Dear First Grade Families,
I hope everyone is well. Here is all the information that you and your child will need for this week, 11/13-11/17. Please take a moment to read through this week’s updates to avoid questions that are
As we conclude the first trimester, I want to take a moment to express my immense pride and gratitude for the remarkable progress our firsties have made over these past months.
It’s been an incredible journey witnessing the dedication, hard work, and growth displayed by our students.
As we embark on the second trimester, I am filled with excitement for the continued growth and achievements of our students. With each passing day, they are proving to be resilient learners who embrace new challenges with enthusiasm. I have no doubt that they will continue to excel, and achieve even greater milestones in the coming trimester.
Citizenship Awards & Ceremony
I will be sending out emails to all families of our awardees by Monday. For a student to receive a Citizenship award, a student must earn 0’s (Outstanding = 92-100%) on both work habits and behavior grades. Therefore, students’ daily behavior, participation, attendance, assignments, projects, ST MATH goal and work habits are IMPORTANT factors in receiving an award.
Please know that if your child doesn’t earn Citizenship this trimester, there’s still a chance to earn it in the next two trimesters.
Our All School Mass and 1st Trimester Awards Assembly will take place in the Church this
Friday, 11/17, starting at 8am. As a reminder, we ask that all who enter our church, the House of God, should be respectful at all times. Men should remove their hats, and there should be no gum chewing, eating of food or drinking in the church. During the awards ceremony, we ask that you hold your applause till the end of the calling out of names for each class.
2nd Trimester Expectations
This week is the start of our 2nd trimester. All our firsties did an AWESOME job and I’m very proud of them! This is an exciting time, but it is also a time when our expectations grow to further our preparations for the next grade level. Here are some of the expectations that I am looking out for:
- All first graders should know how to write their FULL NAME.
- First AND last name on ALL assignments. (Part of work habit grade)
- The date on ALL assignments (written as 11/17/23)
- An uppercase/capital letter at the beginning of EVERY sentence.
- Correct punctuations or end mark (period, exclamation point, or question mark) at the end of EVERY sentence.
- All first graders should read for AT LEAST 20-30 minutes every day at home. Raz kids or Seesaw Word Study Decodable (NOTE: This means that if the students read one book and it only takes them 10 minutes, they should read another book to complete their 20 minutes of reading as a practice!)
- All first graders should know some of our prayers, Sign of the Cross, Our Father, and Hail Mary.
- All first graders should follow all classroom rules and school, Tribes agreements without being reminded inside and outside the classroom
- All first graders should be able to submit their own work on Seesaw.
- All students must be able to navigate through Seesaw, Raz-kids, & Freckle apps on their own.
- All first graders should turn-in their blue homework folders every day and their homework on Thursdays by themselves in order to help them be more responsible.
The first graders are doing a great job with this so far, and I want them to continue to work on being more responsible each and every day!
I am encouraging all students to meet these expectations every day, and it would be helpful if you could also encourage your child to work with these expectations at home too!
Gradelink and late assignments
I would like to highlight the importance of staying updated on your child’s academic progress by regularly checking Gradelink. Our aim is to ensure that you are informed about any missing assignments, incomplete work, or lower grades that your child may be experiencing.
At our end, we make dedicated efforts to update the grades on a daily basis. This allows you to have real-time access to your child’s academic standing, providing the opportunity to address any concerns promptly.
I kindly request that you avoid waiting until the end of the trimester to address any missing assignments or incomplete work. Timely submissions significantly impact my ability to finalize and accurately assess grades within the given deadlines. Regular monitoring and intervention, if required, can make a substantial difference in your child’s academic journey.
Encouraging Responsible Cafeteria Behavior for Students
As I have previously mentioned in my past emails, our class makes every effort to encourage our first graders to eat the food provided in the cafeteria. Despite our consistent reminders and efforts, we have observed a significant number of students not eating their cafeteria meals, resulting in unnecessary waste.
I kindly request your assistance in discussing the importance of responsible food consumption with your child. Encouraging them to eat what they can from their provided meals. Please consider discussing this matter.
Friday, Nov 27 First Grade Friendsgiving Party (after awards ceremony)
We will be celebrating our first grade Friendsgiving on Friday, Nov 17. Our room parents will help me prepare everything for our students. If you have any questions, please get in touch with our room parents.
