May 25, 2018
This week in reading and math we spent time reviewing many of the skills we learned throughout our last units. We still have many fun activities to keep us busy next week. We will be working on a memory book, working in our writer's notebook and poetry notebook and also learning some great math games that they can play throughout the summer. We also finished our science unit on Materials in our World with a few investigations with wood and water. They had so much fun discovering how many paper clips they had to attach to their block of wood in order to make it sink!
Next week, the school Mass will be on Friday, the last day of school rather than on Thursday. It will also be an out of uniform day!!
Memorial Day and Last Day
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 28th due to Memorial day and our last day will be a FULL DAY on Friday, June 1st.
I can't believe this year has gone so quickly! Some days I wish I could stop time so I could keep them with me longer.
May 14, 2018
It was quite the action packed week! The kids did a wonderful job on Tuesday at the morning and the evening concerts. It makes me smile listening to them sing and dance to their songs. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.
Thursday's Mass went so well. I am very proud of all of them! They did such a wonderful job being respectful during Mass while leading the school in song and prayer. Their confidence level has really grown this year. It was great to see them so comfortable while participating at both the Spring concert and Mass.
After two important performances this week what a better way to end it than having a great time at the Mission Carnival. They were so excited to explore the school, play new games, and show me all their prizes at the end of the day. They had a great time.
I'm sure they will all sleep well tonight!
May 11,2018
Spring Concert News:
We began the week by practicing for the Spring concert with the other kindergarten class. It is always fun to see and hear the two classes singing their hearts out together. The St. John's Beginner and Concert bands, Kindergarten, 1st, and 4th grades, SJB singers, Drum Circle, and Middle School Bells will present "Celebrate Summer," Tuesday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Students are to wear their school uniform for the morning concert (no out of uniform passes allowed) and nice bright summer clothes for the evening performance. If your daughter wears a skirt or dress please have her wear shorts underneath. They will be sitting on the risers in between songs.
Kindergartners will meet in the library at 6:45 for the evening concert. Teacher supervision will start at 6:45.
Mission Carnival:
On Friday, May 18th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. we will hold our 34th annual Mission Carnival. St. John's objectives for this special day are to generate awareness of the people in our community who need our help and services and to give our students an afternoon of fun! If you would like to walk with your child and a small group to help them navigate throughout the school to play games please let me know by responding to this email.
Happy Mother's Day!!
My sincerest wishes to all you moms for a wonderful Mother's day. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. Here is a quote I came across that speaks to me as a mom and a teacher. This is how I feel about our three daughters as well as all the children in my class. I am truly blessed to have your child as a part of my daily life.
Do you ever look at
your child and start
smiling? Not because
your child did
something amazing,
just smiling because
that's who God blessed
you with.....
May 4, 2018
This week our religion chapter focused on prayer. We discussed how we can pray anywhere and at any time because we know Jesus is always with us and is able to listen. We learned that praying can be as simple as talking to God or it can be saying prayers that we have learned like the Sign of the Cross, the Hail Mary, or the Lord's prayer. We specifically looked at the Our Father and discussed the meaning of it. It worked out well then to join the school this morning to celebrate the Month of Mary as St. John's 8th Graders lead us in a Living Rosary.
Reminders:
I look forward to seeing those of you who will be attending the Jubilee on Saturday evening. If you are unable to attend but would like to bid on the silent auction items visit https://ssjbjubilee2018.ggo.bid, create a login and start bidding! Silent auction bidding ends at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 5!
April 27, 2018
This afternoon we attended the school play, The King and I. It was a wonderful performance and the kindergartners were very entertained. If you have a chance to go see it for yourselves there is a 7:00 performance tonight as well as tomorrow evening.
This week we talked about the sacrament of Baptism in our religion lessons. I told the students they could bring in a picture from their Baptism if they would like to. We will take time to share pictures on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Reminder: Our class Mass will be on Thursday, May 17th. We will also be sitting in the choir loft on Thursday, May 10th to help Mrs. Bovee's class lead the school in song.
April 20, 2018
With Earth Day coming up on Sunday, we discussed the 3 R's - reduce, recycle, and reuse and thought of ideas for keeping the earth clean. Our weekly poem was also about the 3 R's and could be sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. One of my favorite things about our weekly poems is having the kids think of actions to go along with the words. They have very creative and fun ideas!
Snow gear: Since there is still a fair amount of snow on the playground and we won't know if it will completely melt this weekend, snow gear will be optional for the beginning of the week. If your child thinks they will want to play in any remaining snow, they can bring their snow pants and boots. If they do not bring them they will not be allowed in the snow and will have to play in the dry areas.
April 13, 2018
This week, on Thursday, we had a school wide tornado drill. As a class we talked about how to stay safe during a storm at home and at school. The children learned how to crouch down and cover their head for our practice in the hallway.They did a fabulous job following directions and staying quiet.
Next week is a review week in reading so there will be no new sight words. It is a great time to continue to practice and master all the words we have already learned. Attached to the homework guide this week will be a review sight word list from Unit 5.
Poetry notebooks are in the backpack today. Please listen to your child read the newest poems. Sign the notebook and return to school on Monday.
We worked with pennies, nickels, and dimes this week in Math as we identified and named the value of each coin. We also practiced making amounts less than 20 cents. We learned how to trade five pennies for a nickel and ten pennies for a dime. The quarter was also introduced but was not yet used in counting.
**Mark your calendar: Our class will be leading the school Mass on Thursday, May 17th at 9:35 a.m. While not all students have a reading part, we will all sit in the choir loft together and we will be leading all the songs. Some students will be reading the introduction, first reading, petitions, and some will carry up the gifts. All will be singing in the choir and Mrs. Bovee's class will be joining us to sing. We will also be singing a song after Communion. I will ask the students what part they will feel most comfortable doing and assign parts accordingly. Parts are assigned about a week before and we do a lot of practicing the the days before our Mass. If you are able to join us, it is best to sit on the left side of the altar (if you are facing it) in the empty section near the lectern. You will then be able to see the choir loft as well. Mrs. Bovee's class will lead Mass on May 10th and we will be sitting in the choir loft and singing with them. We would love to have you come to our Masses!
Please continue to send snow gear until I send the all clear. I know you are tired of sending it but they are still finding snow to play in and are having a good time. Personally, I hope it ends soon!! Not having to put it on the gear will add about 10 minutes to our day. :)
April 6, 2018
I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Spring Break and Easter Holiday. It's hard to believe we have only 8 weeks left in the school year! This class has grown and matured so much during the time they have spent in Kindergarten. My favorite part of teaching this age is seeing the huge growth academically and emotionally that takes place during the year. They love to learn at this age and are so curious about the world around them.
Just a head's up: Stapled to the sight word list on Monday, I will be sending home a homework sheet that is strictly optional. I have never sent homework home in the past for Kindergarten because we already have a long day and more stress doesn't need to be added to the day. Consider it more of a guideline of what can be done at home during the week. It may be helpful to you to have some direction of activities for your child to do when they don't want to read for you or for when they want to do homework like their sibling. It will have reading ideas, sight word work, and some math practice. I did not discuss the sheet with the kids today. I will leave that up to you as to how you want to use it. If your child would like to turn it in on Fridays they may but it is certainly not required. I am also open to feedback. Let me know what you think and whether or not you find it helpful.
Tonight in the backpack you will find a packet of sight words that is from the workbook. Feel free to use them how you want.
It was brought to my attention that I gave you the wrong date for the Spring music concert. The correct date is Tuesday, May 15!
Reminder: The book order for this month is due Wednesday, April 11th.
March 23, 2018
The children enjoyed their out of uniform day today and had a great time at another all school BINGO game at the end of the day. What a fun way to head into our Spring Break!
The past few weeks Renee Krautkremer, Paige's mom, has taught the Junior Achievement lessons to the class. They have discussed making choices, wants and needs, and saving and spending money. They have been very engaged in all the topics and have had a great time during the lessons! We will have one final session when we return to school after Spring Break. Thank you to Renee for volunteering her time.
This week for Lent we talked about praying to God and listed the times and places we pray at home and at school. We also discussed what we can talk to God about and the people we can pray for. We have completed our Lent packet and they are in the backpacks today. I hope you have a chance to look at it with your child. They put so much thought into each week's pictures. This week are focusing on the three days before Easter. The chapter talks about Holy Thursday as a day to serve others, Good Friday as a day to put others first and Holy Saturday as a day to celebrate new life. We will complete the Easter chapter the week after Spring Break.
You will find the April newsletter, April calendar, and the monthly reading log in your child's backpack tonight. You will also find a Spring Break Reading Bingo paper. It suggests some fun ideas for making reading practice a little more exciting for the week. Have your child color in the boxes she/he tried and maybe they will get a BINGO! They can also use this reading time to help them fill in their March reading log. Please return the Bingo page and the March reading log when they return from Spring Break.
Continue to practice those sight words this week as well. We have now learned 52 words!
On Thursday I sent home the words for the spring concert songs. Mrs. Mokos, the music teacher, has asked that you help your child learn the words to these songs.
Please ask your child about their supplies. Some need new crayons and believe it or not, some need new glue sticks!!! Spring break is a great time to pick up some fresh supplies.
Reminder:
There is NO school next week due to Spring Break. I hope everyone enjoys their time whether you are going far away or staying close to home. Hopefully our weather will be more spring like when we return in April!
Wishing all of you a very blessed and joyful Easter!
March 16, 2018
Today we had some St. Patrick's day fun. We learned about St. Patrick and the special love he had for the people of Ireland. You will see a paper book about him in your child's backpack today. We had some challenging activities for math and the highlight of the day was making a leprechaun trap! The kids set their traps before gym class and while they were at class the leprechauns tripped the traps and took the shiny coins. Luckily for them, the leprechaun left them something glittery and a pack of Skittles! They are bringing their traps home today so they can set it up and show you how it works. I'm sure they will try to catch a leprechaun at your house too!
Thank you for sending in a donation today for your child to wear green. The Peer Ministry team will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the CRS Rice Bowl.
This week for Lent we focused on being thankful to God for all that we have. We listed the many things we are thankful for both at home and at school. We also discussed manners and how much it is appreciated when people say, "thank you." This class is very mindful of using good manners and they thank me many times a day for things I do for them. It certainly warms my heart.
Next Thursday is a Penance service for grades 2-8 so there will not be an all school Mass that morning.
March 9, 2018
Today you will find your child's report card in their backpack. Please keep the paper inside for yourself, sign the envelope, and bring the envelope with you to your conference on Monday.
Just a reminder, there will be no school on Monday due to conferences. Thank you for scheduling a time on Sign Up Genius. I look forward to visiting with each of you.
This past week for Lent we talked about being brave and how we can talk to God during those times we are afraid. They shared wonderful examples of times they have been afraid both at home and school and they talked about what they did when they needed to be brave. I love having these conversations with your children. They are so willing to share and have such great stories. We also attended the Stations of the Cross and Benediction today with the whole school. We have been talking about the story of the stations and discussed how brave Jesus had to be.
As seen in the bulletin this week:
St. Patrick's Day O'Fun
On Friday, March 16, the Peer Ministry team invites you to wear your favorite St. Patrick's Day Item! Check your closets for that special St. Patrick's Day hat, shamrock socks or anything green to celebrate the holiday! If you would like to participate, bring in a minimum donation of $1.00! We will be donating a portion of the proceeds to CRS Rice Bowl.
