Mrs. Hodge's Blog

2012-01-11T14:27:00.003-06:00

Read all about it...Catholic Schools Week is coming to The Academy! Join us for a week centered around Catholic Education and other related activities. Each day during the week we have a variety of activities planned, beginning with our families attending the 9:30am Mass on Sunday, January 29. An Open House will follow the 9:30am Mass for families to come and see why The Academy is the right choice for their child.

The activities for the week:

Monday - we will make cards for members of the parish who are sick and Thank You cards to their parents for sending them to The Academy

Tuesday - we will be writing a story about a day at The Academy from a student's perspective

Wednesday - the teachers are going to "swap" classes for a poriton of the day

Thursday - we are hosting two Open Houses from 9:00am-11:00am and 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday - we will end the week with a prayer service

iPad Technology Coming to The Academy

2012-01-10T07:32:00.002-06:00

New for the 2012-2013 School Year, the students in second and third grades will use iPad technology in the classrooms. We believe that technology is an integral part in education, and it enhances a child's ability to learn and his or her own level. The Academy is the only school in the area to be using this type of technology for its students at this grade level. Come for a tour or visit us at one of our Open Houses to see how we will be using this technology in the classroom!

2012-2013 Registration

2012-01-10T07:23:00.003-06:00

We are now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 School Year. The Academy has been growing by leaps and bounds, and we are continuing to grow. Don't wait! Come for a tour today or visit us at one of our Open Houses to register! Spots are filling up quickly and you don't want to miss out!

The Academy is hosting Open Houses during Catholic Schools Week:

Sunday, January 29 from 10:30am-1:00pm

Thursday, February 2 from 9:00am-11:00am and 6:00pm-7:30pm

We can't wait for you to come and visit us to see the wonderful educational experience your child will receive at The Academy.

Academy Christmas Craft Fair

2011-12-11T14:03:00.002-06:00

Join us Sunday, December 18 for the first annual Christmas Craft Fair and Stories with Santa! Entry is free to the event. Santa will be coming to read some Christma stories, and you'll have the opportunity to take a picture with Santa. There will also be cookie decorating, food, raffles, face painting and more! The doors open at 9am! We hope to see you there!

Can you believe Christmas is around the corner?

2011-12-11T13:51:00.003-06:00

Many of us are so busy Christmas shopping, addressing cards, decorating the house, putting up the tree, and gathering together with family and friends. Stop, take a moment and remember why this season is so important. We are often caught up in the commercialism of this time of the year, and forget about a certain person named Jesus. Using the cliche phrase, 'Jesus is the reason for the season!'

Over two thousand years ago, a baby was born in a manger to bring us peace and goodwill toward all. Being Catholic, Jesus is at the center of our faith, and we gather together to celebrate his birth. When we go to visit our families during this blessed time of the year, don't forget to give thanks for all that we have, and to say 'Happy Birthday' to that very special baby born over two thousand years ago.

I wish you all a very blessed and merry Christmas to you and your families.

Academy News

2011-08-11T13:42:00.002-05:00

The beginning of the school year is just a few short weeks away! Our first day of school is August 31. This summer has flown by, but it was very nice having students in the building with our summer program. We can't wait to see everyone at our Back to School BBQ on August 21 to kick-off the school year! Join us for the 11:30am Mass at Divine Savior, and we will all then gather for some hot dogs and some delicious treats!

Parent and Tot Play Group

2011-07-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

Come and see what a day in our Pre-K program is like! Our Pre-K teacher will take you and your child through a typical day of our program. You will be able to get a taste of what our students experience day to day and be able to have your questions answered immediately. Snack will be provided for your child. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE! Call NOW to RSVP 708-452-0323.

Join us either July 20 or August 12 from 9:00am-11:00am.

Happy Summer

2011-06-17T13:42:00.002-05:00

Well, we have officially completed our second year at The Academy. What a year! It was filled with many ups and downs, but one wonderful thing is that we continue to grow! What could be better than that? How are your summer plans coming? Not sure what to do with the kiddos now that they are on vacation? For some family fun crafts to do on a super hot or rainy day, check out Disney's Family Fun Crafts page. http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/
It is filled with a variety of activities to keep your children busy...and you may even find some last minute Father's Day crafts. And that reminds me...a very Happy Father's Day to all Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, and those who are fatherly figures. Many blessings to you!

