Mrs. Pennacchia - 3A

April 13, 2026

Dear Parents,

What a beautiful weekend! I hope everyone was able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. It looks like the warmer temperatures will be around all week, with no rain in the forecast. 😀

The past few weeks have brought several schedule disruptions due to Terra Nova testing, Easter vacation, and our field trip. Thankfully, we are returning to our normal routine this week. As mentioned in last week's newsletter, students will have several tests throughout the week, so please encourage them to review their materials each night.

Here is a look at the week ahead:

Religion: Chapter 13 - Celebrating Eucharist - The Mass

Math: SS Quiz Tuesday (Lessons #117 - 120); Chapter 11: measurement (standard and metric) Test Friday

Spelling: Unit 6 - Week 1 words (prefixes un-, re-, pre-, and dis- ); list can be found on my website; Test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons; test Monday (Lessons #117 - 120)

Writing: begin Opinion Writing - My Favorite Thing

Reading: Ellen Ochoa; vocabulary can be found on my website; test Thursday

Social Studies: Lessons 17 and 18; test Thursday on pages 40 - 45 and vocabulary list

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Grammar: Simple Solutions Lessons #117-120 (Monday 4/13)

Math: Simple Solutions Lessons #117-120 (Tuesday 4/14)

Social Studies: test on Lessons 17 and 18; pages 40-45- vocabulary list provided (Thursday 4/16)

Reading: Ellen Ochoa - comprehension, vocabulary, and skills (Thursday 4/16)

Math: Chapter 11 test (Friday 4/17)

Spelling: test on Unit 6; Week 2 (Friday 4/17)

Looking ahead:

4/15: School Mass 9:15am

4/17: Chick Fil-A; Opening Night Beauty and the Beast Jr

4/18: Beauty and the Beast Jr

4/21: Spring Enrichment begins (Tuesday and Wednesday classes)

4/24: Progress Reports

5/1: DANCE-A-Thon SCJN Hits the Shore (The goal is $40 per child!)

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

April 7, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed some extra time with family and friends. With no school yesterday and our field trip on Friday, it will be a shortened week in the classroom. I promised the children no written homework this week in recognition of their excellent performance on Grandparent's Day. There are, however, several upcoming tests that they should be studying for every night.

With that being said, here is a look at my plan for the week:

Religion: Review of Lent and the Triduum; test Thursday (study guide provided)

Math: Chapter 11 - begin measurement (standard and metric)

Spelling: Unit 6 - Week 1 words (prefixes un-, re-, pre-, and dis- ); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons; review all parts of speech

Writing: begin Opinion Writing (analyzing requirements)

Reading: narrative nonfiction; biography; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: Cultures around the world; new vocabulary list

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

***Field Trip Information

Buses will leave school at 8:45; arrive back by 1:30
Brown bag lunch
Gym uniforms

Upcoming tests:

Religion: Lent and the Triduum (Thursday 4/9)

Grammar: Simple Solutions Lessons #117-120 (Monday 4/13)

Math: Simple Solutions Lessons #117-120 (Tuesday 4/14)

Social Studies: test on Lessons 17 and 18; pages 40-45- vocabulary list provided (Thursday 4/16)

Reading: Ellen Ochoa - comprehension, vocabulary, and skills (Thursday 4/16)

Math: Chapter 11 test (Friday 4/17)

Spelling: test on Unit 6; Week 2 (Friday 4/17)

Looking ahead:

4/15: School Mass 9:15am

4/17: Opening Night Beauty and the Beast Jr

4/18: Beauty and the Beast Jr

4/21: Spring Enrichment begins (Tuesday and Wednesday classes)

4/24: Progress Reports

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

March 23, 2026

Dear Parents,

Happy Spring!! What a gorgeous weekend we have been blessed with. I hope everyone was able to get outside and enjoy the warm temperatures. Let's hope it's the beginning of many similar days ahead. We have certainly earned them after a brief return to winter last week.

Terra Novas continue this week with Math (Monday), Science (Tuesday), and Social Studies (Wednesday). We have had 100% in attendance, which is awesome. Fingers crossed we can continue this trend so no one will need to make up missed tests. Thank you for making sure your child has been prepared by being well-rested, eating a healthy breakfast, and coming to school with #2 pencils.

Reminder: Field trip permission forms are due no later than March 30th.

The following is what I am hoping to accomplish this week.

Religion: Chapter 12 - Celebrating the Eucharist; Triduum; make wooden crosses

Math: Chapter 10 - Comparing and Forming Equivalent Fractions; test Thursday

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 4 words (changing "y" to "i" ); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons; Quiz Thursday

Writing: begin Opinion Writing (analyzing requirements)

Reading: Clever Jack Takes the Cake; vocabulary can be found on my website; test Friday; Readworks

Social Studies: Cultures around the world; new vocabulary list

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Chapter 10 (Thursday)

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz Lessons #109-112 (Thursday)

Reading: Clever Jack Takes the Cake (Friday)

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 4 changing "y" to "i" (Friday)

Looking ahead:

3/25: Chick Fil A Day,

3/27: 8th Grade Living Stations 1:45pm

3/31: Grandparents Day 9:00am; 11:00 Dismissal; No PM Bus Transportation; Start of Easter Break

4/7: Classes Resume

4/10: field trip to The Academy of Natural Sciences

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

March 16, 2026

Dear Parents,

Are you ready for some March Madness??? The students will be selecting a team to follow during the tournament and will complete a short activity about their team on a paper basketball. Each team's name will then be placed on a large map displayed in my classroom, and the decorated basketballs will be arranged around the map. As a team is eliminated, its name will be removed from the map 😢, leaving only the winning teams shown. It should make for a fun (and a little competitive) few weeks in our classroom.

This week also marks the start of Terra Nova testing. We have been working on practice packets and will continue reviewing leading up to each subject's test day. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, March 18th: In-View

Thursday, March 19th: Reading

Friday, March 20th: Language

Monday, March 23rd: Math

Tuesday, March 24th: Science

Wednesday, March 25th: Social Studies

My plan is to give little to no homework during this time, so students can relax and get a good night's sleep. As mentioned previously, you can support your child during testing week (March 18-25) by ensuring he or she gets plenty of rest and eats a healthy breakfast each morning.

