Mrs. Dillon's Blog

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
October 5 - 9, 2009
This past week has been filled with apple activities in Math, Reading, and Art. I will be sending all of their apple work home in a book. We also had fun eating apples and caramel dip on Wednesday.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
I will be sending the Oct. Scholastic Book order form this week. It will be due on Oct. 9. We should have the books before Halloween. This is completely optional. If you decide to order, please remember CHECKS ONLY - NO CASH, PAYABLE TO SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS.
Anthony did a great job as our star of the week. Our new "star" of the week is Neil. Please bring your pictures on Monday, Oct. 5.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Special lunch from Pappy's is Wednesday. Check your calendars to see if you ordered this lunch. No hot lunches are available that day.
We will be seeing a performance from The Windy City Players on Friday, Oct. 9.
We will be going on our Field Trip to Navy Pier Imax Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Chaperones have been notified. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered.
Monday, Oct. 12 is the Columbus Day holiday - no school.
Friday, Oct. 16, is the Archdiocese Festival of Faith: no school for the children.
I will be sending the first Book Report form home this week. The children should choose a book that they can read to you or you read a book to them. Children should complete the report in pencil and draw and color the picture in crayon. The report is due by Oct. 29. It can be turned in whenever it is finished.

HOMEWORK
We will begin to study the Rosary next week in Religion. I will teach the Joyful Mysteries. The children are welcome to bring a rosary to show the class if they would like to share.

In Reading, please read "Look at That' on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "Can You Find It" on Wed. and Thurs. night. The skills for this week will be short vowel /a/ and ending consonant letters. The reader will come home each night for the children to practice reading. Thank you for not reading ahead in the book. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE BOOK IS RETURNED TO SCHOOL EACH DAY. Also, some books are not covered yet. Please put a book cover on the book by Tuesday. The sight test, spelling test and workbook pages used for assessment will be given on Friday.
In Math, we are continuing with addition readiness and the terms more and fewer.

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
all
are
find
make
play

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
am
had
sad
bad
fan
can

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week.
Mrs. Dillon

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
October 12 - 16, 2009
We have been in school 32 days already. I can't believe how this first trimester is flying by.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
Neil did a great job as our star of the week. We won't have a star of the week next week because it is a short week for class days. Our new "star" of the week is: Nick and you will need to bring your pictures in on Monday, Oct. 19.

Please send a note to school upon your child's return after an absence stating the reason for the absence. Thanks.

UPCOMING EVENTS
We are learning how to say the rosary this week and about the Joyful Mysteries. We've enjoyed looking at all the beautiful rosaries that were brought in this week. They were all so different. Thank you for letting the children bring them to school.
SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:
Mon., Oct. 12 no school
Tues., Oct. 13 Field Trip to Navy Pier regular school day hours
Wed., Full day of school
Thurs., Full day of school
Fri., No school (Teacher institute)

Thinking ahead to Halloween:
We will have a classroom party in the afternoon on Friday, Oct. 30.
The children can come to school in costume as long as they are not wearing any masks or holding any weapons. Save those for trick-or-treating. I will be sending a note home asking for some donations so just check home folders. Our Room Mom, Mrs. Condon, will be helping to organize the party.

HOMEWORK

I'm not going to introduce a new story this week because of the short week. Please continue to practice all the sight words and spelling words thus far.
This would be a good week to work on the October Book Report!

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week.
Mrs. Dillon

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
October 19 - 23, 2009
We completed our Rosary Book this week. The children will bring them home and they are going to share them with family members. They have really worked hard on the short "a" sound for the past 2 weeks. Any reinforcement you can provide on the sounds will be most helpful. Please continue to have your children look for words that have the short /a/ sound and practice reading those words.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
Our "star" of the week is: Nick . Please bring your pictures on Monday, Oct. 19.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Birthday greetings to all of our October Birthdays! Nellie - Oct.5, Katie - Oct. 19, and Declan - Oct.21. Happy Birthday to You!!!

HOMEWORK
Monday through Thursday the children will be bringing home the reader. Please read the phonics story "What Did I See?" on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "I Went Walking" on Wed. and Thurs. night. The new sound for next week will be short /i/ and words ending with ck. It is important for comprehension discussions that the children do not read ahead or look ahead in the reading book. Please remind your children about only reading stories that we've covered in school. It is wonderful practice to go back and read any stories that we've already read. If you haven't found a book sock for the reader, I will send home a paper book cover for you to fold and put on the book.
I sent the first book report form home. The book should be one that your child reads to you and they write the information about the book. All book reports are due on Oct. 29. Some have been turned in and they look wonderful.

In Math we will begin subtraction readiness. There will be a test on chapter 2 on Friday. We will begin chapter 3 next week. Soon we will be starting on flash card drill with addition and subtraction facts. This will be part of the nightly homework. I will fill you in on the procedure as we get closer.

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
did
me
saw
walk
went

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
hit
it
sit
kick
pick
sick

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week.
Mrs. Dillon

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
October 26 - 30, 2009
Halloween Celebration on Friday!!!!
Our first trimester ends on Nov.13 so only 3 more full weeks of school. Report cards will go home the week of Nov.16 and Parent -Teacher conferences are being scheduled now for Monday, Nov. 23. Thanks to all who returned your conference slips so quickly.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
Nick did a great job as our star of the week. We won't have a new star of the week next week due to our Halloween celebration on Friday. Nick will choose the next name during the week.
I will be asking the class to tell me their address and phone number from memory in the next 2 weeks. We are studying neighborhoods in social studies and now is a great time to see who knows this important information. Some quizzing at home would be a great help.

The October book report is due on Thursday. Oct. 29. The completed book reports are great and hanging across the front of the room.

I have a retraction to make: Declan celebrated his birthday on Oct. 20, not Oct.21. So sorry!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS
The children can wear their costumes to school on Friday. Oct. 30. Please do not wear any masks covering your entire face or bring any kind of weapon that might accompany your costume. We will have a class party provided by our Room Mom and many other parents who volunteer to help. Thank you to those who have sent either a candy treat or small prize treat to be given out at the party.

HOMEWORK
Monday through Thursday the children will be bringing home the reader. Please read the phonics story "Fish Mix" on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "How Many Fish" on Wed. and Thurs. night. We will continue to work on the short /i/ sound and words ending in "x". I would just like to remind you about making flash cards for all the sight words. It really helps to take a few minutes each day and flip through those. We say the words everyday as a whole class, but when I ask some children individually to say the words they are still getting stuck on some of the words. Sight test, spelling test, and workbook pages used for assessment will be given on Friday (before the party begins!)

In Math we will begin chapter 3 which covers beginning addition and subtraction concepts. With only 3 weeks left in the trimester, I won't be assessing addition and subtraction facts until second trimester on the report cards.

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
how
many
on
they
why

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
fix
six
mix
in
him
did

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week.
Mrs. Dillon