Parent Page

Welcome Back to School! Here are a few important notes for a successful school year. I will break this information down by subject and things to know and do.

Reading Grades will be given for vocabulary, comprehension, and oral expression. There will be unit tests, selection assessments, and classwork. Memorize vocabulary and the meanings of suffixes and prefixes. Children should read about one hundred pages a month. If your child is a reluctant reader, you may use your judgment as to how many pages. Often children like to read aloud with an adult taking turns. This also fine. I want the children to learn to love to read, and not think of it as a chore. An author who has won a Newberry Award for one of his works or a Children’s Illustrated Classics would be a good choice. You may also choose from the summer reading list. If you need two books, the other is a book of your child’s choice. Both should be age appropriate or on his or her level. There will be a project to complete or a book report form. They will be due the last day of the month that we are in school from Oct. through May. Your child may skip one month of his choice. If we have a report due, this reading may be substituted for the book of your choice. Book reports count as class work and as not tests! If there is another book your child wants to read, please check with me.

Workbook pages - Please sign when indicated and always make sure corrections have been made. Send a note if extra help is needed. If space is tight, I may ask the children to do their assignment on loose-leaf paper. They should always do it neatly with one number on a line and skip spaces between problems. Papers should be folded lengthwise to make columns to separate work. If there are two parts, fold paper in half, otherwise quarters please.

Tests - Chapter tests and my vocabulary tests in geometry and the measurement tables will be administered. The homework on the night before a chapter test will be a pretest with the same type of problems that will appear on the actual test. Again, I want to see all work done neatly as stated above on the front or on loose-leaf and the answers only filled in on the answer sheet stapled to the pretest. This should help you review with your child. This will count as a homework grade. Chapter tests will be multiple choices. Please stress the importance of not guessing and if the answer isn’t there, they need to keep trying. Cumulative homework will be averaged in as one test grade. This grade will be based on the average of their daily assignments. Perfect work- check plus- will count as 100; one or two wrong – a check – will be a 90, and check minus will be an 80. If nothing is turned in, it will be a zero. Please go over daily homework assignments. Your child may not know they need some extra help. Drop me a note if it needs my attention.

Math Club - As we get further into harder material, I will have a math club once a week on Mondays for extra help. Most weeks will be for children who are struggling or need to build up their confidence only. The Monday before a test or exam, anyone is invited to attend. If your child is staying, I need you to send in a note stating so. If I feel your child does not need to attend, I will have them call you and let you know. Please remind your child that while we can have fun, some children are lost and need my attention. They must wait patiently and quietly for me to make a point or they may not be invited to stay next time. Sometimes we lose sight of why we are there. It is not a social activity. I have changed this policy from past years. There were just too many children staying and the ones who needed help weren’t concentrating.

Social Studies, English, and Composition will be taught by Mrs. Loftus. If you have any questions, please address them to her.

Science I will be giving chapter tests. I will give review questions for each chapter. Your child should work on finding the answers to about 5 a night. This is great reading comprehension practice also. We will go over the review questions (test questions) a couple of days before the test. Your child will be allowed to correct any mistakes, but will not be allowed to just sit there are jot down the answers. The hints for the essays are what information I expect to be included in the answers. Essays should be answered in full sentences and the question should be restated at the beginning of the answer. Your child should practice this at home before the test. He or she should be able to spell the words and use correct punctuation. The answer should make sense both scientifically and grammatically. Also notebooks should be kept neat and will also be checked periodically. I usually give a project every marking period. This will also count as a test.

Spelling/Vocabulary – The spelling will be broken into three tests per chapter: Group A, Group B, and the Challenge and Commonly Misspelled words. We will have a test after each section is completed. We will have one vocabulary test on each chapter.

Homework - The pretest will determine what’s for homework. Each misspelled word will be written five times each. There will usually be a word search for each section. So if you do well on the pretest, you have less homework. If you don’t, you’ve got a lot. If your child has great difficulty in spelling, we will work out something else, but you may need to clue me in until I get to know them better. Please check to see that your child is spelling the words correctly on the homework. Writing the words incorrectly does more harm than good. Vocabulary definitions should be memorized. Any class work that is not finished in school must be done at home that night.

Religion There are chapter tests, my tests, and projects. Please memorize vocabulary and the notes written in notebooks. Study the study sheet as well as the textbook. Children will also have tests on things such as the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, Holy Days, the Sacraments, and the Rosary.

Notebooks All students are to have a separate notebook for each subject. If they get full, please buy a new one. No spiral notebooks are allowed.

Supplies Please make sure your child has all the required supplies in school at all times. Often they are brought home and never come back. Please check periodically to see if they need to be replenished. We always start off great, but then things seem to disappear. Please send in a roll of paper towels, tissues, and wipes every marking period that can be shared. They go fast!!!

