Week 16

Dear TK Families,

Happy 3rd Week of Advent.  Did you know that the pink candle on the Advent wreath means joy? How are you going to spread joy with your family this week?

This week, we will celebrate Jesus and joy.  We will look at the the Advent wreath and remember that this past Sunday, the pink candle was lit.  Each student will get to make a candy cane which when flip upside down forms the letter J.  J is for Jesus and joy.

All of this week is a pretty much a review.  I will not introduce a letter to write, or practice a sound. We will review numbers 0 to 10.  When we return in January, we will move forward with new concepts such as polar animals, the color blue, Martin Luther King, and Catholic Schools Week.

This Thursday, we will have our TK Christmas snack and birthday celebration.  PLEASE DO NOT SEND GOODY BAGS.

For our Christmas program on Friday, all your children may wear nice "Church attire".  Our performance will begin at 10:00 am.  We hope you can join us at the TK/K Program.


Just a heads up with our January Share (Show-and-Tell) topic:
"Winter"  - Bring something that belongs in winter (animals, clothing, cabin, weather)
Your child will need to give 3 clues.

For example:
1.  The animal I brought is a bird.
2.  They live in the arctic.
3.  They relatives fly, but they don't.
What did I bring?
Arctic Penguin

I will send a paper with the Share activity when we get back in January.


Thank you for making the last part of 2016 a wonderful one!

Merry Christmas,
Mrs. Paragas

Week 15 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

Today is the feast day of St. Nicholas.  Today, St. Nick (aka Santa Claus) came to visit the children and put candy canes in their shoe.  The children were very excited!  Snowflake, our class elf, has also graced her presence in our classsroom.  The children are reminded to be on their best behavior as the elf is watching.  As a special gift to the class, Santa delivered his Santa Cam to our classroom!

This Friday, your child is taking home their Student Learning Assessments (SLA).  These assessments convey the skills your child is doing well in and areas in which they need to continue to work on.  If you have any questions regarding your child's SLA, please let me know.

On Friday, Dec. 16, at 10:00, we will be performing a couple songs for you.  This is a joint concert with Kindergarten.  The concert should not last more than 1 hour as our TK attention span is very short.  We hope you and your family can make it to our event.

This week's goals:
Theme: Gingerbread Man

Religion - Advent and St. Nicholas
Math - Counting 0 to 30; left vs. right; writing number 9 and 10.
ELA - Reading the story of the Gingerbread Man; repetition in a story; special vocabulary words
Science - 5 senses

Have a good week!
Mrs. Paragas

Week 14 Newsletter

Dear TK Families and Friends,

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. My hopes is that you were able to find a little bit of downtime during the Thanksgiving rush.  As Christmas approaches, our lives will be bombarded with the hustle and bustle of gift giving.  Let us remember the real reason for Christmas and remind our children of the true gift of Jesus.

This week begins the Season of Advent.  When possible, please take your child to Mass to make observations of the church's colors during Advent.  Ask your child the following questions:

• What color is the priest's chasuble?
• Do you see a wreath with 4 candles?  What colors are the candles?  How many are pink? purple?
• Look for a nativity scene.  What characters do you see?
• Discuss the songs that you hear at Mass?  Are any of them about Jesus' birth?

I am hoping that these discussion questions will spark a conversation with your child.  We will be discussing these questions during the month of December.

Each week, a different child takes home the Prayer Monkey named Rosie.  Remember to wash the monkey when your child takes it home, as well as, before he or she returns it to school the following week.  Please wash her in your washing machine with cold water and gentle cycle.  If you are unable to wash the monkey before returning it, please put a small note on her when your child returns it.  This way, I can remind the next child that it needs to be washed right away.  This for hygiene purposes.  I will try my best to send home Rosie on Monday of each week.  I am going in the order of their class number.  

The purpose of the Prayer Monkey is to have the child teach the monkey how to pray.  Feel free to bring Rosie around town.  If you wish, take pictures of Rosie with your child and share it on the Shutterfly page.  I would love to see Rosie's adventures!

Before Thanksgiving Break, the first trimester ended.  This week, I will be focusing on assessments and completing the First Trimester Student Learning Assessments (SLAs).  I will most likely not have a lot of work to send home as many of the assessments are hands on.  I will have a detailed report on the SLA to show you where the areas your child is excelling or areas that need a little more review.

Because we are starting the Second Trimester, I decided to simplify a little bit.  Rather than sending home an overview of your child behavior for the entire week, I will be sending a Yellow Slip (an actual yellow paper) and a Red Slip (an actual red paper) when your child makes poor choices.  I rarely give out yellows and reds which makes sending a behavior report at the end of the week pointless.  If your child takes home a yellow or red, it will go home on the same day that the poor choice was made.  In other words, if your child does not receive a slip, he or she made good chocies that day.  I hope this makes sense.  If you need me to clarify, please let me know.

This week's goals:

Theme: 5 Senses

Religion - Creation Story and our 5 senses

Math - Position Words; number 9; counting to 30 with an emphasis on 0-10

ELA - Sequencing - what happens next?   Letter i, r, u

Science - 5 Senses

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish all of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy some quality family time during this holiday.  I hope you get some relaxation in also!

See you on Monday!

God's blessings,

Mrs. Paragas

Week 12 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

Last week was such a great learning experience for me!  Since last week was the elections and celebrating Veteran's Day, we dedicated a week on patriotism by learning about voting, presidents, the flag, and the people who serve us in our community and our country.  With all the "issues" around us, I often have to step back and admire how the children respect each other.  We discussed voting and the importance of voting.  We took a poll on which book I should read that day.  I was amazed at your children.  They did not gripe, complain or cry if their book of choice wasn't chosen.  I hope that as adults, we can learn from our little leaders.  I can't be more proud of them.

On Monday, November 21, the TK and K classes will be having their annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service.  This is not a Thanksgiving party, but a mini retreat to remind us of what we are thankful for. This week we will be practicing our prayers, songs, and reflect on what we are thankful for.

The end of the Trimester is coming.  I will be doing assessments next week and after break.

• Please review letter recognition of 52 letters.  Yes, there are only 26 letters... but there are 52 in all when combing recognizing lower and uppercase.  
• Lowercase letters and their sounds for letters: t, l, i, h, b, f, k, n, m.  
• Writing lowercase: t, l, i, h, b, f, k, n, m.  
• Sight Words: I, a, see, can, the
• Parts of a book - cover, title page, spine, back of the book
• Reading Readiness - pointing to the words, reading from left to right (even if they can't read the words)
•  shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval
• Number recognition from 0 to 9

• Couting
• position words
• sorting by attributes.
• Writing numbers 0-10  
• Prayers that they should know: Sign of the Cross, Morning prayer, Prayer before snack, Prayer before we go home.  

I don't expect all students to know EVERYTHING, so please do not feel pressured to drill your child.  Learning is a process.  Sometimes it takes longer to grasp certain concepts, and in TK, we give them the gift of time in order to succeed.


This week's goals:

Theme: Scarecrows, Fall

Religion - God's Creation
ELA - letter n, m (sounds, writing, recognition), review all letters for recognition, scarecrow stories
Math - position words, number 8, review of numbers 0-8
Science - body parts


Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 11 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

I hope your children enjoyed their Friday off! ...Hopefully some of you were able to enjoy that extra day with your child. :)

Don't forget the SHARE activity for November.  If your child forgets to do his/her presentation, I will try to squeeze them in sometime during the week.

Share Topic for the Month: 

Fall/Autumn, Thanksgiving, Family

Students should begin their presentation with:

Good morning, my name is....

I am sharing something about ______________.

Here are my clues.

1.

2.

3.

