Red Ribbon Week is coming!

     Well this week seemed a teeny bit less eventful compared to  last week's excitement!  While there was no inclement weather, the students still had a great visitor on Monday (Thanks Officer Coulter!), we still have a few cases around campus of the infamous head lice (thank you for keeping an eye on your child's hair and for putting the girls' hair up!), and we had a chance to show Mrs. Schulte the fabulous Tooty Ta dance!  Mrs. Coulter and I can definitely tell that Halloween is in the air... these students have been rather talkative and keyed up full of youthful energy these days! = )  It is very exhausting refreshing!* I am sure Red Ribbon Week will be just as exciting, too! *(Hopefully you all know my sense of humor well enough by now to know I am joking and I love my job!)

         Red Ribbon Week information should have been sent home to you via the Anchor Splash, but in case you missed it, here is a list of the days and how your child can help our class earn one Non-Uniform Day by dressing up this week as much as possible!

• Monday- Future Career Day- dress up as any career you may want to be when you grow up. Doctors, lawyers, soldiers, police, teachers, veterinarians, coaches, singer, actor, professional sports figures, you name it!
• Tuesday- Pajama Day- please remember no slippers, no tank tops (unless a shirt is worn underneath), and no short-shorts/skirts!  We still have to go to Mass! = )
• Wednesday- Jersey Day- Wear your favorite sports jersey. It could be your own jersey from your team, or a favorite professional or college jersey!  If the jersey is a tank top or slightly see-through, please wear something underneath.  
• Thursday- Red Day!- Anything and everything red! Please don't die your child's hair or wear nail polish.  Shoes may be red as long as they are tennis shoes- we have PE today!
• Friday- University Day- any university shirt... although I am partial to a few particular colleges (go Trojans!), your child can feel free to wear any university shirt today.

• The class with the highest percentage of students wearing Red Ribbon dress all week wins a day of non-uniform dress in the future! 

     In other news...this past week your Firsties have been wrapping up several units in many different subjects.  We are graduating from reviewing consonants to practicing our vowels.  We will begin with the short vowels and move on to the long vowel sounds.  In Science we have reviewed plants and their parts/functions so many times I think I may just be a plant for Halloween!  Finally, we reviewed the parts of complete sentences, as well as the differences between telling and asking sentences (a very tough concept for these kiddos).  They will be tested on sentences and plant parts this week.  
     Your child also took their first language arts theme test.  These tests occur approximately once a month and are relatively lengthy.  They cover everything from reading comprehension, sequencing, using inference, as well as sight word recognition.  They are a great way to prepare your young student for the important state testing that occurs at the beginning of the year for students in the 2nd grade and above.  Just so you're aware, I read practically 90% of the test to the students (typically two times per question).  There are parts of the test where I cannot help them read the three choices they are given to complete a sentence (because they are being tested on their ability to read those words on their own).  Let's just say that by the end of these tests, these kids (and I) have definitely earned their big wiggle break!  
     Halloween is only about ten days away now, and that means it is time for some pumpkin experiments in our class!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, each Firsty will be required to bring in one small pumpkin (no larger than a cantaloupe) to class on Monday October 29th.  Please start looking for one, but don't bring it into class until that Monday.  
     This week we will continue having special visitors to our class with a short meet and greet with our new pastor Father Jim!  He will be coming to our class on Monday to discuss the Mass and answer any questions the kids may have regarding the Mass.  He is looking forward to meeting all of our Firsties! We will also be meeting with our school families once again to make some posters of famous Saints to decorate our campus. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Take care! 
~Ms. Hudson

PS- I know I am a little behind on photos, but don't worry! They're coming!