Mrs. Mary's Pre-K

Theme 6, Week 2

2012-02-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a restful weekend.

This week we continue our Construction Zone theme and will concentrate on measuring. We will measure classroom items and learn about what tools we can measure with. Our Alpha Friend this week is Mimi Mouse Mm.

Mrs. Veronica will begin working with the students on our construction project. The students will sand, paint, and decorate a crate. This will be used for toy storage once we are finished.

I will work on math, writing, and letter identification with the students.

Please make sure you check your child's file box everyday. I am sending out a newsletter today. It discusses many important dates coming up in the next two weeks.

Have a great week!

Theme 6, Week 1

2012-02-05T19:58:00.001-08:00

This week we are starting one of my favorite themes, "Construction Zone." The students love the hands-on projects we do in this theme which concentrates on building, tools, measuring, big and simple machines. Our first Alpha Friend of this theme is Benny Bear Bb (for building).

On Monday we are going to celebrate Chinese New Year. On Tuesday we will begin our theme.

Just a reminder that International Night is Tuesday night from 6-8pm. Thanks to all of our parents who are helping with the food and who have brought in beautiful items from the Philippines.

A special thanks, Salamat! to Nannette Suico for her wonderful presentation on the Philippines. The students loved it!

Sign ups for the Valentine's Day Party will be posted in the classroom early this week. Please have your child fill out 23 Valentine's cards for the party (have your child's name on each card). You can include a special treat if you like.

A newsletter will be going out this week regarding show-and-tell for February, important dates, conferences, and items needed in the classroom.

Thanks and have a great week.

Catholic Schools Week and the Philippines

2012-01-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Catholic Schools Week.
Monday-Desserts prepared by the teachers/staff are delivered to businesses in town.
Tuesday-Spirit Day! Wear Navy Blue and White
Wednesday-Cherish Luncheon-our students who stay after lunch will perform for our guests. We will also show our appreciation to the 5th graders for reading to us every week by serving them a special snack.
Thursday-Mother/Daughter-Father/Son Basketball games at OLM in the evening
Friday-Mass at St. Patricks. We will NOT be attending as we do not have transportation for all of the students. 12:30 dismissal for K-8th.

This week will talk about why our school is unique and special. We will talk about faith, service and academics in a way that relates to Pre-K.
We will also learn about the Philippines as International Night is fast approaching on Feb. 7th.
On Friday, we will learn about Chinese New Year and have a fun treat that day.

If you would like to share any of your first hand experiences of living or visiting the Philippines with the students, please see me Monday or Tuesday. I would love for you to come in and talk to the children.

It is a busy week. Please keep the students and staff of OLM in your prayers.

God Bless

Theme 4, Week 4

2012-01-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

This week we will finish our theme, Seasons All Around. We will review concepts, vocabulary and Alpha friends we learned in this theme. I continue to assess the students and Mrs. Veronica is working with the students on writing their names.

Mrs. Drum will be in the classroom this week working on our class auction item for Mardi Gras Madness. Put our biggest fundraiser of the year on your calendar--Saturday, Feb. 11th. Tickets are on sale now.

Also put International Night on your calendar. It is Tuesday, Feb. 7th. Thanks to our Filipino families who are cooking that night! We will begin studying the Philippines next week.

Catholic Schools Week begins January 30th. There will be many school events. I will post those in the classroom. We will NOT be going to first Friday Mass in February as it is at St. Patrick's Church.

Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, please call, e-mail, or see me in the classroom.

Have a great week!

Theme 4, Week 3

2012-01-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

This week we will begin discussion on how the seasons make up one year. We will go over the months of the year and read some books that cover this topic. Our Alphafriend will be Yetta Yo-yo Yy. I will continue assessing the students on their academic progress.

Mrs. Veronica will be working in small groups concentrating on writing. This is an area all of the students need to work. Please work on writing at home with your child using the correct grip, starting the letter at the top, and teaching him/her the difference between straight and curved lines.

This week I am also going to have the students working in groups and not using their popsicles sticks for centers. We will concentrate again on what the classroom rules are and how important it is to follow them. I will review some of the social stories from the beginning of the year encouraging the students to make good choices at school.

