St. John's Full Day Kindergarten

May 6th

2009-05-06T18:20:00.003-04:00

Dear Parents,
Just a reminder: Tuesday 5/19 is election day and we do not have school.
Thanks so much for practicing the speeches for graduation. Almost everyone knows their speeches. I really appreciate it. Please continue to practice them.
In reading we will be reviewing the u sound, as well as introducing the following words:
Ut, but, cut, jut, nut, rut, and he
In math we will be working on subtraction. This is often harder for many children than the addition is. You can help at home, but practicing this skill often, and giving your child story problems and asking them what the answer is. Encourage them to use their fingers when doing the problems.
In Religion we will be working on Jesus a good friend, and how can we be like him? Our value for the month is generosity.
Just a reminder that Mission Day is coming up. We can still use volunteers, and we will need donations for: pop, , and flea market items.
Have you sent in your money for graduation and the 1$ for Mission Day.
Don’t forget that Fridays except for Mission day are 1 $ dress down days.
Happy Mother’s Day ! The children are supposed to make all moms queen for the day, which includes no fussing or fighting or whining…. Remind them of this if you need to make your day a happier day!
Thanks so much for all that you do! I really appreciate it.Marti Wiehagen

April 30

2009-04-28T19:22:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents,

The children will be bringing home their graduation caps. Please do not let them play with them. They are not made for a lot of use.

Please continue to practice the speeches for graduation. I really appreciate this. Emphasize talking very slowly.
Graduation is our last day of school, we do have school on that day , and we finish up that night. It is Monday June 1st.

In math we will be continuing to work on addition and starting subtraction. We are also working on geometric figures.. Please remind your child to use their fingers if they have a problem. We are counting to 100 by 5’s and to 30 by 2’s and we are now counting to 120.
In reading we are starting the letter j and the last vowel u. and starting some new words: the words are: are, bug, jug, mug, hug, rug, dug
Next Thursday, there will be a May Crowning in the afternoon. We will be attending the May Crowning. . We will also be working on May as the month for Mary.
In science we will be working on the units that go along with our field trip: bees, flowers, strawberries.
If you have not sent in your Mission dollar for the all day ticket( do we sound like Kennywood?) Please send it in next week. If you have any donations for prizes, pop (Pepsi or coke products only in cans), candy, flea market donations: only things that children would buy. or volunteers, please send them in soon! We are always in need of volunteers, so if you are able to help, it is a fun day. Remember that is 5/22.
We will be visiting first grade this month.. This is a nice way to let them meet the first grade teacher: Mrs. DiLonardo, although I think that everyone in the class knows her already.
FIELD TRIP INFORMATION:: Friday: 5/9 Please have your child here by 8:25 if your child is a car rider. This is a dress down day, but I would suggest watching the weather carefully as whether shorts are appropriate or not. KINDERGARTEN does not have to wear uniform shorts on the field trip. Please no tank tops or midriff tops. Sleeveless are fine, but not the tiny straps that some of the girl’s shirts have now. THE CHILDREN MUST WEAR TENNIS SHOES. Sandals are not in the dress code, and especially not on this field trip, where it could be a safety factor in the fields to have bare feet. If it is going to be chilly, please have your child wear sweaters or a sweatshirt… please dress warmly if it is going to be cold. Each child must bring a lunch in a paper bag.PLEASE do not pack a big lunch. We do not have a lot of time to eat, and bringing home leftovers is not possible. PLEASE pack a snack though that they can eat when we return to the school. . When we are done with lunch, everything gets tossed. NO DRINKS are provided, so please pack a drink. I would prefer no soda... it can get messy. NO thermoses etc. Please put the drink in a baggie or wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in their brown bag. Please mark your child’s name on the bag. We will not have time in the am to do this, so please try to have it done before they arrive in school. PLEASE do not have your child arriving late on this day…it is a long trip, and we will be leaving at 8:45 if not a few minutes earlier if the bus can get there earlier. PLEASE apply sunscreen. I am saying this because I am really hoping for sunny, hot weather. So if it is sunny and warm at all, please apply sunscreen. I will have sunscreen with me to be reapplied. PLEASE let me know if for any reason, you do not want your child to have any reapplied sunscreen. Otherwise if they look like they are burning, I will reapply. Sorry for so many directions, you would think that we were going to California????
Don’t forget all Fridays, except our field trip Friday are 1$ dress down days. Uniform shorts are the only shorts that are permitted, except for the field trip day.
We are having our Pizza Party for the candy sale on Friday 5-12. We will be having it at snack time. You will not need to send in a snack/drink that day.

If your child has a summer birthday, they may celebrate it any time between now and the end of the year, if you would like. PLEASE let me know ahead of time, to make sure that there is not anyone else celebrating on that day. I would prefer that the treats not be sent in the last week of school, as it seems like we have a lot going on that week.
Thanks so much for everything…. I can’t believe that we are into May, phew and this month just flies by. Did I tell you how much I love having this class?

Marti Wiehagen

April 22

2009-04-21T17:22:00.002-04:00

Dear Parents,
The children will allowed to wear shorts as of May 1st. Please check the length to make sure that they have not grown too much and the shorts are too short. Thanks so much.
I have included the speeches for graduation. Each child will have one. They will need to be memorized. I would recommend starting immediately on the memorization of the speech. Please have your child practice the letter name if it is aletter and the speech with it. They do not need to say the number. Have them speak clearly, in a loud voice and slowly. It is really important that you emphasize these things. We will also practice often in the classroom, which is why I would like them to memorize the speeches sooner than later. I always tell them I am right there if they would happen to forget the speech.
In religion we will be working on praying as Jesus did.
Our value for May is Generosity.
In reading we will be reviewing the letters W and Y, and reviewing the short e words. We will be having a test on the words that we have covered. Please continue to practice the flash card words. Thanks so much.
In math we are continuing to work on addition. You may practice this by asking your child story problems, and reminding them to use their fingers to help them to figure out the answer.
In social studies, science and health we will be working on a lot of mini units. We will be working on the bullying unit, finishing up earth week activities and starting things for the field trip: strawberries and bees. We will also be working on butterflies. We are anticipating the arrival of our caterpillars, and we will be working on a unit to go along with that.
Our field trip is coming up quickly . It is on Friday, May 8th. We will be leaving at 8:45, so please have your child on time. Each child will need to bring a lunch in a brown bag. NO LUNCH BOXES. They must also bring a drink, as no drinks are available. I would suggest putting a drink box in another little bag or put it in foil so it does not get the bag wet. There is no refrigeration available, so keep this in mind when packing the lunch. The children should wear “nice ‘ play clothes. We are on a farm, so keep this in mind. Please dress according to the weather. Hopefully it will be better than the fall farm visit. It is really an exciting day. If you have not returned the permission slip/money, please do so by 4/29. Thanks so much.
If you are interested in purchasing any books from the book order, please do that by Monday.
Upcoming is Mission Day. This is a fun day which is held this year on May 22nd. . It is a day that the children go around the school and play games that are held in each class room. The children pay a dollar for general admission , and then most of the games are for free. There is also a candy room, and a flea market and other activities that cost money. You will be getting more specific information about this, especially about the need for volunteers and some special requests for some materials that are needed. If you can help in any way, especially volunteering, it is really appreciated. We raise almost 2,000 dollars each year and the money goes to local and other agencies that need our support and help.
Just a reminder: no school on Tuesday 5/19
Graduation: Monday, June 1st

