Week 13

Hello TK Families!

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving Prayer Service this morning with TK and Kindergarten. Thank you to all volunteers, teachers, family, friends and students who participated in our special service.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017 is the last day of TK before the Thanksgiving Break which will be Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24. School will resume on Monday, November 27th.

The past week and a half we have been reviewing our letters and numbers to date, conducting assessments, as well as cover the theme of Thanksgiving. On Monday, November 27, we will restart our curriculum with:

Class Rules
Our Teachers and Friends
Theme: The Five Senses
Story: Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, Smell
Letter: Sound and Writing the Letter Ff
Number: Counting, Number to Quantity and Writing 4
Religion: Unit 3, Jesus is God's Own Son - Chapter 11: Jesus is Born
Review of Rhyming Words
Review of Site Words
Share for the letter "F"
Songs

UPDATE: Since school is still in session for the upper grades and Kindergarten, the park is off limits after TK dismissal. Our Kindergarten class and other classes will be utilizing the playground equipment shortly after TK dismissal. To avoid any confusion, we ask that the playground not be used. Thank you so much for you understanding and cooperation.

Upcoming Events:

Trimester Ends, November 21
#Giving Tuesday, November 28
H.S.A. Dine-out Fundraiser, November 28

We wish everyone a happy, safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

Week 12

Dear TK Families,

In light of report cards coming up, we are reviewing all of the First Trimester lessons and conducting assessments. Although there is a lot of excitement with the holidays we need the students to continue using the Mr. Potato Head Rules, including looking eyes, listening ears and especially, raising their hand when they have a question or something to say during Carpet Time. We would appreciate your support and reinforcement with this.

This week we will be reviewing the following:

Theme:Thanksgiving

Letters Aa through Ee

Sounds for letters Aa through Ee

Writing letters Aa through Ee

Rhyming Words

Review of site words “my” and “a”

Review of Shapes – circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle and diamond

Counting 0 to 10

Calendar – Days of the week and months of the year

Patterns – Review of AB, ABB and ABC patterns

Colors

Religion – Chapter 9: God Loves Us

Reminders:

H.O.P.E. drive canned food and goods are due Wednesday, November 15. Please place the donated items on the picnic tables outside of the TK classrooms and volunteers will collect the food.

TK and Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast will be Monday, November 20^th at 9:30 am in the Hall. We will need 4 volunteers for each class. If you have already completed your Online Safety and Fingerprinting, please let us know if you are available to volunteer. Otherwise, this is an excellent time to complete your Online Safety and Fingerprint Clearance so that you can volunteer for future holiday celebrations.

Thanksgiving break will be Wednesday, November 22^th through Friday, November 24^th. There will be no school on these days.

We wish everyone a very peaceful and abundant Thanksgiving!

“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

Week 10

October 30, 2017

Dear TK Families,

We are so happy that all of our TK students show so much enthusiasm and spiritedness for our Halloween Parade and Activities. All of the students’ costumes were adorable and very creative! We deeply appreciate all of the help from our Room Parents and volunteers who truly made the day special for everyone!

Red Ribbon Week was also a great success in that students participated in the campaign for a drug-free society.

This coming week, we will focus on the following:

Review of classroom routines and procedures

Review of classroom rules and behavior

Theme: Community

Religion: Unit 2, Chapter 8 - I Help Take Care of the World

ELA - Letter Dd

Phonics: Sound for D

Writing: Dd and Number 2

Rhyming words with “_ad”

Site Word: “a”

Shared Reading: The People in Our Town

Math:Continue practice writing Number 2, Pattern ABB

Calendar: Days, Months, Seasons

Social Studies: Helpers in Our Community

Songs

Reminders:

November 1, Wednesday is All Saints Day. There will be a school mas at 10:30 for parents who would like to attend. Although our TK class will not be attending the mass, it is important to discuss the importance of All Saints Day and what it means to our Catholic faith to have spiritual role models to inspire us as well as honor the memory of those loved ones who have passed on to eternal life.

November 2, Thursday is Picture Make-up day. There is a form that was sent home in your student’s folder on Monday. Please make sure and bring this form if you wish for your child to have a retake of their school picture.

November 4, Friday - No school. Teacher in-service day.

Upcoming Events:

Book Fair - November 7-9, 2017

Blessings,
Ms. Faber and Mrs. Paragas

Week 7

Dear TK Family,

We hope you had a great weekend or for some,
a 3 day weekend.  This week is very busy with
the Color Run this Friday.

This week we will focus on the following:

The learning theme is:  Spiders and Christopher Columbus

*Emergency Procedures
*Religion – We are Kind
*ELA – Letter Aa (phonemic awareness and writing)
*Shared Reading (Literacy) – The Itsy Bitsy Spider
                                           The Very Busy Spider
*Math – Counting to 10 and writing number 1
*Calendar - Months and Days of the Week
*Science: Spider habitat and body parts

Reminders:

1) Color-Run envelopes are due on Tuesdays so that the raffle tickets can be tallied to see if the school earns the incentives on Fridays. Remember to dress your children in their Color-Run shirts on Fridays until the event, which will be on
October 13.

2) Also, any money that is sent to the school must be sealed in an envelope and labeled with the student name, grade and payment information (School Pictures, Color-Run, etc.).

3) Parent/Teacher Conferences – Please login to Sycamore to schedule a time/date for your parent/teacher conference. We look forward to meeting with you
to discuss your child’s progress in our TK program! If you have any questions, feel free to let us know.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!


