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I am so excited to be a part of the St. Joseph School community as a first grade teacher!  I was born and raised in the Chicagoland area and attended National-Louis University where I received my degree in education with a concentration in psychology. I am also a certified Orton-Gillingham tutor and teacher, a multi-sensory approach that is very explicit in teaching reading to beginning readers.


I have spent the last 25 years teaching at a Catholic school- the last 18 years in first grade! I fell in love with teaching at a Catholic school because of the loving family atmosphere it provided. I enjoy inspiring children to learn and strive for their goals.  I am committed to ensuring each child feels successful, capable, and celebrated while they are in my class.  I love and enjoy learning, and I want to share, with my students, this passion and show how fun and exciting learning truly is!


When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two sons. I love to read and spend time outdoors.

 

Posts

Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To segment and spell three- sound short vowel words
  • To write a complete sentence using capital letters and punctuation
  • To understand the concept of consonant digraph, keywords and sounds: wh, ch, sh, th, ck
  • To read and spell trick words: to, into
  • To generate questions about My Librarian Is a Camel
  • To create a complete declarative sentence
  • To ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in My Librarian Is a Camel
  • To develop vocabulary knowledge of the word remote and mobile

MATH 

  • To draw a diagram to solve problems
  • To compare groups of up to nine objects 
  • To subtract numbers from four and five

SCIENCE

  • Students explore all of the different shapes of the Moon that can appear on different nights. In the activity, My Moon Book, students observe photos of the Moon taken over the course of four weeks and draw pictures of the Moon's phases in their book. They use these observations to discover patterns in how the Moon’s shape changes and predict when the next full moon will appear.

RELIGION

  • To demonstrate sharing a sign of peace
  • To tell that Jesus brings us God the Father’s gift of peace
  • To explain that the Holy Spirit brings us God the Father’s gift of peace
  • To define Holy Spirit and Trinity

Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To segment and spell three- sound short vowel words
  • To write a complete sentence using capital letters and punctuation
  • To understand the concept of consonant digraph, keywords and sounds: wh, ch, sh, th, ck
  • To read and spell trick words: as, has, to, into
  • To retell Waiting for the Biblioburro including key details about characters, settings, and major events
  • To ask and answer questions about key vocabulary in Waiting for the Biblioburro
  • To add -ed to verbs to make them past tense

MATH 

  • To write subtraction number sentences
  • To subtract 0 or find a difference of 0
  • To subtract across and down
  • To draw a diagram to solve problems
  • To compare groups of up to nine objects 

SCIENCE

  • Arushi wonders why she has to go to bed while the sun is still up, and learns that the sun stays up longer on some days than others. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting out a bedtime routine. 

RELIGION

  • To tell that God is Father to all of us
  • To explain that we show love for one another in many ways
  • To identify the Bible as God’s message to us
  • To tell that God the Father sent his only Son, Jesus, to teach us how much God loves us
  • To define Bible, Jesus, Scripture, Word of God


Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To segment and spell three- sound short vowel words
  • To write a complete sentence using capital letters and punctuation
  • To read and spell trick words: the, a, and, is, his, of
  • To generate and answer questions about Waiting for the Biblioburro, using key details from the text
  • To identify and generate verbs
  • To retell Waiting for the Biblioburro including key details about characters, settings, and major events
  • To ask and answer questions about key vocabulary in Waiting for the Biblioburro
  • To add -ed to verbs to make them past tense

MATH Chapter 1 math assessment on Tuesday

  • To use models to represent and solve subtraction problems
  • To subtract parts from a whole
  • To write subtraction number sentences

SCIENCE

  • Arushi wonders why she has to go to bed while the sun is still up, and learns that the sun stays up longer on some days than others. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting out a bedtime routine. 

