5/12/2008

 

Dear Families,

First and foremost thank you for the gorgeous spiritual bouquet you created and sent with us on our overnight field trip.  It was the perfect addition to our prayer service.  As I lit each of the candles (1 for each student) the power of the bouquet added to the room’s glow. 

 

I need to issue another resounding thank you for the gourmet dinners waiting for Mr. Fairbank and me when we returned home.  Your gesture was kind and thoughtful and we both truly appreciated it.   

 

Our trip to Mt. St. Helens and other destinations in southwest WA was fantastic!  The students were blessed with a clear day and an amazing view of Mt. St. Helens from within the blast zone.  We visited three amazing historical sites (St. Francis Mission, Bigelow House and Layser Cave), worked together in community building games and spent time in quiet reflective prayer.  Their behavior during every aspect of the trip was admirable – you should be proud of them.  Our only disappointment is that Angela was not able to join us.  We brought back lots of pictures and let her know how much she was missed.  It was a great trip and I want to especially thank our drivers and chaperones: Mr. Loutsis, Mr. Fernando, Mr. Flanigan, Mr. White, Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Rourke.  THANK YOU for everything!

 

Spring Concert – THURSDAY, MAY 15 in the Church.  Students need to be in the classroom by 6:40.  Please see the note from Jeannette Mitchell regarding costumes/attire.

 

ť ACADEMICS

HISTORY

Students have a history test, Friday May 16.  The test will cover the Southwest WA trip and Chapters 4 and 5 in the text.  I handed out a study guide today (Monday 5/12). 

 

This week, we will finish Chapter 6, Statehood.

 
RELIGION

As I noted in my brief email last Friday a significant percentage of the class (about 40%) has earned a 68% or lower grade for Family Life assignments.  The Family Life curriculum is required by the Archdiocese of Seattle and addresses important issues pertinent to eighth graders.  My job to present the curriculum as it is prepared and written.  The students’ job is to thoughtfully complete each assignment.  Often a parent signature is required.  From this point until the end of the year, students must be sure to complete the Family Life work.  As I let everyone know at the beginning of this trimester, work will not be accepted more than one day late.  (In the case of illness, students have as many days as they were absent to make up the work.  It is the responsibility of the student to find out what work needs to be made up.)

 

Students are also working on a brochure about the St. Francis Mission.  I handed out a list of requirements today.  A very rough draft of the brochure will be due Thursday or Friday.  Students will work on this brochure exclusively at school.   

 

The students need to memorize three prayers: Act of Faith, Act of Hope and Act of Love.  Students need to be able to recite these prayers by May 19th – this is next Monday. 

 

Next week students will begin writing a personal church history; this is the culminating assignment for eighth grade Religion.

 

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling Test - Lesson 30 – workbook sections B and C.  We will have a spelling test Friday 5/16.

 

The St. Francis Mission brochure will earn both Language Arts and Religion project grades.

 

The students will be writing thank you letters from the recent field trip.

 

 

LITERATURE

Students will be revising a memoir which will conclude our non-fiction unit. 

 

We have moved on to poetry.  Students are writing Haiku poems to describe the field trip.

 

PLEASE NOTE: the second and final book review of the year is due THIS Friday, May 16, 2008.

      

MATH

Please ask your student to update you regarding math.

 

SCIENCE

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

 

 

COMMUNITY UPDATE

Please remind students that nominations for the Jacinta Marie Johnson and Knights of Columbus awards are due Friday 5/16 as is the “nicest thing” project.

 

The Carnival is scheduled for Friday May 23!  Today I assigned students to carnival games and activities.  This is an eighth grade student-sponsored event.  Students are responsible for obtaining prizes, figuring out the details of the game, advertising and making the game FUN for all ages!  This is our principal fundraiser for the year.  It is a lot of work for the students but an incredibly rewarding experience.  Parents are needed to provide supervision, food service help and run the White Elephant table.  Kate Rourke is coordinating this effort – please let her know how you can help.

 

Your children were beautifully “decked out” this morning.  The next time they wear the gowns will be Graduation Day – June 11.  WOW!

 

A special note for parents: please keep in mind that the amount of academic, service and co-curricular work that remains likely feels overwhelming to your student.  Further, I am sure you have already noticed that this can be an emotionally turbulent time. Students may experience a “mix” of feelings – from exuberance as the realization dawns that he or she, “is almost outa here” to sadness that in the fall, friends will be going separate ways.  I ask you on behalf of your wonderful “almost-graduate” to offer “extra” love, guidance, patience, reassurance and prayers.  It is certainly a busy but joyous time.

 

 HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Ann Christianson

annc@saintbrendan.org