April 22

2009-04-21T17:22:00.001-04:00

April 14th

2009-04-14T19:45:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,

Just a reminder that there will not be school on Thursday 4-23rd. This is a diocesan in-service day.

I have included book orders; this will be the last book order for the year. Please remember if you are ordering books to please send in checks made out to the book company only. Thanks so much. The orders are due: Monday 4/27.

In Religion we are talking next week about we belong to the church. We will also be talking about Baptism.
In reading we are working on the y sound and the new words: she Ben, pen hen ten men den Ken. Thanks for practicing the words. The children are all doing very well with sounding words out and reading sentences.
In math we will be continuing to work on addition. We are now counting up to 110, counting by 2’s to 30, 5’s to 100, and by 100’s to 1,000.
Some of the children are starting to tie their shoes more and more. Thanks so much.
In science we will be talking about Earth Week, and there is so much to do with that we will continue to work on it through the end of this month.
Our last field trip is coming up on Friday, May 8th. We are going to Triple B Farm which is in Monongahela. It is a wonderful field trip, probably the best field trip that I have ever done. It is a field trip well suited for kindergarten students, with lots of activities, and lots of moving around! We have been going for the past few years, and it is wonderful. We are in need of two chaperones. If you are interested please let me know by Wednesday 4-22, and we will be picking names from a hat! We are gone almost all day. We leave at 8:45 and return at 2.
I have included a permission slip, and the cost per child is 7.50. This also includes .75 for a mother’s day gift. The PTG is picking up the cost of the bus for this field trip. So please return the permission slip and 7.50. (IF POSSIBLE: a check made out to SJBS.) Thanks so much. This will need to be returned by 4/29. Thanks in advance.

Important Dates:
THURSDAY 4/23: NO SCHOOL
THURSDAY 5/7: MAY CROWNING: 2ND GRADE AND 8TH GRADE., KINDERGARTEN WILL ATTEND WITH THE REST OF THE SCHOOL.
5/19: NO SCHOOL-ELECTION DAY
5/22: MISSION DAY-MORE INFO WILL COME HOME ABOUT THIS
5/25: MEMORIAL DAY
6/1: KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION/LAST DAY FOR KINDERGARTEN
REMINDER: ALL FRIDAYS ARE DRESS DOWN DAYS: COST IS 1 DOLLAR. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR FIELD TRIP DAY WHICH IS FREE.
Thanks so much for everything. I can’t believe the days are passing so quickly.
Marti Wiehagen

April 1

2009-04-01T19:08:00.000-04:00

Dear parents,
I enjoyed meeting and talking to everyone at the conferences. Thanks so much for all that you do for your children. You are great, and it has been so wonderful being partners with you this year! I can’t believe that we are in the last nine weeks. This nine weeks usually goes by so quickly, so get ready, because I know that graduation will be here before you know it.
Speaking of graduation, if you have not sent in the 6.55 for the graduation cap, would you please send it on Monday? Please make the check out to SJBS. Thanks so much. I like to order those right away.
On Wednesday 4-8, we will be having a small Easter party. You should have been notified if you needed to send in anything, but if you would like to send something in, that is fine too. Just make sure that it is wrapped or in a baggie please. The children will not need a snack or a drink on Wednesday.
The bounce a thon will be on Wednesday 4-15. If you have not returned your forms for it, it is a lot of fun, and usually almost the whole school participates. You do not need to pledge a lot, even a dollar or two is just fine.
This newsletter will be for the next two weeks, since we have a short week next week. In reading, we will be introducing the letter W and the letter E. We will be introducing the et family of words: et, wet, pet, set, let, yet, get, pet and also the word play. Please add those words to your word cards. I appreciate your help in practicing the words daily. It is really important that you practice them daily or they will really begin to have a difficult time learning and retaining those words.
In Religion next week we will be talking about Holy Week, and then the next week we will be talking about Jesus Gift of Himself.
In Health we have begun a unit on bullying. This will go for the next few weeks, and it will also be part of Social Studies and Science Class,
Thanks so very much for all that you do! Have a wonderful Easter and we will see you on Tuesday after Easter.
I hope to see you at the fish fry.
Marti Wiehagen

March 24

2009-03-24T19:21:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,
Just a reminder: conferences for kindergarten will be held on Tuesday 3/31.I am looking forward to seeing you. Your child is definitely welcome to attend the conference, but Kindergarten children do not have to attend. Whatever works best for you and your schedule. There will not be any school Tuesday for kindergarten only, the conference schedule is only for kindergarten. Please remember to park along the fence or in the pre-school parking lot. Thanks so much.

Please remember if you are finishing up the Pizza Hut Program, next week is the last week for it.

In reading we have finished our work on the letter x. We introduced the ox family words and the word the. The ox words are: fox, pox, lox, ox. If you have not made flash cards, I would really appreciate it if you could make those and add those to your words. Next week we will be reviewing: f, h and s. Thanks so much for reviewing those words all of the time.
In math we will be finishing up our unit on measuring and we will be starting to work on time. We will be working on telling time on the hour and the half hour.

In religion we will be working on Lent for the next few weeks. Our value for April will be Joy.

