

Dates for events and tests above will be adjusted as I know what the plan for Tuesday is.

I hope my friends all have fun tomorrow out in the snow!

Stay warm and stay healthy!!


Friday, January 29
~ Remember to check pencilcases and sharpen pencils over the weekend. Make sure that all supplies are ready for the new week. 

~ We have 21 total students when you are making Valentine cards. Remember to not include the "to" section. Your child should only sign their name.

~ See notes above about CSW. Friends may wear SJB spirit wear or gym uniforms each day. They should wear Navy Blue on Thursday for our class activity in the Gym.

~ My friends need a picture of a favorite food for Monday.

~ Please empty Friday Folders.

~ Check out the homework tab and week at a glance so you know what to expect next week. Look at all of the events for next week so you know what you need.

~ Wear those pj's inside out, flush ice cubes down the potty, put a white crayon in the freezer, and sleep with a spoon under your pillow - these are all things that Gianna does when wishing for snow! These friends did not have any real snow last year so they deserve a good snow day!!

~ Have a nice weekend and enjoy the time with family!

~ Stay warm and stay healthy!




Thursday, January 28
~ Please see the notes above about Catholic Schools Week. Friends may wear SJB spirit wear all week. On Thursday, they should wear navy blue for our class activity in the gym.

~ Do you feel like Math this week is a version of "Are you Smarter than a First Grader?" I do while I am teaching it!! This is a tricky lesson and one that I am honestly not a fan of. We review each day and I can see the lightbulbs clicking. I apologize for any frustrations this is causing at night! I remember feeling it while doing this lesson with Gianna when she was in 1st grade!

~ Please remember to dress your child for the weather as we do go outside for just a few minutes each day. 

~ Beginning on Friday, my friends will be taking their weekly reading tests semi-independently. They will be reading the story on their own and I will be reading the questions that need to be answered. I will help with any difficult words, but the words are all high frequency words or words based on our spelling pattern for the week that they should be able to read independently. We are doing this in an effort to help start the transition to second grade where work will be done independently. Children will not only have to read but will have to understand what they are reading. 

~ Children should be reading each night. Find level and reading appropriate books for them.

~ Review those HFW nightly. This is key to reading fluency!

~ Please review Math facts each night! Children should be fluent in their math facts to 10 in order to ensure success in Math. This should be a part of your nightly routine. Flashcards are the only way to review - memorize, memorize, memorize!

~ Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!

~ Stay well and stay warm!

Wednesday, January 27
~ Religion Chapter 10 test is tomorrow. A study guide was sent home. Books were sent home today and must be returned tomorrow.

~ Tomorrow is the last day to order Chic Fil A for next Friday. Please remember to do so if you are interested.

~ Catholic Schools Week writing assignments are due tomorrow. Please be sure that it is done in their neatest writing.

~ Please see the note above regarding our outreach program for CSW.

~ Beginning on Friday, my friends will be taking their weekly reading tests semi-independently. They will be reading the story on their own and I will be reading the questions that need to be answered. I will help with any difficult words, but the words are all high frequency words or words based on our spelling pattern for the week that they should be able to read independently. We are doing this in an effort to help start the transition to second grade where work will be done independently. Children will not only have to read but will have to understand what they are reading. 

~ Children should be reading each night. Find level and reading appropriate books for them.

~ Review those HFW nightly. 

~ Please review Math facts each night! Children should be fluent in their math facts to 10 in order to ensure success in Math. This should be a part of your nightly routine. Flashcards are the only way to review - memorize, memorize, memorize!

We are limited but we are creative with our reading! They love sitting on their desks!


Tuesday, January 26
~ Beginning on Friday, my friends will be taking their weekly reading tests semi-independently. They will be reading the story on their own and I will be reading the questions that need to be answered. I will help with any difficult words, but the words are all high frequency words or words based on our spelling pattern for the week that they should be able to read independently. We are doing this in an effort to help start the transition to second grade where work will be done independently. Children will not only have to read but will have to understand what they are reading. 

~ Children should be reading each night. Find level and reading appropriate books for them.

~ You need to review Math facts each night! Children should be fluent in their math facts to 10 in order to ensure success in Math. This should be a part of your nightly routine. Flashcards are the only way to review - memorize, memorize, memorize!

~ Please see the note above regarding our service project for Catholic Schools Week.

~ The dates above include information on important projects, so please pay attention.

~ Remember to review HFW each night!

~ Children need an index card with their address tomorrow - house number, street name and twon name. This is for a SS project we will be working on.

~ Catholic Schools Week writing is due on Thursday. My friends must write at least 3 good sentences in their NEATEST writing.

~ For reading tonight, my friends need to read a book and write 3 good sentences about this story. They should do the writing and spelling on their own. 

~ We have Gym tomorrow so please remember uniforms and hair pulled back.

Stay well!!


Monday, January 25
~ Please read the Week at a Glance and homework tabs for the week.

~ Remember to make sure your child is dressed for the weather. We do go outside each day. They need the fresh air!

~ Read the dates above as we do have some "projects" coming up soon!

~ Catholic Schools Week writing is due by Thursday. Remember this means 3 good sentences done in NEAT handwriting!

~ My friends need an index card with their address - House number, street name and town for Wednesday.

Stay healthy!

Thursday, January 17
~ Please make sure that your child is dressed for the weather. We do go out each day for recess. Gloves and hats should be sent in for the cold days.

~ Make sure your child has an extra water bottle. We do not always have extras in the classroom and the water fountains are turned off.

~ Please empty our folders each night.

~ Please make sure that your child has ALL supplies needed for each day.

~ We are really starteding to focus on NEATNESS. Please encourage your child to take their time and really use their best first grade handwriting. I will start handing work back to be redone if it is not done neatly the first time.

~ A writing assignment for Catholic Schools Week is in your child's folder. Please make sure that they follow the directions and USE THEIR BEST HANDWRITING. These are due by Thursday, January 28, but may be sent in at any time.

~ It is important to review HFW nightly. We review them each day in the classroom but many of my friends need extra practice. It is important these words are automatic as this is essential for reading fluency.

~ Children have to read the little book 'Little Fred and Little Buck" tonight and complete page 127. Please make sure that reaidng workbooks are returned to school tomorrow.

~ Gym tomorrow!

~ Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!

Stay healthy!


Tuesday, January 16
I hope that everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyed the bonus day and warm weather. 

~ We have Gym tomorrow. Please wear uniforms and hair pulled back.

~ My friends do not need to do #6 tonight on Math homework. 

~ Math Chapter 7 test is on Thursday.

~My friends need to bring in a picture of a special time they would like to remember.

~ Please look at our Homework Tab and Week at a Glance tabs so you know what the week looks like.

~ Look at all of the dates above so you are prepared for the upcoming events.

~ My friends should all have a water bottle and a bottle to use to refill that bottle.

~ Please check in with your child and ask if they need pencils, markers, crayons, gluetsicks, etc. I do try to send home notes when I see that a supply is needed. Weekends are the time to be sure that everyone is ready for the week ahead.

~ We will be able to celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, Feb 12. A signup genius will come out soon. Children make bring in Valentine's Day cards and prewrapped treats for their friends but they must be sent to school by Monday, February 8  so they can sit for a few days before going home.

~ Here's to a great short week!

Stay healthy!


Friday, January 15
~ Happy birthday to Kiernan who will celebrate on Sunday! Have a great day!!

~ Remember to check pencilcases for all needed supplies and sharpen pencils for a fresh start to the week.

~ Empty and return Friday Folders.

~ Religion Chapter 9 test is on Tuesday.

~ Use the Week at a Glance tab and Homework tab to help plan your week.

~ NO SCHOOL on Monday. I will see my friends on Tuesday.

Enjoy the weekend with family and STAY HEALTHY!



Thursday, January 14
~ I am sending Religion books home today to prepare for the test on Tuesday. These books may stay home until Tuesday as we will not have Religion tomorrow.

~ Please remember that if books are sent home for homework or to study, they must be sent back the following day unless otherwise noted.

~ Please make sure that your child has a full water bottle for the day and a back up to use as a refill. I do not have extra water botttles in the classroom and we are not able to use the water fountains.

~ There was an email sent home for Chic Fil A orders. Our class will be ordering on Friday, Februrary 5 ONLY. Please do not order for Thursday and Friday.

~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal. You do not need a lunch unless you attend Eagle's Club.

~ There is NO SCHOOL on Monday.

~ We do have Gym tomorrow so please be sure to be in uniform and have your hair pulled back.

~ Remember if your child has cold like symptoms, they should stay home until the symptoms are gone or you have tested and received your COVID results. Often times in children, COVID presents as a cold and we must all do our part to keep our school a healthy and safe place so we can continue to learn in person! Thank you for all you have done to make this school year a success!

~ Check the homework tab and Week at a Glance tab so you know all we are working on in the classroom.

~ Thank you for the wipes that have been sent in! I appreciate your generosity and your role in keeping us all healthy.

~ Remember to ask your child what color day they had. 

~ Remember to do a nightly review of our HFW words. This is neccessary to help with reading fluency.

Stay healthy! Enjoy the sunny weather!


Tuesday, January 12
~ We have gym tomorrow. Remember to wear uniforms and have hair pulled back.

~ My friends need a picture of someone who loves them for Religion tomorrow.

~ Please make sure that my friends have ALL supplies that they need for a successful day of learning. Gluesticks, sharpened pencils and dry erase markers are used every day so check in and make sure they have these supplies.

~ Science test is on Thursday. Use the study guide that was sent home yesterday. I will send Science books home tomorrow.

~ All homework is in folders tonight. Please make sure that your child writes their name in each sheet!

~ Remember to do a nightly review of our HFW words. This is neccessary to help with reading fluency.

~ Our genre for reading today was a play. Ask your child if they had a "role" in the play. This was a fun activity!!

~ If your child has cold like symptoms or has been exposed to COVID or is waiting for COVID test results, they must be kept at home. Please, please, please let's all do our part to reduce the spread and keep us all healthy and schools open! I am now able to ZOOM from the classroom - again it is not perfect but we will make it work - so please just let me know.

~ Remember all of our information for the week can be found in our Week at a Glance tab and Homework tab. 

~ Friday is an 11:35 dismissal and there is NO SCHOOL on Monday!

Stay healthy!!



Monday, January 11
Welcome back and happy, HEALTHY 2021 to all! My friends did a great job today and I am once again so proud of them.

Please take a minute and look at our Week at a Glance and Homework Tab for the week. 

~ This week we are talking about long i that follows the CVCe pattern as in like, ride, mile, etc. The silent e has the job of making the vowel say its name. 

~ Look at our upcoming tests. A study guide for Science was sent home today. This will help prepare you for the information that you need for our test on Thursday.

~ Remember to review our HFW each night. These must be automatic!

~ If friends are not feeling well, have been exposed to COVID or are waiting for test results, they must stay home. Please let's all do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe. I have two friends Zooming in this week - I have figured out how to try to make it work. It is not ideal given the setup of our room, but it is an option for an extended illness or quarantine now. 

~ We started the morning by watching the ball drop and counting down to celebrate the start of 2021 together!

~ Friday is an 11:35 dismissal and there is NO SCHOOL on Monday.

~ We do go outside each day so be sure that your child is dressed appropriately.

~ Please make sure that my friends have all of the supplies that they need - some friends were missing gluesticks and markers today.

~ All books and supplies should be back in school now so please return anything at home tomorrow.

~ Towels were sent home and can be kept at home until warmer weather returns.

~ Remember to check in and ask your child what color they were on today!

~ I apologize that my bold button is not working so everything is in bold today. Hello, Monday!!

~ Stay healthy and have a great week!






Friday, January 8
What an awesome week of virtual learning! My friends did such an amazing job and I am SO proud of them!

An email was sent with lots of information for our return to school on Monday, so please read it carefully.

I can't wait to see my friends IN PERSON on Monday morning!

Stay healthy

Friday, December 18
Hooray we made it!! I hope everyone enjoyed the preview day yesterday.

Today was a day filled with fun and excitement - and a little learning sprinkled in!

Thank you so much for the many generous Christmas gifts. The best gift is the gift of teaching your child. Thank you for trusting me with this gift.

Take time over the break to make sure that pencil cases are filled with supplies and that pencils are sharpened and ready to go for our return.

The break is a good time to work on Freckle Math.

You will receive an email prior to the week of January 4 with instructions for the week. Please make sure that all books are in a safe place and ready for our week of virtual learning.

Enjoy Christmas with your families. There is nothing better than the magic of Christmas morning! Savor these memories with your true believers. 



Stay healthy and I look forward to seeing my friends in 2021!


Wednesday, December 16
~All books were sent home today. If we return to school tomorrow or Friday,  the following books need to be sent in.
seat folders
dry erase boards
spelling books
reading workbook
Religion books
pencil cases
journals

** I would remove the Math, Science, and handwriting books along with the Math toolbag and put in a safe place for the week of January 4. All other books should be left in the bookbag as I do believe we will be returning to school this week. I am sorry for making them lug everything home but we wanted to be prepared just in case. 


~Please keep books in a safe place for the week of January 4. The packet that was sent home yesterday also needs to be kept in a safe place. I will email with directions the week before.

