Hello Folks!

We keep on rolling out the new school year! This week we will have homework and Grandparents Day with Book Fair kick-off!

Homework! Yes, it is true and I hope you heard at Back To School Night that BLUE Weekly Homework Folders will be rolling out nearly every week! They come home on the first day of the week and are due back on the last, so typically home on Monday and back on Friday! You choose when to do the work! It could be a little each night or all in one shot. You know your kiddo and schedule best. This work should be done as neatly as possible. If you are on the run with older ones, I suggest a clipboard and pencil box to go. If kids are with Granny or Sitter, then having a set expectation is good there too. Need some extra time? It is best to do the work and build the skills with the kids even if you need to keep it over the weekend. “Hey, we can pass on the homework tonight for Grandma’s Birthday but we still need to get it done. We will need to catch up on the weekend.” I promise to only send work that is important. Low frustration is important but we are also growing and stretching too! Always feel free to write me a little note on the cover sheet and I will see that when I am entering their grades.

Just as a reminder: Red Folder = Stop work in desk, Green Folder = Goes Home, Blue Folder = Weekly Homework

Grading! I have to enter some form of grades into the computer along with assessments. I usually score a page or talk or event with a 0-4. 4 is that they were right on task. I will sometimes just put a smiley or a sticker for a 4. 3 they needed a little help or a few basic errors. 2 is if they are not able to do it themselves or missed the directions entirely or it is too messy. 0 is for absence or refusal. Work that is a 2 or a 0 will often have a note from me and you will often see that we circled back with them and did it again OR ask you to do that at home. If you see that something is scored in my grade book as a possible 20 points, that would mean that we did the same or similar concept for the 5-day week at 4 points a day. A good example would be if we worked on a prayer each day for all five days or if we worked on making our own patterns each of the 5 days.

Early Literacy Assessments! With the help of Mrs. M, I was able to take the kids out of the room, two at a time, to perform their first STAR Testing. It takes about 15 minutes per child. We only take one Early Literacy Assessment, but we will do so at least three times in the school year. I will talk about them at the end of the Trimester with each of you. I do want to say that all the kids did well enough that I believe they were accurately using the touchscreen Chrome books and we have a good baseline to work from. I stand by and watch each student take their assessment. There is training for them as well as samples before the assessment. Sometimes if I feel like the assessment does not match my expectations of the student I will reassess them during the two-week period. I would do that one-on-one without headphones on so that I can personally evaluate what it is that is challenging them, the content, or the process. I feel this first round was accurate enough for all as a baseline.

Grandparents Day! This is a day to really celebrate our school community! Bishop Danny will be here to say mass at 10:00. Kinders should be in dress uniform and looking sharp! If your child for any reason does not have Grandparents coming, you may come yourself or send another special person such as a Godparent. Please bring a picnic lunch to share special with your child and this year we will be kicking off the Book Fair that afternoon! All sales help our school not only love reading but also supply books. Your child may go home with you or their Grandparent after mass but we encourage you to picnic here with us first. I also understand that some parents choose to keep kids at home this day if they do not have a special person with them that day. Just let me know.

Book Fair! We will kick off the fair this year on Grandparents Day and that is REALLY the easiest for all of us for Kinders to shop. The second easiest is for your family to follow the directions sent out about the e-wallet for kids. This means no Kinders with cash and coins! P.S. It is a good time to teach them about tax on items and your expectations of what comes home! One book? Books only? Whatever they can get for $20 even if it is not a book?

Calendar!

Mon.: No School for students

Tues. : PE and Homework Folders

Wed. : Library/Book Fair Tour

Thurs. : PE

Fri.: Dress Uniform for Grandparents Day, BYO Picnic, Book Fair. Dismissed with Grandparents OR stay until 3:00.