Book Covers All books must be covered at all times. Contact paper may only be used on soft covered books. Wallpaper and brown postal paper work great, and so do cut apart brown grocery bags. Washable fabric covers (book socks) are super. Often the paper covers you buy, do not fit the books, and don’t stay on or last. Please label the books with permanent marker on the outside to make it easier to pass them out.

Please encourage your child not to draw and scribble on the covers. Covers need to be replaced whenever they get torn, dirty, or messy. Please inspect your child’s books every now and again. Again, we always start off great, but…

Art Miss Roberti will be teaching art to grades four through eight on Tuesdays. Please make sure they have the supplies she requires.

Instrumental Music Information has been sent home about signing up. It’s optional. Check to see that your child makes up any class work he or she might miss. Be sure your child brings their instrument. They may not call home. I believe classes will be on Fridays.

Gym Please send your child in the appropriate uniform. They may not wear earrings those days. Gym classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If your child needs to sit out, a medical excuse note from the doctor is necessary. Mr. Bertos will teach the class.

Test Folder Please sign all tests and leave them in the folder for the marking period. Also please sign the typed sheet on the inside each week. If you have any questions please write them there – not on the papers. Folders will come home on Tues. Please ask for them if you don’t receive them. Return Wed. or send a note. A nonreturned folder could result in a detention.

Scholastic Book Club and Scholastic Software Please make checks payable to Scholastic, not me, and please no cash. If I don’t receive enough for the minimum order, I will hold them and combine with the following month.

Absence Call the office, send in excuse form with the dates out and the reason for the absence, and make up assignments and tests in the allowed time. Assignments may only be picked up after school, not during, and after vacation is over.

Tardiness Pick up a late slip. Two times equals a notice and three times equals a conference

Snacks/Lunch should be healthy. Snack means only what can be consumed in about five to ten minutes.

Homework Written work should have correct heading, accuracy, and should be neat.Use white lined paper only. Please check daily. Suggestion: Actually look at it. Sometimes I don’t check it until a couple of days after it was handed in if I get too swamped with papers. Don’t just ask if it was done. Studying for tests should not be bypassed. It is just as, if not more, important. If you can quiz your child orally before tests, they would really benefit. They need help developing study skills at this age. I will excuse only those who bring in a note from you. A note will go home when homework is not turned in if it becomes an issue. Chronic problems can lead to lowering of grades. Demerits will be given if an assignment is missed. Missed homework is to be made up and turned in.

Assignment Pad Please make sure you check your child’s assignment pad daily. Each child is required to use one. I assume they are doing what they are suppose to as far as this goes. Please let me know if I need to give your child extra attention with this matter. They often are sure they will remember everything. Some only write down written assignments. Some do not write down a long-term assignment until the night before it is due. We need to learn how to budget time on a big project. They should be responsible by now to do this themselves. Hopefully soon I will be able to post the homework on our website each afternoon.

Heading on Papers There is a specific heading we are to use. Please check papers.

First and Last Name Date

St. Cecilia School Grade

Subject

Detention This will be held on Tuesdays and is proctored by the teachers on a rotating basis. A note will be sent home at least one day in advance for you to sign and return. Three demerits equal one detention. Automatic detentions may also be given for serious infractions of the school policies. The children will be dismissed at 3:15 P.M. Serving detention will keep your child off the honor roll for the quarter and result in removal from student council.

Work Habits: sleep well, eat well especially breakfast, look well, and learn well.

Family Envelopes/Emergency card info should be signed and returned. Please send in an emergency kit in a two-gallon zip locked bag. Use guidelines provided by Sister Marie Elise for contents. Be sure to label them.

Doors Drop off students in morning at the middle door at 7:30 – no earlier as the doors will be locked and no one will be watching them. If you come to school, use front door and report in at the office.

Birthdays A treat will be restricted to only our class. If your child would like to send to a favorite teacher or someone else, I will deliver it at lunch. A night of no homework will be given on a night of your choice. This includes summer birthdays. I cannot give excuses from tests.

Contact me by calling the school office. If an emergency comes up at night, and you need to speak to me, call the convent. Sister Marie Elise will have me return your call.

You may also email me: ekehoe@optonline.net. I can’t promise I will check everyday, but I will try.

Website Please check this frequently. You will find all kinds of information out here about our school and class. (www.stceciliaschool.net) I will tell your children what the user name and password is for the protected pages.

Class Parents/Parties If you would like to be a class parent, please send me a note if you didn’t sign up at Back to School Night. We need help with field trips and class parties. Our parties are Halloween, Christmas, and the end of the year. Often class parents will send a special treat on days such as Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. to be shared at snack even though we do not have a party. If we have enough parents, you may only need to help once or twice. I also need one parent to coordinate the team. Please let me know if you are interested.