~Friday Folders were sent home today so that you could have all of their Christmas crafts and writing. You can empty and send back when we return to school - whenever that will be - tomorrow, Friday, January 11 - your guess is as good as mine!!

~ Mrs. Platt and I decided to give Math Chapter 6 test today in case we are not in school tomorrow. There is no need to study tonight but homework is to complete page 244. This is ripped out and in home folders. Math books can stay home until January. 

~ Spelling homework is to write 4 sentences about Christmas using your Spelling words. Underline the spelling word. Return Spelling books tomorrow or Friday.

~ There is NO READING PASSAGE tonight or tomorrow night - that passage was hard! Tonight's homework is to read the little book "Look Around."

~ If you volunteered to send in items for our treat on Friday, please remember to do so.

~ Friday is Christmas pajama day - or you can wear a Christmas shirt. Sneakers must be worn.

~ Drinks are not provided with Chic Fil A lunch on Friday so please remember to pack a drink for lunch if your child ordered.

~ We went outside to enjoy a few minutes in the FIRST snow of the season! Oh the magic of first grade! Love finding the joy with them!





A few more days - we can do this!!

Stay well!!! 


Tuesday, December 15

~ My friends can wear our class color of navy blue tomorrow for reindeer games.

~ Drinks are not provided with Chic Fil A lunch on Friday so please remember to pack a drink for lunch if your child ordered.

~ The schedule for remote learning and a packet for the week are in your child's folder. Please remove them and put them in a safe place for the week of January 4.

~ Books will be sent home tomorrow for the week of remote learning. This is in case it snows and we are not here Thurs and Fri. If we do have school, I will email with the books that need to be sent back in.

~ MASKS MUST FIT OVER NOSES. Please, please, please check your child's mask. This is becoming quite a safety issue.

~ Friday is Christmas pajama or Christmas shirt day! Sneakers must be worn.

~ I told my friends if they have Santa hats or holiday headbands to wear, they may do so this week.

Stay well - we can do this!


Monday, December 14
Welcome to the Third Week of Advent. This week is a week of JOY as we prepare for the birth of Baby Jesus. Let's all try to find that JOY even in the midst of the worry and anxiety I know we are all feeling right now. The children can certainly help us find that joy! Let's follow their lead!

I hope that you all enjoyed the beautiful weekend and did something merry and magical. We drove up to Hershey to do the drive through lights - and to grab a chocolate milkshake from Chocolate World. Trying to find festive but safe things to do.

~ My friends have Religion Chapter 8 test tomorrow. If you use the study guide, they will be fine. Please return Religion Books to school tomorrow.

~ Please read the Week at a Glance and homework tabs so you know what the week looks like. This is a light homework week as I know we are all ready for a mental and physical break.

~ All books will be sent home Thursday and Friday. You may want to send an extra bag for your child to use to carry things on Thursday. We will be learning virtually the week of January 4. I will send home a packet with papers labeled for the week. Put them in a safe place. You will receive a detailed email from me the week prior to Jan 4.

~ Reading and Writing Workshop Books and Anthology books for our next unit (they each have a giraffe) were sent home today. We will need them for the week that we are virtual. You may keep these at home until January 11. Please remove them from your child's bookbag tonight.

~ MASKS MUST FIT OVER NOSES. Please, please, please check your child's mask. This is becoming quite a safety issue.

~ Friday is Christmas pajama or Christmas shirt day!

~ I told my friends if they have Santa hats or holiday headbands to wear, they may do so this week.

Stay well - we can do this!


Friday, December 11
Happy Friday!

~ Sunday is the last day to order Chic Fil A for next Friday.

~ Study guides and Religion books were sent home to prepare for Chapter 8 test on Tuesday.

~ Please be sure to read the letter from Dr. Lou. I will send home all books next Friday as we be learning remotely during the week of January 4.

Have a happy and HEALTHY weekend. Enjoy the time with family and get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!!




Thursday, December 10
~ If your child will be absent for any reason, you must email the school nurse at nurse@sjbdel.org. She is keeping records and must be informed of absences for any reason. Thank you!

~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal. We will have a morning snack so please pack a snack. My friends staying for Eagle's Club need a lunch and a snack for Eagle's Club.

~ We have a spelling test tomorrow so please be sure that your child is ready for it.

~ Last day to order Chic Fil A is Sunday. Orders should be placed on Smart Tuition.

~ Study guides for Religion Chapter 8 test will be sent home on Friday. The test is on Tuesday. 

~ I sent Religion books home today. They can stay home until the test on Tuesday. Please return them on Tuesday. Our test is on Chapter 8.

~ My friends have HFW sheet tonight. There is NO READING PASSAGE!

~ Please be sure that your child's mask fits OVER THEIR NOSE. This is so very important and I give many reminders throughout the day to pull the masks up over noses. I have several friends whose masks do not fit over their noses, so please check your child's mask  to see that it is fitting properly. 

~ Tomorrow is the last day for collections for the food pantry. If you would like to send in any food, it would be greatly appreciated!

Tomorrow we do the FRIDAY DANCE!

~ Stay healthy




Wednesday, December 9
~ If your child will be absent for any reason, you must email the school nurse at nurse@sjbdel.org. She is keeping records and must be informed of absences for any reason. Thank you!

~ Half of the class was in Gym for reindeer games today. The other half stayed in the classroom to do a craft and will go next week. Ask your child if they attended reindeer games today.

~ If your child wants to order Chic Fil A for lunch next Friday, please do so using Smart Tuition. Orders must be placed by Sunday.

~ There is an 11:35 dismissal on Friday. There WILL BE Eagle's Club. Remember to pack a lunch if your child is staying for Eagle's Club.

~ My friends received new journals today - they were so excited! Their old journals are in their bookbags and may be kept home.

~ Study guides for Religion Chapter 8 test will be sent home on Friday. The test is on Tuesday. 

Stay healthy!



Tuesday, December 8
~ Tomorrow and next Wednesday will be reindeer games in the gym with Mrs. Schock. Half of the class will go tomorrow and the other half will go next Wednesday. Mrs. Schock has asked that each class wear their class color for this event - our color is navy blue - so if you have a navy blue shirt for your child, please have them wear it tomorrow and next Wednesday. Gym pants should be worn. Thank you!

~ There is NO READING PASSAGE tonight. My friends should read the HFW sheet that is in their folder.

~~ There is an 11:35 dismissal on Friday. There WILL BE Eagle's Club. Remember to pack a lunch if your child is staying for Eagle's Club.

~ The PS grade for specials on report cards means Pass.

~ Please be sure that your child's mask fits OVER THEIR NOSE. This is so very important and I give many reminders throughout the day to pull the masks up over noses. I have several friends whose masks do not fit over their noses, so please check your child's mask  to see that it is fitting properly. 

~Thank you again for the generous contributions to Adopt a Family. We appreciate the kindness bestowed upon a family in need at this tme of year. I explained to the children that this is done in the spirit of Saint Nicholas. We are secretly doing good for others in need. What a good feeling!

~ The children have the option of ordering Chic Fil A next Friday December 18. Please do so using Smart Tuition by Sunday. 

Stay healthy!


Monday, December 7

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyed time as a family during this magical time of year.

~ Please remember to look at the Week at a Glance tab and homework tab for the week.

~ There is an 11:35 dismissal on Friday. There WILL BE Eagle's Club. Remember to pack a lunch if your child is staying for Eagle's Club.

~ Remember that we must all do our part to keep the school healthy and open, so please do not send your child to school if they are exhibiting any signs of not feeling well.

~ Report cards will be emailed today. Please remember that an S is where you want your child to be right now. It was a great first trimester and I am so proud of and impressed by the children and how well they transitioned back in to school and the routine. 

~ Thank you to all for your generosity with our Adopt a Family program and our collection of food for outreach. Your generosity will help to make this a special Christmas for a family in need. 

~ Please be sure that your child's mask fits OVER THEIR NOSE. This is so very important and I give many reminders throughout the day to pull the masks up over noses.

Saint Nicholas brought his giving spirit to our classroom over the weekend and brought JOY to us on this Monday morning.




Have a great week and STAY HEALTHY!


Friday, December 4
Hooray for Friday. We made it through another week in school together. Like all of us, I do not know what the future of school holds, but I am grateful for each day that I am face to face with your children. We will be prepared to make the transition to virtual learning when the time comes.

~ Friends need a community helper picture for Monday.

~ Please return all Adopt a Family gifts and boxed mashed potatoes on Monday.

~ Report cards will be mailed electronically on Monday. Remember that an S is where your child should be and allows them room to grow and progress over the next several months. 

~ The weekend is a good time to practice HFW and Math facts. It is also a good time to go on Freckle Math.

~ Check pencil cases and make sure your child has all supplies and sharpened pencils.

~ Check the Week at Glance tab and the homework tab on the side for the upcoming week.

Enjoy the wonder of this time of year and the time making memories with family.

I will keep you updated as I become aware of any changes.

Stay healthy!


Thursday, December 3
~ Tomorrow is Gym. Remember gym uniforms and hair pulled back.

~ Study for Spelling test tomorrow.

~ Remember to return gifts for Adopt a Family by Monday. The gifts should be wrapped and tagged. Thank you for your generosity.

~ Our outreach item is boxed mashed potatoes. Thank you for helping those in need.

~ Saint Nicholas will visit this weekend - no need to send in a slipper this year. We learedn about Saint Nicholas and wrote letters to him today. Let's spread the spirit of giving just like Saint Nicholas did!

~ We do go outside for even just a few minutes every day. Please  be sure that your child is dressed appropriately and has gloves and hats.

~ Remember that if your child exhibits any signs of being sick, they must stay home from school. We all have to do our part to slow the spread. I know rearranging work for sickness is not easy but we have to do our part to keep school healthy and OPEN. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

~ Review HFW nightly. You can find the words that we have done on our Week at A Glance tab to the side. Build on the list each week. 

~ Review those math facts as we will be starting timed quizzes soon. Math facts should be fast and accurate.

~ Remember to color a heart on the Advent calendar each night. Your child should aim to do one kind deed and then color the heart after showing kindness.

~ Please pack the utensils that your child needs for snack and lunch. We are not in the cafeteria so I do not have access to spoons and forks.

~ Please send extra water bottles to refill when bottles are empty.

~ We created habitat collages in small groups today!

~ My friends have had an awesome week with our clips - keep it up!!

~ There is an 11:35 dismissal next Friday. THERE IS NO EAGLE'S CLUB!!

Stay healthy!


Wednesday, December 2
~ We do go outside for even just a few minutes every day. Please  be sure that your child is dressed appropriately and has gloves and hats.

~ Remember that if your child exhibits any signs of being sick, they must stay home from school. We all have to do our part to slow the spread. I know rearranging work for sickness is not easy but we have to do our part to keep school healthy and OPEN. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

~ If you have your gifts ready and wrapped for Adopt a Family, you may send them in at any time. They are due by Monday. Please remember to tag the gifts. 

~ We are also accepting the mashed potato donations for food baskets. Thank you for your generosity.

~ Tomorrow is our picture retake day. My friends who are having pictures taken may wear dress clothes. If you are having a retake done, please send the original package in to school tomorrow.

~ My friends all need a pet picture for Science - this can be your pet or from a magazine. This animal must be a pet. 

~ My friends need a habitat picture for Reading. 

~ Report cards will be emailed on Monday. Please remember that an S is where you want your child to be and leaves room for growth and progress during the year. 

~ Review HFW nightly. You can find the words that we have done on our Week at A Glance tab to the side. Build on the list each week. 

~ Review those math facts as we will be starting timed quizzes soon. Math facts should be fast and accurate.

Thank you for all you are doing to make this trying year a success.

Stay healthy!


Tuesday, December 1
Welcome to December! What a fun and busy month this will be. I pray we all stay well and healthy and can marvel in the magic of this season. 

~Tomorrow is Gym. Please wear uniforms and have hair pulled back.

~ We will go outside each day so please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately. 

~ We started place value yesterday - tens and ones. My friends did really well with the start of this chapter. This is a fun chapter and a good way to end before Christmas break.

~ Remember that if your child exhibits any signs of being sick, they must stay home from school. We all have to do our part to slow the spread. I know rearranging work for sickness is not easy but we have to do our part to keep school healthy and OPEN. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

~ Adopt a Family gifts are due on Monday. Please wrap the gifts and tag them. Thank you for your generosity.

~ Picture retake day will be Thursday if you choose to have pictures retaken or if your child missed the original date. Packages must be returned if you plan on doing a retake.

~ Please be sure to check your child's homework book and the homework tab each night. We usually set up our Spelling homework so please follow the example given.

~ My friends have Rainbow words for Spelling tonight - we started in our book.

~ Please send Math books back to school tomorrow. Page 208 is for homework tonight.

~ Remember to send water bottles and refill bottles daily. 

We created  a manger for Jesus today with our handprints and we are preparing our hearts. Please remember to color the Advent calendar daily as we prepare for the birth of Jesus. 

We enjoyed time on Seesaw with an animal habitat sort and a syllable counting activity. My friends then had free time and could choose between Freckle and Epic reading. Technology Tuesday is getting easier each week as my friends become more comfortable with the use of the iPad. 