RELIGION

  • To tell that God is Father to all of us
  • To explain that we show love for one another in many ways
  • To identify the Bible as God’s message to us
  • To tell that God the Father sent his only Son, Jesus, to teach us how much God loves us
  • To define Bible, Jesus, Scripture, Word of God


Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To segment and spell three- sound short vowel words
  • To write a complete sentence using capital letters and punctuation
  • To retell Tomas and the Library Lady, including key details about problem and solution
  • To write a narrative retelling of Tomas and the Library Lady that shows how library books change life for Tomas
  • To identify and generate proper nouns
  • To distinguish between what Tomas imagines and what is real in Tomas and the Library Lady
  • To write a narrative retelling of Tomas that shows how library books change life for Tomas
  • To develop vocabulary knowledge of the word knowledge
  • To write and speak about how Tomas adds to knowledge of how books change lives
  • To develop vocabulary knowledge of the word value

MATH Chapter 1 math assessment on Friday

  • To use counters to make sums of 9 in different ways
  • To use a ten-frame and counters to make sums of 10 in different ways
  • To identify missing parts of 10
  • To identify math statements as true or false

SCIENCE

  • Arushi wonders why she has to go to bed while the sun is still up, and learns that the sun stays up longer on some days than others. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting out a bedtime routine. 

RELIGION

  • To tell that Jesus is the greatest gift from God the Father
  • To explain that God wants us to help others feel welcome
  • To tell that we show our love for God when we care for others
  • To define liturgy, Mass, praise



Week at a Glance

ELA  Unit 1 assessment on Tuesday

  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for consonants: z, qu
  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for vowels: a, e, i, o, u
  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To segment and spell three- sound short vowel words
  • To write a complete sentence using capital letters and punctuation
  • To retell Tomas and the Library Lady, including key details about problem and solution
  • To write a narrative retelling of Tomas and the Library Lady that shows how library books change life for Tomas
  • To identify and generate proper nouns
  • To distinguish between what Tomas imagines and what is real in Tomas and the Library Lady
  • To write a narrative retelling of Tomas that shows how library books change life for Tomas
  • To develop vocabulary knowledge of the word knowledge
  • To write and speak about how Tomas adds to knowledge of how books change lives
  • To develop vocabulary knowledge of the word value

MATH

  • To use counters to make sums of 4 and 5 in different ways
  • To use counters to make sums of 6 and 7 in different ways
  • To use counters to make sums of 8 in different ways
  • To use counters to make sums of 9 in different ways

SCIENCE

  • Students develop a model of the sun’s daily path across the sky, then use this model to help someone who’s lost. In the activity, Sun Finder, students create a mobile paper model of the sun and earth to illustrate the position of the sun throughout the day.

RELIGION

  • To tell that Jesus is the greatest gift from God the Father
  • To explain that God wants us to help others feel welcome
  • To tell that we show our love for God when we care for others
  • To define liturgy, Mass, praise



Week at a Glance

ELA 

  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for consonants: p, j, l, h, k, v, w, y, x
  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for vowels: a, e, i, o, u
  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To retell Tomas and the Library Lady, including key details about characters
  • To ask and answer questions about key vocabulary in Tomas and the Library Lady
  • To retell Tomas and the Library Lady, including key details about setting
  • To identify and generate common nouns
  • To retell Tomas and the Library Lady, including key details about problem and solution
  • To write a narrative retelling of TOmas and the Library Lady that shows how library books change life for Tomas
  • To identify and generate proper nouns

MATH

  • To find sums by adding zero
  • To write addition facts horizontally and vertically
  • To write a number sentence to solve problems
  • To use counters to make sums of 4 and 5 in different ways

SCIENCE

  • Jada explores why her shadow changes over the course of a day at the beach. The lesson includes a short exercise where students act out the movement of shadows with their bodies. Students will trace their shadows using colored chalk and track the shadow’s changes throughout the day.

RELIGION

  • To identify things that God creates
  • To tell that God created everything out of love for us
  • To explain that we show our thanks and love to God by caring for his creation
  • To define or explain Amen, creation, Creator, God, and saint




Week at a Glance

ELA 

  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for consonants: g, d, s, r, p, j
  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for vowels: a, e
  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • To discuss that different readers enjoy different types of books

MATH

  • To use manipulatives to model addition stories
  • To add two parts to make a whole
  • To write addition number sentences
  • To find sums by adding zero

SCIENCE

  • In this Read-Along lesson, Jada explores why her shadow changes over the course of a day at the beach. The lesson includes a short exercise where students act out the movement of shadows with their bodies. Students will trace their shadows using colored chalk and track the shadow’s changes throughout the day.