March 2, 2108
This week for Lent we have been focusing on ways to share both at home and at school. During our discussions we specifically thought of examples where there is only one of something and we have to share that one thing with everyone. Their little minds were really working and they came up with awesome examples. They thought of having to share a bedroom, a couch, and the TV as some examples for their home and the hallway, their tables, and the playground to name a few school examples. They were also able to come up with stories from the Bible when Jesus shared with others. I always enjoy hearing the wonderful ideas the kids share with me.
We have been working very hard in math this week solving addition and subtraction equations and also practicing writing equations. Our new math curriculum is quite challenging and I am amazed at how well they are understanding these concepts.
We talked about Dr. Seuss today and will continue to enjoy many of his stories next week. We will also be practicing rhyming words. Next week is a review week in our reading curriculum. Please focus on the 40 words we have learned so far and continue to practice the many paper readers that have come home.
Check out our new poems for the month in our poetry notebook. Please sign and return by Monday.
Upcoming events:
February 23, 2018
During the season of Lent we will be discussing ways in which we can help, share, be brave, be thankful, and pray both at home and at school. I will be sharing stories from the Bible that show these same qualities in Jesus. We will also discuss how we can carry out each of these actions, draw pictures about them, and then try to practice these actions with our families and classmates. Our focus this week was helping others so perhaps you will see them trying to be more helpful around the house this weekend!
This Lent all students K-8 are offering a silent lunch each Friday. We are choosing to fast from talking once a week as a sign of a sacrifice.
Looking ahead:
February 16, 2018
We had a great time this week celebrating Valentine's Day and the 100th day of school. We did some math activities and fun science investigations with candy hearts. The students sorted, tallied, and graphed candy hearts to find the most and least popular colors. Through the science investigations they discovered candy hearts sink in water. We also tested what would happen to the hearts after they sat in water, soda and vinegar for an extended period of time. They were fascinated by the changes occurring before their eyes. Hopefully you saw the results they drew on their observation papers. The kids enjoyed all the exciting stations at the Valentine's party. Here are the highlights:
Upcoming Events:
*Our annual Book Swap will take place next Wednesday, February 21st. Your child may bring in 1 or 2 gently used books to swap for an equal number. They may begin bringing in books on Monday and may bring in books up to the day of the event.
*Carpool Only Days Coming Up Please be aware we have three carpool only days on February 26th, 27th and 28th. No school buses will be available for any students. Click HERE for the diagram for both drop-off and pick-up during those days. I will be sending home a form on Monday requesting the names of drivers for each day of the week similar to the form in the fall. Please return the form by Thursday.
**We DO have school this coming Monday!
February 9, 2018
Reminders for the week:
*Please send in all Valentines on Monday, February 12th. We will not have time to deliver Valentines on Tuesday due to the many other fun activities we have planned.
*Items for the 100th day are due by Tuesday, February 13th.
*Students can be out of uniform (without using a pass) on Tuesday, February 13th. We are asking that they wear Valentine’s Day colors of white, pink, or red.
We practiced our first lock down drill on Thursday afternoon. We happened to be in the library at the time of the drill. The kids did a great job sitting quietly while waiting for the all clear announcement.
In gym class this past week they participated in a karate unit and had a great time. When I picked them up today I got to see them kick a magnetic plastic "board" in half. They were so excited and proud of themselves for being able to actually break the board!
In the backpacks tonight you will find an I Love to Read month packet of purple papers. For each book that is read during the month, fill out a strip and return it to school. All the strips from grades K - 3 will be combined to create a caterpillar chain to be hung in the library.
Next week will be an exciting week filled with activities, investigations, and creativity to help us celebrate Valentine's day and the 1
February 2, 2018
What a fun filled exciting Catholic School's week! We have been able to participate in so many great activities throughout the week. I'm sure if you asked your child what their favorite activity was they would have a difficult time choosing just one. Here are some highlights of the week: They loved starting the week with a cup of hot chocolate on Monday morning and ending the day with a special chill time activity. I could tell they enjoyed Tuesday's movie, Air Bud: Golden Receiver, by all their laughter. They did a great job on Wednesday making Valentine cards and owl centerpieces for the Savage Senior Living home. It made them feel good to know they would be bringing cheer to someone else's day. The auditorium was filled with excitement later in the day as they ate popcorn and played Bingo with the entire school. I was so impressed how well the Kindergartners were able to identify their numbers and keep up with the game. Thursday's excitement continued with wacky hat day and some special time coloring and reading with some preschoolers and 6th graders. And of course the annual trip to Skateville was a highlight! All their practice and hard work in gym class paid off. They were so proud of themselves for being able to skate. They had a wonderful time. I'm sure they will all sleep well tonight after all the festivities of the week. I know I will!
Yesterday each student made a prediction for Groundhog's day. The majority of the class predicted he would see his shadow meaning there would be six more weeks of winter. As luck would have it, they were correct. Hopefully we will see some milder weather soon.
On Wednesday your child brought home a packet of important papers that you will need to refer to throughout the month of February. Your monthly newsletter, the February calendar and the reading log were part of the packet. New this month, there was also a letter detailing the directions for labeling Valentines as well as a note explaining a 100th day assignment. Please read these extra notes carefully and notice the dates these items are due.
Reading update:
Beginning next week you will notice the take home decodable paper readers will be longer and have more words on each page. It is always exciting for the kids when the books become longer and more challenging. Please take time to listen to your child read these books a few times each week. Each book will help them practice their sight words, learn how to sound out words and therefore, become better readers. Also new next week, we will be learning six new words a week rather than two! It is important to regularly practice these new words and all previous words so they do not fall behind in their learning. A list of the new words will be sent home each Monday so they can practice them throughout the week.
Reminders:
* Kindergarten is hosting Culver's night on Wednesday, February 7th.
*Valentines can be sent in beginning Thursday, February 8th but no later than Monday, February 12th. Remember to have your child number them and sign their name.
*100 small items in a plastic bag are due Tuesday, February 13th.
Poetry Notebooks are in the backpack tonight. Please take time this weekend to listen to our new poems from the month of January. Sign the inside cover and send the notebooks back on Monday.
January 26, 2018
Next week is the big week! It is Catholic Schools Week! Your child will bring home a brochure today explaining all the fun St. John's has planned for next week! We will kick off our week with Mass and open house this Sunday from 10:00 to 1:00. Please stop in and check out our room!
Next week children are asked to dress as the theme for the day or be in uniform. No Out Of Uniform Passes will be allowed next week.
Next Monday each child will receive a Catholic Schools Week button. Please encourage them to wear it everyday for a chance to win fabulous prizes!
The Bookfair will be open throughout the week! Please help support our library with your orders and help your child's love of reading. Money can be sent in anytime this week to purchase books.
***If you have not returned your child's permission slip for Skateville please do so on Monday.
January 19, 2018
Here are some upcoming important dates for your calendar:
January 22 - No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
January 28 - Catholic Schools Week Showcase and Open House 10:00 - 1:00
January 29 - February 2 - Catholic Schools Week
More information will be sent home next week listing the fun activities planned for the week. I hope you can join us for our annual Showcase on Sunday, January 28th. It is a great day to visit the classrooms and see the wonderful student work displayed around the school. The kindergartners have worked hard on new artwork for the hallway as well as some new class books.
Your child brought home a tube of mini M & M's today to enjoy. You can refill the tube with quarters to be donated to Feed My Starving Children. These can be returned starting Tuesday, January 24th. See the note below from the school newsletter for more details about this and the canned good collection.
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING BEGINS JANUARY 24
Let's have a bit of Super Bowl LII fun while helping our hungry neighbors both near and far by supporting this year's SOUPER BOWL OF CARING. Starting on Wednesday, Jan. 24, students may bring in canned meals -- such as Spaghetti O's, etc. -- and/or canned soups and return a Mini M&M tube filled with quarters, dollar bills (of any denomination!) or checks made payable to St. John's. The money collected will be used to help cover the cost of the ingredients - a grocery bill of more than $440,000 for the 2 Million meals scheduled to be packed at the South Metro Mobile Pack for Feed My Starving Children. The canned goods will be donated to Brain Power in a Back Pack to help ensure children get a healthy meal on weekends when they don't have access to school meal programs.
****I am still looking for someone who may be interested in teaching Junior Achievement to my class. It requires 30 minutes a week (3:00-3:30) for 5 weeks. It will begin in March. I can work around your schedule for choosing the day of the week. The lesson plans are already set up and they are quite simple to follow. The kids always enjoy this program every year. Please consider this volunteer opportunity and send me an email if you are interested.
Please return the paper skate with your child's shoe size by Tuesday if you have not yet done so.
January 12, 2018
A list of 12 sight words was sent home on Tuesday. Your child may cut these apart and use them as flashcards to practice their fluency. They may also use them to create sentences. We will be sending lists of sight words home through the end of the year. Please watch for them and have your child practice them. We will continue to learn two new words a week but in a few months we will be learning six new words a week. Any extra practice is helpful. By the end of the year they will need to be able to recognize and read 88 words.
Kindergarten will be hosting Culver’s Night in February! I know it’s still a bit early, but if you would like to help out with your kindergartener on February 7, please check out the link below.
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e0a4ea8ae22a2f58-culvers3/27342932
Reminder: There is no school on Monday due to Martin Luther King Day.
January 5, 2018
What a chilly week to return to school. We only made it outside once for recess this week. Hopefully the temperatures will improve next week so they can run off some energy!
Starting this week and continuing for a few months your child will be learning two new sight words each week.This week we focused on the words 'come' and 'me'. Daily or weekly practice will help your child keep up with the words and not fall behind. I will also begin assessing the children on the growing list to make sure they are retaining them. The list of sight words is on my Weebly page under the Classroom Information tab. Please continue to listen to your child read all the paper books that come home each week and enctourage them to read them often.
We worked with teen numbers this week in Math. They are getting very good at knowing which partner a group of ten needs to make each teen number. (ie. 10 and 4 are partners to make 14)
A book order for
December 20, 2017
We've had a very fun week putting our math and reading skills as well as our creative and critical thinking skills to work during a candy cane investigation on Monday and a gingerbread investigation on Tuesday. We used all five senses to explore candy canes and during it we discovered some new vocabulary words for the smell, taste and feel of the candy canes. We also discovered everyone in the class likes the flavor. We used some of our senses again while we explored gingerbread people. We also predicted what would happen to the gingerbread cookie when it was placed in water. After learning it crumbles and sinks, we took on the challenge of designing a boat for the cookie. We first tested our designs with linking cubes then made adjustments accordingly. When we felt our design would be successful, we launched the boat with the cookie. It was great fun to watch everyone's final voyage! The kids were all very engaged and focused during the two investigations.
We had a very fun and exciting Christmas party today. Our party was filled with a fun game, great crafts and a delicious treat. We also made food for the reindeer to sprinkle on the lawn to help them find your house for Christmas. The kids had a great time at each station.
We sent the January newsletter, calendar, and reading log home yesterday in the backpacks. Please look for them. We also sent home an extra winter break challenge filled with some fun activities to keep their brains strong during their time off.
School will resume on Tuesday, January, 2nd.
I want to thank you for choosing St. John's and sharing your child with me. I am blessed to have each of them in my classroom and love spending time with them every day.
My most sincere Christmas wishes to all of you. I hope you have a beautiful holiday.
December 15, 2017
We attended the Christmas concert put on by the 2nd, 3rd and 5th graders on Tuesday. They did a wonderful job singing and putting us all in the Christmas spirit. We also heard the band perform their Christmas music.
Poetry notebooks will be in the backpacks today! Please enjoy all the new Thanksgiving and December poems. Please take time to listen to your child read them and don't forget to sign once on the inside cover.
