Ruhnke Review 11/17/2025
651-771-8494 aruhnke@stjeromeschool.org
We are Learning About:
Groves/Phonics: We have been learning about the “Consonant Blend Rule” which is: when 2 or more consonants are next to each other, they say their own sound, but are blended together. An example would be the word flag. The letters f & l each say their own sound, yet they are a blend of the two consonants. We have also been learning about the “Floss Rule”. This is when an f, an s, or an l come after a short vowel, you then double that letter. An example would be the word cuff. The short vowel letter u is followed by an f, so the f is doubled. Another example would be bless. The short vowel e is followed by an s, so the s is doubled. We are also learning about Digraph-Blends. This is when there is a digraph (ch, th, sh, wh, or ck) with another consonant next to the digraph in a word such as throb, shrink, thrill. continue reviewing rhyming, knowing the onset (beginning sound), final sound of a word, the letters and sounds, digraphs (ch, th, sh, wh, & ck), and working on handwriting with each letter/sound. We finished all the lower-case letters, and are now working on the Capital/Upper-case letters.
Math: We have finished Chapter 5: Measurement & Length. Take out your Addition flash-cards. (You can purchase addition & subtraction flash cards at the Dollar Store)! Please, help your child practice 10 minutes every evening!! We will be taking addition timed-quizzes 0-12 before Thanksgiving Break and then again before Christmas break and then we will really be hitting it hard in February-Mid May. Chapter 6: Place Value to 100. Vocabulary: tens, ones, ten rod, tens number, two-digit number, hundred chart, count by 2’s, count by 5’s, count by 10’s. Students will be breaking down numbers. for example: the number 32 would be 3 tens and 2 ones, or the number 76 is 7 tens and 6 ones, etc. Chapter 7: Place Value to 120. Vocabulary: value, digit, expanded form, decompose, hundred, 120 chart, order, reasoning.
Religion: Chapter 6: “A Sad Story.” Lessons: The First Sin, Gifts are Lost, Grace is Lost, The Promise of a Savior. Chapter 7: “A Time of Waiting” Lessons: Noah Obeyed God, Abraham Obeyed God, Abraham Had Faith in God, Abraham’s Trust & Thankfulness. After Thanksgiving break, We will be going over to the church to practice for our upcoming Mass on December 17th. If your child has a reading part in the Mass, I will send home the reading with a note asking you to practice with your child at home. This is very important so that they know to read very carefully, with good intonation, read it smoothly, and use their voice projection and not mumble, so that it will be heard by all. Thank you for your help. Chapter 8: “Getting Ready For the Savior” Lessons: God Sends Prophets, The First Prophet, Rules for Life, The Last Prophet. Chapter 9: “Mary Hears Some Wonderful News” Lessons: Mary, Full of Grace, Mary Says, “Yes” to God, Mary Our Model, The Rosary is Mary’s Prayer.
Reading/CKLA: We will begin Unit 2: “The Human Body.” Lessons will include: Everybody has a Body, The Body’s Framework, Marvelous Moving Muscles, Chew, Swallow, Squeeze, & Churn, The Body’s Superhighway, Control Center-The Brain. This unit is also where November’s memorization poem comes from
Our First, 1st-Grade Mass is on December 17th
Our First, 1st-Grade Mass will be on December 17th. I hope you will join us! Remember, Mass begins at 9:45am. You HAVE to be in the church BY this time since the doors are locked at 9:45am. If your child has a reading part in the Mass, I will be sending home the reading in the up-coming weeks with a note asking you to practice with your child at home. This is very important so that they need to read very carefully, with good intonation, reading it smoothly, and using their voice projection and not mumbling, so that it will be heard by all. Thank you for your help.
Scholastic Book Orders:
Books Make Great Christmas Gifts!!!
For some reason Scholastic didn’t send me the flyers to send home to you… So, please go online to Scholastic Book Clubs, & enter code RGVYW to order. All Orders are due by Friday, November 28th. I have to put in orders by December 1st to make sure we receive the books before Christmas break. Which, if you are looking for Christmas Gifts for your child(ren), Books make Great Gifts!!! If you would like to place an order, the easiest way to do so is online. Use code RGVYW.