The following is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: Chapter 12 - Celebrating the Eucharist; Lenten packet

Math: Chapter 10 - Comparing and Forming Equivalent Fractions

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 4 words (changing "y" to "i" ); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #106- #110; Practice Book (possessive pronouns)

Writing: If I Were a Leprechaun - complete template and good copy

Reading: Clever Jack Takes the Cake; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: Complete good copy of country and its culture

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

3/16: Start of Trimester 3

3/17: St. Patrick’s Day

3/18 - 3/25 Terra Nova Testing

3/20: Rock Your Socks Day and Dress down for $1.00 (Blue and Gold Dress Down Day for World Down Syndrome Day) -all proceeds to Rising Together Alliance

3/25: Chick Fil A Day,

4/10: field trip to The Academy of Natural Sciences

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

March 9, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone survived losing an hour of sleep overnight. The brighter side is that we have gained more sunlight after dinner, which is a wonderful trade-off as we head toward spring. Longer evenings gives us more time to enjoy the outdoors and family activities. Now if we can just have a little less rain and a few more added degrees to the temperature, we will be all set.

The Terra Nova daily reviews have been a valuable tool for the children. They truly enjoy recognizing how much knowledge they have gained and mastered over the course of the year. They have actually stated, "These are fun!". We will continue them this week. You can support your child during testing week (March 18th - 25th) by ensuring he/she gets plenty of rest and eats a healthy breakfast each morning.

Reading and discussing the different features that make up a culture has been our focus in Social Studies. This week, the children will choose a pre-selected country to research. It may be an eye-opening discovery for some as they learn about the customs people practice, the foods they eat, the clothing they wear, and other important traditions. Students will gather interesting facts about their country and complete the template provided in order to share what they learned with their classmates. I am looking forward to seeing them gain knowledge and appreciation of how people around the world live their lives. This will be a graded assignment.

The following is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: complete Chapter 11 - We Celebrate the Sacraments (test Thursday); Lenten packet; maintenances #13 and #14 (due Friday)

Math: Chapter 10 (Comparing and Forming Equivalent Fractions) ; 5 minute timed test; Check Your Progress will be Thursday

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 3 words (vc/cv ); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #101- #105 Practice Book pages 265-268 (present tense verbs)

Writing: If I Were a Leprechaun - complete template and good copy; continue capital letters in cursive

Reading: Clever Jack Takes the Cake; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: Select country and research its culture based on features we learned last week; SS Quiz (Lessons #25-28) is Monday

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: 5 minute drill on multipication and division facts will continue

Social Studies: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #25-28) is Monday

Religion: Chapter 11 test on the sacraments; study guide provided Thursday

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 3 (vc/cv words) Friday

Looking ahead:

3/11: Lenten Penance Service 9:30am

3/13: End of 2nd Trimester, All-day Lenten Retreat, Rice Bowl Lunch, School Mass 9:15am, Grade 2 Living Stations 2:00pm

3/16: Start of Trimester 3

3/17: St. Patrick’s Day

3/18 - 3/25 Terra Nova Testing

3/20: Rock Your Socks Day and Dress down for $1.00 (Blue and Gold Dress Down Day for World Down Syndrome Day) -all proceeds to Rising Together Alliance

3/25: Chick Fil A Day,

4/10: field trip to The Academy of Natural Sciences - more information to follow

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

March 2, 2026

Dear Parents,

Can you believe that it is already March? The school year is absolutely flying by! It is hard to fathom that we will be entering our third trimester in just a few short weeks. We have made so much progress already, but our work isn't done yet. To help everyone reach the finish line strong, please continue to encourage your child to stay focused and on track. Thank you for everything you do to support their learning at home.

With Terra Nova testing approaching later this month, my plan is to conduct daily reviews in areas of reading, language arts, and math. You can support your child during testing week by ensuring he/she get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast each morning.

The following is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: complete Chapter 11 - We Celebrate the Sacraments; Lenten packet; maintenances #9 and #10 (due Friday)

Math: Chapter 9 (Fractions) ; 5 minute timed test; Chapter 9 assessment will be Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 2 words (word endings -s, -ed, -ing); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #97- #100 Practice Book pages 253-256 (subject pronouns); Quiz on lessons #97 - 100 (Friday)

Writing: Use text evidence for answering prompts (anthology); continue capital letters in cursive

Reading: Elizabeth Leads the Way; vocabulary can be found on my website; theme is citizenship; test Friday on vocabulary and comprehension

Social Studies: What is culture and what are its features?; Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #25-28) on Thursday

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Chapter 9 (fractions) assessment will be Wednesday

Math: 5 minute drill on multipication and division facts Thursday

Social Studies: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #25-28) on Thursday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #97-100) Friday

Reading: Elizabeth Leads the Way Assessment (vocabulary and comprehension) Friday

Looking ahead:

3/4: Stations of the Cross (Grades 1-4)

3/11: Lenten Penance Service 9:30am

3/13: End of 2nd Trimester, Lent Retreat, Rice Bowl Lunch, School Mass 9:15am, Grade 2 Living Stations 2:00pm

3/16: Start of Trimester 3

3/17: St. Patrick’s Day

3/18 - 3/25 Terra Nova Testing

3/20: Rock Your Socks Day and Dress down for $1.00 (Blue and Gold Dress Down Day for World Down Syndrome Day) -all proceeds to Rising Together Alliance

3/25: Chick Fil A Day,

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

February 23, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone was able to dig themselves out from Mother Nature's latest blast, and that the children enjoyed their "bonus" day off. We received between 10-12 inches here in West Chester, but they do such wonderful job of clearing the streets. I actually thought we would be off for several days with the weather predictions, but am happy that we only missed the one day.

The following is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: complete Chapter 10 - God Calls Us to Holiness; Lenten packet; maintenances #7 and #8 (due Friday)

Math: Chapter9 (Fractions) ; 5 minute timed test (multiplication and division); it is imperative the multiplication facts are practiced every night

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 1 words (compound words); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #93- #96; Practice Book pages 241-244 (pronouns); Quiz on lessons #89-92 (Thursday)

Writing: Use text evidence for answering prompts (anthology); begin capital letters in cursive

Reading: Elizabeth Leads the Way; vocabulary can be found on my website; theme is citizenship

Social Studies: Black History reports

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: five minute timed test on multiplication and division facts Wednesday

Math: Simple Solutions Quiz (#89-92) Thursday

Spelling: Unit 5 - Week 1 (compound words) Friday

Looking ahead:

2/25: Stations of the Cross (Grades 1-4)

2/27: Father-Daughter Dance

2/28: Mother-Son Dance

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

February 16, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day and enjoyed the warmer weather this weekend. It was nice to be able to go out without being so bundled up, that's for sure.

The 2026 Olympics are well under way and we will be working through the Winter Olympics Passport Reading Activity packet together. Through this, the students will read informational nonfiction passages including the history of the games, the 2026 host location, and a variety of Winter Olympic sports. As they read, they will practice important skills such as identifying the main idea, finding supporting details, and using text features like maps, timelines, and fact boxes. As the children complete each reading passage, they will collect letters in their passport. At the end of the activity, they will use those letters to solve a fun mystery message that reinforces the importance of teamwork and perseverance in sports and learning. I hope they enjoy this independent activity while learning more about these historical games. I plan to grade this upon completion.

