Ruhnke Review for 4/4/22
651-771-8494 aruhnke@stjeromeschool.org
What We are Learning:
Reading/Phonics: We have been learning to “Tap” out words. This is exciting since they will need to know this skill to figure out words they do not know. For example, using your thumb and fingers, to tap out the word ‘mop’ your child should tap the /m/ using their thumb and pointer finger, the /o/ using the thumb and middle finger, then the /p/ using the thumb and the third or ring finger. They would say each letter sound then blend it together to form the whole word! Practice this at home with your child. The more they do this, the quicker and better they will become at reading!!
Also, We have been working on Phonics by learning Rhyme Production, Blending Phonemes, Isolating Medial (middle) sounds, Substituting Initial Phonemes, and Deleting Phonemes. We continue to learn Onset Fluency (beginning sound), Ending Fluency (ending sound in a word), Blending words, Segmenting Phonemes, Adding Phonemes, Letter Naming & the sound they make. We have learned all the letters of the alphabet.
Please encourage your child to write the letters the correct way so they will not have to relearn them. Thanks!
Reading/CKLA: We continue the unit on Plants. We just finished reading the story about Johnny Appleseed! The Kindergartners were excited to learn a little more (we discussed Johnny Appleseed in the Fall, also) about the man who planted many apple seeds all around the US!! We are learning what a plant needs to survive, what the parts of a plant are, and why we grow different plants.
Math: We are now working on Chapter 17: Time. Vocabulary: next, last, month, days of the week, more time, less time, hour, minute hand, hour hand, o’clock.
We will move on to Chapter 18: Money, when we are done with Ch. 17. Vocabulary for Ch. 18: coin, penny, nickel, heads, tails, cent, count on, total amount, dime, quarter. PLEASE, Parents, help your child with money. Money/coins can be very challenging for many kindergartners, so please help them with this by giving your child some real coins, then make up a math problem. Example: Give your child an item, such as a small toy, or an apple (or any piece of fruit), or a spoon, or several forks, or beads, or pencils, etc. then tell them it costs 53cents (or whatever amount-just make it under a dollar). Then give your child some coins-use pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Then have them find the coins that would make 53 cents. Which coins would they use to pay with?
Please continue to practice addition and subtraction with your child. Without practice they will forget how to add and subtract and, as you know, they will need to know these math concepts for the rest of their lives. Please take out those addition & subtraction flash-cards that I gave you with the memory/sight words back in August, and work with your child so that they become adept at adding and subtracting. Thank you!
Religion: Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter.
A Time to Say Thank You
This is a great time for me to say, “Thank you” to all you parents that work soooo hard with your children. Without you, your child would not learn very well. They count on you to take the lead. They are watching and listening to what you do and say. Nothing gets by them, so please be a good example and do as Jesus would do. THANK YOU, parents, for all the time and hard work you put in to helping your child succeed. I can tell, and am so proud of all the Kindergartners!!
Winter Outerwear
Please make sure your child is coming to school every day with 1. Snow Pants 2. Boots 3. Mittens 4. Hat 5. Jacket. Spring in Minnesota is so unpredictable. One day it is sunny, beautiful and warm, the next day it’s cloudy, dreary, snowy, and cold! Please continue to send the 5 winter-outerwear until the end of April. The 5 items can stay at the school until we’re sure the students won’t need them anymore this year! THANK YOU!
Reading At Home
By this time of the school year, your child should be reading out loud to you. Not you reading to them (although you may continue to read to them, that’s great), BUT, they NEED to be reading the 20 minutes daily out loud to you).
They should be reading at an A , B, or C level. Please only use these leveled books with your child, or they will become frustrated at it being too difficult.
You will find leveled books in the Scholastic book flyers. They usually come in packs with levels A, B, C, and D in a pack. Usually there are approximately twelve books in a pack for $12-15 dollars, or 16 books for $16-20 dollars, which is a wonderful deal. Otherwise, you can go to your local public library and talk to the librarian and ask him/her for level A & B books.
