The Ruhnke Review 9/18/2023
651-771-8494 aruhnke@stjeromeschool.org
We are Learning About:
Groves/Phonics: We have started our phonics curriculum, Groves. It is going well & the 1st graders are remembering most of what they learned in Kindergarten last year!! Much of what we are doing at this time is reviewing things like rhyming, knowing the onset (beginning sound), final sound of a word, and reviewing the letters and sounds. Then working on handwriting each letter/sound. The students learn to write the letters correctly in their handwriting practice book. This can be difficult for many especially if your child hasn’t had practice with this. Please encourage your child to write the letter(s) the correct way so they will not have to relearn it. Also, please make sure your child holds the pencil correctly. It gets more and more difficult to correct the longer it goes on. Thank you.
Math: We have begun Chapter 1: Addition Facts & Strategies Within 10. Vocabulary for this first chapter is: add, plus sign +, equal sign =, addition equation, addend, sum, addition fact, part, whole, ten-frame, related addition facts, count-on. Please work with your child so they know & understand these words/terms. I will do my best to explain here at school, but they need reinforcement from you, at home. Thank you. We will begin Chapter 2 after we are done with Ch.1. Chapter 2: More Addition Within 10. Vocabulary is: group, solve, doubles, doubles plus 1, addition strategy, related addition fact, count-on, add, doubles plus 1 fact, bar model, unknown addend.
Religion: We have started this year with our ‘Revealed’ which is about the goodness of God and all that He has given to us. This is 9-Lessons in all. When we finish ‘Revealed,’ Then we will move on to Chapter 1 in our Religion book: “God is our Father.” The Lessons we will learn about are: We have a Father in God, God our Father Gives Us Good Gifts, Thanking God Our Father, & We Pray To God Our Father.
Humanities: Last year, in Kindergarten, the students learned about Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia. This year, in 1st Grade, we will learn about Ancient Greece!! We learned about the Minoans and how they brought their children up to learn how to jump bulls!! They all thought it would be fun until they learned that many of the children lost their lives trying to jump a bull. We have also learned some about the Mycenaean Culture and how they loved to make many Grecian Vases! Next we will learn about the Trojan War, then the Phoenician Civilization and the Alphabet, then Israel Divides into Two Kingdoms, and Homer and Greek Mythology.,
Reading/CKLA: This reading curriculum is so rich in literature! We just LOVE it!! We will begin reading/listening to the story/fable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” as soon as we finish the Religion-’Revealed’ 9 lessons. (This should be done by the end of next week). A fable is a story with a title, characters, a setting, a plot, and a moral or a lesson that is learned. We will read these stories in the coming weeks: “The Maid and the Milk Pail,” “The Goose and the Golden Eggs,” “The Dog in the Manger,” “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “The Fox and the Grapes,” “The Little Half-Chick,” “The Crowded, Noisy House,” & “The Tale of Peter Rabbit!”
Star of the Week
for September 18, 2023: Lapoeku September 25: Mary W. October 3: August S.
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.
Welcome 1st Grade Families:
It was wonderful meeting each of you at the “Back-to-School” event! I hope to get to know all of you a little bit this year, and I am really excited to get to know your child throughout this school year!! Please, if you have any questions, feel free to email, call, or send me a note. Thank you.
Paperwork:
Thank you to those of you that have completed the paperwork that was given to you at Back-to-school night that was in the paper, yellow folder with your child’s name on it. If you have not done so, please fill out the forms and send them back to me ASAP. Thank You!
Breakfast:
Breakfast is served from 9:00 am to 9:30 am. Students should arrive between 9 & 9:15 am (or when the bus gets to school), so they have plenty of time to eat and finish by 9:25 am.
Snack:
Most days (Sorry, but not on Wednesdays) we have a snack time, (although there will be exceptions. Some days we run out of time and we don’t get to our snack time). This doesn’t happen often, but I just want you to be aware of this. Thank you for your understanding). Please send a healthy snack (No chips, candy, cookies, or cakes, etc.), and a water bottle (for water only), to school with your child. We will eat snack in the afternoon.
