Saint Ann School News

May 19, 2008

Dear Family,

The children have worked hard and had fun in deciding what type of measurement is used in different situations. Would you see how much you weigh by using a ruler? It was fun to make up different measurement questions. We have explored measuring in inches, centimeters, pounds, and liquid measurements of cups, pints, quarts and liters.

We have been reading our unit on HOMES. One of the activities we did was to make up homes for various items. The children got very creative..a home for strings is a guitar, a home for a baseball is a mitt, etc. It made reading and rereading a long story about homes more fun!

Thank you for the support you have given to our Penny Friday activity this year. We saved about $50 this semester to buy food for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Remember…most of that was in pennies!!! It was fun to chart, graph, and use math to count and add the amounts each week. I am sending home the permission slip for us to buy groceries at Stater Brothers for the Saint Vincent de Paul Food Bank. The date will be on Friday, May 30. The details are on the permission slip. Hopefully, by sending it almost two weeks ahead, I can get drivers. Since we are not touring the store this time, it should take only about 15 minutes of shopping time, plus transportation time. Upon returning, our class will make a prayerful visit to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to pray for the parishioners who run the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank and to pray for the families who will receive the food. Service and prayer must be linked together. This project paves the way for their second grade service project of saving money for Father Fath and his work for the people of Columbia. Although he no longer is able to work in Columbia, his order continues to help the people in that area.

Please remember to have your child bring a shoebox or tissue box to use for our dioramas this week. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Christine Simolon

Dear Middle School Parents and Guardians,

• Thank you to those students who read poetry at the Ice Cream Social. You did a fantastic job. Snaps for Middle School!

• The final Middle School dance, “A Night Under the Stars” will be this Friday, May 16th from 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm in the Parish Hall. Student council members will meet each day at lunch to plan and organize the dance. Tickets are on sale now for $2.00 (or $3.00 at the door).

• 8th Grade Parents: Come to the Parent Graduation Meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, at 6:30 pm in Room 6 if you would like to help with the graduation planning

Have a great week!

Mrs. Stokes, Ms. Gibbs, and Mrs. Lloyd

6th Grade

Language Arts: This week students will be preparing for their poetry unit test on Thursday. On Friday students will participate in a “coffee house reader’s theatre” where they will read and listen to various pieces. Students are encouraged to bring something comfy to sit on as well as any snacks to share. Spelling unit 33 workbooks are due Thursday and the final test will be on Friday.
Social Studies: Students will be reviewing the rise of Rome. The test will be on Thursday.
Religion: Students will begin chapter 13: Baptism and Confirmation. Students will discover what we celebrate at Baptism and Confirmation and identify what the Church requires of those seeking these Sacraments.
Earth Science: Ocean pollution will wrap up chapter 13. Students will have a written test on Wednesday and a lab test Thursday through Friday.

7th Grade

Language Arts: This week students will be preparing for their poetry unit test on Thursday. On Friday students will participate in a “coffee house reader’s theatre” where they will read and listen to various pieces. Students are encouraged to bring something comfy to sit on as well as any snacks to share. Spelling unit 33 workbooks are due Thursday and the final test will be on Friday.
Social Studies: Students will be reviewing the Maya, Aztec and Inca cultures. There will be a test on Wednesday covering these cultures.
Religion— Students will focus this week on the unique gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to all of us and how to use those gifts.
Life Science—Land, marine and freshwater ecosystems will be covered. The material learned this week will help students with a ecosystem/species project that they will begin next week.

8th Grade

Language Arts: This week students will be preparing for their poetry unit test on Thursday. On Friday students will participate in a “coffee house reader’s theatre” where they will read and listen to various pieces. Students are encouraged to bring something comfy to sit on as well as any snacks to share. Spelling unit 33 workbooks are due Thursday and the final test will be on Friday.
Social Studies: This week students will be covering the reform era working into how America becomes a world power.
Religion: In Chapter 11, students will learn about the history of the Church in the United States and about the many people who preached and lived the Gospel with courage and conviction.
Physical Science: A fun lab involving chemical reactions was completed on Monday. The students will then focus on energy and rates of chemical reactions before their test on Friday

Math 6th, 7th, & 8th

Concepts & Applications: Students will begin unit 5: Geometry and Measurement. This unit will begin with chapter 10 and will cover topics such as angles, circle graphs and angle relationships. Students will need their protractors for the next few weeks.
Pre Algebra: This week students will be working with similar triangles, indirect measurement, sine, cosine, and tangent ratios. Ch. 9 test will be on Friday.
Algebra: Chapter 11 will continue with students revisiting the Pythagorean Theorem, the Distance Formula and similar triangles. There will be a quiz over sections 4-6 on Friday.

