Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

January 17, 2012

Dear Parents,

In Religion last week your children learned how the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th Commandments lead us to respect and care for each other and for all life.  This week we will learn how the 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th Commandments help us to be loving and forgiving.

Last week your children wrote paragraphs describing what makes SJC so special to them.  This week we will polish and publish these paragraphs.  They will be displayed in church vestibule, school office and in front of our classroom during Catholic Schools Week.  Also on display will be parent testimonials. These are really powerful in persuading prospective families to choose our school.  Please consider writing a few sentences explaining what you find special about SJC if you can find a bit of time.

Behind this letter is a flyer explaining the Catholic Television Network’s essay contest for Catholic Schools Week.  I have reviewed the flyer with your children and explained to them that this is an optional writing project that can be done at home.  Please encourage your child to participate; SJC students have won thess prizes often over the years.  Please email or send an electronic copy of your child’s entry by Wednesday, January 25.

Today we began Chapter 12 in Math in which your children will learn how to divide larger numbers.  The Chapter 12 test will be early next week. The Chapter 11 test is in this packet.  Please review it with your child.

Science Fair results are due this Friday, January 20.  You still have a few days to help your children collect and record in their logs all the measurements, observations and inferences that they made during the last few months while testing their question. Your children must turn in their logs complete with all the data they collected on Friday.

In Science we learned how slowly over time the Earth’s surface is shaped and reshaped by water, wind and ice through the processes of erosion, deposition and weathering.  Friday we will have our Chapter 4 test about these slow changes to the Earth.  You can use your child’s textbook and study packet to help your child study.  On Thursday, while we review for the test, your children will highlight important ideas and concepts that will appear on the test so pay special attention to these highlighted parts when you are helping your child study on Thursday night.

In Social Studies last week we learned about how Mexican Rule affected California and the development of the rancho economy.  This week we will begin to learn about California’s government in order to be prepared for our trip to Sacramento on March 28.

Remember that Scholastic Book orders are due tomorrow. You can use the form and send a check made out to Scholastic Books to school, or you can set up an account using the following information. If you have already set up an account, log on using your user name and password.  If you use the form, please do not pay with cash.

Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GJYZG

Please send your children’s 2^nd quarter, yellow goal card to school this week so that they can reflect on them to prepare for a mini-conference that your child will conduct at home with you. I am thoroughly enjoying being your children’s teacher;  they are a very sweet, special bunch!  Thank you for all your support. If you have any questions or concerns please drop by, or e-mail me at triciaheis@sjcschool.org.

Sincerely,  Tricia Heissenbuttel

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Monday, January 9, 2012

January 9, 2012

Dear Parents,

In Religion last week, we learned about this joyous time in our Church’s calendar, the Christmas Season.  Your children learned about the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and reflected on how God keeps his promises.  They learned that during the Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World and that this season ends with the Epiphany, this past Sunday when we celebrated the arrival of the three kings.  This week we will continue to learn about the Ten Commandments.

In Language Arts this week we will learn and review a lot of techniques to spruce up our descriptive writing.  We will work hard to incorporate what we have learned about descriptive writing into our paragraphs in which your children will express their love of SJC.  Next week we will polish and publish these paragraphs. By the way, I would like to encourage you to write a “Parent Testimonial” for our Catholic Schools Week flyer and displays, nothing elaborate, just a few words about why you believe in our school.  You are definitely our best ambassadors, and so we invite you to share the “Good News” about our school.

In Math, we are continuing Chapter 11, and your children will continue to learn how to multiply larger numbers.  Our test will be on Friday for this chapter.  Please use the practice test and pages 248 to 250 to help your child study.  Your child’s chapter 10 Math test is in this packet.  Please review it with him or her.

Science Project results are due one week from Friday (Friday, January 20). Remember, not only do your children need to write their measurements in their logs, they must also write observations and inferences each time they work on their project.  Your children will be graded on the quality and completeness of the results that they record in their logs. Mrs. Wicht is now selling display boards through the Tuesday Envelope.  If you would like to purchase a board for $3.75, send the money to school with your child.  The color choices are red, yellow, blue, green, white or black.  Your children learned about weathering last week.  This week they will learn how weathering works together with erosion and deposition to slowly change the Earth’s surface.

In Social Studies last week we learned how the victory of the Mexicans over the Spanish in the Mexican War for Independence affected life in California.  This week, we will be learning about the days of the big rancheros in California when our state was a part of Mexico.

Friday, January 20 is the end of the second quarter, and soon your children will get to use all of the deposits that they have earned through their good behavior to go shopping in our student store.  If you have any items lying around the house that you will not use but you think a 4^th grader would love, I would appreciate the donations to our store.  Please send them to school with your child.  Thanks so much.

Today your children have Scholastic Book orders in their homework folders.  All orders will be due by next Wednesday.  Remember, you can use the form and send a check made out to Scholastic Books to school, or you can set up an account using the following information. If you have already set up an account, log on using your user name and password.  If you use the form, please do not pay with cash.

Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GJYZG

I would like to thank you again for all your support.  If you have any questions or concerns, please drop by, or e-mail me at triciaheis@sjcschool.org.

Sincerely,  Tricia Heissenbuttel

Thursday, January 5, 2012