We have a three day week next week. School will be in session Monday through Wednesday. Our school Mass will be Wednesday at 9:35.
Please remember to sign and return the report card envelopes. You may keep the papers that were inside.
December 8, 2017
As part of our weather unit in science we had a guest speaker on Wednesday. Melissa Stambaugh, a parent of two girls here at school, came in to talk about her job as a meteorologist. She showed the children a mini weather station and explained how each part works. She also showed them weather maps from a couple websites and explained what the lines and symbols represent. The kindergartners were very interested with all the tools that are used to predict the weather.
We celebrated the first week of Advent with an all school prayer service on Monday morning. We will begin the next two weeks the same way during this season. We are also discussing Advent in the classroom with each child adding a candle to their own paper Advent wreath. On the first of December I started reading a wonderful book about the journey to Bethlehem. At the end of each daily story a student gets to hang an ornament on a tree. Each child has a tree of their own that they are adding a star to daily to count down their journey to Christmas.
On Wednesday the children noticed a candy cane and poem inside their gray bin from St. Nicholas. Father DeGrood visited our classroom and told the children about St. Nicholas and prayed with them.
***Christmas gift idea: We have been using our markers and crayons a lot and many of them are wearing out. New markers and crayons make great stocking stuffers!
December 1, 2017
We have been working hard in math this week learning about partners for numbers up to six and finding groups of ten in teen numbers.Hopefully you have noticed a couple of family letters from our new math curriculum in your child's backpack within the last week. Please take the time to read these letters to familiarize yourself with how we are teaching these concepts. They also explain new vocabulary we are using as we teach these skills.
Gingerbread men, or women, are due on Monday, December 4th. This is a project we have been doing for many years and it is one of my favorites. I love seeing what the children are able to create with the help of their families. They will be displayed in the hall so if you are at school make sure to stop by the room to see them. We have many versions of the Gingerbread Man story to read and have some great activities planned for the next couple weeks.
Today in your child's backpack you will find an Advent paper chain. This is an at home activity to help your child think of others as they wait for Jesus' birthday. At school, we will be reading a special Advent story daily to help us with the countdown to Christmas.
It sounds like the weather will be changing next week to our typical colder December weather. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for recess. If it should snow, your child will need boots and snow pants for recess.
November 10, 2017
It was wonderful to meet with many of you this week for conferences. I enjoyed visiting with you and sharing your child's progress. Kindergarten is such an exciting year of academic growth. They love learning and are fascinated by new concepts. It has become one of my favorite ages to teach!
Our Thursday Mass time has changed from 9:30 to 9:35 giving teachers a few more minutes for their morning routines.
Upcoming events:
**Mr. Singewald, Father Sandquist, and Father DeGrood will ALL take their turn in the Dunk Tank on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:45 pm. All are invited to attend the outdoor event!
**2017 St. John's Food Drive
Bring in your boxed or canned goods
November 13th thru the 17th!
Monday: Boxed breakfast (cereal, pop tarts, etc.)
Tuesday: Boxed dinners (Mac & Cheese, Rice, etc.)
Wednesday: Canned vegetables/canned fruit
Thursday: Canned soup, chili, stew, etc.
Friday: Paper Products: toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, etc.
**Crazy Hat Day
On Friday, November 17 the Peer Ministry team invites you to wear your favorite hat with your uniform! If you would like to participate, bring in a minimum donation of $1.00 and you can show off your hat for the day! We will be donating a portion of the proceeds to a local food shelf.
November 3, 2017
Plenty of laughter and excitement filled the classroom on Tuesday thanks to our parent volunteers who planned a wonderful Halloween party. The children enjoyed decorating a pumpkin, playing many fun games, and mixing a variety of goodies for their snack. On Wednesday we had a visit from some Saints. Our 8th graders dressed as a Saint and came to our classroom. Each 8th grader paired up with a kindergartner to work on a special craft as they told the kindergartner about their saint's life. I enjoyed walking around and listening in on their conversations. The kindergartners were very excited about the necklaces they made and wore them the whole day! We had a marathon pep rally on Thursday where they announced we raised over $91,000! How blessed we are here at St. John's to have such a supportive community. Thank you for all your donations.
Look for your child's poetry notebook tonight in their backpack. They have four new poems that they are very excited to read/sing to you. Please make sure to sign the inside cover and send back to school on Tuesday. You should have also seen a large pile of six paper readers come home on Thursday. Your child used these books to read to their grandparent or special friend. Four of the readers were Halloween related and two were from the reading series. Please have them read these fun books to you and keep them with the others to continually practice.
Looking ahead:
Monday - No school and parent teacher conferences
Wednesday - picture retakes
Thursday - parent teacher conferences
October 27, 2017
We had fun learning about pumpkins and their life cycle this past week. On Wednesday each table worked together to investigate a pumpkin. They counted the lines on their pumpkin and then measured both the height and circumference using linking cubes and string. Each child predicted if the pumpkin would sink or float and then they tested their theory by putting it into a tub of water. You should have heard their excitement when they realized all the pumpkins were floating! They had a great time working together with their table mates and I saw some great teamwork as they completed their first group activity.
They also had an awesome time with their grandparents on Friday afternoon. I enjoyed meeting and visiting with so many grandparents and special friends! We had a great turnout in our classroom and it was fun to watch the interaction between the students and their guests. They loved being able to read five of their new paper readers to them.
Upcoming details for events next week:
Sunday:
St. John's School and Religious Education, will host it's first ever "Trunk OR Treat" family get together on Sunday, October 29th, from 3:00-4:30pm.
What is Trunk or Treat? It's a FREE, FUN and SAFE event that brings Halloween to our church parking lot; where kids go from car to car and get candy, treats or trinkets from decorated trunks. Hot chocolate/cider will be available. Great fun for the kids - great fellowship with our entire St. John's community.
Monday:
The November calendar and newsletter will be sent home in the backpacks.
Tuesday:
Halloween party - no costumes allowed.
Wednesday:
We will celebrate the holy day, Feast of the Saints, with Mass. Since it is a Mass day no out of uniform passes may be used and the children must be in uniform.
Thursday:
Pep Rally Wrap Up:
All parents and family are invited to join us at our final Pep Rally on Thurs, Nov 2nd at 3 pm. We'll announce our final results, draw for Grand Prize winners, and give the Teachers a chance to show their SUPER skills to win small treats (or maybe tricks?!) for their classes!
Friday:
Spirit Wear Day! If your child does not own any Spirit Wear they may wear their marathon shirt.
October 13, 2017
As part of fire safety week, a firefighter from the Savage Fire Department visited the kindergarten classes to talk about his gear, smoke detector sounds, and the importance of a family meeting spot. The kids then had the opportunity to sit inside the fire truck. They were very good listeners and loved being able to climb inside the truck. I have attached a class photo to this email and will upload more photos onto my web page.
On Thursday we had the chance to go outside and observe trees for our science unit. We looked at the colors of the trees, their shape and their size. We also did a bark rubbing of a trunk. I will be posting photos of this on my web page as well. ***Please look for the note regarding collecting leaves. It was sent home on Thursday. The pressed leaves will be due Monday, October 23rd.
A few reminders for next week:
October 6, 2017
We had an exciting and busy Marathon day today! They should sleep well tonight.
All specialists classes were cancelled for the day so we will go to the library Monday and check out new books. If anyone didn't have a chance to return their books today please bring them Monday.
Father Sandquist visited with the kindergarten classes on Wednesday when we celebrated the feast of St. Francis. He spoke to the children about the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare. In honor of St. Francis we strung Cheerios on a pipe cleaner to hang in a tree to feed the birds. Each child made two, one to take home and one to hang at school. I have posted photos on my Weebly page. Look for the photos tab. They are posted under the religion section labeled: Celebrating St. Francis and St. Clare.
Looking ahead: Important Information
* On Monday you will receive a letter and map regarding our carpool days. Please read it over carefully and return it by Thursday. More information was in the Wednesday school newsletter.
* Save the Date - Grandparents or Special Friends Day
St. John's School will celebrate Grandparents or Special Friends Day on Friday, October 27, 2017 with a celebratory Mass at 1:30pm. After Mass in the Church, there will be time to visit the students classrooms, take a photo and enjoy some goodies and refreshments.
To make St. John's Grandparents Day is a huge success we need volunteers! We need volunteers to bring cookies/bars for the day and we need volunteers to help with the day. Sign up and additional details will be published shortly. Stay tuned.
September 29, 2017
I forgot to add to my weekly news we will be celebrating St. Francis' feast day and talking about St. Clare on Wednesday. The following note will be sent home on Monday:
The saint icon for Mrs. Bovee’s classroom is St. Francis of Assisi. He is known as a nature lover and is the patron saint of animals. St. Clare is the saint for Mrs. Maxwell’s classroom. St. Clare was a follower of St. Francis.
In celebration of St. Francis’ feast day, we are inviting the children to bring in one stuffed animal (must fit in backpack) on Wednesday, October 4th. We will be learning a lot about St. Francis and St. Clare on Wednesday and throughout the week. .
Thank you,
Mrs. Bovee and Mrs. Maxwell
September 29, 2017
It's hard to believe it is already the last week of September and October begins this weekend. We have had an amazing start to the year. The kids have adjusted to the routines of the day and they have handled all the transitions very well. They seem happy to be here and excited to learn. Just the other day we had a very long math lesson and I made a comment about how we had a lot of math in one day and someone yelled out, "I like it!" and the rest chimed in, "It was fun!" I definitely had to smile. Their enthusiasm for learning is one of my favorite parts of teaching kindergarten. We focused on printing numbers this week and pennies were introduced.
We learned our first sight word this week and practiced using it in a sentence. We were also working on rhyming words. Three paper readers have made it home this week. Please encourage your child to practice them often and find a place to keep them. We also started writing this week. We drew a picture in response to one of our stories and also practiced writing the names of some of our classmates.
You will find your child's poetry notebook in their backpack today. Please read the note inside. Have your child practice reading the poems to you and then sign the form on the inside cover. Be sure to return the notebook on Monday for our new poem.
We experienced our first fire drill Thursday afternoon while we were in the library. They did a wonderful job exiting the building quickly and quietly!
Here is a schedule for our Marathon day next Friday. I will send additional details as I get them. Thank you for your donations for our service project. We will continue to collect items throughout the week.
7:00am-9:00am Balloon Arch
9:20am School Starts
9:45am Meet at the Flagpole (also Lunchroom Decorating)
School Prayer
10:00am Walk Begins
11:35-12:10pm K-2 Lunch
12:15-12:50pm 3-5 Lunch
12:55-1:20pm 6-8 Lunch
1:30-2:15pm Rosary Service in Church
2:15-3:10pm Service Project Time for Classes*
3:15-3:35pm Pep Rally in Auditorium
3:40pm Dismissal
Other items:
* I will be sending the holiday party assignments next week.
*Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering for Junior Achievement program (scheduled for March)
*Return September reading logs on Monday.
September 22, 2017
We had another great week of school. We have been very busy in reading working on printing and sounds for the letters A - J. Next week we will be working with more letters and our first sight word. We will be learning how to write the word and use it in a sentence. Your child will also be bringing home their first two paper readers to go along with lesson 1 in reading. The first few readers are simple and wordless. We start with these simple picture stories so the children can practice telling stories in complete sentences while matching their sentence to the picture they see on the page. Learning how to form sentences is an important skill in the development of reading, writing and comprehension. A third paper reader will also come home focusing on the new sight word. Please keep these paper readers in a plastic bag, bin or box as they bring them home to practice. The more your child can practice these skills the more confident they will become.