In Social Studies, each child will be selecting a famous Black Historian to research. A template will be provided for each to fill in the important details about his/her person. Several links have been made available on my Google Classroom. This will be an in-class assignment and will be graded.

The following is a look at the week ahead:

Religion: begin Chapter 10 - God Calls Us to Holiness; Lenten discussion; maintenances #5 and #6 (due Friday)

Math: Chapter 8 - finish order of operations; test Thursday; begin Chapter 9 (Fractions); continue 5 minute times table drills

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 5 words (soft "c" and "g"); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #87 - #91; quiz Thursday (Lessons #85-88); Practice Book pages 229 - 232 (irregular verbs)

Writing: Winter Olympics packet

Reading: The One and Only Ivan; book test is on Friday; Winter Olympics packet

Social Studies: Black History Month (research assigned historian); Simple Solutions #24- #27

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: five minute timed test on multiplication and division facts Wednesday

Math: Order of Operations test Thursday

Grammar: Quiz on Lessons #85-88 Thursday

Reading: The One and Only Ivan book test Friday

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 5 (soft "c" and "g" words) Friday

Looking ahead:

2/17: Chick Fil A Day

2/18: Ash Wednesday; Liturgy at 9:15am

2/20: Winter Olympics competitions in the morning; students wear colors of Norway (red/blue) with sneakers

2/27: Father-Daughter Dance

2/28: Mother-Son Dance

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

February 9, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a nice, warm weekend. Since the cold temperatures do not seem to be going away, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately in case recess is outside. Hoodies are not warm enough when the real feel temperature is teetering around 30* or below.

Reminder: Valentine's Day is Friday. If your child will be exchanging cards, please make sure he/she has one for every classmate. There are fifteen students in our homeroom.

The 2026 Olympics have begun and I put a Winter Olympics Passport Reading Activity packet together. Through this, the students will read informational nonfiction passages including the history of the games, the 2026 host location, and a variety of Winter Olympic sports. As they read, they will practice important skills such as identifying the main idea, finding supporting details, and using text features like maps, timelines, and fact boxes. As the children complete each reading passage, they will collect letters in their passport. At the end of the activity, they will use those letters to solve a fun mystery message that reinforces the importance of teamwork and perseverance in sports and learning. I hope they enjoy this independent activity while learning more about these historical games.

The following is a look at the week ahead:

Religion: begin Chapter 10 - God Calls Us to Holiness; maintenances #3 and #4 (due Friday)

Math: Chapter 8 - problem solving and order of operations; it is imperative the multiplication facts are practiced every night

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 4 words (homophones); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #82 - #86; Practice Book pages 217 - 220 (conjunctions; use of commas)

Writing: The Day I Was a Snowflake; Winter Olympics packet

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (Sections 11-12) ; open book test on Sections 7-8 is Wednesday; Winter Olympics packet

Social Studies: finish "communities packet"; test Thursday on three kinds of communities; history of the Olympics; Simple Solutions #18- #22

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: five minute timed test on multiplication and division facts Tuesday

Reading: The One and Only Ivan Open Book Test/Vocabulary (Sections 7 and 8) Wednesday

Social Studies: test on the three types of communities Thursday

Looking ahead:

2/13: Valentine's Day celebration (children may bring in cards/treats)

2/13: Noon Dismissal

2/16: No School, Presidents Day!

2/17: Chick Fil A Day

2/18: Ash Wednesday; Liturgy at 9:15am

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

February 2, 2026

Dear Parents,

Happy Groundhog Day!!! Do we really need Punxsutawney Phil to predict our next six weeks??? I will be shocked if he doesn't tell us six more weeks of winter. I do not mind that as long as the temperatures climb out of the teens. 🥶

Now that the fun of Catholic Schools Week is behind us, we can get back to our normal schedule. I brought the timelines home over the weekend and was quite pleased with how nice the poster boards turned out. If you happen to be in the school in the next week or two, stop by to see them. They are all hanging in the room or in the hallway.

The Martin Luther King packets are also graded and will be returned to the children. I will be distributing new packets on the different types of communities - suburban, urban, and rural. These will provide additional information to the workbook. After completing them, the students will be tested on the content.

I plan to start Religion maintenances this week. These will be two-sided worksheets with 20 questions on each (four categories of five questions). I allow the children to vote on one section per side to complete together. That means there will be 15 questions on each side for the students to answer. These maintenances will be given out on Monday and due on Friday. The answers can be found in their Religion book, by looking it up on Google, or even asking you for help. Of course, I can also be a source each day. However, this needs to be done prior to Friday morning when the maintenances are due. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this new assignment.

Here is a brief look at the upcoming week:

Religion: finish Chapter 9 - The Parish is our Home; test Thursday (refer to study guide); maintenances begin

Math: Chapter 8 (Division Facts for 7 and 8) it is imperative these are practiced every night; Check Your Progress (lessons 1-4) Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 3 words (various spellings for "aw"); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #78 - #80; Practice Book pages 205 - 208 (helping verbs; quotation marks); SS Quiz Friday

Writing: rough draft of The Day I Was a Snowflake; Timeline presentations throughout the week

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (Sections 7 - 8 - 9) vocabulary and comprehension

Social Studies: begin "communities"; packet distributed; Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #9-#12) Thursday

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Check Your Progress assessment (Lessons 1-4) Wednesday

Religion: Chapter 9 (The Parish is our Home); study guide provided Thursday

Social Studies: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #9-#12) Thursday

Spelling: Unit 4: Week 3 (various spellings for "aw") Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #77 - #80) Friday

Looking ahead:

2/13: Valentine's Day celebration (children may bring in cards/treats)

2/13: Noon Dismissal

2/16: No School, Presidents Day!

2/17: Chick Fil A Day

2/18: Ash Wednesday; Liturgy at 9:15am

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

January 28th, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone has been able to keep warm during these frigid temperatures and that your children got to enjoy a bit of fun in the snow. Other than attending mass on Saturday at 4:00, I chose to stay in until today. I did brave the cold briefly to take our two dogs for a walk and was very happy to return to the warmth of home.

Since we will be back in school tomorrow, I wanted to share our abbreviated plan for the next three days. With all of the Catholic Schools Week activities, there will be limited instruction and no tests to study for. Our Book Fair time slot will now be Thursday morning at 8:30am.

Timeline Projects are due no later this Friday. Please send them into school in a "trash bag", in order to keep everything intact. Students will have an opportunity to present theirs projects to the class next week.

