Mrs. O'Connell's Class Connection

A big thank you to the volunteer moms who made our Halloween party such a BLAST! You are very much appreciated! If you have a few photos you'd like to email me at loconnell@stlinusschool.org, I'll try to post them here.

Tuesday's Homework:
Take Home Mini Reader: The Pots on the Top. Read 2x aloud. Word Hunt -- circle the words with the short o vowel sound, underline ACTION words with -s and -ing endings.

Be ready for a Facts Quiz on Wednesday.

Reminders: Please remember to send a cloth mat for your child at snack and lunch times. We're going through paper towels like crazy.

Coming up...

Friday is Report Card Day.

Scholastic Book Fair is next week. We plan to preview the book displays next Monday, 11/7. The kids will write down a few titles and prices. On Tuesday, 11/8, we will return to the Fair to make purchases. If you send money for your child to buy books next week, please make sure it is in a marked envelope. You also have the opportunity to attend the Book Fair and purchase books as a family on Tuesday evening from 5:30-8:30 p.m. More information to come. Thanks!

Wednesday's Homework:
Reader: Sweet Potato Pie Selection Test tomorrow.
Math Workbook p. 32. Chapter Assessment on Subtraction Concepts tomorrow.

Dr. Stritch would like me to remind you to check the St. Linus website for information about upcoming parent/teacher conferences. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled for Thursday, 11/10. If I have a particular issue I'd like to discuss with you, I'll be sending home a conference appointment letter. Please let me know if the time I've selected is inconvenient. If you do not receive an "invitation," feel free to stop by at any time during the open conference periods from 12-3:30 and 4:30-6 p.m., or we can set up a mutually convenient time on another day.

Your child's report card is in their Home folder today. Please review it with them, sign and return the envelope on Monday.

For the week of November 7-13, our phonics focus is on the short e vowel sound and double final consonants.
Spelling words for Friday's test: red, bed, fed, tell, well, mess, said, who, fell, yell
High Frequency words: help, now, said, so, who

Reminders:

Monday -- We will preview books at the Scholastic Book Fair
Tuesday -- We will shop/pay for books at the Book Fair
Thursday -- 9:15 a.m. Veterans Day Celebration in Church -- all welcome to attend.
11:30 a.m. dismissal on Thursday.
Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday.
Friday -- no school!

Homework for Monday:
Reader A Big Mess
Math Workbook p. 34

Today we visited the Scholastic Book Fair. Your child has a list of a few books they are interested in, and their prices. If you would like to allow your child to purchase books, please add the additional cost of 9% sales tax to the amounts they have written, and return their list with money (cash or check - change will be returned) in a sealed envelope. We will return to the Book Fair on Tuesday to make our purchases. You can also attend the fair and purchase books as a family on Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 8:30.

Reminders:
Thursday 9:15 Veterans Day Celebration in Church. All are welcome.
11:30 dismissal
12:00 Parent/Teacher Conferences begin
Friday No classes

Tuesday's Homework:
Phonics Take Home Mini Reader: A Pet on a Jet Read aloud 2x. Word hunt:
Circle the words with the short e vowel sound; underline words with double consonant endings -ll and -ss.
Math Workbook p. 35
Practice facts for Wednesday's quiz.

Homework for Wednesday:

Reader: The Little Red Hen Selection Test tomorrow.
Spelling Test also on Thursday this week!
Math Workbook p. 36

Reminders:
Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday, 11/10 at 9:15 in Church. All are welcome to join us as we honor our veterans.
11:30 dismissal on Thursday. Conferences begin at 12 noon.
No school on Friday!

Phonics focus for this week is the short e vowel sound and initial r and l blends.

Spelling words for Friday's test: met, get, pet, ten, let, yes, want, good, plan, trap

High Frequency Words: for, some, good, too, want

Grammar skill this week: singular vs. plural nouns

Monday's Homework:
Reader: Yes, We Want Some Too!
Math Workbook, p. 37. Assessment tomorrow on subtracting through 10 and fact families.

Reminders:
Wednesday, 11/16 is Ice Cream Day. Send $1.00 if interested.
Friday, 11/18 is Ladies Guild Lunch Day.

Tuesday's Homework:

Mini Reader Fred Makes A Mess. Read aloud 2x, then circle and mark the words with the short e vowel sound.

Now might be a good time to replenish some school supplies, especially crayons. Please ask your child if theirs need to be replaced. Thanks.

