Dear First Grade Families,
I hope everyone is well! Here is all the information that you and your child will need for this week, 12/4-12/8. Please take a moment to read through this week’s updates to avoid questions that are clearly stated in this email.
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 digraph ch & tch
- 4 Sight words notebook activities- Week 12 (Students must use their December menu, and choose DIFFERENT activities every day)
Week 12
- has
- look
- two
- more
- write
- go
TESTS
Students will be tested 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 digraph ch & tch
- Sight Words- Week 12
- Vocabulary- Lesson 12 (words and definition will be sent home)
- Comprehension- How Leopard got his Spots (copy of story will be sent home)
Firsties Christmas Party
Our Firsties Christmas Party is going to be on December 12, 2023 (Tuesday) at the Hall from 10am to 12:30pm. They may come to school in their Christmas Pajamas, or regular school uniform. No free dress please.
Please bring light snacks for recess and a water bottle. Lunch will be provided. We will be serving Denny’s Grand Slam Kids’ Breakfast, juice, and dessert is TBD.
Parent volunteers will host the games and help with crafts (must be VIRTUS-trained and Fingerprinted). So far, we already have reached the maximum number of volunteers allowed to join us this day. Thank you to all our parent volunteers! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A45ACA628ABF58-45951779-1stgrade
Book Exchange
We will be doing a class book exchange during the Christmas Party. Please buy a picture book (grade levels 1-2) that’s no less than $10, have your child write a short message inside the front cover of the book and sign their name, wrap it in a nice Christmas wrapping paper, and hand it over to Ms. Gabby, Ms. Martinez, or any of the room parents on or before Friday, December 8th.
Book Suggestions: Pete the Cat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Amelia Bedelia, Christmas Books, Dr. Seuss, Berenstein Bears, or anything that you think that would interest them!
Tardy
Please see our SCHOOL policy regarding tardies. This is a school-wide policy.
A student is considered TARDY if he/she is not in line at morning assembly when the school bell rings at 7:50 a.m. Teachers will record daily attendance before morning prayer. Students must check in with the office and get a tardy slip if they arrive after morning assembly or when attendance has been taken in classes on Mass days. Tardiness is recorded daily by teachers at 7:50 am and then recorded on Gradelink on a student’s official attendance register, which is a legal document.
Teachers will record attendance by 8:30am daily. If tardies are excessive, it could lead to a registration hold in February, since it affects a child’s learning and teaching. Excessive tardies can affect a child’s Work Habits Grade, and will also affect the ability to earn the Citizenship Award at the trimester Awards Ceremonies.
A family will be notified for excessive tardies, as it could affect their good standing at the school. Excessive tardies is a poor work habit and will be reflected in the Work Habits grade on the report card, which affects earning the Citizenship Award. Families should also be aware of the Truancy policy when it comes to tardies, early pick ups and unexcused absences. Teachers can let families know their rubric or grade level policy on how many unexcused tardies or absences will result in a lower grade in Work Habits and disqualify a child from receiving the Citizenship award.
***Regarding after school dismissal, the children have a 15 minute (3:00-3:15 pm) grace period from their allotted pick-up time before being sent to Daycare and being charged $20 a day per child.
Christmas book report due on JANUARY 8, 2024
This project will be part of their work habits, art, writing and reading grade. Please make sure to follow the given instructions. Packet, instructions, template & materials will be sent out Friday, December 8, 2023.
For this book report your child will be expected to read a holiday book and complete the given Santa book report template.
Materials Needed:
1. Scissors
2. Glue
3. Crayons/ Colored pencils
4. Holiday book to read.
Instructions:
1. Select a Christmas/Holidaybook to read.
2. Neatly fill out your name, title, author, illustrator, setting, problem and solution of the book. (You might want to do a first draft before you complete the Santa.)
3. Color, cut, and glue Santa together.
Due date: January 8, 2024
2ndTrimester 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!
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)
- 12/12 First Grade Christmas Party (Pajama Day)
- 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
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I will try to respond as soon as I can.
Thank you & God Bless!
Warmly,
Ms. Martinez
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