Spelling - Blends

grab

best

flip

frog

jump

crash

next

drip

block

brush

Math - In math we have worked on covering a design with pattern blocks, graphing the pieces used, writing numbers using words, writing money amounts, counting coins, dividing into halves, and basic fractions.  (1/2, 1/3, 14/)

After a lesson on fractions, the students made a class "pizza" for us to divide into fractions.  :)

Phonics - We are finishing up our unit on ng and nk glued sounds.  This week we will start learning about blends.  Like a digraph, blends have 2 consonants together.  However, in a blend, each letter has it's own sound.  

Social Studies - We did a short unit on maps.  We learned about the compass rose, continents, countries, states, and cities, and basic map skills (map key, map scale, using the compass rose on a map)

Science - This week we are going to start our second PLTW unit.  Our second unit is The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars.

Religion - During the month of December, we had a Jesse Tree in our classroom.  Each day we read a Bible story and added to our tree.  

Friday we celebrated Epiphany.  We chalked our classroom door.  The chalking of the door is "20+C+M+B+23".  The chalking of the door is a way to celebrate God's blessings in our lives.  The C, M, and B represent the three kings - Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.  It also stands for the latin words Christus Mansionem Benedictat, which means "May Christ bless this house".

Reading - This last week we started a new word work center.  We are learning about compound words.  Compound words are words that are made out of 2 words.  For example sun+flower = sunflower.  We work in daily five reading groups and centers every day.

Knowing basic sight words is a big part of reading.  By the end of first grade, the goal is for the students to know the first 175 sight words.  Some of the students already know all 175.  Some of the students know only a few words.  Some of the students are somewhere in between those.  :)  The sight words that we use are in our Bee Binder.   Please take some time to practice sight words with your student.  

Reading with your child for 20 minutes a day is another way for your child to strengthen their reading skills!  

Remember, you can access Raz Kids and Vocabulary A-Z at home to practice both reading and spelling.  

To access Raz Kids, you can either go to the website or download the app.  

The website is https://www.raz-plus.com/

The app is Kids A-Z.

Once there, go to kids login.
The teacher name to enter is jsullivan100.
Once in, the student will click on their name.
The password is the apple.
Press go.

The student can click on the purple planet for reading or the yellow plant for spelling.  (It says vocabulary)
     
     *If the student would like to choose books on their own, they will click reading room.

       In reading room, they have lots of options on how to choose the books they want to read.  If they want to read books at their level only, they may press leveled books.  Every student has their level entered in the website.  This allows them to read books at their level, as well as 2 levels above and below.

    *If the student would like to practice their spelling words, they will click on vocabulary.  Their assigned spelling list will pop up.  Click on the list.  From there you can choose phonics, spelling, or vocabulary.  Whichever one is chosen, it will bring you to games that use the spelling list.

Random Pictures -

Our letters from Santa's Elves.  The eighth graders read them with us

Making Christmas presents.  The students LOVED making picture ornaments, 

ribbon ornaments, and bead ornaments for their families!

Caroling at nursing homes

Building

Have a great week!

Holy Cross Mission Statement

Holy Cross Catholic School guides each student in developing academic, emotional and physical excellence while spreading the Gospel message as Jesus did, since 1868.