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

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