Newsletters, teacher notes, classroom reminders and the information parents may want to find again.
Weekly Update • Oct 11 • Mrs. Mullen
SIGHT WORDS, SENSE OF SIGHT + MEASUREMENT
OCT 11
Mrs. Mullen shared upcoming October dates and a look at what Kindergarten is learning in phonics, reading, math, and religion.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Oct. 12 — October Birthday Free Dress Day.
Oct. 14–15 — Vision and Hearing Screening.
Tuesday, Oct. 27 — Photo Re-take Day.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch 🎃 On campus; time TBD.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Kindergarten Halloween Party 🎃 In class; time TBD.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics, rhyming, sound and word substitutions, beginning and ending sounds, and syllables.
Reading: Students practiced blending words with a, m, t, d and added o and g, while continuing correct letter formation. They learned their first sight word, one, focusing on recognizing it and spelling it the “dictionary” way. The class also learned the difference between fiction and nonfiction and how nonfiction authors use photos, diagrams, and labels to help readers understand information. Students learned facts about the sense of sight, studied the eye and its parts, drew and labeled an eye, and wrote about something meaningful they learned.
Math: Students reviewed ordinal numbers and practiced subitizing fluency. They reviewed forming 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 and practiced writing 7. The class focused on different types of measurement, including non-standard measurement, weight, height/length, temperature, and time. Students measured height and length with Unifix cubes and paperclips, compared weights using a balance scale, and practiced math words such as tall, short, heavy, and light.
Religion: The class began discussing October's virtue of respect and learned that respect can be shown toward both living and non-living things.
Weekly Update • Oct 4 • Mrs. Mullen
5 SENSES, MATH PATTERNS + GUARDIAN ANGELS
OCT 4
Mrs. Mullen shared upcoming October dates and a look at what Kindergarten is learning in phonics, reading, math, religion, and Circle of Grace.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Oct. 12 — October Birthday Free Dress Day.
Oct. 14–15 — Vision and Hearing Screening.
Tuesday, Oct. 27 — Photo Re-take Day.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch 🎃 On campus; time TBD.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Kindergarten Halloween Party 🎃 In class; time TBD.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics, rhyming, sound and word substitutions, beginning and ending sounds, and syllables.
Reading: Students began practicing blending words using the letters a, m, t, d and practiced correct letter formation. The class also began a new nonfiction unit about the five senses, discussing what they are and why they are important.
Math: Students began working with ordinal numbers and learned that they tell us position. They continued subitizing practice and began learning strategies for spotting patterns to increase fluency. The class reviewed forming 2, 3, and 4 and practiced writing 5 and 6. They are also learning that there can be many ways to reach an answer, and that noticing and describing patterns helps explain mathematical thinking and teach one another.
Religion: This week, the class learned about Guardian Angels and the comfort and protection God gives us through them. Students will be learning the Guardian Angel prayer to say whenever they need comfort or companionship. 😇
Circle of Grace: Students learned that God gives us both comfortable and uncomfortable feelings to help keep us safe. Their “Circle of Grace” is the space as far as their arms can reach around their body — their personal space. They discussed trusted adults they can talk to for help or guidance when something feels uncomfortable. The class also talked about secrets: happy surprises like birthday or Christmas gifts versus unhealthy secrets that make us feel uncomfortable and should be shared with a trusted adult.
Weekly Update • Sep 27 • Mrs. Mullen
SPIRIT DAY + APPLE LEARNING
SEP 27
Tomorrow is the first Spirit Wear, Pizza and Assembly Day! Mrs. Mullen also shared highlights from a busy week of phonics, reading, math, religion, and time with the class's 8th grade buddies.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Sept. 28 — Spirit Wear and Pizza Day.
Monday, Oct. 12 — October Birthday Free Dress Day.
Oct. 14–15 — Vision and Hearing Screening.
SPIRIT DAY ATTIRE
Students may wear Holy Rosary Spirit Wear, including CYO Soccer shirts and shirts or sweatshirts with the Holy Rosary name or logo.
• Solid-color bottoms that are properly sized and clean are allowed.
• Solid-color athletic sweatpants or shorts are permitted.
• Leggings are permitted for students in grades PK–2 only.
• Shoe requirements do not change: athletic shoes only.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics — rhyming, isolating beginning and ending sounds, and syllables.
Reading: Continued handwriting work with lines and circles, reviewed nursery rhymes, and practiced “Rain Rain Go Away” and “It's Raining, It's Pouring,” with vocabulary including away and pouring. Students counted letters and words in sentences, discussed how they are the same and different, and worked through the writing process by planning what they wanted to say, sounding out words, writing, and adding matching illustrations.
Math: Used apples from home to learn how and why to use bar graphs, compared numbers using more-than/less-than symbols, reviewed forming 2 and 3 correctly, and practiced making the number 4. Students also created their own “10 Apples Up on Top” art project tying together math and reading.
Religion: Fr. Matthew visited the classroom and introduced himself to the children. After a sweet conversation about who he is, he reminded them that he is God's child just like all of us. He read the Bible story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life and spoke with the class about Heaven.
