Saint Ann School News

September 7, 2010 Middle School Newsletter

Dear Middle School Parents and Guardians,

• Please send in your zip-loc Individual Emergency Kit if you haven’t done so already.

• Thank you for attending last Tuesday’s Back-to-School Night! Remember to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have.

• Please join us for our first school Mass this Friday at 8:15 A.M.

• Seventh grade students will be encouraged to bring in plastic bottles and aluminum cans this week in order to raise money for one of our service projects. The class plans to purchase a water pump for a village in Haiti through Food for the Poor, Inc. The cost is $205 for one pump. We are also looking into having a car wash later this month for this cause. Please contact Mrs. Wadley if you are interested in chaperoning this event.

• Please see the note in Mrs. Little’s letter regarding Picture Day this Thursday. As a reminder, per Saint Ann School policy, there is NO make-up allowed for Picture Day. Anyone who wears make-up will need to “clean up” before pictures are taken.

• Any student interested in participating in Student Council, either as an officer or a representative, is invited to attend a short meeting in Room 6 this Wednesday at lunch.

• For students to participate in science class labs, every student must turn in a Lab Safety Contract that has been signed by both the student and parent. This contract was sent home last Thursday. Any students not returning a signed contract will be unable to participate in labs and will receive a “zero” for any labs missed.

• Graduation meeting information will be in the next Monday Envelope.

• 7th grade is in charge of Bake Sale this Thursday. Please either send baked goods in with your child or bring them to the school office before noon.

• Volleyball News from Miss Rossi: See the enclosed volleyball flyer.

• If you or someone you know (a retired grandparent?) has computer skills and is willing to earn parent hours for helping teach computer skills, please contact us or Mrs. Little! Mrs. Little will be happy to show you (or send you by e-mail) the technology curriculum for Grades K-8. You may choose to teach only a particular concept for one or two sessions, or you may choose to “adopt” a class and work with them throughout the year. Depending on your interest and availability, we can put together a schedule for you to help our students continue to grow in their use of technology. You would need to complete Safe Environment clearance, but this might be a very fun and rewarding way for you to earn parent hours!

Have a great week!
Mrs. Sherrick, Mrs. Wadley and Mrs. Roberts

6th Grade
Language Arts: Students will begin reading A Wrinkle in Time, Ch 4-5. In our reading of these two chapters we will uncover good characters who battle the “Dark Thing” in the universe. Students will research people throughout history who have “battled evil” and worked to bring light into darkness. The Chapters 4-5 Quiz for A Wrinkle in Time will be next week. Spelling workbooks, pages 20-25, are due Thursday, and the Unit 3 Test is Friday.
Outside reading: Students should continue reading their SSR book. We will discuss AR accounts for students in Language Arts this week. Students should be able to take an AR test later this week or early next week.

Social Studies: There will be a review over Chapter 1 on Tuesday and a written test on Wednesday. Students will then begin Chapter 2 (People and Places). The main focus will be on understanding maps. Students will also learn how people interact with the environment and their world.

Religion: The Chapter 1 (The Gift of Faith) test will be tomorrow (Wednesday). We will use the chapter review from the publisher’s website, www.FaithFirst.com, together in class. Students are encouraged to use this resource at home. Students may take the practice test multiple times, but they do not need to e-mail me the results. We will begin working on Chapter 2 (God’s Own Word to Us) which will cover how God reveals Himself and His love for us through the Bible.

Earth Science: Students will begin studying Chapter 2 (Maps as Models of the Earth) this week. They will focus on learning the history of map making and reading different types of maps. This quarter’s extra credit is due on Friday.

Math: Concepts & Applications: This week students will be introduced to basic mathematical properties and identify applications of these properties in a partner matching activity. Students will also recognize and extend patterns for arithmetic and geometric sequences. There will be a Chapter 1 Test on Friday.

7th Grade
Language Arts: Students will continue working on the next set of chapters in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Students will read and discuss Chapter 5-8. Based on dialogue within these chapters, we will discuss logical syllogisms and using logic to compare items. The Chapters 5-8 Quiz for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be early next week. Spelling workbooks, pages 20-25, are due Thursday, and the Unit 3 Test is Friday.
Outside reading: Students should continue reading their SSR book. We will discuss AR accounts for students in Language Arts this week. Students should be able to take an AR test later this week or early next week.

Social Studies: Students did a great job on their civilization projects last week - the civilizations were very creative! Students will continue to study and identify the various ways Romans influenced our modern society. This week students will focus on Roman language, philosophy, and ideas about law and citizenship. On Wednesday students will play Rome to Home, a category game to exemplify the Romans’ many influences. There will be a Chapter 1 Quiz on Thursday. On Friday students will begin Chapter 2 (The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe).

Religion: Students will memorize the Beatitudes and understand how they are a connection between holiness and happiness. In addition, students will discuss threats to life such as abortion, capital punishment, and assisted suicide.