We had a great day with clips. Ask your child what color they were on! Keep it up, good listeners!

Stay healthy!!

Monday, November 30
I hope that everyone enjoyed the time off, had a nice Thanksgiving, enjoyed time with family and stayed HEALTHY!! I am happy we are all back in school together and know that these next few weeks will be filled with excitement and anticipation. This is the most magical time of the year and I think we really all need to focus on that magic and wonder this year more than ever.

Please read the Homework tab and Week at a Glance so you know what to expect this week.

~ We will be learning about place value in Math. We are skipping around chapters.

~ Please review Math facts to 10 as children must know their facts.

~Report cards will be sent via email next Monday. Remember that an S is where your child should be at this point and leaves room for growth and progress. What an impressive first trimester we have had!!

~ Remember that if your child exhibits any signs of being sick, they must stay home from school. We all have to do our part to slow the spread. I know rearranging work for sickness is not easy but we have to do our part to keep school healthy and OPEN. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

~ Adopt a Family gifts are due on Monday. Please wrap the gifts and tag them. Thank you for your generosity.

~ We are set with tissues, sanitizer and wipes for a while. 

~ Picture retake day will be Thursday if you choose to have pictures retaken or if your child missed the original date. Packages must be returned if you plan on doing a retake.

~ We are in the first week of Advent and my friends are bringing home a wreath to color the flame each week. We talked about how we are preparing our hearts for the birth of Baby Jesus. We wait in hope!

~ My friends all brought home and Advent calendar. I told them each day they should do something kind to prepare their hearts for the birth of baby Jesus. They should color a heart for each day of Advent. 

~ Remember that any books that were not returned today must be returned tomorrow.

Stay well!!



Friday, November 20
We made it. Hooray for Thanksgiving break. I am so grateful that we have been able to remain in person for this first stretch of school. While I pray it continues this way, I feel confident now that we will be able to seamlessly switch over to virtual learning now that routines have been established and relationships formed. That being said, I am praying we all return on Monday, November 30.

Please remember to keep all books in a safe place.

Make sure all supplies are ready for our return.

I am thankful for the opportunity to teach your children. This is a wonderful group of students and they have made my switch back to first grade an easy and fun one! Thank you for trusting me with this job - now more than ever! I do not take that lightly.

Look at the dates above and the Week at a Glance tab so you know what is coming upon our return. My friends need an animal picture for Monday, November 30.

Remember to set up BrainPop with the information that was sent yesterday. 

My friends can work on FRECKLE Math over the break. let's make those facts automatic and fluent. We will begin Math facts quizzes after break. 

We had a FUN FRIDAY with turkey dancing, turkey craft, Thanksgiving BINGO, and a few minutes outside on the playground. 

Happy Thanksgiving. And while our plans may be different this year (our group of 23 at my house has been cut down to 6 - not sure I know how to cook a small meal), we all still have so much to be thankful for.

Enjoy the family time and the time to reset.

STAY HEALTHY!!!!


Thursday, November 19
~ Please make sure friends are ready for our Spelling test tomorrow.

~ There is no Math homework tonight since we took the test today.

~ Please make sure that your child writes their name on their homework. This should be the first thing that they do.

~ The books that were sent home today should be removed from your child's bookbag and placed in a safe place. All books will be sent home in the event that school closes and we switch to remote learning. I pray we all return on Monday, November 30.

~ An email with the signup genius for Adopt a Family was sent home. Wrapped items are due by Monday, December 7. Our food drive item is boxed potatoes. Thank you for your generosity to those in need. 

~ Be sure to look at the Week at a Glance tab and the Homework tab so you know how to plan the week.

~ Remember to look for nouns when reading. We have been talking about common and proper nouns.

~ Information for an app called BRAINPOP was sent home. Please use the classcode to log in and set up an account. This is a resource we will be using if we go remote so please be sure to set up the account! Thank you!

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Please wear Gym uniforms and have hair pulled back. 

STAY HEALTHY!!!


Wednesday, November 18
Happy 7th birthday to Nathan! We hope you have a great day and year ahead!

~ Math Chapter 4 test is tomorrow. Math books should be returned to school tomorrow. They were sent home to use as a review tonight.

~ My friends need to write  4 spelling sentences about Thanksgiving tonight. They need to underline their spelling word.

~ My friends need a picture for us to caption tomorrow in Reading.

~ New Reading books will be sent home tonight. They can stay home in the off chance that we go remote after Thanksgiving. Please keep them in a safe place. More books will be sent tomorrow and can be kept home. The remaining books will be sent on Friday. I am hopeful that they will all return with the students on Monday, November 30.

~ Stay healthy!

Tuesday, November 17
~ My friends all need a picture of a living and nonliving thing for our collage tomorrow.

~ Remember the Math packet that was sent home was optional but would be a good way to prepare for the Chapter 4 test on Thusday.

~ Math books were sent home today but need to be returned to school tomorrow.

~ Be sure to look at the Week at a Glance tab and the Homework tab so you know how to plan the week.

~ An email with the signup genius for Adopt a Family was sent home. Wrapped items are due by Monday, December 7. Our food drive item is boxed potatoes. Thank you for your generosity to those in need. 

~ Per Dr. Lou's email from yesterday, children will be sent home with all of their books for the Thanksgiving break in preparation for a switchover to all virtual learning. I am praying this is not the case, but we need to be prepared. I will send some books home on Thusday and some on Friday. Please keep them in a safe place and hopefully, they will all just be returned to school on Monday, November 30.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Please wear Gym uniforms and have hair pulled back. 

~ Remember to dress for the weather as we do go out every day, even if it is just for a few minutes.


~ My friends need a picture for Thursday. We will be captioning the picture so make sure it is one that they can write a sentence about.

~ We are talking about living and nonliving things this week. Yesterday we took a walk outside looking for living things. We know that living things need food, water, air, and a space. 

~ We ended our day with Technology Tuesday. We did a living/nonliving thing sort on SeeSaw. We then explored the many book options on EPIC. The children really enjoyed this app so please take the time to link them at home. Paperwork for this was sent home a few weeks ago.

Stay healthy!


Monday, November 16
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend and got out to enjoy the fresh air on Saturday.

~ Religion Chapter 5 test is tomorrow. The study guide contains all information needed for the test.

~ An optional Math packet was sent home today to prepare for Chapter 4 test on Thursday.

~ Be sure to look at the Week at a Glance tab and the Homework tab so you know how to plan the week.

~ Make sure my friends have all supplies needed for success in the classroom.

~ An email with the signup genius for Adopt a Family was sent home. Wrapped items are due by Monday, December 7. Our food drive item is boxed potatoes. Thank you for your generosity to those in need. 

~ Please remember to return secret Thanksgiving letters by tomorrow.

~ We are working on the short u sound this week so be on the lookout for words with short  u sound.

~ Remember to look for nouns as you are reading. Look for nouns when you are driving and list them all!

~ Review HFW nightly - add them to your growing list!! These words need to be mastered.

Here's to a week of learning and fun and then a week of rest, gratitude and family.

Stay healthy!


Friday, November 13
Happy Friday! We made it through another full week. I say a prayer of gratitude for each day that we are able to be together in the classroom and I pray it continues this way.

~ My friends all need a picture of a building for Monday. Can be from a magazine or computer.

~ Secret Thanksgiving letters are due on Monday. Please place them in an envelope with the recipient's name. Please make sure that your child uses their neatest handwriting! 

~ Remember the weekend is a good time to explore Freckle or Wonders Reading .

~ Remember to check pencil cases for all supplies and to make sure pencils are sharpened for the new week ahead.

~ Towels will be sent home next week. 

~ Look at the dates above so you know what is coming.

~ Remember to check out the Homework tab and the Week at a Glance tab to see what the upcoming week will bring.

~ Practice those Math facts and HFW over the weekend!

~ Math Chapter 4 test will be next Thursday. AN OPTIONAL packet will be sent home on Monday. This is a good tool to use to study!

~ Religion books were sent home to prepare for Chapter 5 test on Tuesday. Studying over the weekend is optional but I sent the books in case you wanted to prepare. Please return the books on Monday. Study guides were sent home yesterday and contain all of the information needed for the test.

~ Information about Adopt a Family will be sent home soon. Wrapped items are due by Monday, December 7. Our food drive item is boxed potatoes. Thank you for your generosity to those in need. 

~ We took advantage of the sun making an appearance and went outside to listen to "A Popcorn Story." We then wrote about our popcorn andf enjoyed a short video on popcorn while eating our popcorn.

~ We created turkey crafts today! We will have another one next Friday as a part of our Funday Friday!

~ We end every Friday with Bingo. Today we played short e bingo. I explain every week that everyone will be a winner. The boards are set up that way. if a child does not win, it is because they are not paying attention. This is the first week I did not just give everybody a prize, even if they were not paying attention. I explained they must be following along in order to get their prize. If they follow along, they will win. 

~ Friends got new seats this week. Ask them about their new neighbors. I told them they moved houses, but stayed in the same neighborhood. My friends at the back moved up front and my friends at the front move to the back. They like having a new view of the classroom and a change of scenery.

~ Enjoy the time with family and STAY HEALTHY!!


Thursday, November 12
~ Math homework tonight is pages 143 and 144 (they do not need to do #6).

~ Study for Spelling tomorrow.

~ Everyone needs a bag of individual popped popcorn for a writing activity tomorrow.

~ My friends all need a clean, empty toilet paper roll for a Thanksgiving craft tomorrow.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Wear uniforms and wear hair pulled back.

~ Secret Thanksgiving letters are due on Monday. Please return them in an envelope addressed to the recipient. I will send them home next Thursday.

~ Our vowel sound this week is short e. Look for words with short e when you are reading. Some friends are confusing short e and short a - review this at home to help with confusion.

~ We are talking about commas to seperate a series of words. Ex - I like pink, purple, and blue.

~ We are talking about adding -ed to words to make them past tense. 

~ Practice addition and subtraction to 10. My friends must become fluent in their Math facts. We will begin Math facts quizzes soon.

~ Review those HFW nightly. These are essential for reading fluency!

~ Tomorrow we do the Friday dance.

Stay healthy!!


Wednesday, November 11
~ The Secret Thanksgiving letters should be signed by your child. We are just keeping it a secret until the child opens it up. I am asking that children do not share who they have. I think it will be a fun surprise. Remind your child to use their neatest writing and to address the envelope to the recipient. We will keep the letters in school from their return on Monday 11/16 until Thursday so that they have a few days to sit.

~ My friends all need a clean, empty toilet paper roll for a craft on Friday.

~ My friends all need an individual bag of popped popcorn for a writing activity on Friday.

~ Science Unit 2 Test is on Thursday. The study guide was sent home. All information was on this sheet so be sure to review it. Science books will be sent home so you can look through but BOOKS MUST BE RETURNED TO SCHOOL the following day so we have them for class. You can do pages 77-79 as an optional review. 

~ Remember to look for nouns all around . As you are driving, be a noun detective. Take picture walks through books and look for nouns!!

~ Continue to review our HFW nightly. You should have a growing list of words as we add to them each week. These words must be automatic to help with reading fluency.

~ We do go outside every day, even if it is just to take a walk, so please be sure that your child is dressed for the weather.

~ Remember if your child is sick in anyway, please keep them home from school. Cold and flu season is here and we must all do our part to keep everyone healthy! Thank you for your help in this. We are sanitizing often and wiping desks to do our part in school. 

~ Today we discussed our Veterans and took time to learn about Veterans Day. Thank you to all who have served!

~ Please remind your child to WRITE THEIR NAME ON THEIR HOMEWORK. This is becoming a consistent issue each morning. This should be the first thing that they do. Thank you!

~ Please try to pack a healthy morning snack for your child and remind them to save the cookies and treats for a lunch dessert. We need the brain power. Thank you!

~ Remember to log in to EPIC to help your child access the books at home for daily reading. This is a great resource to help our budding readers!

~ For Math homework tomorrow, children do not have a worksheet as stated on the webpage. They need to complete pages 143-144 ( not problem 6 on page 144). Please remember to send the books back to school on Friday.

~ We had permission from Mrs. Perrine to work in small groups as long as everyone brings their own supplies and wears masks. Learning to work together in a group and solve problems and take turns is such an important skill that we are missing out on. Today we enjoyed creating our noun collages!






Stay healthy!



Tuesday, November 10
~ Tomorrow is Gym. Wear gym uniforms and hair pulled back.

~ It is supposed to rain and we do have to walk to the gym, so please have your child wear a raincoat or a coat with a hood.

~ My friends need 3 pictures for tomorrow - a person, a place and a thing  - for our noun collage.

~ The Secret Thanksgiving letters should be signed by your child. We are just keeping it a secret until the child opens it up. I am asking that children do not share who they have. I think it will be a fun surprise. Remind your child to use their neatest writing and to address the envelope to the recipient. We will keep the letters in school from their return on Monday 11/16 until Thursday so that they have a few days to sit.

~ My friends all need a clean, empty toilet paper roll for a craft on Friday.

~ My friends all need an individual bag of popped popcorn for a writing activity on Friday.