Here is a look at what I have planned:

Religion: Chapter 9 - The Parish is our Home; Living Rosary on Thursday afternoon

Math: Chapter 8 (Division Facts for 7 and 8) it is imperative these are practiced every night

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 2 words (plurals); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #76 - #77; Practice Book pages 194 - 195 (apostrophe use in contractions and possessives)

Writing: rough draft of The Day I Was a Snowflake (do not think we will get to this)

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (finish Section 5 vocabulary and comprehension- possibly start Section 6)

Social Studies: finish Dr. Martin Luther King packet; SS #13; watch movie on Friday

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

January 19th, 2026

Dear Parents,

Love the three-day weekend ... however, the snow, not so much. 😏 Hopefully, your children were able to enjoy the fluffy white stuff. I am happy for them because they truly are the ones who like it the most.

I am still awaiting the arrival of our Practice Book (Spelling, Grammar, and Reading skills) as well as our handwriting workbook. Therefore, I will continue to make copies of each week's lessons. As for cursive, we have begun practicing writing our spelling words and the children are doing a great job with their letter formation. It is my hope to begin capital letters within the next week or two.

***** Reminder: Granola bars for the Giving Tree Sock Challenge are due by Wednesday, January 21st. Let's shoot for 100% participation.

Social Studies

Our Simple Solutions Social Studies books arrived, and we are completing several lessons in class each week. Two lessons will also be assigned for homework on Tuesdays, allowing students two nights to complete the work.

We will continue to focus on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by completing the packet I have put together. It includes engaging activities with reading comprehension, vocabulary practice, and an "I Have a Dream" writing prompt. This work will be graded. We will conclude by watching an animated movie about Martin's life.

The following is a look ahead at our busy week:

Religion: Chapter 9 - The Parish is our Home

Math: Chapter 7 Review (Division Facts) it is imperative these are practiced every night; test Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 4 - Week 1 words (various spellings for long "u" sound); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #71 - #73; Practice Book pages 181 - 184 (action and linking verbs; end punctuation); S S. Quiz Thursday

Writing: finish "I Have a Dream ...."; rough draft of The Day I Was a Snowflake

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (open book test on Sections 3 and 4 - Friday) ; vocabulary can be found on my website and in packet

Social Studies: Dr. Martin Luther King packet; Simple Solution Lessons #9-12

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Reading: The One and Only Ivan Open Book Test/Vocabulary (Sections 3 and 4) Friday

Math: Chapter 7 assessment (division) Wednesday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #69 - 72) Thursday

Social Studies: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. packet

Looking ahead:

1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. (school holiday)

1/20: Chick Fil A Day!

1/25: Open House and Pancake Breakfast

1/26 - 1/31: Catholic Schools Week … A glimpse at this fun-filled week:

Monday: Celebrating our Community (Dress Down: wear assigned color); $1.00 donation for police lunch; Book Fair for 3A
Tuesday: Celebrating our Nation (Dress Down: Red-White-Blue); Living Rosary at 1:45 pm in Church
Wednesday: Celebrating Teachers and Staff; (Dress Down: Dress Like a Teacher)
Thursday: Celebrating Volunteers and Parents; (Dress Down: Jersey Shore or Favorite Jersey); No Homework
Friday: Celebrating Students - a day filled with fun activities; (Dress Down: Spirit Wear)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

January 12th, 2026

Dear Parents,

What a wonderful first week returning after Christmas break! Everyone was present each day, and it felt great to jump right back into our routines. I especially want to thank you for supporting my request that students practice their multiplication facts nightly - it truly made a BIG difference. Students working through the 4 - 12 times tables showed noticeable progress this week. Some had been feeling stuck, so it was especially rewarding to see them advance and gain confidence. I was thrilled to see the smiles on their faces as we celebrated their success!

Social Studies News

Our Simple Solutions Social Studies books have arrived, and we have already completed a few lessons in class. It is my intention to continue working in these books each week. Beginning this week, two lessons will also be assigned for homework on Tuesdays, allowing students two nights to complete the work.

Over the next two weeks, we will segue from our workbook to focus on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I have put together a packet of engaging activities that includes reading comprehension, vocabulary practice, and an "I Have a Dream" writing prompt. This work will be graded.

The following is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: complete Chapter 8 (The Church Prays); test Thursday (study guide provided)

Math: Chapter 7 (Division Facts) it is imperative these are practiced every night

Spelling: Unit 3 - Week 5 words (dipthongs); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #65- #69; Practice Book pages 169 - 172 (combining sentences with verbs; punctuation

Writing: finsih "I Have a Dream ...."

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (book test on Sections 1 and 2 - Wednesday) ; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: Dr. Martin Luther King packet

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Reading: The One and Only Ivan (Sections 1 and 2) Wednesday

Math: Simple Solutions (Lessons #65 - #68) Wednesday

Religion: Chapter 8 (The Church Prays); study guide provided Thursday

Spelling: Unit 3: Week 5 (dipthongs) Friday

Social Studies: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. packet (over the next two weeks)

Looking ahead:

1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. (school holiday)

1/20: Chick Fil A Day!

1/25: Open House and Pancake Breakfast

1/26 - 1/31 Catholic Schools Week

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

January 5th, 2026

Dear Parents,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful and joyful holiday season. It sure was nice to be off for such a long period of time. As we begin the second half of the year, I am excited to see the students return refocused, recharged, and ready to enthusiastically embark on new learning adventures together.

My intention is to pick up right where we left off in December. As always, it is IMPERATIVE that students master their multiplication facts. Nightly practice is essential for this mastery to occur. At this point, there is a wide range of progress - several students are still working through the 4x facts, while others have mastered all multiplication facts through 12 and have applied division facts as well. I encourage you to check with your child: Where is he or she in this process? Is your child demonstrating true mastery - able to respond accurately within 3 seconds? Continued practice at home will make a tremendous difference as we move forward.

We will begin a novel study of The One and Only Ivan. I plan to test comprehension and vocabulary after sections 1 and 2 (approximately a total of 50 pages).

Here is a glimpse of the week ahead:

Religion: Chapter 8 (The Church Prays)

Math: finish Chapter 6 - Multiplication Facts (6 - 7 - 8); it is imperative these are practiced every night; Test Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 3 - Week 4 words (prefixes pre-, dis-, and mis-); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #61- #64; Practice Book pages 157 - 160 (future tense verbs; proofreading); SS Quiz (Lessons #61-64) Friday

Writing: New Year's Resolutions - A Toast to the New Year

Reading: begin novel study The One and Only Ivan; vocabulary can be found on my website

*Daily short reading passages each day in hopes of improving the overall comprehension strategies and skills. These will be graded weekly.