God’s Blessings,


Mrs. Leslie  Paragas Ms. Carolyn Faber
lparagas@stischoolcypress.org   cfaber@stischoolcypress.org



Looking Ahead:

Friday, Oct. 13 -  Color Run from 3-4
Family Picnic right  after Color Run 4-6

Wednesday, Oct. 18 - Friday, Oct. 20 - Parent Teacher Conference

Wednesday, Oct. 18 - HOPE Food Collection

Friday, Oct. 27 - TK/K Halloween Celebration

Week 6

Dear TK Family,

Last week was such a fun learning-experience for all of our students as we focused on Johnny Appleseed and did many activities to learn about the seasons and life-cycle of apples. We also had our September/October birthday celebration which was a lot of fun and made our students feel special.  Thank you so much for all of the efforts from our Room Moms and Parents who participated in making our week a success for our Tkers!

This week we will focus on the following:

The learning theme is:  We are Unique and Our Body Parts

*Continue review of school/classroom routines
*Our school and class rules
*Behavior expectations
*Emergency procedures
*Our teachers and friends
*Religion – Chapter 5: The Good Shephard
*ELA – Letters V through Z
*Shared Reading (Literacy) – Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
*Math – Counting to 20 and writing the number 1
*Calendar - Months and Days of the Week
*Science: Parts of the body/Skeleton

Reminders:

1) Color-Run envelopes are due on Tuesdays so that the raffle tickets can be tallied to see if the school earns the incentives on Fridays. Remember to dress your children in their Color-Run shirts on Fridays until the event, which will be on
October 13.

2) Also, any money that is sent to the school must be sealed in an envelope and labeled with the student name, grade and payment information (School Pictures, Color-Run, etc.).

3) Scholastic Book Orders are due Friday, October 6.  You may order online or send in the order form to your child’s teacher.  Please mark envelope with your child’s name and “Scholastic Book Order”

4) Parent/Teacher Conferences – Please login to Sycamore to schedule a time/date for your parent/teacher conference. We look forward to meeting with you

to discuss your child’s progress in our TK program! If you have any questions, feel free to let us know.

 

.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!

God's Blessings,

Ms. Faber

Mrs. Paragas

Week 5

Dear TK Family,

This week we are celebrating Johnny Appleseed and the Season of Fall! Please send an apple with your student this Friday, September 29 so that we can share in an apple tasting celebration with our TKers. The apples can be red, green or any other variety that you like.

For those students who attend Daycare, we would like to remind dropping off the naptime bags to the Daycare facility on Monday morning before checking-in to TK. We are in the process of streamlining the transfer of the students to Daycare after our school day and the little ones struggle to carry all of their belongings across the parking lot. Please remember to take the naptime bags home at pickup from Daycare on Friday, so the bedding can be washed and returned on Monday mornings. J

This week we will learn the following:

*Continue review of school/classroom routines

*Our school and class rules

*Behavior expectations

*Emergency procedures

*Our teachers and friends

*Religion – Chapter 4: We Are Special

*ELA – Letters Q through U

*Shared Reading (Literacy) – Picking Apples

*Math – Counting to 10 and writing the number 0

*Shapes

*Calendar

*Theme: Seasons

*Social Studies: Johnny Appleseed

*Science: Parts of an apple

*Songs

Behavior – As with any students who are just starting to learn the routines and etiquette of being a student and classroom behavior, we are asking parents to please reinforce with your children that it’s important for our rules to be followed. We only have a short time of the day with the students and making the most of instruction time will benefit their learning and preparation for Kindergarten.

In addition to sitting “criss-cross-applesauce” on the carpet, we encourage students to raise their hand before speaking so the teacher can call on them when appropriate.

For a reminder of our general rules, they are used with Mr. Potato Head:

*Looking eyes

*Listening ears

*Quiet mouths

*Helping hands

*Walking feet

Reminders:

1)      Color-Run envelopes are due on Tuesdays so that the raffle tickets can be tallied to see if the school earns the incentives on Fridays. Remember to dress your children in their Color-Run shirts on Fridays until the event, which will be on October 13.

2)      Also, any money that is sent to the school must be sealed in an envelope and labeled with the student name, grade and payment information (School Pictures, Color-Run, etc.).

3)      Shoes and Uniform: We have noticed that some of our students are not wearing the correct uniform or appropriate school shoes. No slip-on shoes are allowed.  We would prefer, but not require, that students wear Velcro shoes instead of laces as often the laces become untied and this presents a falling hazard to our little ones.  Your help with this is very much appreciated!
4)  Scholastic Book Order is due on October 6.
5) The optional enrichment packets are available for downloaded in the "Current TK Families" tab.  Please refer to your Back to School Night Packet for the password, or email your child's teacher.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!

God’s Blessings,

Ms. Faber

Mrs. Paragas

Week 4

ear TK Family


We are well on the way to a great school year! Our TK students are adjusting to the school routines very well and we are feeling confident as we move forward.

As Fall approaches, please make sure to send a sweater or jacket with your
children to school. We are all ready for some cooler weather, I’m sure, but
sometimes the classrooms get to be cold for the little ones and teachers, as our weather transitions!

There are many school activities approaching and we will do our best to give you plenty of advanced notice so that your families can volunteer and participate.