Some important dates are coming up, so please mark your calendar.
3/31: NO SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN
4/3: Early dismissal: snack needed, no lunch needed. 11:30 dismissal. They still need volunteers for the fish fry. Are you available Friday 7-8 or Sat am for clean-up? Also please send in your pies on Friday. We really appreciate it. If you are not able to help, please try to come to the fish fry.
4/9-4/13: Easter break
5/19: NO School Election Day
6 /1: Graduation: 7PM in the cafeteria. More information will come home about this . This is our LAST day for kindergarten. Each child will get a short speaking part that will be coming home at the end of the month. (APRIL) Did you send in the money for the graduation cap?
There is an open house for future kindergarten students and or new students on Saturday 3/28 from 10am to 12 if you know of anyone that is interested. Remember if you refer any student you get a free months tuition next year. Thanks ahead of time.
Thanks for all of your help. You will be amazed how fast this last nine weeks goes by. I can’t believe that we are there already. Have a great weekend. Marti Wiehage

March 16

2009-03-24T19:20:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents,
I can’t believe how fast March is flying by…
In Religion we will be working on Lent, and also beginning the unit: Jesus Wants Us to Love. We began to work on the Stations of the Cross this week, and each day we will be doing a station. The children will be working on Station booklets and right before Easter they will be bringing those booklets home.
In math we will be continuing to work on measuring, and we are also beginning to work on addition.
In reading we will be working on the ending sound of x, as well as introducing the new words: the , got, and the ox family words: ox, box, fox. Please make flash cards for the words and practice the words every night if at all possible. We are also working on ending sounds too. You may ask your child beginning and ending sounds. Thanks so much.
As hard as it is to believe we will be ordering the caps for the kindergarten graduation. We do NOT wear gowns, only caps in kindergarten. The graduation is on Monday, June 1st at 7 PM. The caps are $6.55. If you have had a child wear a cap at St. Johns and you still have that cap, you do not need to purchase a cap, and may only want to purchase a tassel. The cost for the tassel is: $2.75. If at all possible could you send a check in for the amount, (6.55 or 2.75) and put it in an envelope marked with your child’s name by Friday April 3rd. The check should be made out to SJBS. Thanks so much.
Important Dates:
Tuesday: 3/31: NO SCHOOL for kindergarten due to conferences
Friday 4/3 early dismissal at 11:30 please send in a baked good for the fish fry.
Thanks so very much for all that you do. I really appreciate it .
Marti Wiehagen

March 11

2009-03-11T06:01:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents,

Just a few reminders: Due to conferences on Tuesday 3-31, Kindergarten will not have school. Please park along the fence or in the preschool parking lot for your conference. The playground could possibly be used for recess, gym or dismissal. Thanks so much.

In Religion we are continuing to work on respect, especially respect for each other. We will also be talking about the feast days of St. Patrick, and St. Joseph. We will be working from another Religion series so there will not be any homework this week.

In reading we are working on the letters: t, k and n. This will be a review week for those letters. We will also introduce the vowel: o, and we will have some new flash card words. If you could please make these words and continue to practice all of the words. Remind your child that they should be tapping the words out, and clapping at the end. Our new words are: ot, cot. not, hot, pot dot said. Thanks so much.

In math we are working on measuring. We will be using blocks as well as rulers to measure. This is a harder skill for some children, remind your child to start at the beginning of the ruler, not on the number one.

In social studies we will be continuing to talk about history, and what happened in the past.

In science we will be talking about the seasons.

In health we will be talking about making good choices in using safety equipment.

Congratulations we did win the pizza party for the Easter Candy Sale. Mackenzie was the top sales winner in the school! We will be scheduling the party after Easter. Thanks so very much for all of your support.

On Tuesday, the children may add green to their uniforms to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Important dates:

Easter Break: Thursday 4/9 to Monday 4/ 13. We will return to school on Tuesday.

Graduation is Monday 6/1. This is our last day of school!

Please return the conference forms by Wednesday. Thanks so much!
Just a reminder: We will be having a kindergarten open house on Saturday 3-28, if you know of anyone that in is interested, please let them know. It will be from 10-12.

Thanks for all that you do. I appreciate it so much.

Marti Wiehagen

March 3

2009-03-08T17:10:00.001-04:00

to do read those. Also have them practice spelling the words too. This shouldn’t be as much of the kindergarten spelling, but having them begin to hear the sounds of each of the letters.
In math, we are finishing up the unit on money. We have been covering, the coins and their values. This is a harder skill for many children. So our main emphasis is can they identify the coin, and do they know the value of that coin?
In health we will continue to work on manners, and this ties in well with Religion and respect as our value for the month.
In science we will be talking about the weather and seasons, and in social studies talking about history.
Just a reminder: if you need a special time for the conferences that are coming up, please let me know. The date is Tuesday 3/31. I can arrange conferences from 7-3. Thanks so much. I must know by Monday. It is much easier to set up the schedule with special times in mind, as opposed to changing the schedule if the time is not good, so please let me know if at all possible.
The kindergarten open house for next year’s students will be on Saturday 3-28 from 10 am to noon. If you know anyone that is interested, please let them know. Remember if you recommend a family and they come, you can get a month’s tuition credit for next year… and the more families enrolled, the more your tuition is positively affected.

February 26

2009-02-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents,
We are moving right along. I can’t believe that we will be finishing up February!
In reading we will be working on the letter Z. We will also be reviewing the ig words: big, fig, pig, wig, Zig, dig. We will be introducing the word: have, please make a flash card for that word also.
In math, we are continuing to work on money. The children are having some trouble with this skill. This is not a mastered skill, but one that we introduce and will continue to build. You can practice this at home, with story problems. If you have five dimes, have them hold up five fingers, ask how much a dime is worth and have them count by five on their fingers… also the same routine with nickels, if they can do that, continue by having them add on pennies too. We always start with the coin with the highest value and add on the other coins.
In Religion, we continue to talk about Lent. Later we will be starting to work on the Stations of the Cross. We will do one station a day. We also continue to talk about Lent. We will be working on Jesus as a teacher.
We will be starting to work a lot with art projects and St. Patrick.
Our field trip is on Friday 3/6/2009. The children must bring a lunch/drink. The cafeteria will be closed when we return. Please do not send soda. The children should wear dress-up clothes. This is NOT a DRESS DOWN DAY. We will be eating snack before we leave in the am. Please send a snack. We will be eating lunch later when arrive back to school.
I have included book orders, if you are interested, please write a check and return the orders by 3/06/09. As it was at Christmas, if you want to use them as a gift, just let me know, and I will wrap them up and send them home to you.
We are supposed to have a nice visit from Serra Catholic High School and their Junior Achievement Team.
Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks so much for everything that you do. You are all so wonderful. NO wonder the children are this great!
IMPORTANT DATES:
Field trip: Friday 3/6/2009: Heinz Hall
Saturday 3/28: Open House for future Kindergarten Students. If you know of any potential students, please let them know.
3/31: Conferences for Kindergarten, there is not class for Kindergarten. Please let me know if you need a special time by 3/11.

