Spelling - With the half day on Friday again we will not have a spelling list this week.  When we return after spring break our next list will be on vowel teams oa, oe, and ow.

Math - We continue to work on doubles plus one facts.  We have also been working on place vlalue - ones, tens, and hundreds

Phonics - We continue to focus on vowel teams ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, and oy.  This upcoming week we will start learning about a new set of vowel teams - oa, oe, and ow.

Science - We learned about the ultraviolet rays and the UV index.  We had a fun project.  We used a UV flashlight and UV detecting beads.  We tried to change the beads color by using light and heat.  We rubbed our hands together on the beads for heat.  We tested a regular flashlight, our grow lights, a lamp in our classroom, and our classroom lights for a light source.  Nothing worked.  Then, we used a UV flashlight.  Our UV detecting beads immediately changed color.  We also learned about groups of stars - constellations.

Religion - We have been working on our Promise Papers each week.  Last week we learned about forgiveness - even when it's hard.  This week the Gospel was about Jesus being tempted.  We learned about making good choices.  We have been talking about Lent / Easter.  On Ash Wednesday we buried the Alleluia.  During Lent, we refrain from saying Alleluia.  We made a chain and we colored pictures on Tuesday to get us ready.  We continue working in our Friendzy books. We finished up "Respond Instead of React".  Our new theme is "I am Brave". Our current virtues and values cards are about trustworthiness.  We also spent some time in prayer at Adoration.

Reading - This is our last week with synonyms in our word work centers.  After spring break we will switch our word work focus to antonyms.  (words that mean the opposite)

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.

Writing - We have just a few students left that are finishing up their personal narratives.  They should all be completed by the end of this week.  We have learned a lot about being an author from start to finish!  This week we'll be sharing our stories with our buddies and then they will be coming home.  It was so amazing to see the progress from their kindergarten stories to their first grade stories!

*A few classroom pictures

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.