Color-Run
We had a successful Color-Run assembly last week. Our TK students were very well-behaved and patient during the presentation. Please turn in your first batch of ticket stubs and money in a labeled envelope every Tuesday.  If you would like to volunteer for the Color-Run, TK and Kindergarten will be having our own
Color-Run festivities near the small field area on Friday, October 13, 2017.  Please let your room parents or teachers know if you would like to volunteer.

Volunteer Hours
Just a reminder that parents with only a TK student at St. Irenaeus are not required to complete FISH hours, but volunteering for the TK events is always encouraged. For more information on volunteer opportunities, please contact the following Room Parents:

Faber - TK-A - Stephanie Bonoan: stephanie_birch_bonoan@yahoo.com
Paragas- TK - Julie Johnson: johnson92102@hotmail.com

.In order to volunteer, you must complete the Sheild the Vulnerable Online Safety Training AND Fingerprinting prior to anytime with the students. Please see Mrs. Lily Lobasso at the office for instructions on how to submit the training or update certification if expired.

If you have completed all the requirements for volunteering, please let your child’s teacher know ASAP.

This week we will learn the following:

*Continue review of school/classroom routines

*Our school and class rules

*Behavior expectations

*Emergency procedures

*Religion - Chapter 3: Jesus Welcomes the Children

*ELA - Letters L through P

*Math - Number recognition 0 - 10

*Shapes - Identifying Square, Rectangle, Circle, Oval, Triangle, Diamond

*Theme - Seasons

*Phonemic awareness - Rhyming words 

*Literacy - A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Benard

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know!

An electronic copy of his newsletter will be posted on the TK website.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!

 

An electronic copy of his newsletter will be posted on the TK website at 

tkeagles.blogspot.com

.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!

God’s Blessings,

Ms. Faber and Mrs. Paragas

Week 3

Dear TK Family,

There is a lot of excitement in TK as we are beginning to pick up the pace with our curriculum and class routines. We are proud of our students and grateful to every family for your continued support of your children’s education and spiritual development.

For those students who attend Daycare, we would like to encourage dropping off the naptime bags to the Daycare facility on Monday morning before checking-in to TK. We are in the process of streamlining the transfer of the students to Daycare after our school day and the little ones struggle to carry all of their belongings across the parking lot. Please remember to take the naptime bags home at pickup from Daycare on Friday, so the bedding can be washed and returned on Monday mornings.J

This week we will learn the following:

*Continue review of school/classroom routines

*Our school and class rules

*Behavior expectations

*Emergency procedures

*Our teachers and friends

*Religion – Chapter 2

*ELA – Letters F through K

*Math – Numbers 0 through 10

*Shapes

*Calendar

*Theme: Sharing

*Social Studies: Patriotism/American Flag

*Songs

As we progress with our curriculum, please be aware that we are in the introduction phase of our Alphabet with Upper and Lowercase Recognition. As we progress in the school year, we will be focusing on the Alphabet in more detail, including sounds and site words.

Reminders:

1)      This week we will be participating in our H.O.P.E. drive in which families donate canned and dry foods for those in need. Please fill the bags that will be sent home on Tuesday with as much as you would like to donate. Upon return to school on Wednesday, we would like all bags to be emptied onto the picnic tables outside of our TK classrooms. The empty bags can be returned with your student at check-in. Thank you in advance for any donations and supporting our young students with the act of giving to those in need.

2)      Also, any money that is sent to the school must be sealed in an envelope and labeled with the student name, grade and payment information (School Pictures, Color-Run, etc.).

An electronic copy of his newsletter will be posted on the TK website.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!

God’s Blessings,

Mrs. Leslie  Paragas - TK
Ms. Carolyn Faber - TK-A

Looking Ahead:
Wednesday, September 13 – HOPE Food Drive
Thursday, September 28 - McDonald’s McTeacher Night

Week 2: Sharing

Dear TK Family,


Congratulations on surviving the first week of school! We are very proud of our TK classes and how well they are adjusting to the routines we have established to optimize learning, socializing, spiritual development and fun!


If you haven’t already, please make sure to turn in the yellow paperwork (found
in the Back to School Night Packet) for your child to the classroom teachers. The information in the packets includes emergency contacts and descriptions of your students to help us customize their instruction. Also, included in the packets are forms for parent volunteer opportunities in our classrooms. Please let us know if and when you are available for any school-related activities and events.


This week we will learn the following:

*Theme: Sharing
        *Story: The Rainbow Fish and I Am Sharing
*Continue review of school/classroom routines
*Our school and class rules
*Behavior expectations
*Emergency procedures
*Our teachers and friends
*Letters A through F (letter recognition)
*Counting 0 through 10
*Calendar
*Songs


Starting this week we will be sending home a weekly Behavior Report in Friday’s take home folders. As a reminder, Green = excellent behavior, Yellow = Warnings, Red = Parent contact, and Purple = Severe/Parent Conference. With our TK students we do not expect any severe behavioral issues. As always we will keep communication open in the event of any concerns. Please make sure to sign the Weekly Behavioral Report and send it back to school with your students the following Monday.

IMPORTANT:
School pictures will be on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. Typically, photos of the younger students are taken earlier in the school morning. Please make sure your children have their forms turned in for school pictures. They will need to have the envelopes in their hands prior to their picture being taken. School uniforms should be worn for the pictures and no colored hair accessories other than red, navy or white for girls. Formal Uniform is optional. The photographers will make touch-ups to student hair as needed.
An electronic copy of his newsletter will be posted on the TK website.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!