RELIGION

  • To identify things that God creates
  • To tell that God created everything out of love for us
  • To explain that we show our thanks and love to God by caring for his creation
  • To define or explain Amen, creation, Creator, God, and saint




Week at a Glance

ELA 

  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for consonants: t, b, f, n, m, c
  • To practice letter- keyword- sound for vowels: i, u, o
  • To practice correct letter formation
  • To practice sound recognition 
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • To discuss that different readers enjoy different types of books

MATH

  • To count and connect with objects and numbers
  • To practice one-to-one counting with small objects
  • To build number sense with number of the day

SCIENCE

  • To deepen understanding of two foundational scientific practices: making observations and asking questions. In the activity, Curiosity Challenge, students “train their brains” by observing an everyday object and asking questions like a scientist would
  • To investigate what it takes to make a stationary object’s shadow move. In the activity, Moving Shadows, students use flashlights and paper gnomes to explore how moving the position of a light makes shadows move. Students relate these observations to shadows changing throughout the day and the Sun’s position moving across the sky

RELIGION

  • To identify things that God creates
  • To tell that God created everything out of love for us
  • To explain that we show our thanks and love to God by caring for his creation
  • To define or explain Amen, creation, Creator, God, and saint




Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To understand the concept of syllable in multisyllabic words
  • To understand compound words
  • To apply syllable division rules
  • To read and spell words with two closed syllables or closed v-e syllables
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • To locate and name text features and explain 
  • To write a conclusion for an informative paragraph
  • To analyze how illustrations help make the author’s point in Never Smile at a Monkey
  • To plan an informative paragraph stating the author’s point with supporting reasons
  • To distinguish shades of meaning of the word touch by using sentence-level context

MATH 

  • To read and write time to the hour on an analog clock
  • To use a digital clock to tell and write time to her hour
  • To read time to the half hour on an analog clock
  • To use a digital clock to tell and write time to the half hour

SCIENCE

  • To carry out an investigation to determine the relationship between the shape of different bird beaks and the food each bird eats. In the activity, Find the Best Beak, students experiment with long pointy beaks that are great for picking up seeds and wide flat beaks that are good for scooping. They discover that different beaks are best for different kinds of food.

RELIGION

  • To demonstrate understanding that the Church is God’s family
  • To explain that followers of Christ are called Christians
  • To define Christian and Sign of Peace




Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To decode and encode vowel-consonant-e syllable in one- syllable words
  • To understand long vowel sounds
  • To distinguish between narrative fiction and informational books
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • To generate and answer questions about Never Smile at a Monkey using key details from the text
  • To find attributes in a text that differentiate between different animals in the same category 
  • To locate and name text features and explain 
  • To write a conclusion for an informative paragraph

MATH 

  • To compare the lengths of objects using indirect measurement
  • To compare and order the lengths of objects
  • To measure the lengths of objects using nonstandard units

SCIENCE

  • To carry out an investigation to determine the relationship between the shape of different bird beaks and the food each bird eats. In the activity, Find the Best Beak, students experiment with long pointy beaks that are great for picking up seeds and wide flat beaks that are good for scooping. They discover that different beaks are best for different kinds of food.

RELIGION

  • To demonstrate understanding that the Church is God’s family
  • To explain that followers of Christ are called Christians
  • To define Christian and Sign of Peace




Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To decode and encode vowel-consonant-e syllable in one- syllable words
  • To understand long vowel sounds
  • To distinguish between narrative fiction and informational books
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • Trick words: friend, other, another, none, nothing
  • To plan an informative paragraph 
  • To know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • To write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently
  • To categorize words related to mammal by defining their attributes

MATH 

  • To compare two-dimensional shapes by their attributes
  • To use two- dimensional shapes to make a composite shape
  • To use logical reasoning to solve problems

SCIENCE

  • To understand what Earth Day is and why it's celebrated, including its significance in promoting environmental awareness and protecting the planet