Star of the Week
November 17, 2025
Brocc
December 1
Ariana
December 8
Ehdibell
A couple of times a month we will have a “Star of the Week” student in our classroom. This entitles the student to be the line-leader, to lead the morning calendar routine, to share/tell all about him/herself by filling in a small poster sheet. This will come home a couple of days, or so, before they are the star. Please have your child fill in the information about themself & color it to make it look nice.
Memory/Sight Words:
Again, this year your child will be working on Memory/Sight words. I will list them here as we do them so that you can work with your child at home, also. We have begun with some review words from last year. We will continue learning more each week. Memory/Sight words are words we find in every sentence we read. Students must know these words to be able to read a sentence. Students should memorize these words, NOT sound them out. Please practice these words every day, both reading them and spelling them.
a, I, and, the, is, was, as, has, to, do, go, no, me, be, we, see, you, are, her, his, or, for, said, of, my, by, like, one, he, she, have, they, were, there, where, from, what, who, why, when, come, some, new, any, many, out, our, saw, how, now, look, old, cold, hold, sold, child, wild, mild, find, kind, mind, bolt, colt, jolt, post, most, two, should, would, could, block, so, both, put, over, under, after, here, your, once, give, live, shove, again, against, been, does, goes, know, very, every, too, talk, walk, down, into, want, only
HARVEST MEAL, November 19th, 6:00-7:30pm
Please come join us for the “Harvest Meal” on Wednesday, November 19th at 6-7:30pm in the school cafeteria/gym. Bring a dish to share that is from your culture or is a family favorite. I look forward to seeing you all at the Harvest Meal!!!
HOMEWORK
In 1st Grade, the students will have homework most nights. This is what to expect:
1. Math. Almost every night your child will have 1-2 math worksheets to do. Please help your child so that they understand what they are doing (if you have trouble with it, look at the sheets we did together in class. This will show you what/how to do the problems on the homework sheets).
2. Daily reading. Your child should be reading 20-30 minutes every day! As I stated above, fill out the Reading Log every day with how many minutes your child read, then sign it (or initial it), and send it back to school at the end of each month. Sr. Audrey, our Reading/Literacy Specialist will be giving your child a book in a bag every day. Your child should read the book at home, then return it to school the next day, and Sr. Audrey will give your child a new book to read. This reading will count towards minutes read on the “Reading Log” also!!
3. Monthly Memorization. This is usually a poem of some sort. Each month (although September & October are together), I will send a memorization piece home with your child. Please work on it each day for 10 or so minutes until your child memorizes it. I will be listening to each student recite the poem at the end of every month. The St. Jerome Pledge came home for the September & October Memorization poem. All students that were at St. Jerome School last year in Kindergarten said it every day , so they should know much of it already! In November, I will send home another poem or memorization piece for them to know by the end of November. Thank you for helping your child learn these!
September & October: Saint Jerome School Pledge. November: “Dr. Welbody’s Heroes,“ December: “Star Light, Star Bright” January: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” February: “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” March: “The Pasture” April: “Rope Rhyme” May: “The Swing”
4. Prayers. We will continue to work on the prayers that your child began learning in Kindergarten. I sent home a sheet with the prayers your child needs to work on. PLEASE don’t throw it away, or lose it! This could be kept on the refrigerator for all to see, and so that your 1st grader and your family can say these payers together daily. This way, not only are they learning the prayers, but they will also be praying to God and with the entire family!! What more could you ask for??!! Here are the prayers your child should practice/say: 1) Sign of the Cross 2) Glory Be 3) Hail Mary. 4) Our Father. 5) Grace (Prayer) before Meals. 6) Angel of God.
Specialist Schedule
Monday=Phy. Ed/Gym
Tuesday=Phy. Ed/Gym
Wednesday=Art
Thursday=Music
Friday=Music
Upcoming Events:
11/19 Give Day: send any kind of uncooked pasta noodles to school to help those in need. The Harvest Meal is also this day at 6:00-7:30 pm. Please bring a dish to share for about 8-10 people. Thank you!! I hope to see you all there!!
11/25 Turkey Bingo in the afternoon!!! End of 1st Trimester.
11/26 27, & 28th NO SCHOOL-THANKSGIVING BREAK. Let’s give thanks to God for all that we have.
11/30 Advent Begins. This is a time of waiting.
12/1 Return to School.
12/4 Report Cards come home today.
12/18 Christmas Concert/Program at 6pm. (More information to come…).
12/20—1/4 NO SCHOOL—CHRISTMAS BREAK! Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!!
1/5 Return to School