PE 6th, 7th, & 8th

PE (6): Students will be working on building various skills in balance, coordination and speed through various circuit training activities. Remember: It is starting to get hot, so please bring enough water to last the school day and through P.E.
PE (7): Students will have a comprehensive skills week. They will revisit skills and techniques acquired in soccer, basketball, volleyball, flag football, and rhythm and dance.
PE (8): Students will be working on lifelong fitness.

• I was delighted to see so many of you at the Ice Cream Social last week. We hope you enjoyed a chance to just sit back, relax, have a treat and enjoy our talented students. I want to thank Doloris Coit and Baskin-Robbins for giving us a huge discount on the ice cream!

• Rice Bowl Results . . . our students generously contributed $628 with their Rice Bowl during Lent which will now be sent to Catholic Relief Services. Our students are living examples of our Schoolwide Learning Expectations by generously sharing our gifts and by being aware of the effects of poverty on so many around the globe.

• A Teacher Appreciation Luncheon was provided last week by Mrs. Silong, Mrs. Mattei, Mrs. Swift, Mrs. Hastings and Mrs. Duncan. Thank you to these wonderful ladies for supplying such a delicious meal for our deserving staff!

• Congratulations to the following Saint Ann students who competed in the solo and ensemble festival at Burroughs on April 26.

Brooke N. and Ashley S. – excellent rating
Robert D. – superior rating (trumpet solo), superior command performance (brass duet)

• The regular season has ended for the 5th Grade basketball teams. The boys and girls worked very hard for their coaches, and both teams improved greatly from the beginning of the season. Congratulations to the girls who were in a three-way tie for First Place in the league. Both teams are preparing for the tournament beginning this Thursday. Please come support the Saint Ann Teams!

• Our Annual Athletics Celebration will be on Monday, May 19, at 6:00 PM in the Parish Center. If your child played basketball or volleyball this year, mark your calendars for this date. Coaches, players, and players’ families are welcome to join us for this awards ceremony. Cake and punch will be served. Please remember to return your uniforms to the School Office prior to this event (trophies will be handed out only to players who have returned their uniforms).

• New Soccer Nets!! We will be able to get two new soccer nets with the gift certificate that we earned on our NED yo-yo sales! Hopefully, the new nets will be installed over the summer for next year!

• Please read the Scrip News flyer in this week’s Monday Envelope. Staples is giving 10% for the next two weeks. Other specials are listed also.

• Yearbook Orders are due by this Friday in order to get the early-bird discount price!

• The next meeting of the School Advisory Council will be next Monday, May 19, at 7:00 PM in the school library. Items to be discussed include accreditation progress. (There may be a slight delay in starting the meeting if the Sports Awards Ceremony runs a few minutes late.)

• Keep Praying for Increased Enrollment – We have had a few inquires about enrolling but we need everyone to keep praying! Remember to send special prayers for the intercession of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Ursula, Saint Rita of Cascia, and Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek. Thank you!

• Reminders—

 Late registration forms and fees are still being accepted

Upcoming Events:

Wed., May 14
Rosary at the Grotto, 7:30 AM, 7th Grade

Fri, May 16
Yearbook Orders Due
School Mass, 8:15 AM, 3rd Grade

May 15, 16 & 17
19th Annual Knights of Columbus Basketball Tournament, Monroe Gymnasium

Mon, May 19
Annual Athletics Celebration, 6:00 PM
School Advisory Council, 7:00 PM

Tuesday

Quiz like MTB pg 386
High Frequency Spelling Test

Wednesday

Quiz like MTB pg 400
Religion Quiz L 22
Rosary in the Grotto (7:30am)
Pre-Test Misspelled Words due

Thursday

Spelling Connection Unit 33

Friday

Spelling Connection Test Unit 33
Math Test Ch 6 Decimals

Important Dates

Wednesday, May 28th – Manzanar Historical Site
Thursday, May 29th – Pinney Pool 12:00-2:15
Friday, May 30th – Fine Arts Performance 10:30am

Mission Report Due Dates

• Monday, May 12th Rough Draft (Secularization & Today)
• Friday, May 23rd (Final Report-If you want the weekend to work on it, please send me a note or Email, and I will give an extension)
• Thursday, May 29th Final Project and Oral Presentation