Beginning next week, here is the schedule of presentation: (I am using your child's student number)

Nov. 7 - 19 & 20

Nov. 8 - 17 & 18

Nov. 9 - 15 & 16

Nov. 10 - 13 & 14

Nov. 11 - 11 & 12

Nov. 14 - 9 & 10

Nov. 15 - 7 & 8 

Nov. 16 - 5 & 6

Nov. 17 - 3 & 4

Nov. 18 - 1 & 2

During our Share Presentation, your child needs to bring a visual (a photo, drawing, object or other "thing")  The item must fit in your child's tote bag.

Here is an example of a presentation:

Good morning, my name is Mrs. Paragas.

I am sharing something about Thanksgiving.  Here are my 3 clues:

1.  It is an animal

2.  It has feathers

3.  Some people eat it on Thanksgiving.

What did I bring?

This week's goals;

Theme: Patriotism, Veteran's Day, Voting, Presidents

Religion- God Made the World

Math - Number 7; Position words - above and below

Reading/Language - Veteran's Day, letter k, sight word: the

Social Studies - our country

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Fun Run Attire/Schedule

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow is the Fun Run.  Students should come to school wearing their Fun Run gold shirts with gym shorts or play shorts.

Students who leave at 11:30 will return at 3:15.
Students who stay for daycare will stay until the Fun Run is over.

Parents are welcome to watch at the Fun Run (outside); however, parents who want to volunteer in the classroom or on the field must be fingerprinted.  All volunteers need to wear a volunteer stickers and sign in at the office.

The Fun Run is over at 4:30.  Please pick up students in the classroom.

Have lots of fun tomorrow!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 10 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

I hope you enjoyed your Halloween night!  The kids truly enjoyed last week's Halloween festivities. I saw many of you and your children at Trunk or Treat.  It's nice to see families having fun!

On Thursday, we will be having our Annual Fun Run.  As mentioned in the previous newsletter, I will not be at school that day.  Mrs. Gigi Reyes will cover the class during the Fun Run along with parent volunteer help. 

While I am out, Mrs. Collins will cover my class.  During my maternity last year, Mrs. Collins became my long term sub.  She is an amazing woman.  Please make her feel welcomed to TK as she is truly an asset to me.

This Friday is a teacher's in-service day.  I hope your child enjoys his/her day off!

Book Order forms were sent home today.  I do encourage you to order books through the schools' book fair that will take place next week.  However, if you find a book that you like but is not being sold at the book fair, you are more than welcome to order books through Scholastic.  Since the Fair is next week, I will collect the order forms by Friday. Nov. 11 to give you a chance to browse the book fair before ordeing.

This week's goals:

Theme: USA, Voting, Patriotism

Religion - Saints: What is a saint? 

Math - Number 6 (we are behind since last week was a...TOO MUCH FUN!)

Language Arts - Letter f, words that begin with the /f/ sound, alphabet recognition (lower and uppercase), 

Sight Words: A, I, see, can

Social Studies - USA

Share Topic for the Month: 

Fall/Autumn, Thanksgiving, Family

Students should begin their presentation with:

Good morning, my name is....

I am sharing something about ______________.

Here are my clues.

1.

2.

3.

Today I am going to share with you what I am thankful for

Beginning next week, here is the schedule of presentation: (I am using your child's student number)

Nov. 7 - 19 & 20

Nov. 8 - 17 & 18

Nov. 9 - 15 & 16

Nov. 10 - 13 & 14

Nov. 11 - 11 & 12

Nov. 14 - 9 & 10

Nov. 15 - 7 & 8 

Nov. 16 - 5 & 6

Nov. 17 - 3 & 4

Nov. 18 - 1 & 2

During our Share Presentation, your child needs to bring a visual (a photo, drawing, object or other "thing")  The item must fit in your child's tote bag.

Here is an example of a presentation:

Good morning, my name is Mrs. Paragas.

I am sharing something about Thanksgiving.  Here are my 3 clues:

1.  It is an animal

2.  It has feathers

3.  Some people eat it on Thanksgiving.

What did I bring?

Happy November!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 9 Newsletter

Dear Parents and Friends,

Today begins the first day of VERY BUSY!  We begin this week with Red Ribbon Week.  While most people think of Red Ribbon Week as a week to say "No to drugs!", I am approaching the concept by teaching the children to maintain a healthy body.  The concept of "drugs" and "smoking" is too much for our little ones that I'd rather not open *that* can of worms.

This Wednesday is Picture Day make-up.  If your child was absent during Picture Day or you were unhappy with the photos that were taken, you have second chance to say CHEESE!  This Wednesday, October 26 is Picture Make-up Day.  Please dress in your nice uniform.

Also on Wednesday is Fun Run Money Collection Day.  If your child will be retaking his/her photo, please send them in their full uniform.  Your child can change in their Fun Run shirt after they have taken their photos.

We conclude this week with our Halloween festivities.  On Friday, the children may come to school wearing their Halloween costumes.  Please keep in my our Catholic identity by not having your child wear anything gory or violent.  If you are unsure, feel free to ask me or show me a picture.   It is also important for your child to have play clothes underneath their costume.  Your child will change after the parade before we participate in our Halloween games.

Next Thursday, Nov. 3,  is our school's Fun Run.  Unfortunately, I have taken a personal day off to celebrate my daughter's first birthday.  I promise to be at the Fun Run in spirit!
You all have received a permission slip asking if your child will participate.  I know the form that went home is confusing for some, but just to clarify, here is "the plan":

• At 11:30, children you do not use daycare will be dismissed. If your child will participate in the Fun Run, you are asked to bring your children back to the classroom by 3:15 p.m.
• At 2:45, children who attend daycare will be supervised by Ms. Gigi and turned over to substitute teacher at 3:15 p.m.  
• Parents who are fingerprinted may help with supervision.  Parents who are not fingerprinted may still attend and be spectators around the perimeter of the field.  
• All students will be dismissed from the classroom and NOT from the field.  This is for your child's safety.

Friday, Nov. 4 is a No School Day due to a faculty in-service.

I will be putting out the November Volunteer Calendar this week.  Feel free to start signing up.  E-mail me for your feedback - would you like me to put out a couple months at a time to sign up for volunteer days? Or would you rather have me put it out once a month for the following month?  I'm looking at the general consensus.  

I am looking for parents who are willing to speak to the class about their profession at some point during the year.   If you are interested in sharing your talents (yes, you are all talented!), please let me know and we can work out a date and time.  

This week's learning goals:

Theme:  Pumpkins, bats, our body part/skeleton (Red Ribbon Week), kindness 

Religion:  We are kind to each other; Sign of the Cross, Prayer before meals
Math - number 6, counting to 6, composing and decomposing numbers 0 to 6; sorting
Language Arts - Reading stories about our weekly theme; letter h and f
Science: pumpkins parts, bats as mammals, our body parts
Social Studies: taking care of our community/kindness


Have a great week!
Mrs. Paragas

Week 8 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

I apologize that this newsletter is getting to you a day late.  It's been a whirlwind the last 2 weeks with lots of personal events that took place.  As a first time mommy, I have never experienced having a sick, teething child.  Let's just say on and off fevers that lasted a week, crying and fussing multiple times at night and the only thing that soothe her was holding and rocking her to sleep at 3am!   My journey through mommy-hood has made me even more compassionate with you as fellow moms and dads to little ones.  So when you are running late or are having a rough day, please understand that I know what it feels like and I do understand.  I am with you on this journey.

Secondly, I contacted some of you to reschedule your conference due to the passing of my uncle.  Please keep my mom and her siblings, as well as, my uncle's wife and family in your prayers.  It truly has been a rough 2 weeks.

If for some reason you are unable to make your appointment, please send me an email and I will work with you to find a time to meet.

Next Friday is the Halloween event at school.  If you are willing to assist in the classroom, I can take a couple parent/grandparent helper.  For our Halloween event, the children may come to school wearing their costumes.  I advise that you have your child wear play clothes underneath so that they can change after the morning parade.