The kids are enjoying the different math activities we work on each day. This past week we discussed circles, rectangles, and squares, started comparing numbers and began adding and subtracting with some manipulatives.
Thank you for the food donations that have started to come in for our Marathon service project. It is a wonderful lesson for the kindergartners to know that even though they are young they can still help those in need.
Reminder: Picture Day is on Monday! Students may be out of uniform for the day. You can order your pictures online or send in the form with a check on Monday.
Great News: Our class brought in the most money for our hallway this week so we earned an ice cream party on Monday. They are so excited!
September 15, 2017
We had a great second week of school and have started to get into our reading, math and religion curriculum. We finished chapter 1 in religion where we discussed the wonderful things God created for us and how we should be thankful for these many gifts. In math, we have been focusing on the numbers one through five. We have been using math tiles, our fingers and drawings to demonstrate our understanding of these numbers. This past week we worked on printing the letters A-E, learned some poems, and started discussing syllables and rhyming words.
Thank you for attending Curriculum night on Wednesday. It was great to see you. For those of you not able to make it, I sent home today a packet of papers we went through at the meeting. We also highlighted a few items in the Welcome to Kindergarten packet that was sent home on the first day of school. One item that was mentioned at the meeting and not written anywhere is the date my class will be planning a school Mass. Each class plans one Mass a year and gets to sit in the choir loft to lead the school in the songs for the Mass. We will also be in charge of the first reading, the petitions and bringing up the gifts. Please mark May 17th on your calendar and join us if you are able. You are also welcome to come to any of our weekly Masses. They are most every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. but some are in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Please check the monthly calendar we send home for the exact dates and times.
As was mentioned at Curriculum Night a volunteer is needed for our Junior Achievement program in March. It would require a 30 minute session once a week for five weeks. If you are interested, please send me an email letting me know.
You should have received a packet on Thursday filled with Marathon details. It should provide answers to any questions you may have regarding the Marathon. If you have not yet received it please ask your child to check their backpack.
The link to my website is: smmaxwell.weebly.com This link is always listed under my email link in the signature below. You can find class information such as the list of letters and sight words we are working on, the monthly calendar, the specialists schedule, and a copy of my Friday news emails as well as a few other things. Check it out at your convenience.
Hopefully you will be able to attend some of the fun events planned for Autum Fest this weekend. There are great kids events planned for tomorrow as well as a parish dinner and variety show after Mass. There is also a pancake breakfast scheduled on Sunday morning under the big tent.
September 8,2017
Our first week of school went very well. It has been a fun week getting to know each other and learn each other's names. We also spent time learning the rules and routines of our day and they all did an amazing job.
Thank you for your donations for Wacky Sock day. A portion of the money earned will go towards our Marathon goal.
Thank you for returning the parent surveys and the holiday party volunteer forms. If you have not yet had a chance to return them please do so this week.
SAVE THE DATE:
The third annual Curriculum Night will be held on Wednesday, September 13th. This is an opportunity for parents to learn more about the incredible education your child/children receives each day at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Curriculum Night is a parents only evening (childcare will not be provided). Here is the itinerary for Curriculum Night:
* Grades K-5 will run two 20 minute sessions. Both sessions will be identical.
- Session 1 - 6:00-6:20 pm
- Session 2 - 6:25-6:45 pm
K-5 teachers will then be available to talk with parents from 6:45 pm to 7:30 pm.
***Mrs. Bovee and I will presenting our information together. The sessions will be in her room, 110. I hope to see you there.
September 1, 2017
I enjoyed seeing all of you at the Back to School Kick off. It seems the kindergartners are as excited and ready to start the year as I am! I hope you are too.
We do have gym on the first day so be sure to send your child in their tennis shoes. We do not have time to change shoes during the day so it is best if they wear them for the day.
On the first day of school please look for a file folder in your child's backpack. Inside the folder you will find a calendar for the month of September. Each month we will send a calendar home with the cycle days, specialists, and any school or parish events pertaining to your child. There will also be a sign up for helping and planning holiday parties, a welcome letter filled with more detailed information, a birthday celebration letter and a parent survey. Please return any forms as they are filled out.
I am truly blessed to be your child's teacher and I
?look forward to working with you to help your child have a successful year.
You are always welcome to contact me with any questions you may have.
Plenty of laughter and excitement filled the classroom on Tuesday thanks to our parent volunteers who planned a wonderful Halloween party. The children enjoyed decorating a pumpkin, playing many fun games, and mixing a variety of goodies for their snack. On Wednesday we had a visit from some Saints. Our 8th graders dressed as a Saint and came to our classroom. Each 8th grader paired up with a kindergartner to work on a special craft as they told the kindergartner about their saint's life. I enjoyed walking around and listening in on their conversations. The kindergartners were very excited about the necklaces they made and wore them the whole day! We had a marathon pep rally on Thursday where they announced we raised over $91,000! How blessed we are here at St. John's to have such a supportive community. Thank you for all your donations.
Look for your child's poetry notebook tonight in their backpack. They have four new poems that they are very excited to read/sing to you. Please make sure to sign the inside cover and send back to school on Tuesday. You should have also seen a large pile of six paper readers come home on Thursday. Your child used these books to read to their grandparent or special friend. Four of the readers were Halloween related and two were from the reading series. Please have them read these fun books to you and keep them with the others to continually practice.
Looking ahead:
Monday - No school and parent teacher conferences
Wednesday - picture retakes
Thursday - parent teacher conferences
This week for Lent we have been focusing on ways to share both at home and at school. During our discussions we specifically thought of examples where there is only one of something and we have to share that one thing with everyone. Their little minds were really working and they came up with awesome examples. They thought of having to share a bedroom, a couch, and the TV as some examples for their home and the hallway, their tables, and the playground to name a few school examples. They were also able to come up with stories from the Bible when Jesus shared with others. I always enjoy hearing the wonderful ideas the kids share with me.
We have been working very hard in math this week solving addition and subtraction equations and also practicing writing equations. Our new math curriculum is quite challenging and I am amazed at how well they are understanding these concepts.
We talked about Dr. Seuss today and will continue to enjoy many of his stories next week. We will also be practicing rhyming words. Next week is a review week in our reading curriculum. Please focus on the 40 words we have learned so far and continue to practice the many paper readers that have come home.
Check out our new poems for the month in our poetry notebook. Please sign and return by Monday.
Upcoming events:
The past few weeks Renee Krautkremer, Paige's mom, has taught the Junior Achievement lessons to the class. They have discussed making choices, wants and needs, and saving and spending money. They have been very engaged in all the topics and have had a great time during the lessons! We will have one final session when we return to school after Spring Break. Thank you to Renee for volunteering her time.
This week for Lent we talked about praying to God and listed the times and places we pray at home and at school. We also discussed what we can talk to God about and the people we can pray for. We have completed our Lent packet and they are in the backpacks today. I hope you have a chance to look at it with your child. They put so much thought into each week's pictures. This week are focusing on the three days before Easter. The chapter talks about Holy Thursday as a day to serve others, Good Friday as a day to put others first and Holy Saturday as a day to celebrate new life. We will complete the Easter chapter the week after Spring Break.
You will find the April newsletter, April calendar, and the monthly reading log in your child's backpack tonight. You will also find a Spring Break Reading Bingo paper. It suggests some fun ideas for making reading practice a little more exciting for the week. Have your child color in the boxes she/he tried and maybe they will get a BINGO! They can also use this reading time to help them fill in their March reading log. Please return the Bingo page and the March reading log when they return from Spring Break.
Continue to practice those sight words this week as well. We have now learned 52 words!
On Thursday I sent home the words for the spring concert songs. Mrs. Mokos, the music teacher, has asked that you help your child learn the words to these songs.
Please ask your child about their supplies. Some need new crayons and believe it or not, some need new glue sticks!!! Spring break is a great time to pick up some fresh supplies.
Reminder:
There is NO school next week due to Spring Break. I hope everyone enjoys their time whether you are going far away or staying close to home. Hopefully our weather will be more spring like when we return in April!
Wishing all of you a very blessed and joyful Easter!
Spring Concert News:
We began the week by practicing for the Spring concert with the other kindergarten class. It is always fun to see and hear the two classes singing their hearts out together. The St. John's Beginner and Concert bands, Kindergarten, 1st, and 4th grades, SJB singers, Drum Circle, and Middle School Bells will present "Celebrate Summer," Tuesday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Students are to wear their school uniform for the morning concert (no out of uniform passes allowed) and nice bright summer clothes for the evening performance. If your daughter wears a skirt or dress please have her wear shorts underneath. They will be sitting on the risers in between songs.
Kindergartners will meet in the library at 6:45 for the evening concert. Teacher supervision will start at 6:45.
Mission Carnival:
On Friday, May 18th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. we will hold our 34th annual Mission Carnival. St. John's objectives for this special day are to generate awareness of the people in our community who need our help and services and to give our students an afternoon of fun! If you would like to walk with your child and a small group to help them navigate throughout the school to play games please let me know by responding to this email.
Happy Mother's Day!!
My sincerest wishes to all you moms for a wonderful Mother's day. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. Here is a quote I came across that speaks to me as a mom and a teacher. This is how I feel about our three daughters as well as all the children in my class. I am truly blessed to have your child as a part of my daily life.
Do you ever look at
your child and start
smiling? Not because
your child did
something amazing,
just smiling because
that's who God blessed
you with.....
This week in reading and math we spent time reviewing many of the skills we learned throughout our last units. We still have many fun activities to keep us busy next week. We will be working on a memory book, working in our writer's notebook and poetry notebook and also learning some great math games that they can play throughout the summer. We also finished our science unit on Materials in our World with a few investigations with wood and water. They had so much fun discovering how many paper clips they had to attach to their block of wood in order to make it sink!
Next week, the school Mass will be on Friday, the last day of school rather than on Thursday. It will also be an out of uniform day!!
Memorial Day and Last Day
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 28th due to Memorial day and our last day will be a FULL DAY on Friday, June 1st.
I can't believe this year has gone so quickly! Some days I wish I could stop time so I could keep them with me longer.
Have a wonderful weekend. Stay cool!
This week in reading and math we spent time reviewing many of the skills we learned throughout our last units. We still have many fun activities to keep us busy next week. We will be working on a memory book, working in our writer's notebook and poetry notebook and also learning some great math games that they can play throughout the summer. We also finished our science unit on Materials in our World with a few investigations with wood and water. They had so much fun discovering how many paper clips they had to attach to their block of wood in order to make it sink!
Next week, the school Mass will be on Friday, the last day of school rather than on Thursday. It will also be an out of uniform day!!
Memorial Day and Last Day
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 28th due to Memorial day and our last day will be a FULL DAY on Friday, June 1st.
I can't believe this year has gone so quickly! Some days I wish I could stop time so I could keep them with me longer.
May 14, 2018
It was quite the action packed week! The kids did a wonderful job on Tuesday at the morning and the evening concerts. It makes me smile listening to them sing and dance to their songs. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.
Thursday's Mass went so well. I am very proud of all of them! They did such a wonderful job being respectful during Mass while leading the school in song and prayer. Their confidence level has really grown this year. It was great to see them so comfortable while participating at both the Spring concert and Mass.
After two important performances this week what a better way to end it than having a great time at the Mission Carnival. They were so excited to explore the school, play new games, and show me all their prizes at the end of the day. They had a great time.
I'm sure they will all sleep well tonight!
