Summer Enrichment

Summer Activities for Children entering

Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten

Fun In the Summertime!

If you are looking for some fun and creative ways to help your little one get ready for Preschool and Pre-kindergarten, look no further!

Incoming 3 and 4 year olds…

Please remember that children entering preschool must be toilet trained. This alone can be a big undertaking.

Three things are important to ensure a smooth transition into Preschool:

• The ability to communicate needs.
  • The ability to tolerate fine motor stimulation.
    • The ability to solve problems.

    Here are some ways to help your three or four year old to get ready for September…

    Read, read, read. There are many books that help foster good self esteem and self image. "Olivia" is one of our favorites characters - she is just oozing with confidence!

    Check out www.coolmath4kids.com. The activities on this sight are marked by grade level and they are great math starters and help develop problem solving and math skills.

    Great books:

    Check out anything by some of our favorite authors

    Eric Carle www.eric-carle.com

    Steven Kellogg

    Fine Motor Activities

    Developing those small muscles is an important part of every child’s development. Here are some fun ways to get those fingers working.

    Playdough - roll it, cut it, stamp it and make lots and lots of snakes. Try these websites for great recipes.

    www.squiglysplayhouse.com

    www.parentsplace.com

     

    Clothes pins - use clothes pins to hang, tag, mark things around the house and yard.

    Paint - get a bucket of water and some brushes. Paint the driveway or sidewalk. The water will create great designs and will just disappear after a few minutes in the sun.

    Sidewalk Chalk – drawl a mural on the driveway or sidewalk for the whole neighborhood to enjoy.

     

    If you are looking for rainy day activities you may want to try www.familyfungo.com . You will find crafts, activities and projects for any occasion at this web site.

    Make travel an educational experience by keeping a journal with your child. They will love rehashing the days events and watching you write everything down will spark their interest in writing.

Dear Kindergarten Parents,

We are very excited about beginning a new school year, and we are very happy to have your child in our school. We feel a close relationship between parents and teacher is extremely important to your child’s progress. We have listed for you a few sites and authors that may enhance your child’s summer activities in preparation for Kindergarten. We hope you will visit these sites and enjoy the suggested books and activities.

Just a few preliminary reminders for the beginning of school:

• Please LABEL clearly sweaters, coats , schoolbags, lunch boxes, etc. with your child’s name, grade, and what it is for (snack, etc.). One folder from the list of supplies will be used for communications - any notes, envelopes with money, forms, etc., coming to school should be placed in this folder. They are checked every day and any papers to go home are placed in these folders.
• We will also have an open house before school begins so the children may visit their classroom and meet their teacher. Again, check our calendar for dates and times.

Enjoy your summer vacation – we look forward to seeing you in the fall!

The Kindergarten Teachers

Sites to visit:

- Math Sites:

http://www.kidport.com/GradeK/Math/MathIndex.htm

www.coolmath.com

Check out the tips for parents "Getting Ready for Kindergarten"

PreReading and other activities:

Alphabet Soup : if you are looking for ideas, coloring pages, etc. this site is geared to develop activities for young children – insects, nursery rhymes, farm animals, etc. Check it out on a rainy day!

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/index.html

www.starfall.com

Review Nursery Rhymes at:

DLTK's Crafts for Kids

Educational Activities

for Children

www.dltk-kids.com/

This is a great site for large and small muscle control, cooking recipes and exciting places to visit during your summer. It’s a site geared for the whole family to enjoy

A very important activity in Kindergarten is Reading! Reading promotes bonding with parents, communication, development of language skills and a loving and nurturing environment.

We recommend the following authors and their web sites:

Rosemary Wells

www.rosemarywells.com

Jan Brett

www.janbrett.com

Eric Carle

www.eric-carle.com

Tomie dePaola

www.tomie.com

Audrey Wood

www.audreywood.com

Ezra Jack Keats

Robert Munsch

www.robertmunsch.com

Dr. Seuss

www.seussville.com

Skills to review:

Recognizing letters of the alphabet

Top to bottom and left to right

Small muscle activities such as cutting , playdoh, stringing beads, etc.

Colors and shapes

Identify numbers from 1 to 20

Zipper and button coats

Practice tying shoes

Have a Great Summer! See you in September!

Sailing into FIRST GRADE!

Third Grade Summer Enrichment

Summer time is a time to recharge yourself and get ready for the next school year. Take time to relax with family and friends, but also have some fun exploring a book and checking out some of the websites listed below.  We love to have have fun and explore new things in third grade. 