God’s Blessings,


Mrs. Leslie  Paragas Ms. Carolyn Faber
lparagas@stischoolcypress.org   cfaber@stischoolcypress.org

Looking Ahead:

Wednesday, September 13 – HOPE Food Drive

Thursday, September 28 - McDonald’s McTeacher Night

Week 1 - Welcome!

Dear TK Family,

Welcome to St. Irenaeus Parish School! Your child’s journey, here, at St. I began today. Our goal for your children is to grow towards God and to learn something new each day. We hope that you had an opportunity to stop by the hall this morning to meet other families in our class and throughout the school. If you did not have the chance, we encourage you to get to know other families because it just makes being a part of St. I even more fun!

To help foster community within the school and especially within our class, the TK class is seeking Room Parent /Assistants, photographers, and parent volunteers (inside the classroom and/or to do tasks from home). If you are interested, please let your teacher know. As a way for us to communicate with you, we will be sending home newsletters on Tuesdays.

 Please check the TK Blog for a digital copy of the newsletter. This week we will learn the following: *School and class routines
*Our school and class rules
*Emergency procedures
*Our Teachers and Friends
*Songs

For some children, coming to school is easy. For other children, it is a transition and may be difficult. Please know that all is normal and if we feel there is a concern, we will contact you immediately. We want to reassure you that your children are in good hands and that we will take care of them as if they were our own. Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education!


God’s Blessings,

 Mrs. Leslie Paragas
lparagas@stischoolcypress.org

 Ms. Carolyn Faber
cfaber@stischoolcypress.org

Looking Ahead: 
Monday, September 4 – Labor Day (No School)
Wednesday, September 6 – Picture Day
Wednesday, September 13 – HOPE Food Drive

Week 38 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents,

I smiled as I typed "Week 38 Newsletter" because it reminded me of my pregnancy.  I delivered my daughter at exactly 38 weeks.  During my 38 week pregnancy - so many changes happened to my body but more importantly, so much growth and development occurred while my daughter was living inside me.  I'm using my personal experience as an analogy of the growth and development of your children during our 38 week journey in TK.  I have seen so much growth! Last week I began my end of the year assessment.  Yes, not all of your children know EVERYTHING but I feel confident to say that it's ok not to know everything.  Even as adults, we still learn something new each day or are inspired to do something new.  I am so proud to say that of all my students, most know some to all TK sight words, can add and subtract, know all their shapes, and can identify the letters and sounds of the alphabet.  I am most proud that they have become more confident and mature during this journey.

This Friday is our TK/K Picnic.  It will be at school in our small playground and small field.  You are all welcome to join us for some fun.  Please contact our room parents if you are interested in helping.  All helpers need to be fingerprinted and safe environment trained.  If you do not meet the volunteer criteria, you are still welcome to come; however, you will be unable to assist the children with the activities.  Should you have any questions regarding volunteering, please come speak with me.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 37 Newsletter

Hi Parents,

Last week went by so quickly that I completely forgot to write a newsletter.

This will be a quick newsletter with information to the point.

Tomorrow, Friday, June 1 - Birthday Snacks and Inside the Outdoors Classroom Visit.

Friday, June 2 - Field Day

Tuesday, June 6 - TK/K Awards in the Ed Building @8:00am

Wednesday, June 7 - HOPE Food Collection

Friday, June 9 - TK/K Picnic 

Wednesday, June 14 - Last Day of School

This week and next week will be assessment week.  I am checking to see if they meet certain benchmarks before Kindergarten such as writing their letters, letter and sound identification, sight word recognition, number recognition, shapes, measurement, addition and subtraction, religion concepts such as who is Mary?  What is a disciple? and the prayers.    

I can't believe how fast the year has gone by.  Let's enjoy the last few days together!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 35 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

Aren't you impressed with the play?!  I was!!!  My  jaw dropped in amazement because all the times we practiced, it never looked as great as they performed.  Your kids do not disappoint!!  We pulled through and made it happen. A M A Z I N G!!!

This week we are focusing on Community Helpers.  Who are the people in our community? What do they do?  How are we a community helper?  Who are volunteers?

In math, we are doing measurement and review of previous lessons.  We are measuring using objects... for example, how many squares long is the book; rather than inches, feet, etc.

Our Religion focus is still Mary our Mother.  Please practice the Hail Mary with your child.  They will be tested beginning next week.

We are planning the end of the year picnic for June 9.  More details to come as we organize the event.  This is a joint event with Kindergarten.

We still have to practice and review before the end of the year, please encourage your child, especially those with older siblings, that the school year is not yet over.  Please remind them to focus and to continue to follow the rules.  I have noticed this week that we are a bit more excited and chatty.  Also, just a friendly reminder.. absolutely no toys!  I have told the children not to bring toys to school and asked them to put them in their bags.  Even though they are in their bags, they become a temptation.  I do ask that you check your child's bag and even pockets to make sure these objects don't make it to school.  It is acceptable to bring an item that will help your child with school.  However, if this is the case, we have already discussed this in a conference. 

HOPE FOOD DRIVE COLLECTION is tomorrow.  We forgot to send the small bags... but I still encourage you to bring food to school tomorrow :)

Thanks for everything!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 34

Dear TK Parents,

This week, we honor our Moms and Mommy figures!  We have been comparing how our moms and mom figures are just like our Mother Mary.  Continue to discuss Mary, Jesus' mom is also our mother.  

