The Last Day of School

It is hard for me to believe that the school year is over. It has been eventful!

We survived several nasty go rounds with the flu, broken bones, headaches, bellyaches, and some hospitalizations. We learned addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. We studied dinosaurs, plants, germs, and light and color. We learned about communities, government, and our ancestors. We went from beautiful printing to gorgeous cursive. We laughed together, prayed together, played together, and worked together. We learned about discipline, organization, and respect.

Your children are wonderful! They are so caring and loving towards each other. Oh, there were moments of arguing and disagreement, but just like in any family, these moments were forgotten quickly and the class is stronger for them.

Your children made me laugh with their stories and antics. They made me cry when they raised their sweet voices in song and earnest prayer. They reaffirmed my deep love of teaching each time they said they loved school or the day went so fast or they didn’t want to be done yet. I will miss them.

Please be sure your children read every day this summer. Encourage them to read independently. Read more complex, difficult stories to them. Make sure they practice their math skills. Ask them to tell you the time, make change for a dollar, count coins, practice their addition and subtraction facts, and work on story problems. There are some great websites with free practice games (just “google” free [addition] [subtraction] math practice problems). Encourage them to practice spelling words on SpellingCity.com. All the lists from second grade will remain up and you can also search for third grade words. If you need any ideas or suggestions for fun ways to practice academics, please feel free to drop me an email at dittman.amy@gmail.com.

Thank you for all your support this year. It was truly delightful getting to know you and your children. I feel very blessed to be a small part of your lives.

Enjoy your summer!

ONE MORE WEEK

I find it difficult to believe that next week is our last week of classes. Students will still have a spelling test and a reading test. There will also be one last assessment in math, science, and social studies.

Here is our schedule for the last week of school:

Monday 31      NO SCHOOL

Tuesday  1     Cleaning Day

Wednesday 2  Erie Zoo

Thursday  3    Retreat

Friday   4       Last day of school (early dismissal)

www.smories.com

My husband is a wonderful source of information about new and exciting educational opportunities. Today, he sent me information about this site, www.smories.com . I went to it and was very excited! There are a number of short stories read by children on it and more stories are added each month.

Although it is  a new site, it seems like a great place to let your children visit, especially over the summer. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Sniffle! Sniffle!

We have opened our last box of Kleenex just as allergy and cold season seems to be in full swing. If you are able to send in a box to help us in this situation, we would greatly appreciate it!

May News

Students will have a busy month!

May

  6  Thursday      7th grade play at 1:15PM

  7   Friday          Donuts with Dads from 7:45-8:30

10  Monday        Early Dismissal at 1:30PM

13 Thursday      Ascension Thursday Mass at 1:45PM at school

14  Friday         Rosary Field Trip with Guardian Angels

17  Monday       Swimming at YMCA  1-2PM

20 Thursday      Spring Concert 7PM

21 Friday          Final school mass

24 Monday        Swimming at YMCA 1-2PM

28 Friday          Swimming at YMCA 1-2PM

31 Monday        NO SCHOOL

June

1 Tuesday         Cleaning Day

2 Wednesday     Field Trip to Erie Zoo

3 Thursday        School-wide retreat

4 Friday            LAST DAY for students

May Crowning

The May Crowning, presented by kindergarten, first, and second grade, will be on Tuesday, May 4th at 2PM in the gym.  Previously, the time was listed as 2:15PM.

Students with speaking parts will be bringing them home today. Please be sure that they practice so they will be comfortable on Tuesday.

All are welcome to attend.

Missing Books

I was completing the second grade textbook inventory this morning and discovered that I am missing one social studies textbook (new last year) and three science textbooks. Students rarely bring these home, but I have sent them to students who have had extended absences. Please check this evening to be sure one of these book is not sitting on a shelf in your home. If you should find one, please return it tomorrow.

I really appreciate your help with this matter.

Mass

The children did a wonderful job at Mass last Friday. I was so proud of them. We only had a few chances to practice and there were some very difficult words! I thought they read beautifully, sang like angels, carried the banner and gifts so seriously, and really followed along during the service. They are a delightful class.

Pencils

I hate to ask again, but the pencil gremlin seems to have visited our room and eaten all our pencils. We are in dire need! I know I ranted about this before but out situation really is not the fault of the children. Quality pencils are difficult to find. The graphite falls out when sharpened or the casing grinds away unevenly and we all find it frustrating! If you have any pencils to donate, I would be very appreciative. Thanks for your help.

Just an Update

The dinosaur book is completed and has been mailed. It should arrive at school in about four weeks. The unveiling is a huge event for the second grade!

Next Tuesday, we will be making our own fossil castings. Your child will be bringing theirs home at the end of the week, if all goes well!

We are going to be starting our last unit in reading soon. The theme is courage. The stories are a lot of fun. I think you will enjoy reading them with your children.

We have learned all the lowercase letters in cursive and will start the uppercase letters next week! The children can’t wait to write their names, so I am allowing them to print the first letter and write the rest in cursive…just so you wouldn’t wonder at the strange writing!

Monday is an early dismissal day. Enjoy this lovely weekend!

A Little Note

Mrs. Finch was in for me last Thursday and Mrs. Puleo will be in on Monday as have to take my mom to the hospital. The students are very comfortable with both teachers and will experience very little disruption of their classroom routines. I will post a note about any future absences as soon as I have that information. I appreciate your patience and your prayers.

Student Writers and Illustrators

Your Child is about to be a Published Author!

Last week we began our dinosaur unit in reading. The children each drew a dinosaur name and learned which dinosaur they will be researching for a book to be published at the end of March.

