What a great week to celebrate! Thank you, parents, for all of your support to make this a great school. We couldn’t do it without you!

Today is our big Blue Ribbon Ceremony. We hope you can attend at 1:30. Many dignitaries, awards, pictures.. so much to be proud of!

Tuesday is Hat day. Any type of hat can be worn. Hats off to us for being great.

Wednesday is our Mass to celebrate Catholic Schools. We are also making centerpieces for the Chili, soup supper on Thursday.

Thursday is wear your blue shirt and jeans/sweats day. We will be eating lunch in the classroom too. The chili/soup supper is from 5-6:30.

Friday is that crazy school SPIRIT Day. Do I need to say anything else about it?

Have a great week. I know we will.

I hope everyone had a relaxing 3 day weekend.. now back to work!

The week at a glance:

Tuesday: Today we have a guest speaker coming from the Right to Life group. Each year the sponsor a poster contest for 5th graders. The students will get all of the info today. As I know more, I will post the due dates etc. We have also finished our second theme in reading and are testing. Hopefully we will finish it today.

The rest of the week seems like it is going to follow a regular schedule. We haven’t had that is a long time. If things change, I’ll be sure to update.

Have a great day/week!

Good morning!

This week is going to full of excitement. There are many things happening each day.

Thanks to all who are remembering to bring their band instruments. I can’t believe how much those kids are learning in such a short amount of time. Kudos to them for all of their work.

Monday is Spirit apparel day, band and my math group has art class. We also have guidance this morning.

On Tuesday we have gym so bring those clothes. Every other month or so, we have been writing to the preschoolers in the St. Joseph the Worker building just to fill them in on what is happening. Tomorrow we will write another letter talking about Catholic Schools Week which is just around the corner!

On Wednesday we will attend Mass. This reminds me.. I sent home an invitation to all servers from all the parishes for a fun night sponsored by the Serra Club. Please ask your server about this is they haven’t brought it to your attention. The forms need to be turned into the student’s parish office. In the afternoon, the fifth graders will have a couple of vocation speakers again provided by the Serra Club. One speaker is a current seminarian and the other is a sister from the Franciscan order.

On Thursday is the Splash Bash down at the Grand Harbor. I know that is always a fun, fun time.

On Friday, the fifth graders will be getting together with their other Spirit captains to begin brainstorming ideas for a banner and a cheer. They will be presenting their ideas to the rest of the team next week and then the following week begin working on them. Spirit Day is right around the corner! Also on Friday, we will be having the kick-off to the Live Healthy Iowa Activity. I believe we will be seeing the boys and girls basketball teams from Loras College to set the tone. Sounds like fun to me!

Have a great week and can you believe this weather???

I am looking at the date and the temperature for today… WOW!! Are we lucky or what??? I know not everyone will agree with me, but PRAISE GOD!!!

Today should be a regular day with for us. In Religion we are beginning the study of the sacrament of Confirmation. In Reading, we are finishing out novel of Maniac Magee. The students have really enjoyed this one. We also have music class this morning.

How is the Standford math coming along for everyone? Just a friendly reminder that the expectation is 20 minutes a night

Tomorrow is Friday already. Where did the week go?

Have a great one. Enjoy this weather. It is bound to change soon enough!

Happy New Year!

OK, I know i have been lax about writing in the website. Hopefully, I can get back on track. Sorry for my absence!!

We are back at work! Our first day back was very productive. It was easy to see that everyone was relaxed and ready to go back to work. Yeah for vacations!!!

This week the Geo Bee is going on today and tomorrrow at the end of the day. Good luck to all who are involved.

A reminder to everyone that there are no Stanford Math sessions before or after school during the month of January, BUT it is still expected to be worked on at home for at least 20 minutes a night.

This is a short week, but I am glad we are back to work!

Wow.. sorry I haven’t been keeping you up-to-date. Time is flying by me!

Just a few reminders:

There are some long term projects for the students:

A-Z book

Writing RAFT

Martin Luther King posters/essays

Check with your child as to the due dates and the requirements. They do have all of the information.

Yes, it is that time of year.

When we do get a measurable amount of snow, boots are required for the fifth graders. In the morning, they will come in the side doors of the gym, take boots off, and put shoes on their feet. They will then begin the morning walk.

During recess, to play in the snow, students will be required to wear snow pants. Of course this goes along with the usual hats, mittens etc. I have even encouraged them to throw in an extra pair of socks to change into if their socks get wet during recess.

The big question I get from students during this time is, “What if I forget my shoes or my winter things?” My answer is always the same. Fifth graders do not need mom or dad reminding them of what needs to be brought to school. To be proactive, it would be a good idea to get in the habit of packing the items before they go to sleep.

Personally, I am praying for no snow this season, but what are the odds of that happening? OK.. it is a dream. Hmm.. note to self.. find your own winter mittens.. I wonder where I will find them?

Have a good day.

Iowa assessments are well on their way. Thank you for helping them get a good night sleep and a good breakfast. Many healthy snacks have arrived to eat between tests. Please keep encouraging your child to do their best each day. We will take tests today, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and next Tuesday.

If case you forgot.. there is an early out on Wednesday.

Stay warm!

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend!

Today is busy, busy, busy! We have band lessons in full swing. The students have been very good about bringing in their instruments each week. I know the Christmas concert is just around the corner. Can you believe it?

In Religion, we are beginning to study the sacraments. The first ones we look at are the Sacraments of Initiation. In Reading, we are having a Night of the Twister discussion. These have been student led. Students have been signing up to be the “teachers” of the discussion. I couldn’t have done it better! We will addressing the envelopes for our elderly pen pals and then typing the letters for technology class. If your child is in my math class, we have art this afternoon.

At 9:45, we have a guest speaker in from the Riverview Center to discuss bullying and cyber bullying.

Tomorrow we start the Iowa Assessments. If your child wants they may bring in a healthy snack to eat during the break. See previous post for suggestions.

Have a great day!

T.G.I.F!!

Iowa Assessments (they used to be called ITBS) will begin next week. We will be taking tests starting on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 9, 10, 11 and then the following week Tuesday, Nov. 15. There rest of the week will be set aside for any makeup tests that need to be taken.

It will help your child to be well rested and eat a good breakfast each day.  Most of the test taking is done each day within a 60-70 minutes time frame. We will take breaks between tests and HEALTHY snacks are allowed. Here is a list of acceptable snacks:

Fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears…other fruits and dried fruits ( the individual fruit cups are accepted)

Veggies: broccoli, baby carrots, celery sticks, peppers, and other assorted veggies

Grains: Whole grain crackers, low sodium pretzels, baked tortilla chips, puffed rice snacks

Thank you for helping to prepare your child for these important tests.

Have a great weekend.. don’t forget to “fall” back.