8th Grade Buddy Time: Kindergarteners prepared and served applesauce to their 8th grade buddies, then invited them into the classroom for a story and outdoor playtime.
Weekly Update • Sep 21 • Mrs. Mullen
APPLES, RHYMING + BIG FEELINGS
SEP 21
Mrs. Mullen shared highlights from Curriculum Night, an apple activity for the week, and a look at what Kindergarten is learning in phonics, reading, math, religion, and SEL.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Monday or Tuesday, Sept. 21–22: Please send 2 different colored apples to school if you are able. The class will use them for math, art, and science/cooking activities.
Monday, Sept. 28: Spirit Wear and Pizza Day.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics — rhyming, isolating beginning and ending sounds, and compound words.
Reading: Students continued handwriting work with lines and circles, wrote in journals about something they like to do, illustrated their ideas, and recorded letters they could hear in words. The class also learned about nursery rhymes and practiced “Roses are Red” and “Ring Around the Rosie,” with vocabulary including violets, sweet, ashes, and ring.
Math: Continued subitizing fluency and counting the “high-5’s” way, learned about 10-frames, and practiced writing 2 and 3 correctly.
Religion: Visited the church and learned about the holy water font, ambo, and tabernacle. Mrs. Mullen shared that the students were very respectful and are doing a wonderful job at Friday Mass.
SEL: School counselor Mrs. Mullins visited to help students name feelings and work through big emotions. In Second Step, students practiced learner-ready attention with “Eyes are watching, ears are listening, voices quiet, body still” and used their “invisible attent-o-scopes” to minimize distractions.
CURRICULUM NIGHT
The kids were excited to prepare for Curriculum Night by making a welcome video and writing love letters for their families — and then reading the letters families wrote back the next day.
Archive • Sep 12 • Mrs. Mullen
SELF-PORTRAITS + WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
SEP 12
The Kindergarteners created their own mixed-media self-portraits this week! Mrs. Mullen also shared upcoming reminders and a look at what the class has been learning.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Sept. 14 — Aug/Sept Birthday Free Dress: Students with a birthday in August or September may wear free dress.
Wednesday, Sept. 16 — Curriculum Night: 5:30–7:30 PM in the Kindergarten classroom. Choose one session: 5:30–6:00 PM or 6:05–6:35 PM.
Friday, Sept. 18 — Picture Day.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics — rhyming, isolating beginning and ending sounds, and compound words.
Reading: Reading rotations began this week. Students learned about horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines to support correct letter formation and handwriting, and practiced the “kindergarten flip” pencil grip.
Math: Showing mathematical thinking through pictures, forming the number 2 correctly (“around and back on the railroad track”), and learning to subitize quickly.
Religion: The class read about Jesus, Mary and Martha and connected the story to this month’s virtue of hospitality/kindness. Students discussed welcoming others with kindness and practiced greeting one another by name.
Weekly Update • Sep 10 • Mrs. Mullen
OUR FIRST WEEK + CLASSROOM NOTES
SEP 10
Mrs. Mullen thanked families for helping make the first week of Kindergarten go so smoothly and shared a few important reminders along with what the class has been learning.
HOUSEKEEPING + REMINDERS
Pizza/Walk forms are due back to school Tuesday.
Emergency kits and extra lunches are due Tuesday, unless already dropped off.
Folders will come home every Friday with student work.
Girls should wear shorts or bike shorts under skirts/jumpers.
For regular communication, email marym@holyrosaryedmonds.org. ClassDojo is only for sharing photos and videos between school and home.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
Phonics: Auditory phonics, rhyming, isolating beginning and ending sounds, and compound words.
Reading: Books about beginning Kindergarten, plus stories from the class's first Mystery Reader.
Math: Exploring classroom math manipulatives including blocks, puzzles, Buildez, and Unifix cubes.
Religion: Learning how and why to genuflect, practicing the Sign of the Cross and using holy water, and attending Mass with their 8th grade buddies.
Archive • Aug 28 • Mrs. Mullen
KINDERGARTEN FIRST WEEK INFO
AUG 28
Mrs. Mullen welcomed Kindergarten families and shared the first-week schedule, what students should bring, and a few helpful details for the start of school.
FIRST WEEK SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Sep 1 — Noon dismissal. Families may walk their child into class and stay for about 10 minutes. Meet again at noon outside by the gym doors for dismissal. There will also be a welcome coffee after morning drop-off.
Wednesday & Thursday — Regular 3:15 dismissal. Drop off at the regular area by the gym doors. Mrs. Mullen and Mrs. Drew will walk the children into class.
Friday — Noon dismissal. The regular Friday all-school Mass is at 8:30 AM.
WHAT KIDS NEED
Tuesday: Lunch or a hearty snack, a named water bottle with a non-spill lid, and a 4×6 family photo if you have not already brought one in.
Wednesday & Thursday: Snack and lunch.
Friday: School sweater with logo if you have one, plus a hearty snack or lunch.
THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN
Mrs. Mullen also shared a fun 6-minute “The King of Kindergarten” video on Storyline Online.