Life Science: Students will being studying Chapter 2 (It’s Alive, or Is It?). They will focus on learning about the characteristics of living things and how organisms obtain what they need to live. This quarter’s extra credit is due on Friday.

Pre-Algebra: This week students will review coordinate plane vocabulary and determine the relationship between one’s height and arm span in a scatter plot lab. There will be a test on Chapter 1 on Friday.

8th Grade
Language Arts: We will continue with the next two chapters, Chapters 4-5, in Johnny Tremain. Based on historical information from these chapters, we will discuss Patriots and Loyalists from the Revolutionary War. The Chapters 4-5 Quiz for Johnny Tremain will be next week. Spelling workbooks, pages 20-25, are due Thursday, and the Unit 3 Test is Friday.
Outside reading: Students should continue reading their SSR book. We will discuss AR accounts for students in Language Arts this week. Students should be able to take an AR test later this week or early next week.

Social Studies: Students will finish Chapter 1 this week, and they will take a vocabulary quiz over all the ‘Key Term” words from the chapter on Thursday. Students will begin working on the Chapter 1 Study Guide on Thursday. The Chapter 1 Test is tentatively planned for next Tuesday.

Religion: Understanding the connection between divine revelation and faith will be the focus this week. There will be a test over Chapter 1 next week.

Physical Science: Students will begin studying Chapter 2 (The Properties of Matter). They will focus on learning about what matter is and how to describe it. This quarter’s extra credit is due on Friday.

Algebra: This week students will continue to analyze the applications of basic mathematical properties. In addition, students will justify the use of basic properties to simplify and evaluate expressions. Students will be introduced to logical reasoning and the structure of deductive arguments. On Friday students will review adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals. The Chapter 1 test will be on Tuesday next week.

PE – Students will focus on the 5 components of fitness. There will be a short quiz over these components on Friday.

August 30, 2010 Middle School Newsletter

Dear Middle School Parents and Guardians,

• We’re off to a great start this year. If a concern or problem does arise, please contact us so we can quickly deal with the issue before it becomes overwhelming. You can contact the following teachers by e-mail with the address listed below:
o Mrs. Sherrick: sixthgrade@parishofsaintann.org
o Mrs. Wadley: seventhgrade@parishofsaintann.org
o Mrs. Roberts: eighthgrade@parishofsaintann.org

• Even with all of our new students in middle school, we added one new face to 7th grade late last week. Welcome to A. Loundagin!

• Please don’t forget that Back-to-School Night is tomorrow, August 31 at 6:30 PM, Parish Center.

• Syllabi for all classes, behavior policies and late policies for each class are included in today’s Monday Envelope. There is also a cover sheet that lists what is included and requires that you and your child(ren) sign and return this to the school as quickly as possible.

• We have had some questions regarding the pencil boxes and the supplies for them. Each grade will have a set of pencil boxes numbered 1-18 that will stay in the classrooms. As students transition from class to class, they will not need to pack a variety of items in their backpack or store these items in their locker. Students will share the items in the pencil boxes. If you would prefer that certain supplies (i.e. a costly ruler or protractor) be used only by your child(ren), you may certainly swap those items out for less costly items. Because the pencil boxes will be numbered, students will be assigned (by their roster number) a pencil box from which they may use supplies.

• If you have not sent in the emergency kit(s) with your child(ren), please do so ASAP. Thank you!

• Student Council and CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation) information will be sent home in next week’s Monday Envelope.

• Next Monday, September 6, there is no school due to the Labor Day Holiday.

• 7th and 8th Grade Parents: A Graduation Meeting for all 7th and 8th Grade Parents will be held at 6:30 pm this Thursday night in room 6.

• Volleyball: Hopefully, a game schedule will be announced next week after the local coaches’ have a meeting. Please send an e-mail to Miss Rossi at school@parishofsaintann.org with “TEST” in the subject line so she will have your address on file for sending volleyball up-dates.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Sherrick, Mrs. Wadley and Mrs. Roberts

6th Grade
Language Arts: We will continue reading and working with our first novel, A Wrinkle in Time (We will read The Cay later this school year.) Students will work on predicting events in the coming chapters as well as defining vocabulary words from the chapters. Students will take the Ch 1-3 Quiz on Wednesday.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by this Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will move into the future, focusing on how our decisions affect the lives of people in the future.

Religion: Students will finish their ‘5 Finger Prayer’ project from last week. They learned this prayer as a simple way to help remind them of the many people that need our prayers. We will continue our work in Chapter 1 (The Gift of Faith), and students will take a test over this chapter early next week.

Earth Science: Chapter 1 will be wrapped up with how Earth Science uses models and a measurement/safety review. There is a lab test on Chapter 1 on Friday.

Math: Concepts & Applications: This week, students will explore powers and exponents, and discuss the importance of the order of operations. On Wednesday, students will learn how to evaluate algebraic expressions, and reinforce this concept by playing Express Yourself! – a math card game. There will be a Chapter 1 Section 2-4 quiz on Thursday. On Friday, students will be introduced to basic mathematical properties, and identify applications of these properties in a partner matching activity.