This Friday is our TK Play: The Three Piggy Opera.  We plan to begin at 10:30 and should last until about 11:00.  It's a VERY short play.  So that I know you have read this newsletter, please email me at leslie.paragas@stischoolcypress.org with an RSVP COUNT of how many family members will attend our play.  This count will help me with providing enough seating for all of you.

COSTUMES... They may come to school wearing their outfit.  The attire is as follows:

Narrator - church attire

Mother Pig - dress (any... but she must be able to play in the dress... nothing too fancy)

Father Pig - a button down shirt with a tie paired with pants or short (if its hot).

3 Pigs - Pink shirt or dress (preferably solid)

Straw House - Yellow shirt with any solid bottoms

Stick House - Brown Shirt with any solid bottoms

Brick House - Red Shirt with a any solid bottoms

Peddlers - play clothes

Wolf - white shirt and black pants

PLEASE SEND ALL STUDENTS WILL RUBBER SOLED SHOES.... their normal school schools is fine.

NO ACCESSORIES... if you wish for them to wear "extra" but run it by me.

NO MAKE UP.  This performance is an example of how our student "pretend play" in the classroom.  This is not a theatrical performance.  Although it's cute!

Any questions regarding the performance, please don't hesitate to ask.

Next week, we will jump back on to high gear and work on our math and writing skills.  This week, we are focusing on our play and singing... as well as our Mother's Day gift ;)

I hope you all have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 33 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents,

This week we are focusing on Insects and Spiders.  The children are very fascinated by these interesting creatures!  We are going to measure insects in Math, Identify body parts and types in Science, discover where insects are from in Social Studies, and read stories like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Oscar the Almost Butterfly, The Grouchy Ladybug and The Very Busy Spider. 

Tonight is the State of the School Address given by Mrs. Hayden.  You are encouraged to attend to learn more about our school this year and to have a better insight for next school year.  

Next Friday, May 12 is the TK's show The 3 Piggy Opera.  Please continue to practice with your child with his or her songs.  This is an early childhood performance and by no means needs to perfect.  The children have been working hard and are excited to perform this show in front of you.  We hope you can attend.  

What should your child wear for the play:

Narrator - church attire

Mother Pig - dress

Father Pig - a button down shirt with a tie paired with pants or short (if its hot).

3 Pigs - Pink shirt or dress (preferably solid)

Straw House - Yellow shirt with any solid bottoms

Stick House - Brown Shirt with any solid bottoms

Brick House - Red Shirt with a any solid bottoms

Peddlers - play clothes

Wolf - white shirt and black pants

Should you have any questions about costumes, please ask me.

I hope you are enjoying the Spring heat!

Mrs. Paragas

TK Parent Conferences

Dear TK Parents,

I have closed the Parent-Teacher Conference scheduling on Sycamore.  TK does not participate in the SLE Portfolio Conferences.  Instead, if I feel there is a need to schedule a Parent Conference, I will contact you directly.  

Thank you,
Mrs. Paragas

Week 32 Newsletter

I posted this on the Shutterfly Site but forgot to share it here:

Dear TK Families,

Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed the Easter holiday.  I was able to spend Easter with my family and my daughter was able to actually be a part of the Easter celebration.  During the season of Easter, let us remember the loving sacrifice that Jesus did for all of us.  I remind the students to always keep Jesus in our hearts especially when we have to make tough choices. 

This week we are learning the following:

*Religion - Easter season, Jesus has risen

*Math - graphing and reviewing of previous math skills

*Reading/Language - alphabet review, writing letters Mm, Nn, Oo; sight words review

*Science - Planet Earth

*Social Studies - Earth Day

Upcoming:

*Celebrate April birthdays - Friday, April 28 at snack time

* The 3 Piggy Opera - Friday, May 12 at 10:30

Have a super week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 31 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

This week is Holy Week.  The TK kids have been working hard to understand the meaning of Lent and Jesus' sacrifice for us.  As an in home extension, I encourage you to discuss Lent with your child.  

This week's learning goals are as follows:

Religion - Holy Week; Palm Sunday and Last Supper

Reading - Letter Review, Bible readings

Math - Graphing; addition and subtraction review

Sight Words- go, at

On Thursday, we will reenact Jesus walking into Jerusalem with the donkeys (Palm Sunday) and the Last Supper.  

HOPE COLLECTION will be tomorrow.  We forgot to send home the bag today (some daycare children received their bag).  Please donate what you can as there is a shortage of food at the moment.  We hope you can help our community!  

Just a reminder, the Three Piggy Opera will be on Friday, May 12!  We have been practicing our songs!  We can't wait to perform it in front of you.

On Good Friday, we will have no school as our Easter Break begins.  School will resume on April 24.

Have a good week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 30 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents,

April is here!  The last part of the school year will go by really fast.  I sent home the song sheets for your child's role in the TK Play, The Three Piggy Opera.  Please use this to help them memorize their parts.  Our TK play will be on May 12 during our class time.  We hope you can join us!

Last week we focused on Living and Non-living things.  We are taking it one step further to discuss plant life.  We will be growing our very own seed!  Eventually we will discuss various types of animals such as mammals, reptiles, and marine animals.

Please continue to help your child with writing and making strokes from top to bottom.  We have focused on writing letters Aa to Jj.  This week's letter writing focus will be Kk and Ll.