May 11,2018
Spring Concert News:
We began the week by practicing for the Spring concert with the other kindergarten class. It is always fun to see and hear the two classes singing their hearts out together. The St. John's Beginner and Concert bands, Kindergarten, 1st, and 4th grades, SJB singers, Drum Circle, and Middle School Bells will present "Celebrate Summer," Tuesday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Students are to wear their school uniform for the morning concert (no out of uniform passes allowed) and nice bright summer clothes for the evening performance. If your daughter wears a skirt or dress please have her wear shorts underneath. They will be sitting on the risers in between songs.
Kindergartners will meet in the library at 6:45 for the evening concert. Teacher supervision will start at 6:45.
Mission Carnival:
On Friday, May 18th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. we will hold our 34th annual Mission Carnival. St. John's objectives for this special day are to generate awareness of the people in our community who need our help and services and to give our students an afternoon of fun! If you would like to walk with your child and a small group to help them navigate throughout the school to play games please let me know by responding to this email.
Happy Mother's Day!!
My sincerest wishes to all you moms for a wonderful Mother's day. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. Here is a quote I came across that speaks to me as a mom and a teacher. This is how I feel about our three daughters as well as all the children in my class. I am truly blessed to have your child as a part of my daily life.
Do you ever look at
your child and start
smiling? Not because
your child did
something amazing,
just smiling because
that's who God blessed
you with.....
May 4, 2018
This week our religion chapter focused on prayer. We discussed how we can pray anywhere and at any time because we know Jesus is always with us and is able to listen. We learned that praying can be as simple as talking to God or it can be saying prayers that we have learned like the Sign of the Cross, the Hail Mary, or the Lord's prayer. We specifically looked at the Our Father and discussed the meaning of it. It worked out well then to join the school this morning to celebrate the Month of Mary as St. John's 8th Graders lead us in a Living Rosary.
Reminders:
- We will be in the choir loft next week for Mass to join in song with Mrs. Bovee's class.
- Please continue to practice the words for the spring concert songs. The concert will be Tuesday, May 15th at 7:00 p.m.
- Our class Mass will be Thursday, May 17th.
- Mission Carnival will be on Friday, May 18th. More information to come.
I look forward to seeing those of you who will be attending the Jubilee on Saturday evening. If you are unable to attend but would like to bid on the silent auction items visit https://ssjbjubilee2018.ggo.bid, create a login and start bidding! Silent auction bidding ends at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 5!
April 27, 2018
This afternoon we attended the school play, The King and I. It was a wonderful performance and the kindergartners were very entertained. If you have a chance to go see it for yourselves there is a 7:00 performance tonight as well as tomorrow evening.
This week we talked about the sacrament of Baptism in our religion lessons. I told the students they could bring in a picture from their Baptism if they would like to. We will take time to share pictures on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Reminder: Our class Mass will be on Thursday, May 17th. We will also be sitting in the choir loft on Thursday, May 10th to help Mrs. Bovee's class lead the school in song.
April 20, 2018
With Earth Day coming up on Sunday, we discussed the 3 R's - reduce, recycle, and reuse and thought of ideas for keeping the earth clean. Our weekly poem was also about the 3 R's and could be sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. One of my favorite things about our weekly poems is having the kids think of actions to go along with the words. They have very creative and fun ideas!
Snow gear: Since there is still a fair amount of snow on the playground and we won't know if it will completely melt this weekend, snow gear will be optional for the beginning of the week. If your child thinks they will want to play in any remaining snow, they can bring their snow pants and boots. If they do not bring them they will not be allowed in the snow and will have to play in the dry areas.
April 13, 2018
This week, on Thursday, we had a school wide tornado drill. As a class we talked about how to stay safe during a storm at home and at school. The children learned how to crouch down and cover their head for our practice in the hallway.They did a fabulous job following directions and staying quiet.
Next week is a review week in reading so there will be no new sight words. It is a great time to continue to practice and master all the words we have already learned. Attached to the homework guide this week will be a review sight word list from Unit 5.
Poetry notebooks are in the backpack today. Please listen to your child read the newest poems. Sign the notebook and return to school on Monday.
We worked with pennies, nickels, and dimes this week in Math as we identified and named the value of each coin. We also practiced making amounts less than 20 cents. We learned how to trade five pennies for a nickel and ten pennies for a dime. The quarter was also introduced but was not yet used in counting.
**Mark your calendar: Our class will be leading the school Mass on Thursday, May 17th at 9:35 a.m. While not all students have a reading part, we will all sit in the choir loft together and we will be leading all the songs. Some students will be reading the introduction, first reading, petitions, and some will carry up the gifts. All will be singing in the choir and Mrs. Bovee's class will be joining us to sing. We will also be singing a song after Communion. I will ask the students what part they will feel most comfortable doing and assign parts accordingly. Parts are assigned about a week before and we do a lot of practicing the the days before our Mass. If you are able to join us, it is best to sit on the left side of the altar (if you are facing it) in the empty section near the lectern. You will then be able to see the choir loft as well. Mrs. Bovee's class will lead Mass on May 10th and we will be sitting in the choir loft and singing with them. We would love to have you come to our Masses!
Please continue to send snow gear until I send the all clear. I know you are tired of sending it but they are still finding snow to play in and are having a good time. Personally, I hope it ends soon!! Not having to put it on the gear will add about 10 minutes to our day. :)
April 6, 2018
I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Spring Break and Easter Holiday. It's hard to believe we have only 8 weeks left in the school year! This class has grown and matured so much during the time they have spent in Kindergarten. My favorite part of teaching this age is seeing the huge growth academically and emotionally that takes place during the year. They love to learn at this age and are so curious about the world around them.
Just a head's up: Stapled to the sight word list on Monday, I will be sending home a homework sheet that is strictly optional. I have never sent homework home in the past for Kindergarten because we already have a long day and more stress doesn't need to be added to the day. Consider it more of a guideline of what can be done at home during the week. It may be helpful to you to have some direction of activities for your child to do when they don't want to read for you or for when they want to do homework like their sibling. It will have reading ideas, sight word work, and some math practice. I did not discuss the sheet with the kids today. I will leave that up to you as to how you want to use it. If your child would like to turn it in on Fridays they may but it is certainly not required. I am also open to feedback. Let me know what you think and whether or not you find it helpful.
Tonight in the backpack you will find a packet of sight words that is from the workbook. Feel free to use them how you want.
It was brought to my attention that I gave you the wrong date for the Spring music concert. The correct date is Tuesday, May 15!
Reminder: The book order for this month is due Wednesday, April 11th.
March 23, 2018
The children enjoyed their out of uniform day today and had a great time at another all school BINGO game at the end of the day. What a fun way to head into our Spring Break!
The past few weeks Renee Krautkremer, Paige's mom, has taught the Junior Achievement lessons to the class. They have discussed making choices, wants and needs, and saving and spending money. They have been very engaged in all the topics and have had a great time during the lessons! We will have one final session when we return to school after Spring Break. Thank you to Renee for volunteering her time.
This week for Lent we talked about praying to God and listed the times and places we pray at home and at school. We also discussed what we can talk to God about and the people we can pray for. We have completed our Lent packet and they are in the backpacks today. I hope you have a chance to look at it with your child. They put so much thought into each week's pictures. This week are focusing on the three days before Easter. The chapter talks about Holy Thursday as a day to serve others, Good Friday as a day to put others first and Holy Saturday as a day to celebrate new life. We will complete the Easter chapter the week after Spring Break.
You will find the April newsletter, April calendar, and the monthly reading log in your child's backpack tonight. You will also find a Spring Break Reading Bingo paper. It suggests some fun ideas for making reading practice a little more exciting for the week. Have your child color in the boxes she/he tried and maybe they will get a BINGO! They can also use this reading time to help them fill in their March reading log. Please return the Bingo page and the March reading log when they return from Spring Break.
Continue to practice those sight words this week as well. We have now learned 52 words!
On Thursday I sent home the words for the spring concert songs. Mrs. Mokos, the music teacher, has asked that you help your child learn the words to these songs.
Please ask your child about their supplies. Some need new crayons and believe it or not, some need new glue sticks!!! Spring break is a great time to pick up some fresh supplies.
Reminder:
There is NO school next week due to Spring Break. I hope everyone enjoys their time whether you are going far away or staying close to home. Hopefully our weather will be more spring like when we return in April!
Wishing all of you a very blessed and joyful Easter!
March 16, 2018
Today we had some St. Patrick's day fun. We learned about St. Patrick and the special love he had for the people of Ireland. You will see a paper book about him in your child's backpack today. We had some challenging activities for math and the highlight of the day was making a leprechaun trap! The kids set their traps before gym class and while they were at class the leprechauns tripped the traps and took the shiny coins. Luckily for them, the leprechaun left them something glittery and a pack of Skittles! They are bringing their traps home today so they can set it up and show you how it works. I'm sure they will try to catch a leprechaun at your house too!
Thank you for sending in a donation today for your child to wear green. The Peer Ministry team will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the CRS Rice Bowl.
This week for Lent we focused on being thankful to God for all that we have. We listed the many things we are thankful for both at home and at school. We also discussed manners and how much it is appreciated when people say, "thank you." This class is very mindful of using good manners and they thank me many times a day for things I do for them. It certainly warms my heart.
Next Thursday is a Penance service for grades 2-8 so there will not be an all school Mass that morning.
March 9, 2018
Today you will find your child's report card in their backpack. Please keep the paper inside for yourself, sign the envelope, and bring the envelope with you to your conference on Monday.
Just a reminder, there will be no school on Monday due to conferences. Thank you for scheduling a time on Sign Up Genius. I look forward to visiting with each of you.
This past week for Lent we talked about being brave and how we can talk to God during those times we are afraid. They shared wonderful examples of times they have been afraid both at home and school and they talked about what they did when they needed to be brave. I love having these conversations with your children. They are so willing to share and have such great stories. We also attended the Stations of the Cross and Benediction today with the whole school. We have been talking about the story of the stations and discussed how brave Jesus had to be.
As seen in the bulletin this week:
St. Patrick's Day O'Fun
On Friday, March 16, the Peer Ministry team invites you to wear your favorite St. Patrick's Day Item! Check your closets for that special St. Patrick's Day hat, shamrock socks or anything green to celebrate the holiday! If you would like to participate, bring in a minimum donation of $1.00! We will be donating a portion of the proceeds to CRS Rice Bowl.
March 2, 2108
This week for Lent we have been focusing on ways to share both at home and at school. During our discussions we specifically thought of examples where there is only one of something and we have to share that one thing with everyone. Their little minds were really working and they came up with awesome examples. They thought of having to share a bedroom, a couch, and the TV as some examples for their home and the hallway, their tables, and the playground to name a few school examples. They were also able to come up with stories from the Bible when Jesus shared with others. I always enjoy hearing the wonderful ideas the kids share with me.
We have been working very hard in math this week solving addition and subtraction equations and also practicing writing equations. Our new math curriculum is quite challenging and I am amazed at how well they are understanding these concepts.
We talked about Dr. Seuss today and will continue to enjoy many of his stories next week. We will also be practicing rhyming words. Next week is a review week in our reading curriculum. Please focus on the 40 words we have learned so far and continue to practice the many paper readers that have come home.
Check out our new poems for the month in our poetry notebook. Please sign and return by Monday.
Upcoming events:
- Culvers Night Wednesday, March 7th
- Spring Conferences are Monday, March 12th. A Sign up Genius will be sent out soon.