Marti Wiehagen

February 17th,

2009-02-17T19:08:00.002-05:00

Dear Parents,
Thanks so much for the cookies, hugs, candy etc. for the Valentine’s Day Party.
In reading we will continue to work on sounding out. Our new words will be in the ig family. We will be introducing the words: big, dig, fig, wig, jig, pig, and for. Please make flash cards for the new words. Our letter of the week will be Dd. We will also be working on opposites.
In math we will be starting the unit on money. We will be working on pennies. We will eventually work on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. This is a really hard concept for many children. It will help a lot if you practice at home. You can ask them the coins and if they remember how much each coin is worth. Thanks so much.
In Religion we will be working on Lent next week. On Wednesday, Father Tom will be over to give the children ashes. We do not go to church for this. Father Tom will review a bit with the children and then proceed to give them ashes. We will start a Lenten Chart, similar to the Advent Chart. They will get a sticker for each day that they only get a warning. Anything more than a warning, will mean no sticker. We emphasize a few important things to do for a kindergarten child: praying more, and changing something about themselves to be more like Jesus. We talk about being kind, not whining, not having an attitude towards parents, and listening the first time. These are only some of the examples. We do talk that some children may give something up. This is a family decision, and something that you and your child will need to decide.
Reminders:
Kindergarten OPEN HOUSE: for future kindergarten students: Saturday 3/28. If you know of anyone that is interested, please let them know.
Conferences and NO SCHOOL for Kindergarten only will be on Tuesday 3/31. If you will need a special time, please let me know early. I will be available 7-3.
Graduation and our last day of school: Monday 6/1 at 7 PM in the cafeteria.
Thanks for all of your help and support. It is as always so very much appreciated.
Marti Wiehagen

February 11, 2009

2009-02-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents,
The warmer weather this week has definitely been a nice change of pace, especially for some of us that really don’t like the white yucky stuff. The kids even got outside for recess which was great!
In reading we will be working on the letters qu. We will continue to review the it words and there will be a flashcard test on the words as we are finishing up this unit. Thanks for all of your help/practice. It is important to review the words often. Please remember that the reading homework should be phonetically spelled now. They should with your help sound out the words and spell them. They will not be spelled correctly, but that is ok.
In math, we will also be finishing up a unit, and we will be starting on money. It has taken us a little longer than expected to finish up the unit on counting to 100. Please review the flash cards with your child. They will need to know 1-100 and be able to count to 100.
In Religion we will be talking about Jesus growing up in Nazareth. Our value for this month is Love.
In science/social studies we will be talking about President’s day, and George Washington.
In Health we will be talking about manners.
If you are interested in volunteering for our field trip to the symphony on Friday, March 6th, we are still accepting volunteers. We will be leaving the school at 10:15. We will be returning about 1:15. The cost for this trip is 6.25. Please send in cash/check made out to SJBS and return it with the permission slip by 2-27. Thanks so much. Unfortunately the cost is only for the bus. The symphony is for free.
We will be sending home information for volunteering for the fish fry that will be held on Friday 4/3. This is a big undertaking, and we can always use lots of volunteers. If you are available: Thursday right after school, Friday afternoon, or Friday evening or Sat. for clean-up we would love to see you! Just return the form when it comes home. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!
MONDAY 2/16 LUNCH: WILL BE WALKING TACOS, CORN, FRUIT, and MILK.
Thanks for all of your help. I appreciate it so very much.

Marti Wiehagen

February 4

2009-02-04T19:14:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,
If you have not returned the report cards, please try to do it this week. The report cards should be signed for the second quarter and returned. Thanks so much!
In Math we will be working on money. One last reminder if you have not sent in the money for our math unit: each child will need in a container marked with their name: 2 quarters. 3 nickels, 3 dimes and 15 pennies. PLEASE SEND IT IN BY 2/12. Thanks so very much.
We are now counting to 90. We are counting by 2s, 5s and 10s. Thanks for all of your help.
In reading we are continuing to work on it words, and will be introducing the letter/sound of Kk. Our new word for this week is here. Please add it to your flash cards. Please remember that when reading homework is done, the children should be spelling the words phonetically by themselves. Let them sound them out to you, and then let them spell the letters out. Both sides normally of the reading paper should be done and signed.
In religion we will be talking about Jesus as a special gift from God. We did get our throats blessed on Tuesday.
In social studies we will be talking about Abraham Lincoln this week, and next week we will be talking about George Washington. Just a reminder: Monday will be a snow day make up day.
Our Valentine’s Day party will be on Friday, Feb. 13th. The children do not need to bring Valentine boxes/holders we will be doing that in school. The children should bring their Valentines, and they should be addressing them with the names/ numbers that were on the list that was sent home. Each Valentine should have the name/number on it. They will not need a snack or a drink, but will be eating their usual lunches in the cafeteria. If you would like to send a treat in for the treat bags, that is fine, just make sure that it is wrapped.

Student council is selling valentine lollipops: the cost is: they will be sold on:
Some important dates are coming up:
March 6th will be our second field trip. We will be attending the symphony. It is a field trip that only full day K will be attending, as we will be leaving the school at approximately 10:15 for an 11:15 performance. We will be returning to the school at approximately 1 pm. We are in need of two chaperones. If you are available and interested please let me know. More info about the field trip will be coming home soon.
We are having a second open-house for Kindergarten on Saturday 3/28. If you know of any interested families, please let them know about this date. You are best source of introducing new families to the school.
Conferences for kindergarten will be on Tuesday 3/31. Please mark your calendars. Conferences will be during the school day, and Kindergarten will NOT have school on this day.
Graduation is on Monday, June 1st. This is held in the cafeteria in the evening at 7 pm. This is a big deal! Each child will have a short speech to say. This is our last day of school.

Thanks so very much for all of your help with everything. It is very much appreciated. I feel that the children are moving so well through everything this year. I appreciate all that you do. Have a good weekend.