~ Science Unit 2 Test is on Thursday. The study guide was sent home. All information was on this sheet so be sure to review it. Science books will be sent home so you can look through but BOOKS MUST BE RETURNED TO SCHOOL the following day so we have them for class.

~ Please make sure that your child has replacement water bottles each day. Some children do drink a lot of water throughout the day - which is a good thing - so we want to make sure they have water to refill with. I do have a limited supply of water bottles in the classroom. If you would like to donate small water bottles for this reason, we would appreciate it. Thank you!

~ We are working on short e this week, so be on the lookout for words with the short e sound.

~ Remember to look for nouns when you are reading. 

~ We took advantage of the beautiful day and had a picnic outside. How blessed to have lunch outside on November 10!

~ We took a walk for a fall scavenger hunt and we did a Seesaw Activity on our iPads this afternoon. What a fun way to end our day!

~ We talked about the Greatest Commandment today and how important it is to love God and our neighbor.

Stay healthy!!

Monday, November 9
I hope that everyone enjoyed the gorgeous weekend and got lots of fresh air and outside time!!

We are ready for the next two weeks of working hard and learning and then we will enjoy a week off for Thanksgiving before the fun, joy and CHAOS of December kicks in. Deep breaths.....

~ The Secret Thanksgiving letters should be signed by your child. We are just keeping it a secret until the child opens it up. I am asking that children do not share who they have. I think it will be a fun surprise. Remind your child to use their neatest writing and to address the envelope to the recipient. We will keep the letters in school from their return on Monday 11/16 until Thursday so that they have a few days to sit.

~A study guide for Science Unit 2 is in folders tonight. If your child knows the information on this sheet, they will be okay for the test. I will send books home so you can look through them but focus on the study guide. Remember that books MUST BE RETURNED TO SCHOOL so we can use them in class.

~ My friends all need a clean, empty toilet paper roll for a craft on Friday.

~ My friends all need an individual bag of popped popcorn for a writing activity on Friday.

~ Look at the dates above so you know what is coming up.

~ Remember to add to the HFW each week and to review nightly!

~ Check out the Week at a Glance tab so you know what we are working on in the classroom.

~ Check out the homework tab so you can plan your week accordingly.

~ Please make sure that your child has replacement water bottles each day. Some children do drink a lot of water throughout the day - which is a good thing - so we want to make sure they have water to refill with. I do have a limited supply of water bottles in the classroom. If you would like to donate small water bottles for this reason, we would appreciate it. Thank you!

~ We took advantage of the nice weather and took our Reading books and towels out this afternoon to read. We loved reading our next story outside in the fresh air. Many friends moved their clips up for active participation outside today!

~ We had 7 friends on Role Model today - it was a class record. What a great start to the new week!

Stay healthy!

Friday, November 6
Thank you to all who met with me via Zoom. It was great to have the chance to discuss your child's progress thus far. If you have any questions or concerns, please send me an email.

~ Practice fact families with the children - there are 4 problems in a fact family - 2 addition and 2 subtraction. A fact family has 3 numbers. Ex
   2+3=5, 3+2=5, 5-2=3, 5-3=2
Give your child 3 numbers to build a fact family with.

~ Look for s blends and r blends in your reading.

~ Freckle Math is a great weekend activity.

~ Look at the dates above so you know what is coming up.

~ Remember to add to the HFW each week and to review nightly!

~ Check out the Week at a Glance tab so you know what we are working on in the classroom.

~ Check out the homework tab so you can plan your week accordingly.

~ My friends all need a clean, empty toilet paper roll for next Friday for a Thanksgiving craft we will do. 

~ Remember to check pencil cases and supplies. Sharpen pencils for the week ahead.

~ Towels will be not be sent home every week as we are not using them as often now.

Enjoy the time with your family this weekend. It is going to be beautiful outside!

Stay well!!


Thursday, November 5
 Thank you to all who I met with yesterday. It was great to connect and to discuss your child's progress. I look forward to the remaining conferences.

~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal. My friends only need a morning snack. There is NO LUNCH on half days. Children going to Eagle's Club need a packed lunch. 


~ My friends have Gym tomorrow. Remember Gym uniforms and hair pulled back.

~ Please make sure that your child's name is on their Homework. I received two papers without names yesterday. 

~ Remember that half days are great days to practice Math facts on Freckle.. 

~ Enjoy the beautiful weather. Do some exercises (vocab word this week) outside!

~ Please check the dates above but remember that test dates may change as the day gets closer. You will always know at least 3 days in advance. 

~ Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!

Wednesday, November 4
~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal. My friends only need a morning snack. There is NO LUNCH on half days. Children going to Eagle's Club need a packed lunch. 

~ An email was sent with the invitation for our Zoom link for conferences. If you did not receive the link, please email to let me know.

~ For Spelling homework tonight, remember to underline the Spelling word. Children need to write 3 sentences!

~ Half days are good days to practice Math facts on Freckle. They will also have longer access to Epic.

~ Enjoy the beautiful weather and get outside and MOVE (our theme for the week).

~ I look forward to meeting with you on Zoom.

Stay well!


Tuesday, November 3
~ We have Gym tomorrow - remember to wear sweatpants.

~ Religion Chapter 4 test is tomorrow. Please review the study guide. Remember to retrun Religion books to school tomorrow. 

~ Tomorrow is an 11:35 dismissal. My friends only need a morning snack. There is NO LUNCH on half days. Children going to Eagle's Club need a packed lunch. 

~ An email was sent with the invitation for our Zoom link for conferences. If you did not receive the link, please email to let me know.

~ A conference sheet was sent home today. This will be our guide for our conference time. You may keep the stapled packet, but please sign and return the loose sheet so I can file at school. Thank you! On the front conference sheet, OL means on level and AL means approaching level. 

~ Please review the email that was sent on Sunday so you know how conferences will be run. I thank you in advance for respecting our 15 minute time slot. If we need more time, we can make arrangements for a follow up call.

~ We will try to go outside for a few minutes each day so please be sure that everyone is dressed appropriately. Thank you!

~ Please review the Homework tab so you know what our week looks like. Reminder that for tonight's spelling homework, my friends should only place the following words in ABC order - grab, spill, drip, hot, and move. My friends know to look for the first letter in the word. 

~ Please remind my friends that their name should be the first thing they write on any paper - homework or in school. I receive several no named papers a day and it is really hard to track down the owner. I am starting to take 2 points off of tests and quizzes for no names.

~ We did a fun SeeSaw exercise today on voting. My friends listened to a story 'Duck for President" and then had to vote for Duck or Farmer Brown!

~ Remember to get on Freckle Math often to help with mact fact fluency and accuracy!

~ Remember to ask your child what color day they had at school. Many friends are moving up for participation and for paying close attention to our lessons.

~ We are working on s blends this week - sp, sw, sm, sn, and st. We are working on r blends also - gr, tr, fr, br, pr, and dr. Look for words with these blends when reading.

~ In Math, we are working on related subtraction facts , ex. 10-8=2, 10-2=8. 

~ Remember to review the HFW for the week and to add them to the previous lists. 





Stay healthy!


Monday, November 2
I hope that everyone enjoyed the fun of the weekend! Thank goodness the weather was dry.  We are ready for another week of school.

~This will be a fast week with only 2 full days. Remember that conferences are Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all 11:35 dismissal days.

~ An email was sent with the invitation for our Zoom link for conferences. If you did not receive the link, please email to let me know.

~ A conference sheet will be sent home tomorrow. This will be our guide for our conference time. You may keep the stapled packet, but please sign and return the loose sheet so I can file at school. Thank you! On the front conference sheet, OL means on level and AL means approaching level. 

~ Please review the email that was sent on Sunday so you know how conferences will be run. I thank you in advance for respecting our 15 minute time slot. If we need more time, we can make arrangements for a follow up call.

~ My friends need to bring in a toy that fits in their bookbag tomorrow. We will use this for possession.

~ We will try to go outside for a few minutes each day so please be sure that everyone is dressed appropriately. Thank you!

~ Please review the Homework tab so you know what our week looks like. Reminder that for Tuesday's spelling homework, my friends should only place the following words in ABC order - grab, spill, drip, hot, and move.

~ Please remind my friends that their name should be the first thing they write on any paper - homework or in school. I receive several no named papers a day and it is really hard to track down the owner.

~ Please make sure that your child's name or initials are on the tag of their sweater, fleece, sweatshirt. They will be permitted to take them off in the classroom and will place them in their bookbags but a name helps to identify a lost item.

~ Religion books were sent home to prepare for the Chapter 4 test on Wednesday. A study guide was sent home last week.  Books must be returned to school tomorrow as we will be using them in class!

~ Remember to get on Freckle Math often to help with mact fact fluency and accuracy!

~ The Saints look great! I am proud of my friends for working hard and neatly. Thank you for your help in this. We shared our projects this morning!

Stay healthy and have a great week!


Friday, October 30
Thank you for sending in all of the goodies to help make our celebration special. I was so happy that we could make this a special and fun day for our friends, despite the unusual times we are living in.

Remember that Saint projects are due on Monday. Please return in the bag that it was sent home in. These will hang in the hallway so remind your child to use their best handwriting.

Thank you for stocking us up on wipes. We should be set for a while. Thanks for looking out for us!

Winter uniforms start on Monday. My friends must wear long pants or jumpers - no more shorts. They must also have a sweater, fleece or sweatshirt. If they want to take this off in the classroom, they can place it in their bookbags. Gym uniforms can still be worn every day but shorts are not allowed. 

Please remember to pack water bottles to keep at their desks.

Please check pencilcases and make sure that my friends have all of their supplies. Please make sure that they have enough sharpened pencils to get through the week. Neat writing requires pencils that are sharp enough. I did order a sharpener for the classroom so I will be able to sharpen pencils next week but it is best to be prepared!

Please empty Friday Folders and return on Monday.

We had Halloween fun today!








Pumpkin volcanoe!

We played Halloween Bingo on Zoom with Mr. Hart and 1st and 2nd grade. It was so much fun!

Thanks to all who sent in treats for our day!

I hope my friends have fun tomorrow. Stay safe and enjoy this exciting night!!

Stay well!!

Thursday, October 29
Tomorrow is the big day! My friends have been so excited for Halloween at school. They may wear their costumes, but I ask that they be able to independently use the bathroom while in costume. They also must be comfortable sitting in their seats all day. Friends should wear sneakers to school. Please leave accessories at home so they do not get lost or broken.

If my friends do not want to wear their costumes tomorrow, they may dress down or wear a Halloween shirt. 

I will post pictures of my friends in costume for you to enjoy!

If you volunteered to send in Halloween treats tomorrow, please remember to do so. If your child has an allergy and there is something that they should not eat, please email to let me know.

Reminder that there is no homework tonight. My friends need to study for Spelling. You may choose to do the Reading passage if you would like. Enjoy this treat!

Saint projects are due on Monday. Please remind your child to use their neatest handwriting. Projects should be returned in the bags that they were sent home in.

We are in need of paper towels for the classroom if anyone has any to spare. Thank you! Now with cold and flu season approaching, we will be doing more cleaning and spaying of desks to wipe away germs. Our number one goal is to keep everyone healthy - and IN SCHOOL!!!

Kid Stuff books or money were due backt o school. I am missing two still. If you are not purchasing the book, it MUST BE RETURNED to school. If you are buying the book, please make payment via Smart Tuition. Thank you!

We did our Scholastic News on voting today. We talked about what a responsibilty it is to vote and that we do not share our views with others. We did a fun voting activity where my friends cast their votes for a Halloween movie to watch tomorrow. They came to a voting booth and I announced each voter as it was their turn. They voted and handed in their ballots. We will count the ballots tomorrow morning and will watch the movie tomorrow afternoon while enjoying our snack.

 
Stay well!!

Wednesday, October 28
~ Math Chapter 3 test is tomorrow. The pretest was sent home as an optional study guide.

~ If you volunteered to send in items for our Halloween party on Friday, please remember to do so.

~ We will be enjoying treats on Friday afternoon as we watch a movie. I am only aware of one allergy in our classroom, but if your child is unable to eat chocolate candy or anything specific, please let me know. I do not know what sweet treats will be sent in but if you need to check in on Friday morning, feel free.

~ My friends may wear costumes on Friday but need to be comfortable and be able to use bathrooms independently. Sneakers should be worn and accessories should be kept home so they do not get lost or broken.

~ The Grammar homework tonight is in your child's folder. My friends know that a complete sentence must begin with a capital letter, must have an endmark and a complete thought.

~ Saint projects are due on Monday. Please remind your child to use their neatest handwriting. Projects should be returned in the bags that they were sent home in.

~ Reminder that Religion Chapter 4 test has been moved to Wednesday, November 4. Study guides were sent home on Monday.

~ Please remember to pack all utensils that your child needs for snack and recess. I have a very limited supply in the classroom and we really are not supposed to be touching things and handing them to the children.

~ Please remember to also pack water bottles each day!!

~ We had a fire drill yesterday ( I forgot to mention it yesterday on my page). I was so proud of my friends for moving quickly, quietly and safely. I did not know we were having this drill so it also took me by surprise. Again, I reassured the children that while my job is to teach them to read, write, spell and add, my most important job is to keep them safe and I will always do just that. 