Trunk or Treat will take place in the afternoon/evening on Friday, Oct. 28.

Our Fun Run is coming up.  Our Golden Honey Bear poster is hanging on our door.  I hope you admire it as much as we do!  Students turn in their Fun Run envelopes every Wednesday.  The entire school can wear their Fun Run shirts each Wednesday.

Starting in the month of November, we will begin our Share Activity.  Each student will be assigned a day to share about a topic that will be provided.

This week's goals:

Theme:  Pumpkins

Religion - We are sheep, God is the Good Shepherd
Math - Numbers 5 and 6; Sorting by what items have in common
English/Language Arts - Reading stories about pumpkins, letters and sounds: b and h, writing the letter b and h
Science - Pumpkins and how they grow


Have a great rest of the week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 8 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

I apologize that this newsletter is getting to you a day late.  It's been a whirlwind the last 2 weeks with lots of personal events that took place.  As a first time mommy, I have never experienced having a sick, teething child.  Let's just say on and off fevers that lasted a week, crying and fussing multiple times at night and the only thing that soothe her was holding and rocking her to sleep at 3am!   My journey through mommy-hood has made me even more compassionate with you as fellow moms and dads to little ones.  So when you are running late or are having a rough day, please understand that I know what it feels like and I do understand.  I am with you on this journey.

Secondly, I contacted some of you to reschedule your conference due to the passing of my uncle.  Please keep my mom and her siblings, as well as, my uncle's wife and family in your prayers.  It truly has been a rough 2 weeks.

If for some reason you are unable to make your appointment, please send me an email and I will work with you to find a time to meet.

Next Friday is the Halloween event at school.  If you are willing to assist in the classroom, I can take a couple parent/grandparent helper.  For our Halloween event, the children may come to school wearing their costumes.  I advise that you have your child wear play clothes underneath so that they can change after the morning parade.

Trunk or Treat will take place in the afternoon/evening on Friday, Oct. 28.

Our Fun Run is coming up.  Our Golden Honey Bear poster is hanging on our door.  I hope you admire it as much as we do!

Starting in the month of November, we will begin our Share Activity.  Each student will be assigned a day to share about a topic that will be provided.

This week's goals:

Theme:  Pumpkins

Religion - We are sheep, God is the Good Shepherd
Math - Numbers 5 and 6; Sorting by what items have in common
English/Language Arts - Reading stories about pumpkins, letters and sounds: b and h, writing the letter b and h
Science - Pumpkins and how they grow


Have a great rest of the week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 7 Newsletter

Dear TK Family,

If you had a day off on Monday, I hope you enjoyed your Columbus Day off with some family time.  We need to enjoy every second with our family as each day is so precious.  I didn't realized how fast time really flies until I became a mom.  My first year as a mommy has gone by so fast that I am in complete disbelief that my little one is leaving "babyhood" and turning into a toddler (*tear*).  I just want to yell and say SLOW DOWN.  But instead, we all just have to enjoy every moment so that we don't miss a thing!

A couple household items:

• Don't forget to sign up for Parent Teacher conferences.  If you are unable to meet during one of the open time slot, let me know and we can schedule one at a different time.  Please e-mail me.
• The Fun Run is fast approaching.  Tomorrow is the first collection day.  Please turn in your Fun Run Envelopes to school tomorrow so that the money can be counted.  The envelope will be returned to you tomorrow.
  
  The TK Fun Run color is Gold.  This year, the Fun Run theme is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  We were asked to make up a name for our class with some type of made-up candy. Since our color is gold, I thought  about our class name to be the Golden Honey Bears - candy that sparkles with every bite!
• Progress Reports will be handed out during our conference.  I have been holding on to some of your child's work to share with you at our conferences.
• HOPE Food Drive - the can food will be collected tomorrow.  
• 8th Grade is collecting baby items to donate to a women's shelter.  If you have any used (or new) baby items such as clothes, bottles, strollers, etc,, the 8th graders will gladly accept them.  Let's not forget the moms, they are looking for toiletries, maternity clothes, and items that will help a mom in preparation for her baby.

This week's goals:

Theme: Seasons and Fall leaves

• Religion - we are all special and unique.  No two people are alike.
• Math - Review of numbers 0 to 5.  Number of the week 4 and 5.
• Language Arts - Lowercase l; Review of all alphabet letters; reading a book from left to right.
• Science - Seasons
• Social Studies - Fire Safety

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas 

My Promise to You...

I saw this today and thought I'd share it here.  There are many days at school where I wish your child's "light bulb moments" or "aha! moments" can be taken home in their folder to share with you.  So much learning takes place each and every day.  Your child has already accomplished so much in just a month in school.  Just know that some weeks your child may take home only a small stack of work to show off but a TON of hands-on learning happened at school!

My promise to you:  

Reminder

Don't forget to log on to Sycamore to sign up for your Parent-Teacher Conference.

Thank you!

Week 6 Newsletter

Dear TK Family,


Happy October!

Now that we have September training behind us, October begins "serious" TK!

Today, we went on our first trip to the Atrium of the Good Shepherd.  At the Atrium, your child will grow spiritually in a play-based environment.  Mrs. Ruth Bradley will take a few of the children at a time and share stories of Jesus.  A parent volunteer will help the children with supervision.

Tomorrow, I ask all students to bring in a real apple to "share" with the class.  Your child will participate in a group activity using the apples.

Beginning this week, we will begin our letter(s) of the week.  Each week, we will dedicated 1-2 letters to practice writing, recognizing, and sounds.  This week, we will focus of the lowercase t and the lowercase l.  Both of these letters share similar strokes making learning how to write the letters easier.  I ask that this week, you focus on "writing" from top to bottom.  You can practice this by having them use their body by point up above their head, while drawing a line down to their feet.  Have them say "top to bottom" as they make the motion of t and l.

Future Dates:

• Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day - No school
• Wednesday, October 12 - HOPE Food Drive Collection
• Wednesday, October 19 - Friday, October 21 - Parent Teacher Conferences
• Monday, October 24 - Friday, October 28 - Red Ribbon Week
• Friday, October 28 - Trunk or Treat; TK/K Halloween Event 
• Thursday, November 3 - Fun Run
• Friday, November 4 - No School - Teacher's Inservice

This week's learning goals:

Theme: Apples

• Religion - Jesus welcomes us to be his friends; Sharing
• Math - Review counting 0 to 5; writing 0-4; Attributes - colors, shape, size, how many?
• Reading/Language/Writing 
• Writing - lowercase letter t and l
• Read - stories about Apples and Fall; We read from left to right.
• Sounds - Tt and Ll
• Sight Words - "I" "a", "see"
• Science - Parts of an Apple
• Social Studies - Johnny Appleseed

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 5 Newsletter

Dear TK Family,

As we welcome the season of Fall, we are greeted by the extra hot weather!  It feels like Summer all over again!

As the seasons change, the children change and grow.  Compared to the first week of school, the TK class has shown so much growth.  They all know where they sit on the rug.  They understand my rules and expectations.  It is amazing how much the kids grow in such a small span of time.  In the spirit of change and growth, I'd like to encourage the children to take on more responsibility.  For example, during morning drop off, please have your child take out their own folder and place into the box.  Also, have your child put his/her tote bag inside their own cubbies.  I have seen a good handful of parents put their child's bags away.  Part of going to school is teaching them about responsibility and these little things amount to big things in the future.