Water Bottles:
Please send a water bottle to school for your child. The children get hot and thirsty, especially after Phy. Ed./Gym class and after recess, so, if your child has a water bottle, we do have a water-bottle fill station. The ONLY liquid students may bring to school is WATER. NO Kool-Aid, no flavored water, no pop/soda, no Gatorade, etc. Make sure to put your child’s name on the bottle!
Take-Home Folder:
Please make sure you are checking your child’s Take-Home-Folder & removing any papers inside every day. Then make sure your child brings his/her folder back to school each day with any homework they did. If you need to let me know something, feel free to write a note and put it in the folder for me to read.
Great First Two Weeks in 1st Grade!!
We have had a wonderful first couple of weeks in 1st Grade!! It is wonderful to be with your smart, funny, & inquisitive children! I am so blessed to be their 1st Grade Teacher at St. Jerome School! I am loving each and every one of them!! I hope your child is enjoying 1st Grade as much as I am!!
Memory/Sight Words:
This year your child will be working on Memory/Sight words. They should have worked on some last year in kindergarten, also. The list is below so that you can work with your child at home. We typically do about 4 words per week. We have started with some review words from last year. 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, and, the, is, was, as, has, to, do, go, no, me, be, we, see, you, are, her, his, or, for, said, of, my, by, like, one, he, she, have, they, were, there, where, from, what, come, some, new, any, many, out, our, saw, how, now, look, old, cold, hold, sold, child, wild, mild, find, kind, mind, bolt, colt, jolt, post, most, two, should, would, could, so, both, put, over, under, after, here, your, once, give, live, shove, again, against, been, does, goes, know, very, every, too, talk, walk, down, into, want, only
Scholastic Book Orders:
A Scholastic Book Flyer came home yesterday in your child’s Take-Home-Folder. All orders are due by September 23rd. I am recommending you have Leveled books A-H at home for your 1st grader to read every day! They usually come in a package deal of about 12 books for $15-$24 dollars. Your child will be reading at these levels beginning this school year, and you will need to have these leveled books for your child. All Orders are due by Saturday, September 23rd. If you would like to place an order, the easiest way to do so is online. Use code RGVYW. If you would rather fill in your order using the flyer, please send it back to me in an envelope marked “Scholastic Book Order'' with your child’s name on it. Put a check or cash in the envelope for the total $ amount. Thank you!!
Bathroom
In 1st Grade, we go to the bathroom 4 times each day: 1)right away when they arrive, 2)before lunch, 3)after recess, and 4)before our snack. This should be enough for a 6 1/2 hour day. I know there are emergencies, which I understand, but many of the students are saying they have an emergency 2-3 MORE times each day, EVERY day!! This can not be! They are missing too much teaching/learning time!! I have discussed this with the students many times, but would you please talk with your child about this, also? Thank you!
Reading Log
Your child should be reading simple, Level A, B, C, or D books by now. They have to be reading 20-30 minutes daily! A Reading Log went home with your child in their Take-Home-Folder. Each day write how many minutes they read, then you/parent/adult, should sign (or initial) the sheet. At the end of each month, send the completed sheet back to school with your child. I will then send the following month’s Reading Log home. THANK YOU!
HOMEWORK
In 1st Grade, the students will have homework most nights. This is what to expect:
1. Math: Almost every night your child will 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 math sheets we did together in class. These will show you what/how to do the problems on the homework sheets).
2. Daily Reading/Reading Log: Your child should read 20-30 minutes every day! Please 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, then Sr. Audrey will give your child a new book to read. This reading will count towards minutes read on the “Reading Log” also!!