We are focusing on sight words.  Please be sure that your child is familiar with some of the words, and if possible, all of the 20 words on the TK Must Know Sight Words List.  You can find that list on the back of your child's folder.

In Math, we are focusing on addition and subtraction.  We use vocabulary words like "in all", "take away", "minus", "plus", "all together", "number sentence". "difference".  Also, this week, we will be graphing and working with pictographs to compare quantities.

We have been focusing on Lent in religion, but we will also begin to discuss the Last Supper and Holy Week.  In addition, we are going to begin to work on memorizing the Hail Mary.

We are busy learning in TK!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 28 Newsletter

Dear TK Parents,

Your child's Student Learning Assessment will be going home tomorrow.  I have to say that as I was working on their assessments, I saw all kinds of growth in your children - socially, academically and spiritually.  Thank you for your hard work with your child's success!

The focus in the third trimester will be on writing.  I want all TK students to enter Kindergarten knowing to how to write ALL letters and numbers correctly.  We will continue to review sounds, however my goal is for all to learn to write and read (appropriate to each student's ability/age). 

We will be practicing a play called The Three Piggy Opera which we will perform for you on May 12.  Please reserve that morning for us!

This week:

*Religion - What does "repent" mean?

*Math - Number 20, subtraction concept/vocabulary

*ELA - The 3 Piggy Opera, Sight words (look/have), writing letter b vs. d; Ii and Jj

*Science - Living/Non-Living Things

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas 

Week 27 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

Last Friday was the last day of the 2nd Trimester.  Can you believe it? We are in the last leg of TK.  During the last trimester, I will be focusing on the following concepts: reading for comprehension, writing letters and numbers correctly, beginning and ending sounds, addition and subtraction, graphing, and measurement.  Many of what we are doing in the last trimester is more like Kindergarten work rather than preschool.  However, will still be doing a lot of review work on letter recognition and sounds as well as counting and matching quantity to numerals.

This week is a review week.  Our theme is St. Patrick's Day.  We will be working on the following:

*Religion - Lenten Theme/St. Patrick

*Math - Review of concepts: numbers, counting

*English/Language Arts - Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato, comprehension and vocabulary, sight words, and letter sound/recognition review

I have been assessing your children since last week for the end of the trimester.  I have to admit, I am super proud.  There are so many things that your children did not know at the beginning of the year that I can now say, "YES! We've finally got this!"  Most students know all their letters and sounds.  Many know their sight words.  We all know how to read a ten frame for math!  Can you tell?  I'm so proud of your kids!

We forgot to send home the HOPE bags for the food collection.  If you have any nonperishable food that you would like to donate, please send it to school.  Those receiving HOPE assistance will be grateful.

Don't forget, we do not have school on Friday.  I hope your child enjoys their extra day off...  an extra bonus if you can enjoy that day off with your child.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 26 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

We began Lent last week with Ash Wednesday.  On Ash Wednesday, Fr. Rudy came by our classroom and distributed ashed.  The children were receptive of the ashes, but some were surprisingly afraid.  Our class religion focus for the next few weeks will be Lent and family. Please talk with your child about Lent - prayer, fasting, and alms-giving.

The Second Trimester is coming to a close this Friday.  I will be assessing your children this week and next week and will provide more feedback on the SLAs.  Overall, I am very proud of your children.  Almost all the students know all 52 letter characters and numbers 0-10.  I will ask your child to orally recite the following prayers: Sign of the Cross (and make the sign), Glory Be, and the Our Father.  

My goal for the Third Trimester is to focus on writing letters, numbers, beginning and ending sounds, and reading (sight words).  I will also be continuing the addition concept but also introduce subtraction.  

This week's Goals:

Theme - Plants

Religion: Lenten Season Lesson

Math: Number 18, counting to 30 and to 100; ten frames, addition

English/Language: Letter Gg and Hh; Storys about Plants

Science: Plant Life

Looking Ahead:

In case you want to look through your pantry for donations over the weekend, next Wednesday is the HOPE food drive. 

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 25

Dear TK Families,

This newsletter is coming to you a day early as there is information that you need to be aware of for tomorrow, Tuesday.

As we approach the beginning of Lent, we will reflect on how we can be a better person to ourselves and to one another.  We have been singing "Spread a Little Sunshine" each morning to remind ourselves to smile and share God's blessings of joy, friendship, and love with one another.

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday.  Those that ordered pancakes can enjoy their pancakes in the Hall with their family beginning at 7:15.  However, if your child did not order pancakes, I ordered half portions for them to eat so that we all can enjoy a little syrup!  Those that did not order pancakes will need to be in class at the regular time.  We will enjoy those pancakes in the classroom.  Students who paid for their pancakes need to be in class by 8:30.  If you ordered pancakes but cannot stay with your child to eat, feel free to bring them to our classroom and we can pick up their order from the hall.  Just let us know upon drop off that you paid for breakfast.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

The TK class will begin working on our class play, The Three Little Pigs.  I will assign them their parts, please practice their role and songs with them each night.  It is best to have everything memorized.  The performance is scheduled for late May or June.  I have not quite picked up a date.

We will continue with last week's learning goals for this week.  It was such a short week that we did not finish.  Our theme will be centered on Dr. Seuss' books and Ash Wednesday/Lent.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 24

Dear TK Families,

This week will be really short.  As you know, there will be no school on Friday due to the Religious Education Congress.

