Mrs. Paragas' Update

Dear TK Parents,

I was planning to begin my maternity leave starting Monday, November 2.  However, starting today, I have been feeling a lot of discomfort.  I have decided to make today my last day.

Tomorrow, Ms. Cuellar will be subbing for me and will be aided by Mrs. Reyes.  Some of you know Mrs. Reyes as the TK Daycare teacher.  I am very comfortable with these 2 ladies and know they will have a successful day with the children.  

On Friday, Mrs. Dorie Collins, my long term sub, will be taking over until I return.  If you wish to e-mail her, this will be her work e-mail: dcollins@stischoolcypress.org  You are welcome to CC me in emails; however, please understand that Mrs. Collins will be in charge of responding.  Feel free to email her and introduce yourself and address any concerns and/or questions you may have.  Understand that she will not have access to her email until she begins work on Friday.   

Have a good rest of the week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 9 Newsletter

Dear TK Family and Friends,

Happy Red Ribbon Week!  I like to focus on keeping a healthy body during Red Ribbon Week instead of focusing on the concept of 'say no to drugs'.

This week we will talk about / learn:

• Letter Cc
• Number 8
• Position Words (above, below, left, right, top, bottom, under, over....)
• Healthy Bodies
• Spiders
• God made all things good
• Halloween

I hope you all received the school newsletter that was sent Sunday morning in your e-mail.  If you are not receiving it, please subscribe by going to the school's main website and subscribing to the newsletter.  This past newsletter shared information regarding Red Ribbon Week activities.  They are the following:

Tuesday, October 27th - Theme: "Aloha Means Hello...But Good-Bye To Drugs" Students may add Hawaiian accessories to their uniform. 

Wednesday, October 28th - Theme: "Drugs Are Whack!" Students may wear crazy socks and shoes.

Thursday, October 29th - Theme: "Fly Away From Drugs" Students may add super hero items to their uniform. 

Friday, October 30th - Theme: "Scare Away Drugs" Students may dress in their Halloween costume to show they are "scaring" away drugs.

This Friday is Halloween.  Students may come to school in their costumes.  Please make sure costumes are appropriate - no blood or anything that promotes violence.  It is best that you send a change of play clothes to school that your child can get comfortable in.  After the parade, students can change out of their costumes to be more comfortable to play and participate in the Halloween activities.

We have Halloween Activities planned for Friday, if you can come help and volunteer on Friday, please send Mrs. Garma and myself an email to let us know.  You do need to be fingerprinted and cleared to volunteer.  I will need most help between 9am-10:30 am.

This is just a friendly reminder that if you are picking up your child before 2:30 PM and it's not between the TK dimissal period (11:20 to 11:45), please go straight to the office and they will call the classroom to have the gate opened for you.  PLEASE DO NOT USE THE DAYCARE DOOR (the modular outside the gated area) as during school hours, that is Mrs. Liljeberg's Kindergarten class. We do not want to disturb her while she is in the middle of teaching.  Thank you for your cooperation.

I have to thank you so much for the little surprise shower that you all threw me on Friday.  I have felt so loved and my baby is lucky to have you all in her life.  This Friday will be my last day before I go on my leave.  Please keep me and my family in your prayers.  I plan to return around February.  In the meantime, Mrs. Collins will take my place.  Any questions or concerns, please address them to her.  You are more than welcome to email me to say hello and I will pop in for a blog update to say hello when I get a chance to.

Thank you so much!

Mrs. Paragas

Fun Run Reminer

Reminders - Tomorrow is Fun Run Friday.

·       Students should wear their Fun Run shirt and comfortable shorts.  Students may wear superhero or fun socks. 

·       The Fun Run is after school, 3:30-4:30 pm.  If your child is attending the Fun Run, please return their permission slip Tomorrow, if you have not already.

·       Students are supervised in their classroom starting at 2:45 pm and are provided a snack before the Fun Run.  They are also provided water during the Fun Run.

·       Teachers will walk students to the field and from the field at the beginning and end, as well as supervise during the Fun Run.

·       All families are invited to watch students at the Fun Run from the perimeter.

·       Parents can pick up their student from their classroom after the Fun Run.

·       If you need to leave with your student before the end of the Fun Run, parents MUST speak to the teacher first.

·       Students will not play on the playground during the Fun Run.  Students not attending the Fun Run or leaving early are not permitted to play on the playground.