January 27

2009-01-28T06:32:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,
It was a nice turn out on Sunday for Catholic Schools Week. I enjoyed seeing everyone!
It has been a fun week this week with the different activities and all. The children have really enjoyed it.
In reading next week we will be working on the letter: Ll. We will also be introducing our second vowel: I. We will begin to work on the I family of words: it, bit, fit, kit, hit, sit, pit, lit, and we will also have the word is. Please make flash cards and practice those too. Thanks so much. We will be having a test on the words we have covered up until now.
In math we will still continue to work on counting and numbers to 100. This continues to be a hard area for some children. Please continue to practice all numbers to 100. We will be counting to 90.
In math we will be starting a unit on money. Please send in : 15 pennies, 3 nickels, 3 dimes and 2 quarters in a container marked with their name. Please do not send in an envelope, as this does not last. We will need this by Feb. 12th. Thanks so much.
In Religion we will be talking about St. Blasé, and we will be getting our throats blessed on Tuesday. We will be also talking about Mary. We have already learned the Hail Mary and say it almost daily.
In science we will be talking in the beginning of the week about groundhogs day!
Please sign and return the report cards. If at all possible, please return them on Monday.
DON’T FORGET: Monday is an early dismissal day. The children will not eat lunches, but will need a snack. This is a mandatory in-service that was scheduled by the diocese.
Thanks for all that you do. Can you believe that we are starting the second semester? It has gone by so quickly. Have a nice weekend, and hopefully the Steelers will do well.
Marti Wiehagen

December 17th

2008-12-21T20:49:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,
I can’t believe how fast this month has gone by. Thanks so very much for everyone that attended the Barnes and Noble book fair. We really appreciate it. We don’t have the sales tally yet, but we will soon.
We will not be having a newsletter next week, as it is a short week. On Monday we will be having the Christmas concert. The children should wear nice dress clothes. We will wear paint shirts over the clothes in the cafeteria, but please be careful what you send for lunch.
The concert will begin at 1 pm. Facing the altar, the kindergarten class will be on the left side of the altar. Buses will be provided for the children at dismissal, but you may take your child with you if you are attending, you will need to probably come back to the classroom, unless this changes. The children will not need a snack.
Next year in reading we will start off with the letter C. We will continue to review the at words, and any of the sight words. Please continue to practice the words and sounding out.
In math we will be reviewing the numbers 1-20. Please make flashcards for those numbers if you have not yet, and practice them often. The numbers from 11-20, are the hardest and many children are experiencing some difficulty with those numbers.
In Religion we will be talking about the Wise Men and reading stories about the Wise Men.
We will be having our party on Tuesday 12/23. The children will not need a snack. There will be an 11:30 dismissal on Tuesday. The children will be bringing home their pencil cases, please check and see if they need a new glue stick, crayons, or pencils. Thanks so much. Most of the children that have crayons need new ones for sure, and the children with twistables may need new ones. Please remember to put their name on the twistables, glue sticks and pencils.
Thanks so much for all of your help and support. What a wonderful class! I love their excitement and joy about everything! There isn’t a better place to be than a kindergarten class, especially at this time of the year !
Have a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of new years.
Marti Wiehagen

December 10

2008-12-10T19:33:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,
Just a reminder about Barnes and Noble: Please try to come out and support the library in this special day there Sunday 12-14. Story time for kindergarten will be at 11:30, but feel free to come by any time. Please encourage friends and relatives to stop by and do some Christmas shopping. Make sure that you have your child register when they get there, as there will be a drawing for any child in kindergarten that is there during the day.
In reading we will be reviewing the words that we have covered. Some new words to make flashcards for: to, and, an, pan can fan ran tan van Dan. Thanks so much.
In math we will be working on the numbers 1-20. This is harder for some children. Please continue to review the flash cards for these numbers. Thanks so much.
In religion we will continue to work on Advent and the story of Christmas. We have started to use Grace before meals, instead of God is great etc.
In social studies we are talking about children around the world.
I have sent home reminders about the Christmas party. This will be on our last day of school before vacation. If you did not get a reminder, but would like to send something in, please feel free, but if it is cookies or something like that, please have them wrapped. Thanks so much.
The concert is on Monday 12-22 at 1 pm. The children are free to leave with you, but buses will be available if you are not attending. The children should wear dress clothes. They will wear their art paint shirts at lunch time, in hope to keep everyone clean, but choose carefully that day what your child is eating for lunch. If your child spills something on their art shirt, it will come home, please wash it and return it right away.
Thanks so much for everything. I realize how busy your lives are, and I appreciate your help.
I hope to see you at Barnes and Noble.
Marti Wiehagen

November 23rd

2008-11-30T16:54:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,
I can’t believe how fast November is moving along. Next week we will not be participating in the All School Liturgy. Kindergarten has a Thanksgiving celebration in our classroom. We will be having homemade butter, corn muffins and popcorn. Each child should bring something to drink. Please no soda.
We are also collecting food for the Plum food bank. If you are interested in participating you may send something in on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks so much for all of your help with the pie drive and the turkey drive.
There will not be a newsletter next week, so I will be including information for the next two weeks.
Reading: We will be reviewing the letters that we have covered already, as well as reviewing the words that we have done. If you have not made flashcards for the words please make them and practice all of the words daily. If the words get ahead of the kids it is really tough to catch up. The words are: A sat bat at cat hat mat vat to. Remind your child that they will be tapping each letter with their two index fingers as they go across left to right and clapping as they say the word.
In math: we will be working on the numbers 0-10. Please review the numbers with your child. We are also starting to work on the numbers 11-20.
In handwriting we will be working on several new letters, and practicing making the lines going down.
In Religion next week we will continue to work on the Thanksgiving activities and being thankful, and the next week we will start to introduce Advent. We will be having Advent charts in the folders. In order to better prepare for Christmas, during the Advent season we work on being our best, and trying to get our hearts ready for Jesus. There are many ways that we talk about: doing more to help around the house. You might try to make an Advent job daily for your child, we will be starting to give an idea daily, but this is something that you might start in your house. We also start the Advent chart, each day they get no more than a warning and one strike they will get a sticker on this chart.
Please don’t forget the Pizza Hut program. Please do not send it in on Wednesday.
I am including book orders this week. If you are interested they are due on December 3(Wednesday). If you would like to use this as a present for Christmas, just let me know, and I will pack it up for you or you can stop by to get it. Just be sure to let me know.
REMINDER: EARLY DISMISSAL ON WEDNESDAY 11/ 26. PENN HILLS STUDENTS MUST BE CAR RIDERS .
Important information:
On 12/9 the rest of the school is attending a Penguins Hockey practice. The school was invited to attend this, and it does not include kindergarten. As kindergarten will be the only class eating lunch, we are asking on this day that all children be packers/ and bring a drink. Thanks so much!
On Monday 12/21 we will be having our School Christmas Concert. The concert will be at 1pm in the church. Kindergarten will be participating in this concert. The children are free to leave with the parents if you want, but normal buses will be run at dismissal.
Don’t forget to mark on your calendar the book sale at Barnes and Noble. I will be doing a story time in the morning, so please try to attend…. Thanks so much.
Kindergarten will be participating in the Macy’s write a letter to Santa. For each letter that Macy’s receive they will donate $ 1 to Make a Wish. The children will write/draw their pictures as part of a reading class, and I will address them and take them to Macy’s.