Tomorrow is a non-uniform dress day!  Thank you for doing your best to submit your child's intention form for Kindergarten.  Please refer to the St. I Parent-Student Handbook for non-uniform dress code.

Also, tomorrow Andrew Chin will be having a concert at school at 1:00 pm.  You are welcome to return to school to enjoy this concert with the school.

Do you have photos of the class or groups of children from the class?  If so, please e-mail them to me.  The Yearbook Committee is looking for photos to put in the yearbook.

Just a friendly reminder, please do not send a toy to school.  In the last few weeks, I have noticed an increase of children bringing toys to school.  As stated at Back to School Night, I would appreciate if toys are left at home as they pose as a distraction for your child and for the other students.  If your child needs a comfort item due to separation, please discuss this with me.  Thank you for your attention.

This week:
Theme: Presidents

Religion - Jesus' friends
Math - writing number 17, Counting to 30 and 100 by 10s, addition
ELA - writing letter Ee, Reviewing all letters and sounds, sight words (please refer to the sight words placed at the back of your child's folder).
Social Studies - presidents and our country

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 23

Dear TK Families,

I hope you enjoyed a day filled with love on Valentine's Day.  I felt so much love from your children with their Valentine's Day greetings, cards, hugs, and goodies.  Friday is our February Birthday snack and in combination, also our Valentine's "celebration".

Below is the note Mrs. Hayden sent out regarding returning your letter of intent.  Whatever your decision is for your child for next year (I hope you stay with us!!), please return your Intent Form which was given to you last week.  If every family in our class returns the form, we can have a chance for non-uniform dress!

Hello Parents/Guardians, Your kids love Free Dress and on Wednesday, February 22nd you can help them earn this fun privilege.  The Intent to Re-register Form was sent home on Monday February 6th through your oldest returning student (the form is attached if you did not receive it).  We still have many families who have not returned the form and the $50 per student re-enrollment fee.  We are currently in the careful process of planning and budgeting for the 2017-2018 School Year and need ALL Families to turn in their intent form by Friday, February 17th.  Every class with 100% response by turning in the Intent to Re-register Form will earn Free Dress on Wednesday, February 22nd (Andrew Chinn is coming that day so it will be extra fun!). Please help your child earn Free Dress and more importantly help us in planning another successful school year! Blessings,Mrs. Hayden

This week's theme:
Valentine's Day and 3 Little Pigs

• Religion - Valentine's Day, Love
• Math - Writing 16; Counting to 30 and Counting to 100 by ones and tens; Ten Frames, basic addition
• ELA - Characters and Setting of a story, comprehension checks; writing letter Cc and Dd, All letters sounds
• Sight Word: love, have

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 22 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

Tomorrow is our 100th Day in TK!  We have been practicing how to count to 100 for the past couple weeks.  Hitting 100 days is a milestone as we have made so much growth this year.

Valentine's Day is next week.  If you choose to send Valentine's cards for your child to pass out, please do not write each child's name.  Please have your child sign his/her name only.  This will make passing out cards much faster and more enjoyable.  If you plan to send a little candy treat, please DO NOT send chocolates or candies that contain nuts - such as (but not limited to) Reese's, Snickers, etc.

Birthday Snack will be on Friday, February 17.  If your child has a birthday this month, our wonderful room parents will contact you.

February Mystery Share - this month's Share theme is love and presidents/patriotism.  Just a reminder to stay on topic so that it is easy for the students to guess their mystery item.  The following is the schedule for sharing:

February 13 - Numbers 18-20
February 14 - Numbers 15- 17
February 15 - Numbers 13-14
February 16 - Numbers 11-12
February 17 - Numbers 9-10
February 21 - Numbers 7-8
February 22 - Numbers 4-6
February 23 - Numbers 1-3


This week's theme:
3 Billy Goats Gruff/Goats/100 Days

Religion - Our family
Math - 100, number 15, ten frames/addition, patterns
ELA - fairy tales, 100 days of school, characters and setting
Science - goats
Social Studies - our county

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 21

Dear TK Families,

Happy Catholic School's Week!   I am always proud of being a product of catholic education and to even more proud to share that with my students.  Thank you for trusting me with your child's catholic education.

There are lots of events happening this week because of CSW.  Please refer to Sycamore and the school newsletter (which was emailed to you last Sunday) for dates and times of specific events such as free dress, dining out, etc.

This week:
Theme: Bears

Religion: Jesus' Family is called the Holy Family
Math: Patterns, ten frames, number 14, counting to 30
ELA: The 3 Bears, Characters, setting, vocabulary words; review letter and sounds Aa-Zz
Sight Words to Practice:  the, a, see, can, I, and, in, on, is
Writing practice:  Letter Bb
Science: Bears

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 20

Dear TK Families,

This Sunday begins Catholic School's Week.  During this week, we celebrate all catholic schools.  I hope you can stop by our classroom on Sunday to see your child's January work posted around the room.  Your children have been working really hard.

Because next week is Catholic School's Week, there are MANY activities going on.  Please refer to your Newsletter from Mrs. Hayden, which is emailed to you every Sunday morning.  In that newsletter, it will have a list of the activities happening at school, such as a special dress up day, non-uniform day, etc.  With that said, the TK class has been assigned to send out a gift basket to the fire station in our community.  A handout was put in your child's folder on Monday asking for your help.  We are also in need of a parent to put the basket together.  If you are able to come on Tuesday (next week) to put the basket together, please let our room parents know (Mr./Mrs. Rozak and Mrs. Hulgreen).  You can also let me know and I can pass that information to them.