Getting Ready for Our Summer Program

2011-05-23T15:32:00.002-05:00

I can't believe our Summer Program starts in just over one month. We are already getting set, making plans, getting our field trips and activities in order. Our response to the Summer Program has been great, and we are close to having 50 students enrolled. If you would like to register for our summer program, don't wait! We only have a few spots left. Our program will be filled with fun activities like games, art projects, stories, trips to the park and to the library. Each week of the program has a different theme such as, Fables and Fairy Tales, The Rainforest, America!, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and more! For more information about the program, visit our website: www.academysp.org.

Cinco de mayo!

2011-05-05T14:57:00.003-05:00

Hola! Today during Spanish we celebrated Cinco de mayo with a fiesta! The day is not Mexican Independence Day as many people think. Cinco de mayo is celebrated because the Mexicans won a battle against the French Army in the town of Puebla.

In Spanish we colored pictures of the day, we played Bozo buckets, and we also had a pinata! What a fun day!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-04-08T09:42:00.002-05:00

Here we are in the month of April on a wet Friday morning! Staying positive, we will have some beautiful flowers come May. The Academy will be very busy the next two week before our Easter Break. Coming next week, we will be celebrating the Week of the Young Child. This is a week devoted to early learning and early literacy for our young students. We will have some special guests come in to read stories to our students. Our week will begin with a Kick-off Breakfast on Monday morning at 9am. It will be a great week, especially with our visitors coming in, and a field trip to the Eisenhower Public Library.

A few changes

2011-03-29T19:23:00.002-05:00

We have to say CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Tom! He was accepted to National-Louis University in their Masters Program for Education. His hours at The Academy will therefore become more limited, but he will still be around helping out with our website and in the classroom. Ms. Lori has returned to The Academy to help out in our preschool and with our EDP program! We are all very happy to have Ms. Lori back at The Academy for the rest of this school year.

Spring is in the air!!

2011-03-11T09:23:00.004-06:00

The weather is finally beginning to warm up...I hope. We've been stuck in our homes for far too long! The following link is a link for families with activities around the Chicagoland area. It's a link from Nickelodean: www.gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/region/chicago-il-usa

Preschool Play Dates

2011-03-10T16:08:00.002-06:00

We are so excited that our play date for tomorrow, March 11 is a big hit! We have filled all of our spots for tomorrow. We have another play date scheduled for April 8, and one spot is already taken! This is great news. It's nice to know that we are continuing to grow! Pass the word along about our upcoming play date to anyone you might think is interested in sending their child for a couple of ours to see our school.

Open Houses

2011-01-14T13:51:00.002-06:00

Spread the word - Two Open Houses for prospective families are coming up for The Academy during Catholic Schools Week!

Sunday, January 30 from 11:00AM - 1:00PM

Thursday, February 3 from 6:00PM - 7:30PM

Welcome to our New Families!!

2011-01-14T13:46:00.003-06:00

Coming back from Christmas break brought us the gift of new families. We had two new families join The Academy in January. These families have been warmly welcomed and have fit right in in our Preschool rooms.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T20:10:00.002-06:00

The new year has brought some postive changes at The Academy. We are growing, and because of our growth, we have opened a third classroom. I hope the best for all of you and your families in the new year too! Thank you to the many families who help to promote The Academy in various ways. It is with your help that we have been able to grow to over 30 students!!

Re-registration and Registration has begun for the 2011-2012 school year. We are also taking registration for our Summer Program which will begin June 27.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T15:12:00.002-06:00

Thank you to everyone who came to participate in our Second Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. It is always wonderful to be able to share in such a great event with our families! On behalf of the Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior we would like to wish a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Advent "Mass" port

2010-11-24T15:08:00.002-06:00

Sunday, November 28 begins the Advent Season. Each student has received or will receive an Advent "Mass" port. We would like each family to attend Mass at Divine Savior and bring their "Mass" port with them to get a sticker in their booklet at the end of the Mass. Ms. Marcin, the music director, has the stickers and will give the children their stickers for their booklets. Please have the students wear their spirit wear t-shirt to Mass. Come to the 9:30 Mass on November 28, and you will see Mrs. Hodge sing!!

Heart of the School - Vote for Mrs. Tanya

2010-11-24T14:57:00.002-06:00

Each year the Archdiocese of Chicago selects 16 teachers as the Heart of the School Award Winners. I have selected Mrs. Tanya as our nominee from The Academy because of all of her wonderful accomplishments as our Pre-Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Tanya has been nominated for the Early Childhood category. Select this focus area when you place your vote! Please show your support for Mrs. Tanya and vote for her to be one of the 16 Award Winners. Click on the link to show your support and vote for Mrs. Tanya.

