Hello!

What a busy month!  September flew by so quickly!  Our days were filled with routines, getting to know one another and beginning to work toward our goals. 

This coming month, we will be focusing on the theme of “Giving Thanks” and “Halloween”.  We will work on our new vocabulary and practice using these words in our writing. 

Here is a list of the new vocabulary we will focus on:

thank, giving, God, Jesus, pray, wonderful, share, friends, lovely, autumn, leaf, tree, eat, yummy, friends, family, school, Halloween, scary, costume, Trick-or-Treating, carve, pumpkin, decorating, bones, goblin, cat, bat, ghost, wizard, witch

We are looking at sentence writing.  

Check out our Writers Board!

The students are working toward making sure that there is a capital at the beginning of each sentence, lower case letters throughout the sentence, spaces between each word of the sentence and proper punctuation at the end. 

This month we will also practice on story retelling, with a focus on the identifying the characters and the setting in the story.  Our writing efforts will mirror this as we will be working toward recount writing.  The students will be practicing how to retell, in sequential order, an event that has happened to him/her.  

At SJA, we will be spending some time really thinking and focusing on our Catholic Graduate Expectations.  Each month, we will emphasize one of the expectations and discuss what it means.  For the month of September, we looked at Faith and how we can see it in our lives.  For the month of October, we will be learning about how we can be Empathetic towards our friends.  Talk to your child about what Empathy means and how we can show empathy in our daily lives. 

 Ask your children about Whole Body Listening Larry!  We read this story and have been discussing what it looks like to be a while body listener!

Story Retelling Journal- On occasion, students will be bringing home a story retelling journals.  This retelling exercise is based on a theme-related story that we have read in the class a number of times.   Parents are asked to record what their child is sharing about the story and then the child draws and colours a picture about the story. It is important that you write down what your child says about the story.  The Story Retelling Journal is returned the following Monday for teacher feedback.  Sitting and discussing a story with your child is extremely important.  It helps children to identify, clarify, and organize their thinking.  Please help your child as he/she learns to retell stories this school year.

Indoor Shoes- I am requesting that each student brings an extra pair of shoes that could be left at St. John the Apostle Catholic School. The shoes should be shoes he/she can put on easily on their own (i.e. without laces if you child is unable to tie his/her shoes yet).  This will help keep the class floors neat and tidy.  Please be sure to write your child’s name in the shoes clearly. 

Basic Concepts- Basic concepts such as colors, numbers, location words, and descriptive words are the building blocks that children need to follow directions, to engage in classroom routines, and to provide descriptions. Understanding these concepts is fundamental for children so they can perform everyday tasks such as listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Here are two ways you can help your child learn basic concepts:

* Read to your child! A lot of common stories teach basic concepts. If the concepts are not stated directly within the story, the pictures lend themselves to teaching concepts. For example, use a picture in a story and say, “Where is the dog? It’s on the sofa.” Then, allow your child to tell you what is off the sofa. You can also go around the room and find things that are on something and things that are off something.

* Playing games is great too.  For example, “I Spy.” You could say, “I spy something that is small/big.”  Encourage your child to use concepts when it’s his/her turn.

 Phonological Awareness- Here are some activities you can do with your child at home to help with our syllable work at school.

•  Take turns and clap the number of syllables in words. You say a word and your child claps the word. For example: computer- child claps com/pu/ter, 3 claps; pig- child claps /pig/, 1 clap. Choose words with varying number of syllables
• While driving or walking, pick out words that you see, have child clap the syllables. For example: church, Walmart, Metro, Chapters, park.
• After reading a book, pick a word or a picture per page to clap.
• Throw a ball, beanbag, or favourite stuffed toy back and forth, as you each say one syllable at a time.   For example, for the word “macaroni”, you would toss the ball back and forth a total of 4 times 
• Use a stick to tap out all the syllables of each family member’s name.  For example: “Mom/my”; “Bill”; “Grand/pa”.

Snuggle Bag Reading:  I will continue sending Snuggle Books with your child to read with you at home.  The books are meant to be at their individual reading level, or just above, giving each student a little challenge.  I appreciate your help in filling out the recording sheet that is in their Snuggle Bags.  This assists me in providing the correct level of book for your child.  The books are meant to be kept until the child feels comfortable with the words in the book.  If they master it in one day, please return it right away.  If the book is more of a challenge please keep the book at home and read it the following evening.  This allows the children to review the words and content and come to a more thorough understanding of the text.  Each time your child returns the book, I will assume he/she is finished with the book and I will send a new one home.  Thank you again for your assistance with this program!!

Please remember that there is a P.D. Day on Friday, October 9^th.  Also, Monday October 12th is Thanksgiving. Please enjoy this time with family!

As I have mentioned before, I will be leaving to have a baby. This week will be my last week with the students.  While I am very excited about the new addition to my family, I will certainly miss teaching your children. 

We are very fortunate to have Gillian Werthner replacing me for the remainder of the school year. She is very excited about getting to know the class and helping your children!  She has visited the class already, and will be working with us most of this week to help the students prepare for the transition. 

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me this week! 

In the next few weeks, your child's IEP will be sent home for you to review. In the IEP are the expectations that your child will be working toward for the first term of the school year.  For our class, we have set up goals in the areas of English Language, Language Development, Social Development and Social Studies.  I will be going over the IEP expectations with Ms Werthner, so if you would like to sit down and discuss the IEP with her, please end her a note or call her here at St. John the Apostle.  

Be sure to review and sign the agenda and the PLC Ziplock daily.  If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to write me a note or to call.  I would be happy to talk with you.  Thank-you for your continued support and cooperation. 

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving weekend.  I know I have plenty to be thankful for, including my amazing students!!

Sarah Faloon                                     

Special Education Teacher

PLC St. John the Apostle