Math
We will review decimals this week. There will be two quizzes and a Test on Friday. Students should understand how to

• change between fractions and decimals
• identify decimals and fractions from shaded figures and number lines
• place fractions and mixed numbers on the number line
• round decimals
• add and subtract decimals
• estimate decimals
• recall immediately the decimal equivalents for ¼, ½, and ¾ (think in terms of $1.00 and money)

Social Studies
We have started learning about the Gold Rush by reading the novel By the Great Horn Spoon.
Science
We will learn about weathering, erosion and glaciers this week.
Language Arts
We will learn how to recognize and correct run-on sentences and sentence fragments.
Geology Rocks
Students did a wonderful job of auditioning for the play. Each student has at least two places that he/she says a line in the musical as well as several songs that they will sing. Students should be practicing with their CD’s in order to memorize the songs. Our performances are:

• Tuesday, June 3rd at 6:00pm Potluck/Performance
• Thursday June 5th :10:30am School performance

Religion
This week we will learn about the fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth Commandments which include the topics of honor and respect for parents and other adults, sacredness of human life, and respect for marriage and respect for our own bodies, as well as those of others.
Mission Report/Project
I will return the rough drafts that I receive today to you by the end of the week, so that you can begin the final draft. In general, the first part looked quite good. Please remember that I will be asking for the rough drafts and the yellow folder with the notes to be turned in with the final report. I will want to see that there are notes from which the rough draft was written. I have placed the rubric that I sent out previously on the back of this Newsletter. You should have received the Fourth Grade class portion of the Mission Report as an Email last Friday. Please let me know if you didn’t.

Thanks for all of your help with the mission report.

May 12, 2008

Dear 5th Grade Parents and Guardians,

I missed the class Friday while I was at my conference, but it was a great one to attend. The conference put on by We the People was an in-depth and hands-on lesson on our country’s Constitution. This conference definitely tied in perfectly with our field trip from last Monday. On our trip to Riley’s Farm, presenters reminded students “to know their rights, to exercise their rights, and to defend and fight for their rights.”

Today we will begin watching our school’s video of “Survivors of the Holocaust”. When we’ve finished the video, we’ll use the information we view with the knowledge we have from our literature book, Number the Stars, and the chapters we’ve covered in Religion to write a short composition to tie these ideas together.

Information regarding the display board for the state report is included in today’s Monday envelope.

Just as a reminder that Friday after lunch we will begin our Human Growth and Development curriculum with students.

Have a great week!

Tracy

Religion: Begin reading and discussing Chapter 25 ‘People of Prayer’; Chapter test next week
English: Book Report #3/Reading Quiz #3 due May 23

Literature: Watching a video on the Holocaust; Using information from the video, Number the Stars and the Religion chapters from Unit 4 to write a composition

Math: Continue Chapter 7 (Fractions) Quiz #2 this Wednesday (writing fractions, making equivalent fractions, simplifying and comparing fractions, and comparing fractions with like denominators with decimals and mixed numbers)

Social Studies: Unit 6 (The Revolutionary War) vocabulary Quiz Thursday and Unit 6 Test Friday; States and Capitals Quizzes (Northeast Quiz on Tuesday and Southeast Quiz on Wednesday); States and Capitals Test next Thursday, May 22

State Report: Final copies of the Introductory and concluding paragraphs, title page and bibliography are due tomorrow; Final copies of the History and Geography sections are due on Thursday

Science: Unit D2-D3 Quiz Wednesday (Using Water Resources and Protecting Water Resources)

Spelling Unit 35 for week of May 12 through May 16
apt., no., qt., in., gal., oz., yd., lb., sq., Gen., ave., wt., yr., co., doz., pkg., amt., pt., hr., ft.

Spelling Unit 36 for week of May 19 through May 23
This week’s words are a review of Units 31-35 (Study the 50 words on p. 219-221). Students will take a pretest on Monday over 30 words from p. 219-221. Students who do not pass the pretest will take a multiple-choice Spelling Test on Friday.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Dear Parents,

I hope that you enjoyed this year’s Ice Cream Social. The third graders performed their fantastic rendition of “Old McDonald Had a Farm” while singing and playing their recorders.

The children finished their mini state reports today. They did a great job! They will prepare an oral presentation on their state to be presented later this week. The students will make notecards for their presentation.

