Hi!  I’m Mrs. Willett, and I’m the First Grade teacher. I graduated from Roosevelt University with a BA in Education. I taught First Grade for seven years, and then stayed home to raise my boys. I’ve been happily married for 28 years, and have two amazing boys and the most loving Siberian Husky. This is my seventh year at Saint Zachary School. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, watching Lifetime movies, and shopping.  First grade is an exciting year where friendships blossom, children build self-confidence, expand their knowledge, and foster their independence. It is my hope that my students become lifelong learners, and learn not to be afraid of making mistakes. I look forward to getting to know each of my students and their families, as we grow and learn together.  

Important Dates:    

April 26th- No School (Professional Development Day for Teachers)

April 27th– Green & Gold Gala

May 27th- Memorial Day (No School) 

June 5th– Last Day of School

*Library books are due on Tuesday.

*If your child wears gym shoes with laces to school, please be sure to practice tying the shoes at home.  Thank you!     

*iReady cards were sent home with login information so that lessons can be completed at home if needed.  Please be sure to keep them in a safe place.  If your child does not complete 2 math lessons and 2 reading lessons each week, I will be sending you an email.  Extra lessons can also be done at home throughout the week.  

*Please contact me if you would like to be a Mystery Reader OR if you would be interested in coming in and sharing information about your job.   

Here are some things we’ve been working on…

Reading/Writing/Spelling: Students used word and picture details to draw conclusions about story characters and their experiences.  We reviewed that a story setting is where and when a story takes place.  The setting can change throughout a story.

Students learned that a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase.

No new spelling words were sent home.  We have a review unit this coming week.

Students have been working on forming their letters and numbers correctly, putting capital letters at the beginning of sentences and punctuation at the end, and sounding out words as they write. 

Math: Students compared two objects by comparing their lengths to a third object.  They decided whether an object was shorter or longer than a given object.  They also drew pictures to help them figure out word problems.  

Orange 120 charts were sent home for students to use when doing math.  Please keep them in a safe place, as they will be a valuable tool/resource to have and use throughout the school year.

Religion: We learned that the Mass is the Church’s greatest celebration.  

Our virtue for this month: Fortitude

Science: Students learned what a solar eclipse is, and experienced one outside in the field using safety glasses.

Social Studies: We learned that an invention is something that is made for the first time.  Inventions make life easier.  We discussed how technology has changed from the past.  It has changed how we communicate, or share information with others.  Transportation, the way people move from place to place, has also changed over time. 

We learned that people come to America from many different countries, or nations, from around the world.  We all have the same basic needs.  We all need food, shelter, and love to grow and stay safe.  When people come to America, they bring things that are important to them (music, food, dance, language, beliefs).  These things make up their culture.  Culture is the way a group of people lives.