Fun Run Friday

Hi Parents,

The Fun Run is this Friday.  Unless your child is in daycare, students need to be picked up from school at 11:30 and return to join us for the Fun Run at by 3:15.  If you would like your child to have a snack before the run, I encourage students to return by 3:00 to allow them enough time to eat.  If your child attends TK Daycare and you filled out the permission slip, your child will go from Daycare to me and will be provided a snack prior to the Fun Run.  Your child may not participate if the permission slip has not been turned in.  There are a number of students who have not turned in their permission slip.  If you do not want your child to participate, please at least send me an email so that I can plan accordingly.

You are welcome to join us and watch the kids during the Fun Run.  If you would like to volunteer, please email me so I can verify your volunteer status.  If your volunteer status has not cleared, you are certainly still welcome to join us as a spectator around the perimeter of the TK/K track.

After the Fun Run, I do ask that you pick up your child from the classroom.  I will walk them back to the classroom and dismiss them from there.  Please do not take your child home directly from the field. This is your child's safety.

If you have any questions regarding the Fun Run, please do ask me.

Have a great evening!

Mrs. Paragas

TK Newsletter Week 8

Dear TK Family and Friends,

The next 2 weeks will be crazy but fun!

This week we will learn:

• The letter Bb
• The number 7
• We are Kind
• Position words - above, below, in and out, top, middle, bottom
• Bats
• Sight word: The
• Words that rhyme with "bat"

Thank you for taking the time to come see me last week during conferences.  I enjoyed speaking with you about your child.

This Friday is the Fun Run, a permission slip will go home today.  Please fill this out and return by Wednesday, Oct. 21.  The permission slip was made for the school so the dismissal time is 2:45; however, I have altered it to say 11:30 (general TK dismissal) and 2:45 (applies to enrolled daycare students only).  If this is not clear to you, please see me and I can further explain.  If your child will not be attending the Fun Run, please let me know on the form  so that I am aware that they will not be coming in the afternoon.

If you received a letter from the Health Room regarding missing immunization or paperwork, please take care of that ASAP. If you have questions regarding this, please let Mrs. Aziz know.

Miss Cuellar and I do not always have time to look through your child's tote bags.  If you have a letter or note that needs to be seen, please place it in your child's folder.  Thank you :)

Scholastic Book Order is due by Oct. 30 if you plan to order.  You may order online or by writing a check to Scholastic Book Clubs.

Share this week is the letter Bb, please practice with your child by having them say "My name is...."  "I brought something (say clues)"  "Can you guess what it is?"

If you have any questions, let me know.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Scholastic Book Order - November Catalog

Today we sent home the November book order catalog.

Orders must be placed by Friday, October 30.

Here's a link for more books to order from:
Mrs. Paragas' Scholastic Page

Thank you :)

Week 7 Newsletter

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week we will:

• Begin with our letter of the week starting with the letter Aa. 
• Number 6
• Position and Directional Words - In, out, above, below
• Christopher Columbus
• The Good Shepherd
• Beginning, Middle, End of  a story
• The Banner Over Me is Love - Song
• Maps/Globes and Transportation

I hope your child enjoyed his or her extra day off.  We have been learning about the calendar and talked about Saturday and Sundays are no school days.  I told them they get to have an extra day off this week celebrating Christopher Columbus.  We will be discussing who he is, maps/globes, and transportation in relation to Christopher Columbus.

This week is Parent Teacher Conferences.  I will be discussing your child's progress reports with you at that time.  Please do your best to be on time as I have to try to stay on track as well.  I have many back to back appointments.  If you feel that 15 minute block was not enough, please let me know and we can try to schedule a second conference.

Wednesday is HOPE.  Your child's red bags will be sent home today.  If you can, please send a full bag of food for those in need.  If you are unable, please return the bag even if it is empty.  Thank you.

The Fun Run is fast approaching.  If you have a canopy that you would like to share, please let me know.  I would love for your child to have shade to rest under.  The Fun Run begins at 3:30 and ends at 4:30.  I ask that you do not pull your child out from the Fun Run without letting me know.  All students must check out from me before going home.  This is for the safety of all my students.

Picture Make-up Day is tomorrow.  If you would like your child to have his/her photo retaken, please email me so that I know to send them for pictures.

HOMEWORK ALERT!