The children will find out all they can about their individual dinosaurs from a minimum of two sources. Information will be gathered on a research sheet. Students will then write rough copies using their gathered information. They will also sketch preliminary illustrations. Final copies and illustrations will be written after the editing process is completed. All the work will be sent to the publisher in time for our March 25^th publication date.

Tomorrow you will receive a form so you may order a copy of the dinosaur book. Be sure to check if you want the regular ($14.95) or deluxe copy ($4.95 extra). Also be sure that you add the shipping and handling fee ($2.95). Checks may be made out to STUDENTREASURES PUBLISHING. You may order as many books as you wish.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ORDER A BOOK! I always purchase a copy for the school, so if you choose not to order a book, your child will still have the opportunity to borrow it from the library. If this is the case, YOU MUST CHECK THE NO BOX AND SIGN THE FORM.

The company will only print the books if all students have returned a signed form regardless of whether or not they are ordering one.

All forms must be returned by Monday, March 15.

This is the fifth year that I have done this project. It is always an exciting time in our classroom! I have copies of the previous books if you would like to see one. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

March Newsletter

Please be sure to check your child’s folder for the March newsletter. It has a lot of important information. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns.

Good-Bye to Winter!

Well, it has been long and cold  and snowy and bleak, but it is finally coming to an end. We will soon spring forward and the light of day will last longer. The sun will shine and the doldrums will fade and summer will be on the horizon. Let’s embrace the last bit of winter by enjoying our wool sweaters and snowmen and hot chocolate while looking forward to the hope of spring.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the students who made their First Reconciliation on Saturday at St. Joseph Church. I am so proud of each of you!

Air is All Around Us!

We did a great experiment in science today to prove that air all around us. If your child asks for a plastic cup, a napkin, and a large container of water, humor them! They could even conduct this experiment in the bathtub!

First Reconciliation at St. Stephen Church

Congratulations to the second graders who made their First Reconciliation at St. Stephen Church today. I am very proud of each of you!

A Normal Week

All signs are pointing to this being a “normal” week at school---five days, no anticipated bad weather, no special activities interrupting afternoon lessons, … it is going to be a pleasure! 

We will be finishing our third reading unit, which means our dinosaur unit (always a favorite!), is just around the corner. At the same time, we will be studying dinosaurs in science, and creating a dinosaur book for publication in late March! Watch for more information in the next two weeks.

Thanks so much!

Thanks to Mrs. Kalamajka, Mrs. Puleo, and Mr. and Mrs. Finch for running a wonderful Valentine’s Day party! The students had a great time and the treats were delicious. Kudos to you all!

 

Another quick thank you to Ms. Brehm, Mrs. Barletta, and Mrs. Kalamajka for sending in much needed pencils. I am very appreciative of your donations!

NO SCHOOL

Students do not have school on Friday or Monday.

Please remember that Tuesday is Mardi Gras. Children may dress in jeans, sneakers, and a shirt in their team color.

February Highlights

Be sure to read the Bees’ Knees that came home today. It highlights a lot of important February activities.

We will be going to the Barrow-Civic Theatre on Thursday to see  THE LITTLE MERMAID. Make sure you have returned your child’s signed permission slip and the $5 fee. If the cost is a hardship, please just let me know.

Pencils

Although we had plenty at the beginning of the year, our pencil supply is running low. This is due to the poor quality of pencils being sold. Some have a plastic casing instead of wooden. This does not hold the graphite well, so it falls out when sharpened. Some have such poor quality graphite that it is impossible to sharpen them without the graphite breaking. If you are able to send in new pencils, I would greatly appreciate it. Ticonderoga are expensive, but they are the best quality.

REMINDER

 

Students have the day off on Monday. Enjoy!

Cursive Handwriting

Second grade is beginning cursive handwriting. They are so excited! I am sending home a copy of Zaner-Bloser  lowercase and uppercase cursive letters. I would prefer students not write particular letters until we have learned them in school. Should you choose to allow them to work on other letters, please be sure they are following the formation instructions on the sheet. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a note.

Service Project

Students are required to complete two service projects each year as part of the curriculum. One of these projects was the food drive for St. Elizabeth’s during the Thanksgiving season. The second is the math-a-thon for St. Jude Hospital. I have only received six response forms. All remaining students need to return their permission slips as soon as possible. Next week, students will receive a math booklet or may choose to complete the activities online. They have one week to complete the math problems. All monies collected will be due the following week. The exact date will be sent home soon.

Please stress the importance of participating in this project.

Important Dates for Your Calendar

January

18     NO SCHOOL

22     Mass at school at 1:45PM

29     Report cards go home

31     CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK BEGINS

          *Watch for information/schedule

          *Please return required slips ASAP :)

February

    2-4     CSW activities at school

        6     First Penance Retreat (all candidates)

               10AM-2PM at St. Stephen Church

        8    Early Dismissal/Jeans Day

       12   NO SCHOOL for students

       15    NO SCHOOL

       16    Mardi Gras

       17    Mass at school at 1:45PM

       20    St. Stephen First Penance 1PM

       27    St. Joseph   First Penance 11AM

             

Happy New Year!

 

I hope that everyone had a joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Please be reminded that the children will be square dancing on Monday and Tuesday (10:30-11:30AM) and again with the entire school on Wednesday afternoon (beginning at 1PM).

Students are asked to wear jeans or sweatpants, appropriate tops,and gym shoes all three days.

We will not have gym class on Thursday (January 7th) because of the square dancing schedule.

Remember to listen to the radio or check the Erie news stations for morning school delay or cancellation reports as we are now knee-deep in western Pennsylvania winter weather!