Some housekeeping items: Please make sure your child has his/her supply box at school
If you can, please sign up for snack on our snack calendar
We are in need of more bleach wipes
Please send your child with extra clothes in case of an emergency
Put your child's name on the label of his/her coat/sweater

Thanks and have a great week.

Theme 4, Week 2

2012-01-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

This week we will continue our lesson on weather and seasons. Our Alpha Friend is Willie Worm Ww. We will finish our lesson on the letter U as well. We are learning to distinguish beginning sounds of words starting with our names and common words.

In math we will work on math sets up to 10. In science we will learn about thermometers.

I will be working individually with each student to assess his/her academic progress. If you have any questions, please ask.

Just a reminder that we do not have school on Monday, January 16th in honor of Martin Luther King. The students will learn about Martin, his life and what he peacefully fought for.

Have a great week.

Theme 4, Week 1

2012-01-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas holiday.

This first week back, we begin a new theme "Seasons all Around". We will study the weather changes in the four seasons, learn about thermometers, and talk specifically about winter. We will also get ready for our participation in Mass on Friday.

Our Alpha Friend is Umbie Umbrella Uu. We will begin learning about beginning sounds and work on sets of numbers to 10.

I will begin Mid-year assessments this week. I will be sending home an updated copy of the progress report early February so you can see your child's strengths and what areas your child needs to work to be ready for Kindergarten.

Please make sure you return your child's school supply box and bring an extra set of warm clothes in case of an emergency. We do not alter our outside time unless it is raining or below freezing so please have your child bring a warm jacket to school so he/she is comfortable.

Thanks and have a great week!

Advent, Week 3

2011-12-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

In this 3rd week of Advent, we will continue our journey through Advent, singing, reading, and writing about Christmas. On Tuesday, we will attend the dress rehearsal for the Christmas Program in the auditorium at 8:30am. On Friday, we will have our Christmas celebration in the classroom. We will also attend the school's Christmas assembly that morning at 8:30am.

On the other days, we will finish our Christmas projects, work on our banner for the January 6th Mass, review Alpha Friends, shapes, and numbers.

The preschool is collecting canned fruit for the "Spirit of Christmas" luncheon. This is a luncheon provided on Christmas Eve for the needy in our community. Please donate if you can.

Just a reminder that OLM closes promptly at 12:30pm on Friday. Please make arrangements to pick up your student at that time.

Advent, Week 2

2011-12-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

This week we continue our journey through Advent. The students are enjoying the season with Christmas music, books, and activities.

Our Alphafriend this week is Jumping Jill Jj- J for Jesus.
We are going to work on the concept that words make up sentences using words from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

On Thursday, we will be going to Mass at 8:15. Please have your student wear his/her OLM t-shirt.

This is library week and our reading buddies will be coming in on Wednesday.

I hope your Advent season is stress-free and restful.

God Bless.

Advent, Week 1

2011-11-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.

As we return to school, our focus for the next three weeks will be Advent. We will learn about Advent wreaths and why we have "Advent" in our church. I will begin reading a wonderful Advent story that tells about a little bear's journey to Bethlehem.

Our Alphafriend this week is Hattie Horse Hh. We will concentrate on the word "holiday".

There are many school activities coming up in December. I will post a "Dates to Remember" memo in the classroom. Please take a moment to look over it.

I pray that this Advent season be one of peace and joy for you and your family.

God Bless

Thanksgiving, Week 1

2011-11-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is a big week for the students. We will be performing for the school Wednesday morning and then in the evening for you and your families at the school auditorium.
PLEASE sign-in your child/ren by 6pm in the classroom. I ask that you then go and find a great seat for the program. Our class will perform last. After the performance, your child will sit on the stage. PLEASE give us about 10 minutes afterward to take the Indian costumes off and put them away. We will be doing this on the stage. After we are finished, I will dismiss the students. It is imperative for the safety of each child, that he/she does not leave until we are finished.

This week in class, we will begin talking about leaves. We will also concentrate on Thanksgiving and why this is an important holiday.

Our Alphafriend is Nyle Noodle Nn.

On Thurday, we will attend the Veteran's Day Assembly in the auditorium starting at 8:15. This is a very moving assembly for me as I come from a military family.