~ We are in need of paper towels for the classroom if anyone has any to spare. Thank you! Now with cold and flu season approaching, we will be doing more cleaning and spaying of desks to wipe away germs. Our number one goal is to keep everyone healthy - and IN SCHOOL!!!

~ We did a fun Science experiment where we predicted whether our pumpkin would sink or float. We then tested out our predictions and were suprised by the outcome! Try it out at home!


Stay healthy!!

Tuesday, October 27
~ Reminder that Math sheet 3:5 is the homework for tonight. The Chapter 3 pre test is an optional study guide for the Math test on Thursday.

~ The Religion Chapter 4 test has been moved to Wednesday, November 4. Please hold on to the study guide for next week. 

~ My friends all need a picture of someone they trust tomorrow.

~ Please review all of the dates above so you are prepared for the next few weeks of learning. 

~ My friends have to write 3 Spelling sentences tonight for homework. We did a sample in their books. Please follow the example in the book. My friends should be writing these sentences - not mom or dad. Underline the word. They need to write 3 sentences of their own in addition to the one we wrote together. 

~ Please remember to pack all utensils that your child needs for snack and recess. I have a very limited supply in the classroom and we really are not supposed to be touching things and handing them to the children.

~ Please remember to also pack water bottles each day!!

~ In Science, we are talking about materials - wood, glass, brick and metal. Ask children to look for examples of these as you are driving. We took a walk outside yesterday to look for each of these materials and were so excited to spot so many of each!

~ We have done short a, short i and short o sounds so far. Look for these words when reading.

~ Remember Gym uniforms tomorrow!

Have a nice night.
Stay healthy!


Monday, October 26
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend! Here we are ready to take on another week. I say a prayer of gratitude each day that we are here! The learning process keeps moving forward and my friends amaze me each day with how they just "go with the flow."

~ Please be sure to check out the Week at a Glance tab at the side.

~ Please look at the Homework tab so you know how the week looks in terms of homework.

~ My friends all need a picture of something natural (made from cotton or wood, etc) and something manmade for tomorrow. Please make sure that they know which is which. Thank you!

~ Remember that Saints projects are due on Monday. Please be sure that your child is using their BEST writing as they will be hanging in the hallway.

~ Our Religion Chapter 4 test has been moved to next Wednesday, November 4. The study guide was sent home today (I made the change after folders were stuffed) so please hold on to this study guide for next week. 

~ My friends are so excited for Halloween. I am so happy we will be able to have a celebration at school. Please remember to send in the items that you volunteered for. You can send them in early if you woud like. 

Have a great week.

Stay healthy!!


Friday, October 23
Hooray for Friday! I love that my friends come in ready and excited for the day ahead, regardless of the weather! They bring the sunshine!!

~Happy birthday to Sergio. He will celebrate his birthday on Sunday!

~ Copies of STAR test results are in your child's folder. You DO NOT NEED TO SIGN AND RETURN. The copies are yours to keep.

~ Please empty folders and Friday Folders over the weekend.

~ Please check pencilcases for supplies that need to be replaced. Remember to sharpen pencils so my friends are ready for the week ahead.

~ Please wash and return towels on Monday. We will still be getting outside as much as we can - just for the change of scenery!!

~ My friends all need a picture of them and a friend for Monday. It can be a sibling or a cousin.

~ My friends all need a MINI pumpkin for Science next week. They will stay in school for the week as we will be using them for experiments and writing activities.

~ Remember that the tabs at the left have Homework for the week and our Week at a Glance - this includes spelling lists and HFW to review!

Have a wonderful weekend filled with family time!!

Stay healthy and thank you for choosing SJB!!


Thursday, October 22
~ Please remind your child that the very first thing that they should do when doing homework is to write their name at the top. This is SO VERY IMPORTANT!!

~ Remind your child to always work neatly. I am really starting to focus on neat work and will be asking children to re do work that is not done neatly.
 
~ Saints projects were sent home on Monday. They are due on Monday, November 2.

~ Thank you again to all who have sent in wipes. We are good for a while now but keep one in a stockpile for the future! Thanks for helping us keep the germs at bay!

~ Mrs. Ballintyn and I have challenged the class to learn to tie their shoes by Halloween. Most friends can do it and love to help their friends, but some friends still need some practice.

~  My friends all need a small pumpkin (the mini pumpkins) for Science next week. It will stay in school for the week. 

~ Remember to ask your child what color day they had. Many friends are moving up for using good listening ears and for such great participation! Keep it up, friends, I am proud of you!

~ We have our Spelling List 3 test tomorrow.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Remember to wear gym uniforms and girls need their hair pulled back.

** STAR test results will be sent home tomorrow. You DO NOT NEED to sign and return them. They are for you to keep for your records.

We had fun with our egg drop experiment today! We had some really clever landing pads!!


Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!!!


Wednesday, October 21
~ Thank you again to all who have sent in wipes. We are good for a while now but keep one in a stockpile for the future! Thanks for helping us keep the germs at bay!

~ My friends all need a "landing pad" for Science tomorrow - a small towel, blanket, piece of foam, etc. I will be dropping hard boiled eggs and we will try to not crack them.

~ My friends need a picture from a magazine or computer of something that a pet needs for a collage tomorrow.

~ We have studied short a and short i sounds. Look for these words when reading.

~ Keep reviewing those HFW and build a word bank!!

~ Mrs. Ballintyn and I have challenged the class to learn to tie their shoes by Halloween. Most friends can do it and love to help their friends, but some friends still need some practice.

~  My friends all need a small pumpkin (the mini pumpkins) for Science next week. It will stay in school for the week. 

~ Remember to ask your child what color day they had. Many friends are moving up for using good listening ears and for such great participation! Keep it up, friends, I am proud of you!

~ We enjoyed time on the iPads yesterday exploring ABCya. This app can be found on the SJB symbaloo page. An account is not needed. 

~ A letter about Epic reading and Scholastic News online resources will be sent home. These are two more great online resources for use at home!

~ My friends did an AWESOME job following the Design Process to create their back scratchers today. We had many creative designs and communicated (a Science word) our reasons for our designs! Way to go, scientists!!




Have a wonderful Wednesday evening. 

Stay healthy!!

Tuesday, October 20
~ Thank you to everyone for sending in wipes. We really appreciate your help in keeping everyone healthy and safe.

~ We have moved on to subtraction in Math. Please practice using the word "difference" when talking about the answer to a subtraction problem.

~ Continue to practice math facts to 10.

~ Review the short a and and short i sounds. Please practice blending words with these sounds with your child. Look for these sounds when you are reading. 

~ This week, we are working on -l blends. Words with fl, pl, gl, sl, bl, and cl.

~ Remember to review the HFW we have worked on so far. These should be automatic!! 

~ My friends all need an empty paper towel roll, masking tape and 6 plastic straws. Please put all of the items in a big bag. We will be using the Design Process to create a back scratcher.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Remember gym uniforms and girls need their hair pulled back.

~ My friends need to bring in more than one of something small - legos, stickers, etc. We are working on plural nouns in school.

~ Remember to keep an eye on important dates above so you know what is coming up.

~ My friends all need a small pumpkin (the mini pumpkins) for Science next week. It will stay in school for the week. 

~ Enjoy this gorgeous October weather.

Stay healthy and thank you for ALL that you are doing!!

Monday, October 19
I hope that everyone enjoyed another beautiful fall weekend! We are ready for another week of learning and fun - and we will get outside to enjoy the beautiful weather predicted for this week!!

~ Please remember to check out the Week at a Glance tab on the side to see what we are working on this week and for a list of the HFW to practice. Remember to build those word banks by adding our new HFW for the week.

~ Homework for the week can be found under the Homework tab to the side.

~ We are running low on disinfectant wipes for the classroom. We use about 4 per student per day so we go through many containers in a week's time. I know they are so hard to find but if you can find a pack or two to spare, we would appreciate it! Thank you!

~ Cold/cough/flu season is here and we have a few friends who have missed school already because of coughs and colds. Thank you for giving your child time to rest and feel better. We must all do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe (myself included - in the past I have dragged myself to school when sick, but will not be doing that this year). We are all in this together!! 

My friends enjoyed taking Science class outside today. We discussed teh Design process and then we tried out our airplanes. We observed that airplanes made out of construction paper flew farther.


~ Please be sure to look at the important dates above as we have a lot going on in the classroom and my friends need supplies in order to participate. Thank you for sending in what is needed for a successful day!!

~ An email was sent about Science on Thursday.

~ Stay well!



Friday, October 16
Happy birthday to Graham! We hope that Graham has a special day!!

~ My friends all need a picture of a pet (either their pet or from a magazine) on Monday.

~ My friends should all bring in a paper airplane with their name on it on Monday. We will be trying to fly our airplanes that we design as a part of Science.

~ We are running low on disinfectant wipes for the classroom. We use about 4 per student per day so we go through many containers in a week's time. I know they are so hard to find but if you can find a pack or two to spare, we would appreciate it! Thank you!

~ We will be celebrating Halloween on Friday, October 30. My friends are allowed to wear their costumes to school, but please make sure that they can indepdently use the bathroom in their costume. Sneakers should be worn to ensure safety outside. We will have a private parade and I will take pictures to post. We will also be enjoying BINGO and a movie along with a special treat. A sign up genius was sent for this. Please remember that ALL TREATS MUST BE PREPACKAGED AND FROM A FACTORY. Unfortunately, parents will not be allowed to join in the celebration this year. I am just grateful that we can celebrate! Thank you for understanding. 

~ Cold/cough/flu season is here and we have a few friends who have missed school already because of coughs and colds. Thank you for giving your child time to rest and feel better. We must all do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe (myself included - in the past I have dragged myself to school when sick, but will not be doing that this year). We are all in this together!! 

~ Remember to check out the Week at a Glance tab to see the skills we will be working on during the week. You can also find the HFW and Spelling list under this tab.

~ Remember to check pencilcases and to replace any supplies and sharpen pencils for next week. Let's make sure that we have all that we need in order to have a successful week of learning!

~ Please empty Friday folders and return on Monday.

~ The weekend is a great time to practice Math facts on Freckle and to review our HFW and stories on Wonders.


My friends were busy at indoor recess today. They were so excited to use their busy bags!! 


Have a wonderful weekend filled with family time.

Stay well!!


Thursday, October 15
~ Remember to study for Spelling List 2 test tomorrow.

~ Please return the reading passage each day so it can be stamped.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Wear Gym uniforms and girls should have their hair pulled back.

~ Remember to check out the Week at a Glance tab on the side for our weekly skills, spelling list and HFW to review.

~ My friends enjoyed time on the iPads yesterday. We checked out the StarFall website. 

~ We took advantage of the perfect Fall day tpday by taking a nature walk looking for signs of Fall, Mrs. Newcomb took them out for Art, we enjoyed 10 extra minutes of recess on the playground and we took our books and towels out for Reading. Fresh air is good for the brain - and the soul!!


~ Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!


Wednesday, October 14
~ We have Religion Chapter 4 test tomorrow. Make sure that my friends know about the Holy Family.

~ Review the 10 words for the Spelling test on Friday.

~ We will be celebrating Halloween on Friday, October 30. My friends are allowed to wear their costumes to school, but please make sure that they can indepdently use the bathroom in their costume. Sneakers should be worn to ensure safety outside. We will have a private parade and I will take pictures to post. We will also be enjoying BINGO and a movie along with a special treat. A sign up genius was sent for this. Please remember that ALL TREATS MUST BE PREPACKAGED AND FROM A FACTORY. Unfortunately, parents will not be allowed to join in the celebration this year. I am just grateful that we can celebrate! Thank you for understanding. 

~ Please remember to complete the bottom portion of the reading passage each night and return to school daily so that we can stamp this.

~ Remember to return busy bags for indoor recess. 

~ If a friend misses a school day on which there was a test scheduled, they will take that test upon their return unless other arrangements are made. We will work to make up any missed class work. If you are able to complete homework and they feel up to it, you may do so in order to not fall behind. Please do not stress though or push them if they are not feeling up to it. Sick days are meant for rest. We will get them all caught up.

~ Cold/cough/flu season is here and we have a few friends who have missed school already because of coughs and colds. Thank you for giving your child time to rest and feel better. We must all do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe (myself included - in the past I have dragged myself to school when sick, but will not be doing that this year). We are all in this together!! 

Have a wonderful Wednesday night!

Tuesday, October 13
~ I hope that everyone enjoyed the long weekend and is ready for a short, fun and fast week filled with learning!

~ Please remember to return all books that are sent home for studying. We need our books each day in class.

~ Our Science Unit 1 Test is tomorrow. If you review the information on the study guide, your child will be fine. I did not send the book home as this first chapter is overwhelming with information.

~ Friends copied homework into the Homework books (happy face) today for the first time. PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN THEIR BOOKS AT HOME. You can initial the book each day if you would like but the children should not write in their homework books. These books are for copying homework only. Please make sure this book is returned to school each day.

~ My friends have 10 Spelling words this week. Please follow the example and numbers set up in their Spelling book for homework.  ALL SPELLING HOMEWORK IS TO BE DONE IN SPELLING BOOK UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

~ Please remember to complete the bottom of the reading passage each night and return to school daily so it can be stamped.