Social Studies: Lessons #12 (natural resources) and #13 (kinds of environments); vocabulary provided

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Reading: daily comprehension passages

Math: Chapter 6 (multiplication) Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 3: Week 4 (prefixes pre-, dis-, and mis-) Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #61-#64) Friday

Looking ahead:

1/5: Mass 9:15am Saint John Neumann Feast Day

1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. (school holiday)

1/25: Catholic Schools Week begins

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

December 8, 2025 **** Second Trimester Begins ****

Dear Parents,

Happy Second Week of Advent! This week, we will light last week's purple candle for "hope" and this week' purple candle for "peace". The class has been learning about the meaning of the season and the symbolism of the evergreens, circle shape, candles, and berries. Students are also writing down their daily acts of kindness and adding their links to our classroom display. I hope this helps them deepen their understanding of the true meaning of this special time of year.

Last Tuesday, we enjoyed our trip to People's Light to see A Christmas Carol. On Friday, we welcomed a visit from Saint Nicholas who filled our shoes with treats. The day continued with a school-wide Advent retreat that included a prayer-partner activity (Countdown to Christmas Advent wreath), writing Christmas letters to parishioners, designing ornaments with students' school photos for the Christmas tree, and watching a Story Keeper's Movie (A Christmas Story). As a special treat, each child received a cross-shaped pretzel for snack.

Looking ahead, there are several schedule changes for the upcoming week. Mass for the Immaculate Conception will be held on Monday and an Advent Penance service is planned for Wednesday. Friday brings the exciting SANTA SPECTACULAR, which will also be a pajama day and include Chick Fil A lunch (for those who ordered).

Despite the craziness, academics will continue. Here is a look at the week ahead:

Religion: Chapter 7 (The Church Teaches Us) ***focus on Advent

Math: Chapter 6 - Multiplication Facts (6 - 7 - 8); it is imperative these are practiced every night; SS quiz Thursday (Lessons #57-60)

Spelling: Unit 3 - Week 2 words ("r" controlled vowels); list can be found on my website; test Thursday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #55-#58; Practice Book pages 133-136 (present tense verbs; subject-verb agreement)

Writing: Santa Brings the Perfect Gift is our writing prompt this month

Reading: Unit 3 - Week 2; "Earth"; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website

*Daily short reading passages each day in hopes of improving the overall comprehension strategies and skills. These will be graded this week.

Social Studies: complete geographic regions of the United States

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Reading: daily comprehension passages; Earth test (open book)

Math: SS quiz (Lessons #57-60) Thursday

Spelling: Unit 3: Week 2 ("r" controlled vowels) Thursday

Looking ahead:

12/8: Mass 9:15am Feast of the Immaculate Conception

12/10: Advent Penance Service

12/12: Santa Spectacular, Movie Day, CHOP $1.00 PJ Day, Chick Fil A Day

12/15: School Christmas Show at 7:00pm

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

December 1, 2025

Dear Parents,

***Congratulations to our classmate, Brooklyn Lange, who received her First Reconciliation on Tuesday and her First Holy Communion on Saturday. We are so proud of her.

Happy December! Welcome to the wonderfully chaotic three weeks before the holiday! I will do my best to keep things calm and focused in the classroom ... but let's be honest, we all remember how the Christmas season made us feel as kids. This time of year brings a great deal of excitement. I appreciate your help in making this a joyful time for the students while keeping them engaged and hopefully productive.

Our field trip to the People's Light Theater in Malvern is set for Tuesday. The chaperones selected are Mrs. Rygiel and Mrs. Hall. Mr. McCallion will also be joining us as we wanted to have a male parent to accompany any boy(s) who may need to use the restroom during the performance.

Today marks the beginning of Advent. I plan to spend some of our Religion lessons each week discussing the importance of this season, the themes for each week, as well as the symbolism of each part of the Advent wreath. A study guide will be provided.The students will be asked to do at least one kind act every day and write it on either a purple or pink piece of paper. These will be linked together and displayed in the classroom.

The following is a glimpse of the week ahead:

Religion: begin Chapter 7 (The Church Teaches Us) ***focus on Advent

Math: Chapter 6 - Multiplication Facts (3 - 10); it is imperative these are practiced every night; test is Thursday on 2-5 times tables

Spelling: Unit 3 - Week 1 words ("r" controlled words); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #50-#53; Practice Book pages 121-124 (action verbs and quotation marks; SS quiz Friday (Lessons #49-52)

Writing: Santa Brings the Perfect Gift will be our writing prompt this month

Reading: Unit 3 - Week 1; "Earth"; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website

*** I plan to begin assigning short reading passages each day in hopes of improving the overall comprehension strategies and skills. These will not be graded this week.

Social Studies: continue with the seven geographic regions of the United States

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Reading: daily comprehension passages (will not be graded this week)

Math: multiplication facts assessment (2-5 times tables) Thursday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (lessons #49-52) Friday

Looking ahead:

12/2: Class trip to People's Light Theater in Malvern

12/5: Advent Retreat Day (morning activities)

12/6: Saint Nicholas Day

12/8: Feat of the Immaculate Conception - mass at 9:15 am

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

November 17, 2025

Dear Parents,

I was not in school Thursday or Friday last week as my husband was undergoing knee replacement surgery. Fortunately, all went well and he was able to come home Friday night. Now the hard part begins ... recovery! I am grateful for Mrs. Corrado substituting for me those two days. It seems as if she was able to accomplish almost everything I had planned. She loved being with the class and said she would be happy to come back any time. I am so proud of the children for making her time in Room 3A a positive experience.

Since we only have 6.5 days before Thanksgiving break, this will be my last newsletter until we return from the break. We will be finishing up several units/chapters and I am quite pleased with the overall progress the students have made during the first trimester.

REMINDER: Please send in the Thanksgiving food item(s) you were assigned no later than Thursday, November 20th. If you are interested in donating a turkey for the St. Francis Inn, please bring it into the office. Thank you for your generosity.

The following is what I hope to accomplish during these 6.5 days :

Religion: finish Chapter 6; test Friday (study guide provided); saint cards are due today; oral presentations will be this week

Math: Chapter 5 - Multiplication Facts (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10); nightly practice is highly recommended; test is Thursday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 5 words (digraphs); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #43-#47; Practice Book pages 109-112 (possessive nouns)

Writing: expository writing of The History of Thanksgiving

Reading: Unit 2 - Week 5 ; Genre is Poetry

Social Studies: seven geographic regions of the United States

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Chapter 5 (multiplication) test Thursday

Religion: Chapter 6 (The Four Marks of the Church); test Friday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 5 (digraphs); test Friday

Looking ahead:

11/17: Saint report is due; oral presentations this week

11/19: Picture Retake

11/20: Thanksgiving food donation is due

11/24: Mass at St. Colman's (6:00) - ALL ARE WELCOME

11/25: Thanksgiving Break begins at noon

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

November 10, 2025

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mother Nature is certainly spoiling us with these 60+ degree November days! I'll take it as I am NOT someone who enjoys the cold weather. 🥶

I hope your child has been researching the saint he/she chose. It is a good idea to explore at least three different sources about the saint's life - some even have short, helpful videos on You Tube. The more details your child collects, the easier it will be to write the two paragraphs in his or her own words. I look forward to seeing the wonderful reports they create. Oral presentations will take place next week.