To help with the independence, I will have the Sign In/Out binder on the lunch bench outside our classroom.  I encourage you to have your child walk into the classroom all by him/herself.  You are welcome to come briefly speak with me in the morning if it is necessary.  I ask that you meet me at the far door to prevent traffic at our welcome door.  Thank you for your cooperation. :)

Future Dates:

• Friday, September 30 - TK September Birthday Celebration at snack time
• Monday, October 3 at 8:00am - Fun Run Assembly in the Hall
• Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day - No school
• Wednesday, October 12 - HOPE Food Drive Collection
• Wednesday, October 19 - Friday, October 21 - Parent Teacher Conferences
• Monday, October 24 - Friday, October 28 - Red Ribbon Week
• Friday, October 28 - Trunk or Treat 
• Thursday, November 3 - Fun Run
• Friday, November 4 - No School - Teacher's Inservice

This week's learning goals:

Theme:  Apples/Johnny Appleseed

• Religion - Jesus Welcomes His Children, understand that we are all his children
• Math - Attributes, Counting 0-5, Writing the numbers 2-3
• Reading - Stories about Apples, Letters Jj-Tt
• Science - Parts of an apple
• Social Studies - The life of Johnny Chapman (Appleseed) 

Week 4 Newsletter

Dear TK Family,

As I type this, the clouds are in and it's pretty gloomy outside - a little autumn tease!  I hope you are enjoying the last few days of the summer season!

This week's goals:

Theme: Friendship

• Religion - Jesus' Friends
• Math 
• Calendar (days of the week, months of the year, counting to 30)
• Number: 2 (counting, writing, finding the number two around us)
• Attributes: color, size, shape, quantity, sorting objects
• Reading
• Story: Huggapotamus, The Crayon Box That Talked
• Poem: The Wheels on the Bus
• Vocabulary:
• delight: Great pleasure; joy
• waddling: To walk in short steps; back and forth
• spotted: To notice or catch sight of
• skidded:  Suddenly slide sideways
• sigh: To breathe out a long breath
• What is a character?
• Parts of a Book
• Rhyming words
• Alphabet Recognition - Aa-Ii 
• Science - Primary Colors
• Social Studies - Friendship; building a friendly relationship with our peers; School Rules; Fire Safety

Our Room Parents

Mr. and Mrs. Rozak and Mrs. Hulgreen have stepped up to be the TK Room Parents.  I am excited to bring them on board as this year will be full of fun.  I need as much parental involvement to make it all happen.  

Our Room Parents are collecting e-mails.  I have a clipboard with your child's name next to the Sign In/Out binder.  I do not want to just hand out your e-mails without your permission.  I will go through the list this week, if you haven't filled out your e-mail, I will contact you directly.

Class Photographer
Mrs. Castillo will archive all our TK Photos.  If you have photos taken at school that you'd like her to collect, please e-mail it to her at valeriecastillo@me.com.

Mrs. Castillo is a professional photographer.  She has graciously offered to take photos of the class through the year.  She would like to get permission from you  to photograph your child.  I will send a note in your child's folder.  The photos that she will take will be archived and will be accessible only to the TK parents.

I will e-mail you the link and password to this area.

Birthday Celebration

On Friday, September 30, those with children whose birthday is in the month of September will celebrate their birthday.  I still encourage you to pack a snack for your child with the expectations of your child NOT eating it.  Sometimes the children are not interested in eating the provided snack or are still hungry after the snack, so having a default snack in their bag is helpful.

Emergency Clothes 

If you have not turned in your child's emergency clothes, please do so ASAP.  Place it in a gallon size Zip-loc bag with your child's name on the outside and on the items.

Donation of your time/Talent/Child's clothes

Uniforms are expensive!  I am looking for someone who knows how to sew a simple child's apron/smock to cover their uniform?  I can purchase fabric if you would let me know how much you would need to make about 5 aprons/smocks.  If I can't get anyone to sew (or find time to sew!), do you have any old t-shirts?  I'd like a size small child's t-shirt.  These shirts could be one of your older children's over-used, extra loved shirts.

Make-up Picture Day

If your child was absent or if you did not like how your child's initial photos turned out.  You have another chance!  Picture make-up day is October 26.

Classroom Volunteers
I will put a calendar out for parents to volunteer throughout the year.  I will put October's calendar out.  Please only reserve a spot once you have been cleared to volunteer with Mrs. Maxon.  Volunteers are to help supervise the children, prepare class materials, and work with small groups in and outside the classroom.

I am also looking for a volunteer to come every Tuesday (or split this with one or two other parents) to help with the Atrium of the Good shepherd.  I'd like to keep some type of consistency on Tuesdays.  Let  me know if you are interested.

All help is appreciated. :)

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 3 Newsletter

Dear TK Family,

We are in Week 3 of TK!  I am slowly seeing the difference between the first week and today.  I am proud of our achievement thus far.  The last 2 weeks was about establishing routine.  This week, we want to continue practicing routine, but also infuse more of the academic portion.

Ms. Cuellar will be out every Monday and Tuesday, starting today for the next 7 weeks.  Ms. Cuellar is in the last portion of her teaching credential program.  Please keep her in your prayers.  Meanwhile, I am fortunate that Mrs. Stella Lares will assist me on Monday and Tuesday.  Ms. Stella, as the children call her, jumped into TK today.  She did very well with learning your child's name and working with them.

Our goals for the week:

• Religion - Jesus' Apostles; We are His friends; How are we friends with each other?
• Reading - Letter Recognition Aa-Ee; Alphabet song; words vs. letters; Rhyming; Poems
• Math - Attributes such as color, size, type, sorting; Number 1
• Social Studies - Patriotism; our flag
• Science - Colors
• Safety - We will practice fire drills and earthquake drills (please remind them that as much as they are a drill, we need to take it seriously). 

Don't forget - 

• Picture Day is Wednesday.  If you plan to order pictures, be sure to have your order forms with money by Wednesday morning.
• HOPE Food Drive - Once a month, students will take home a tote bag.  Families are asked to bring in non-perishable food donation.  You are welcome to bring more than what can fit in their HOPE bags.
• Parent Volunteers - If you are fingerprinted and Safe-Environment trained, please let me know by email so that I can "clear" your name with Mrs. Maxon.  Once I hear from her, I will create my "master list" of parents that can be on campus to help me.   
• Newsletter - I will try to update this website at least once a week.  For the most part, I will have our newsletter ready sometime on Tuesday (evening at the latest).  Sometimes I do forget what day it is (especially when there is no school on Monday).  Please be patient in an event I do forget.
• Scholastic Book Order - If you plan to order books, please be sure to have orders completed by Friday at noon.

Have a great week!

God's Blessings,

Mrs. Paragas

Book Order / Picture Day

I sent home a few book order catalogs from Scholastic Book Clubs.  If you plan to order books, please place your order by Friday, September 16.

Picture Day forms were sent home today. Picture Day is on September 14.

I update the TK website on Tuesdays.  Please be sure to read the updates every Tuesday afternoon. Other updates throughout the week will be sent via email OR a small slip of paper will be sent home to notify you of the updates on the website.

Thank you!

Week 2 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day holiday.  Long weekends for me seem to never be long enough, I'm sure most will agree?  However, I am excited to be back with your children.  I am thrilled to do more exciting things this week.

Our goals for the week:

• Religion - Jesus has special friends
• Math - calendar skills, writing number 0 and 1
• Reading/Language - Story: Rainbow Fish;  characters; Alphabet Introduction
• Social Studies - Sharing
• Science - Colors

Emergency Clothes

A gallon size zip-loc bag was sent home last week without a note attached.  Please fill the bag with play clothes such as a T-shirt, shorts/pants, underwear, and socks.  This will be returned before Christmas break and will be asked to replenish when they return in January.

Emergency Pack

All St. I Students need an emergency pack in an event of an emergency.  The Emergency Pack may be purchased for $15 from the school office OR you may create your own.  If you create your own, you must include the following items:

• 16 oz. of water (if possible packed into 4 oz pouches)
• 1200 calorie emergency bar
• 1 - 12 hour light stick
• 1 Emergency Blanket
• 1 Activity book

TK Questionnaire

In your Back To School Night Packet, I have a couple papers that need to be filled out.  If you have not turned it in, please do so this week.