~ If you can ever not do homework (due to schedule conflict or if it is causing too much stress to your child - or you), please just email and let me know. Please complete and return the missed homework as soon as possible. Homework is an important part of your child's day but should not cause frustration or stress. It is simply meant to review a skill and homework should not take more than 30 minutes to complete.

~ Remember to check out the "Week at a Glance" tab on the side. This has everything that we will cover this week and our Spelling words and HFW for the week. Continue to grow a wordbank of HFW at home so they become automatic and fluent.

~ Remember to fill those "busy bags" and return to school.

~ We have Gym tomorrow. Wear Gym uniforms and girls need their hair pulled back.

~ Practice Math Facts to 10!!

Have a great week!

Friday, October 9
Hooray for Fun Friday! Today we played our first round of Sparkle Spelling. We also played short a bingo.

~ Remember to check pencil cases over the weekend and to replenish any supplies. Please sharpen pencils also.

~ I am not sending towels home this weekend as we did not use them. Our time outside this week was spent in the field for Science and taking nature walks.

~ Our Math Chapter 2 Test is on Tuesday. Please use the review packet that was sent home yesterday to prepare for the test - this is optional. I am also sending Math books home to look through Chapter 2.

~ My friends all need a picture of their house or a house from a magazine for Tuesday.

~ We have a Science test on Wednesday. I am not sending the Science books home because the chapter is overwhelming. There is a study guide in your child's Home folder. This has all of the information that you need in order to study for the test. Just review the information on this sheet and your child will be fine!

~ Empty Friday Folders and return on Tuesday.

~ Remember to work on filling busy bags! 

~ Remember our Week at a Glance tab has all of the information for the upoming week. It also includes Spelling words and HFW to review at home. Keep a running list of HFW to review and build on.

~ The weekend is a good time to review on Freckle, Wonders online and the to try the new StarFall app that I sent out today. 

~ I sent journals home so my friends can share them with you over the weekend.  PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN THE JOURNALS.  Friends may finish work that they started in school but did not have time to complete. PLEASE RETURN THE JOURNALS ON TUESDAY. We will be using them on Tuesday so it is very important to return them. 

Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the extra day on Monday.


Thursday, October 8
It was another beautiful Fall day and my little pumpkins were hard at work!

~ Please remember to study for our Spelling test tomorrow by reviewing the words tonight. I will say the word many times and use it in a sentence. I will go back over the words before collecting the tests.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Please remember uniforms and girls should have thair hair pulled back.

~ Please remember to return homework each day in the Home Folder. Homework is due the enxt day unless otherwise noted.

~ We will have Math Chapter 2 test on Tuesday. A review packet was sent home. This is OPTIONAL and can be completed to help prepare for the test on Tuesday. 

~ Scholastic Book orders are due online tomorrow if you plan on ordering for October. Our class code is QFX2R.

~ We took our STAR Math test today. My friends all worked quietly and independently and followed directions so well. They were able to play on Freckle Math for a few minutes after they completed the test.


We took a nature walk today and did an AUtumn Scavenger Hunt. We looked for signs of Fall and then we came in to do our Scholastic News and writing about our favorite Fall activity. What a  beautifaul day to explore and observe!

~ Towels will not be sent home this week as we did not use them in our Learning Lane. We took walks for our outdoor activities this week.  


~ Have a great night and thank you again for ALL that you are doing!!

~ Stay well!

Tomorrow we do the FRIDAY DANCE!!!


Wednesday, October 7
~ The Desk Fairy visited last night! Ask your child if she came to their desk! 

~ There is an "October Spelling Menu" in your child's home folder tonight. Please help your child choose one activity to complete tonight for Spelling homework. Hold on to this menu for future reference this month. 

~ Practice Math facts to 10 nightly. Freckle Math is a great resource to use!

~ A letter about our online program for our Wonders reading series was sent home. This is another great resource for my friends. It is fun and educational and keeps them actively engaged. We practiced getting onto this site today and my friends enjoyed it.

~ Remember to review Spelling words as our first test will be on Friday.

~ Remember to return the Reading passage each day to school. Leave it in their folder so that we can stamp it. Each night, you should mark the box for that night so I know that they read for the night.

~ Remember to focus on neatest first grade work. We have started in our handwriting books so we are really working on making sure that our letters touch the lines and are formed correctly. Please encourage this at home also. Remind them to be in their "best first grade writing position."

~ Please remember that all Spelling homework must be completed in the Spelling book.

~ We will have Math Chapter 2 test on Monday. I will send home AN OPTIONAL review packet tomorrow. 

~ Look at the dates above so you know what is coming up. We do have OFF on Monday.

~ Please remember to pack all utensils that your child needs for snack and lunch.

~ Remember to ask your child what color they were on today! We have lots of friends moving up for participating so often! I am also looking for friends who are showing kindness and their clips will move up! Today friends moved up for using manners because our motto is "Manners work Magic."

~ Remember to leave the sheet that they copied HW on in their folders so they can use the back of the sheet tomorrow. Thank you!!

Enjoy this beautiful autumn night!!

Tuesday, October 6
~ Please be sure to check the homework tab and also your child's homework book each night.

~ Remember to practice Math facts to 10 to help make them automatic.

~ A letter about our online program for our Wonders reading series is being sent home. This is another great resource for my friends. It is fun and educational and keeps them actively engaged. Please do not log them on tonight as we did not go over the instructions on how to do so. We will do this tomorrow!

~ Remember to focus on neatest first grade work. We have started in our handwriting books so we are really working on making sure that our letters touch the lines and are formed correctly. Please encourage this at home also.

~ Please remember that all Spelling homework must be completed in the Spelling book. I have started tonight's homework with them again so they know how to set the page up. Please follow the example given.

~ Remember to return the Reading passage each day to school. Leave it in their folder so that we can stamp it. Each night, you should mark the box for that night so I know that they read for the night.

~ Please leave their homework sheets in their folders each day so they can copy homework the next day. I am hopeful that our homework books are in this week.

~ It was a beautiful day to go outside and make predictions about kicking and throwing the balls for Science. We had so much fun!




~ Enjoy this beautiful night!!



Monday, October 5
I hope that everyone enjoyed the gorgeous fall weather this weekend!



~ Remember to look at the Homework tab on the side to see what is for HW each night. Also check their HW book each night as this will reflect any changes that I may need to make.

       1.Children will have a spelling activity each night. I will help them set up the page and please follow the examples given. You can look back at our two previous practice lists to see the format to use if you are confused. Spelling tests will be given on the last school day of the week which is typically Friday.
       2. My friends will typically have a math sheet to do each night. We will start by focusing on Math facts to help with mastery and fluency. Please make sure that your child writes their name and number on the math sheet and that it is returned to school the following day.
       3. There will be a reading passage each night. This passage will be related to our letter sound or spelling pattern for the week. There will be a note sent home on Monday explaining the way to complete the passge. The passage should be returned to school each day.

~ Remember that all homework is due the next day unless otherwise noted. Also if a book is sent home for homework or for studying, please return it to school the following day as chidlren will need their books for class.

~ My friends all need a ball for Science tomorrow. This must fit in their bookbag. We will make predictions about using our right foot vs left foot and right arm vs left arm.

~ My friends all need sharpened pencils for the week.

~ Look at the dates above to see any upcoming tests. I may have to adjust dates so remember these are all tentative. You will always know at least two days in advance.

~ Remember to play on Freckle Math as a fun way to sharpen those Math skills!

~ Father Joe came in today to bless the pictures of our pets. He said his blessing and shared his holy water. We were grateful for the special visit and blessings.


~ Some of my friends are bringing home a birthday ribbon. These hang in the front of the school to mark the birthdays for the month. These can be used as a dress down pass for one day this year. Your child needs to bring the ribbon in on a day they decide to dress down. 

Havea great night and stay healthy!




Friday, October 2
Happy Friday! My friends all come in ready for a day of learning and fun, regardless of what day it is. I love the energy that they bring to the classroom.

~ My friends all need a picture of a pet (can be your pet, a grandparent's pet or a picture from the computer or magazine) to be blessed on Monday for St. Francis Day. Father Joe will come visit us to bless our pets!

~ Today we discussed the feast day of our Guardian Angels. They will bring home a special angel craft and prayer that you can hang in a special place.

~ We will begin with Homework next week. I will post homework on my teacher page in the tab on the left and children will be responsible for copying their homework from the board. Check both their book and my page as I may note changes on my page if necessary.

      1.Children will have a spelling activity each night. I will help them set up the page and please follow the examples given. You can look back at our two previous practice lists to see the format to use if you are confused. Spelling tests will be given on the last school day of the week which is typically Friday.
       2. My friends will typically have a math sheet to do each night. We will start by focusing on Math facts to help with mastery and fluency. Please make sure that your child writes their name and number on the math sheet and that it is returned to school the following day.
       3. There will be a reading passage each night. This passage will be related to our letter sound or spelling pattern for the week. There will be a note sent home on Monday explaining the way to complete the passge. The passage should be returned to school each day.

~ Remember that all homework is due the next day unless otherwise noted. Also if a book is sent home for homework or for studying, please return it to school the following day as chidlren will need their books for class.

~Please look at the dates for next week as there are a few items needed for a week of success and learning!

~ Remember to wash and return towels on Monday.

~ Please check pencil cases to make sure students have all needed supplies. Please be sure that they have sharpened pencils for the week.

~ Empty Friday Folders and send back on Monday.

~ The weekend is a good time to play on Freckle Math. The kids love this and they sharpen their Math skills while having fun.

Have a great fall weekend. Stay healthy!


Thursday, October 1
Happy October! I hope everyone has a HEALTHY and happy month. I know my friends are all excited because October means Halloween - they have started the conversations already! October 1 is a big day in my house as it is my son's birthday. This year it is extra special because it is his 13th birthday which is so hard to believe!!!

~ We took a nature walk yesterday and observed the signs of early fall. In Science, we have talked about inquiry skills so we went out and made observations and then returned to our classroom to record our observations. I love Science and I know the kids do, too, so I am trying to keep it fun and interactive while maintaining social distancing and not sharing items. Many of our experiments will be whole group this year with the children as observers. But I want to get them as involved as much as possible so they become engaged learners.

~ My friends are doing well with our word problems in Math. We have taken turns coming to the front to act out word problems. Continue to review math facts to 10 to help with mastery and fluency.

~ I am so proud of how my friends are working to blend sounds and make words. We are doing a lot of blending in class - on our slates, out loud and we will start now with our letter cards. They love writing words and sentences. I love the excitement that I am seeing!!

~ My friends did an awesome job at pictures this morning. We were in the gym and each child had a dot to stand on to help with distancing. It moved smoothly and quickly and I was so impressed with how well they followed the directions. They all looked so handsome and pretty!

~ We took our first round of Star Testing today and  my friends did a FABULOUS job! They worked independently and I was amazed at how well they followed my directions. Next week we will take the Math portion of the test. This is not a test you can prepare for so that is why advanced notice was not given. Children are encouraged to do their best. 

~ Please check all of the dates above each night as they change. I list tests but sometimes have to move the dates if we don't get to a certain lesson or if I feel that they need a review of a skill before moving on. Our schedule is fluid and we need to be flexible!

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Wear Gym uniforms and girls need hair pulled back.

Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!

Wednesday, September 30
~ Please remember to practice math facts to 10 nightly. Children need to become fluent in their facts and that requires practice and repetition.

~ My friends should all bring a picture of how people travel - car, plane, train, bike, boat, etc - from a magazine. We will be making a collage tomorrow.

~ Tomorrow is picture day. We go first thing. Orders can be placed online and forms do not need to be returned to school. If you are paying that day, please send the form in that morning. Friends should wear nice clothing but need to wear sneakers. They are only photographed from wasit up so their feet will not be seen.

~ We have begun using iPads in the classroom. My friends were so excited to do a calendar activity and a group StarFall lesson. Today we were on Freckle playing a fun Math game. A letter explaining Freckle will be sent home tomorrow or Friday so you can start utilizing this app at home. We have practiced logging in with their password and they all did an awesome job. They can't wait to use their headphones! That is up next!

~ My friends have a weather chart in their folder. We have been talking about our Science inquiry skills and observation is one of these skills. We will use our sense of sight to observe the weather for a week at home starting today. We talked about after school being the best time of day to observe the weather and to record our observations like scientists do. 

Happy last day of September! I can't believe the first month of school is done and that October starts tomorrow. 


Tuesday, September 29
~ My friends need a family picture for Religion tomorrow.

~ The alphabet apple letters should be cut apart and returned in a small tupperware container tomorrow. Please make sure that your child's name is on the container. We will be using these letters to blend sounds and build words.

~ Tomorrow is Gym. Please wear gym uniforms and girls should have their hair pulled back.

~ Remember to look at our Week at a Glance tab to see the list of skills we are focusing on this week and for the HFW to review at home.

~ My friends have a book called "We Play Here" in their folders. Please review this book tonight and add to your shoebox library. Look at capital letters and endmarks.

~ Picture day is Thursday. We go first thing. Orders can be placed online and forms do not need to be returned to school. If you are paying that day, please send the form in that morning. Friends should wear nice clothing but need to wear sneakers. They are only photographed from wasit up so their feet will not be seen.


