Dear Families,

It’s so hard for us to believe that this year is already at the end. We feel blessed to have been your child’s teachers. Thank your for all of your help, support and hard work through these last nine months. We will keep you and your children in our prayers!

We can’t stress enough the importance of continuing some kind of structured learning throughout the summer. We know that schedules get busy and it’s easy to forget, but we want to strongly encourage you to set aside some time each day from Mon.-Fri. to spend on learning activities. If you put learning on your priority list for the summer, your child will get the message that you think it is important, and you are your child’s first and best model! The benefit for both of you is that when your child begins school in the fall, he/she will have a greater sense of confidence and there’s a better chance of a smooth transition to 2^nd grade.

“Summer Activities” doesn’t necessarily mean workbooks or writing the answers to numerous math facts. Here are a few ideas…….

*Include Math and Reading in your daily activities. Read cereal boxes, street signs, and advertisements. Anything in print! As you are driving around count red, blue or yellow cars. Have them keep tally marks of the color, make or model of certain cars. Let them make a graph of these findings. “Talk Math” as much as you can, adding, subtracting, classifying and counting, time and money.

*If you go on an outing or vacation, have your child write about it. They love to make books! Print out pictures and let them make a memory book!

*When you are at Mass have them follow along with the words to the songs and prayers in the hymnal.

*Sign up for the summer reading program at the local library. Many of the incentives are great fun for the whole family! The library also has many FREE activity classes for children. Be sure to read fiction AND non-fiction.

*Use dice and decks of cards to add and subtract-it is beneficial to have the facts to 12 memorized.

*Play “school” and YOU are the student sometime!

*Model writing for your child. Keep your own journal of summer activities. Write your own stories and have an “Author’s Night: where everyone shares what they’ve written, even the adults!

*TURN OFF THE ELECTRONICS!! Encourage your child’s creativity! You do not have to plan every minute for your child. Creative play with blocks, cars, dolls, stuffed animals, dress up clothes and other non-electronic toys promotes creativity, imagination and language.

*If your child has an idea that seems reasonable like a lemonade stand or fun house, expect him/her to follow through and do most of the work, but be the “guide on the side.” Projects such as this give a real world purpose for counting money, organization and responsibility. Money and telling time are skills that need to be reinforced. Once they are learned will, they are not easily forgotten.

*Be sure to read TO your child. They need to hear fluent reading. We hope you will continue to use the poetry book to help your child with reading fluency!

****Be sure to question your child about what he/she reads. This is essential!****

These are great for the car…….

>Read aloud a chapter book or take turns reading it.

>Have one person start a story, the next adds on..etc.

>Have your child add and subtract in their heads.

>Get a real paper map and have your child help navigate.

>Say the rosary when you go on a family trip. When you are in other cities, go to Mass. You give a wonderful gift to your child when they experience the universality of the Catholic faith!

Above all, have a safe, happy and restful summer. Thank you again for everything!

God Bless and Keep you all!

Miss Buttell      Mrs. Kurtenbach                           Mrs. Wilson

1B News

5-17-19

I’m finally getting to my Friday note!!

It’s so hard for me to believe this is my last official Friday note for this school year! Since I missed 4 weeks of school this year, I feel like I should have them for another month!! It’s only fair, right?? That probably wouldn’t go over well with anyone, but it is a wish I’ve been thinking about. We did get almost every- thing  accomplished, other than Contractions and Money. These are things we’ve worked on all year, but since we didn’t really have time for explicit teaching, I didn’t think it was fair to give them a test on it.

Friday folders can be kept at home. Please send the backpack and GO Folders Monday-Wednesday. Thanks!!!

Here is the rundown for our last 3 ½ days of school. ***PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CLEAN OUT THE BACKPACK AND GO FOLDER EVERYDAY! THERE WILL BE SOME TREASURES, SO PLEASE LOOK THROUGH WHAT IS SENT.

Monday-8:30 Science Olympics

Tuesday-We will clean desks this afternoon.  If you have a couple of rags you don’t want returned you can send them. Almost everything that is left  in desks will be sent home today. Your child’s portfolio will be sent. Keep everything at home. Enjoy seeing the AWESOME progress made!!

If you’d like to help clean, please come around 1:30! Thanks!!

Wednesday-FUN DAY!! We will spend much of the day

outside. Children can bring outside toys to be played with. We’ll be going to Bowling Green Park just West of the school and playing outside on the school grounds. Please pray for NO RAIN!!! CHILDREN NEED TO BRING A SACK LUNCH THIS DAY. NO HOT LUNCH FOR FIRST GRADE. You may

want to put sunscreen on your child before he/she comes to school.

          *** Ideas for summer learning will be sent home this day in your child’s GO folder.

Thursday-Last day of school. Closing Mass. 11:00 Dismissal. Report cards sent home. Please make sure you have reconciled all school accounts or I will not be able to give your child his/her report card.

Thank you all again for being so patient with my medical issues during the fall, and also for sending your children to SPSL! This has been an extraordinary year and I have truly enjoyed your children! God Bless you all. Have a safe and restful summer!

Love,

Mrs. Kurtenbach

May 10, 2019

The excitement is building for our field trip to the zoo on Monday, May 13. Right now it looks like it will be a beautiful day, but be sure to watch the weather and dress your child appropriately. The bus will leave at 8:45. Please plan your child’s lunch so that it is all disposable.

On Tuesday, May 14th at 8:45, the first grade will participate with grades 2-7 in the living rosary. This is truly one of my favorite activities of the year. The 7th grade always does a fabulous job of leading this.

I am starting to send home some of your child’s things so please check the backpack each day and empty it out.

Today, I’m sending your child’s word list folder home for the last time. You will keep it at home. Testing for these words will be next Wednesday, May 15th.

I’m also sending what is left of our last Math book.

We are still in need of 8 volunteers for our Science Olympics on May 20th. Let me know ASAP if you can help.

I’m just finishing up leveling for reading. OH MY WORD!!! This class has come so far!! I’m so proud of all of their hard work. I hope you are seeing this at home as well.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “use it or lose it?” Well, that is your child’’s brain every summer!! It is ESSENTIAL that your child continue to read, discuss and write about books and stories over the summer. It is equally as important that your child works on addition and subtraction and story problems over the summer. There are so many free things your child can do on the internet. Just Google, first grade math activities or first grade reading activities.

If you’d rather have paper and pencil (handwriting is also a good thing to practice) you can stop in at Learning HQ or Lakeshore Learning to pick up a few little workbooks. 2nd grade does do more of these, so that practice will go a long way!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Mom’s and Grandma’s!