1/14/2007

 

Dear Families,

 

As I type this week’s letter Monday evening, it is snowing outside.  Remember that St. Brendan follows the Northshore School District’s plan for inclement weather.  This information can be found at Northshore’s web site www.nsd.org and on many local TV and radio stations.

 

The dates for Mt. St. Helen’s have been set.  We will visit Southwest Washington Monday May 5 – Tuesday May, 6.  This trip is a cross-curricular trip, including information and experiences pertinent to History, Science and Religion.  Language Arts is included too as some of the writing the kids do upon on their return is Mt. St. Helen’s based.

Some of you may be aware that the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center (my personal favorite) at Mt. St. Helen’s is permanently closed.  This closure will cause some changes to the trip’s itinerary.  More details will follow but I wanted to be sure to get the trip dates to you.

 

 

¯ ACADEMICS

HISTORY

We have made it through the first three articles of the Constitution.  We will skim the next four articles and then move on the Bill of Rights.  I think this class will have a great time as they take on some Supreme Court cases. 

 

We reviewed the order of presidential succession and students were to determine who currently office holders.  We will review this list Tuesday, January 15.


RELIGION

We will be working on chapter 6 in the Religion text this week.  We will also resume contemplative prayer this week.

 

LANGUAGE ARTS

Despite my best efforts and the kids’ hard work we still have more than 10 ed comms to tape.  We will get through them!  The newspaper front page should have been turned in today except for those who were not here or whose parents and I talked.  I am excited for you to see your kids’ work!

 

On not-too-distant horizon is the 8th grade term paper.  This is a major 8th grade project that requires research, note-taking, documenting sources and expository writing.  More information will follow in the next weeks but please know that I plan this term paper with the 8th grade play in mind.  The term paper will be due prior to the intense daily play practices at the PUD.

 

This week’s Spelling: Lesson 14.  The workbook assignment is due Wednesday and the test is Friday.

 

LITERATURE

We will review vocabulary and themes in The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi.  At the end of the week, students will begin researching the historical facts and events portrayed in the novel.

 

MATH

Math progress reports will be sent home on Wednesday.  They need to be signed and returned by Friday.

 

This week the 8th grade math class will be working on the following:

·        Evaluating expressions

·        Writing expressions and equations

·        Writing and solving equations

 

The algebra class will be working on equations and reviewing for their chapter 3 test which will be on Tuesday, January 22.

 

 

 

 

SCIENCE

Updates about Science are posted in the Science section of school web page.

 

 

 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Ann Christianson

annc@saintbrendan.org