7th Grade
Language Arts: We will finish our work in Chapters 1-4 of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In preparation for the Chapters 1-4 Quiz on Wednesday, we will look at heroes and villains in other stories as well as the use of logic to make connections.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by this Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will complete their civilization projects and share them with the class. Also this week, students will explore the geography of Europe in preparation for the study of the legacy of the Roman Empire. Students will discover and identify the various ways Romans influenced our modern society. On Friday, students will play “Rome to Home”, a category game to exemplify the Roman’s many influences.

Religion: Students will begin Chapter 1 (Human Dignity and Happiness). The concepts of happiness and holiness will be discussed, and students will illustrate what happiness means to them. Students will memorize the Beatitudes and understand how they are a connection between holiness and happiness. In addition, students will discuss “Threats to Life”, such as abortion, capital punishment and assisted suicide.

Life Science: Chapter 1 will be wrapped up with how Life Science uses models and a measurement/safety review. There is a lab test over Chapter 1 on Friday.

Pre-Algebra: This week, students will continue to discuss the importance of the order of operations, and apply these rules when evaluating algebraic expressions. Students will also practice writing and decoding verbal algebraic expressions. Basic mathematical properties will be used to simplify expressions and solve problems mentally. There will be a Chapter 1 Section 2-4 quiz on Thursday. On Friday, students will review coordinate plane vocabulary, and determine the relationship between one’s height and arm span in a scatter plot lab.

8th Grade
Language Arts: We will continue with Chapters 1-3 in our first novel, Johnny Tremain. Students will work on a character list for the many characters introduced in the first few chapters. Students will also work on vocabulary from the chapters. Students will take a quiz over Chapter 1-3 on Friday.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by this Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will finish reading and discussing the last couple of lessons from Chapter 1 (Reviewing Exploration and Settlement). The remaining lessons explain the interactions between European settlers and Native Americans as well as life in the English colonies. Students will use the early part of next week to prepare for the Chapter 1 Test.

Religion: Students will focus on discovering that both faith and reason help us come to know God.

Physical Science: Students had a successful first couple of labs last week. This week Chapter 1 will be wrapped up with a measurement and safety review. There is a lab test on Friday.

Algebra: This week, students will analyze the applications of basic mathematical properties. In addition, students will justify the use of basic properties to simplify and evaluate expressions. There will be a Chapter 1 Section 1, 2, 4-6 quiz on Thursday. On Friday, students will be introduced to logical reasoning and the structure of deductive arguments.

PE – We will finish our Safe Environment curriculum during our normally scheduled PE time this week.

August 23, 2010 Middle School Newsletter

Dear Middle School Parents and Guardians,

• Welcome back to everyone! We hope that everyone had a restful and fun summer break.

• Some new faces have joined our Middle School family. We would like to welcome eight new 6th graders, two new 7th graders and two new 8th graders. Our new 6th graders are M. Huereque, K. Koch, L. Lusher, J. McCartney, D. Monroe, K. Monroe,
J. Sepulveda and C. Thayer. Our new 7th graders are L. McGowan and S. Ramirez, and our new 8th graders are V. Hazelwood and
Z. McGowan. Welcome everyone!

• We will be using a variety of assessments the first few weeks to get to know all of our students. This will help us determine if any modifications are needed to meet your child’s needs.

• Back-to-School Night is next Tuesday, August 31, at 6:30 P.M. in the Parish Center. Be sure to mark your calendars.

• Syllabi for all classes, behavior policies and late policies for each class will be included in next week’s Monday Envelope.

• You will notice this year that the Middle School schedule has remained the same as last year. Please remember that students are to be in their seats, ready to work, by 7:30 A.M. Any student not inside the classroom at 7:30 A.M. will be considered tardy and will have to pick up a tardy slip from the office. This means if a student is at the door or walking in, he/she will be considered tardy. We ask that you do not drop your student off before 7:15 A.M., unless you take them to the Extended Day Program (EDP) located in the school library near the elementary parking lot. We are not outside to supervise the students in the mornings. In the afternoon, any student not picked up by 2:55 P.M. will be sent to EDP, unless we have instructions in writing or phoned in to the school office to do otherwise.

• Middle School Girls Volleyball Teams: All girls are invited to play on our teams! Miss Rossi has included paperwork in your Monday Envelope regarding the volleyball program – please note that the permission slips are due tomorrow since the 8th Grade team starts practice tomorrow and the 7th Grade team starts practice on Wednesday.

• Student Council and CJSF information will be sent home in the next few weeks.

• Finally, please remember to sign and return the Monday Envelopes every Tuesday morning.

We look forward to another exciting and productive school year!

Mrs. Sherrick, Mrs. Wadley, and Mrs. Roberts

6th Grade
Language Arts: Students will use the first part of the week to review and practice procedures for Language Arts. We will cover weekly expectations for Spelling and DOL (Daily Oral Language). Students will take the Spelling Unit 1 pretest tomorrow and the Unit 1 test on Friday. We will begin our first novel, The Cay by Theodore Taylor. Students will take a quiz over the first three chapters next week. Literature textbooks should be covered by this Friday.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by next Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will be going over the class syllabus as well as comparing the past and the present. Books need to be covered by Friday.