Monday, September 28
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend and is ready for a new week of learning and work!

~ Please remember to return Friday Folders if you did not do so today.

~ There is a Religion Chapter 2 Test tomorrow - review the Blessed Trinity.

~ My friends all need one full 8 oz plastic water bottle and one empty 8 oz plastic water bottle for Science tomorrow. Please keep in their bookbag so they do not drink for snack.

~ Picture Day is Thursday. We go first thing. Orders can be placed online and forms do not need to be returned to school. If you are paying that day, please send the form in that morning. Friends should wear nice clothing but need to wear sneakers. They are only photographed from wasit up so their feet will not be seen.

~ Look ahead to what is needed for a week of learning and success.

~ Look at our "Week at a Glance" tab so you know what to expect and review for this week.

~ We had a practice Fire Drill today and my friends did a great job of lining up quietly and quickly getting out of the building. I did give them a head's up that we would be practicing to reduce some anxiety. I told them that my number one job at school is really not to help them learn but to keep them safe and that I will always do that. 

~ Ask your child what color day they had!

Looking forward to a great week 4!!


Friday, September 25
~ Happy 7th birthday to Cooper today and Happy 7th birthday to Aria tomorrow. We hope both of our friends have a great day celebrating!!

~ Please check all dates above so you know what to expect next week. I did not print up a reminder and will not be doing that anymore. Please make sure that your child has all that he/she needs for a week of success and learning.

~ Please wash towels and return Monday for our Learning Lane.

~ Please make sure that you check pencilcases so your child has sharpened pencils and all other supplies for next week.

~ Please empty Home Folders and Friday Folders and return both on Monday.

~ Religion book is being sent home so you can review Chapter 2 for our test on Tuesday. Please return the book on Monday as we will need it in class.

~ Please take time to look at the "Week at a Glance" tab on the side to see what we are working on next week. This will give you an idea of skills to review and HFW to focus on  at home.

Have a wonderful weekend and happy memory making! Stay healthy!


Thursday, September 24
~ Tomorrow is Gym. Please wear Gym uniforms and girls must have their hair pulled back.

~ Our Chapter 1 Test in Math will be tomorrow. The packet that was sent home was a good review of what will be covered on the test. I will read the test for the children and Mrs. Ballintyn and I will be monitoring and helping as we go. We are learning to take tests in first grade and the children will never be left on their own to do so.

~ Please look at the dates for next week so you know what to expect. The children do need a family picture so you may want to take time this weekend tp print one.

~ There is a book called "Look" in the children's folder tonight. This book is a good way to practice early reading with a focus on the HFW we are working on in class. Please remember to look at sentence structure - capital letters and endmarks.

~ Remember to empty Home Folders every night. Friday Folders will be sent home tomorrow. They should be emptied and returned to school on Monday.

~ Remember to check pencilcases over the weekend and to make sure that your child has all  the needed supplies and plenty of sharpened pencils for the week. Thank you!

~ Please remember to send books back to school each day. If a book is sent home for studying purposes, it must be returned the next day as we will be using it in class. It is very important that children have their books each day.

~ We do not have permission to post pictures yet but I will do so as soon as I am given the okay. I know it's nice to get a little peek inside of our classroom!

~ I have added another color to our Behavior Chart. After Green, the children will move to Blue for Good Day. They will then move to Purple for Outstanding behavior and from there, they will move to Pink for Role Model. Remember to ask your child what color day they had each night. 

~ Tomorrow we do the Friday Dance!





Wednesday, September 23
~ My friends all need a favorite book tomorrow.

~ Math books were sent home so that you can look over Chapter 1 to review for our test on Friday. Feel free to complete any blank pages in lessons 1-1 through 1-6. The Math packet that was sent home is optional but a good review of skills in Chapter 1.

~Please practice finding page numbers in books with the children. Believe it or not, this is a hard skill and many of my friends are struggling with this. I always write the page number on the board and have the page pulled up on the SmartBoard so they know what they are looking for, but we are still helping many friends locate the correct page. Hand them a book and say find page "30" - write the number so they can see it to match. I appreciate the help from home!

~ Please do your best to make sure that your child uses the bathroom before coming to school in the morning to reduce the number of disruptions to our morning routine.

~ We went outside for a nature walk today to use our observation skills and look for signs of Fall.

~ Picture Day is Thursday, October 1. Our time slot is first thing in the morning so please be to school on time. Children may wear their Sunday best (please make sure they are comfortable) but must wear sneakers as we will be going out for recess. Pictures are only form the waist up so no one will see the shoes in the picture. 

Have a great night! Thanks for all you are doing to make this year a success!!


Tuesday, September 22
Tomorrow is Gym Day. Remember to wear gym uniforms and girls should wear their hair pulled back.

My friends all need 2 leaves in a bag for tomorrow. We will be comparing our leaves.

We will begin doing practice Spelling pretests in order to prepare for Spelling which will start in a few weeks. Every Monday we will have a spelling pretest and the Spelling test will be on Fridays. We took our first pretest today so that children will be familiar with this process when we begin. My friends thought it was so fun to have a spelling notebook like the big kids!

A practice review Math packet will be in your child's Home folder tonight. This is OPTIONAL but a good way to review for the test on Friday. I will send home Math books on Wednesday and Thursday to use as a review. 

Please remember to do your Information Forms online. This will allow you to use computers and this must be completed in order for pictures to be taken. It is important that these forms be completed by the end of the day tomorrow.

You may want to start a shoebox library for our little books that will be coming home. These books will be a good review of our HFW and a good way to discuss sentence formation with your child. Our libraries will grow each week.

Please practice finding page numbers in books with the children. Believe it or not, this is a hard skill and many of my friends are struggling with this. I always write the page number on the board and have the page pulled up on the SmartBoard so they know what they are looking for, but we are still helping many friends locate the correct page. Hand them a book and say find page "30" - write the number so they can see it to match. I appreciate the help from home!

We used our celery to make observations using our 5 senses - we did not taste the celery. We also started a whole class experiment by placing celery in a cup with blue food coloring and a cup with red food coloring. We predicted what we think will happen to the leaves on the celery and we will make our observations thorughout the week. 

Mr. D was out today so we did not have Music but we did go outside for 20 minutes on the playground equipment as our special for the day!

Remember to ask your child what color they were on in school.

Happy first day of Fall. Wishing you all good health and happiness in this season!


Monday, September 21
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend and the gorgeous weather. Here we are ready to tackle week 3. My friends came in ready for a week of learning. 

Please remember to return the Friday Folders that were sent home on Friday. These are the manilla file folders that the children decorated. Please empty each Friday and send back on Monday in their Home Folder.

There is a book to read in your child's home folder. This book is called "He can go". It focuses on our HFW. Make sure you discuss sentence structure - capital letters and endmarks - review what each endmark means.

My friends need three things tomorrow:

1. a current picture of themself
2. a celery stalk with leaves if possible
3. a favorite gift they have received

Please remember to return towels for our learning lane.

We took time this morning to clean out our desks and get organized. Having a desk comes with a lot of responsibility so we will periodically take time to get reorganized. Please check each weekend that pencil cases are ready for the week ahead.

Remember to check the tab on the side labeled "Week at a Glance" so you can know what is going on in the classroom and you can focus on the skills that we are working on. This will also help you find the HFW to review for the week.

Check the dates above so you know what is going on this week and what is needed for a day of success and learning.

Thanks for all you are doing! 

Here's to a great week 3!

Friday, September 18
Happy Friday. Congrats on surviving the first full week of school!

Please take a look at the dates for next week. Our Math test has been moved to Friday to give us a few extra days to practice skills and review concepts. 

Please check pencil cases and make sure that children have all supplies that are needed. Make sure pencils are sharpened and ready for a week of learning next week!

You may want to wash their towels because we did use our Learning Lane several times this week.

Please empty and return the Friday Folder that will be in their Home Folder. You do not need to return any of the papers.

Online book orders are due by Monday if you are choosing to order for this month.

My friends need to bring in a picture of a favorite place for Monday - it can be from a magazine.

Please check the tab for "Week at a Glance" to see what we will be working on next week.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather. Happy memory making!



Thursday, September 17
Thank you to all who attended the Zoom last night. I know it was a lot of information. Please email me with any questions.

My friends should all have a highlighter in their pencil case. If they do not have one, please put one in over the weekend. They love to use highlighters - it is such a special "treat" for them.

Look at the dates for next week as my friends need a few items. Take time this weekend to prepare for the week ahead. I will send home a printed reminder over the weekend, but this will be thas last week that I do that. Going forward all dates will just be on my teacher page and it will be your responsibilty to check my page and make sure that they have what they need for the day ahead. Thank you!

Tomorrow is our Religion Chapter 1 Test. Children need to know definition of Creation and Bible. You can do pages 28 through 30 in their workbook tonight as a review if you would like. We will do the Test together and Mrs. Ballintyn and I will be monitoring as they work.

When books are sent home to study from, please remember to return them to school the next day as we will be using them in class. 
 
Tomorrow is Gym. Wear your uniform and girls need hair pulled back.

*** If anyone is missing a fleece, pelase let me know. A friend took one home that is not hers and we would like to return to the rightful owner. 

Tomorrow we do the Friday dance!



Wednesday, September 16
A friendly reminder that tonight is our Back to School Zoom at 6 pm. An email was sent yesterday with the invitation. If you did not receive the invite, please email to let me know. It is not mandatory to attend as I know it is hard with evening schedules. I will be covering all of the information in the Back to School Packet that was sent home on Monday. Please sign and return that last page to let me know that you read the packet.

Happy 7th birthday to Neko! He was so kind to make up goodie bags to share with his friends. They will be in your child's bookbag tonight.

Remember to review the HIgh Frequency Words under our Week at a Glance tab.

I am sending home Religion books tonight and tomorrow to review for the test on Friday. It is Chapter 1. Children should know what creation is and what the Bible is. Please do not stress about studying for tests. We cover all of the material in class and we will monitor the children as they are testing so we know who needs some extra help.

I am so proud of our First Grade learners. We are off to a great start!


Tuesday, September 15
Tomorrow is Gym day. Remember Gym uniforms and girls should have hair pulled back.

An email was sent with an invitation for Back to School night.  If you do not receive it, please email me.

Look at some of our awesome work on display.

We were rocking in our Pete the Cat school shoes!




My friends need 2 things for tomorrow:
1. a favorite book
2. an apple (a whole apple) in a plastic bag for Science

Remember to look at our Week At a Glance tab to see what we are working on and to look for HFW to review.

Please review the Back to School Packet and sign and return the last page. If you have any questions, please email as it may be difficult to ask and answer questions via Zoom. 

Have a nice night! The kids are doing awesome and I am so proud of them!


Monday, September 14
Happy Monday and happy first full week of school. I hope that everyone enjoyed the gorgeous weather over the weekend! My friends came in ready to go so we are ready for a great week of learning.

We did start our clip system today so please ask your child what color they were on. Remind them each morning to "Go for the Green!"

My friends all need a sock/small eraser to use as an eraser for their dry erase boards. They also need a highlighter. Some of my friends may need bigger pencil cases to hold all supplies. They should be able to hold pencils, crayons, scissor, gluestick, dry erase marker, highlighter and eraser/sock. 

We did not have Music today so we took a 15 minute morning recess on the playground. 

Please be sure to check out the "Week at a Glance" tab on the side for the skills we will be covering in class. Focus on those HIgh Frequency Words.

Back to School Night will be at 6pm Wednesday via Zoom. Please review the packet being sent home today in preparation for Wednesday. I will present a slideshow to cover the topics. Please email me with any questions as questions during Zoom might prove difficult. I will email you the link by tomorrow.

My friends need 2 things tomorrow:
1. Something God created - can be a picture
2. Something they use their 5 senses for - something your taste, smell, feel, hear or see

Have a wonderful week!

Friday, September 11
We survived week 1. I am so impressed by how my friends made this transition so smooth and seamless. I hope that everyone takes some time this weekend to relax and reset to gear up for 5 full days next week.

Mrs. Newcomb is asking children to send in art supplies to use in the classroom. They may bring in markers or colored pencils to use for their projects. You may want to make a seperate pencil case for Art to hold these supplies since we will not be using them in class.

My friends need to bring in something that they like on Monday. It must fit in their bookbag.This can also be a picture of something.


Please remember to cover the books that were sent home and return them on Monday. We will need our books for Monday so it is important that the children have their books.

Some of my friends are chilly in our classroom. Please send in a sweater or fleece (make sure their name is on it) to keep in their bookbag.

I am not sending home our towels this week as we only used them one time this week in our outside learning lane.

Encourage your child to drink from their water bottles. We are taking many water breaks throughout the day and I am asking them to please drink but some are not drinking as much as I would like them to. Challenge them to drink an entire water bottle - I know I had to review this with my 13 year old!!

I will post pictures as soon as we are given permission - we are waiting for all Photo Permission forms to be completed. 

Check our "Week at a Glance" tab for an update of our focus for next week.

Remember to check the important dates above so you know what your child needs each day.

