Saint Anthony School

Kindergarten

Ms. Lourdes Milan, M.A.  Teacher

Mrs. Lidia Guadarrama, Instructional Aide

Kindergram

Week of 5-24-2010

Thanks to all the families who helped in any way with the lunch for the SAS Faculty and Staff.

Wow!  How beautiful!

That was the comment made by people around San Antonio on May 11th after seeing the Kindergarten Moms and Grandmas after the Kindergarten Spa!

Thanks to all the moms and grandmas who were able to attend. This is the first year we did not have any child without a family member at the Spa!

Thanks for coming.  I hope you had fun!

Tea Anybody?!

Thanks to Mrs. Somner, Mrs. Nicolette, and Jenna for the very special Tea Party on Friday, May 21.

We enjoyed many and varied delicious treats, a wonderful story (read by Jenna's grandma), and pleasant company!

Ask your child about it!

Well...

 it is with great sadness that I announce that there are only 13 days left of Kindergarten.

This group of children has been a real treat, a joy, and a blessing to work with!

They will be missed, but never forgotten.

A lot still needs to be done in these 13 days...

The following skills and concepts (by subjects) will be covered during the rest of the school year.

Starfall News

The children meet a very special member of the insect animal group, the butterfly.  They discuss the butterfly's life cycle and learn that a butterfly begins life as a caterpillar and then undergoes a metamorphosis.  The children also review the animal kingdom during a meeting of the Kindergarten Book Club.

We will:

1. discover the power of the silent e (ask your child about being a wizard) 2. learn about "vowel teams" 3. become illustrators of our own books 4. write a shared story about our plush character friends

Recommended Literature: Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons

New high-frequency words: make, take, eat

Starfall Cummulative Review

This review allows children the opportunity to practice the skills introduced prior to and during weeks 25-30.

Religion

Topics to be discussed: 1. Baptism (bring photo of baptism if available) 2. Eucharist 3. Being with God 4. Be Like God 5. Praise God

Math

We continue working with many and varied hands-on addition activities.  When finished with addition, subtraction will be introduced.

Have a wonderful week!

"Children, come and listen to me.  I will teach you to worship the Lord."

~ Psalm 34:11   

If you read the Kindergram weekly, please let me know by telling your child to tell me the word bunny when he/she sees me tomorrow morning.

Thanks Mrs. Beard for reading this web page and sending me a message via Michael.

Kindergram

Week of 5-3-2010

"I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother.  I am at peace, like a baby with its mother."

~ Psalm 131:12

Happy Mothers' Day!

I hope to see you at the Kindergarten Spa!

Starfall News

Week Overview:

This week the children continue their study of arthropods as they meet the insect animal group.  They learn about the benefits of honeybees, and explore how they work together in colonies, each with their own jobs.  They also compare the insect's body with that of a human. 

This week we will:

1. draw our own insects

2. compare two different versions of the same story

3. classify words as high-frequency, decodable, and high-frequency decodable

4. write persuasive stories about our favorite characters in Backpack Bear's Story

5. learn whether objects sink or float

New high-frequency words: went   put     saw

Thanks to all the families who have read and practice high-frequency words daily.  It really makes a difference!

Science

This week we will:

1. observe and describe similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of plants and animals

2. identify major structures of common plants and animals

3. know objects can be described in terms of their materials and physical properties

4. communicate observations orally and through drawings

5. know all plants and animals including humans, are alike and different and all have internal, external parts/structures for living, growing, and reproducing

Religion

This week we will:

1. show how Jesus used signs

2. recognize signs of God's love

3. recognize that water is all around

4. understand that all living things need water

Please have your child bring a photo of his/her baptism no later than Tuesday, May 11th.

Coming Attraction

Friday, May 7th  --  Dismissal at 12 noon  Please have your child wear his/her PE uniform to school

Tuesday, May 11th --  Kindergarten Spa for Moms/Grandmas

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kindergram

Week of 4-19-2010

"Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him to help you do it and he will."

~ Psalm 37:5

Starfall News

Week overview:

This week the children continue their study of the animal kingdom as they are introduced to and learn the unique characteristics of the amphibian animal group.  They meet real members of the amphibian family in Backpack Bear's Reptiles, Fish, & Amphibians Book, and hear a fictional story about a boy who wants to keep an amphibian as a pet in The Salamander Room.  The children also meet a chameleon who isn't very happy with his color in A Color of his Own. 

This week we will:

1. understand that animals need food, shelter, water, and space in order to live

2. practice initial blends

3. write a group story about keeping an amphibian (frog) as a pet

Recommended Literature:

1. The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer

2. A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

New high-frequency words:  one   out  about

Thank you Mrs. Roberts for reading to the class.

Science

This week we will:

1. observe and describe similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of plants adn animals

2. identify major structures of common plants and animals

Math

This week we continue working with the same skills mentioned in last week's Kindergram.

Religion

We continue working with many and varied Easter activities.

Ag in the Classroom

Please allow your child to dress like a farmer on Tuesday, April 27th. 

This is the first year I have not heard from any volunteer to show/tell a farm animal during our Ag in the Classroom Week.  I only have a volunteer to bring a bunny!  Any farmers out there!?!?!?  Please let me know!

