11/12/2007

 

Dear Families,

 

Thank you for a wonderful Conference experience.  It was a joy and a blessing to be able to spend 20 minutes with each of you and your student.

 

We began ITBS testing this morning and will continue with approximately 30 minutes of testing each day through Friday 11/16.

 

 

¯ ACADEMICS

HISTORY

The Road to Revolution and Independence PowerPoint project is nearing completion. I spent time on Tuesday, 11/6 making sure each student understood that this project involves both group and individual tasks.  We will spend several class periods in the computer lab.  My plan is for presentations to begin on Friday, 11/16.

 

Students continue reading the historical fiction novel, My Brother Sam is Dead by James and Christopher Collier.  By Tuesday 11/13, students should have read TO Chapter 10.

 

 
RELIGION

We will begin Chapter 2 in our Religion books this week.  Additionally, we continue our experience with contemplative prayer.

 

 

LANGUAGE ARTS

Students have turned in the first draft of their feature articles.  I hope to return them with comments mid-week.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, students will be writing the last newspaper article – an editorial commentary and producing their own newspaper front page.

 

 Our Spelling lesson this week is review – Lesson 8.

 

 LITERATURE

Students’ original ending to The Light in the Forest is due Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

 

I will be introducing a new novel the Monday we return from Thanksgiving.

 

MATH

Math progress reports will be sent home Wednesday, October 14.  Please sign and have your child return them by Friday, November 16.

 

The 8th grade students will be completing the math sections of the ITBS during math, on Monday, Thursday, and Friday of this week.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, both classes will be working on positive and negative numbers,

 

 

SCIENCE

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

 

 

ü CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

The students are working to prepare the annual Thanksgiving Assembly.  They have made many changes and are looking forward to it.  (I am insisting they sing a traditional Thanksgiving hymn – they will survive!)  The assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 at 10:30.  Students will be sharing their family histories.  Please join us!

 

I would love to attend some of the 8th grade Boys Basketball games.  (I’ll have to wait for volleyball season to watch the girls play.)  Could one of you forward the schedule to me as soon as it’s available?  Thanks!

 

The poinsettia sale is upon us!  Kate Rourke and Susie Filley are coordinating Mass and Pancake breakfast sales.  The kids have set a class quota to sell 144 plants.  Thanks in advance for your help.

 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Ann Christianson

annc@saintbrendan.org