Just a reminder, the school is closed for Veteran's Day, November 11th!

Coming up---our annual Thanksgiving Feast on Wednesday, Nov.16th. Let me know if you are interested in helping in the classroom. Thanks.

Have a great week.

Halloween, All Saint's Day and Final Week of Theme 2

2011-10-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

We are in for a busy week starting tomorrow with our Pumpkin Patch Party. Please remember that students are NOT to wear their costumes to school.

Tuesday is All Saint's Day-a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics. We will be going to Mass at 8:15. Please have your student arrive at 7:50am with his/her OLM t-shirt on.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will finish our theme "My Family, My Community." I want to bring all of what we have learned over the last 3 weeks together and check for understanding. We will read some new stories and review some theme stories. Our Alphafriend this week is Larry Lion Ll.

Wednesday, our reading buddies are coming in the morning.

Thursday, we are going to the library.

All week we will be practicing our songs for the Fall Program. Please help your child learn "God Bless America." We are in need of a boys (child-size) leather bomber jacket (black)for the program. If you have one, please let me know.

I really enjoyed meeting with all of you for conferences. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come in and talk.

Have a safe Halloween Night!

Theme 2, Week 2

2011-10-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last week we concentrated on our community and those in the community who help us. This week we will talk a lot about our families. Remember to check the show and tell calendar for your child's day to bring in a family picture.

Our Alphafriend this week is Sammy Seal Ss. We will continue lessons on rhyming and in math we will concentrate on numbers 1-5.

In religion, we are learning about the rosary and learning the prayers.

Please remember to sign-up for a parent/teacher conference.

Have a great week!

Theme 2, Week 1

2011-10-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

This week we begin the new theme "My Family, My Community." We will talk about the community in which we live and about community helpers.
On Wednesday we will have a great presentation by the fire department.

This week's Alphafriend is Iggy Iguana Ii. We will begin working on rhyming.

October is the month of the Rosary. This week we will begin learning about the Rosary. We will make our own rosaries on paper using beans. We will also learn the mysteries through a fun song I have for the rosary and we will watch a video of the children's rosary at the end of the week.

We are almost finished with our Friend of the Day writing. We will begin show and tell in the middle of the week. I will send home a letter explaining how show and tell works in the classroom.

By Tuesday, I will send out a newsletter outlining all of the events coming up for us. Please watch for this letter and read through it.

Thanks and have a great week.

Theme 3, Week 3

2011-10-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

This week in our theme "My 5 Senses" we will talk a lot about patterns in our environment. We will also mix colors to create other colors-see the art work on the wall! We will do a taste test of foods that are salty, sour, and sweet. We will play a game using our senses to guess what is hidden in plastic eggs.

In religion, we will learn about St. Francis and watch a video about him. We will attend Mass Tuesday afternoon at 1:15pm. This is the Mass which includes a blessing of the animals in honor of St. Francis.

We are also beginning our Halloween projects. This week the students are making spiders with Mrs. Veronica. We will sing Halloween songs and fingerplays.

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held at the end of the month. Sign-up sheets will be posted soon in the classroom.

Our Pumpkin Patch party is October 31. I will post a sign-up sheet by Oct. 15th requesting items needed for the party. Please help if you can.

Thanks to all of you who have brought snack for the students. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Have a great week.

Theme 3, Week 2

2011-09-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

This week in our theme "My 5 Senses" we will talk about colors and what happens when we mix colors. We are working on learning syllables of words, particularly our names.

Our Alphafriend is Ozzy Octopus Oo. Please save the books sent home that your child has completed. These come in handy for review throughout the year.

Just a reminder that Safe Environment training is this Wednesday at 6pm in the library.

Have a great week!

Theme 3, Week 1

2011-09-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

This week we start the new theme "My Five Senses." This first week we will focus on what parts of our body we use for these five senses. We will talk about the importance of listening and we will take a listening walk at the end of the week.

This week we also begin learning our Alphafriends. Our first Alphafriend is Tiggy Tiger Tt. We will learn to recognize the letter, know the sound, and write letter T. We will also begin learning about syllables in words-starting with our names.