Dates to remember:
11/26: early dismissal at 11:30, no snack needed but a drink is needed
12/3 : book orders due if interested.
12/9: Lunch and drink needed for all day K. No lunches served on this day!
12/14: Barnes and Nobles Day for St. Johns
12/22: Christmas Concert at 1PM
12/23: Early Dismissal for Christmas break: no snack/lunch needed

Thanks so very much for all of your help. I am so thankful for this absolutely wonderful class. Thanks so much for sharing them with me. Happy Thanksgiving!

Marti Wiehagen

November 12

2008-11-11T19:14:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,

November is going by so quickly! Thanks so much for your support for the turkey/pie drive.
Retakes on pictures will be Monday 11-17; the children should return the pictures on that day.

Dress down (or dress-up as some girls prefer) day for PTG for the month of November is
Tuesday 11/25. The cost of that is .50.

In reading we are working on the letter N, and we will be starting to work on the letter Hh. Please review both sounds and the letters. Please continue to review the flashcard words. I really appreciate your help with this.
We will be introducing the word: a, and also beginning to work on sounding words out. In order to do this, we tap out each sound of the word, and then clap when we say the word. This helps the children to go across each word from left to right, and to sound the words out correctly. The new words for next week will be: hat, bat, cat, sat, rat, mat, vat. Now that we are having more words each week, it is really important that you practice daily with your child. You can practice the flashcards, but also write sentences for your child using the words. All of this helps them to practice the skill of sounding out and helps them to develop strong reading skills. I know how busy everyone is, but it is really important that these skills are practiced daily. If your child is not 100% sure of each letter, you should also spend 5-10 minutes daily practicing those too. The car is a good place to review initial sounds, just ask your child some words, and ask them to tell you the beginning sound/letter of the word. You may also ask them to tell you what each letter says… for instance b says b. Thanks so much.

In math we will continue to work on the numbers. Many of the children know their numbers from 1-20, but for many this is a skill that is not developed. If you do not have flashcards for the numbers 1-20, you may want to make some of those too, while you are making the new words for reading… wow .. you have so much homework this weekend. Sorry.

In handwriting we are working on the letters that we have covered in reading. Each week we have a new letter.

In Science and social studies we are finishing up on unit on Native Americans, and starting to work on Pilgrims and their trip on the Mayflower. We have learned many songs and poems. Ask your child if they remember any of them. We are also working on why we are thankful.

In Religion we have been working on the different Saints. Each child was able to choose their favorite saint, and draw a picture of it.

We will not be attending the Thanksgiving Liturgy. Kindergarten usually only attends the Liturgies when it is a Holy Day of Obligation. Next year in first grade they attend more frequently. We will be having our own Thanksgiving Feast on Wednesday 11-26.This is held in our classroom with corn muffins and popcorn. More information will come home next week about that.

Thanks so very much for all of your help and support. I really appreciate it so very much.

Marti Wiehagen

Important Dates:
Sat. 11/15: Market Day volunteers needed
Monday 11/17: Picture retakes
Tuesday 11/25: PTG dress down: 50 cents
Wednesday: 11/26: Kindergarten’s Thanksgiving Feast; ½ day with 11:30 dismissal, no lunch needed, no Penn Hills buses

Flash card words

2008-10-21T19:27:00.011-04:00

PLEASE PRACTICE THE FLASH CARD WORDS DAILY
go is it here

bit hit sit lit kit fit pit

fan pan an ran van can Dan Nan

I cat sat fat mat rat at vat hat pat

see have the he

pot hot cot got not ox fox box

big pig fig wig jig rig
wet bet set let jet net
Ben Ken pen ten men hen den
ug, dug, jug, bug, rug, hug, mug, tug

play she are he
like

my

a

ut jut nut cut rug hut but

Oct. 23

2008-10-21T19:27:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,

Just a few reminders about grandparent’s day:. The children should wear dress clothes.NO JEANS, or TENNIS SHOES. They should be in the room by 8:40. NO BOOKBAGS or SNACKS. Please no Friday folders. If you are ordering gift cards, just have them carry the envelope in. Only send your children. Thanks!!! Please make sure that your child knows which grandparent is taking them home. Grandparents should go directly to the church. There will be refreshments after the program for the grandparents in the cafeteria; the children will have theirs in the classroom. The children will be leaving before lunch time.
Just a reminder: Could you please loosen up the straps on the bookbags? With the bulkier coats, the straps are very difficult to get on. Most of the children this year have a lot trouble putting on coats and sweaters,would you please practice? One of their hardest parts is pulling the sleeves in the right way. Before mitten and boot season arrive, please make sure that they can put both on independently. I will help zipper, but the mittens, coats and boots they will need to do by themselves. Thanks! I appreciate your help in this. Please make sure that boots are marked. It is amazing how many children will have the same boots. We will be going out for recess on most days unless very cold. Please make sure that your child comes to school with gloves/mittens and a hat or a hood.
Field trip: Our field trip is on Wednesday 10/29. The children should come on their usual buses. THE CHILDREN NEED TO BRING THEIR LUNCHES/DRINKS. WE WILL NOT BE BACK IN TIME FOR LUNCH IN THE CAFETERIA. They will not need a snack though. The long range forecast does not sound good for next week, very chilly. Please dress your child in many layers, and if it is as cold as they say, please send gloves, hats and probably winter coats! They get very cold, and this makes the trip a much happier time for them. The children will be having ice cream, brrr, but in kindergarten they will only be having theirs in the cups, last year, we lost half of the cones on the floor, and it is easier to just have them have cups of ice cream.