Here is a look at our the week ahead:

Religion: finish Chapter 5; begin Chapter 6; saint project is due Monday, November 17th

Math: Chapter 5 - Multiplication Facts (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10); nightly practice is highly recommended; SS Quiz (Lessons 41-44) is Thursday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 4 words (three letter blends); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #39-#42; SS Quiz (Lessons #37-40) is Wednesday; Practice Book pages 97-100 (compound subject and

predicate nouns; use of comma)

Writing: watch several videos to help formulate our story of The History of Thanksgiving

Reading: Unit 2 - Week 4 The Castle on Hester Street; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website; comprehension and vocabulary

test Friday

Social Studies: Lessons 10-11 (Weather vs Climate)

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #37-40) test Wednesday

Math: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #41-44) test Thursday

Reading: The Castle on Hester Street (comprehension and vocabulary) test Friday

Looking ahead:

11/11: Veterans Day Prayer Service (9:15)

11/12: School Liturgy at 9:15am

11/13: World Kindness Day

11/14: Fall Sports Pep Rally

11/17: Saints Project due

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

November 3, 2025

Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to come in for conferences last week. I truly enjoyed meeting with you and discussing your child's progress. Your support and involvement make such a difference. It's hard to believe we are already two-thirds of the way through the first trimester! I am so proud of how much we have accomplished and how far the students have come.

This month, our class will be researching and learning about some of the saints required by the Archdiocese. Each student has chosen one saint to focus on for a special project they'll complete at home. This information will be coming home with them on Monday.

Also, today please look for information regarding our field trip to see A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the People's Light Theatre in Malvern.

A message from our Student Council: SCJN will be collecting Thanksgiving dinner items for the homeless families at St. Francis Inn Ministries in Philadelphia. We would like to fill at least 22 boxes this Thanksgiving season, but we need your help in order to reach our goal! We can easily do this if each child brings in the item they are assigned. Please refer to the list I sent home with your child. I have also sent an email with this information. We ask that you please send in the appropriate food item(s) by Thursday, November 20th. If you are interested in donating a turkey for the St. Francis Inn, please bring it into the office.

Here is a look at our the week ahead:

Religion: review rosary study guide; test Wednesday; finish Chapter 5; distribute saint project (due November 17th)

Math: Review Chapter 4; test Tuesday; begin Chapter 5 on Multiplication Facts

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 3 words (silent letters); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #35-#39; Practice Book pages 85-89 (irregular plural nouns)

Writing: begin discussion on "expository" writing; The History of Thanksgiving will be our topic this month

Reading: Unit 2 - Week 3 The Castle on Hester Street; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: review Lessons 4-6 (Monday); Lessons 7-9 (Tuesday); test Thursday on Lessons 4-9

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Chapter 4 (Multiplication and Division) test Tuesday

Religion: rosary (prayers and days mysteries are said) test Wednesday

Social Studies: map skills (Lessons 4-9) test Thursday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 3 (silent letters) test Friday

Looking ahead:

11/3: Winter Uniforms Start; Chick Fil A Lunch

11/3-11/7: Kid Talk Lessons this week

11/9: Open House 9:00 AM

11/11: Veterans Day

11/12: School Liturgy at 9:15am

11/13: World Kindness Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

October 27, 2025

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Conference Week! I look forward to meeting with each of you to discuss your child's progress thus far. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate growth, share goals, and talk about ways we can continue supporting his/her success at home and school. Please remember to arrive at your scheduled time, as some appointments are set closely together. If you need to reschedule, please let me know as soon as possible. Here is a reminder of the day and time you signed up for:

Thursday, October 30th

1:00 - 1:15 Ratigan (Quinn) 3:45 - 4:00

1:15 - 1:30 Barnett (Jack) 4:00 - 4:15

1:30 - 1:45 Lange (Brooklyn) 4:15 - 4:30. Robertson (Jace)

1:45 - 2:00 Patterson (Tristan) 4:30 - 4:45 Rygiel (Brendan)

2:00 - 2:15 4:45 - 5:00

2:15 - 2:30 Huyette (John) 5:00 - 5:15

2:30 - 2:45 5:15 - 5:30 Mahoney (Brendan)

2:45 - 3:00 5:30 - 5:45 Antonacci (Declan)

3:00 - 3:15 5:45 - 6:00 Fitzgerald (Brynn)

3:15 - 3:30 6:00 - 6:15 McCallion (RJ)

3:30 - 3:45 6:15 - 6:30 Hurtado (Sienna)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, October 31st

9:00 - 9:15 O'Donovan (Murphy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a look at our the week ahead:

Religion: Chapter 5 (We learn about the Early Church);the mysteries of the rosary; continuing to say a decade each day; select saint for report

Math: Chapter 4 (Division) inverse of multiplication; practicing times tables; Chapter 4 test next Tuesday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 2 words (long "e"); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #31-#34; quiz Wednesday on Lessons #29-#32; Practice Book pages 73-77 (singular/plural nouns)

Writing: make a pumpkin book-tivity from the story "Room on a Broom"

Reading: Unit 2 - Week 2 VOTE; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website; vocabulary and comprehension test Wednesday

Social Studies: new vocabulary; learn the difference between parallels and meridians; four hemispheres

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Grammar: Simple Solutions (Lessons #29-#32) will be Wednesday

Reading: vocabulary and comprehension test on VOTE will be Wednesday

Math: Chapter 4 (Multiplication and Division) will be Tuesday, November 4th

Religion: prayers said on the different beads; names of the four types of mysteries and days on which each are said; test Wednesday, Nov. 5th

Looking ahead:

10/30: Trunk or Treat; Conferences 1:00-7:00

10/31: No School for Students; conferences, 8:30-11:30

11/3: Winter Uniforms Start; Chick Fil A Lunch

11/3-11/7: Kid Talk Lessons this week

11/9: Open House 9:00 AM

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

October 20, 2025

Dear Parents,

The start of a new week brings with it some new chapters and stories which will be introduced to the children. Last week we finished up Unit 1 in Reading and Chapter 3 in Math. Therefore, there will be a new spelling list, new Grammar skills, a new vocabulary list for our story , "VOTE", and new concepts to be covered in Math. In Social Studies, the students should be working diligently on their "town maps" as they meet the requirements given to them with their card stock paper. As for Religion, we will be introduced to the "mysteries" of the rosary as we continue to pray a decade each morning during October, the month of the rosary.

