The Eagle Eye Parent Newsletter Volumn 5, Issue 2 - Spring 2008

Kindergarten News: Miss Buckner - Room 110

We have been very busy in kindergarten. We have spent a lot of time working with the alphabet and the sounds that all of the letters make. The kindergarteners have also learned word families, such as: -at, -it, -op, -an, and -og. Since December, we have also been working reading books and sight words. We have learned how to write sentences and use periods and question marks. In addition to working on our alphabet and words, we have been working on our numbers. Through cross-curricular lessons and activities we practice writing and identifying numbers to 20. We have also learned the following concepts: sorting and classifying, capacity, estimating, measuring counting by fives and tens, penny, nickel, dime, telling time to the hour and half hour, addition, and subtraction. In room 110 we are all mini scientists when it comes to science. We have enjoyed learning about magnets, weather, zoo animals, the weight of objects, sink and/or float, and the season of spring. The class learned how to make, test, and come up with a conclusion to their predictions. In the last month of school we will discover and Miss Buckner and her Kindergartner Girls in Room 110 at play!

Miss Buckner and her Kindergartner Boys in Room 110 in the park. observe the life cycle of a butterfly. The classroom will watch our six caterpillars grow very quickly, turn into the chrysalis, then emerge as butterflies. The children will watch as the painted lady butterflies come out and begin to fly around. We are all very excited about this unit. In Religion we have learned so much in the new year. Most importantly we have learned about the life of Jesus. We have learned about how Jesus teaches and love others. We also learned how to be thankful for our families, friends and pets. Field trips: The kindergartners went to the Shedd Aquarium our pre-school friends. Our class enjoys talking walks around the neighborhood to observe the lovely season of spring, and to get exercise. In May our class will be visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo with friends and family members. As you can see we have been hard at work here in kindergarten. The school year is winding down. We will end our school year with an End of the Year Celebration! We will be practicing our songs and poems often! We have had an amazing and exciting year in kindergarten and look forward to first grade!

1st Grade News: Mrs. Presslak - Room 204

It is hard to believe that the year is over!! We have been so busy here in first grade; time has been flying by! In math, the students have been practicing telling time. They spent time creating their very own analog clocks and use this daily for practice. In science, 1st grade has begun to learn about different life cycles. They recently began to study the life cycle of a butterfly and even have their own chrysalises in the classroom! In just a few more days, the chrysalises will become butterflies and the students will feed the butterflies and then bring them

outside to let go. In social studies, 1st grade spent time learning the difference between a need and a want by planting flowers and bean sprouts during Junior Achievement. 1st grade chooses a different gardener every week and that student has been taking care of the plants by making sure they always have enough water. Hearts Club, which the 1st grade had every Tuesday, has recently come to an end. Throughout the year, the students have had the opportunity to meet with the senior citizens of our parish. The students were divided into small groups and each parishioner read different stories to them. 1st grade truly enjoyed this every week and is sad that it has ended! Just recently, 1st grade went to Lincoln Park Zoo with the preschool and kindergarten. This was a family trip and many parents were able to meet us there. The students spent the day walking around in groups and were able to see all of the animals. Some of us were even able to see a mama pig with her new piglets! The 1st grade has worked very hard this year and is very excited about soon becoming second graders!