Religion: Students will begin getting to know each other and the resources available in the religion textbook. Later in the week we will begin Chapter 1 (The Gift of Faith). This chapter will help students discover how we all grow in our faith in God. Students will take the Chapter 1 test next week.

Earth Science: Safety and science skills will be the first unit of focus. Students will be learning about all of the different factors and skills that make a safe science lab. Students will be required to read and sign a statement pledging to use safe techniques during labs, and parents will be required to sign the form indicating that their child understands how to be safe when doing labs. Safety will be continually stressed during any science lab work. Any student not practicing safe lab techniques will not be allowed to complete the lab and will receive a no credit (zero percent) for that lab.

Math: Concepts & Applications: Students will assess themselves to determine their preferred learning style. This week students will review foundational skills, while utilizing the order of operations. The Chapter 1 pre-assessment will be on Thursday.

7th Grade
Language Arts: Students will review procedures for Language Arts. Students will take the Spelling Unit 1 pretest tomorrow and the Unit 1 test on Friday. We will begin our first novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Students will take a quiz over the first four chapters next week. Literature textbooks should be covered by this Friday.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by next Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will discuss the ten characteristics that all civilizations share, and they will brainstorm different artifacts that represent these characteristics. Students will create their own civilizations and collect artifacts representing each of the ten essential characteristics. Student civilizations must be finished and shared with the class by Tuesday, August 31.

Religion: Students will discuss basic human rights and create our class Social Contract. There will be a general pre-assessment on Thursday.

Life Science: Safety and science skills will be the first unit of focus. Students will be learning about all of the different factors and skills that make a safe science lab. Students will be required to read and sign a statement pledging to use safe techniques during labs, and parents will be required to sign the form indicating that their child understands how to be safe when doing labs. Safety will be continually stressed during any science lab work. Any student not practicing safe lab techniques will not be allowed to complete the lab and will receive a no credit (zero percent) for that lab.

Pre-Algebra: Students will assess themselves to determine their preferred learning style. This week students will review foundational skills, while utilizing the order of operations. The Chapter 1 pre-assessment will be on Thursday.

8th Grade
Language Arts: Students will review procedures for Language Arts. Students will take the Spelling Unit 1 pretest tomorrow and the Unit 1 test on Friday. Literature books should be covered by Friday. We will begin our first novel, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. This book, which is based on a fictional character during the American Revolution, will help reinforce our Social Studies curriculum in the coming weeks. Students will take a quiz over the first three chapters next week. Literature textbooks should be covered by this Friday.
Outside reading: Students need to select a book for silent reading for use during class as well as at home. They need to choose a book by next Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will begin Chapter 1 (Reviewing Exploration and Settlement). This first chapter will cover the geography of the US in relation to Native Americans and European explorers who lived and traveled throughout the early history of our country.

Religion: Students will be going over the class syllabus as well as focus on how prayer is part of everyday life.

Physical Science: Safety and science skills will be the first unit of focus. Students will be learning about all of the different factors and skills that make a safe science lab. Students will be required to read and sign a statement pledging to use safe techniques during labs, and parents will be required to sign the form indicating that their child understands how to be safe when doing labs. Safety will be continually stressed during any science lab work. Any student not practicing safe lab techniques will not be allowed to complete the lab and will receive a no credit (zero percent) for that lab.

Algebra: Students will assess themselves to determine their preferred learning style. This week students will review foundational skills, while utilizing the order of operations. The Chapter 1 pre-assessment will be on Thursday.

PE – We will begin the year by focusing on our Safe Environment curriculum during our normal PE time.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for coming to Back-to-School Night. I appreciate your support. If you have any other questions, please call me.

Homework starts tonight! The children will ask you to sign their behavior chart and check their homework. They should spend no more than 10-15 minutes on the worksheets. Please have them read to you for at least 5 minutes. Please let me know if the work takes more (or much less) than 15-20 minutes. Your child may also have unfinished classwork in their folder that they must finish and return.

Thursday, September 9th is Teddy Bear Day. Your child may bring one teddy bear to spend the day in the classroom! If your child does not have a teddy bear, they may bring another teddy bear “friend” for our Teddy Bear day.

If your daughter wears jumpers, she needs to wear shorts underneath.

We will practice our Schoolwide Learning Expectation of being a Catholic Learner when we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birthday on Wednesday. Be sure to ask your child how we remember this special day!

God bless,

Susan McDonald
(760) 371-3547

P.S. Please send in book orders by Thursday.

