The Ruhnke Review 2/13/2023
651-771-8494 aruhnke@stjeromeschool.org
We are Learning About:
Groves/Phonics: We are now learning the LONG VOWELS. (Long vowels say their own name. So, the a says ‘a',’ the e says, ‘e,’ the i says, ‘i',’ the o says, ‘o,’ and the u says, ‘u’). The rule for long vowels is: If the word has VCe (Vowel, Consonant, e), then the e at the end of the word is silent which makes the vowel before the consonant LONG. We have been working on suffixes: the suffix -s & the suffix -es. When there is a verb (an action word/something you can do, it’s a verb), the suffix -s can be added to the verb which means the action is taking place right now. For example: take the word jump (a verb/an action), add -s then it is “jumps” which means it is happening right now. Or, if a word ends in s, x, z, ch, sh, then add-es. For example: box. Since it ends with an x you would add -es if there is more than 1 box, to make it plural (more than 1). We continue to work on the “Consonant Blend Rule” which is: when 2 or more consonants are next to each other, they say their own sound, but are blended together. An example would be the word flag. The letters f & l each say their own sound, yet they are a blend of the two consonants. We are also learning the “Floss Rule”. This is when an f, an s, or an l come after a short vowel, you then double that letter. An example would be the word cuff. The short vowel letter u is followed by an f, so the f is doubled. Another example would be bless. The short vowel e is followed by an s, so the s is doubled. With all these phonics rules, it gets difficult to remember everything, but the students are really doing a fabulous job!! I’m so proud of them!!!!!
Math: PLEASE, work with your child to memorize their addition math facts! When they know all of these, then continue on to help them learn their subtraction math facts! We will continue Chapter 8: Addition Facts Within 20. Vocabulary: add, addend, doubles, doubles plus 1, sum, solve, equation.
Religion: Chapter 5: “Adam & Eve” The Lessons are: Creation of Adam & Eve, Taking care of God’s Gifts, The Gift of Grace, & Children of God.
Humanities: Greece Colonized & Democracy Begins, Prophets of God, Israel & Judah Fall, Roman Republic Developed, The Persian Wars, Pericles & the Peloponnesian War, Greek Philosophers.
Reading/CKLA: We will continue with Unit 3: “Different Lands, Similar Stories.” Lessons will include: Stories: Cinderella, The Girl with the Red Slippers, Billy Beg, Tom Thumb, Thumbelina, Issun Boshi-One-Inch Boy, Little Red Riding Hood, Hu Gu Po, & Tselane.
New Student
We have a new student in our class! Her name is Lapoeku. Please welcome Lapoeku to our 1st grade class. She also has several siblings that are now attending Saint Jerome School, so please welcome them and her parents, too! Please remember to add Lapoeku to your Valentine list of students to make sure she receives a Valentine. Thank you!
Star of the Week
for February 20th is
Lapoeku
A couple of times a month we will have a “Star of the Week” student in our classroom. This entitles the student to be the line-leader, to lead the morning calendar routine, to share/tell all about him/herself by filling in a small poster sheet. This will come home a couple of days, or so, before they are the star. Please have your child fill in the information about themself & color it to make it look nice.
Valentine’s Day
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, February 14th. All students may wear RED & PINK clothing on this day! Also, Please take some time with your child to make a Valentine bag. Please help your child decorate the bag, that I will send home with your child, any way that they like! Let me know if your child did not bring a bag home and you need one. I do have more. Your child may bring the completed/decorated bag back to school on either Monday, Feb. 13th or Tuesday, Feb. 14th, Please, don’t bring it back to school any earlier. Be creative. Use construction paper, tissue paper, buttons, stickers, beads, noodles, cheerios, clothe, ribbons, etc. Make sure your child’s name is on the bag, and it is big enough for everyone to read it. Also, make sure there is a large enough slit on the bag for the cards to fit in. Have Fun!!
If your child plans to bring in valentines for their friends, they must bring one in for each student in our classroom. We don’t want to leave anyone out or have hurt feelings. (You can find a box of valentines for your child to give to others at the Dollar Store for $1.25). There is a list of all the students in our 1st Grade class below the “Upcoming Events.” Remember to include our new student, Lapoeku!!
Also, if you would like to send in a Valentine treat for your child to share with the class, there are 15 students and 2 teachers!! Thank you!
