11/26/2007

 

Dear Families,

 

Congratulations to your wonderful children and their outstanding performance in the Thanksgiving Assembly.  I have received numerous glowing compliments.  Your kids spoke, set up and cleaned up well.  In addition, they graciously assisted the Baby Diaper Bag Project volunteers by loading the many donations.  I was both proud of and impressed by their performance.

 

Please remember if your child is planning to attend private high school I need application materials THIS WEEK.

 

ACADEMICS

HISTORY

Today we discussed the Declaration of Independence, focusing on Jefferson’s persuasive word choices and the purpose behind phrases and ideas he included.  I want the kids to understand that the Declaration was written to justify the act of voting for independence from England.

 

Tuesday we review the Articles of Confederation.  Wednesday we begin the work needed to stage the reenactment of the Constitutional Convention.

 

 
RELIGION

We have begun Chapter 2 in the Religion book.  Students need to write a short paragraph answering the first question in the activity on page 19.

 

Eighth graders are working on memorizing The Divine Praises prayer.  They need to be able to recite it from memory by December 7.

 

Students will perform the Nativity Tableau at the December 14th Christmas concerts.  Each student will have a role in the performance.  I asked students to list their top three role choices.  I will do my best to give everyone his or her first or second choice.   

 

 

LANGUAGE ARTS

Final feature articles are due Wednesday, November 28. 

 

This week we will begin the work of completing the newspaper masthead.  In addition, I will introduce the last newspaper writing assignment – an editorial commentary.

 

We are working on Spelling Lesson 10 – test on Friday.

 

 LITERATURE

Students have finished reading My Brother Sam is Dead.  They are working on one more writing assignment.  They are to write a letter as either Susannah Meeker or Tim Meeker explaining the decision about attending Sam’s execution.  The letter is due Wednesday, November 28.

 

We begin reading a new novel Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

 

MATH

Math

Beginning this week, all students will receive a Problem of the Week on Monday and it will be turned in on Thursday.  They must explain in detail how they found their answer.

 

The next Math progress report will be sent home on December 5.

 

The 8th grade class will be working on the following:

·        Adding and subtracting integers

·        Multiplying and dividing integers

 

The Algebra class will be working on the following:

·        Solving equations using addition

·        Solving equations using subtraction

 

 

SCIENCE

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

 

 

ü CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

One more compliment to the wonderful eighth graders and their Thanksgiving Assembly performances -  both on stage and behind the scenes.

 

 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Ann Christianson

annc@saintbrendan.org