RELIGION

  • To identify Easter as the time when we celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection
  • To explain that Jesus is in heaven with his Father
  • To explain that one day we will share in Jesus’ new life
  • To relate Sunday to the Resurrection 




Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To decode and encode vowel-consonant-e syllable in one- syllable words
  • To understand long vowel sounds
  • To distinguish between narrative fiction and informational books
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • To plan an informative paragraph 
  • To know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • To write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently

MATH 

  • To sort open and closed shapes
  • To use defining attributes to identify and describe squares, rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, and circles
  • To compare two-dimensional shapes

SCIENCE

  • In this Read-Along lesson, Gabrielle sets sail with her aunt—the captain of a tugboat—and discovers how the sights and sounds on the bay can help boats find their way. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by pretending to be boats. 

RELIGION

  • To understand the basic story and importance of Holy Week, including Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, and recognize that it is a special time to remember Jesus' love and sacrifice for us.




Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To segment and blend up to 5 sounds
  • To be introduced to vowel team sounds: au, aw
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • Trick words: about, our
  • To add suffix -s to words with 5 sounds
  • To add suffixes -ed, -ing added to unchanging base words with closed syllables
  • To generate and answer questions about What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • To identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
  • To plan an informative paragraph 
  • To categorize words related to the word mammal
  • To categorize picture of animals as either mammal or not a mammal
  • To know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • To write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently

MATH  Chapter test on Thursday

  • To add tens and ones to find the sum with regrouping

SCIENCE

  • In this Read-Along lesson, Gabrielle sets sail with her aunt—the captain of a tugboat—and discovers how the sights and sounds on the bay can help boats find their way. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by pretending to be boats. 

RELIGION

  • To explain that God wants all people to be part of his Church
  • To describe how the Holy Spirit is with us
  • To explain that the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles courage
  • To define parish and Pentecost



Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To segment and blend up to 5 sounds
  • To be introduced to vowel team sounds: au, aw
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • Trick words: out, about, our
  • To add suffix -s to words with 5 sounds
  • To add suffixes -ed, -ing added to unchanging base words with closed syllables
  • To distinguish between narrative fiction and informational books
  • To select two details to include in an informative paragraph about a feature of a sea horse
  • To define words by category and by one or more key attributes, using a concept map about a sea horse
  • To examine similes in Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea and analyze how they reveal deeper meaning in the text
  • To use phonetic spelling in their Focusing Question Task
  • To write an informative paragraph that includes two or more details about one of a sea horses’s unique features

MATH  

  • To add tens and ones to find sums within 100
  • To guess, check, and revise to solve problems
  • To add tens and ones to find the sum with regrouping

SCIENCE

  • In this Read-Along lesson, Gabrielle sets sail with her aunt—the captain of a tugboat—and discovers how the sights and sounds on the bay can help boats find their way. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by pretending to be boats. 

RELIGION

  • To explain the importance of being a good friend
  • To tell how Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his followers
  • To define catholic, Church, and guardian angel



Week at a Glance

ELA  

  • To segment and blend up to 5 sounds
  • To be introduced to vowel team sounds: ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw
  • To read with accuracy and prosody
  • Trick words: how, now, down, out, about, our
  • To add suffix -s to words with 5 sounds
  • To distinguish between narrative fiction and informational books
  • To define words by category and one key attribute, using sea horse
  • To identify and use text features, such as an index, text box, and labels, to locate key information in Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea
  • To select two details to include in an informative paragraph about a feature of a sea horse
  • To define words by category and by one or more key attributes, using a concept map about a sea horse

MATH  

  • To use a number line to count back by tens to subtract
  • To count on by tens and ones to find sums within 100
  • To add tens and ones to find sums within 100 

SCIENCE

  • In this Read-Along lesson, Gabrielle sets sail with her aunt—the captain of a tugboat—and discovers how the sights and sounds on the bay can help boats find their way. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by pretending to be boats. 

RELIGION

  • To tell that the Church is found around the world
  • To explain the importance of being a good friend
  • To tell how Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his followers
  • To define catholic, Church, and guardian angel