100 Day!!
Our 100th Day of 1st Grade will be on Friday, February 24th. We will celebrate by doing many things related to 100! Next week, I will be sending home a baggie attached to a Letter, in your child’s Take-Home-Folder. (This will come home by Feb. 20th). In the mean time, think of what your child might like to count out 100 of to put in the bag. Please help your child think of 100 items that will fit in the bag (examples: cotton balls, marbles, paper clips, etc.), to bring to school and share with the class what they brought. Please have your child bring their 100 bagged items into school no earlier than Thursday, February 23rd. Thank you!
Dress For the Weather
Please, parents, make sure your child is dressed appropriately for outside recess. They need to have the correct outerwear at school. Students go outside for recess every day unless it is raining, below 0 degrees, or the windshield is below 0. So, PLEASE make sure they have on ALL 5—snow boots, snow pants, hat, waterproof mittens/gloves, and a winter coat/jacket. Miss Eh Blu and I gave every 1st grade student these items if they didn’t already have them. So, please make sure they are bringing these 5 items to school every day! THANK YOU!!
Memory/Sight Words:
Again, this year your child will be working on Memory/Sight words. I will list them here as we do them so that you can work with your child at home, also. We have begun with some review words from last year. We will continue learning more each week. Memory/Sight words are words we find in every sentence we read. Students must know these words to be able to read a sentence. Students should memorize these words, NOT sound them out. Please practice these words every day, both reading them and spelling them.
a, I, to, the, in, it, is, at, as, on, and, you, was, has, do, go, no, me, be, we, see, are, her, his, or, for, said, of, my, by, like, look, any, many, out, our, should, would, could, one, he, she, they, love, new, saw, post, most, how, now, your, what, when, were, will, here, where, there, their, then, come, some, made, make, many, into, more, down, find, than, these, about, two, time, first, just, little, went, want, very, off, who, why, way, our, yes, put, name, good, man, other, been, long, part, write, words, which, call, called, water, people
Reading Logs
JANUARY READING LOGS WERE DUE FEBRUARY 1ST!!
PLEASE send in your child’s Reading Log for JANUARY that was due February 1st, if you haven’t yet done so. I will send the Reading Log home monthly that the parent/adult should sign once the child has read that day. The adult should also fill in the number of minutes your child read that day. They should be reading at least 20-30 minutes daily. It should then be returned to me at the end of the month/beginning of the next month. This is something that must be done, this is NOT a choice. It will affect the student’s grade. PLEASE work with your child on this and return these completed reading logs!!
HOMEWORK
In 1st Grade, the students will have homework most nights. This is what to expect:
1. Math. Almost every night your child should have 1-2 math worksheets to do. Please help your child so that they understand what they are doing (if you have trouble with it, look at the sheets we did together in class. This will show you what/how to do the problems on the homework sheets).
2. Daily Reading/Reading Log: Your child should be reading 20-30 minutes every day! Fill out the Reading Log every day with how many minutes your child read, then sign it (or initial it), and send it back to school at the end of each month. Also, Sr. Audrey, our Reading/Literacy Specialist will be giving your child a book in a bag every day. Your child should read the book at home, then return it to school the next day, and Sr. Audrey will give your child a new book to read. This reading will count towards minutes read on the “Reading Log” also!!
3. Monthly Memorization. Each month I will send a memorization piece home with your child. Please work on it each day for 10 or so minutes until your child memorizes it. I will listen and assess them at the end of each month. Thank you for helping your child learn these! Here is a list of the poems they will be memorizing: September & October: Saint Jerome School Pledge. November: “Dr. Welbody’s Heroes,“ December: “Star Light, Star Bright” January: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” February: “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” March: “The Pasture” April: “Rope Rhyme” May: “The Swing”
4. Prayers. Please pray with your child(ren) and family each day. These are the prayers that the 1st Graders should know/learn: The Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayer Before Meals, and the Angel of God.
Specialist Schedule
Monday=Phy. Ed/Gym
Tuesday=Phy. Ed/Gym & Music
Wednesday=Music
Thursday=”The Forge”(Science & Art)
Friday=”The Forge” (Science & Art)
Upcoming Events:
2/20 NO SCHOOL-Presidents’ Day
2/27 NO SCHOOL-Parent-Teacher CONFERENCES 10-5.
2/28 Parent-Teacher CONFERENCES 4-8.
3/3 End of Trimester 2