The Ruhnke Review 9/19/2022
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 from me in Kindergarten last year!! Much of what we are doing at this time is review like rhyming, knowing the onset (beginning sound), final sound of a word, and reviewing the letters and sounds, and 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 form you, at home. Thank you. We will begin Chapter 2 when we are done with Ch.1. Chapter 2: More Addition With 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: Chapter 1: “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, we learned about Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia. This year, in 1st Grade, we will learn about Ancient Greece!! We have already learned about the Minoans and how they brought their children up to learn how to jump bulls!! Ask your child about this. 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 began reading/listening to the story/fable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf!!” A fable is a story with a title, characters, a setting, a plot, and a moral or a lesson that is learned. Ask your child what the moral/lesson of this story is! (They should know)!! We will read these stories in the coming up 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 19, 2022 is
Matilda L.
September 26, is
Ronan S.
October 3, is
Ku Nay Htee
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 so wonderful seeing each of you again at our, “Back-to-School” event! And, for those of you that I met for the first time, it was great getting to know a little about you and your family! 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. If you have not done so, please fill out the forms and send them back to school 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 9:28 am.
Snack:
Most days (Sorry, but not on Thursdays) 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. Since the drinking fountains are not in use (because of Covid-19), 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 with any homework each day. 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 Couple of Weeks in 1st Grade!!
We had a wonderful first couple of weeks in 1st Grade!! I have had a great time with all of your children. It is so nice to be with most of the same students that I had last year! I am so blessed to be their 1st Grade Teacher now 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:
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
Scholastic Book Orders:
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. The September book flyer came home last week. All Orders are due by 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 school 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: right away when they arrive, before lunch, after recess, and before our snack. This should be enough for a 7 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 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 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. Your child should be reading 20-30 minutes every day! As I stated above, 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. 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. This is usually a poem of some sort. 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 be assessing them at the end of each month to listen to them recite the piece! The St. Jerome Pledge came home as the September Memorization poem. All students that were at St. Jerome School last year in Kindergarten said it every day , so they should know much of it already! But, since September got away from me too quickly, they will have until almost the end of OCTOBER to memorize it!!! Then in November, I will send home another poem or memorization piece for them to know by the end of November. Thank you for helping your child learn these!
4. Prayers. We will continue to work on the prayers that we had in Kindergarten. I sent home a small prayer booklet with your child in the Take-Home-Folder. PLEASE don’t throw it away, or lose it! This should be kept in a safe place and you and your family should be saying these payers daily. This way, not only are they learning the prayers, but they will also be praying to God and with the entire family!! What more could you ask for??!!
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 17+ 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 28th 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 Math & Literacy Assessments next week on Monday, September 19th & Thursday, September 22nd. 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 19, 20, 21), 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=Music
Thursday=”The Forge”(Science & Art)
Friday=”The Forge” (Science & Art)
Upcoming Events:
9/19-9/22 NWEA Testing begins. It will assess your child where they are at at this time and then we will have a baseline for them in both math and literacy. It is exciting to see how much growth they accomplish throughout the school year!
9/.22 Rake-a-Thon Kick-Off!
9/29 Picture Day-Students may be out of uniform.
10/4 First Tally Tuesday—-Turn in money $$ that you collected for the Rake-a-Thon.
10/11 2nd Tally Tuesday—Turn in money $$ that you collected.
10/18 3rd Tally Tuesday—Turn in any money $$ that you collected.
10/25 4th, and Final, Tally Tuesday—Turn in any money $$ that you collected.
10/19—10/21 NO SCHOOL; Fall Break
10/28 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.
11/3 Conferences 4 pm until 8 pm.
11/4 NO SCHOOL: Conferences from 10 am-5 pm