This Week in 1st Grade

Math: We will write addition sentences, solve problems with zero and use models to show addition problems. We will continue to practice writing numbers correctly.
Language Arts
Reading: We will continue to listen to stories. We will listen for rhyming and question words.
Phonics: We will review letter sounds.
Handwriting: We will practice printing letters.
P.E.: We will practice directional moving skills like hop forward and then slide to the right.
Religion: We will discover that God is the Creator who made everything out of love in chapter 2. Check out www.faithfirst.com.
Science: We will continue to study the kinds of living things.
Social Studies: We will study fair play and good sportsmanship. We will also study rights and opinions of others, and respect for rules, including the “Golden Rule.”
Reminders: Please sign behavior notice each night.

• I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. Labor Day always gets me thinking of fall and cooler weather. (I’ve lived in Ridgecrest for how long?)

• Picture Day is this Thursday, September 9. Students will wear their school uniforms as usual. If you would like to order pictures, be sure to send the Lifetouch School Portraits order envelope and money with your child on that day. Additional copies of the order form are available in the School Office.

• As you know, one of the ways you can receive your basic Safe Environment Training is through the new online training at www.shieldthevulnerable.org. We told you that there was a $6 charge for this training, but we have found out that they do not charge the participant, they bill the Diocese of Fresno, which in turn will bill the school. Since we do not have money set aside in our budget to pay for all of these trainings, you will need to pay the school the $6 fee when you bring in your completion certificate.

• SpiritWear order forms are included in today’s Monday Envelope. Orders are due by Sept 17 (Fri).

• We have Saint Ann School car decals in our office. These decals are free thanks to donations from several families. Please pick one up and put it on your car to show school pride and to promote our school.

• Enclosed is a Pie News flyer. Earn parent hours by volunteering on the specified dates to bake pies for our Holiday Bazaar.

• The “Christmas in July” craft-making group will be meeting Thursday (September 9) from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Parish Library. Earn parent hours by coming to help scrapbook for the Holiday Bazaar (it is easy!). If you have any scrapbook paper to donate or scissors/hot glue gun to use, please bring them. An interesting story about this craft group . . . Michelle Blubaugh was concerned that we would not be able to make rosaries this year because we had exhausted our beading supplies. That same week, someone donated a bead store gift certificate to us! What a wonderful example of how God does provide!

• Saint Ann School has offered a Chess Club for students in the past, and we have had families express their desire to offer one this year. The school has chess sets. If we have a parent/guardian who is willing to be the Chess Club advisor (as well as others to be helpers), we could certainly offer Chess Club again this year. This would be a fun way to earn parent hours, and we could schedule it during lunch or after school. The advisor and helpers would need to complete Safe Environment clearance before the first meeting. Please call the School Office if you are interested.

• There will be a meeting of the Parent–Teacher Guild (PTG) next Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the school library. This is an important meeting to help us prepare for the many upcoming activities in support of Saint Ann School, particularly the Casino Night scheduled for Oct. 16. All are welcome to share ideas. (Agenda items include: Casino Night, Holiday Bazaar, Car Raffle.) PTG meetings usually last a little over an hour. Earn parent hours by attending!

• Reminders:
o Tuition payments and EDP payments are due by Friday, September 10. Late charges will be assessed on payments not received or at least postmarked by September 10.

o This week we have two hot lunches (hot dogs/corn dogs on Thursday, pizza on Friday). Please put the orders in separate envelopes and mark the envelope on the outside as to which hot lunch order is in the envelope.

Upcoming Events

Thurs., Sept. 9 Picture Day; send Lifetouch order forms/money on Thursday

Thurs., Sept. 9 “Christmas in July” Craft Session, 7 PM – 9 PM, Parish Library

Fri., Sept. 10 School Mass, 8:15 AM, 8th Graders

Tues., Sept. 14 PTG Meeting, 7:00 PM, School Library (all are welcome)

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. It’s hard to believe that we’ve already completed two weeks of school! The students are adjusting to the classroom and school routine. Thank you to the parents who were able to help with the Hot Lunch on Thursday. Your help was greatly appreciated. There will be many other opportunities to help with Hot Lunch since Kindergarten is responsible for Hot Lunch on the first Thursday of every month. I also look forward to parents completing all the necessary requirements to be a helper in the classroom and/or a driver for our upcoming field trips.
On Wednesday, we will be celebrating the birthday of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. We will celebrate by decorating flowers for Mary, saying prayers, and having a small birthday celebration in Her honor.
On Thursday, we will celebrate Teddy Bear day (you can Google this and read about it). The students need to bring a teddy bear friend to school (please make sure it is marked with your child’s name), and we will enjoy a teddy bear picnic with our furry friends. If your child does not have a teddy bear, they may bring another teddy bear “friend” for our Teddy Bear day.
Sunday, September 12, is Grandparents Day. Your child will be bringing home an activity made in class that can be given to his/her grandparents.
We will begin our Concepts/Questions board in class. This bulletin board is to share what we are learning in class, and it allows students to share ideas, questions, and wonderings about the topic we are currently discussing in our Open Court Reading program. The subject we are currently on is “School.”
Homework begins this week. The packet will come home today and your child will bring it back on Friday (please, not before).
Many students already have ten Good Tickets because they have been doing a great job of “Thinking Green.” Once the students have ten, they may redeem the tickets the following school day for something in the treasure box. I found a baggie with no name on it on the floor Friday at the end of school, and it contains Good Kid tickets. The individual tickets don’t need a name on them, but it would be helpful if they do come back to school in a baggie, that the baggie has their name on it. I don’t want to see any disappointed kids because they’ve misplaced their tickets. They worked hard to earn those tickets!
The students went to Music class with Mrs. Veit on Thursday, and they were fantastic! Don’t forget that Library day is Wednesday, so your child needs to return his/her book to school that morning so they can check out a new book.