We are beginning a letter a week.  Starting this week, students will be asked to bring an item to show the class.  The item must begin with the letter Aa.  The item can be a drawing, a picture cut out, and an actual item.  I ask that all items have your child's name labeled on it.  We will begin on Thursday with students numbers 1-9 and Friday with students 10 - 19.  I will ask each child to come up, say their name and tell us what item they brought.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Paragas

Class Work

No classwork will be sent home today due to conferences next week.

Have a great weekend!

Parent Teacher Conference / My Leave

Today I sent home a Parent Teacher Reminder of the time and date that you signed up.  If you were a family that did not sign up for a time, I assigned a date and time to meet with you.

During conferences, I will be distributing your child's Progress Reports and will be going over any areas of concerns or highlight areas that your child is doing well in.

I am limited to a 15 minute time slot with each family.  I ask that you come to your conference on time.  If you are more than 5 minutes late, we may need to reschedule.

Those parents who I have assigned a time and date, I ask that you try your best to keep that schedule as my work days are limited.  If it's a real need to change the time and date, I have a small window to do that. I expect to work until the end of the month and will be on my maternity leave.  However, I have had some complications recently and may need to take time off even sooner, if needed, which may make rescheduling conferences a bit more difficult.

A long term substitute has been selected and I have been working with her.  She has been teaching for many years in the Catholic schools.  Her name is Mrs. Dorie Collins and your children has already met her last Tuesday.  She will be returning this Tuesday to help and observe in the classroom.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Mrs. Paragas

Reminders

• School Picture Make-up Day will be Wednesday, October 14.  I apologize for any confusion.  Pictures were sent home today if you ordered.
• If you have not made your appointment for your conference, I will be scheduling your conference and will send home your time and date by Friday.  If the time and date does not work with your schedule, please send me an email during the weekend and I will do my best to accommodate your schedule.
• Fun Run Thursday is tomorrow.  Please have your child wear his/her yellow shirt to school and bring in your Fun Run envelope.
• Health Information was sent home with your child if you have not completed all the required immunization and health screening.  If you have any questions regarding this form, please contact Mrs. Aziz in the health office.  
• We are in search for a Pop-up or Easy Up canopies.  If you have any that you are willing to share/loan during the Fun Run, please email me.  We will be using this as an area for the children to sit down and rest in the shade.
• Just a heads up, next week is HOPE Wednesday.  Red bags will be sent home on Tuesday.
• Friday is special birthday snack day.  You are still welcome to send a snack with your child but just wanted to remind you in case your child does not finish all his/her snack; it was due to their special snack.

Week 6 Newsletter

Dear TK Family and Friends,

I would like to welcome Vincent and his family to the St. Irenaeus family!  Please take the time to give Vincent and his family a warm welcome to our school.

This week we will be learning:

• Recognize all letters of the alphabet Aa-Zz (This is just recognition, not sound identify or writing).
• Number recognition, counting, and writing up to 5.
• Sorting by attributes
• We are all special and unique.
• We are all God's favorites even if we are all different.
• Fire safety and Emergencies (use of 911). - Please discuss and remind your child that this number is only for real emergencies.  Go over what is and what is not considered a real emergency. 
• Pumpkins and pumpkin parts

Birthday Snack will be Friday, October 9.  If your child is having a birthday in the month of October, you should have been contacted by Mrs. Garma.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Atrium visits begin tomorrow.  If you are interested in volunteering, we need help on Tuesdays starting in November.  Please let me know if you can do some or all Tuesdays for the year.

The weather is changing and as with change in temperature, we tend to get sick.  This is just a friendly reminder that if your child has a fever, it is best that they stay home until they are fever free for 24 hours.  Usually fever free means without the aide of medication to lower temperature. Whenever your child is absent, please either call the office to let them know that you will keep your child home or send me an email.

If you have not signed up for Parent Teacher conferences, please do so.  You can sign up through Sycamore.  Otherwise, I will send you a designated time to come in to meet.  

This Wednesday, Oct. 7 is Picture Make-up Day.  If your child was absent or would like them to retake their photo, please send your child with a note to let me know that they will be retaking.  You may also email me, however, be sure the email reaches me before 7:30 AM.  Any emails sent after 7:30 AM, I cannot guarantee that I will see it before lunch.

Remember, Monday, October 12 is a No School Day in honor of Columbus Day.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas