June 13, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy last week of school! J We have lots of fun things planned. Three of our students still need to turn in their money in order to attend our field trip. No more backpacks or bedding this week, only snacks or lunch.
*Wednesday, June 15th is our field trip to the science center. We will be departing at 8:15 a.m. and returning by 2:00p.m. The cost is $20 for all students whether they attend or not. If you have any questions regarding this policy please inquire in the office. You can bring your own lunch or purchase something yummy at the science center. If you are not attending with us please send money with your child in an envelope.
*End of the year party will be Thursday June 16th from 10:15 to 2:00p.m. Lots of fun activities have been planned. Please keep in mind that other classes will also be having their parties and too many people will limit the space we have to do our activities. If you are helping please do not arrive before 10 as the children will still be having their normal schedule in the early morning.
*Last day of school is June 17; dismissal is at 10:30 am. JK will be presented as Kindergarteners at our end of the year mass! Have a great rest of the week and weekend!
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal!
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June 8, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Wednesday and the last week of school! J We have lots of fun things planned. Please turn in your permission slips no later than June, 9th, 2016.
*Our Father’s day, fun day, is this Friday, June 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. join us for some time with your child. Brothers, uncles, grandparents and/or godparents over 18 are welcome if a daddy cannot attend.
*Wednesday, June 15th is our field trip to the science center. We will be departing at 8:15 a.m. and returning by 2:00p.m. The cost is $20 for all students whether they attend or not. If you have any questions regarding this policy please inquire in the office. You can bring your own lunch or purchase something yummy at the science center. If you are not attending with us please send money with your child in an envelope.
*End of the year party will be Thursday June 16th from 10:15 to 2:00p.m. Lots of fun activities have been planned. Please keep in mind that other classes will also be having their parties and too many people will limit the space we have to do our activities. If you are helping please do not arrive before 10 as the children will still be having their normal schedule in the early morning.
*Last day of school is June 17; dismissal is at 10:30 am. JK will be presented as Kindergarteners at our end of the year mass! Have a great rest of the week and weekend!
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal!
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June 2, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Thursday!
It’s finally June! We have lots of fun things planned this month. Please remember to turn in your permission slips and Money no later than Thursday June, 9th, 2016.
*Our father’s day, fun day, will be on Friday, June 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. join us for some time with your child. Brothers, uncles, grandparents and/or godparents over 18 are welcome also, in the case a daddy can’t attend.
*Wednesday, June 15th is our field trip to the science center. We will be departing at 8:15 a.m. and returning by 2:00p.m. The cost is $20 for all students whether they attend or not. If you have any questions regarding this policy please inquire in the office.
*Our end of the year party is fast approaching. The kids will be celebrating the culmination of school on Thursday June 16th. Lots of fun activities have been planned.
*Last day of school is June 17, dismissal is at 10:30 am. JK will be presented as Kindergarteners at our end of the year mass!
A quick reminder, if you are here past 7:50a.m. please proceed to the office to get a late slip. Please remember to always provide a snack for your child. Have a great rest of the week and weekend!
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal!
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May 19, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Thursday!
Tomorrow is SPORTSarama….it is a fun day for everyone! Children are to wear their P.E. clothes and participate in fun events. You are more than welcome to come and cheer your child on. Room parents facilitate the events.
*Our father’s day, fun day, will be on Friday, June 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. join us for some time with your child. Brothers, uncles, grandparents and/or godparents over 18 are welcome also, in the case a daddy can’t attend.
*Wednesday, June 15th is our field trip to the science center. We will be departing at 8:15 a.m. and returning by 2:00p.m. The cost is $20 for all students whether they attend or not. If you have any questions regarding this policy please inquire in the office.
A quick reminder, if you are here past 7:50a.m. please proceed to the office to get a late slip. Please remember to always provide a snack for your child. Have a great rest of the week!
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal
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April 29, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Friday! Today the children discussed differences between city and country life. Next week is a very exciting week…because it is fiesta time! Come and join the OLA family for lots of food &fun. We will be kicking off the OLA Fiesta with spirit week!
Monday 5/2 is pajama day- children are allowed to wear their pjs but with proper footwear no slippers please.
Tuesday 5/3 is mismatched day, but due to our field trip we will have all the children in P.E. shirts, they can wear jeans if they choose to. Please remember that you must be finger printed and Virtus trained.
Wednesday 5/4 is Blue & Gold day the children are encourage to wear OLA colors! Thursday 5/5 is May crowning and Rosary, May 5th will be our Mother’s day celebration; we really hope you can join us for this special time. We will begin at 11:15 and walk over to church and have Junior Kinder presents flowers to our blessed mother before walking over to the auditorium for some refreshments and spending time with your child. We understand that not everyone can attend, so if you are unavailable please send a godparent, grandmother, aunt, or older sibling who can be there in your place that way no one feels excluded. Friday 5/6 NO SCHOOL Monday 5/9 NO SCHOOL
If you are here past 7:50a.m. please proceed to the office to get a late slip. Please remember to always provide a snack for your child. Thank you and Blessings, Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal
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April 22, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Earth day! J Today the children discussed how to take care of the earth and the environment. Again May 5th will be our Mother’s day celebration; we really hope you can join us for this special time. We will begin at 11:15 and walk over to church and have Junior Kinder presents flowers to our blessed mother before walking over to the auditorium for some refreshments and spending time with your child. We understand that not everyone can attend, so if you are unavailable please feel free to send a godparent, grandmother, aunt, or older sibling who can be there in your place that way no one feels excluded.
May 3rd is our field trip to the fire station and police station. We will only allow 10 parents to attend, and sign-ups are based on a first come first serve basis. Neither I, nor Mrs. Bernal, can sign you up, you must do so yourself in order to be fair. Please be mindful that we have another trip in June, no siblings are allowed on the field trips and if you are joining us on one, then I will give priority to parents who have not had the chance to attend the next one first. Also please remember that you must be finger printed and Virtus trained.
A quick reminder the late bell rings at 7:50a.m., if you are here past 7:50a.m. please proceed to the office to get a late slip. Please remember to always provide a snack for your child and also no toys, only share days which are Fridays.
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal
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April 8, 2016
Dear Parents,
April showers bring May flowers! J We hope you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break. I am waiting on Claremont FD and PD to give you a date for our first field trip. A quick reminder the late bell rings at 7:50a.m., if you are here past 7:50a.m. please proceed to the office to get a late slip. Please remember to always provide a snack for your child and also no toys, only share days which are Fridays.
For parents who are still in need of hours the Jogathon is coming on April 15th. And if you would like to get a jump start on your hours for next year the fiesta weekend is a great opportunity to do that.
May 5th will be our Mother’s day celebration; we really hope you can join us for this special time. We will begin at 11:15 and walk over to church and have Junior Kinder presents flowers to our blessed mother before walking over to the auditorium for some light refreshments and spending time with your child. We understand that not everyone can attend, so if you are unavailable please feel free to send a godparent, grandmother aunt, older sibling who can be there in your place that way no one feels excluded.
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal
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March 15, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy March! J Easter break is almost here. The children will be dismissed at 12:30 on Holy Thursday and no school on Good Friday. Classes will resume on April 4, 2016.
For parents who are still in need of hours the Jogathon is coming on April 15th. And if you would like to get a jump start on your hours for next year the fiesta weekend is a great opportunity to do that.
Just wanted to remind you that tonight is our Kindergarten “look ahead” night at 6:30 p.m. in room #2. You are welcome to bring your children with you, this will allow them to become familiar with the classroom and meet Mrs. Buffum our amazing kindergarten teacher. You can get questions about enrollment answered or anything you might want to know about our Kindergarten program.
Next Friday will be our Easter egg hunt. Each child is to bring 12 eggs prefilled; more details are on the back of this page. All are invited to attend, but we are limiting the egg hunt to students, and can’t include siblings this year because it is a joint event among JK-1st grade classes.
Thank you and Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Mrs. Bernal
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Feb. 9, 2016
Dear Parents
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Your children will be receiving ashes in class. Please do not forget that they will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. for the rest of the week and that there is no school on Monday, February 15th in observance of President’s day!
A Valentine’s Day reminder there is no party. Children will be sharing treats and cards to take home. If your child is sharing an item make sure they are store bought and sealed, also please do not worry about labeling treats or cards with each child’s name instead please just write from whom on them.
Thank you to all the parents who have rescheduled conferences with me, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Thank you and have a wonderful week!
-Ms. Castro
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News for the first week of Februrary
Dear Parents,
This is Catholic School’s Week. Please feel free to stop by our book fair in the auditorium.
2/3 Wednesday clergy day, students will learn about what the priests, deacons and church staff do in our parish.
2/4 Thursday is special person’s lunch. It is very important for each child to have a “special person” with them a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, godparent or sibling older than 18 to join them for lunch that day. We don’t want any of our children to feel left out. Lunch begins promptly at 11. You are allowed to take them off campus and sign them out for the day. It is a very exciting day for our students.
A reminder to you that you return your food order forms if you choose to eat here unless you are bringing food for yourself and child. Don’t forget to bring folding chairs and or blankets if you are staying on campus. Wristbands are going home today for this event.
2/10-2/12 Parent conferences I will have a sign up form
Tuesday 2-3:30
Wednesday 1-3:30
Thursday 1-3:00
Friday 1-3:30
Valentine ’s Day Week
This year we will not be having a party due to our Lenten season and stations of the cross. Children are encouraged to share Valentine’s with their classmates but we will run the day as we normally would.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. Remember dismissal is at 2:00 every day except Fridays which is at 12:30; please be prompt as children this age tend to get anxious when they are the last ones left in class. Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal
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JK NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF January 25, 2016
Dear Parents,
We are more than half way through the month of January. We have been focusing on animals this month and letters with straight lines. The children are progressing very nicely, building friendships and are more than accustomed to our daily routine.
A few reminders for this month and the upcoming Valentine’s day holiday…
Catholic Schools week is January 31-February 5
Monday is a principal’s surprise
Tuesday is Knowledge day students are allowed to wear high school or college gear
Wednesday clergy day, students will learn about what the priests, deacons and church staff do in our parish.
Thursday is special persons lunch. It is very important for each child to have a “special person” with them a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, godparent or sibling older than 18 to join them for lunch that day. We don’t want any of our children to feel left out. Lunch begins promptly at 11. You are allowed to take them off campus and sign them out for the day. It is a very exciting day for our students.
Valentine ’s Day
This year we will not be having a party due to our Lenten season and stations of the cross. Children are encouraged to share Valentine’s with their classmates but we will run the day as we normally would.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. Remember dismissal is at 2:00 every day except Fridays which is at 12:30; please be prompt as children this age tend to get anxious when they are the last ones left in class. Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal
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Week of January 13, 2016
OLA JK Families,
This week your children will learn more
about animals. Using the topic, “Animals We Know,”
we will read about the many different animals in
our world. You can help your child learn more by
talking with her/him about the things he/she is
doing at school and the new letters and words
that he/she is learning. Here are some ways that
you can work with your child at home.
What animals did you read about today?
Which animal did you like the most? Why?
Do you think that animal would be a good pet?
Why or why not?
Aa Hunt
Look for words that begin with
capital A and small a with your
child in magazine and newspaper
headlines. Circle and count the
letters you fi nd. Encourage your
child to draw the letters on a blank
piece of paper.
Counting Book
Your child will listen to the counting
book One Moose, Twenty Mice this
week. Ask her/him to tell about the
animals in the book. Page through
other counting books with your
child. Encourage her/him to count
the objects on each page and to
predict what number will come next.
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JK NEWS for the week of January 4, 2016
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Dear Parents and families,
Dear Family,
This week we will be learning about pets.
Using the topic “I Love Animals,” we will read stories
about pets and the experiences the pet owners have had
with them. You can help your child learn more by talking
with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school
and the new letters and words that he/she is learning.
Here are some ways that you can work with your
child at home.
What
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JK New for the week of Dec. 14th 2015
Dear Parents,
We will be doing our final review of seasons and weather as well as finishing up our holiday activities.
We will be reviewing and learning about
the seasons. Using the topic “Seasons Change,” we
will read stories about how the weather changes
throughout the year. You can help your child
learn more by talking with her/him about the
things he/she is doing at school and the new letters
and words that he/she is learning.
Here are some reading and language activities you can try at home...
Retelling
Know the sequence of a story or an event is an important skill. As you read to your child, stop now and then to discuss what has happened so far in the story. When the story is finished, talk again about what happened in the beginning, the middle, and the end. Go back to the beginning and have your child use the illustrations to retell the story in his or her own words. Later, encourage your child to tell someone else what happened in the story.
Use other events to give your child opportunities to retell what happened. Help your child remember details and the order in which events occurred.
Letters and Writing
Encourage your child to write the letters in his or her name, as well as other letters. Have your child name the letters being written and tell how to write them. Some scribbling may happen, but that's good for coordination and muscle development, too.
Dress for the Weather
While your child gets dressed, encourage him or her to talk about why certain clothes are appropriate for the day's weather. Ask what else he or she will need to wear that day and why. Discuss when other clothes would be worn, such as shorts for a hot day, mittens for a cold day, and a raincoat for a rainy day.
If you have time, play a little game and ask your child to wear the wrong clothing, such as mittens on a hot day. This can be a fun way to help your child reason through why certain clothes are appropriate for certain weather.
Vocabulary Boost: We're learning words about seasons! Here are some words to discuss with your child: fall, winter, spring, summer, weather.
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JK News for the week of November 19th, 2015
Dear Parents,
We are one week away from Thanksgiving! We just wanted to remind you that our class will be having a brief Christmas performance on Wednesday, Dec. 16th at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium. The students are allowed to wear jeans and a shirt in red, green or white. No dresses please since the children will be at school all day and we would like them to be comfortable. We would also appreciate donations of cookies or cupcakes, with some punch or juice and one round table cloth for the refreshment table. Our class Christmas party will be on Friday the 18th of December at 11:30 a.m. Dismissal that day is at 12:30 p.m. Due to the size of our classroom and the number of children enrolled in the program, we will be limiting the number of adults to one parent per child. Only room parents are allowed to come decorate at 11:00 a.m. while the class is outside on recess. Please remember to have proper clearance in order to be in our class with both fingerprints and Virtus training. A reminder no toys in class and that regular dismissal time is 2:00p.m. after 2:05p.m. children will be taken to daycare. Thank you!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal
JK news for the week of November 9, 2015
Dear JK Families
This week we will learn about the weather. Using the topic “Weather Report,” we will read stories about how weather changes. You can help your child learn more by talking with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school and the new letters and words that he/she is learning. Here are some ways that you can work with your child at home....by asking the questions...
What kind of weather did you read about?
What do we like to do together on rainy days?
How about on sunny days?
The letter of the week is U
Uu Umbrella
Cut out capital Us and small us
from newspaper and magazine
headlines with your child. Draw an
umbrella on a large piece of paper.
Help your child glue the letters on
the umbrella. Tell her/him that the
word umbrella begins with u.
Stormy Weather
Your child will listen to a story titled
“How Thunder and Lightning Came
to Be.” Ask him/her to talk about
how he/she feels about thunder
and lightning. Share books about
thunder, lightning, or weather in
This week we will begin our parent volunteers, from 10:15-11:15 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Volunteers will be limited to 2 a day and they are on a first come first serve basis. Remember that you must be completely cleared in order to be in our class.
Have a great week!!!
Blessings Ms. Castro
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JK News for the week of October 24, 2015
Dear Families,
Using the topic “Outside Our Door,” we will be talking about the colors we see around us. You can help your child learn more by talking with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school and the new letters and words that he/she is learning.
It’s Halloween Week and Red Ribbon week all in one! We have a bunch of festivities planned.
10/28* in celebration of being drug free for red ribbon week, the children are encouraged to dress in a red shirt and jeans for $1. Second grade is also doing a brownie fundraiser for the make a wish foundation.
10/30* Costumes are welcome, please remember no toys, ie. wands, swords, guns and masks. The class parade is at 9 a.m. followed by a trip to Claremont Manor at 10 a.m. Please remember that in order to go with our class you must be cleared in the office that includes room parents as well. Our Halloween party will begin when we return from walking through Claremont Manor. Parents who are seeking hours can volunteer to do setup while we are visiting next door. Our party is not to exceed 1.5 hours so it will start at 11:00 a.m. if you would like to join us.
I also wanted to remind you that school starts at 7:50 a.m. Please be advised that if you arrive after that time you will need to get a note from the front office. Dismissal time is 2:00p.m. Monday- Thursday and at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, if it is 10 minutes past dismissal time your child will be taken to daycare. Students have been bringing toys or items from home, currently we only allow books to prevent from items being misplaced. Thank you again for all that you do for your children and for your continued support of OLA!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal
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JK News for the week of October 18th, 2015
Dear Families,
We are continuing to work on the senses, and body awareness, as well as how we use our senses.
Here are some simple tips can help you work on many areas of development that will help your child become a well-rounded person. They also help extend your child's learning at home. You can find additional suggestions in the other themes.
Literacy and Language Development
Have your child describe people, objects, and events in as much detail as possible. You can pause when you get to an interesting illustration in a book and have your child tell about it.
Have your child dictate things for you to write. For example, encourage your child to tell you what you're going to do that day or what items you're going to buy during your trip to the grocery store. Also, encourage your child to draw, scribble, and write using a variety of writing and drawing tools.
Math
Encourage your child to count out loud by ones to five or ten during different times of the day. For example, your child can count steps or trees during a walk outside, or count toys or blocks during play.
Health and Safety
Teach your child good hygiene. Have your child brush her or his teeth at least twice a day. Show how to brush correctly; use a circular motion on the top of the teeth and a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top motion for the front and the back of the teeth.
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JK News for the week of October 4th, 2015
We are finishing up our theme on community and will begin our theme on the five senses.
Dear Family,
This week will learn about the five senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell). Using the topic “Using My Senses,” we will read stories about how people use their senses. You can help your child learn more by talking with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school and the new letters and words that he/she is learning.
Please don't forget that our parent social is around the corner! We are going to begin our volunteering in the classroom, but based on my list only 7 of the 23 children in our class have parents who are cleared to volunteer. Please make sure the office has all your updated paperwork because I cannot allow you to participate if you are not in compliance with both Virtus training and fingerprinting. In the coming weeks we have our first field trip and also our class Halloween party, if you are planning on joining us for either or both you must be fingerprinted and trained as well as in anyone that is planning to attend. Thank you so much for your attention on this matter, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.
Sincerely,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal
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JK News for the week of September21, 2015
Dear Family,
This week will learn about communities. Using the topic “Community Helpers,” we will read stories about how people in a community help each other. You can help your child learn more by talking with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school and the new letters and words that he/she is learning. Here are some ways that you can work with your child at home. Who were the people in the story? What do they do? Do we have helpers in our community?Who are they? What do they do?
At home activities...
Make a Pp Card
Fold a piece of drawing paper in half. Write Pp on the front of the card. Name the letters and have your child repeat their names. Look for pictures of things that start with Pp in magazines or newspapers. Cut out the pictures and help your child glue them to the inside of the card.
Reading Together
Gather books about community helpers, such as fi refi ghters, police offi cers, teachers, doctors, and nurses. Talk with your child about what the people pictured in the books do for others. Read the stories aloud to your child.
Have a great week!!!
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JK NEWS for the week of September 7, 2015
Blessings to you JK Families,
We are finally settling in out routines. We start our mornings after prayer by shaking our sillies out and a few other songs to get them going.
This week your children will learn about families and all the members of a family. Using the topic “Meet My Family,” we will read stories about things families do together. You can help your child learn more by talking with her/him about the things he/she is doing at school and the new letters and words that he/she is learning.
We also sing the song to practice letter sounds
Do you know these letter sounds? Do you know these letter sounds?
They will help you learn to read! They will help you learn to read!
Apple Apple…A,A,A Apple, Apple…A,A,A
Baby, Baby…B,B,B Baby, baby…b, b, b
Cookie, cookie…c, c, c Cookie, cookie…c, c, c
Dolly, dolly…d,d, d Dolly, dolly…d, d, d
Elbow, elbow…e, e, e Elbow, elbow…e, e, e
Flower, flower…f, f, f Flower, flower…f, f, f
Garden, garden…g, g, g Garden, garden…g, g, g
Hammer, hammer…h, h, h Hammer, hammer…h, h, h
Igloo, igloo…I, I, I Igloo, igloo…I, I, i
Jelly, jelly…j, j, j Jelly, jelly…j, j, j
Kitten, kitten…k, k, k Kitten, kitten...k, k, k
Lion, lion…l, l, l Lion, lion…l, l, l
Monkey, monkey…m, m, m Monkey, monkey…m, m, m
Necklace, necklace…n, n, n Necklace, necklace…n, n, n
Ostrich, ostrich…o, o, o Ostrich, ostrich…o, o, o
Pumpkin, pumpkin…p, p, p Pumpkin, Pumpkin…p, p, p
Quarter, quarter…q, q, q Quarter, quarter…q, q, q
Rabbit, rabbit…r, r, r Rabbit, rabbit…r, r, r
Scissors, scissor…s, s, s Scissors, scissors…s, s, s
Tiger, tiger...t, t, t Tiger, tiger…t, t, t
Undershirt, undershirt…u, u. u Undershirt, undershirt…u, u, u
Vacuum, vacuum…v, v, v Vacuum, vacuum…v, v, v
Window, window…w, w, w Window, window…w, w, w
X-ray, X-ray…x, x, x X-ray, x-ray…x, x, x
Yo-yo, yo-yo…y, y, y Yo-yo, yo-yo…y, y, y
Zebra, zebra…z, z, z Zebra, zebra…z, z, z
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JK News for the week of August 31, 2015
Hi parents and families,
This week we will be continuing with our theme of making friends and adjusting to school routines.
Please remind your children of the daily schedule to reinforce times at home and make transitions easier.
JK Daily Schedule
7:30-7:50 Arrival (Wash hands/ sign in/ table activities)
7:50 Prayer and morning announcements
8:00 Rug time, calendar, alphabet, morning meeting
8:40-9:00 M-W Literacy with Ms. Julia
9:00-9:20 Recess 1
9:20-9:50 Music and P.E. (M & W is P.E.) (T & TH is Music)
9:50-10:10 Snack
10:10-11:10 Centers
11:15-11:40 Recess 2
11:40-11:45 Handwashing and Prayer
11:50-12:30 Lunch
12:35-12:40 Clean-up and set-up for naptime
12:40-1:30 Rest/story time/ quiet music
1:30-1:45 Table toys/Free Reading
1:45-1:50 Clean-up and get ready to go home
1:50 walk-up to daycare
2:00 Dismissal (M-Th) Friday dismissal is at 12:30
Thank you!
Ms. Castro and MS. Bernal
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August 17, 2015
Welcome to JK
Our Lady of the Assumption
Junior Kindergarten 2015-2016 School Year
Welcome to Room 1 and to the beginning of an exciting year in Junior Kindergarten. We recognize that this is an important developmental time in the life of your child. We hope that information provided will help your Junior Kindergarten transition smooth and joyful. We look forward to an exciting and fun year of learning and growing.
Junior Kindergarten Information:
Teacher: Ms. Johanna Castro
Teacher assistant: Ms. Karen Bernal
Teacher assistant: Ms. Stephanie Pena
Class hours:
Monday- Thursday 7:50-2:00p.m.
Friday 7:50-12:30p.m.
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JKJk News for the week of April @7thm 2015
Dear JK Families,
Welcome to the last week of April. Last week we focused on Earth day and being mindful of how we take care of our environment.
This week our new theme begins...."Growing and Changing." We will look at how this change or transform. Our main word for the week are, "metamorphosis, larvae, chrysalis, cocoon and butterfly." We will discuss the changes an insect goes through like from caterpillar to butterfly as well as tadpole to frog or polliwog to toad. Feel free to ask your child what they know about these words. another activity they are familiar with is our clap out the sounds....they learn the syllable count and began to understand the concept that words are formed by putting sounds to together, and usually the longer the word, the more syllables.
We are continuing our Kindergarten testing we will not have results for a couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience on this matter. Next week we will begin discussing gardening.
We are looking forward to another possible field trip to the science center in late May/early June. I will keep y
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News for the week of April 12, 2015
Dear Jk Families
I hope you had a restful week and are ready to come back enthusiastic for our last stretch of the year. This Wednesday is our fire station field trip. I hope your children are excited to be back at school.
We will be finishing our, "lets move unit" If anyone is interested in volunteering for our field trip please let me know...we are still in need of volunteers. Classroom volunteers are welcome Tuesday-Thursday from 10-11 a.m. during center time., a maximum of 2 parents at a time is the most ideal Thank you again for your support and help. It is greatly appreciated.
Please return your permission slips asap.
Blessings Ms. Castro
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Jk News for the week of March 30, 2015
Dear Parents and Junior Kindergarten Families,
We are continuing on with our "Let's move" theme. Our class will continue to learn more about movement. Using then topic "Here we go," we will read stories about playing games that involve movement. You can help your child learn more by talking with him/her about the things he/she is doing at school and the letter we discuss in class. You can ask questions like....
What did you read about today?
What game did the characters play?
What was exciting about the story?
What was your favorite thing/activity you did today?
Our big book this week is "We're going on a lion hunt"
Look for print at home mainly lowercase letters to get them used to seeking them out versus uppercase.
Please don't forget we still need our eggs for Easter egg hunt. Have a blessed and wonderful Holy Week.
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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JK News for the week of March 23, 2015
Dear Parents and Junior Kindergarten Families,
This week we begin Theme 9 "Let's Move." Our Letter of the week is Z. I sent home a sight word list for you to practice with your child.
During this theme children will explore how people and animals move and discover different ways to make objects move. We will be discussing positional words, dramatizing animal movement, describing how vehicles move and learn songs that mimic various movements.
A reminder about our Easter egg hunt, to have your child bring in at least 10 plastic eggs and candy to go in them. If you are in need of hours helping us fill the eggs or cutting paper for our classroom crafts will help. On April 15, 2015 we will be taking our first field trip to the LA county Fire station across the street. I will be looking for parent volunteers, please feel free to let me know if you are interested in attending with us.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, let's have a great upcoming one filled with learning and fun.
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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JK news for the week of March 16, 2015
Dear Parents and Junior Kindergarten families,
This week we will continue with our city and country life thematic unit. Thank you for working with your children on the vocabulary words and the homework.
This weeks letters are "x" and "y"...Tuesday for St. Patrick's day we will be celebrating in the class. Also for our Easter break we won't be having a party but our class will be participating in an Easter egg hunt. It would be wonderful if every student donates at least 10 eggs with candy. Please be mindful that some of our students have allergies when purchasing candy. We are also hoping to take a walking field trip to the fire station across the street. Once I know all the details I will let you know. Thank for volunteering your time to our class during jog-Athlon, the children enjoyed your support. As Far as volunteering in the class, we have parents come in during center time typically from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday, please let me ahead of time so I can make accommodations.
Thank you!!!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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JK News for the week of March 1-13, 2015
Dear Parents and Families,
Welcome to March!!!! Can you believe it, only 3 months of school left? We have lots of reviewing to do before the year ends. Lets continue to review our upper case and lower case alphabet along with their sounds.
This week ends our Construction Theme. We will begin our in the city in the country theme.
Our letters of the week are "V" and "W." Talk with your child about differences about living in the city vs, the country. How are we different how are we the same?
Here is our song for the 3 weeks:
The City and the Country Refrain
The city and the country
are two places you must see.
Come along and sing this song
and visit both with me!
Verse 1
In the city you will see
tall buildings everywhere.
People walk or take the bus
to get from here to there.
In the city there are shops
and many sights to see.
Honk, honk go the taxis.
What a busy place to be!
(Repeat refrain.)
Verse 2
In the country you will see
fields of corn that grow.
People work on farms
and get up when roosters crow!
In the country you'll see cows.
You'll hear the croaking toads.
The horses eat their bales of hay
and trot down country roads.
Picture-Word Vocabulary
(if you click on the hyperlink, it will wend you to picture cards you can print out at home)
- city, corn, country, cow
- dollar, duck, eggs, farmer
- office, penny, pig, quarter
- quiet, rooster, transportation, sheep
- sidewalk, stand, street, subway
- tickets, tractor, vehicles, vegetables
Thank you again, we are looking forward to a fun filled week of learning!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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Happy Sunday and Happy Chinese New Year!
News for the week of February 22, 2015
Dear parents and JK families,
Thank you for all your prayers and support during this week my family and I are very grateful.
I hope this week brings a lot of fun activities as we continue to focus on our construction theme. This week we will be working on the letters "U" and "V" please work with your children to review letter recognition as well as initial sounds of the alphabet. We still have share day on Fridays. Let me know if you have questions about the homework.
Thank you again...let's have a wonderful week :)
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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Happy President's Day!
News for the week of February 16th, 2015
Dear Parents and JK Families,
I hope you enjoyed your holiday. I want to let you know that this week I will be out on Thursday and Friday due to my daughter's surgery. I should be back on Monday ready to start a new week.