3. Memory/Sight Words : Please help your child learn/memorize the sight words. I will list them in my “Ruhnke Review” so that you can practice with your child. You can also make your own flashcards by using index cards then writing one of the sight words on each card. You can purchase index cards at the dollar store. We will typically learn up to 4 new sight words each week. The words that the children learned in kindergarten are not new, therefore, they should already know these. I will list the kindergarten words first.
4. Monthly Memorization: Each month I will send a memorization piece home with your child. Please work with your child daily for 10 minutes or so until your child has it memorized. I will listen and assess your child at the end of each month. Thank you for helping your child learn these! Here is a list of the poems they will be given to memorize: 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”
Prayers Please pray with your child(ren) and family each day. If you make these prayers a part of your daily prayer life, then your child will automatically learn them without a lot of work! These are the 5 prayers that the 1st Graders should know/learn: 1. Our Father 2. Hail Mary 3. Glory Be 4. Prayer Before Meals 5. Angel of God 6. The Sign of the Cross
Help your Child with Shoe Tying:
Many 1st Graders need their shoes tied several times a day. I will gladly help them, but to tie 23+ sets of shoes several times a day takes much of our learning time. So, if you would please work with your child to help them learn how to tie, it would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you.
Rake-A-Thon
The Rake-a-Thon is a way for St. Jerome School to earn money for books, Field Trips, and materials needed in the classroom. ALL students should participate. Students should collect $$ money from family members-Grandparents, parents, cousins, Aunts & Uncles, friends, neighbors, etc. then bring the $$ money into school. On Friday, October 27th the entire school will go out into the neighborhood and rake lawns for those people unable to rake themself. This is a way we can give back to our community and earn money for our school. We ask that each student bring in whatever amount of $$ money they can-$1.00 or $100.00+ dollars, or whatever they are able to give. We want 100% participation! If we get 100% participation, then we will get to play Turkey Bingo with all the students at St. Jerome!! And if our class has 100% participation, then we will get something special just for our classroom! So, please have your child collect & bring in whatever amount of $$ money they can to help our school. THANK YOU!
NWEA Testing
1st Grade will be taking the NWEA Assessments next week on Wednesday, September 20th(Math), & Thursday, September 21st (Literacy). Please make sure your child comes to school having plenty of sleep the night before and they have eaten a hearty breakfast (if they eat at home, otherwise, St. Jerome will feed them breakfast when they arrive at school). NWEA is a way to assess your child where they are at at this time in the areas of math & literacy. We can then see how much your child has grown since last year and we can see how much growth they accomplish throughout this school year!
Kid’s Korner
If you need care for your child on No School Days (October 18, 19, 20), Kid’s Korner will be open. Please call to reserve your child’s spot. 651-771-1023.
Specialist Schedule
Monday=Phy. Ed/Gym
Tuesday=Phy. Ed/Gym & Music
Wednesday=The “Forge”(Science & Art) Thursday=Music
Friday=The “Forge” (Science & Art)
Upcoming Events:
9/19 Picture Day-Students may be out of uniform. 9/20 & 9/21 NWEA Testing. 9/21 Rake-a-Thon Kick-Off! 10/3 First Tally Tuesday—-Turn in money $$ that you collected for the Rake-a-Thon. 10/10 2nd Tally Tuesday—Turn in money $$ that you collected. 10/17 3rd Tally Tuesday—Turn in any money $$ that you collected. 10/18—10/20 NO SCHOOL; Fall Break 10/24 This will be the 4th, and Final, Tally Tuesday—Turn in any money $$ that you collected. 10/27 Rake-a-Thon. School dismissal is at 11:45am. If your child doesn’t ride the bus, Please make sure you have arrangements made to pick up your child by 11:45am! Kid’s Korner will be open IF you need your child to stay. Please call to reserve a spot. 651-771-1023. 10/31 Halloween!! More information to come!! 11/1 All Saints Day: Holy Day of Obligation. Join us for Mass @9:45am in the church. 11/2 Conferences 4 pm until 8 pm. 11/3 NO SCHOOL: Conferences from 9 am-5 pm