February 23, 2018
During the season of Lent we will be discussing ways in which we can help, share, be brave, be thankful, and pray both at home and at school. I will be sharing stories from the Bible that show these same qualities in Jesus. We will also discuss how we can carry out each of these actions, draw pictures about them, and then try to practice these actions with our families and classmates. Our focus this week was helping others so perhaps you will see them trying to be more helpful around the house this weekend!
This Lent all students K-8 are offering a silent lunch each Friday. We are choosing to fast from talking once a week as a sign of a sacrifice.
Looking ahead:
- Just a reminder, school is in session February 26-28. We will have Carpool Only Days those three dates next week. Click HERE for the diagram for both drop-off and pick-up on Carpool Only Days. Thank you for returning your carpool forms.
- Breakfast with a Book is Wednesday, February 28. Stop by the cafeteria from 8:15-9:10 and enjoy a light breakfast while you read a favorite book. Please enter through Door #3.
February 16, 2018
We had a great time this week celebrating Valentine's Day and the 100th day of school. We did some math activities and fun science investigations with candy hearts. The students sorted, tallied, and graphed candy hearts to find the most and least popular colors. Through the science investigations they discovered candy hearts sink in water. We also tested what would happen to the hearts after they sat in water, soda and vinegar for an extended period of time. They were fascinated by the changes occurring before their eyes. Hopefully you saw the results they drew on their observation papers. The kids enjoyed all the exciting stations at the Valentine's party. Here are the highlights:
- They worked hard building a tower with marshmallows and toothpicks which they got to bring home.
- They participated in a fun science experiment using oil, water, food coloring and Alka Seltzer to make a lava lamp.
- They had to open candy wrappers while wearing knit gloves.
- They used their decorating skills to fill their graham crackers with frosting and candy. It's a good thing they had milk to wash it all down!
- Learned a new poem and added it to our poetry notebook
- Listened to 100 day stories
- Exercised while counting to 100
- Shared the 100 items they brought from home and used them to make a class book
- Counted and recorded how many licks it took to eat a Dum Dum sucker
- Rotated through stations of 100 items with a partner. They practiced communicating and cooperating with each other while they worked with 100 Legos, wooden blocks, plastic stacking cups, pattern blocks, numbered clothespins, and Popsicle sticks to make some amazing creations.
Upcoming Events:
*Our annual Book Swap will take place next Wednesday, February 21st. Your child may bring in 1 or 2 gently used books to swap for an equal number. They may begin bringing in books on Monday and may bring in books up to the day of the event.
*Carpool Only Days Coming Up Please be aware we have three carpool only days on February 26th, 27th and 28th. No school buses will be available for any students. Click HERE for the diagram for both drop-off and pick-up during those days. I will be sending home a form on Monday requesting the names of drivers for each day of the week similar to the form in the fall. Please return the form by Thursday.
**We DO have school this coming Monday!
February 9, 2018
Reminders for the week:
*Please send in all Valentines on Monday, February 12th. We will not have time to deliver Valentines on Tuesday due to the many other fun activities we have planned.
*Items for the 100th day are due by Tuesday, February 13th.
*Students can be out of uniform (without using a pass) on Tuesday, February 13th. We are asking that they wear Valentine’s Day colors of white, pink, or red.
We practiced our first lock down drill on Thursday afternoon. We happened to be in the library at the time of the drill. The kids did a great job sitting quietly while waiting for the all clear announcement.
In gym class this past week they participated in a karate unit and had a great time. When I picked them up today I got to see them kick a magnetic plastic "board" in half. They were so excited and proud of themselves for being able to actually break the board!
In the backpacks tonight you will find an I Love to Read month packet of purple papers. For each book that is read during the month, fill out a strip and return it to school. All the strips from grades K - 3 will be combined to create a caterpillar chain to be hung in the library.
Next week will be an exciting week filled with activities, investigations, and creativity to help us celebrate Valentine's day and the 1
February 2, 2018
What a fun filled exciting Catholic School's week! We have been able to participate in so many great activities throughout the week. I'm sure if you asked your child what their favorite activity was they would have a difficult time choosing just one. Here are some highlights of the week: They loved starting the week with a cup of hot chocolate on Monday morning and ending the day with a special chill time activity. I could tell they enjoyed Tuesday's movie, Air Bud: Golden Receiver, by all their laughter. They did a great job on Wednesday making Valentine cards and owl centerpieces for the Savage Senior Living home. It made them feel good to know they would be bringing cheer to someone else's day. The auditorium was filled with excitement later in the day as they ate popcorn and played Bingo with the entire school. I was so impressed how well the Kindergartners were able to identify their numbers and keep up with the game. Thursday's excitement continued with wacky hat day and some special time coloring and reading with some preschoolers and 6th graders. And of course the annual trip to Skateville was a highlight! All their practice and hard work in gym class paid off. They were so proud of themselves for being able to skate. They had a wonderful time. I'm sure they will all sleep well tonight after all the festivities of the week. I know I will!
Yesterday each student made a prediction for Groundhog's day. The majority of the class predicted he would see his shadow meaning there would be six more weeks of winter. As luck would have it, they were correct. Hopefully we will see some milder weather soon.
On Wednesday your child brought home a packet of important papers that you will need to refer to throughout the month of February. Your monthly newsletter, the February calendar and the reading log were part of the packet. New this month, there was also a letter detailing the directions for labeling Valentines as well as a note explaining a 100th day assignment. Please read these extra notes carefully and notice the dates these items are due.
Reading update:
Beginning next week you will notice the take home decodable paper readers will be longer and have more words on each page. It is always exciting for the kids when the books become longer and more challenging. Please take time to listen to your child read these books a few times each week. Each book will help them practice their sight words, learn how to sound out words and therefore, become better readers. Also new next week, we will be learning six new words a week rather than two! It is important to regularly practice these new words and all previous words so they do not fall behind in their learning. A list of the new words will be sent home each Monday so they can practice them throughout the week.
Reminders:
* Kindergarten is hosting Culver's night on Wednesday, February 7th.
*Valentines can be sent in beginning Thursday, February 8th but no later than Monday, February 12th. Remember to have your child number them and sign their name.
*100 small items in a plastic bag are due Tuesday, February 13th.
Poetry Notebooks are in the backpack tonight. Please take time this weekend to listen to our new poems from the month of January. Sign the inside cover and send the notebooks back on Monday.
January 26, 2018
Next week is the big week! It is Catholic Schools Week! Your child will bring home a brochure today explaining all the fun St. John's has planned for next week! We will kick off our week with Mass and open house this Sunday from 10:00 to 1:00. Please stop in and check out our room!
Next week children are asked to dress as the theme for the day or be in uniform. No Out Of Uniform Passes will be allowed next week.
- Monday - Comfy day and slippers (no pajamas)
- Tuesday - Favorite Hoodie day
- Wednesday - Spirit Wear day
- Thursday - In uniform due to Mass and favorite hat day
- Friday - dress as your favorite super hero or super team day
Next Monday each child will receive a Catholic Schools Week button. Please encourage them to wear it everyday for a chance to win fabulous prizes!
The Bookfair will be open throughout the week! Please help support our library with your orders and help your child's love of reading. Money can be sent in anytime this week to purchase books.
***If you have not returned your child's permission slip for Skateville please do so on Monday.
January 19, 2018
Here are some upcoming important dates for your calendar:
January 22 - No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
January 28 - Catholic Schools Week Showcase and Open House 10:00 - 1:00
January 29 - February 2 - Catholic Schools Week
More information will be sent home next week listing the fun activities planned for the week. I hope you can join us for our annual Showcase on Sunday, January 28th. It is a great day to visit the classrooms and see the wonderful student work displayed around the school. The kindergartners have worked hard on new artwork for the hallway as well as some new class books.
Your child brought home a tube of mini M & M's today to enjoy. You can refill the tube with quarters to be donated to Feed My Starving Children. These can be returned starting Tuesday, January 24th. See the note below from the school newsletter for more details about this and the canned good collection.
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING BEGINS JANUARY 24
Let's have a bit of Super Bowl LII fun while helping our hungry neighbors both near and far by supporting this year's SOUPER BOWL OF CARING. Starting on Wednesday, Jan. 24, students may bring in canned meals -- such as Spaghetti O's, etc. -- and/or canned soups and return a Mini M&M tube filled with quarters, dollar bills (of any denomination!) or checks made payable to St. John's. The money collected will be used to help cover the cost of the ingredients - a grocery bill of more than $440,000 for the 2 Million meals scheduled to be packed at the South Metro Mobile Pack for Feed My Starving Children. The canned goods will be donated to Brain Power in a Back Pack to help ensure children get a healthy meal on weekends when they don't have access to school meal programs.
****I am still looking for someone who may be interested in teaching Junior Achievement to my class. It requires 30 minutes a week (3:00-3:30) for 5 weeks. It will begin in March. I can work around your schedule for choosing the day of the week. The lesson plans are already set up and they are quite simple to follow. The kids always enjoy this program every year. Please consider this volunteer opportunity and send me an email if you are interested.
Please return the paper skate with your child's shoe size by Tuesday if you have not yet done so.
January 12, 2018
A list of 12 sight words was sent home on Tuesday. Your child may cut these apart and use them as flashcards to practice their fluency. They may also use them to create sentences. We will be sending lists of sight words home through the end of the year. Please watch for them and have your child practice them. We will continue to learn two new words a week but in a few months we will be learning six new words a week. Any extra practice is helpful. By the end of the year they will need to be able to recognize and read 88 words.
Kindergarten will be hosting Culver’s Night in February! I know it’s still a bit early, but if you would like to help out with your kindergartener on February 7, please check out the link below.
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e0a4ea8ae22a2f58-culvers3/27342932
Reminder: There is no school on Monday due to Martin Luther King Day.
January 5, 2018
What a chilly week to return to school. We only made it outside once for recess this week. Hopefully the temperatures will improve next week so they can run off some energy!
Starting this week and continuing for a few months your child will be learning two new sight words each week.This week we focused on the words 'come' and 'me'. Daily or weekly practice will help your child keep up with the words and not fall behind. I will also begin assessing the children on the growing list to make sure they are retaining them. The list of sight words is on my Weebly page under the Classroom Information tab. Please continue to listen to your child read all the paper books that come home each week and enctourage them to read them often.
We worked with teen numbers this week in Math. They are getting very good at knowing which partner a group of ten needs to make each teen number. (ie. 10 and 4 are partners to make 14)
A book order for
December 20, 2017
We've had a very fun week putting our math and reading skills as well as our creative and critical thinking skills to work during a candy cane investigation on Monday and a gingerbread investigation on Tuesday. We used all five senses to explore candy canes and during it we discovered some new vocabulary words for the smell, taste and feel of the candy canes. We also discovered everyone in the class likes the flavor. We used some of our senses again while we explored gingerbread people. We also predicted what would happen to the gingerbread cookie when it was placed in water. After learning it crumbles and sinks, we took on the challenge of designing a boat for the cookie. We first tested our designs with linking cubes then made adjustments accordingly. When we felt our design would be successful, we launched the boat with the cookie. It was great fun to watch everyone's final voyage! The kids were all very engaged and focused during the two investigations.
We had a very fun and exciting Christmas party today. Our party was filled with a fun game, great crafts and a delicious treat. We also made food for the reindeer to sprinkle on the lawn to help them find your house for Christmas. The kids had a great time at each station.
We sent the January newsletter, calendar, and reading log home yesterday in the backpacks. Please look for them. We also sent home an extra winter break challenge filled with some fun activities to keep their brains strong during their time off.
School will resume on Tuesday, January, 2nd.
I want to thank you for choosing St. John's and sharing your child with me. I am blessed to have each of them in my classroom and love spending time with them every day.
