17-21, 2018 This Month’s Birthday’s From The Teacher’s Desk: Dear Parents, I want to dedicate my note this week to all of you! It was such a pleasure to see everyone at Back to School Night. As I shared with Mrs. Kelly, 1B’s classroom was just as full of excitement as it had been on my first day with your children. I can tell I am blessed to have a supportive network of families who love their children and are dedicated to providing them with a strong education. I truly believe that when parents and teachers work together, extraordinary things can happen! I once saw this quote, which I love and feel rings so true: “Parents and teachers who work together are unstoppable!’ I am so pleased to be on a team with all of you this year, sharing the common goal of ensuring a happy, safe, and educational experience for your children! They are a very lucky bunch to have all of you in their corners. Contact Information: Email: jcurley@saintjoes.com I am also happy to speak on the phone, or please feel free to send in a note with your child. Important Dates:     Friday, September 21st Saint Joseph’s Street Hockey Tournament (grades 2-5) Come support the players! Friday, September 28th & Saturday, September 29th: Saint Joseph Parish and Schools Yard Sale This Month’s Birthday’s Important Dates (continued): Friday, October 5th No School – Faculty Retreat Monday, October 8th  No School – Columbus Day Friday, October 12th First Friday Liturgy – Grade Five Hosting

Math Science Social Studies Writing ELA/Reading This week, 1B continued with Topic 1 in our Envisions program, with the introduction of addition expressions, number sentences, and adding in any order. We went full steam ahead with math centers, so the children were able to spend time working in small groups, putting their newly learned addition strategies to work through the use of hands-on learning activities and manipulatives. Math Religion: In Religion, students learned about the special gifts God has given us and that He promises to love us always. They listened to a story about St. Francis of Assisi and how he took good care of God’s world. Each child wrote a thank you note to God for something He created for us. Some responses included: family, the ocean, babies, animals, and places that are special to us. Science ELA: In ELA, 1B learned about a story’s characters and setting. We discussed how characters can be people, animals, or things who think, feel, and act. We also talked about the difference between inner and outer character traits. Some of the stories we read included Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes, The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill, and Corduroy by Don Freeman. Social Studies Writing: This week, students learned about “small moments” in writing. Students were encouraged to think of it as a watermelon, with the whole fruit being the big topic, a slice being one specific moment, and the seeds being details. We continued to practice beginning sentences with a capital letter, ending with a period, and leaving space in between words. Writing Social Studies: To go along with our ELA lesson that used the story Wemberly Worried, 1B had a discussion about what it means to worry. We compared the things our character, Wemberly, worried about, to the worries we have in our own lives. Some responses included: having a nightmare, the first day of school, meeting new people, and trying new things. ELA/Reading