"WELL DONE IS BETTER THAN WELL SAID"
-Benjamin Franklin
It’s hard to believe that we are already into our 6th week of the 2008-2009 school year. First quarter progress reports were distributed on Monday, Sept. 29th. At this time, please work with your child to assess what needs to be done to become more successful at school.
The 7th & 8th Grade Car Wash was a success! The day was warm, dry and sunny. The students will continue to host various fundraisers for their end of the year trip to Springfield. Stay tuned.
Important dates to remember:
10/9 Field Trip-The Magic Flute (Mozart)
10/13 Holiday-Columbus Day (No School)
10/17 Teacher Institute Day (No School)
10/23 Roller Skating Party
10/24 Teacher Institute Day (No School)
1st Quarter Ends
10/27 Red Ribbon Week
SEVENTH GRADE:
Religion: The students have begun their preparation for Confirmation, learning Confirmation’s Seven Lessons by exploring faith questions and participating in challenging, self-exploring activities. Parents, please continue to support your child as they grow in their understanding and appreciation of their Catholic identify, and preparing them to receive the Holy Spirit. All students are utilizing a journal to record their thoughts, feelings and questions. Encourage your child to try and practice learned ideas, attitudes, skills and actions, as well as journaling at home. The students will also be working with a second text book, The Life of Grace in order to learn about Christ, his Church, the gift of grace and to understand the specific role of reason in their lives as Catholics.
Science: The Seventh Graders are studying the Systems of the human body, beginning with the Skeletal System and will be moving onto the Muscular System. They have identified the characteristics of bone, joints, common skeletal injuries, and treatments and preventions for various injuries. They will learn about the types of muscles and how they work with the bones of the body.
The Seventh Graders will be facilitating Red Ribbon Week (Oct 27-31st). The purpose of the Red Ribbon Celebration is to present a unified commitment, as Catholic educators, towards the creation of a Drug-Free America. The students are planning on various activities including but not limited to the following; Decoration & Info Day, Wear Red Day, Red Ribbon Rally and Recognition Day, and Pledge Day. More information will follow during the next few weeks.
To help prepare the students for the Terra Nova Test, the staff initiated a school-wide campaign, in order to motivate and practice test taking strategies including understanding context concepts, time management, test formats and to model good practices. Every Thursday afternoon, each grade level participates in various Terra Nova practices, in order to strengthen and develop test taking skills and strategies. The Seven Graders began their focus by creating a grade level poster, focusing on Terra Nova preparation. Thereafter, the students engaged in a how to write an extended response lesson. (Answer Essay Questions ) Weekly practices will be graded and discussed, however the results will not be included in quarterly final grades, rather used as an assessment tool for teachers and students.
FIFTH GRADE:
The Fifth Graders received new Science textbooks this year and began their studies of Living Things. They initially explored the steps of the Scientific Method and the importance of each step when completing various experiments and gathering data. The students explored how to identify various organisms by knowing the difference between living and nonliving things, how organisms are classified and why they are classified. The students are now moving into the cell and will learn to explain the difference between animal and plant cells, in addition to animal cellular organization and structures. The students will define the needs and functions of a cell and its organelles. The students will wrap up by constructing a model arm and demonstrate how the muscle moves and designing a poster explaining injury preventions and practices.
SIXTH GRADE
The Sixth Graders began their science studies by exploring organisms and identifying the Levels of Classification, including the 3 Domains and 5 Eukaryote Kingdoms. The students have observed various unicellular and multi-cellular organisms under a microscope in order to identify their characteristics. They examined the early and present day Earth in regards to its gas composition and its ability to create and sustain life. Currently, the students are comparing the differences between a virus and bacteria They will explain how viruses multiply and how the body resists said multiplication. The students will end with their own cultivation of bacteria, and identify factors that effected its growth.
EIGHTH GRADE
The Eighth Graders have been examining weather patterns, how weather is predicted and the effects and causes of severe weather. They viewed first hand experiences of those who were subjected to Hurricane Andrew and the 1991 Tornado Rush in Tornado Alley in the U.S. The students are currently in the process of completing their research paper on the following topic: How past and present tools effect the job of a meteorologist. The students prepared research various tools via the Internet and prepared outlines, first drafts, engaged in peer editing, and will be submitting final drafts on Oct 31st. The students will then study the factors of weather, and understand how the Earth’s atmosphere, heat transformation, winds and humidity play a key role in predicting weather.
Science Tutoring Schedule is as follows:
2:45-3:15pm (All Sessions)
Parents, please inform me of your interest for your child to receive tutoring, or students, feel free to drop in during designated scheduled times and days.
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