I am so excited to have your child in my class this year! Kindergarten is such a fun and exciting time in your child’s life for exploring, learning and growing. Your kinders not only will learn the fundamental skills to prepare them for first grade but also will grow socially, emotionally and spiritually. I cannot wait to see how much your children continue to learn and grow in their academics and faith. I am so grateful to not only have your child in my class but also for your family to be a part of the OLPH Catholic School community!
What Students Learn in Kindergarten
In kindergarten, students learn the basic concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition. The kinders refine their ability to recognize and write all 26 upper- and lower-case letters. They also continue to learn each individual sound and use this knowledge to blend sounds and create words. The kinders are introduced to 100-plus sight words and start decodable reading. Students begin using the Accelerated Reader program, in which they will read and test their reading-comprehension skills weekly. The kinders focus on sequencing events in a story, and they also learn how to write complete sentences with proper punctuation.
Kindergarteners learn counting, basic subtraction and addition, and measurement skills, and they also identify and describe shapes. The students learn how to count and write numbers up to 100 and skip-count by ones, fives and tens. They also learn the concepts of addition and subtraction up to 20 and greater than, less than and equal to. By the end of the school year, the kinders can determine longer and shorter, heavier and lighter, and full and empty when comparing objects.
In kindergarten, students learn about the Catholic faith and God’s love for them. They also learn how to pray and behave appropriately in church, and they study the liturgical calendar. Kindergarteners learn about God, Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Holy Spirit and their importance to the Catholic Church. They attend Mass weekly with their buddies, learning and growing closer in their faith.
Students learn what it means to be good rule followers, leaders, and citizens of their classroom and community. They learn to recognize national symbols and holidays and their importance in U.S. history. The kinders begin exploring the concepts of each state through “Patch” the traveling bear, who sends them postcards weekly teaching them about a new state.
The kinders explore different plants and animals and how they can help them survive. They also learn about the four seasons as well as the various weather patterns. Students learn about Earth and the solar system. In addition, they study rainbows and flowers and observe the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.
Students learn how to properly use art materials such as glue, scissors, pencils, crayons, paint, etc. They learn how to hold their pencils and scissors in the correct way as well as how to neatly color in the lines. Kindergarteners experiment with paint, watercolors, tissue paper and tear art to create wonderful projects to take home.
Kindergarteners learn important character traits, establish relationships and develop social skills. They learn how to share with others, take turns, use polite words and show good sportsmanship. They develop the character traits of honesty, trustworthiness, respect, kindness and love for all people.
- 2 packs unscented baby wipes
- Spare clothes (underwear, socks, daily uniform shirt/pants — labeled)
- Lunchbox (label snack)
- Water bottle (labeled)
- Copy/printer paper (500 sheets — labeled)
- Backpack (no wheels)
- 2 packs Crayola twistable crayons (24-pack)
- 2 packs Crayola crayons (24-pack)
- Scissors (1)
- Headphones (labeled)
- 3 spiral notebooks
- 5 dry erase markers
- 2 packs Ticonderoga My First Pencil (4-count)
- Pink Pearl eraser (3-pack)
- 1 small Elmer’s glue bottle
- 5 glue sticks
- 2 boxes Kleenex tissues
- 2 rolls paper towels
- 409 cleaner
- 2 plastic pocket folders with prongs in the center (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
- Emergency kit (labeled)
I received my Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in child and adolescent development from California State University, Northridge. I continued my education, earning my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California Lutheran University, where I also received my master’s degree in teaching leadership. I have taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten and have an absolute passion to teach! I am so grateful to be the kindergarten teacher at OLPH Catholic School!
I earned my bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Northridge, and I love all things reading, writing and playing music. I have a passion for working with children and spreading the joy of the Gospel! I spent more than six years serving in youth ministry, and I am now working as a Catholic school aide, teaching children about the Catholic faith. I look forward to a very fruitful and enriching school year, and I cannot wait to meet the students!
I started my “retirement career” in 2009 as the librarian for OLPH. After nine years at the school, my husband and I decided to move out of state, so we left for a new adventure. After five years and too many goodbyes to our kids and grandkids, we decided to return to the Santa Clarita Valley where I have once again found myself at OLPH — my happy place — as the kindergarten aide.