Reminders:
Wednesday is Ice Cream Day. $1.00 if interested.
Friday is a Ladies Guild Lunch Day. No FTC lunches served.

Homework for Wednesday:
Reader Cat Traps Selection Test tomorrow.

I will be attending a workshop on Thursday, so here is Thursday's homework:
Study for Spelling Test on Friday
Math unit test on Friday (addition and subtraction concepts, fact families)

Reminder: Friday is a Ladies Guild Lunch Day -- no FSP lunches or milk.

There are no Spelling words or Reader stories for this short week. Instead, we will be practicing a short Readers Theater play called Kate Goes to the Fun Fest. In Readers Theater, the focus is on depicting a character with voice and expression - the action of the story is not physically acted out. We will be practicing our play on Monday and Tuesday. The script will likely come home for practice on Monday or Tuesday, unless the kids really surprise me with their expressive depictions of their characters! Most will share a role with another reader, so it is important that they read at a good pace - not too fast, not too slowly. Please make sure scripts are returned each day they come home. On Wednesday, parents are invited to attend a brief (15 minute?) performance at 9 a.m. . We hope to see you here!

Remember, Wednesday is an early dismissal day, at 11:30 a.m. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We are thankful for... a short week!

Homework:

As mentioned earlier, no Reader stories or new Spelling words to practice this week. We are working on a Readers Theater play. Your child's script for Kate Goes to the Fun Fest came home with them today. They need to practice reading their lines (with lots of expression) 2 times for homework. Remember, they do not need to memorize these lines. One of the purposes of Readers Theater is to encourage reading with expression. Remind your child that they are in a conversation, so their reading should sound like it does when they talk to a friend. Please remind your child that it is their responsibility to bring their script back to school so they can rehearse with the class tomorrow!

Math Workbook p. 38. We are working on addition strategies for the next couple of weeks. -- Counting on, first concretely by using a number line, then in a more abstract way without one, is a good way to practice facts as your child works to memorize them. Remind your child to begin with the greater number, and count on to add the smaller number.

Reminders:

We will perform our Readers Theater play Kate Goes to the Fun Fest on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in our classroom.

Wednesday is an early dismissal day -- 11:30 a.m. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Homework for Tuesday:

Practice reading Kate Goes to the Fun Fest lines with expression and be ready for our performance Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. Parents or grandparents, we hope you can join us for our exciting, yet brief performance in our classroom. Please remember to bring scripts back for the performance tomorrow!

Math Workbook p. 39.

Remember, we dismiss at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Phonics focus this week is on the short u vowel sound and initial s blends. Spelling words for Friday's test: fun, run, up, cup, stuff, puff, jump, more, skip, swim

High Frequency Words: jump, more, sleep, time, with

Please continue to take those words and mini books out of the shoebox at home and practice.

This week, we begin celebrating a star student each week. This week's Student of the Week is Ryan Quattrocchi. When your child is chosen (by random drawing,) they will bring home a letter that details all they will do to help us celebrate them, and a poster to decorate over the weekend.

Do you use Cheer detergent? If you do, please save the empty box or jug and send it to school. We need a few for a "project."

Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent, a time for waiting. We wait in joyful anticipation of Jesus' birth. In school, we will create Advent calendars and mark each day. We will also start an Advent chain of good deeds. Your child will bring home some paper chain "links." When they do a good deed at home that represents sharing, caring, helping, or praying, help them to write their good deed on a link and return it to school to add to our chain. I wonder how long we can make it by Christmas!

Homework for Monday:

Reader My Buddy, Stan
Math workbook p. 40 Estimating Sums

Homework for Tuesday:

Take Home Reader Ducks Have Fun Read aloud 2x, then word hunt -- circle the words with the short u vowel sound, underline the initial s blends, as in swim.
Math workbook, p. 41 Ways to make 11 and 12

Congratulations to Grace Celauro and Jimmy Gilmartin who have exhibited the pillars of the National Junior Honor Society at an early age and were selected to join the St Linus Pee Wee Honor Society. We are very proud of you both for your outstanding achievement during the 1st Quarter of the school year! Grace and Jimmy will join the other students being recognized for their achievement this Friday at a special pizza luncheon with Dr. Stritch. He is really looking forward to it! Way to go, Grace and Jimmy!

Wednesday's Homework:

Reader Biscuit Selection test tomorrow
Math workbook p. 42

Reminder:
Please remember to send a snack/lunch towel. Thanks.