We continue with our Friend of the Day writing lessons. I am modeling how to write each student's name with vocabulary that the students will pick up and use as they write. We are concentrating on how to grip a crayon and where to begin our letter formation (at the top).

This week is ITBS testing for the elementary school. Our outside time will be at 10am everyday.

Again, if you have any questions or concerns call me or email at kravec.mary@gmail.com

Have a great week!

Theme 1, Week 3

2011-09-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

This week we will concentrate on learning shapes. We will read books teaching about shapes and we will talk about the difference between 2-D and
3-D shapes. Mrs. Veronica will continue teaching different painting methods by having the students create a shape book.

Currently, I am assessing each student. It will take another two weeks to finish the assessments. Parent/Teacher conferences will be in October. If you have any questions regarding your child, please don't hesitate to ask.

This week, I will begin letter formation instruction. We will be cheering each students' name, writing it and then drawing a picture of that friend. I will start with the students who have shorter names. We will do this every day until we write everyone's name. Once your child's name is cheered, I will send home a book of the writing and pictures.

Please assist your child at home with writing by having him/her hold the crayon with a three-finger grip (a duck).

Thanks and have a great week!

Theme 1, Week 2

2011-09-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great 3 day weekend. This week in our theme "Welcome to School" we will continue reading stories about school, feelings, and shapes. Mrs. Veronica will begin painting with the students. They will be making shapes books using different methods of painting. We will also work on cutting skills.

I have begun my assessments. It will probably take me a couple of more weeks to finish with all of the students. If I could suggest anything to work on with your child at this point, it would be fine motor skill activities ie. playdough, picking up cherrios with tweezers, squeezing clothes pins with the writing hand, and practice writing...(more info to come on that subject).

This week on Wednesday and Thursday, school pictures will be taken. On Friday, the school is having a prayer service in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9-11. I realize your children do not have an understanding of what happened but I feel it is important to still pray.

One last business item: Just a friendly reminder that parents/grandparents are not allowed in the bathroom if other children are present. It is a liscensing issue. It is also a way for children to gain a sense of independence and learn to take care of themselves.

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a great week.

Theme 1, Week 1

2011-08-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking the time to come to open house. It was great to visit with you. The shoeboxes look great and we are excited to share and talk about them this week.

This is a week of firsts:

1. We are beginning our curriculum this week and our first theme is "Welcome to School." In this theme we will talk and read books about feelings. We will discuss how we are alike and different. In math, we will begin learning about shapes (2D and 3D) and continue having fun counting to 10. I will be working hard on teaching the students the proper way to grip a crayon.

2. On Wednesday, we will begin our reading time with the 5th graders. This will become a special time for the students as they get to know their reading buddies.

3. On Thursday, we will have our first trip to the school library.

4. On Friday, we will be going to Mass. Please have your child wear his/her OLM t-shirt. We will be talking a lot about how we behave at Mass before then.

Just a friendly reminder, we do not have school on September 5th in honor of Labor Day!

Have a great week.

Week 2

2011-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great first week thanks to you and your great children!

Just a few reminders... PLEASE bring in your child's supply box and keep it in his/her cubby as soon as possible. Also, we NEED a shoe box for your child if you haven't brought one in yet. It is for an open house project.

Open House is this Sunday, August 28th from 11-1pm. I hope you can all make it. The school is hosting a Tri-tip dinner. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at the school office.

This week in school, we will continue to learn nursery rhymes, read books about school, and learn how to be super friends.

Have a great week.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year!

2011-08-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you for attending Back to School night. I hope I was able to address any questions you have before Monday.
Just a few reminders:
---Please label all of your child's belongings with a sharpie
---Please have your child's school supply box at school by Friday, Aug. 19th
---Please fill out the parent/family questionnaire if you haven't done so

We will be needing a shoe box from every student by Friday the 19th. We will be sending these shoe boxes home Monday, August 22nd. You will have instructions for the project to be completed by Open House on the 28th. More information will come with the shoe box and open house.

Again, if you have any prayer requests, please place them in the basket on the prayer table. You are welcome also to put pictures of family members that need prayer (those who are in the military, sick, away from home, etc.)

If you have any further questions, my e-mail address is: kravec.mary@gmail.com

Have a great first week!