This Friday I will give the children a test that will have the first and last letter of each state. They will fill in the rest of the name. Please encourage them to practice.

We will continue to celebrate Mary’s Month by praying a decade of the rosary each day. Seventh graders will lead the school in one decade of the rosary on Wednesday morning. Please join us as we honor our Blessed Mother together.

As the days get warmer, please be sure to send a bottle of water for your child.

God bless,
Susan McDonald

Third Grade Goals This Week

Religion: We will finish our study of lesson 26, The Hail Mary - A Scripture Story. Check out the website www.faithfirst.com weekly for activities for your child.
Reading: We will continue reading Charlotte’s Web. In “Reader’s Workshop” we will read two stories in the last unit called Country Life. They are called The Country Mouse and the City Mouse and Leah’s Pony. Students will study comparing, contrasting and drawing conclusions.
Language: We will continue to work on the writing process. In “Writer’s Workshop” we will study commas and effective endings. Writer’s Workshop is a time the students will work on reports they write, revise and edit. The scripture sentence this week is: Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14. Our vocabulary words are: sensible, morsel, quantity, condescending, splendid, scurried, saddle, girth, pasture, auction, gullies and cultivate.
Spelling Words: Students will have a spelling test with 20 words this week. This week’s words are irregular plurals and words that end in –er and -est. The words are: deer, geese, fish, wolves, leaves, loaves, calves, sheep, shrimp, mice, happier, happiest, heavier, heaviest, hungrier, hungriest, greater, greatest, finest, and taller.
Math: We will continue to take timed division quizzes. We will continue to study the unit on fractions and decimals.
Handwriting: All students are practicing writing the letters in cursive using correct form and posture.
Social Studies: We will study the ways in which local producers have used and are using natural resources and human resources, and how they have produced goods in the past and present.
Health: We will continue to study the human body and its systems.
P.E.: We will continue kickball this week.

May 12, 2008

Dear Family,

I hope that your “Parents’ Day” gift was enjoyed by all. It was a delight to watch the children think about the food and to write up the recipes! It is much easier, and often kinder, to combine Mother’s Day / Father’s Day /Grandparents’ Day into “Parents’ Day.” (Have you tried any recipes yet)?!!!

In the past month, many of the children have become more fluent and more interested in reading. PLEASE see that you do read daily from books at home and from the library so that this interest remains strong throughout the summer. It will help your child as he/she enters second grade and that will help YOU!!

We have been working on units of measure including inches, centimeters, pounds, cups, pints and quarts. It can be a bit confusing at the start. Please use the measurement terms with your child as a way to review throughout the summer.

Our exploration of solids, liquids and gases expanded by blowing bubbles to observe that gas takes up space. We also used chalk to outline puddles of water on the ground. We watched as the liquid changed into water vapor, leaving our chalk outline empty and dry!

We had a great Pentecost celebration with the banners each child had made and a cake to celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the Church! We also thank Samuel for coming to visit our room. The children loved listening to him as he told how Jesus comes into their hearts through the Holy Spirit. We are indeed Temples of the Holy Spirit. He reminded the children that, with God as King, each son and daughter (all of us!) is a prince and princess! Remind your child of how a prince and princess of God should act!

We enjoyed treating you to the Authors’ Tea. I thank you for your generous response to help by bringing teapots, flowers, or cookies. I‘m sorry you had to do any of the preparation work, but I hope that once you arrived you relaxed, sat back with a few cookies and tea and enjoyed the moment. I realize it was very crowded, but the children and I certainly enjoyed it! They truly have become great little authors!

I offer my thanks to you for attending the Ice Cream Social. The children need to see such social interaction to help them learn that all of us together make Saint Ann School community. I thank you for all that you continue to do as we keep on working on the first grade curriculum and the Schoolwide Learning Expectations!

So that you can plan ahead, and so that I will know how many helpers I will have, I am sending home a note regarding activities on the last week of school. If you would look at it, check your work schedule and sign up for any of the CLEANING/SPORTS/GOLF activities that you are able to do, I would very much appreciate it. I would like it back as soon as you are able to fill it out. If you cannot help at all that week, I would appreciate your returning the form, telling me that you are unable to come to school either of those days. I will then know you have seen the note. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Christine Simolon

It was wonderful to visit and share a delicious treat together last week. Thanks for attending the Ice Cream Social. The children are wonderful performers and they delighted everyone!