Summer Assignment
Please try to read at least 3 chapter books, that are not graphic novels, this summer
 
Chapter Books and authors to check out:
Magic School Bus chapter books (they have more interesting facts than the other versions)
Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Ivy and Bean Series by Annie Barrows
Mercy Watson Books by Kate DiCamillo
Notebook of Doom Books by Troy Cummings
Owl Diaries Books by Rebecca Elliot
Erie Elementary Books by Jack Chabert and Sam Ricks
Dragon Masters Books by Tracy West and Graham Howells
Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
The Whisper in the Ruins (Chime Travelers) by Lisa M Hendey
The Sign of the Carved Cross (Chime Travelers) by Lisa Hendey
Chocolate Fever by Robert K Smith
All That's Missing by Sarah Sullivan
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K Arnold
The hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson
Meet George Washington by Joan Heilbroner

Other books to check out this summer:
St John Bosco and his Big Gray Dog by Hayley Medeiros
St George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
The Undefeated by Kwane Alexander
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hammer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston
Stargazing by Jen Wang
Six Dots: A Story of YToung Louis Braille by Jen Bryant
Seperate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
Seargent Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse that Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick
Rocket to the Moon by Don Brown
The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to become Dr Seuss by Kathrine Krull

 
Choose a chapter book (either from the Chapter Book list above or your choice - no graphic novels or picture books please -  and use it to create a cereal box and puppet book report.

This project will be used as our September book report and will be graded.

Cereal Box and Puppet Book Report 

For this project, you will write a book report, create a puppet, and use your puppet to help you present your report orally to the class upon our return to school in September. Use the requirements that follow to complete your report and puppet. Have FUN!! 
 

PART ONE: CHOOSE YOUR BOOK

First, choose a chapter book. See the list on the website for some suggestions. You can choose a different book or author. Make sure the book you choose is a chapter book you can read (remember the five-finger rule - read the first page and if there are 5 words on the page you have difficulty reading, choose a different book). No graphic novels for this assignment. 

PART TWO: THE CEREAL BOX 

Cover: Use colored pencils, crayons, or markers for the cover to create an interesting, new book cover for your book. DO NOT copy the cover of the book. Be creative! 

• Include the author and the title of the book in an imaginative way. 

• Include a creative illustration that shows something important about your story. 

PART THREE: BOOK REPORT 

BOTTOM OF THE BOX: 

• Write your first and last name and the date you started your report. 

ONE SIDE OF THE BOX: 

• The Main Characters: Write a paragraph about each character. Describe their appearance and their personality. 

OTHER SIDE OF THE BOX: 

• The Setting: Where did the story take place? What did the place look like? Write a paragraph to describe the Setting. 

BACK OF THE BOX: 

• The Plot: What happened in the story? What was the problem in the story? Who solved it? How was it solved? 

• What is your Opinion of the Book: Now you can give your thoughts about the story? Was it exciting? Did you like reading it? What special things did you like? Did you like the style the author used to write the book? Were the characters nice? 

TOP OF THE BOX: 

• Last, you need to include your recommendation. What age level do you think would like to read this book? Would you tell others to read it? Why or why not? 

• Give it a star rating...5 Stars for excellent and 1 Star for not so interesting! 

PART FOUR: THE PUPPET 

Create a puppet to represent an important character in your book. 

• Your puppet should be homemade using an assortment of craft materials. Be creative. Do not use any store-bought toys. 

• Have your puppet hold something that represents something important in the story. 

• Keep your puppet inside your cereal box. 

PART FIVE: ORAL REPORT 

Prepare to talk about the book you chose during the first week of school. 

• Use your puppet to talk and present your oral report. 

• Be prepared to answer questions from the audience. 

• Have FUN!!!!! 

DUE DATE: The first day of school 

I look forward to seeing all your fabulous creations in September!! Have a wonderful summer!

Keep a reading log of all the books you read during the summer. Read all types of books and place them on the log with a sentence on how much you liked or disliked the book.
 
 

The following are some summertime ideas to help prepare your Incoming Third Grader for the new school year.
 
ELA
Visit your local library, join one of their summer programs (some are hosting virtual programs this summer), or explore different book genres (types - narrative, informational, historical fiction, science fiction, poetry). Have some fun with your reading selections.
 
MATH
We will be expanding our knowledge in addition, subtraction, estimation, geometry,  fractions, multiplication tables, division. area, perimeter, graphs, and expanded form. During the summer, practice addition with carrying over and subtraction using borrowing. Challenge yourself and try something harder in math by adding or subtracting more than 2 digits. You can even get started on practicing your multiplication tables.
 
