Noreen Yasay

 

In First Grade, we spend a lot of time doing fun and creative hands-on learning!  We work hard on building upon those reading skills that have begun in Kindergarten.  We become amazing readers—not only reading longer texts but analyzing and comprehending fiction and non-fiction works.

We also have a daily Writer’s Workshop, where we hone in on those all-important writing skills.  We learn about many writing styles and “publish” our own narratives, friendly letters, opinion pieces, and more.

Math is spent learning the basics of addition and subtraction.  We can tell time, count money,  interpret graphs, understand basic fractions and geometric shapes.

In Science, we learn about the scientific method and how this is useful when we do experiments.  We learn about pollution and the importance of recycling, we understand the sun and the solar system, and we learn about the characteristics of different types of animals. 

Social Studies is where we learn about the United States, read maps, identify land formations, and understand the world around us.

In all aspects of our day, though, we always come back to Religion and how everything is made because of God’s goodness and love.  We spend a lot of time learning and celebrating saints and special days in our faith.  We learn more about Jesus, understanding the meaning behind some of his parables and miracles.  We understand the importance of the Sacraments and going to Mass, and we reflect on our blessings in quiet moments such as First Friday Adoration.

I was born in Michigan but moved to the Nashville area when I was in the fifth grade.  I am a product of Catholic schools, having attended Overbrook and Father Ryan.  I  graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and went on to receive a Master’s in Education from Trinity University.

I taught second grade for a few years in Washington, DC before life brought me back to the Nashville area in 2004.  Here, I taught at St. John Vianney in Gallatin for a year before finding my home at St. Ann.  After taking a bit of a hiatus from teaching.