Homework
If you missed my email last week, you can check out my school blog http://www.stanthonygardena.org/first-grade/
Please make sure to follow the daily assignment on our weekly homework list that will be sent on Monday. Kindly sign the homework list and your child’s behavior chart daily
- Math- Please see weekly homework list (Please don’t do advanced pages)
- Word Study- 3 Word Study decodable on Seesaw (listen, read, record & highlight words with final blends (sk, st, nt, mp, lt, ft, nd)
- 4 Sight words notebook activities- Week 10 (Students must use their November menu, and choose DIFFERENT activities every day)
Week 10
- then
- them
- these
- so
- some
- her
TESTS
Students will be tested weekly on Word Study/Phonics & Fluency/Sight Words every Friday. Parents can help their child by reviewing the topics we learned for that week.
- Word Study- Words with final blends (sk, st, nt, mp, lt, ft, nd)
- Sight Words- Week 10
- Vocabulary- Lesson 10 (words and definition will be sent home)
- Comprehension- A Cupcake Party (copy of story will be sent home)
Thanksgiving Review packet
On Friday, Nov 17, students will bring home a Thanksgiving review packet. In order to ensure that our students remain engaged and to reinforce the learnings of the first trimester, I have prepared a Thanksgiving Review Packet for them to work on during the upcoming break. This packet will be a valuable tool for your child to revise and reinforce the lessons, concepts, and skills we have covered so far in the first trimester. Completing this review packet will help keep their minds sharp and ensure they retain the knowledge they have gained in our classes.
The Thanksgiving Review Packet is due back on November 27th. I encourage your child to allocate sometime during the break to work through the packet. It’s a great opportunity for them to reinforce their understanding of the subjects and keep their brains active and engaged.
Uniform
As we enter the cold, rainy season, I want to remind all families that our uniform policy will be enforced and remain in effect. However, there may be exceptions to the rules when the days are extremely cold and rainy. On those days, the administration may allow raincoats and rainboots, and “extra” attire over or under the school uniforms to ensure our students stay warm and safe. We encourage those items to be in the school uniform color scheme, so it doesn’t look like students are in free dress. When in doubt, please email Mrs. Grey directly to clarify what uniforms are acceptable.
Jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves
Students may wear the following:
- Navy jacket or windbreaker with school logo from Vicki Marsha Uniform Co. (see uniform list above)
- Navy blue sweatshirt with school logo from Vicki Marsha Uniform Co.
- Navy blue school sweatshirt with SAP logo
- FAST grey sweatshirt (Student Learning Expectations: sweatshirt was a limited edition from VMU)
- The St Anthony Trojans Navy Blue Sweatshirt is for current athletes only (for sports teams to use on designated days)
- Current Student Government sweatshirts, if there is one for the current year
- Students who do not have official school jackets MUST either purchase official jackets or wear plain navy-blue jackets/windbreakers. It must match the uniform, or students may be sent to the office until parents bring their proper attire—no jackets with designs. Students may wear heavier jackets on winter days, but the color must match the uniform. If a uniform is in question, parents will be notified immediately.
- No prints. Logos, sequins/glitter on attire. Hair accessories from Vicki Marsha must match school colors- Black, White, Navy, or Gray. No hats or gloves are allowed unless approved by the administration for inclement weather.
We want to ensure that students follow the uniform policy, as stated in our handbook. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and compliance with all school rules and the dress code.
First Grade Survey
I welcome feedback on how your year is going and how we can make the first grade a positive growth year together. This may be too early to ask for an evaluation, but I would still like to hear your voice in case you need to comment, ask, or suggest. This will be anonymous. Please respond by the end of this week. Please click the link below. https://forms.gle/AKzEJe61MwCr245u5.
UPCOMING EVENTS
School calendar can be found (clicking here)
- 11/19– 1st Trimester ends:
- 11/17- All School Mass and Awards Ceremony, report cards go home
- 11/17 First Grade Friendsgiving Party
- 11/20-11/24 – Thanksgiving Holiday
- 11/29 – Parent Mandatory Faith Formation event in the Hall (Time TBD) see tuition contract
- 11/30- K-2 California Science Center field trip
- 12/13: School Christmas Show and Cash Raffle Drawing
- 12/15: Noon Dismissal (NO DAYCARE) last day of school before Christmas break, Staff Luncheon off campus at 12:30
- 12/18-1/5: Christmas Break
- 1/8: Classes Resume
I look forward to working together to make the second trimester another period of outstanding growth and accomplishments for our students.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your child’s education.
Thank you & God Bless!
Warmly,
Ms. Martinez
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