The students wrote and illustrated their very first stories last week! They developed their own ocean characters. The stories also included a problem and a solution. They did marvelous work! Look for your child’s story today in the Monday Envelope. You can tell we are working hard to get ready for first grade!
This week we will continue to explore the ocean as we conclude this fun unit. We will also complete a mini unit on deserts and desert life.

Star Words/Nightly Readers
You will find the last list of Star Words in the Homework Folder today. Please continue to review all of the Star Words and look for them when reading with your child. This will also be the last week for Nightly Readers. Thank you for sharing the gift of reading with your child.

Wild Burro Trip
We are looking forward to our trip to the Wild Burro Facility on Wednesday this week. Your child should wear jeans (no shorts) with his or her uniform or Kindergarten shirt for this trip. Students should also come to school wearing sunscreen. We are not permitted to apply it at school. Please have your child bring a hat and a water bottle clearly marked with his or her name. Car/booster seats should be left on the benches outside of the classroom. If you have volunteered to drive or chaperone, please arrive at the classroom by 8:30 AM. We will return from the trip no later than 11:00 AM. The students will be eating snack late on this day due to our trip. Be sure to have them eat a good breakfast.

Graduation
We are beginning to practice and prepare for our graduation on Thursday, June 6 at 10:30 AM. The graduation will take place in the Kindergarten classroom. Please mark your calendars for this special day.

Our Father and Hail Mary Prayers
The students need to continue to work on memorizing the Our Father and Hail Mary. I often quiz the students. Please join the school this Wednesday at the grotto as we pray a decade of the Rosary together at 7:30 AM.

Thank you for following the schedule for bringing flowers for the Blessed Mother. It is such a joy to see the students honor Mary daily.

Sport’s Day
We are still in need of four parent volunteers to help on the morning of Wednesday, June 4. Please see Mrs. Miller for more information. You can earn parent hours for next year. Thanks!

Important Dates:
Monday, May 26- No School/Memorial Day
Thursday, May 29- Kindergarten Pajama Day!
Friday, May 30- School Fine Arts Program at 10:30 in the Parish Hall
Wednesday, June 4- Sport’s Day
Thursday, June 5- Kindergarten Graduation at 10:30 AM
Friday, June 6- Mass/Eighth Grade Graduation/Last Day

Language Development

*Shared Reading of Hello Ocean
*read fiction and nonfiction stories about the ocean
*oral segmentation and blending of words
*review of all sound cards with our special cheer
*focus on vowels
*focus on the /th/ blend
*introduce new Star Words
*build words by listening to sounds
*listen for beginning and ending sounds in words
*illustrate sentences
*write dictated sentences
*cloze writing (students fill in blanks in sentences)
How can you help?
Sound out three letter words such as n-e-t. Have your child build the word that he/she hears by writing it out on paper.

Math

*continue addition and subtraction practice
*geometry unit
*explore plane shapes
How can you help?
Go on a shape hunt in your home. Sort objects by the attribute of shape.

Religion

*we say sorry and ask for forgiveness when we hurt others
How can you help?
Discuss ways that we can spread joy to others. Be sure to check the May Altar schedule to bring flowers for Mary.

Science/Health/Social Studies/Physical Education

*conclude study of oceans
*animals have many adaptations to help them survive in a specific habitat
*explore the desert
*using a compass rose
How can you help?
Have your child locate the continents and oceans on a map at home. Create a simple map of your neighborhood together. Review the cardinal directions and the use of a compass rose.

May 5, 2008

Dear 5th Grade Parents and Guardians,

The fifth grade class did an outstanding job at last Friday’s Communion Service. They were poised and flawless in carrying out their duties!

I hope our “college-bound” students enjoyed their tour and activities at Cerro Coso last Thursday. I’m sure your child has probably already told you all about it, especially the animal eyeball dissection.

We will conclude our studies of water in our Science units with a Quiz next week. To get a better idea about the amount of water that is pumped from below ground in many parts of California to provide for everyday activities, we’ll map out a section of the playground to demonstrate exactly what is meant by an acre-foot of water.

Now that student will be just about done with all the rough drafts for the State Report, we’ll start on the final copies of each section. As students turn in their “final copies”, I will go through each one again and mark corrections. By doing this, it’s my hope that the final report (with all these sections together) will be error free. Information regarding the posterboard for the State Report will come home next week in the Monday envelope.

