3/3-3/7 First Grade Newsletter

Dear First Grade Families,

Here’s a look at what’s coming up for the week of Mar. 3-7. Please make sure to read all the important information below to avoid any questions that may already be addressed. If you missed last week’s email, you can find updates on my school blog: First Grade Blog.

Deadlines

• March 14: Black History Month Report

  • Instructions, rubric, and report paper sent home

Read Across America Week (Grades K-2)

We are celebrating READ ACROSS AMERICA and our LOVE for reading! During Read Across America week, we celebrate the famous Author’s birthday, Dr. Seuss and his large inspiration to others to expand our reading. We will celebrate our love and excitement for reading this week with fun activities with our classes. Thank you to those who volunteered to be a guest reader, we will only have one reader each day as that is all we will have time for. Please look at the reading time schedules below along with each themed day. 

If you have been assigned a reading time, please email me the book you plan to read to confirm your time and ensure there’s no doubling of books. Thank you!

If you choose not to participate in the dress up days, please wear your school uniform instead!

• Monday 3/3 - Hats off to Reading!

  • Wear your favorite hat or headband

  • Guest reader: Cynthya Cuevas (10:15am)

• Tuesday 3/4 - Reading knocks our Socks Off!

  • Wear a pair of crazy or mismatched socks

  • Guest reader: Cathay Le (1:00pm)

• Wednesday 3/5 - First Day of Lent

  • P.E. Uniform

  • Guest reader: Elizabeth Silva (1:00pm)

• Thursday 3/6 - Book Character Day

  • Dress up as your favorite book character

  • Guest reader: Miguel Garcia (1:00pm)

• Friday 3/7 - Celebrating Dr. Seuss Birthday (3/2)

  • Regular Uniform

  • Guest reader: Gabriela Vasquez (10:15am)

Ash Wednesday- March 5

Marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Our faith commands us to love God and neighbor. We will have our all-school mass on Wednesday, not Friday. Because 1st grade has P.E. they will need to be in P.E. Uniform on Wednesday. Every Friday in Lent we have our 1:30pm all school Stations of the Cross in the church, this Friday students will wear their regular school uniform.

Friday, March 13- Report Cards

First-grade report cards will be sent home next Thursday with your child. Please take the time to review their progress, celebrate their achievements, and discuss any areas for growth with them.

Awards Ceremony

Our 2nd Trimester Awards Assembly will take place in the hall on Thursday, March 13, starting at 8am. Grades K-4 at 8am in the Hall, and Grades 5-8 at 9am in the Hall.

Awards

I will be sending out direct emails to all families of our awardees by Tuesday, March 11. For a student to receive a Citizenship award, a student must earn A's (Outstanding = 92-100%) on both work habits and behavior grades. Therefore, students' daily behavior, participation, attendance, assignments, projects, ST MATH, and work habits are IMPORTANT factors in receiving an award.

Students are not eligible for a Citizenship award each trimester if they have one of the following:

• 5 tardies

• 5 unexcused absences

• 5 unexcused early leave

• 3 conduct slips

• 3 effort slips

• 3 detentions

• ST Math goal are not reached

Please know that if your child doesn't earn Citizenship this trimester, there's still a chance to earn it in the last trimester. 

Grading Scales (from 1st grade syllabus)

● O= Outstanding (93% and above)

● G= Great (85%- 92%)

● S+ = Satisfactory (80%-84%)

● S= Satisfactory (75%- 79%)

● S- = Satisfactory (74%-70%)

● NI- Needs Improvement (69% and below)

● IC= Incomplete (Excessive absences and missing assignments)

Raise Craze Kindness Fundraiser - NOW through March 5, 2025 

Spend time SERVING - NOT SELLING.

We are very excited to see the Acts of Kindness that will raise funds for our school.

UPDATED information was sent home in an email (February 13, 2025).

Parent Incentive - 2 Service Hours if parents send 25 emails by 11:59pm February 15, 2025

This Fundraiser replaces the Hundred X Survey and Jog-a-thon.

Families who do not participate will be charged $100. (per tuition contract)

Pauly’s Project

This Lenten Season, the 5th Grade Class, in partnership with Pauly’s Project, will be leading a Donation Drive and Community Service Opportunity to serve homeless individuals in Downtown Los Angeles. We invite the SAP community to help us raise at least 100 hygiene kits for those in need.

Donation Drive: March 5th–29th Donation Goal: 100 Hygiene Kits

Class Donations:

Kindergarten: Travel-size toothpaste & toothbrush

1st Grade: Hand sanitizing wipes

2nd Grade: Body soap

3rd Grade: Stick deodorant

4th Grade: Travel-size shampoo

5th Grade: Adult socks

6th Grade: Floss & travel-size mouthwash

7th Grade: Small notebook & pen

8th Grade: Razors & comb

Optional Donations: Toilet tissue, hot packs, nail clippers, gallon-size Ziploc bags.

More Info:

Pauly’s Project Website

Pauly’s Project Instagram

Donations do not need to be branded and can be purchased at dollar stores. Any contributions are greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your support, and may God bless you all!

 

Focus of the Week:

• Math: Module 10 (Count to 120)

• Reading: Animal Groups

• Vocabulary: Lesson 15 words

• Word Study: long i_e

• Sight Words: Week 23

• Grammar: Nouns

• Religion: Lesson 11 (Following Jesus)

• Prayer: Guardian Angel Prayer

• Science: Animals

• Social Studies: Week 17 (Folklore)

Tests 

Monday

• Module 9 Math Test

Friday (Multiple Choice test)

• Word Study: long i_e

• Sight Words: Week 23

First Grade Parent Survey

As we continue our journey through third grade, I welcome your feedback on how the year is going and how we can work together to make this a positive and enriching experience for your child. While it may seem early for an evaluation, I want to ensure every family has the opportunity to share thoughts, ask questions, or offer suggestions—especially if you didn’t have a chance to do so at Back to School Night.

This survey is anonymous, and I sincerely appreciate your input. Please keep feedback focused on the classroom experience. Click the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6811TomDY38qTNx3rbBVpvSAcKm9MRGZ2D9Izu-i79cWk5g/viewform

Amazon Wishlist:
As we continue an exciting school year filled with learning and growth, I wanted to share an opportunity to enhance our classroom experience. I have created an Amazon Wishlist with items that will benefit our students’ educational journey and classroom. You may check out the link below: 
Amazon List

Upcoming Events:

For more details, please refer to the [school calendar here].

• March 5 – ASH WEDNESDAY (Mass uniforms), beginning of Lent

• March 6 is the last day of the 2nd Trimester.

• March 12 is our next Mandatory Parent Faith Formation Meeting from 6:30-8 in the Hall. 

• March 13 is our 2nd Trimester Awards Ceremony in the Hall. Grades K-4 will meet in the Hall at 8am and Grades 5-8 will meet in the Hall at 9am. 

• March 10- We have NO SCHOOL for Students on due to a faculty Lenten retreat. There will be NO Daycare offered that day.

• March 19 – St. Joseph’s Feast Day, Mass with Father Figures

• March 25 – Marian Consecration Culminates today with All School Mass: Feast of the Annunciation

• April – ARK testing starts

• April 17- 25– Easter Break

• April 26 – School Resumes

• April 28-May 1 – Thousand Pines 8th grade Retreat 

• May 16-18 – Parish Fiesta

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. Thank you & God Bless!

Warmly,
Ms. Catbagan