Math

I sent home a worksheet with triple digit subtraction today to help your child practice for the test tomorrow.  Everyone knows how to do it, many just need practice with the steps.  Your child may do all or part of it- it is not homework, just another way to help him/her practice.

Catholic Schools Week

  Sunday we kicked off Catholic Schools Week with an open house at DeSales.  Many parents and students volunteered their time to give tours.  Today we had our opening assembly and prayer service.  Dr. Fike challenged us to collect $4000 in gift cards and donations to send to our sister school in NYC that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  St. Francis DeSales School in Belle Harbor, NY is trying to rebuild after sustaining severe damage.  Many of the families lost everything and the gift cards will be distributed to them so they can enjoy an evening out or replace items that have been lost. Thank you in advance for your generous donations!
On Friday we will wind up the week of celebration with a pep rally and popcorn and a movie.  If you have any favorite G rated DVD's send them in and the students will vote on one to watch.

Working Together

On Friday we played a fun game to promote listening skills.  We sat in a circle and each child was given a card with a question, tongue twister, or fill in the blank sentence.  Everyone had to listen (and not comment) while each person completed the activity on the card.  The first time around the circle there were a lot of reminders to listen, not talk, but the second time around they did much, much better!

In this photo and the next pairs of students work together to find the differences between two pictures.  They had great fun with this and it improves their skills of observation.

This is all that is left of our Rice Krispie Treats.  Yummy!  Everyone went home with a recipe for you to try at home if you'd like.                                            Next week is Catholic Schools week.  Please check the flyer that went home for special days to dress down.  We have a kick-off assembly on Monday- dress in regular uniforms.

It's a Little Cloudy

     We have learned about 3 different cloud formations as part of our weather unit: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus.  The students made examples to match the definitions.

We also made resolutions for the new year.  I hope they do a better job keeping their resolutions than I have!

     Catholic Schools Week starts on Jan. 27th and the theme this year is "Raising the Standards".   As part of the celebration each classroom will decorate their door to match one of the curriculum standards.  Our theme is "Art" and each of the students created designs for the letters in their name.  I think they did a fabulous job!

Happy New Year!

     I hope everyone had a relaxing Christmas vacation!  The students were ready to work when they got back.  Since we have no reading test this week we were able to spend time finishing some chapter books we had started before Christmas.  Each chapter book had a comprehension activity as well.   We discussed what a resolution is and each student wrote about a resolution they made for the new year.  I had quite a laugh when one student told me that her parents said, "A resolution is something you break."  We got out the dictionary so I could prove that it is actually a promise you try to keep. 
:-)  We also finished a book started before break: The Jolly Christmas Postman.  It has letters to different storybook characters that we pulled out and read.  We will soon be writing our own letters to our reading buddies so it was a great introduction to that activity.