Heart of the School Award Nomination Form

Votes will be accepted through December 17th.

Can you believe we are in November?

2010-11-01T13:46:00.002-05:00

Where has this time gone? I cannot believe Halloween is behind us. As these days pass us by so quickly, we must take some time out tomorrow, November 2, All Soul's Day, to remember our loved ones who have gone before us. Enjoy some quiet time together as a family and say the following prayer:
"May the angels lead them into Heaven. May the saints come to welcome them. And may they praise God forever in His Kingdom."

Since we are in November, please be sure to save the date for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. Our Luncheon is a pot-luck meal that will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 23 at 12:00PM. Dismissal for the students will follow the luncheon. We will begin with a Thanksgiving Prayer Service.
The following day is Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences from 9:00AM-2:00PM. The teachers will select times to meet with each parent. If you are unable to meet with your child's teacher at the given time slot, you will need to make arrangements with your child's teacher for a different time.

Before we know it...it will be December!

Music classes coming to The Academy!

2010-11-01T13:40:00.003-05:00

Today is All Saint's Day and we all went to the 9:00AM Mass. The children were invited up after the Mass for a special blessing from Father. It was a great opportunity for us to be in church with the parish community and celebrate this feast day.
After Mass Mary Lou Marcin, the music director for the parish, wanted to sing with the children, and she taught them "This Little Light of Mine." The children are wonderful singers. Mary Lou had so much fun, as she used to teach in Catholic grammar school, that she is willing to sing with the children once a week. We need to work out the scheduling, but it will be a great opportunity for our children to learn to sing, and love music!

Photostream

2010-10-15T13:59:00.002-05:00

Check our some photos of The Academy from our field trip to Apple Hollar, Grandparent's Day, Safety Town at Harlem and Irving Plaza, Bike Safety and Lt. Dan. Scroll to the bottom of my blog to view the pictures!

Fire Prevention Week

2010-10-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, October 3 through the 9 was Fire Prevention Week. We have our first fire drill of the school year with Lt. Dan Johnson of the Norwood Park Fire Department. He also stayed after our fire drill to talk with all of us about Fire Safety. We had a special helper in Mrs. Tanya's room show us how to do "stop, drop, and roll." We are lucky to have a great relationship with our local fire department. On October 25, a fire truck and ambulance will be coming to us for the students to walk through and see all of the equipment.

Safety Town

2010-09-30T14:19:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, September 29 the Galaxy Kids had the opportunity to attend Safety Town at the Harlem-Iriving Plaza. The students learned what to do in case a fire starts at home. We climbed out of the window after the room filled with "smoke," and we learned when to stop, drop, and roll. The students also learned what to say and do if they think a stranger is trying to trick them:
First the scream "No!", then run away, and tell an adult.

Dispatcher Kelly helped us learn how to dial 911, and when to dial 911. Parents we need you to practice your address with your children! Should there ever be an emergency, the students need to know their address. We will be working on this with them at school too!

We also learned that guns are not toys, and what to do if we find a gun in the area:

Stop!
Don't Touch
Leave the area
Tell an adult

Finally we practiced walking in the crosswalk. We learned when it's safe to walk across the street (green light), and never to cross the street on a yellow or red light. At a stop sign, we learned to look both ways, listen for cars, and then cross. We must always stay within the cross walk!

Parents, please review these safety tips with your children. Next week begins Fire Safety Week. Lt. Dan will be here to talk to us again about Fire Safety.

Spoons Behavior System

2010-09-30T14:11:00.000-05:00

We have a new behavior system in our classroom! Each student has five spoons with his or her name on them in a little holder. Should a student not be following directions or following our classroom rules, they will be asked to pull a spoon. Each student will have opportunities to earn the spoons back throughout the day, but after all five spoons are gone, the parents will be contacted. If a student has lost spoons and has not earned them back by the end of the day, they will bring a paper home indicating the number of spoons they had left and the reason why they lost the spoons.
Students who have kept all five spoons all day for the week will have an opportunity to do something special, of their choice, in the classroom at the end of the week.

Rainforest Unit

2010-09-26T19:08:00.000-05:00

The Galaxy Kids are finishing up their Rainforest Unit! We learned there are four layers in a Rainforest: Emergent, Canopy, Understory, and the Forest Floor. Various animals live within the four layers of the Rainforest including Ocelots, Tree Frogs, Capybaras, Sloths, Leaf Cutter Ants, and more! The students had a great time discovering where the Rainforests are located, and saddened to learn that the Rainforests are disappearing. We talked about ways that we can help save God's creation with small changes we can do around the house. Using a refillable water bottle is one simple way to help!

