Month: October 2024

Dear Parents,

What a windy, blustery day! It didn’t stop us from having fun at (indoor) recess where some kids discovered chess and other games they don’t normally play. Hopefully we won’t have too many indoor days, but it’s nice to know we have something to do inside.

This week the kids put their grammar skills to the test as they learned more about verbs and how to use them properly. They have been learning a variety of tenses and how to make sure the subject agrees with the verb. They also had a very brief lesson on the different between transitive verbs which take objects, and intransitive verbs, which don’t. We will review verbs and test next week.

Most kids have finished their Salem witch trial novels and are using their extra time to work on the two book reports that are due on the last day of the month – Thursday, October 31^st – Halloween. Please encourage them to complete these early so that they are not doing them last minute and under pressure

Our lesson on Church history this week focused on how the Church is catholic – for everyone. We learned about several popes and saints. They will be making saint portraits to carry up at the All Saints Day Mass on November 1^st with their Kindergarten buddies. All roles for this Mass have been assigned and your child may be practicing a reading at home. Fr. Moore taught about the sacraments today. The kids have been very engaged in his lessons and ask such great questions of him. I am glad to see that they are taking such an interest in these very important topics. This Monday will be our Circle of Grace  lesson. It will focus on being a good friend and how we can tell safe friends from unsafe ones.

In history class we’ve been focusing on the electoral process in anticipation of the upcoming election. The process can be a bit confusing, but the kids are learning it well. They will dive into the platforms of the major parties next week to understand what they really stand for. We will also have a mock election, which should be engaging for them.  

We will be taking our Kindergarten buddies to the WeGrow Garden on Wednesday. The little buddies will have a scavenger hunt and will look for the pumpkins their big buddies grew for them. Please pray for dry weather so that we can enjoy this fun event.

Please check grades this weekend with your child. The sports season is upon us and kids cannot participate if their grades are low. Have your child fill out and turn in a reading log on Monday. And if there is any extra time this weekend, please encourage your child to complete the two book reports that are due on the last school day of the month – Halloween!

Have a great weekend,

Chris

Dear Parents,

We had a fabulous retreat at St. Joseph’s Parish on Tuesday. The kids had a great time together and appreciated the message that Joan Williamson gave – that the choices we make in life are important and have consequences for both us and others. This lays the groundwork for our retreat in May, which will focus on preparing for high school (the choices the kids may be asked to make) and starting out with a firm relationship with Jesus.

In language arts we have been learning about verbs and verb tenses. We learned the principle parts of verbs (the base form [or infinitive], and present and past participles). We also learned that there are main and helping verbs. Next week we will learn how the perfect tenses are formed with the help of the verbs have, be, and do.

We started a new literature unit reading books about the Salem witch trials. The kids were allowed to preference the novel they wanted to read. There are a variety of reading levels, so if your child has a novel that seems a bit easy, it is because they chose it for their interest level. The kids are hoping to be able to do some writing of scary stories at the end of this unit, like they did in 7th grade. I am considering having them step into the shoes of either an accused or an accuser and tell a witch trial story from that point of view.

In U.S. history, we have been learning about the idea of democracy and how it began in ancient Athens. We learned about some of the political institutions and principles of ancient Athenian democracy and discussed which of these institutions or principles continue in our form of democracy today. We analyzed the purpose, strength, and shortcomings in the rules and structure of Athenian democracy. And finally, we explored some aspects of their democracy found in a few articles from the U.S. Constitution.

In religion we learned what the four marks of the Church are – that it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. This week we began learning what it means to be holy and explored how the sacraments are founded on Jesus. We will finish this chapter and test on it next week. We also participated in a blessing of animals. It was surprising with the number and variety of animals on the playground that we still managed to have a “peaceable kingdom”. The kids decided that we would adopt Chili as our class mascot. She came to the garden, and we found out that she is a digger dog!  

On Wednesday we had a make-up day at the WeGrow Garden. We put together two more raised beds (the kids have fun completing this engineering task), took apart one rotting wooden bed, and installed a new raised bed in its place. The kids continue to love going to the garden. Of course, it was a beautiful, sunny fall day, and that certainly helps!

Please don’t forget to have your child complete their outside reading and turn in a signed reading log on Monday. Also, please check FACTS with your child for low/missing grades.

Have a great weekend!

Chris