God Bless and have a great week!

PICTURE DAY IS THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2010

This is what we’re working on this week:

Language Arts:
*Making lists for our Concept/ Question board
*Daily journal writing
*O/C – discuss characters, beginning, middle, and end of stories
-rhyming
-listening for first, middle, and last sounds
-review of letters Aa-Ee
-Pre-decodable “Apple Pie”
Math:
*Read “A Red Day for Tony”
*Sorting objects by size, color, and shape
*Make a number poems booklet (to help with writing of numbers)
*Gummie bear sorting activity (shhh…it’s a surprise)
Religion:
*Celebration of Mary’s birthday on Wednesday, September 8
*We continue to learn about the World and about God’s love through our five senses
*School Mass on Friday @ 8:15 a.m. Please join us! We will visit the Church on Thursday to practice making the sign of the cross with holy water and genuflecting before we sit in the pews.
Science:
*Students will continue to investigate the sensory system. Our senses enable us to observe the properties of different objects and to classify these objects.
Misc:
*We will have a teddy bear picnic and all things teddy bear on Thursday.
*Our color this week in R-E-D red (have your child sing the song to you).
*Our activities this week will reflect the color red and apples, because we’re a good bunch of apples!
*Our cooking activity will have something to do with apples.

***If you are interested, you can buy a white board at Staples for $3.00. These white boards have a “head line, a belt line, and a foot line” like the ones we use in class. These are great for writing practice, plus it helps kids with directionality with their writing.

3rd Grade Newsletter

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.”
Matthew 22:37

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Dear Parents and Students,

Thank you so much for coming last week to our Back-to-School Night. I enjoyed meeting all of you. I’m sure this will be a successful year. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Our room parents are Mrs. Ann Connell and Mrs. Nikki Johnson. They will be contacting you to get some help for our first Hot Lunch. This will take place next Thursday, September 16. Our first Bake Sale will be on October 7th. I would like to thank all of you in advance for your help.

Most of the children did a good job of turning in their homework last week. Please make sure that your child completes and brings his/her homework to school the next morning. Students who forget or don’t complete their homework will do it during their lunch time.

I would appreciate it if you make sure that your child doesn’t bring to school their “silly bands,” they were a distraction during class last week.
Our library day is on Wednesday. Please remind your child to bring his/her library book tomorrow, in order to be able to check out another book.

Thank you for making sure that your child is bringing two bottles of plain water to school. Please make sure that his/her bottle has your child’s name. Thank you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at St. Ann School, 375-4713, Monday-Friday between 7:00 am and 2:40 pm.

God bless

Mrs. Sara U. Olson

Classroom: We will continue practicing the procedures we learned last week. Please remind your child about the importance of listening and following directions the first time they are given.
Religion: We will study how Mary showed her faith and trust in God. Check out the website www.faithfirst.com for activities for your child.
Language Arts: Our Guided Reading Groups are off to a good start. Students are using some of the reading
strategies. During our writing session, students will continue writing a paragraph about “Good Friends”. Our phonics
will focus on the /j/, /s/, and long vowels /ā/ and /ē/ sounds. This week spelling words are: shipwreck, huge, twice,
homework, bulldog, gentle, range, city, since, notebook, decent, waterfront, germ, logic, agent. Challenge Words:
exchange, garbage, distance.
Math: We will continue working with Place Value – Rounding numbers, place value to greater numbers. We will study patterns to help us solve word problems. We will prepare for a quiz on this chapter and prepare to take our first Chapter Test.
Social Studies: We will read about American Symbols. Children will start writing an outline using the information from our shared reading.
Handwriting: We will continue practicing the manuscript letters.
P.E. This week we will conclude jump rope skills.

Every morning tell Him, “Thank You for Your kindness,” and every evening rejoice in all His faithfulness…You have done so much for me…I sing for joy.
Psalm 92:2,4
September 7, 2010
Dear 5th Grade Parents and Guardians,

It’s been a good two weeks of establishing routines and good habits to make the transitioninto 5th grade a smooth one. It was also nice to meet you at our Back To School Night so I could share my policies and goals for the year, as well as give us a formal opportunity to meet and for you to ask questions.