My most sincere Christmas wishes to all of you. I hope you have a beautiful holiday.
December 15, 2017
We attended the Christmas concert put on by the 2nd, 3rd and 5th graders on Tuesday. They did a wonderful job singing and putting us all in the Christmas spirit. We also heard the band perform their Christmas music.
Poetry notebooks will be in the backpacks today! Please enjoy all the new Thanksgiving and December poems. Please take time to listen to your child read them and don't forget to sign once on the inside cover.
We have a three day week next week. School will be in session Monday through Wednesday. Our school Mass will be Wednesday at 9:35.
Please remember to sign and return the report card envelopes. You may keep the papers that were inside.
December 8, 2017
As part of our weather unit in science we had a guest speaker on Wednesday. Melissa Stambaugh, a parent of two girls here at school, came in to talk about her job as a meteorologist. She showed the children a mini weather station and explained how each part works. She also showed them weather maps from a couple websites and explained what the lines and symbols represent. The kindergartners were very interested with all the tools that are used to predict the weather.
We celebrated the first week of Advent with an all school prayer service on Monday morning. We will begin the next two weeks the same way during this season. We are also discussing Advent in the classroom with each child adding a candle to their own paper Advent wreath. On the first of December I started reading a wonderful book about the journey to Bethlehem. At the end of each daily story a student gets to hang an ornament on a tree. Each child has a tree of their own that they are adding a star to daily to count down their journey to Christmas.
On Wednesday the children noticed a candy cane and poem inside their gray bin from St. Nicholas. Father DeGrood visited our classroom and told the children about St. Nicholas and prayed with them.
***Christmas gift idea: We have been using our markers and crayons a lot and many of them are wearing out. New markers and crayons make great stocking stuffers!
December 1, 2017
We have been working hard in math this week learning about partners for numbers up to six and finding groups of ten in teen numbers.Hopefully you have noticed a couple of family letters from our new math curriculum in your child's backpack within the last week. Please take the time to read these letters to familiarize yourself with how we are teaching these concepts. They also explain new vocabulary we are using as we teach these skills.
Gingerbread men, or women, are due on Monday, December 4th. This is a project we have been doing for many years and it is one of my favorites. I love seeing what the children are able to create with the help of their families. They will be displayed in the hall so if you are at school make sure to stop by the room to see them. We have many versions of the Gingerbread Man story to read and have some great activities planned for the next couple weeks.
Today in your child's backpack you will find an Advent paper chain. This is an at home activity to help your child think of others as they wait for Jesus' birthday. At school, we will be reading a special Advent story daily to help us with the countdown to Christmas.
It sounds like the weather will be changing next week to our typical colder December weather. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for recess. If it should snow, your child will need boots and snow pants for recess.
November 10, 2017
It was wonderful to meet with many of you this week for conferences. I enjoyed visiting with you and sharing your child's progress. Kindergarten is such an exciting year of academic growth. They love learning and are fascinated by new concepts. It has become one of my favorite ages to teach!
Our Thursday Mass time has changed from 9:30 to 9:35 giving teachers a few more minutes for their morning routines.
Upcoming events:
**Mr. Singewald, Father Sandquist, and Father DeGrood will ALL take their turn in the Dunk Tank on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:45 pm. All are invited to attend the outdoor event!
**2017 St. John's Food Drive
Bring in your boxed or canned goods
November 13th thru the 17th!
Monday: Boxed breakfast (cereal, pop tarts, etc.)
Tuesday: Boxed dinners (Mac & Cheese, Rice, etc.)
Wednesday: Canned vegetables/canned fruit
Thursday: Canned soup, chili, stew, etc.
Friday: Paper Products: toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, etc.
**Crazy Hat Day
On Friday, November 17 the Peer Ministry team invites you to wear your favorite hat with your uniform! If you would like to participate, bring in a minimum donation of $1.00 and you can show off your hat for the day! We will be donating a portion of the proceeds to a local food shelf.
November 3, 2017
Plenty of laughter and excitement filled the classroom on Tuesday thanks to our parent volunteers who planned a wonderful Halloween party. The children enjoyed decorating a pumpkin, playing many fun games, and mixing a variety of goodies for their snack. On Wednesday we had a visit from some Saints. Our 8th graders dressed as a Saint and came to our classroom. Each 8th grader paired up with a kindergartner to work on a special craft as they told the kindergartner about their saint's life. I enjoyed walking around and listening in on their conversations. The kindergartners were very excited about the necklaces they made and wore them the whole day! We had a marathon pep rally on Thursday where they announced we raised over $91,000! How blessed we are here at St. John's to have such a supportive community. Thank you for all your donations.
Look for your child's poetry notebook tonight in their backpack. They have four new poems that they are very excited to read/sing to you. Please make sure to sign the inside cover and send back to school on Tuesday. You should have also seen a large pile of six paper readers come home on Thursday. Your child used these books to read to their grandparent or special friend. Four of the readers were Halloween related and two were from the reading series. Please have them read these fun books to you and keep them with the others to continually practice.
Looking ahead:
Monday - No school and parent teacher conferences
Wednesday - picture retakes
Thursday - parent teacher conferences
October 27, 2017
We had fun learning about pumpkins and their life cycle this past week. On Wednesday each table worked together to investigate a pumpkin. They counted the lines on their pumpkin and then measured both the height and circumference using linking cubes and string. Each child predicted if the pumpkin would sink or float and then they tested their theory by putting it into a tub of water. You should have heard their excitement when they realized all the pumpkins were floating! They had a great time working together with their table mates and I saw some great teamwork as they completed their first group activity.
They also had an awesome time with their grandparents on Friday afternoon. I enjoyed meeting and visiting with so many grandparents and special friends! We had a great turnout in our classroom and it was fun to watch the interaction between the students and their guests. They loved being able to read five of their new paper readers to them.
Upcoming details for events next week:
Sunday:
St. John's School and Religious Education, will host it's first ever "Trunk OR Treat" family get together on Sunday, October 29th, from 3:00-4:30pm.
What is Trunk or Treat? It's a FREE, FUN and SAFE event that brings Halloween to our church parking lot; where kids go from car to car and get candy, treats or trinkets from decorated trunks. Hot chocolate/cider will be available. Great fun for the kids - great fellowship with our entire St. John's community.
Monday:
The November calendar and newsletter will be sent home in the backpacks.
Tuesday:
Halloween party - no costumes allowed.
Wednesday:
We will celebrate the holy day, Feast of the Saints, with Mass. Since it is a Mass day no out of uniform passes may be used and the children must be in uniform.
Thursday:
Pep Rally Wrap Up:
All parents and family are invited to join us at our final Pep Rally on Thurs, Nov 2nd at 3 pm. We'll announce our final results, draw for Grand Prize winners, and give the Teachers a chance to show their SUPER skills to win small treats (or maybe tricks?!) for their classes!
Friday:
Spirit Wear Day! If your child does not own any Spirit Wear they may wear their marathon shirt.
October 13, 2017
As part of fire safety week, a firefighter from the Savage Fire Department visited the kindergarten classes to talk about his gear, smoke detector sounds, and the importance of a family meeting spot. The kids then had the opportunity to sit inside the fire truck. They were very good listeners and loved being able to climb inside the truck. I have attached a class photo to this email and will upload more photos onto my web page.
On Thursday we had the chance to go outside and observe trees for our science unit. We looked at the colors of the trees, their shape and their size. We also did a bark rubbing of a trunk. I will be posting photos of this on my web page as well. ***Please look for the note regarding collecting leaves. It was sent home on Thursday. The pressed leaves will be due Monday, October 23rd.
A few reminders for next week:
- Monday and Tuesday will be carpool days. Please remember your child will be at the door assigned to the last name of the person picking them up. Please refer to the handout and map for details.
- Mid - Trimester Progress reports will be sent home on Tuesday.
- Pass out your invitations to grandparents for our annual Grandparent day and Mass. Invitations were in the backpack this week. Additional information was in the school's Wednesday newsletter.
- Book orders will be due on Tuesday.
October 6, 2017
We had an exciting and busy Marathon day today! They should sleep well tonight.
- Each child had a chance to wear my super hero cape during the walk and they loved it.
- After lunch they danced to the D.J.'s music in the lunchroom.
- We gathered in the church to pray the rosary.
- We packed 112 bags for our Brain Power in a backpack service project! Thank you very much for your donations, the amount of food we had was amazing. Your generosity will make a huge impact. Thank you also to those that were able to join us and help throughout the day. (see attached photo)
- We ended the day with a pep rally.
All specialists classes were cancelled for the day so we will go to the library Monday and check out new books. If anyone didn't have a chance to return their books today please bring them Monday.
Father Sandquist visited with the kindergarten classes on Wednesday when we celebrated the feast of St. Francis. He spoke to the children about the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare. In honor of St. Francis we strung Cheerios on a pipe cleaner to hang in a tree to feed the birds. Each child made two, one to take home and one to hang at school. I have posted photos on my Weebly page. Look for the photos tab. They are posted under the religion section labeled: Celebrating St. Francis and St. Clare.
Looking ahead: Important Information
* On Monday you will receive a letter and map regarding our carpool days. Please read it over carefully and return it by Thursday. More information was in the Wednesday school newsletter.
* Save the Date - Grandparents or Special Friends Day
St. John's School will celebrate Grandparents or Special Friends Day on Friday, October 27, 2017 with a celebratory Mass at 1:30pm. After Mass in the Church, there will be time to visit the students classrooms, take a photo and enjoy some goodies and refreshments.
To make St. John's Grandparents Day is a huge success we need volunteers! We need volunteers to bring cookies/bars for the day and we need volunteers to help with the day. Sign up and additional details will be published shortly. Stay tuned.
September 29, 2017
I forgot to add to my weekly news we will be celebrating St. Francis' feast day and talking about St. Clare on Wednesday. The following note will be sent home on Monday:
The saint icon for Mrs. Bovee’s classroom is St. Francis of Assisi. He is known as a nature lover and is the patron saint of animals. St. Clare is the saint for Mrs. Maxwell’s classroom. St. Clare was a follower of St. Francis.
In celebration of St. Francis’ feast day, we are inviting the children to bring in one stuffed animal (must fit in backpack) on Wednesday, October 4th. We will be learning a lot about St. Francis and St. Clare on Wednesday and throughout the week. .
Thank you,
Mrs. Bovee and Mrs. Maxwell
September 29, 2017
It's hard to believe it is already the last week of September and October begins this weekend. We have had an amazing start to the year. The kids have adjusted to the routines of the day and they have handled all the transitions very well. They seem happy to be here and excited to learn. Just the other day we had a very long math lesson and I made a comment about how we had a lot of math in one day and someone yelled out, "I like it!" and the rest chimed in, "It was fun!" I definitely had to smile. Their enthusiasm for learning is one of my favorite parts of teaching kindergarten. We focused on printing numbers this week and pennies were introduced.
We learned our first sight word this week and practiced using it in a sentence. We were also working on rhyming words. Three paper readers have made it home this week. Please encourage your child to practice them often and find a place to keep them. We also started writing this week. We drew a picture in response to one of our stories and also practiced writing the names of some of our classmates.
You will find your child's poetry notebook in their backpack today. Please read the note inside. Have your child practice reading the poems to you and then sign the form on the inside cover. Be sure to return the notebook on Monday for our new poem.
We experienced our first fire drill Thursday afternoon while we were in the library. They did a wonderful job exiting the building quickly and quietly!
Here is a schedule for our Marathon day next Friday. I will send additional details as I get them. Thank you for your donations for our service project. We will continue to collect items throughout the week.
