First Grade
Introduction
Hi First Grade!
My name is Ms. Sonna. I’ve called Kansas my home for a majority of my life until moving to Washington! This will be my second year teaching at St. Mark. I received both my BA and MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. I have always loved working with children and to be able to bring both the faith and academics together is a huge gift. As Gerard Manley Hopkins writes, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God” and I look forward to journeying with you this year!
April 24, 2024
Saints of the Month: Our Lady
Virtue practiced this month: Obedience
The Virtues Project started through the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, and is a central part of faith formation at St. Mark's. The intent for this program is for their students to learn about the saints, virtues, and grow in their Catholic faith with their families. What was originally meant for a parish grew into many parish schools integrating this program.
This program has a three year cycle (Faith, Hope, Charity). Every month there will be a new virtue and students will learn about a new saint. We are in the year of Hope.
At the beginning of each new month a Virtues Home project will be sent home. This document has a variety of activities you and your child can do together to learn and reflect on the virtue and saint of the month. These activities that can be completed throughout the entire month. In order to receive credit it must be turned in.
Accelerated Reader (AR 360)
AR 360 is an amazing literacy program that allows you as the parent or guardian to monitor your child's independent reading and literacy growth at school or even home! Students will have the opportunity to take quizzes over books they've read and earn a set number of points for every question they get right. A quick link to how the online program works is located here. Additional few things to note:
- Each child will receive their own username and password
- There is a window for when students can take quizzes. They can take them during the week and over the weekend until 8pm.
- AR 360 Bookfinder will help you see if the books you have at home are in the AR 360 quiz database so that students may take a quiz over the books they have at home!
- If the wrong book quiz gets selected, no worries! That can be fixed on my end, but if it's after school hours please allow time for me to get to a computer. I do not expect quizzes to be taken every night, but if you're able to walk your child through it once a week or every other week that works. If time allows it, AR 360 is a great tool to exercise test-taking/listening skills, and see where your child's literary comprehension skills are growing.
- Here is the quick link from the St. Mark website for login: AR 360
Spellings Words
Units 26-29
First graders can expect to have homework between 15-30 min. with parental help. These items will include Math, Reading, and writing related to other subjects areas, such as history, religion, and or science (don't worry, they're all quite fun activities!). First graders are also expected to complete their virtues projects, memorize class poems, and learn their prayers.
Weekly/Monthly things to keep in mind:
- Virtues Project of the Month: Our Lady
- Poem of the Month: The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- Read 15 min a day
Monthly Homework Overview