Here is a look at our full week ahead:

Religion: Chapter 4 (The Church Begins) with focus on the role of the Holy Spirit; introducing the mysteries of the rosary; continuing to say a

decade each day

Math: Chapter 4 (Multiplication); utilizing IXL; SS Quiz on Lessons 25-28 will be Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 2 - Week 1 words (long "i" and long "u"); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #26-30; Practice Book pages 61-65 (kinds of nouns)

Writing: finish personal narrative (a favorite memory); make a pumpkin book-tivity from the story "Room on a Brrom"

Reading: Unit 2 - Week 1 VOTE; skills and story; vocabulary can be found on my website; listening comprehension test Thursday

Social Studies: new vocabulary list for Lessons 4-9 will be distributed; map project is due Thursday, October 23rd

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

I am looking forward to speaking to each of you individually at our conferences set for next Thursday afternoon (October 30th) and Friday morning (October 31st). If you have not already had an opportunity to sign up for one yet, please do so this week, so I can put together a schedule for both days.

Upcoming tests:

Math: Simple Solutions (Lessons #25-28) will be Wednesday

Reading: listening comprehension test will be Thursday

Spelling: Unit 2-Week 1 Long "i" and long "u" words; is Friday

Looking ahead:

10/23: Social Studies Map Project due

10/30: Trunk or Treat, Conferences 1:00-7:00

10/31: No School for Students, conferences, 8:30-11:30

11/3: Winter Uniforms Start, Clean Calendar Dress Down Day; Chick Fil A Lunch

11/3-11/7: Kid Talk Lessons this week

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

October 13, 2025

Dear Parents,

Well, this past week was a tough one if you are a Phillies, Eagles, or Penn State fan. Fortunately, we can put things into perspective and realize our family's good health and happiness are all that really matter. The "supposed entertainment" is truly not that important in the grand scheme of things. With that being said, we have a full week of learning ahead with several tests being given. There is no Spelling list for Unit 1 - Week 6, so we will just be playing some online review games this week. These are provided through our reading series, Wonders. As for homework, I intend to go light on written in order for the children to spend extra time preparing for their upcoming tests.

As for the rest of the subjects, here is a glimpse of what I have planned:

Religion: complete Chapter 3; use study guide to prepare for Thursday's assessment of Chapters 2 and 3; saying rosary during October

Math: complete Chapter 3 (Subtraction); work on problem solving; test Thursday ***starting the multiplication tables

Spelling: review week - there will be no Spelling homework

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #23-27 (Quiz Friday on Lessons #21-24)

Writing: work on our personal narrative (a favorite memory)

Reading: Unit 1 - Week 6 Protecting Our Parks; vocabulary can be found on my website; test Friday

Social Studies: map skills; map project assigned (due Thursday, October 23rd)

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

**The children will be coming home with a Social Studies map project. I ask that you sign the requirements paper, so I know you are aware. I will be going over the expectations in class, but appreciate your guidance if needed. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Upcoming tests:

Religion: Chapters 2 and 3 (study guide provided) is Thursday

Math: Chapter 3 assessment (subtraction) is Thursday

Reading: Protecting Our Parks (vocabulary and comprehension) is Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lesson #21-#24) is Friday

Looking ahead:

10/23: Social Studies Map Project due

10/30: Trunk or Treat, Conferences 1:00-7:00

10/31: No School for Students, conferences, 8:30-11:30

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

October 6, 2025

Dear Parents,

Happy October!! I hope everyone was able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend. I love this time of year when the leaves are starting to change colors, the days are pleasant, and the nights are a bit cool. It's great sleeping weather.

Last week, we engaged in our first school-wide STEM POWER HOUR. The students enjoyed looking over the supplies and strategizing how to best utilize the materials provided. Their challenge was to build a bridge that could support a miniature Jesus. Watching and listening to their creativity and ingenuity was such fun!

Here is a look at what I have planned for our upcoming shortened week:

Religion: continue Chapter 3; focus on the rosary during the month of October

Math: review Chapter 2 test; begin Chapter 3 (subtraction with estimation and regrouping)

Spelling: Unit 1 - Week 5 words (long "o"); list can be found on my website; test Thursday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #19 - #22

Writing: work on our personal narrative (a favorite memory)

Reading: Unit 1 - Week 5 Protecting Our Parks; vocabulary can be found on my website

Social Studies: locate and identify the seven major continents and five oceans

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Religion: Saint Michael prayer is Monday

Math: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lesson #16-#20) is Wednesday

Spelling: Unit 1 - Week 5 (long "o") is Thursday

Looking ahead:

10/6-10/10: Garage Sale!

10/6: Golf Outing

10/7: Spiritwear Dress Down Day for all, Chick Fil A Day

10/8: School Mass at 9:15am

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

September 29, 2025

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe we almost have a full month under our belt. We are continuing to use packets for the workbooks that have not been shipped to us. These include Simple Solutions for Math and Grammar as well as the Practice Book used for both Spelling and Grammar. The children will be bringing these home on occasion when a test or quiz may be upcoming. By now, all workbooks, the Math and Social Studies copybooks, and the homework planner should be covered. Thank you for taking care of this. As mentioned before, please have extra contac paper on hand for when the budget is passed and the remaining workbooks are distributed.

Here is a look ahead at the upcoming week:

Religion: begin Chapter 3; focus on the rosary during the month of October; seminarian visit on Thursday

Math: finishing Chapter 2 with regrouping and problem solving; test on Chapter 2 will be Thursday

Spelling: Unit 1 - Week 4 words (long "a"); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #14 - #18; Quiz on Lessons #13 - #16 will be Friday

Writing: introduction to writing a personal narrative (a favorite memory)

Reading: Yoon and the Jade Bracelet - review vocabulary (on website), story details, and skills (sentence vs fragment; subject and predicate)

(test Friday)

Social Studies: Geography (political map vs physical map); vocabulary for Lessons 1-2-3; test on Lessons 1-3 has been move to Thursday (10/2)

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Chapter 2 assessment is Thursday

Social Studies: Lessons 1 - 3 including all vocabulary is Thursday, October 2nd

Grammar: Lesson #13 - #16 quiz is Friday

Reading: Yoon and the Jade Bracelet vocabulary, comprehension, and skills test is Friday

Religion: Saint Michael prayer test will be Monday, October 6th

Looking ahead:

10/6-10/10: Garage Sale!

10/6: Golf Outing

10/7: Spiritwear Dress Down Day for all, Chick Fil A Day

10/8: School Mass at 9:15am

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

September 22, 2025

Dear Parents,

Happy Fall!!! Hopefully, the temperatures stay a bit cooler and we don't experience any more hot, hot days. I can live with 60's - 70's all year long, but realize I would need to relocate to experience this.