Websites to Explore
Math Playground - https://www.mathplayground.com/ASB_AlienAddition.html
SplashLearn Games - https://www.splashlearn.com/math-games-for-2nd-graders
Room Recess - https://www.roomrecess.com/pages/23.html
 
RELIGION
This year we will be exploring our role as disciples of Jesus, the sacraments, the rosary, prayer, saints and Mary. This summer, explore one of the Gospels - read a little each night before bed.
 
In third grade we add 2 subjects to our school day - Social Studies and Science. Get ready for some fun activities and experiments as we explore these subjects together.
 
SOCIAL STUDIES
 We will be learning how we are connected to our world. Some of the things we will be learning about are the different types of communities we live in, reading maps,  directions, explorers, our government and how to be a good citizen. 
 
Websites to explore
Virtual Field Trip / Museum of the American Revolution   https://www.amrevmuseum.org/education-museum/students-and-teachers/virtual-field-trip
 
USS Constitution Museum - explore the family fun at home section or any of the videos on the site
Do you think you have what it takes to a sailor??
https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/
 
SCIENCE
This year we will be learning what a scientist does and how experiments are conducted. We will be exploring topics such as energy, plants, animals, ecosystems and weather.
 
Go on an adventure with Miss Frizzle and her class - Read a Magic School Bus book or watch one of the videos
Websites to explore
Philadelphia Zoo Learn from Home - learn about animals - https://philadelphiazoo.org/

1. Bumper Sticker
   • Include a concise statement or slogan highlighting the novel's theme and pair it with a visual image reinforcing the story's theme.
2. Social Media Profile
   • Create a social media profile for the main character. Include a headshot, and a  quote, along with other information such as job, age, interest, friends, and favorites/likes.
3. Map
   • Your map should illustrate important settings from the story. Also, include a title (for an overview of content) and a legend to explain symbols or colors on the map.

•  Bedtime Math App – which can be downloaded on your phone 
  • "Parents know to read to their kids at night, but what about math? Our mission is simple: to make math a fun part of kids' everyday lives, as beloved as the bedtime story. Choose the Math Problem of the Day or explore over 1600 additional math problems with various zany topics, ranging from electric eels and chocolate chips to roller coasters and flamingos. Each has three levels of challenge (Wee Ones, Little Kids, Big Kids), and many also have harder questions (The Sky's the Limit) for really big kids, grown-ups, and anyone who's feeling brave!"
• Use everyday errands as learning opportunities—for example, the grocery store. You can review numbers while choosing groceries, adding the quantity of apples, or looking at prices to reinforce decimals.
• Practice your multipliction tables. Knowing your multiplication tables will greatly help you with your math studies this year as we explore multiple gigit multiplication and division. Check out these websites for games and worksheets:
  • https://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
  • https://www.mathplayground.com/grade_3_games.html
  • https://www.timestables.com/multiplication-games/
  • https://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.php
  • https://www.k5learning.com/free-math-worksheets/third-grade-3/multiplication
  • https://www.math-aids.com/Multiplication/

• Writing and Reading go hand in hand! Reasons you want to get your kids to write during the summer: Improve Communication, Improve Creativity and  Improve Critical Thinking
  • Suggestion to get them writing – Children's author and writing coach Mary Amato (Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All) shares her best tips for parents to encourage their children's creative writing.
  • Keep a diary where they can write down their own life experiences. 
  • Have a writer's notebook for your child to write all kinds of things: ideas, questions, thoughts, true stories, invented stories, rough drafts for poems, songs, or stories, bits of dialogue that they overhear, and more.
  • Have your child write to their favorite author. You could have them include an envelope with their name, address, and a stamp, ready to go. Making it easy for a busy author to respond.

The incoming 5th Grade Students are required to read" Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli" 

                                 

Jerry Spinelli is from Phoenixville,PA
Summer Assignment:

Be prepared to discuss the book the first week of school. Bring your book to class the first day.  We will answer questions about the book along with some activities. 
   

                        

Grade 5 Religion
 Curriculum covers  the Sacraments in more specifics and deeper understanding,  Major Beliefs about Mary, the Liturgical Year, Saints and Feast Days, Social Justice Issues, Prayers, and more.
 

5th Grade Math
Practice your times tables. 
www.multiplication.com/games has many games to help practice your multiplication tables.  Challenge yourself to the 7,8,9,10,11 and 12 times tables!  
The most important thing to help you prepare for 5th grade math is to know your times tables 1 - 12 off the top of your head with not finger help and no paper or pencil.  You should also know how to go from multiplication to division.
example 12 divided by 3 =      and 3 times 4 = 
 

Enjoy your summer vacation. I look forward to seeing you all in September and having a FABULOUS year. 

 

Please read the novel, Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. 




 

Please read the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.