Updated Post: Please Read
Dear Parents,
There was a problem with the first post on Edlio being incomplete for some odd reason, so I emailed it and reposted it here. My apologies for the inconvenience.
I hope that you are enjoying this long Columbus Day weekend! I just want to make you aware of several important items:
1. Your child brought home several "booklets" and paper "statues" these past few weeks, and will continue to do so over the course of the year. Most of these will be related to different saints' feast days, the heroes of our Catholic faith! Others will be for science or social studies topics, such as Columbus Day. I encouraged the students to keep these together in a bin or on a shelf somewhere for them to reread. It is important for students to have the opportunity to read a variety of materials and reread them as well. Students may include these booklets as part of their Reading Logs.
2. Please consult the Homework Cover sheet for most of the information. The Superkids stories are NOT attached as the cover sheet states but rather you should use the hardcover book that you already have at home to read the weekly stories.
3. When reading with your child, please remember to ask them to retell the story in order, reflect on what they think is the most important/their favorite part of the story, and make a connection from the story to their own experiences. As discussed at Back to School Night, and presented in the written reading suggestions packet, this comprehension practice is as important as the fluency part of reading with your child. During DRA testing (Developmental Reading Assessment), your child will read a story for me, reflect on it, and make a connection. The fluency part they are used to doing for the DRA, but as they advance into first grade, reflection and connection are other factors that determine your child's DRA level. This is a new skill that is practiced in the classroom as well. The testing window is from Tues. 10/10 through 10/27 as it is done individually with your child. Please note: plenty of sleep and a good breakfast are also very important! Thank you for your cooperation!
4. Your child may have mentioned that we have a brand new rug for our Reading Corner thanks to Raaga's family! The students and I greatly appreciate this gift for our classroom from my Wish List! Not only is it colorful, it has a square for each child to sit comfortably on, and it is well-liked during story as well as recess time! Many thanks as well, Raaga and family, for the new pencil sharpener, water bottles, and prizes for our treasure chest (which I think will be quite useful very soon as many students are approaching the "Super Star" at the middle of their individual Star Charts).
5. Thanks also to Penelope and Willamina's family for donating the cool Create-a-Story Paper Center that will be used to encourage not only writing but also illustrating story ideas that the students can use during Language Arts personalized learning rotation time as well as recess! Thank you for this blessing!
6. It's October and almost time for our Pumpkin Exploration Project, one of my favorites! Please let me know if you are willing to donate a pumpkin for this science and math hands-on project. I will actually need several pumpkins of different shapes and sizes. The students will work in small groups sharing a pumpkin. If you are able to donate a pumpkin, please let me know its size (small, medium, or large) and shape (round or tall) so that we could have a variety of pumpkins to explore. I would need the pumpkins sent in by Oct. 17th, if possible. Thank you.
7. We have been extremely busy in first grade! I want to tell you what a wonderful visit we had with Sr. Sally as part of our Catholic Identity Service program on September 25th. You can see for yourself from the photos that I posted on the CAS photo site how engaged the children were with Sr. Sally's stories of the homebound parishioners that she visits weekly! Perhaps you have already seen the photos or heard from your child about this special religious sister! Sr. Sally expressed how important it is for us to visit the homebound and elderly, especially grandparents! Sr. Sally also gave the first graders their own Rosary beads! We will use them during the month of October as we honor Our Lady of the Rosary (feast day was 10/7). They will also be sent home at some point for your child to keep! Sr. Sally prayed the "Hail Mary" prayer with the students and told them how she prays the Rosary throughout the day, especially before going to sleep at night. We presented Sr. Sally with beautiful handmade tissue paper flowers with "Jesus Loves You" on the leaves that your children made with the help of our Art teacher, Mrs. Lorenti. I am sure you already heard all about the positive energy that Sr. Sally brought to our classroom during her visit! She truly loves her vocation and it shows! We will continue to make and provide her with get well and holiday cards to brighten the day for her homebound parishioners throughout the year.
I cannot thank you enough for all your support to me and your children!
May your week be blessed,
Mrs. Carpanzano