Earth Day

If your child has any related books, please have him/her bring them to school on Thursday!  If you ordered a t-shirt from Earth Force, your child is allowed to wear it on Earth Day by donating a $1.00 to the Student Council.

Have a wonderful week!

Kindergram

4-12-2010

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

~ Corinthians 5:7

Happy Easter!

Starfall News

Week Overview:

This week the children continue their discussion of perseverance and the importance of "sticking to it" (persevering) in order to get things done.  They reference Backpack Bear's Reptiles, Fish, & Amphibians Book and the delightful fictional story, Swimmy, as they learn about the fish animal group.  They also learn about fishing.

This week we will:

1. learn the wh /hw/ digraph

2. meet the -ing and -ick word families

3. review Backpack Bear's Writing Rubrics and become "editing detectives"

4. write letters to Tin Man

Recommended Literature: Swimmy by Leo Lionni

New high-frequency words: when, where, no, so

Thanks to all the families who have been reading daily with/to your child.  Remember to have your child write 2 or 3 sentences daily. 

Science

This week we will:

1. observe and describe similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of plants and animals

2. identify major structures of common plants and animals

Math

We will begin our new chapter, "Data, Graphing, and Probability".  Please read the family letter going home on Tuesday, April 13th.

This week we will:

1. sort shapes by either color or shape

2. display answers to simple questions by using a concrete graph

3. interpret data exhibited in pictorial graphs

Religion

This week we are working on many and varied Easter activities and projects.  Ask your child to tell you about our Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Celebration.

Reminder: Easter Hat Parade on Wednesday.  Please have your child wear his/her hat to school.

Have a wonderful week!

Kindergram

3-22-2010

"Don't be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong."

~ Nehemiah 8:10

It Was Fun!

Thanks to all the families who helped during the Fun Run.

The kindergartners were very well-behaved and had a great time.

Thanks Mrs. Roberts for all your help!

Starfall News

Week Overview: This week the children continue their study of animals as they learn about a new animal group, reptiles, through fiction (Aesop's classic fable "The Tortoise and the Hare") and nonfiction (Backpack Bear's Reptiles, Fish, and Amphibians Book).  The children write, illustrate, and share persuasive writings about their favorite reptiles.  They also meet a new plush character, Tin Man.  After reading a story about Tin Man playing baseball, the children write and illustrate their own narratives about a game of baseball with their newest friend. 

This week we will:

1. learn about short, -a, short -e, short -i, and short -o medial sounds

2. practice words from the -in, -ip, and ig word families

3. write and illustrate narratives and persuasive writings

4. learn about Charles Darwin

Recommended Literature: The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens

New high-frequency words: too    many

Science

This week we will:

1. observe and describe similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of plants and animals

2. identify major structures of common plants and animals

Math

This week we will:

1. compare and order classroom objects by their weights

2. use the problem solving skill use a picture to solve problems

3. use an overhead calculator to do a challenging activity

Religion

This week we will be:

1. reading and discussing the book, "Just-a-Minute Saint Stories for Lent"

2. introducing the Station of the Cross

3. Talking about Palm Sunday

4. learning the Guardian Angel prayer (March 25th - Feast of the Annunciation - the day an angel appeared to Mary and told her she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus)

Coming Up!

1. Easter Hat Parade (these hats must be "home-decorated") DTBA

2. Ag in the Classroom - come to school dressed like a farmer  - DTBA

Have a wonderful week!

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful."

~ Proverbs 15:13

Kindergram

Week of 3-15-2010

Starfall News

Week overview: cummulative review

This review week allows children the opportunity to practice the skills introduced prior to and during the weeks 15-23. 

At home you might want to concentrate on the high-frequency words introduced during  weeks 15th-23rd (listed below) and reading the decodable books that have been sent home (from Zac the Rat to Pop! Pop! Pop!.)

High-frequency words weeks 15-23:

into, get, gets, there, they, that, all, some, good, could, would, what, look, from, find, them, then, give, him, your, of, were, this, than

This review includes the following areas:

1.  print concepts

2. phonemic awareness

3. phonics

4. writing

5. vocabulary and concepts

6. comprehension

7. listening and speaking

8. fluency

9. computer and media

I hope your child shared with you some of the skills learned last week.  If they have not, here are some ideas of questions you can ask your child related to what we have been doing in class:

1. Who is Helen Keller?  Tell me something about her.

2. What are sensory words?

3. Star writers need to (they should mention 5 things)  when writing sentences.

Math

This week we continue working with our chapter, "Measurement".  We have been measuring everything we can get our hands on using yarn, paper clips, and linking cubes. 

This week we will:

1. review chapters 1-9

2. compare and order capacities with nonstandard units

Religion

This week we continue working with the topic of Forgiveness.

At the end of this week your child should be able to make good choices and forgive others who forget to make good choices.

Coming Attractions:

March 17th - St. Patrick's Day  - wear something green with your school uniform

Happy feast day, Patrick Fenton!

March 19th - Fun Run  --  Please read the hand-out sent home on Tuesday, March 16th.

If your child owns a book written by Bill Martin, Jr. or a book about Big Bird, please have him/her bring it to school on Friday, March 19th. 

Dismissal on Friday, March 19th is at 12 noon.

Have a wonderful week!