A prayer sheet was placed in your child's folder yesterday.  Those are the prayers that I'd like all TK students to know before moving on to Kindergarten.  We have been reciting these prayers in class but would like you to help reinforce saying these prayers at home.  Before the end of the second trimester, your child will be tested on the following prayers:

• Sign of the Cross
• Glory Be
• Our Father

The Hail Mary will be tested before the end of the third trimester in June.

Progress Reports will be sent home on Friday to your child if they need improvement in specific areas.  If your child does not receive a progress report, please remember that ALL children have room for improvement and to keep practicing their skills to get better.

This week:

Theme: Polar Bears

Religion - The creation around us; the story of Noah

Math - Ten Frames, Solid Figures, and patterns; number 13

ELA - We have been heavily focusing on the letter sounds and recognition, we will transition our focus to writing these letters.  Please enforce at home that we write from top to bottom, from left to right.  

Science - Polar Bears and Arctic animals' habitat

Social Studies - Geography of the Arctic region

I can't stress enough about how proud I am of your children.  I feel like over Christmas break, they matured and are now "ready" to grasp so much information.  In the last week, we have discussed fairness and how Martin Luther King, Jr. helped us recognize that it is important to love one another, just as Jesus taught us.  The children demonstrated kindness and acts of love/sharing with one another.  I am just so blessed to be called your child's teacher.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Paragas

Week 19 Newsletter

Dear TK Families,

Yesterday we remembered MLK!  This week, we will be talking about diversity and how God has made each of us special and unique.  Despite being different, we will discuss ways to embrace each other's differences to help solve our problems.

Stewardship
Tomorrow is HOPE.  Please bring any food items that you may have extras around the house.  Also, don't forget to bring in warm jackets, blankets, and other items that will keep the homeless in our community warm.

Birthdays
Friday, January 20, we will be celebrating the students whose birthday is in January.  Feel free to continue to send a snack to school, but just be aware a special snack will be provided.

This week:
Theme: MLK/Polar Bears (and other Arctic animals)
Religion - Sharing and embracing diversity
Math - Counting to 30 by ones, Counting to 100 by 10s, Ten Frame to 12 (and introduction to addition concepts)
ELA - Reading non-fiction, real vs. fake, illustrations vs. photographs, understanding "hard" words, sight words: and, in, on
Science - Arctic Animals
Social Studies - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

Week 18

Dear TK Families,

Monday sure was a rainy morning!  We were fortunate that it was dry during our library time we were able to walk over without getting wet.  At the library, the children listened to Tacky the Penguin.  This week we will be focusing on penguins.  They are a very unique creature considering they are a bird that likes to go under the ocean.

In religion, we are discussing sharing is a form of love.  I did an experiment with the children.  After reading  a story, I gave half the class 2 stickers and the other half none.  I saw the sad looks in some of the kids faces.  Some of the children who received 2 stickers also had a long face.  I asked the children how they felt.  Some admitted they were sad.  I remember a child who received 2 stickers saying he was sad.  Slowly but surely, I watched as one student took one sticker and shared it with someone without.  Every student had a special sticker on them.  Eventually the entire class was doing it.  It was my proud teacher moment and I won't lie, I had a tear or two in my eye.  I felt your children's love... the presence of God inside them.

The First Graders are collecting new or used jackets, blankets, socks and other winter items for the homeless.  I hope you can take the time to purge through your closet and share something with someone who is without.  I will be bringing in a big bag for us to fill.  I hope you can join us in keeping the spirit of sharing in our class.

January Mystery Share Presentation schedule will be in your child's folder today.

This week's focus:

Theme: Penguins
Religion- Sharing
English/LA - understanding non-fiction texts; inferring using prior knowledge and pictures; letters p and j,
Math - 2-D and 3-D shapes; understanding 10 frames; number 11
Science - Arctic Animals

Looking ahead:
Book Order is due Friday
Monday, Jan. 16 is MLK - No School
Wed., Jan. 18 is HOPE Can food collection

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas

More Reminders...

Book Order Catalogs were sent home this week.  They are due on Friday, January 13 if you wish to order.


The 1st graders are holding a blanket and jacket drive.  Please bring any clean used or new items.  I will have a bag in our classroom for you to donate the items in.  We will walk it over to first grade when we fill up our bags!  (or you are welcome to bring it directly to first grade)

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Paragas

Week 17

Dear TK Families,

Happy New Year!  I hope you and your family enjoyed the holiday season.  Despite the busy time of year, I hope you were able to squeeze in some quality time.

This week, we are jumping in slowly.  We are working on the following this week:

Theme: Snow/Winter

• Religion - Christmastime and the 3 Wisemen/3 Kings
• Math - Before and after; first and last; 3-D shapes
• ELA - Letter review; how to understand a story (listen to the words or reading words, inferring, using pictures to decipher vocabulary)  The story this week is The Snowy Day.
• Science - Ice and water.  What causes snow/ice to melt?
• Social Studies - Diversity

Don't forget, there is a movie night on Friday at 6:00 in the Hall.  Bring blankets and chairs and enjoy a night to meet other families and spend quality time with your little guy(s).

Have a great week!

Mrs. Paragas