Good Morning! Jan. 25th 2016 T.W.I.K. Notes:

 The early Dismissal last Friday went pretty well. If you had any issues or there was a problem, please be sure to let me or the office know how we can make it better!  Sight word Testing was the best it had ever been! I was so very proud of these guys and I really believe they did a great job.  Something I try to teach the children when wearing all of these winter items is to put hats, gloves or anything not connected to the coat in their sleeves because it won’t fall out and the find it the second they put their coat on!  Please be sure that your child is putting their first and last name on all homework!  Bengalmania is really over, but we are having a spirit day on Wednesdays until Redsfest starts!  I am trying something out for a couple of weeks. The morning work we do is usually fairly easy, but a couple of characters have decided this is their social time for the day. I am giving them at least a ½ hour to do some of these while we are getting settled in and if they have more than half left, I’m adding it to their packet with a note to complete. Thanks for your help with this and I hope it is short lived!  Students have done a pretty good job of bringing books back to earn a Key, but lately they are not coming back on time or at all. Please check your spaces for a bag book with one of the little book in it and please send them back!  Catholic Schools’ Week!

Sunday January 31st: 12:00 Mass is to kick off Catholic Schools Week

Sunday January 31st : Open house 1:00-3:00

Tuesday February 2nd : PJ Day & Drop Everything And Read

Wednesday February 3rd : Prayer Partner Bingo and Teacher Brunch

Thursday February 4th : Career Day Friday February 5th : 8th grade Vs Teachers Vball

Father Daughter Dance

Father-Daughter Dance. Daughters and Dads (or special male role model) will enjoy red carpet treatment on Saturday, January 30, at the Holiday Inn Eastgate from 7-10 P.M. at our annual Father-Daughter dance. To make the evening even more special, daughters and their dads may consider dining at McKenna’s Restaurant (located in the hotel) prior to the dance. Paparazzi will be taking pictures as you arrive, so dress in your Sunday best and put on your dancing shoes for a magical evening. The Addams Family

McNicholas High School Theatre Presents The Addams Family! See several of our former STM students in McNick Theatre’s production of The Addams Family at The Anderson Center. Performances will be held each day from Thursday through Sunday, January 28 through January 31. General admission seating is $12. Please click here to see the flyer for ticket pricing and more details. I have to plug this because I happen to be pretty close to Pugsley Addams….He’s my son! I honestly don’t know much about the actual show, but I would hope it is appropriate for all!

Math

Topic six is identifying which number is greater and lesser.

Language Arts We have been talking about blends and diagraphs in class. In case you may wonder, a blend holds on to both letters’ identities and a diagraph creates a whole different sound. The diagraph we are studying now is mainly the “h” brothers, but I thought I would send a description, just in case! Blend= B+L=BL Diagraph t + h + The ssound Magic “e” is something I use with the students to describe what an “e” does to a vowel when it is at the end of the word. I tell the students the vowel is short unless the Magic “e” at the end tells it to say its name. If the “e” is magic it tells the vowel to say its long sound and the “e” says nothing. I also show it to them in writing kind of like this. N o t + e = N o t e Our journal in January is going to become more and more independent. This will allow the students to work more on their own level and to really take off with all of their new reading and writing skills! The sentences we are writing for calendar now have a subject, verb, capital letter and end mark! Our Jolly Phonics sounds this week are “y” and “z”!

Handwriting These are the letters we have accomplished and the students should be writing them with complete accuracy at home and at school! L l I i L l T t O o A a D d C c E e F f J j G g U u S s, B b , p P, R r, N n, M m We will complete H h today and be ready for a handwriting test at the beginning of the week this week!

Unit The Solar System If there are a few parents that would like to come put a 2nd layer on the planets Wednesday at 9:00, please send me an email. It would be just parents in the café and we would still need to be in class. If I don’t get 3 parents, we will just try to do them Thursday after Mass. Thanks! We got really messed up with the early dismissal and the snow day, but I hope to get our 2nd layer on the planets this week and paint them on Friday with the 8th grade. Characteristics of Mercury:

 Inner planet

 Closest planet to the sun

 Second smallest planet

 No living things

 No water

 Hard to see with a telescope

Religion The students did an activity with their baptism dates last week and I will finish then up this week, so if you found out after you turned in their homework what their Baptism date is, please send it in an email.

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 Can you name 3 different blends?

 Name 3 characteristics of Mercury?

th  When is the 100 day of school? Homework Monday: Planet Song Tuesday: Math~ Addition’s Hopping Wednesday: Religion~ Please review the Our Father and do the back. Thursday: LA~ Sight Words

Catholic schools prepare every student to meet the challenges of their future by developing their mind, yes, but also their body and their soul and spirit. David Vitter Have a great one! Ms. Mulvey