Halloween party information:. The children may come to school dressed in their costumes. NO MASKS on the bus, they should put those in their book bags. The children DO need a bookbag, but they do not need a snack or drink. You should have a reminder if you are to send in anything for this party. Please feel free to send in anything if you would like, but it must be in a baggie or wrapped if it is not wrapped originally. Please make sure the costumes are well marked.
Conferences: Monday 11 /3 is an early dismissal day. The children do need snacks, but no lunches. I am looking forward to seeing you at the conferences. The children do not need to attend at this age level, but feel free to bring them if you would like. If you need to bring younger siblings that is also ok. The conferences last about 15 minutes in kindergarten. If you have other children in the school, they are usually scheduled back to back or as close as we can so that you don’t have to wait around too long. I really try not to get backed up, but it sometimes happens. If it does please know that I am very sorry. There is no school on Tuesday 11/4.
Many of the glue sticks are running out. If you have not sent in one recently, it is probably time to send in a new one. We tend to go through glue sticks fairly fast. Please make sure that you mark your child’s name on it.
We have been touching a little on clock work. We are working only on the hour time. We have a unit later in the year, but we touch on this a little. In November we will start to count to 60. This is an area that many children need to practice. The car is a really great place to rote count.
.
In reading we will be working on the letter and the sound R and then the letters T and B. The letters and sounds of M and S should be mastered at this point. We will be having a test on the four letters and their sounds and the words in November. Our new flashcard words are: my, and like please make a flashcard for each one, and practice them. The sounds of the letters/ and identifying them in words and the flashcards should really be practiced daily.
In religion, we will be reading bible stories and finishing up our kindness unit. We will not be having homework the next two weeks.

Thanks so much. As usual, I appreciate all of your help. If you did not return the Pizza Hut book it program paper, please try to send it in.

I have included book orders for November. If you are interested in ordering any books please send a check for each of the individual book orders. The orders are due on Friday 11/7. Thanks so much.

We will not be having a newsletter next week, since it is a shorter week.

Important dates:
Monday: Grandparents day
Wednesday: Field trip day
Thursday PTG dress down: .50
Friday:Halloween party: come dressed in costume: early dismissal , no penn hills buses
Monday 11/3: Early dismissal: conferences Tuesday: 11/4: no school

Oct. 17th

2008-10-16T19:43:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,

Grandparent’s day reminder: Be in room at 8:40 at the latest. Grandparents should go to the church. The children should not return Friday folders, or have a book bag or a snack. Please do not send Pizza Hut papers in. Although just a reminder: if you have not returned the one for the month of October, this would be a good time now to return it. They may wear nice dress clothes, please no sneakers or sweatshirts. After the show, the grandparents will go to the cafeteria for a snack; the children will come back to the room for their snack. The grandparents will need to sign the children out, but please give the kids a few minutes to eat their snack. Our room # is 101, or they can just ask where kindergarten is. Please remind your child about church behavior, and how important it is.
We continue to work on kindness in our classroom. The children are doing very well with this.

Dates coming up:
10/27: Grandparents day.. the children will leave at 11:30. NO BUSES home on this day.
10/29: Kerber’s Farm field trip
10/31: Halloween party: Kindergarten children are permitted to come to school dressed in their costumes, because it is an early dismissal day. Please make sure that the costume is safe to travel on a bus if they are coming on a bus. If you do not feel it is safe, have your child wear play clothes, and they can change at school.. If at all possible please have them come dressed. No matter what, please make sure that their costume parts are well marked with their names.This is an early dismissal, there are no Penn Hills buses. The children will not have lunch.
11/3 conferences: Early dismissal. The children will need a snack. THERE ARE NO PENN HILLS BUSES; you must provide transportation home. Plum will ride their regular buses and will be dismissed at 11:30. This is a conference day. Siblings are welcome at the conferences. Kindergarten students do not have to attend. We will have school in the am on this day.
11/4: NO SCHOOL
As usual, thanks so very much for all of your help. I really appreciate the flashcard drills and letter/sound practice that is done. I know that it can be hard to fit in your daily schedules. It makes such a difference.
In reading: we will be working on the letter R and the sound of r. We will be reviewing the words: I and see next week. We are practicing clapping how many syllables are in words. We have been working on color words, and next week we will be working on plurals. Reading homework: Tues. Both sides must be done.
On the full day blog page…… you find this by going to stjohnthebaptistschool.org , our school website, and going to my page, the flashcard words etc are usually on that blog. I try to update it as quickly as I can.
Math: We will be working on patterns.
Handwriting: We will be working on the letters: Mm.
I have included a permission slip for pictures. There are several options for pictures, and how you grant permission for us to take them, please return on Monday.

Halloween Party reminders: the party will be on Friday: 10/31. Please do not send swords, guns etc. Thanks ahead of time. The children will not need a snack/or drink. You may send in a treat if you would like, but it must be bagged if it is not a wrapped candy or something like that.

Marti Wiehagen

October 10

2008-10-12T21:06:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,
Thanks so much for the great homework return. The homework in the future will come home, just circled with the homework stamp. This week it will be the same page but both sides. We are reviewing the S sound and beginning to work on the M sound. We will be reviewing the word I and introducing the word see.
Please make a flashcard for the word see.

In math we are finishing up on graphs, and beginning to work on patterns.. We are doing a lot of them in different ways. We are also continuing to count to 50, count by tens and by 2’s and practicing the months of the year, and working on pennies.

In Social studies, we have been working on Christopher Columbus. We have done several projects and will be finishing up the unit on Monday. We are also working on rules in the home and school.

In Science we will be working on taking care of our bodies.
In religion, we continue to emphasize kindness. We are also beginning a unit on “Ordinary Time” and working on Saints. We are working on the prayer the Hail Mary.

The Halloween party is on 10/31 . The parents have been notified if they are to bring in a treat for this party. If you would like to send one in that is fine, just make sure that if it is a cookie or something that it is in a baggie so that it may go home. Thanks so much. The children should wear their costumes to school.(This applies only to Kindergarten) Please no swords, guns or weapons of any kind. This is only a half day of school, so there will not be a lunch served.
Practice for grandparent’s day is coming right along. The children have been great in their co-operation. Please emphasize at home how great you have heard they have been doing. There will be another paper included in the Friday folder concerning Grandparent’s Day. Please return on Monday if possible. This lets us know exactly whom your child will be leaving with on that special day. Remember dress code is dressy clothes, no dress down.

The kindness charts are also working nicely. Many of the children have been making a real effort to be kind. The charts are only for school, but I encourage you to encourage the kindness at home also.
WE ARE STILL IN NEED OF ONE MORE CHAPERONE FOR OUR FIELD TRIP. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS SO MUCH.
Don’t forget about the Pizza Hut Reading program. You may start to turn in your slips any time now. As soon as you have read the books to your child you may send it in, you do not need to wait until the end of the month.
Dates to remember:.
NO SCHOOL:10/27: GRANDPARENT’S DAY: THE CHILDREN WILL LEAVE WITH GRANDPARENTS.
FIELD TRIP: 10/29
10/30: PTG DRESS DOWN DAY: .50
10/31: HALLOWEEN PARTY
11/3: EARLY DISMISSAL, AND PARENT CONFERENCES IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING: PLEASE RETURN YOUR PAPER ON MONDAY..