On this date, take time to give your loved ones extra love. We did a USA craft to mark 9/11 - though I obviously did not mention this to the children. We just talked about the fact that we live in the USA and should celebrate this.

Enjoy the weekend and I will see everyone on Monday morning! Thank you for choosing SJB!

Thursday, September 10
Today was another busy day of learning and adjusting to our new school routine. My friends are doing such a great job of coming in, working hard and showing kindess by wearing their masks!

We worked on a writing project called 'Meet Me' today. My friends did awesome on their "neat sheet". We also worked on a Religion project about how special God made us. We are working on adding to 5 using cubes and taking parts to make a whole. These friends are really doing awesome with our first grade work - they have not missed a beat.

We reviewed classroom expectations. Our number one rule is to BE KIND!! We also looke dat our clips and we are all going to 'Go for the Green!"

We took a 10 minute morning recess and an afternoon dance break.

We do take many water breaks throughout the day so thank you for sending them with extra water bottles.

Today we had Art with Mrs. Newcomb. She came to our room with Art on a Cart!

Happy 7th birthday to Zachary today!!

Please remember to cover books and return them to school tomorrow so that I can send the next batch home to be covered over the weekend.

A few reminders:
1. Home (happy face) folders should be sent to school each day. This is where all communication from school will go.

2. Tomorrow is Gym. Wear gym uniforms and girls should have their hair pulled back.

3. Many of my friends are cold in our classroom. If you have a fleece or sweater, please send it in for them. Make sure that your child's name is on the tag in case they take them off.

4. Make sure that children have all supplies needed for school. I will send pencil cases home on Friday so you can be sure that all pencils are sharpened. We do not have a sharpener in school and cannot share pencils.

5. Friday folders will be sent home each Friday for you to look over work for the week and to empty and send back for Monday.

6. Next week I will do our weekly update. This will be done by Monday evening of each week. You can find the information for the week in the folder on the side labeled 'Week at a Glance." You should still check my page daily for important dates and any information but I will not be updating daily. 

7. Make sure that you send all utensils needed for snack and lunch - forks, spoons, napkins and straws as we do not have any in the classroom.

8. Sidewalk chalk is fun at recess. You may put a few pieces in to a bag with your child's name and send to school for recess. They will not be sharing chalk.

Tomorrow we do the Friday dance and celebrate surviving week #1!!


Wednesday, September 9

What a great 2nd day it was! My friends all came in with smiles ready for day 2!
 We are talking alot about showing kindness to others this year by wearing masks, washing our hands and keeping our distance. My friends are being superheroes by wearing their masks!

We spend time each day taking a Go Noodle dance break so we can get out of our seats and get moving. We are also spending time in our "learning lane" each day.

Today we had Music and Gym.

I was so proud of my friends for sharing their "Meet Me" bags. All 21 of them got up there and shared their bags. It was fun to learn a little bit about them and to see how proud they were of themselves for sharing.

Remember to cover books and return by Friday because I will be sending more books home to be covered over the weekend.

Please read all of the reminders below from yesterday.

Have a great night and thank you for trusting SJB with the care and education of your child!
Tuesday, September 8
We did it! Kudos to us all for surviving day #1!! I am SO PROUD of the children and of you. It was a seamless first day back  - after 6 long months. The children amazed me with how they bravely and confidently walked in to our classroom ready to start our first grade adventures. They all acted like they have done first grade before! Way to go - let's do it again tomorrow!

My friends all did an AWESOME job wearing their masks today. They were such good role models. Not one child complained about wearing their mask. We took many mask breaks throughout the day and took a lot of water breaks to help with the dry mouths caused by wearing our masks. We also took a morning walk, a 35 minute recess at lunch and took a 25 minute end of day trip to our learning lane for story time and a review of classroom expectations. It was nice to get the fresh air and to get a break from our masks.

Our day was very busy with lots of talks about our feelings. Many of my friends were a mix of excited and nervous to start and I explained that I felt the same. We took a look at all of the books that are in our desks and made predicitons about what we would use each book for. We decided that it will be a year of learning and making new friends!

A few general reminders:
1. Please make sure that your child knows each day what their dismissal status is - Milltown, Limestone, Eagles or a walker, This will help with end of the day confusion. Please let me know through a handwritten note if their status changes.

2. Please make sure that your child has one refillable water bottle and a plastic water bottle to use to refill EACH DAY. Water fountains are not available and will take many water breaks throughout the day. 

3. Please make sure that your child's name is on their reusable water bottle as they will be taking them to Gym with them.

4. Please make sure that your child has 5 sharpened pencils. We do not have a pencil sharpener in the room and we cannot share pencils. It is helpful to have extra sharpened pencils in their bookbags each day.

5. Every child needs an individual hand sanitizer and a pack of tissues to keep in their fanny packs for our trips outdoors.

6. Pencil cases will be sent home each Friday (assuming I remember!!). Please look through over the weekend and replace any missing or low items. I recommend keeping extra crayons, pencils, erasers, scissors and gluesticks at home to replace items.

7. Check the dates above as that is where I will list any special dates in the classroom or items needed.

8. Your child has a home folder (with a happy face). This wil go back and forth between home and school each day. Please empty this folder each night and place any notes for school in there. They have a seat folder (witha star) that will stay at school each day and hold all work we are working on in school.

9. If your child attends Eagle's Club, please place their snack in the front pocket of their bookbag so that they do not eat it during school. Mark morning snacks with a sticker or the word snack.

10. Friday folders will be sent home on Fridays (or the last day of the school week). All work from the week will be in the folder. I will not be sending work home daily. A note explaining Friday folders will be in there this week explaining the procedure.

11. You may want to send in sidewalk chalk in a bag with your child's name for recess. We are not able to use balls or share sidewalk chalk and we are not using the playground for the first few weeks. The childrne enjoyed just running around today.

12. I ask that you kindly allow me 24 hours to respond to emails. I do not have time throughout the day to check my emails and after school, I take my teacher hat off and become mom for homework, studying, sports practices, dinner and bedtime. I usually don't get a down minute until 10:00. I will respond as soon as I can and if it is a question that needs an immediate response, I will do so.

13. Gym days are Wednesday and Friday. Remember to send children in their Gym uniforms and make sure that girls have their hair pulled back. They will be outside now while the weather allows.

14. Please cover books as they are sent home and return to school. We will begin working in our books next week, so they must all be covered by Monday.

15. I will not update my teacher page daily. I know many of you are used to that from preschool but our program is quite diffferent. I will update weekly in the tab labeled "Week at a Glance." You should check my teacher page daily as I may add important dates and I may sometimes write a quick blurb.

17. If you did not send in a towel for use in our outside Learning Lane, please do so. We will keep them at our desks and I will send them home on Fridays to be washed over the weekend.

18. We will not have homework for the first few weeks of school to allow everyone time to adjust to the new school year and routine.

19. Remember that the program we use for our Teacher Page does not have a spell check. I WILL make spelling errors as I type in haste. I do apologize now!!

Looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow. Many of my friends were tired so I hope bedtime is smooth tonight!

Thanks for a great start to the year!!




August 31
It is hard to believe that today is the last day of August!! We here at St. John's have been busy preparing and getting ready to welcome everyone back. We can't wait to see everyone next Tuesday on the first day of the 2020-2021 school year.

Please continue to check in on my teacher page as I will be updating along the way. 

Just a few things for you to know:

1. We will be going outside ALOT for learning (not to be confused with when we will be going out for recess). I want to get the kids out of their desks - and out of their masks. Please send a small (not a large oversized beach towel) towel to be kept in their bookbags for use when we move outside for learning. This towel should be washed over the weekend and put back in their bookbags for the new week.

2. All children will neeed TWO MASKS for use each day. Please make sure your child's name or initials are on the inside of their mask. My friends will each also need an individual sized tissue pack and hand sanitizer to keep with them. Each child will have a fanny pack that they can wear outside to hold their masks and sanitizer.

3. Please remember to send LARGE water bottles to keep on their desks for water breaks. You can also send in bottles to use to refill with each day but please make sure that your child can remove the cap and pour on their own as we are not allowed to touch their water bottles. Water fountains have been removed for the year.

4. The children do need headphones for use with their iPads in the classroom (each child will have their own numbered tablet for the year). I am asking that you send in actual headphones, not earbuds as they tend to get tangled and do not block out the noise as well as big headphones do. 

5. On the first day of school, please send in a note telling me if your child is Limestone (back parking lot), Milltown (front parking lot), walker or Eagle's Club. Please make sure that your child also knows their dismissal. I need a note each time their dismissal changes.

6. There will be NO HOMEWORK for at least the first month of school to help us all ease back in to this routine. After school, children should be playing outside and decompressing from our day - and you should be too!!

7. Our Gym days are Wednesday and Friday. Remember to send your child in their gym uniform on these days!! Gym will be outside so please remember to apply sunscreen in the first few weeks. 

8. Feel free to email me at kcuocolo@sjbdel.org with any questions. 

Enjoy these last few days of summer! I am looking forward to a fun and exciting year of learning, growing and fun!




August 26

Welcome to first grade!! I am so excited for our first day of school on Tuesday, September 8. This year may look and feel a little different, but it is still going to be year of learning, growing, making friends and having fun! I can't wait to get started and to meet all of my new friends!

Like you, I am a parent and I am feeling all of the emotions that the start of school brings. This year it is magnified by the circumstances we are living with. My son, Aidan, will be in 7th grade here at SJB and my daughter, Gianna, will be in 4th. I am a mixed bag of excited, nervous, hopeful, anxious, and cautiously optimistic. We are in this together, so take a deep breath and know that you - and your feelings - are not alone! We got this!

I spent the last 4 years teaching the three year olds here at St. John's. While I loved being with the littlest learners, I missed teaching first grade. First grade was my home for 8 years and I am excited to be back in the grade that I love!


I am excited because I know many faces from my years in the Early Childhood building. I am happy to have some familiar faces in our classroom and to welcome our new friends. Together, we will make the family of 1A this year. 


1A has a new, bigger (and brighter) home for this coming school year. We are now in the Music Room so that we have space to spread out. A sign up genius was sent out inviting you in to see our new "home away from home". You are welcome to come in during your 10 minute time slot to see our learning space for the year. For the children, this is a big and exciting move over to the "big building". Parents, I hope that you take comfort in seeing the safety precautions being put into place throughout our building and classroom. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to sign up for a time to come in and see our classroom. I may or may not be in the room as I have many meetings to attend. Please remember to stick to your alotted 10 minutes as we are really trying to remain socially distant. I hope to see you during your visit - know that I am smiling underneath my mask!!

Per the new regulations set forth by the Governor on Monday, ALL students in grades K and up are required to wear face masks at all times while inside. Each child should have two masks each day.  We will be taking many mask breaks throughout the day and when the weather allows, we will be outside ALOT! We will pack up our books and head out to get fresh air or to take a walk. I love being outside and think fresh air, now more than ever, is so very important. Masks must be worn as students enter the building each morning.

My friends should each have a LARGE refillable water bottle to keep at their desks as we will be taking many water breaks throughout the day. Please send water bottles to refill with as the water fountains have all been removed. 

Students will enter the building through the doors closest to our first grade classroom. A para will be there to greet the children and to hold the door.  I will be waiting at the classroom door to greet each child. Children may not be dropped off prior to 7:20. Doors will open promptly at 7:20. Parents MAY NOT enter the building at any time. I know this is difficult, expecially after 6 months of togetherness, but ask that you please respect this school set rule. We must minimize the number of people entering our buildings in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. 

***Please send a note in your child's folder informing me if they are a car rider (Milltown in the front parking lot or Limestone in the back parking lot) or if they attend Eagle's Club. I must know where to send your child at dismissal. Thank you.

Throughout the year, I like to do a lot with pictures. I feel like pictures are a good way for children to express themselves and for us to learn more about them. In an effort to prepare, you may want to gather or print pictures - 2 or 3 of the student, a family photo, a picture of a pet, a picture of something fun from the summer. I will always give advanced  warning whan a picture is needed and of course, there will never be a penalty for not having a picture - the child will just draw a picture.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kcuocolo@sjbdel.org
My phone extension is 214, but I wil be honest and say that checking voicemail is not one of my strengths, so an email is thes best way to reach me. If needed, we wil then set up a time to talk on the phone so that we are not playing phone tag. 

Enjoy these last few days of summer. I look forward to seeing you all and getting started on our year together!

**This is my disclaimer for the year, there is NO SPELLCHECK on the program that we use for our teacher page. I WILL make spelling mistakes as I am often typing in haste, so I apologize now for any errors that will occur. 

Supplies Needed

GRADE 1 - - No book bags on wheels or rolling book bags. #2 standard yellow pencils sharpened (12); large standard pink erasers (2); jumbo glue sticks (2); zippered pencil case (1); blunt-tipped child scissors (1); 12 inch ruler (1); 24 pack Crayola crayons (2); black dry erase markers (2); yellow highlighters (2); 2 pocket solid color only plastic folder (2); small sock or rag to use as an eraser for dry erase board; headphones only for computer use; large Ziploc bag with first and last name on bag (1). Lunch box; Kleenex tissues (3); Hand sanitizer (2) and Clorox wipes (3).