Back to School Night - September 23

2010-09-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

Come and see what we have been doing so far at the Academy! Visit the classrooms, meet our parents and teachers, and see what your child has been learning since our first day of school!

Parent and Teacher Expectations of Each Other

2010-09-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

The school year has started off great! In an effort to continue in this successful path, I wanted to share with you some parent and teacher expectations from an article in the August/September issue of Today's Catholic Teacher. We thank you for entrusting your child in our care. As a school community, we are committed to fulfilling our obligations in educating and enriching your child.

The expectations below are some expectations parents should have of their child's teacher:

The lessons on morality, ethics, religion, and dealing with others begins at home, and should be reinforced in the classroom.
The teacher will provide quality instruction with the inclusion of Catholic values and Church teaching
The teacher will maintain order and discipline in the classroom
The teacher will contact you, the parent, frequently to report on your child's progress
The teacher will notify you immediately of an emergency involving your child
The teacher will contact you when there is a problem
The teacher will use up-to-date teaching methods
The teacher will try to meet the individual learning needs of your child
The teacher will be fair (NOTE: Fair does not mean equal.)

The expectations below are some expecations teachers have of their students' parents:

You will bring your child to church regularly
You will provide your child with supplies
You will be present at parent-teacher meetings and at other significant occasions in your child's life at school
You will account for your child's whereabouts
You will support school policies, classroom rules, and the teacher's decisions
You will help with, not do, homework and assignments
You will provide up-to-date information in case of an emergency involving your child
You will contact the teacher when there is a problem.

For more information on these expecations and communication strategies, please visit the link to the article from Today's Catholic Teacher: http://www.catholicteacher.com/archive/articles_view.php?article_id=2687

FSA Meeting

2010-09-16T15:33:00.001-05:00

Hi Parents! We are still looking for parents to join our Family and School Association! Most of our meetings will be held on Thursday evenings, but our next meeting will be Monday, September 20 because on Thursday, September 23 we have Back to School Night!

We hope you can be a part of our FSA. It is important to have our parents involved in our school to help plan various events, support fundraisers, help with our "Special Lunches," and more!

We hope to see you Monday, September 2o for our first meeting of the 2010-2011 School Year!

Rainforest in Room 100

2010-09-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

Our classroom is slowly becoming a rainforest. There is so much to learn about the rainforests, and the students are very excited to research plants, animals and people that live in the rainforest. So far we have learned that there are four layers in the rainforest: emergent, canopy, understory, and the forest floor. Also, that there is limited sunlight on the forest floor, and it rains A LOT!
Each day we spend time learning about various mammals, reptiles, birds, plants, trees, and food that lives or comes from the rainforests.

We know that the rainforests are slowly disappearing, and we are going to try to use only reusable water bottles, save paper, and do what we can to help save the rainforests.

Spirit Wear and Picture Day

2010-09-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

Spirit Wear will be sent home on Tuesday!!

You should receive an email from me through Constant Contact regarding School Pictures. Picture Day will be Tuesday, September 14.

The Galaxy Kids

2010-09-03T14:46:00.000-05:00

Wow! Can you believe we completed our first "half" week of school? We are off to a great start. Today, we started learning about Rain Forests. Next week we will begin to transform our classroom into a rain forest. I may ask for some help with some items from home, but I will let you know in advance.
Next week our Specials classes start! Don't forget, Wednesdays and Fridays the students should wear their new Spirit Wear shirts for gym class. The students will not change, but remain in these clothes all day!

First Day of School

2010-09-01T18:25:00.001-05:00

Our first day of school was wonderful. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces, as well as some new faces. Check out my pictures below of the Galaxy Kids getting acquainted in their new room.

Divine Savior Summerfest

2010-08-27T16:32:00.001-05:00

Looking for something to do with your family? Come to the Divine Savior Summerfest! The fest opened last night, but continues through Sunday evening. The Academy also has a table at the fest located by the food tent.

For hours and more details click on the link: http://divinesaviornorridge.org/

First Day of School

2010-08-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

Our First Day of School is Wednesday, September 1. It is a half day with dismissal at 11:30.

Back to School!

2010-08-25T18:47:00.000-05:00

The 2010-2011 School year is upon us! I can't believe how quickly the summer came and went, and now we are preparing to begin our second school year. I am delighted to share we are nearly full in our classrooms, and basically tripled our enrollment since we opened our doors at Divine Savior last September! The Academy is growing!