As we move into our third full week, it is my hope that the children are developing a routine for both classwork and homework. I want to remind you that homework should be between 45-60 minutes according the the archdiocese. This includes the 20 minute mandatory reading each night. If, at any time, you see your child spending too much time on a particular subject, please let me know. I do try to be mindful of the amount I am giving, but also understand that everyone works at a different pace. Therefore, what may be 30 minutes for one student could very well be 60 for another. No more than 15 minutes should be spent on Math. I f it is taking longer, please email me, so I can look into this. ***Reminder that all workbooks, Math copybook, and planner should have been covered as of Friday, September 19th . Please be sure to have extra contac paper available for when the other workbooks begin to arrive.

Here is a snapshot of the upcoming week:

Religion: Chapter 2 - Jesus Teaches Us About God's Love

Math: Chapter 2 - Addition Properties, adding with regrouping, estimating; SS Quiz on Thursday (Lessons #9-12)

Spelling: Unit 1 - Week 3 words (final "e"); list can be found on my website; test Friday

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #9 - #12

Writing: Use graphic organizer to list how Peter’s feelings (story in reader) change from the beginning to the end

Reading: The Dream Catcher; vocabulary and introduction to Yoon and the Jade Bracelet; vocabulary can be found on my website;

Social Studies: Geography (political map vs physical map); vocabulary for Lessons 1-2-3; test on Lessons 1-3 has been move to Tuesday (9/30)

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Math: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lesson #9-#12) is Thursday

Spelling: Lesson 3 (final "e") is Friday

Social Studies: Lessons 1 - 3 including all vocabulary is Tuesday, September 30th

Looking ahead:

Picture Day is today.

Acadience testing will be taking place this week.

Saints Stomp is this Saturday at 9:00 am.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

September 15, 2025

Dear Parents,

One week under our belt and things seem to be falling into place. The students are better understanding the expectations I have put in place for them. We have been discussing our rules and implementing them on a daily basis. Please reinforce the proper behavior you expect from him or her when at school. We DO NOT: call out, get out of our seats, talk while we are in the hallways or on the stairs, or keep playing once the bell has rung. We DO, however, show respect for others, stop and let an adult pass, use our manners at all times, and take responsibility for our actions. It is my hope these positive behaviors will become the norm for 3A and reminders will no longer be necessary.

As far as the week ahead, the following is what I have planned:

Religion: continue our discussion of the Blessed Trinity; Chapter 1 test is Thursday

Math: problem solving involving place value; Chapter 1 test is Thursday

Spelling: Unit 1 - Week 2 words (short "e", "o", and "u" words); list can be found on my website

Grammar: Simple Solutions lessons #5-#8; quiz is Friday

Writing: using the four types of sentences to write a paragraph on Google Classroom

Reading: review vocabulary and reread Gary the Dreamer; test Friday on vocabulary, comprehension, and skills covered

Social Studies: distribute workbooks; introduce "geography" and the five themes associated with it; vocabulary found on my website

Science: see Mrs. Seinz's website

Upcoming tests:

Religion: Chapter 1 test is Thursday

Math: Chapter 1 test is Thursday

Grammar: Simple Solutions quiz is Friday (Lessons #5-#8)

Reading: Gary the Dreamer vocabulary, comprehension, and skills test is Friday

Looking ahead:

Picture Day is scheduled for Monday, September 22nd.

Social Studies test on Lessons 1-3 (pages 1-8) will be Wednesday, September 24th. Focus will be on vocabulary and location of the seven continents and five oceans on the map.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

sue.pennacchia@scjnschool.org

September 8, 2025

Dear Parents,

Well, today marks the beginning of our first full week of school. We will be following our regular schedule as all our SPECIALS will be in place. The only book we have to start the year with is Religion. Packets have been made and dWe will begin both Math and Grammar Simple Solutions today. Quizzes given will be for four lessons at a time. This is how the format is supposed to be implemented.

Our first Spelling lesson includes short "a" and short "i" words. There will be homework in this subject every night.

Math packets have been made for both the workbook and Simple Solutions. The first chapter will focus on place value. There will also be homework in this subject every night.

You can always access my homework on my Google site.

UPCOMING TESTS:

Spelling: Lesson 1 (short "a" and short "i" words)

Math: Simple Solutions Quiz (Lessons #1-4)

I look forward to meeting each of you at our Back to School Night on Tuesday. Back to School Night Slides

Mrs. Susan Pennacchia

September 3, 2025

Dear Parents,

What an awesome first day of third grade we had today! Your children arrived with bright smiles, positive energy, and LOTS of supplies. Thank you so much for sending these in with them. We spent the day getting to know one another, learning classroom routines, and engaging in some team-building activities that encouraged cooperation and creativity.

As we settle into the new year, please continue to encourage your child to share their school day with you. Some suggestions would be asking him/her what they enjoyed most that day, something new they learned, or a friend they connected with.

As the month progresses, it is my hope that some workbooks will begin to arrive. However, in the meantime, I will be making packets so we can stay on pace with the curriculum. These will be kept in school or sent home if there is homework to be completed on a given night. You will notice that I have labeled each section of the red folder in hopes of assisting with organization. Anything that needs to stay home or come back to school should be found in the "LEAVE HOME or "RETURN" pockets (last section). Today, the Aramark information as well as the signs for car riders were placed there. All other pockets are subject-based.

On a final note, I ask that you please use contac paper for all workbooks, the blue Math copybook, and the planner/homework assignment book. Some may have brought these home tonight. I just ask that they get covered within the next two weeks. Obviously, as workbooks do arrive, they will be sent home, also.

Thank you for your support and for sharing your AMAZING children with me. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Mrs. Pennacchia

September 1, 2025

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Mrs. Pennacchia's third grade team where effort, teamwork, and a positive attitude will be the winning formula both in and out of the classroom. I am thrilled to be your coach (also known as your teacher) for this exciting season.

This year we will be learning many new skills, setting goals, and celebrating victories ... both big and small. Just like in sports, we will realize the importance of practice, hard work, and being a member of a team. Sometimes we will face challenges, but together we will find ways to keep moving forward while cheering each other on every step of the way.

Parents, you are an important part of our team. Your support from the sidelines - encouraging good study habits, celebrating progress, and keeping open communication - will make all the difference in your child's success.

Students, get ready to put on your jerseys (preferably Eagles), lace up your sneakers, and bring your best effort every day. In third grade, we will strengthen our reading and grammar skills, sharpen our math facts, explore exciting topics in social studies and science, write in cursive and most importantly, grow as learners and teammates.

Together we are going to make this a winning year filled with growth, fun, and memorable moments. I cannot wait to meet each of you on Wednesday when we officially kick off our season.

Let's Go, 3A!!!

With much anticipation,

Mrs. Pennacchia

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