7:00am-9:00am Balloon Arch
9:20am School Starts
9:45am Meet at the Flagpole (also Lunchroom Decorating)
School Prayer
10:00am Walk Begins
11:35-12:10pm K-2 Lunch
12:15-12:50pm 3-5 Lunch
12:55-1:20pm 6-8 Lunch
1:30-2:15pm Rosary Service in Church
2:15-3:10pm Service Project Time for Classes*
3:15-3:35pm Pep Rally in Auditorium
3:40pm Dismissal
Other items:
* I will be sending the holiday party assignments next week.
*Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering for Junior Achievement program (scheduled for March)
*Return September reading logs on Monday.
September 22, 2017
We had another great week of school. We have been very busy in reading working on printing and sounds for the letters A - J. Next week we will be working with more letters and our first sight word. We will be learning how to write the word and use it in a sentence. Your child will also be bringing home their first two paper readers to go along with lesson 1 in reading. The first few readers are simple and wordless. We start with these simple picture stories so the children can practice telling stories in complete sentences while matching their sentence to the picture they see on the page. Learning how to form sentences is an important skill in the development of reading, writing and comprehension. A third paper reader will also come home focusing on the new sight word. Please keep these paper readers in a plastic bag, bin or box as they bring them home to practice. The more your child can practice these skills the more confident they will become.
The kids are enjoying the different math activities we work on each day. This past week we discussed circles, rectangles, and squares, started comparing numbers and began adding and subtracting with some manipulatives.
Thank you for the food donations that have started to come in for our Marathon service project. It is a wonderful lesson for the kindergartners to know that even though they are young they can still help those in need.
Reminder: Picture Day is on Monday! Students may be out of uniform for the day. You can order your pictures online or send in the form with a check on Monday.
Great News: Our class brought in the most money for our hallway this week so we earned an ice cream party on Monday. They are so excited!
September 15, 2017
We had a great second week of school and have started to get into our reading, math and religion curriculum. We finished chapter 1 in religion where we discussed the wonderful things God created for us and how we should be thankful for these many gifts. In math, we have been focusing on the numbers one through five. We have been using math tiles, our fingers and drawings to demonstrate our understanding of these numbers. This past week we worked on printing the letters A-E, learned some poems, and started discussing syllables and rhyming words.
Thank you for attending Curriculum night on Wednesday. It was great to see you. For those of you not able to make it, I sent home today a packet of papers we went through at the meeting. We also highlighted a few items in the Welcome to Kindergarten packet that was sent home on the first day of school. One item that was mentioned at the meeting and not written anywhere is the date my class will be planning a school Mass. Each class plans one Mass a year and gets to sit in the choir loft to lead the school in the songs for the Mass. We will also be in charge of the first reading, the petitions and bringing up the gifts. Please mark May 17th on your calendar and join us if you are able. You are also welcome to come to any of our weekly Masses. They are most every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. but some are in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Please check the monthly calendar we send home for the exact dates and times.
As was mentioned at Curriculum Night a volunteer is needed for our Junior Achievement program in March. It would require a 30 minute session once a week for five weeks. If you are interested, please send me an email letting me know.
You should have received a packet on Thursday filled with Marathon details. It should provide answers to any questions you may have regarding the Marathon. If you have not yet received it please ask your child to check their backpack.
The link to my website is: smmaxwell.weebly.com This link is always listed under my email link in the signature below. You can find class information such as the list of letters and sight words we are working on, the monthly calendar, the specialists schedule, and a copy of my Friday news emails as well as a few other things. Check it out at your convenience.
Hopefully you will be able to attend some of the fun events planned for Autum Fest this weekend. There are great kids events planned for tomorrow as well as a parish dinner and variety show after Mass. There is also a pancake breakfast scheduled on Sunday morning under the big tent.
September 8,2017
Our first week of school went very well. It has been a fun week getting to know each other and learn each other's names. We also spent time learning the rules and routines of our day and they all did an amazing job.
Thank you for your donations for Wacky Sock day. A portion of the money earned will go towards our Marathon goal.
Thank you for returning the parent surveys and the holiday party volunteer forms. If you have not yet had a chance to return them please do so this week.
SAVE THE DATE:
The third annual Curriculum Night will be held on Wednesday, September 13th. This is an opportunity for parents to learn more about the incredible education your child/children receives each day at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Curriculum Night is a parents only evening (childcare will not be provided). Here is the itinerary for Curriculum Night:
* Grades K-5 will run two 20 minute sessions. Both sessions will be identical.
- Session 1 - 6:00-6:20 pm
- Session 2 - 6:25-6:45 pm
K-5 teachers will then be available to talk with parents from 6:45 pm to 7:30 pm.
***Mrs. Bovee and I will presenting our information together. The sessions will be in her room, 110. I hope to see you there.
September 1, 2017
I enjoyed seeing all of you at the Back to School Kick off. It seems the kindergartners are as excited and ready to start the year as I am! I hope you are too.
We do have gym on the first day so be sure to send your child in their tennis shoes. We do not have time to change shoes during the day so it is best if they wear them for the day.
On the first day of school please look for a file folder in your child's backpack. Inside the folder you will find a calendar for the month of September. Each month we will send a calendar home with the cycle days, specialists, and any school or parish events pertaining to your child. There will also be a sign up for helping and planning holiday parties, a welcome letter filled with more detailed information, a birthday celebration letter and a parent survey. Please return any forms as they are filled out.
I am truly blessed to be your child's teacher and I
?look forward to working with you to help your child have a successful year.
You are always welcome to contact me with any questions you may have.
Plenty of laughter and excitement filled the classroom on Tuesday thanks to our parent volunteers who planned a wonderful Halloween party. The children enjoyed decorating a pumpkin, playing many fun games, and mixing a variety of goodies for their snack. On Wednesday we had a visit from some Saints. Our 8th graders dressed as a Saint and came to our classroom. Each 8th grader paired up with a kindergartner to work on a special craft as they told the kindergartner about their saint's life. I enjoyed walking around and listening in on their conversations. The kindergartners were very excited about the necklaces they made and wore them the whole day! We had a marathon pep rally on Thursday where they announced we raised over $91,000! How blessed we are here at St. John's to have such a supportive community. Thank you for all your donations.
Look for your child's poetry notebook tonight in their backpack. They have four new poems that they are very excited to read/sing to you. Please make sure to sign the inside cover and send back to school on Tuesday. You should have also seen a large pile of six paper readers come home on Thursday. Your child used these books to read to their grandparent or special friend. Four of the readers were Halloween related and two were from the reading series. Please have them read these fun books to you and keep them with the others to continually practice.
Looking ahead:
Monday - No school and parent teacher conferences
Wednesday - picture retakes
Thursday - parent teacher conferences
This week for Lent we have been focusing on ways to share both at home and at school. During our discussions we specifically thought of examples where there is only one of something and we have to share that one thing with everyone. Their little minds were really working and they came up with awesome examples. They thought of having to share a bedroom, a couch, and the TV as some examples for their home and the hallway, their tables, and the playground to name a few school examples. They were also able to come up with stories from the Bible when Jesus shared with others. I always enjoy hearing the wonderful ideas the kids share with me.
We have been working very hard in math this week solving addition and subtraction equations and also practicing writing equations. Our new math curriculum is quite challenging and I am amazed at how well they are understanding these concepts.
We talked about Dr. Seuss today and will continue to enjoy many of his stories next week. We will also be practicing rhyming words. Next week is a review week in our reading curriculum. Please focus on the 40 words we have learned so far and continue to practice the many paper readers that have come home.
Check out our new poems for the month in our poetry notebook. Please sign and return by Monday.
Upcoming events:
- Culvers Night Wednesday, March 7th
- Spring Conferences are Monday, March 12th. A Sign up Genius will be sent out soon.
The past few weeks Renee Krautkremer, Paige's mom, has taught the Junior Achievement lessons to the class. They have discussed making choices, wants and needs, and saving and spending money. They have been very engaged in all the topics and have had a great time during the lessons! We will have one final session when we return to school after Spring Break. Thank you to Renee for volunteering her time.
This week for Lent we talked about praying to God and listed the times and places we pray at home and at school. We also discussed what we can talk to God about and the people we can pray for. We have completed our Lent packet and they are in the backpacks today. I hope you have a chance to look at it with your child. They put so much thought into each week's pictures. This week are focusing on the three days before Easter. The chapter talks about Holy Thursday as a day to serve others, Good Friday as a day to put others first and Holy Saturday as a day to celebrate new life. We will complete the Easter chapter the week after Spring Break.
You will find the April newsletter, April calendar, and the monthly reading log in your child's backpack tonight. You will also find a Spring Break Reading Bingo paper. It suggests some fun ideas for making reading practice a little more exciting for the week. Have your child color in the boxes she/he tried and maybe they will get a BINGO! They can also use this reading time to help them fill in their March reading log. Please return the Bingo page and the March reading log when they return from Spring Break.
Continue to practice those sight words this week as well. We have now learned 52 words!
On Thursday I sent home the words for the spring concert songs. Mrs. Mokos, the music teacher, has asked that you help your child learn the words to these songs.
Please ask your child about their supplies. Some need new crayons and believe it or not, some need new glue sticks!!! Spring break is a great time to pick up some fresh supplies.
Reminder:
There is NO school next week due to Spring Break. I hope everyone enjoys their time whether you are going far away or staying close to home. Hopefully our weather will be more spring like when we return in April!
Wishing all of you a very blessed and joyful Easter!
Spring Concert News:
We began the week by practicing for the Spring concert with the other kindergarten class. It is always fun to see and hear the two classes singing their hearts out together. The St. John's Beginner and Concert bands, Kindergarten, 1st, and 4th grades, SJB singers, Drum Circle, and Middle School Bells will present "Celebrate Summer," Tuesday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Students are to wear their school uniform for the morning concert (no out of uniform passes allowed) and nice bright summer clothes for the evening performance. If your daughter wears a skirt or dress please have her wear shorts underneath. They will be sitting on the risers in between songs.
Kindergartners will meet in the library at 6:45 for the evening concert. Teacher supervision will start at 6:45.
Mission Carnival:
On Friday, May 18th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. we will hold our 34th annual Mission Carnival. St. John's objectives for this special day are to generate awareness of the people in our community who need our help and services and to give our students an afternoon of fun! If you would like to walk with your child and a small group to help them navigate throughout the school to play games please let me know by responding to this email.
Happy Mother's Day!!
My sincerest wishes to all you moms for a wonderful Mother's day. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. Here is a quote I came across that speaks to me as a mom and a teacher. This is how I feel about our three daughters as well as all the children in my class. I am truly blessed to have your child as a part of my daily life.
Do you ever look at
your child and start
smiling? Not because
your child did
something amazing,
just smiling because
that's who God blessed
you with.....
This week in reading and math we spent time reviewing many of the skills we learned throughout our last units. We still have many fun activities to keep us busy next week. We will be working on a memory book, working in our writer's notebook and poetry notebook and also learning some great math games that they can play throughout the summer. We also finished our science unit on Materials in our World with a few investigations with wood and water. They had so much fun discovering how many paper clips they had to attach to their block of wood in order to make it sink!
Next week, the school Mass will be on Friday, the last day of school rather than on Thursday. It will also be an out of uniform day!!
Memorial Day and Last Day
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 28th due to Memorial day and our last day will be a FULL DAY on Friday, June 1st.
I can't believe this year has gone so quickly! Some days I wish I could stop time so I could keep them with me longer.
Have a wonderful weekend. Stay cool!