I will be gone on Friday to attend a three-day conference on the U.S. Constitution in Morro Bay. The class will be taught by some excellent instructors, and I’ll receive materials for the classroom to help demonstrate and teach the concepts taught in class for my students.

Have a great week!

Tracy

Religion: Finish Chapter 24 ‘Jesus, Our Model of Prayer’; Chapter 24 Test Thursday

English: Discuss adjectives and adverbs in the Skillsbook

Literature: Begin reading Number the Stars Chapters 16-17; Chapter 16-17 Quiz Friday

Math: Continue Chapter 7 (Writing fractions, writing equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions, and comparing fractions, decimals and mixed numbers); Chapter 7 Quiz #2 next week

Social Studies: Finish Unit 6 (The Revolutionary War) Lesson 6 (How did the U.S. move into western lands?) and Lesson 7 (How did people’s views on slavery change after independence?) Chapter 6 vocabulary quiz and chapter test next week; States and Capitals Quiz (Southwest states) on Wednesday; States and Capitals Quiz (Middle West states) on Friday

State Report: Major Attractions notes and rough draft are due Wednesday, May 7 due to today’s field trip. The rough drafts of the introductory and concluding paragraphs, title page and bibliography are due Thursday, May 8.

Science: Finish Unit D3 (Protecting Water Resources); Unit D2-D3 Quiz next week

Spelling Unit 34 for week of May 5 through May 9
haiku, macaroni, karate, chipmunk, alligator, knapsack, boomerang, plaza, kimono, plaid, robot, waffle, crochet, yogurt, shampoo, beret, burro, guitar, hammock, yodel

Spelling Unit 35 for week of May 12 through May 16
apt., no., qt., in., gal., oz., yd., lb., sq., Gen., ave., wt., yr., co., doz., pkg., amt., pt., hr., ft.

Monday
Rough Draft (Early History)
next Monday Rough Draft (Mission Today)

Tuesday
High Frequency Spelling Test

Wednesday
Religion Quiz L 21
Rosary in the Grotto (7:30am)
Pre-Test Misspelled Words due
Play Speaking Part Audition

Thursday
Spelling Connection Unit 32

Friday
Spelling Connection Test Unit 32
May Crowning

Fieldtrip to Manzanar, Wednesday, 5/28

Mission Report Due Dates

Please have your child bring Rough Drafts in as they are completed, so I can check. I will allow about 30 minutes a day to do this until May12th.
• Monday, May 5th Rough Draft (Early History)
• Monday, May 12th Rough Draft (Secularization & Today)
• Friday, May 23rd (Final Report-If you want the weekend to work on it, please send me a note or Email, and I will give an extension)

Mission Report/Language Arts
Today, students should have handed in their rough drafts on the early history of their assigned mission. Please continue the writing process by finishing the final half of the report on the mission after secularization; these roughs are due on Monday of next week. I will continue reading the rough drafts and returning them to the students throughout the week. The minimum requirements of quantity of paragraphs are as follows: Ten paragraphs for the entire report are required to earn an “A”, eight for a “B” and the minimum requirement is six paragraphs for a “C’”. Paragraphs should be 5-7 sentences long; however, I usually don’t start sentence counting unless it seems like many are very short.
Religion
This week, we expand our study of the commandments by focusing on the first, second, and third Commandments. We will also learn about Saint Joan of Arc.
Math
We will be learning how to add, subtract and round decimals, while continuing to review place changing back and forth between decimals and fractions and placing then on a number line. We will make sure that students can return to their previous level of speed and accuracy with multiplication facts.
Social Studies
We will conclude our study of the Oregon trail by writing a paragraph about what we have learned. Then it is on to the Gold Rush. We will be listening to the book By the Great Horn Spoon. Students will have writing and vocabulary assignments as we listen.
Geology Rocks
Our class will be doing a musical play. All children will have several songs that they sing in a small group. There are a few speaking parts which require lines to be memorized; for this reason, there will be auditions for these speaking parts. I gave all interested children the same script even though the part for which they would like to audition might not be this script. I will listen to their audition privately and video tape them as I read the other parts of the script. Each child will come home with a CD containing the songs for the musical, they should practice singing.
Fourth Grade Mass
Fourth Grade will be leading the Mass this Friday. All students of our school who have received First Holy Communion this past weekend will be dressed up in their white outfits and lead the procession of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the church; the entire school follows in and Mary will be adorned. Please join us for Mass at 8:15am.
Thanks for all you do, especially with your help on the Mission Report.