This week we will continue with the Construction theme. Last week was a little crazy but fun due to the Valentine Holiday. On Friday, I sent home a new homework packet. I hope you enjoyed working along with your child. This week's packet may go out early since I will be gon for the last two days of the week.. This week's letters are both "t" and "u"....we will continue reviewing "T" and "U" our share day is still on Fridays. It was great to meet you at conferences. I appreciated all the positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. My main goal is to provide a fun but educational environment where the children can flourish and develop. I know that if we work together we can achieve this.
Please continue collecting coins for our service project. Thank you again for all of your donations. We are still in need of hand wipes for the children to prevent the spread of germs.
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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News for the week of February 9th, 2015
Dear Parents and JK families,
The first set of homework went out this week. It isn't due until Thursday.
I remind you that this week is parent conferences, if you haven't signed up already please do so, if we need to make special arrangements to accommodate a time for you please feel free to let me know.
This week we will be working on the letter "s" and the construction theme.
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Junior Kindergarten News for the week of February 2, 2015
Dear Parents and families,
Happy Groundhog's Day and Welcome February!!!
We just finished our unit Animals Everywhere and are now beginning the construction thematic unit. We had lots of fun learning about the sea, animals of the savannah, as well as those on the farm. So in this construction theme., let's build up our kids imaginations and curious minds with interesting new concepts.
This week we will introduce the letter "S"and review "R," "Q" and "P." This Friday will also be the first week we will have homework, just a reminder it is not due until the following Thursday. It is more for parents to practice and review what we do in the classroom at home. ALso parent conference sign ups have begun. I need to revise the schedule and let you know that my late day will be Wednesday the 11th and not Thursday the 12th.
Our Valentine's Party is just around the corner! And don't forget about our service project money collection for our Zebra "daisy".
Lets have another great and fun-filled week!!!
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
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Junior Kindergarten News
Week of January 26th, 2015
Dear Parents and families,
Happy Catholic School's Week!!!
Welcome to the last week of January as we culminate our "Animals Everywhere" theme with sea life! This we will focus on the life under the sea and all of its wonders. The letter of the week is "R" and we will continue our review of "P" and "Q."
Please do not forget about Special Person's Lunch this Thursday or the book fair. All of our little ones need a special buddy for Thursday's lunch and we wouldn't want any one to feel left out.
Thank you again for all of the Antibacterial wipe donations...they are so greatly appreciated. We are in need of hand wipes to prevent the spread of germs in the class.
As we are still sort of in transition I want to let you know that I will be starting to send homework packets home. They will consist of what we are doing in the classroom in terms of worksheets and name writing practice. I will be sending them home on Fridays and are not due until the following Thursday. It will not affect their grading; it is more for you to put into practice and review what we do in the class. It in turn will reinforce skills that I believe are essential for their academic success. If you have any concerns please feel free to let me know.
Thank you and blessings!
Ms. Castro
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Junior Kindergarten
Week of January 19, 2015
Dear Parents,
Let's begin week 3 and continue working with our "Animals everywhere" theme.
It was a fun filled week with learning all about arctic and polar animals. Last week, we mostly focused on penguins, polar bears and walruses. You can see the awesome artwork up in our classroom also we discussed various animals in general most of which came from cold and frigid climates.
This week we will be reviewing the letters "o" and "p" as well as introduce the letter "q." We will be focusing on animals that live on the farm.
Please don't forget about "Daisy" our service project zebra The coin collection is also underway. The Jr. Kindergarten has voted to raise coins to support the zebra habitat at the
Los Angeles Zoo. Please have your child earn coins for the zebra habitat by doing small
chores and acts of kindness. When your baggie is full, please give the coin bag to Ms. Bernal.
The coins will be counted and sent out after February 14th.
More children have developed pink eye within the past week please remind the children
about hand washing and if possible please donate antibacterial wipes as well as disinfectant
clorox wipes.
Also please remember that "Special Persons Lunch" is the culmination of Catholic Schools week and it is very important that your little one has a special buddy to spend lunch with, we wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. "Special Persons Lunch" will be held on the 29th of January from 11:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Blessings,
Ms. Castro
Thank you for your support,
Ms. Castro and Ms. Bernal