When your child is reading at the right level, they should be able to read most of the words easily since many will be the sight words that they have been working on. The words they don’t know, they should “tap it out” or “stretch (sound) it out.” What I mean by this is: Let’s use the word “cat.” Your child should say the sound of each letter /c/-/a/-/t/ and “tap it out” using their fingers, or “stretch (sound) it out.” Then after they stretch it out, while tapping it, 3 or 4 times, then tell them to blend it together until they can say the word. They know how to do this. We have been doing this in class now for quite some time. Please don’t automatically tell your child the word. They NEED to be able to figure it out on their own. Let them use the techniques they have been taught at school first.
The more they do this, the better & faster they will become.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Scholastic Book Orders
Scholastic Book Orders for this month will be DUE April 25th. The fliers will come home with your child next week in their Take-Home-Folders.
Star of the Week
Every Kindergarten student has had a turn being the “Star of the Week.” So, from now until the end of the school year, each Day there will be a different student as the “Star of the Day!” They will help lead the calendar and morning routine, they will be the line-leader, and they get to be my “helper” for that day!!
Reading Logs are due Friday, April 1st.
Send your child’s completed reading log back to school on Friday, April 1st. PLEASE stay on top of this. It is so important that your child is reading each and every day!! Thank you.
Memory/Sight Words:
Your child will have approximately four(4) Memory/Sight words to learn 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(4 each week) every day for 10 minutes, both reading them and spelling them.
a, I, to, the, in, it, is, at, as, on, and, you, be, of, we, for, if, do he she, me, my, us, up, an, am, by, or, go, no, so, see, all, but, can, not, are, his, her, was, like, love, him, look, did, has, get, got, had, that, they, with, saw, say, sit, any, ask, big, day, may, from, have, one, this, said, your, what, when, how, it’s, were, will, them, then, there, their, use, out, many, come, some, made, make, into, more, could, would, down, find than, about, these, two, time, first, here, just, little, where, went, want, very, way, our, who, why, yes, off, now, put, name, good, man, three, four, five, six
School Uniform
Parents, PLEASE make sure your child is wearing the correct uniform on the correct days. They may wear the Phy. Ed./Gym uniform on Phy. Ed./Gym days which is on Monday & Tuesdays. They MUST wear the Full, nice/good uniform on Wednesdays (Mass Days), And on Thursdays and Fridays, they should be wearing their regular uniform. Many students have been wearing out-of-uniform clothing such as pink or purple or green pants, or shirts. Or some have worn their gym uniform on the days they do Not have gym, or clothing that isn’t part of the uniform at all. Please check your child’s attire before they leave for school each day. THANK YOU!!
Party with a Purpose: April 23, 2022
We are excited to once again host this year's Spring Fundraiser - Party with a Purpose virtually (online) so that you, your family, and all those friends and alumni scattered about the states can tune into this great evening. Preparations are underway! If you would like to help by donating an item to our silent auction please contact the office or drop it/them off to the front office.
Our fundraising goal of $75,000 will be directed towards Financial Assistance and Bus Transportation for the school. We invite you to partner with us in one or more of the following ways (all proceeds benefit St. Jerome School students and are tax deductible):
1. Join us (virtually) for the live stream program starting at 6:45 PM on April 23rd
2. Donate silent auction items/gift cards
3. Sponsor the event to help offset the production expenses
Specialist Schedule
Monday=Phy Ed/Gym
Tuesday=Phy Ed/Gym & Music
Wednesday=”The Forge”(Science & Art)
Thursday= Music & Library
Friday=”The Forge”(Science & Art)
Upcoming Events:
4/1 Stations of the Cross at 3pm in the church. Reading Logs Due today.
4/8 Stations of the Cross at 3pm in the church. Fish Fry!! 5-7:30pm Pre-Order to Pick Up at: stjeromefishfry.givesmart.com
4/10 Palm Sunday
4/15 NO SCHOOL: Good Friday
4/17 Easter Sunday! Rejoice, Jesus has Risen!
4/18 NO SCHOOL: Easter Monday
4/23 Party with a Purpose!! This will be a VIRTUAL Event this year! EVERYONE may join us. Please invite family, friends-anyone that may be interested in Saint Jerome Classical School. We are excited to welcome all!!