Thanks for all of your help and all that you do. It is really appreciated.
Marti Wiehagen

Oct.1

2008-09-30T19:16:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,
Reminder: Most weeks there is homework in Religion, it needs to be signed and returned. Thanks so much.
Our value for the month of October is Kindness. We have been talking this week about kindness to ourselves: Treating ourselves with kindness and respect, eating the right foods, and getting enough sleep. We will begin next week with kindness to others. Next week, you will find a sticker chart in your child’s folder. PLEASE do not take this out. This should stay in the whole month of October. Each time a child does an act of kindness they will get a sticker. Five stickers mean a lollipop. The acts of kindness have to be random and noticed by an adult. They are not allowed to tell an adult that they did the act, an adult must notice it. We encourage acts of kindness all year long, and there are many children that are extremely kind all the time. This is a fun activity, but it does drive the children crazy that they can’t tell an adult, it must just be noticed. I really try to have ten pairs of eyes, even more than usual. You can talk about this at home this month too.
We have just finished the alphabet We will begin to work on associating the sounds with the letters. .We will begin to have reading homework.. The page should be circled. We will begin the sounds with the letter S. Next week will be the first time. The page will be 49. It will be circled. The children will have to draw two things for the letter s. They should write what the two things are. You may write it for them on another sheet of paper and they may copy it. Please do not write it for them on the page.. If your child is able to try to spell it alone, please encourage that. The spelling does not need to be perfect. The drawing does not need colored, and it does not need to be perfect. Our goal is to associate the beginning sound of s to the letter s. Although this new series is phonics based, we will be beginning to learn some words right away. Our first word that we will be reading will be I.If you would please make a flashcard for the word I, I would appreciate it. We will be having many words through out the year, and if might be easiest to buy a package of index cards to use as the flashcards. We are now counting to 50 because we have started a new month. We will start to count by 10’s to 100 and we counting by 2’s to 20.
Grandparent’s day is right around the corner Some reminders about that day: All kindergarten children should come directly to the classroom and be there by 8:40 . Grandparents should go to the Church. We will begin with a Liturgy, and immediately following it will be a program where each grade will perform several songs. After the program, grandparents should go to the cafeteria. Kindergarten will go to the classroom for a short snack. The children should not bring bookbags or snacks. They will not need either. Snacks will be provided by PTG. The children will need to be picked up in the classroom by their grandparents/or someone special. The children must be signed out. Please make sure that both the grandparents and the child know who is taking them home. This eliminates any hurt or sad feelings on that day. The children should wear dress clothes. No tennis shoes, sweat clothes or jeans please. Thanks!.

I have included the papers, which indicate which party that you will help with. Please check carefully, I have sent all the parties’ home, not just Halloween. Please check to see which party you have. I was not able to give everyone their first choice, sorry.
Calendar Reminder
10/06:PICTURE DAY The children do not wear uniforms… but of course they may if that is what you want your picture in….. They should wear dress clothes.NO PLAY CLOTHES
10/27: Grandparents day: AM and PM come in the AM together. No transportation home that day for either group.
10/29: Field trip: Kerbers Farm: please return the permission slip and $8.00
10/30:PTG Dress down: .50
10/31: Halloween party: the children in Kindergarten only should come dressed in their costumes!
10/31: Early Dismissal: No PENN HILLS BUSES! 11:30 dismissal, and NO LUNCH
Monday 11/3: early dismissal and conferences: 11:30 dismissal and no Penn Hills buses
Tuesday: Election day: NO SCHOOL

Marti Wiehagen

September 18th

2008-09-15T19:11:00.001-04:00

Dear Parents,
IMPORTANT CHANGE: The number for Isabella DeFilippo was wrong on your class list. Please change it to: 412-793-2724. Thanks so much.
There have been some questions this week about several topics, so I thought that I should probably address them , in case someone else had the same question.
Dress Code:
When the uniform pants are worn, only dress shoes may be worn, except on gym day. Tennis shoes may only be worn with shorts. The dress code will change as of Oct. 1st, no shorts may be worn until May. If you purchased a sweatshirt for your child, these must be worn over a uniform shirt.
Grandparents Day
The children will be leaving with their grandparents.
In reading we will be covering the letters A-T. I appreciate all of the work that you have been doing with the flashcards. The children are moving right along with letter identification. If your child is still not sure of the letters, please practice.. You could use a concentration game, where they match the capital and lower case. You could do a game to see how many letters they identify one day, and the next see if it increases. It is really important for daily practice, especially if your child is not sure of the letters, we will begin sounds soon, and it will help make it easier if they know the letters.
We continue to work on rhyming words. We are also beginning to work on comprehension questions. This may also be done at home, when you read a story, ask several questions after the story to see if they have been following along. Also ask if they remember the beginning and the end of the story, what was first and what was last.
In math we will be working on classifying and sorting, we have been counting up to 40, practicing the days of the week and months of the year, and counting backwards from 15-0, as well as counting by 10’s.
In social studies we will be working on families and rules and roles that families have.
In science we will be working on basic needs that plants and animals have.
In health we will be working on good characters.
In Religion we continue to work on the value: patience, and we will be working on the gift of land. Don’t forget that most weeks we have Religion homework and this should be signed and returned the next day.
As we have had a few chilly mornings, and the kids are wearing coats/sweaters, it is a good time to make sure that your child’s name is somewhere on the sweater/jacket. Please practice having your child dress themselves including putting the sleeves the right way. I will help with zippering or buttons, but I really encourage them to dress themselves, and to put on their sweaters/coats themselves. If you are putting their clothes and or coats on for them, have them do it themselves. I know it slows you down, especially on a busy am, but it is an important skill that they should be doing independently at this time.
To go along with this, especially since we seemed to have started a lot of colds this week, please make sure that your child knows how to blow their nose by themselves. I am sorry to say, but I don’t help them blow their nose. This is another skill that they should know how to do by themselves. They are growing up so quickly aren’t they?
If you have an email address that you would like me to communicate with you on an individual basis, as opposed to a note. Please send me your email address or email me…. Wiehagen@stjohnthebaptistschool.org.
Thanks so much for all of your help. You have been such great helpers in all areas.
October dates:
Picture Day: Oct.6
Grandparents day: Oct. 27
Kerbers farm: field trip: oct. 29th
Reminder: if you have not sent in your money for the science magazine: 3.75, please don’t forget.
Marti Wiehagen