Book Order
I will send home a couple Scholastic Book Order catalogs tomorrow.  The link below will help you order online:

http://mrsparagas.blogspot.com/p/scholastic-book-order.html

If you choose to order by check or money order, make your checks out to Scholastic Book Club.  

If you need assistance, let me know.

Password Protected Section

I have a password protected section on the website.  Please e-mail me at lparagas@stischoolcypress.org and I will send you the password via e-mail.  Make sure the e-mail you use is the e-mail you'd like me to correspond with regularly as I will save that e-mail to correspond with you.

Drop off / Pick-up

I am starting to slowly getting familiar with face of those who pick up your child.  Please be patient as I go through this process.  Picking up will be much easier as the year goes... promise!

God's Blessings,

Mrs. Paragas

Week 1 - We did it!

Dear TK Family,

We did it!  All of your children made it to the first day of school.  The First Day of School was mostly to acclimate the children to their new environment and meet some new faces.  The goal for the rest of the week is as follows (this will carry over to most of the month of September):

• Establish a routine
• Know my classroom signals
• Know the people around them (students, teachers, staff, etc.)
• Know the different places in the school
• Emergency procedures
• Rules for using the bathroom and washing of hands
• Playground and Classroom expectations
• Learn a couple new songs
• Assess, Assess, Assess!  I will be assessing all of your children to see where they are academically and socially.  
• Familiarize themselves with their names (seeing it in print and writing it)
• How to carefully listen to a story.
• Practice our prayers.
• ...and I'm sure the list of goals will continue on.  Let's start with the above! :)

A couple reminders (in no particular order):

• The TK Sign In/Out sheet will be placed right on the white shelf right by the front door/fire extinguisher for you to Sign In.  During dismissal, the clipboard will be placed at the bench tables.  We will exit from the opposite door (the door closest to the restroom)
• Snack begins today - please send a nutritious snack to school along with a drink.  Those going to daycare will also need to bring a lunch.
• Daycare students need to bring nap items in a bag.  The ideal bag would be a reusable grocery bag like the ones sold at Target at the checkout stand (or something similar).  Be sure to write your child's name on all the items.  Further questions regarding Daycare should be directed to Mrs. Van Dieran or Miss Gigi.  I can forward any questions or concerns to them if needed.
• Crying or "clingy-ness" is normal during the first few days of school... this can last for a couple weeks.  We can discuss this further if this is a concern.
• Be sure to turn in all your forms - blue emergency card, white disaster release form, and the 3 papers that were attached to the Back to School Night Packet.  
• I will be setting out a Back to School Conference Sign-up sheet next week.  If you have scheduling conflicts, please let me know after the sign up sheet has been posted.  I will have the sign up sheet next to the TK Sign In and Out clipboard.
• Teaching your child about being responsible - I would like students to put their own tote bag and snack inside the own cubbie.  I also would like the children to pull out their own folder to place in the bin outside the classroom. 
• There is a delay on our TK folder order.  Please check your child's tote bag for any notes from school.  We will check tote bags as well for any notes, etc.  Once the folders come in, I will train the kids to take their folders out and place it into a bin.  

I am in search for the following:

• Room Parent:  I do have a few interested.  If there are any other parents who would like to help with this role, please let me know ASAP.  The role of the room parent is to be the liaison between the school and the classroom parents.  Room Parents help plan events but do not necessarily attend the event if their schedule does not work with the event schedule.
• Photographer:  I have no one signed up.  The role of the photographer is to gather all the photos from the school year and then to compile the photos/videos onto a disc for all TK families to enjoy.  Some parents create a slideshow or movie.  At a minimum, the Photographer just burns a disc for all to have copies of digital photos and videos.  
• Classroom and Home Helpers:  I will need helpers in the classroom, as well as, helper who could do some volunteering from home.  Volunteers who are able to come help at school must Sign In to the office and wear a volunteer sticker at all times.  These volunteers must be fingerprinted and Safe-environment trained.  See Mrs. Maxon for more details regarding volunteering at school.  If you would like to volunteer to do work from home, this will consist of prepping materials for the classroom such as cutting, laminating, stapling, and so forth.  With my new role of Mommy, my time to go shopping has been slashed to almost non-existent!  (Thank you Amazon Prime for my shopping needs!)  Sometimes I will ask a volunteer to purchase something for the class and I will personally reimburse you. Sometimes these items will be grocery items or craft item that would be used for a project or center.
• Atrium of the Good Shepherd Assistant:  This volunteer will accompany half of the TK class to the Atrium.  At the Atrium, the children will learn about God through Montessori style learning.  Mrs. Bradley, who teaching Atrium to TK, will need 1 parent helper.  It would be good to have a consistent adult.  If that is not possible, I can have a rotation of adults helping.  The schedule as of right now is tentative.  Last year we attended the Atrium on Tuesdays.  This year let's plan for a Tuesday, but I will confirm that once I have my schedule set in stone.
  

I know this is a lot of information - if anything doesn't make sense or if I forgot to address something, please let me know..  The next newsletter, I will show you how to access the password protected section of our website.  

If you have any questions, please don't ever hesitate to e-mail me.

Thank you so much for selecting St. Irenaeus Parish School and entrusting me to teach your child to be a Christ-follower and to learn how to be a life-long learner!

God's Blessings,

Mrs. Paragas

Welcome to TK!

Welcome St. Irenaeus Class of 2027 and their Families!


Thank you for joining me at Back to School Night this past Tuesday.  If you have any questions regarding TK or the first day of school, feel free to e-mail me.  I will try to be as available via e-mail as possible this weekend.

Here is a free download to a First Day of School "Chalkboard Sign"
http://goo.gl/VJAClW

I am excited to see all of you on Monday at 8:00 am.  TK Class ends at 10 am.  Don't forget one grown up can stay at school with every student. :)

Have a great rest of the week!

Love,
Mrs. Paragas

TK Picnic is Tomorrow / TK Daycare Reminder

Picnic Reminder
Tomorrow, Friday, June 3 at 9:00, the TK kids will have a picnic at the school playground.  You are welcome to join us.  The students may come to school in their play clothes tomorrow (non-uniform dress).

From Mrs. Gigi:
The TK Kids who attend Daycare, this is a reminder that there will be no daycare supervision on Friday, June 10.

Three Piggy Opera Reminder

Don't forget - the TK play is on Thursday, June 9 at 10:45am

The 3 Piggy Opera Costumes:
Please look below to see what your child is to wear the day of the play --  
Do not send your kids in their uniform


Storytellers - Wear nice non-uniform clothes


Mommy Pig - Wear a blouse with dark pants (I have an apron for you to use)


Daddy Pig - Wear a polo with pants.  You are welcome to draw a mustache above the lips. 


3 Pigs, Straw House, Stick House, Brick House - Wear a t-shirt (any kind) with jeans (pants).  (I have t-shirts for you to borrow to put over your clothes)


Straw, Stick, and Brick Peddlers - Wear non-uniform clothes (must be pants on the bottom).  Wear an outfit that looks close to a farmer.  Farmer hats are good too!  Here's a picture for reference:

*Please have your child wear his/her school shoes.
If you have questions, please ask me.

Week 37

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week we are reviewing the following:

• All Prayers
• All letters and sounds
• All sight words
• Ocean Animals
• Practicing the 3 Piggy Opera Play
• Subtraction to 5
• Counting to 30

This week is all review.  We will continue learn more about ocean animals.

Thursday, June 2

Inside the Outdoors will visit our classroom and share details about the features of various types of animals.  Last year, they brought a snake, bird, lizard, hare, tortoise, insect and many others.  