We will be having our first hot lunch sales this Thursday September 9, 2010. Thank you to all who are helping with this! I will be contacting you soon for those that volunteered for other certain positions to finalize the volunteer list that went around on Back to School Night. Reminder that our first field trip will be on October 1, 2010 to Knaus Apple Farm and Ostrich Farm in Tehachapi. If you are able to drive and be a chaperone for this event, please let me know. (Please make sure you are current with all Safe Environment Requirements, licenses, insurance, etc). A more formal field trip permission form will be made and passed out soon.
This week, our main focus in class became our 5th grade community service project. I hadoriginally thought that having the students choose one as well as find ways to implement it would be fairly easy, but the idea that everyone loved the most…was the most challenging! It was a unanimous vote to want to plant trees at this school. However, they understood in order to be able to do this, they had to get approval from the principal and groundskeepers, as well as figure out logistics as to what type of trees to get, where would we get the money, who would care for it, etc. This became a teachable moment, where all the kids could get involved, in a meaningful problem-solving situation. Since the idea was first conceived, some students have had to interview staff members to help them figure out these key concerns, others have had to develop surveys to ask other grade level classes and present their ideas to them, some have helped to develop a scale model of our school to use as part of their presentation to Mrs. Little, Mr. Hire, and Mr. Gibbs on Wednesday, September 8, and all have had to prepare a paragraph on different aspects of the proposal, using what they have learned so far on persuasive writing techniques. It is so exciting to see them so engaged with the project!

Because of the involvement of this project, some of the concepts that I originally planned to cover last week have been pushed back. So the summary of work for this week might sound a little familiar. Also, since Monday was a holiday, I wanted to give the students the pretest this past Friday so that they would have more time to study the words, however I accidentally gave the spelling pre-Test for Unit 4 (instead of Unit 3). So to avoid having the students redo it later, we are doing pelling Connections Unit 4 andHandwritingLesson 4 this week and doing Spelling Connections Unit 3 andHandwriting

Lesson 3 next week. Sorry for the confusion!

Religion:
· Continue with service project ideas and presentation

Math:
· Continue Mathematics Ch 8 “Place Values and Decimals”, Ch 9 “Compare and Order Decimals Less than One”, Ch 10 “Round Decimals”, and Ch 11 “Compare and Order Decimals and Whole Numbers”.

Science:
· Continue Discovery Works Unit E – “Weather and Climate” with investigations on “What is Air Pressure?” and “How Can You Find Wind Direction (and Speed)?”

Social Studies:
· Our NationUnit 1 Lesson 2 “The First Americans – What Common Ways of Life Developed Among American Indian Cultures?” Test Friday

English:
· Begin Imagine ItUnit 2: “Energy at Work” – compound words and -in prefixes, action verbs, regular and irregular plurals; persuasive writing techniques and essay writing; vocabulary
·
Spelling Connections

Unit 4- “Vowel Sounds: o ”: (Spelling Test Friday)
launch, shawl, false, author, install, loss, broad, audience, drawing, caution, lawyer,
recall, astronaut, office, scald, automobile, drawn, broth, awful, flaw
· Handwriting Lesson 4 – (Scripture Test Friday)
· Accelerated Reader (AR) test Wednesday on the book they choose last week (if book is less than 100 words, then they will take the AR test a week after they check out the book…if the book is more than 100 words, then they will take the AR test 2 weeks after they check out their book).
Thank you!
Jennifer Provencio

• I hope that the first week of school was enjoyable for your child(ren). It was wonderful to have them back on campus. They are the reason we love being here at Saint Ann School!

• I am very excited that our enrollment has increased 21% from last year! Saint Ann School is very blessed by the addition of quite a few new families. I would love to be able to pair up each new family with a returning family as mentors. Our new families would probably appreciate having someone (besides the School Office) that they can call with questions about our various programs and activities. If you are willing to help a new family settle in, please contact the school office.

• This Tuesday, August 31, is Back to School Night. Following is some very important information about this evening:

o Back to School Night begins at 6:30 PM in the Parish Center. There will be brief remarks by several of our PTG officers/chairpersons. We will have sign-up sheets in the Parish Center for volunteers for various events and activities. Please be generous with your time and choose at least two activities with which you would be willing to help. Volunteering for school activities counts toward Parent Hours!

o The general session will adjourn shortly before 7:00 PM. Following there will be two 20-minute meetings in each classroom with bells marking the beginning and ending of each session. Don’t forget to visit Music (in the Middle School building) and Art (in the Parish Center Multi-Purpose Room). These classroom presentations are not the appropriate time to discuss your child’s unique circumstances. This would be more appropriately handled in a private conference with the teacher.

o Please do not bring your children to Back to School Night. It is important that you and those around you be able to give full attention to the teacher’s presentation. There will not be anyone available to supervise children on the playground or anywhere around campus.

o We will offer used uniforms for sale in the Parish Center up until 7:00 PM.

• In today’s Monday Envelope, you will find a copy of the Electronic Resource Contract. This contract explains the responsibilities involved in going on the Internet at school. In order for your child to do research or use any of the online services subscribed to by the school, you must review this with your child and either initial and sign for your child (Gr. K-4) or sign along with your child (Gr. 5-8). Please return the form in the Monday Envelope. Note – Students are never allowed to go online without teacher/staff supervision.