Friday, June 3

TK/K Picnic - Students may come to school in their play clothes (just like Field Day).  Students will be provided a lunch and have the opportunity to play.  Families are invited to join, but only those adults who are fingerprinted may volunteer and help with the children.  If you are volunteering for the Picnic, please e-mail me so I can make a list of helpers.

Thursday, June 9

TK Play -  We plan to begin the play at 10:45am.  I sent home an RSVP form today.  Please fill it out and return to school tomorrow.  This will help me plan the correct number of chairs to be set up in the hall.

We are less than 2 weeks away from the last day of school.  I am cherishing every moment!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Paragas

A Note from the Room Parents

Please join us as we make  leis made of  candies and chocolates for our 5th grade buddies on Tuesday,  May 31, 2016 from 9:30am to 11:00am. We will meet at the Cypress Library lawn. It is at 5331 Orange ave, Cypress. You may bring your picnic blankets or chairs. Little kiddos are welcome to run around while we're busy making the leis. Everyone is welcome.

Please Contact Mrs. Garma

Field Day/Snack Bar

Field Day is this Friday, May 27.  Field Day is just a day for the kids to have fun and show sportsmanship.  TK will participate in yoga, hula hoop/jumping rope, and playground play.

After an hour and half of activity, TK will enjoy their snack.  I encourage you to prepare a healthy snack, especially if you are sending money to school with your child to purchase a snack from the Snack Bar.  The Snack Bar will be selling candy, chips, and drinks.

If you wish to allow your child to purchase food from the Snack Bar, please use the envelope provided (sent home in your child's folder today).  Do not send more than $5 for your child to spend on snack.

Parents who wish to volunteer during the Field Day will help supervise the children in the activities, assist with First Aid, escort children for restroom breaks, and help with purchasing snack at the Snack Bar/snack supervision.

If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail me.

Thank you!

Week 36

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

This week we are learning the following:

• Mary Our Mother
• Forms of Prayer
• All sight words
• Addition to 10
• Subtraction to 5
• Alphabet recognition and sounds
• Reviewing beginning sounds
• Ocean creatures

We are doing a lot of reviewing this week as we wind down the school year.  Please continue to review all letters, counting/number recognition, and sight words.

The play, The 3 Piggy Opera has changed its location.  We will now be doing the play in the Hall.  We are still planning to begin at 10:45 am.  Please e-mail me with an expected number of people planning to attend your child's play.  I want to be sure to request enough chairs to be set up.  Please e-mail me this week with a count for your family.  The play is excepted to last about 30 minutes.

Field Day is this Friday, 5/27.  Please e-mail me if you would like to volunteer to help with the TK class.

No School Monday, 5/30 - Memorial Day

Inside the Outdoors on campus experience - Thursday, June 2.

TK/K End of the Year Picnic (on campus) - Friday, June 3 at 9am.  I will need volunteers.  If interested, please e-mail me.

TK Play - The 3 Piggy Opera - Thursday, June 9 at 10:45am in the Hall.

Last Day of School - Friday, June 10.

Hang on to your hats!  It's going by so fast!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 35

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

I can't believe how fast this month is going!  I feel like I just changed the calendar to May and now we are here in the third week.  I am embracing every moment I have with your child as these days are going to go by even faster!

This week we are learning the following:

• Religion: Mother Mary, The Hail Mary and prayer review of the past prayers
• Math: counting to 30, counting by 10s to 100, addition to 10
• Literacy:  All 20 sight words (this will be on going), All the letters and sounds, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Science: Life Cycle of the Butterfly and reviewing plants
• Social Studies: Songs of Patriotism - National Anthem

We are constantly learning new songs that help us learn the core concepts.  Your children love to sing and my hopes is that they are sharing their songs with you such as "The Butterfly Song", "Gentle Woman", and of course, "The Three Piggy Opera".

The 5th graders came to visit our classroom to share their Stewardship Project with us.  They are partnering with Mater Dei with a program called Get on the Bus.  Get on the Bus is a program that provides transportation and support for children and their caregivers to visit their mothers and fathers in prison.  Children are provided a travel bag with various items, snacks, and materials to make their parent a card and to help stay in contact with their parent.  They have asked TK and K to bring coloring books and crayons for children under 9.  I hope everyone can contribute a little something to support these children who may be going through a difficult time.

Today, HOPE bags were sent home.  A couple kids left before I could hand out the HOPE bags.  Even if you did not take home your red HOPE bags, you are still welcome to participate by bringing nonperishable food donations.  Every little bit counts! :)

Thank you for keeping a quiet learning environment for Kindergarten during our 11:30 dismissal.  I appreciate your cooperation!

The 3 Piggy Opera Costumes:
Please look below to see what your child is to wear the day of the play --
Storytellers - Wear nice non-uniform clothes
Mommy Pig - Wear a blouse with dark pants (I have an apron for you to use)
Daddy Pig - Wear a polo with pants (I have a mustache for you to borrow)
3 Pigs, Straw House, Stick House, Brick House - Wear a t-shirt (any kind) with jeans (pants).  (I have t-shirts for you to borrow to put over your clothes)
Straw, Stick, and Brick Peddler - Wear non-uniform clothes (must be pants on the bottom)

*Please have your child wear his/her school shoes.
If you have questions, please ask me.

Thank you!

Mrs. Paragas

Summer Childcare

Dear Parents,

If you know of a reliable childcare provider for the summer months, please let me know.  I know of families looking for someone they could trust their children with during the months that we are out of school.  Send me an e-mail with some information.

Thank you!
Mrs. Paragas

Week 34

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

This week in TK we are learning the following:

• Mother Mary
• All Prayers
• Sight Words: All 20 words
• Writing to 10 
• Counting to 30
• Adding to 5 (or 10)
• All letters - review of all letters (writing, sounds, recognition)
• Seeds and Plants
• Vocabulary: germination, pollination, seedling, soil
• Identify the 5 needs of a plant
• The Three Piggy Opera - memorizing the songs and how to "act" out the play

There are about 5 weeks of school left.  I will be doing a lot of follow up assessments between now and the end of the year.  

Some of the children are struggling with the concept of how many are in all when we are using 2 different object to add.  For example 2 red cubes + 3 blue cubes; how many are in all?  Some of the kids are counting the same color only rather than the red and blue.  I will continue to practice this skill with them until the end of the year.  For those students that are comfortable with this concept will move on to adding to 10 and subtraction.

I had a proud teacher moment this morning when the children and I were talking.  I asked the question, "how many of you can now read?"  Every hand in the class were up in the air.  I reminded them that at the beginning of the year, only one or two hands went up.  Now that we are close to the end, ALL kids raised their hand.  Thank you so much for working hard with all your children!

I can't believe how fast the year is going.  I am enjoying every moment of this year! 

Thank you so much for all you do!

Mrs. Paragas

Dismissal Reminder

Dear TK Parents,

This is a friendly reminder that during dismissal, the children still need to follow classroom and school rules.  I have noticed that as the kids are dismissed, some of the children are running around and making noise around the gated area.  The rule in TK is no running on the black top.  Please keep in mind that both Kindergarten classes are still in session.  Let's remember to be respectful of their learning environment and keep the TK/K courtyard as quiet as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation,
Mrs. Paragas

Week 33

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

This week we are learning the following:

• Mother Mary
• Prayer: Hail Mary - students will be tested in 2 weeks
• Frogs and amphibians
• Vocabulary: habitat, croak, poison, gills
• Life Cycle of Frogs
• Sight Word: Have (please review all previous words) 
• Addition to 5 and Addition to 10 - this will be ongoing until the end of the year
• Count to 30
• Letter Zz

I hope you received an email from the school regarding the school newsletter.  Mrs. Hayden's School Newsletter will now be available via Sycamore. I know that Sycamore can be overlooked by TK parents since you don't need to log on as often to record FISH hours or to check grades.  I do request that you check your Sycamore accounts regularly so don't miss out on any announcements. 

I sent home your child's parts for the class play, The Three Piggy Opera.  Every student has an important part in the class play.  If your child has speaking part, please practice their lines/songs.  All students will have a group singing part.  If your child only has a group singing part, I did not send home the lyrics to practice as we practice regularly in class.  

If you would like to schedule a conference with me, please send me an email.  Next week, K-8 will have portfolio conferences which TK will not participate in.  However, I am willing to meet with parents if you have any concerns.  I have notified you if I feel we need to discuss your child's progress.  

Next week we will review all letters, matching upper and lower case, and sounds; but our focus will be more on sight words and reading.  Please review your child's sight words.  There are 20 basic TK sight words I'd like all my students to master before Kindergarten.  If your child can read the 20 basic TK words without little to no trouble, here is a list of Dolch sight words to practice.

Here is a PDF of the TK Must Know Words.

Dolch Sight Words:  Pre-primer, then move to Primer and so forth.

The year is going super fast! Let's enjoy these last few weeks! :)

Thanks again for all you do!

Mrs. Paragas

Portfolio Conferences

Dear Parents,

As you may or may not have noticed, TK has been blocked off for the Portfolio Conferences when you log on to your Sycamore account.  TK will not have Portfolio Conferences.  Portfolio Conferences are student led and are based on the School's SLEs.  TK has been introduced but will require more time to understand how to connect the SLEs to their own work.  At the end of the two years of Kindergarten (TK to K), students will have their first Portfolio Conference.

The following are the School-wide Learning Expectations (SLEs) for grades TK-2.

A Faith-filled Active Catholic Who

• Prays.

• Attends Mass respectfully.

• Shows respect for others and the world God created.

• Participates in service to those in need.

A Critical Thinker Who

• Listens to the teacher.

• Works to his/her potential.

• Expresses oneself through music, art, and literature.

• Completes work neatly.

• Solves problems effectively.

An Effective Communicator Who

• Listens attentively to others.

• Shares ideas and information.

• Writes and speaks using correct grammar/vocabulary.

• Articulates and projects clearly.

• Communicates using technology.

A Globally Aware Citizen Who

• Learns about new and different cultures.

• Shows respect for people of different cultures.

• Shows awareness of current events.

• Shares God-given talents.

A Life-long Learner Who

• Makes good choices.

• Uses self-control.

• Works and plays well with others.

I will personally contact you if I feel a conference is needed to discuss your child's progress. However, if you would like to schedule a conference, please e-mail me so we can plan one.

Thank you,
Mrs. Paragas

Week 32

Dear TK Parents and Friends,

This week we are learning the following:

• Jesus feeds us special food.  (Communion)
• Letter Yy - sound, writing, words with beginning sound Yy
• Sight word: You
• Number 0-10 (writing)
• Counting up to 29 (writing the number 29 is ideal but not required)
• Numbers before and after a given number
• The 3 Piggy Opera 
• The Three Bears - the different versions; understanding vocabulary: porriage, frighten, trust, cooled, peek; setting and characters; retelling of the story
• Introducing seeds and will continue this next week

During the month of May, we will be spending more time working on the student production of The Three Piggy Opera.  This play targets the following learning standards and objective:

• Listening and speaking skills
• Storytelling
• Social Skills
• Reading skills - characters, setting, plot
• Performing Arts/Music skills
• Performing Arts/Drama 

Our performance will be on June 9 at 10:45 AM.

An envelope with a yellow note was sent home today in your child's folder.  This envelope is for your son or daughter to earn money to purchase a Moother's Day gift.  Envelopes are due Wednesday, May 4.   This is not a school or grade level fund raiser.  All profits will be donated to the Precious Life Shelter.  

I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful flower pot.  It now resides in my kitchen soaking up the sun.  I appreciate you thinking of me on my birthday.  I always like reminding you that being able to teach your children is the most humbling gift of all.  I thank you each day for trusting me with their education!

I hope you have a great last week of April!

Your child's teacher,

Mrs. Paragas

Week 31

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week we are learning:

• Jesus Feeds MANY people.  
• Letter Xx
• Review of all Sight Words
• Writing all digits from 0 to 9 (and number combinations i.e. 10, 19, 28 and so forth)
• Adding! (Yey!)
• The 3 Bears - characters, setting, and retelling
• How to be on stage (preparing for our play)

Tonight (6:30pm) is the Talent Show.  I would like to give Arabella a two thumbs up for participating at this year's Talent Show.  She is the youngest on the show! :)  

In Religion, we are talking about Jesus Feeding Many People.  This story is very relevant to this week.  The school is collecting food to feed the children.  There will be an additional HOPE collection due by Friday.  All food collected will be donated to feeding the children with very little food.  I hope you each can bring in a small contribution.

Starting in May, we will be reciting the Hail Mary.  You are welcome to begin saying this prayer with your child each night.  They will be tested on the prayer towards the end of May.

I will be sending bits and pieces of assessments home from now until the end of the year.  At any time, you feel you want to discuss something, feel free to schedule an appointment with me.

I feel like April just starting and by looking at the calendar, it's just flying by!  Hang tight as the year is just coming to an end faster than I'd like!

Have a good rest of the week!

Mrs. Paragas

April Birthday Snack

This Friday, we will be celebrating a couple students' birthdays.  If you are a parent who will be joining us for the birthday snack, please be sure you are fingerprinted and safe-environment trained.  If you are unsure, please email me.

Note to parents of April Birthdays:  If you plan to send a snack for the birthday snack for Friday, please let me know what you will be sending so that we can make sure to have a variety of items for the children.  Please note the allergies in the class.

Week 30

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week we will learn the following:

• Jesus has many friends; baptism
• Counting to 27
• Writing numbers 0 to 10
• Recognizing numbers to 27
• Addition Concept
• Letter Ww
• Sight word: she
• The 3 Pigs - vocabulary: bundle, blaze, fortune, huffed
• The 3 Pigs - character and setting
• pigs and wolves

We are busy learning in TK!

Save the Date!

Don't forget that we will be performing The Three Piggy Opera on June 9 at around 10:30 AM.  

Progress Report and How Mrs. Paragas Teaches the Class

I want you all to be aware that I try to teach to all the students.  This age group is very tricky to teach as some children are new to the school environment and are learning the basics of school; while some children have been in a school environment and know their ABCs and 123s...  Despite the wide range of learners in the classroom - I still teach to all.  I teach the basics (which is new to the children who are new to school) and I teach the advanced material to target the children who need more.  For example, when teaching the 3 Little Pigs, I ask the children to identify the letters in the words they see, describe what they see in the pictures, count what they see, what do the given words begin with, what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story and so forth... Meanwhile, I am also asking the children to listen to the story and based on the context of the story, what does the vocabulary word mean, story elements such as describe the character and setting, etc.  

We will also be diving in addition and subtraction in TK.  For some, I will only be teaching how to add and subtract to 5, while other students can do larger numbers.

Because of the wide range of learners in the classroom, Progress Reports will only go home (on Friday) with the children who are continually having difficulty with the material that has been covered up until this week (past letters, sight words, numbers, etc).  If you have questions or have any confusions, please send me an email.

Science Night

Tomorrow is Science Night at 5:30 in the hall.  I hope to see you there!

Volunteers

I would love to have parent volunteers in the classroom.  If you'd like to volunteer and have been fingerprinted and safe environment trained.  Please sign up.  I'd love to have your help :)

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Science Night Project

Today your child took home his/her Science Night Project if it is incomplete.  Please complete the project this weekend and return the egg carton with the assigned items in each slot.  Remember that the items that go inside the carton must be directly from nature.  As much as everything comes from nature - paper from trees, fruit snacks from fruit - we are looking for items that are in its natural state; meaning, the items did not go through a factory.