• The school has the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars in telecommunications costs through the eRate Program. In order to take part, we must conduct a survey on the financial situation of our families. The surveys are completely anonymous (they do not have your names on them). Enclosed in this Monday Envelope is the purple eRate Survey – please fill it out, staple/tape it closed and return it in the Monday Envelope. We hope that by cutting down these costs, we can offer more education resources for our students.

• Our Holiday Bazaar craft organizer, Mrs. Michelle Blubaugh, is looking for people who want to earn at-home Parent Hours. She will pack up a kit with instructions on how to complete the craft. If you are interested, call the school office.

• LifeTouch Picture Day Order Forms are in today’s Monday Envelope. Wait until Picture Day on September 9 to send this form/money with your child.

• If you have any feedback regarding the Dennis Uniform sales, please let us know. We always welcome suggestions that we can forward to Dennis Uniform Company to improve this process.

• Hot Lunch News–We have two hot lunches this week. Please use separate envelopes for turning in order forms/money (orders go to different classes for counting). To save money, the parish will no longer be stocking the kitchen pantry with plates, utensils and napkins for the school to use. Classes offering hot lunches will now have to provide these and, therefore, costs for the hot lunches may go up slightly. The faculty and staff also have commented on how much students are throwing away the sides (applesauce, carrots, etc.). Rather than encourage this great waste, it was decided that only the main course would be offered. If you want your child to have a side dish, please send one with your child on hot lunch day.

• Thank you to Mrs. Susie Jensen for agreeing to produce the green monthly calendar for the school!

• Tuition envelopes are included in this Monday Envelope.

• As mentioned last week, in order to volunteer in the classroom, coach or drive on a field trip, you must complete the Safe Environment Program. This program includes having a basic training, receiving fingerprint clearance and signing a Code of Conduct. If you have not completed the basic training, you may either (1) view a DVD and answer a questionnaire that will be returned to the School Office, or (2) complete an on-line child abuse mandated reporter “general training” at: www.shieldthevulnerable.org. Choose to sign up as “Adult” and select “Catholic Diocese” and the “Fresno Diocese.” If you are planning to complete the training online, you will be required to pay a small fee ($6.00). Anyone desiring to schedule an appointment for fingerprinting should call the Ridgecrest Police Department at 499-5100 as soon as possible to request an appointment for LiveScan fingerprinting. You may request the appointment even before you pick up the necessary fingerprint form from Miss Rossi in the School Office. Cost for the fingerprinting is approximately $52. You may count this fingerprinting fee as 2 parent hours. Parents do not need to receive Safe Environment clearance in order to work at most of our fundraisers.

• Reminder:

o Tuition Payments and Extended Day Program (EDP) payments are due September 1. There will be a $20 late fee charged for payments received after September 10.

o Earthquake kits were due today. Please send in to your teacher if you have not already done so.

Upcoming Events:

Tues, Aug 30
Back to School Night, 6:30 PM, Parish Center

Dear Parents/Guardians,

You should all be very proud of your Kindergartner. The class of 17 did a fantastic job their first week of school! We are still working on being in school all day (which is tough for these little ones), but they did great! The students were very well behaved at the prayer service on Friday with their prayer pals. One student told me, “This is fun coming to God’s house!”

Don’t forget about the Back-to-School Night tomorrow, Tuesday, August 31, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We will begin in the Parish Center, and then Mrs. Little will excuse you to come to the classroom. Please remember that this night is for parents/guardians only, so it is requested that the children do not attend this evening. I hope you will be able to attend because I have a lot of information to share with you.

Thank you to the parents who will be able to help out with our first Hot Lunch day this Thursday, September 2. You will need to be in the Parish Center kitchen by 11:15 a.m. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Make sure to go through any and all papers in the Monday Envelope, and return the hot lunch slips Tuesday morning. Please follow the directions on the order forms. The Chicken Nugget order form and money needs to go in one envelope, and the Burrito order form and money needs to go in another envelope.

Finally, big Happy Birthday wishes go out to Emily who will be celebrating her 6th birthday on Tuesday, August 31.

God bless and have a wonderful week!

Gina Silong

This is what we’ll be working on this week in Kindergarten:

-Language Arts:
*Letters Aa-Ee with the big book, recognizing and writing of letters
*Pre-decodable take home book “The First Day of Kindergarten”
*Rhyming words
*Predicting

-Math:
*Identify positions right and left
*Same and different
*Identify, sort and classify objects by color, size and shape

-Religion/Science:
*This week, these two subjects will be combined. God gives us our five senses, and we will identify that these are gifts from God. The five senses help us to learn about God’s world. We will be completing activities in both our Religion book and in our Science book. On Thursday, we will have a “celebration” to celebrate the gift of our five senses.

-Social Studies:
*Students will answer the question, “Who are good citizens?”

-On Friday, we will have a cooking activity related to our “blue” week.