We will label the carton in the classroom so you do not need to print the pictures below.  Use the pictures below as your guide.

The picture below shows that the project is due Wednesday, April 13.  I ask that you return the project in by Monday and not Wednesday because Ms. Cuellar and I have to label all the egg cartons.

If you have questions, please email me.

Have a good weekend!

Mrs. Paragas

Book Orders for April

I forgot to mention in yesterday's newsletter that Book Order forms went home for the month of April.  This month they gave me $5 coupons.  Basically spend $10 and get a free book up to a $5 value.  If you do not plan to use the coupon, send the coupon back to school and I will try to use it to purchase books for the class.

Book Orders are due by Friday, April 15.

Week 29 Newsletter

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week in TK we are learning the following:

• Jesus has risen!/Easter
• Reviewing the following prayers: Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Glory Be.  Students will be tested on their prayers next week.  Please be sure to recite the prayers often.
• Letters Uu and Vv - letter recognition, sound, initial sounds in words, and write the letter
• Number 26 - count up to, write number 26
• Concept of Before and After
• Graphing
• The 3 Little Pigs
• Characteristics of Pigs and Wolves (this will be on ongoing topic as we will have a week on mammals in a few weeks)
• Science Project to be displayed during Science Night

Science Night will be on April 13 at 5:30pm in the Hall.  I hope to see you there!  Your child's science project will be displayed at this event.  In order for your child to complete the science project, he/she will need to bring an egg crate/carton.  If you have extras, please bring them to school in case others forget.  Here is a picture of what the carton looks like.  We will try to find as many of the items needed for this project at school.  Items that are too difficult to find at school will need to be completed at home.  For example, "smooth rock" - I'm not sure how many smooth rocks we will be able to find on campus.  In these cases, I will have your child complete the missing items at home. Should you have any questions, please e-mail me or ask me in person.

Letter of the Week - We skipped "Share" for the letter Uu since it was a short week but we are back on track with Share for the letter Vv.

Yearbook - The Yearbook Committee is looking for TK photos at school events.  if you have some to share, please e-mail photos this week.   

Looking Ahead:

• Field Study - Rather than leaving campus for a field trip, we are bringing a field trip to school!  We have invited Inside the Outdoors to bring all sorts of animals to school.  This is a great opportunity for students to have hands on interactions with live animals.  This "trip" will cost you $0 because we have great support from HSA.  Your participation with HSA activities help bring opportunities like this to our school.  
• The 3 Piggy Opera - This year, TK will be performing a small play called The 3 Piggy Opera based on the story of The Three Little Pigs.  I am giving all of you a little heads up in case you'd like to take time off work to watch the performance.  We are scheduled to do the play on Thursday, June 9 at about 10:30am.  It's a very short performance but we have already been working hard to prepare for it.  We hope you can join us!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Just a Friendly Reminder Regarding the Gate

Hi Parents and Guardians,

I've mentioned this before I went on my leave, by wanted to send you a friendly reminder.  When picking up your child early or volunteering in the classroom, I just wanted to remind you that the gates are locked.  I kindly ask that you do not knock on our classroom window.  The loud banging sound can be frightening to the children and is also a distraction during class time or quiet time.

• If you are picking up your child early, you will need to check them out from the office and fill out a slip.  Remind the office staff that you will be picking up in TK so that they can call us in the classroom to open the gate for you.  
• If you are volunteering in the classroom, you will need to sign in the office and grab a volunteer sticker.  While signing in, inform the office staff that you are on your way to volunteer in the classroom.  Kindly remind them to call our classroom so that we can open the gate.
• If you are picking up your child during daycare between the hours of 11:45 and 2:20, the gates will be locked.  You do not need to sign your child out from the office, however, the classroom needs to be called to unlock the gate.  In some instances, Mrs. Gigi is the only one in the classroom during daycare.  By letting the office know that you are picking up, she can inform them that she needs a staff member to help unlock the gate for her.

All of this is for the safety of your child.  Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Paragas

Week 28

Dear TK Family and Friends,

This week in TK we are learning the following:

• Religion - Lent, Holy Week, Easter
• Letter Uu (identification, sound, words, and writing)
• Sight word: she
• Math - collecting data, making a graph, reading a graph
• Number 25

Our school will be having a Science Night which will be opened to grades TK to 3.  It will be a great night for hands-on learning.  I hope to see you there!  For more information, please click on the link.  Here is the link for the flier.

TK will be working on a science project that will be displayed during Science Night.  I ask all students to bring in an empty 1 dozen egg crate that looks similar to this:

Please put your child's name on the bottom. 

This week is Holy Week, we have been talking about how we can prepare for Easter.   Since Lent is a time to repent, please talk with your children about saying sorry and forgiving people when they make mistakes.

We will not be having Share this week since it's a short and busy week.  However, if your child has a "U" item to share, you are welcome to have your child bring it tomorrow or Thursday.

Have a good rest of the week,

Mrs. Paragas

Week 27

Dear TK Families and Friends,

This week TK will be learning the following:

• The Season of Lent
• Alike and Different/Graphing
• Sign Language for What is your name?;  My name is...; old; new; alike; different
• St. Patrick's Day
• Colors of the Rainbow
• Letter Tt - write, sound, and identify words that begin with  Tt
• Number 24 - write, count, and identify
• Clouds and Rainbows

Last week I introduced the Glory Be.  Please help your child with this prayer by reciting it regularly. 

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son, 

and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be

world without end.

Amen.

Last week I sent home a uniform reminder.  This went home will all the children as a reminder to you of the uniform policy.  The uniform concerns are mostly related to the following:

• Nail polish - nail polish is not allowed.
• Hair accessories must be in the following colors:  red, white or navy blue only
  (no plastic headbands – cloth only).
• Jewelry - Wrist watches may be worn. Girls only may wear one pair of stud earrings. Standard medical or ID bracelets are acceptable. Necklaces or chains are not allowed because they create a safety hazard. However, we respect religious traditions of wearing a scapular, cross, or religious medal.  If these are worn, they must be simple chains and crosses/medals (not ropes or nuggets), and must be kept inside the shirt or blouse or they will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day.
• Socks and leggings -  Traditional tennis shoes only, solid white, black, red, or navy blue with matching laces or velcro closure.
  SOCKS: Red, white, or navy blue crew socks or knee socks are to be worn. Girls may wear red, white, or navy blue tights on cold days. Socks must cover the ankle and be VISIBLE at all times.
• Undershirt - White T-shirt/turtleneck under the uniform shirt/blouse for cold weather at parental discretion
• Gr TK-8: St. I’s red T-shirt or Eagle T-shirt may be worn on Fridays and other days designated by administration.

Please review the uniform policy in the Parent/Student Handbook that can be found under the "TK Families" link or visit the school's website to download the handbook.  If you need more clarification, please come see me.

I know the school year is two-thirds over and we start to relax a bit.  I just wanted to remind you that TK class begins at 7:55am.  I know life happens and we do run late, but let's try not to make it a habit.  The children begin the morning with a morning review at the table.  If you are running late, the assignment will be sent home at the end of the week for your child to do at his or her leisure.

Please remind your children that playing with imaginary weapons are not allowed at school because that is not how Jesus wants us to treat each other even if it's for pretend.  Thank you for your support on this matter.

On Wednesday, SLAs will go home with your child.  If you have questions regarding your child's performance, please set up a conference and we can go over your questions or concerns.  This past trimester, Mrs. Collins sent home progress reports to all the students in TK.  During the third trimester, only students that have areas to improve on will receive a progress report.  If your child does not receive a progress report, that means they are meeting TK expectations.  I will remind you of this as soon as progress reports will be handed out.

Tomorrow, HOPE bags will be going home.  Just a reminder, please return the bags even if you do not have any food donations.  Thank you!

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day kind of week!

Mrs. Paragas