Yesterday we had lunch in our rooms and watched a live webcast from Discovery Education. The students were very good listeners and enjoyed learning about conserving one of our most important natural resources - WATER!

The link below is to the website that hosted the event. Many of the activities were discussed and there were experiments students could do at home, along with simple projects and instructions. Please feel free to browse the site and send me any questions you might have.

I know many of the students were interested in the fishing game and learning about what types of fish they could catch here in their own neighborhood.

http://exploretheblue.discoveryeducation.com/

This month is going to be busy, busy, busy! We took our final field trip to the Wichita Art Museum this past week and had a GREAT TIME! Thank you so much to all the parents who helped. The kids really did a great job and hopefully have a greater appreciation for art works and some of the artists.  May has a few important things to remember: students can now wear uniform shorts and capris on jean days and as May is the month of Mary we will be having an all school rosary led by StuCo members before Mass each day. Please join us if you can.

This week on May 9th we will be taking our Diocese Religion Exam, (the state assessment for Religion). Please review with them from the religion notebook (it's in your child's agenda) most of the students have it in their clear plastic sleeve in the front. We have been reviewing all week in class, so it should be fresh in their minds. We will be reviewing the mysteries of the rosary and sacraments to end the year.

Reading: we are starting Any Small Goodness - a novel. We will read one chapter daily as a class. Whatever part of the reading we don't finish will be their homework. At the end of the novel we will be completing a small project to show their understanding and respond to the reading. It will be making a connection with a "small goodness" in their life and sharing their favorite one from the story. They will have a rubric they'll be graded on along with the instructions sent home this week. It is due on Monday, March 14 and we will be sharing with the class.

Math: As you've probably noticed we are continuing to work away on those FRACTIONS. The students are really doing a good job in persevering and working hard to grasp this concept. We will continue fractions, mixed numbers and connecting them with decimals to finish out the month. Thanks for your patience and remind them we just have to keep practicing! The next test will be Wednesday, May 16.

We were able to take a virtual field trip in Science a few weeks ago to visit an Arizona Egg Farm. Through Discovery Education we watched a live web-cast of the process it takes from the chickens to your table and how the different parts of the egg farm operate. It was a unique experience and the students enjoyed watching and hearing the explanations to many of their questions. We will be participating in another one this week to learn about water and conserving our natural resources. Our final science test over forces and motion will be Tuesday May 15.

Upcoming events:

The final Social Studies States and Capitals test in Tuesday, May 8.

Last AR store: Monday, May 14.

Spring Fling Night: Thursday, May 17.

No School: May 18 - 8th grade Culminating Projects

May 23 FIELD DAY!

May 24 - Last day of school, mid-morning dismissal.

Happy April!

It’s a month of new beginnings starting with this week. Holy week is a great time for us to reflect on our Catholic traditions and the richness of our faith. We are learning about the Sorrowful Mysteries, Stations of the Cross and Triduum, focusing on the Last Super, Crucifixion and Resurrection. What a beautiful time in our Church. Remember for the Easter holiday we don’t have school on Good Friday or Easter Monday.

Next week we will be having our Science State Assessments on Wednesday and Thursday. Please help your student review the wide variety of science concepts on Study Island. There are assignments they can work on to prepare on www.studyisland.com Their username and password should be written in their agenda, and if you have trouble accessing it, just email me. They also need to make sure to get a good night’s sleep and healthy breakfast on those days.

In reading we are continuing to review summarizing, main idea and retelling. These are skills that are used in so many areas and they are having many opportunities to practice. Please continue to encourage your children to give their best and persevere. We have many opportunities to practice our school wide virtue of Temperance starting with controlling our talking and actions.

Math is challenging for many students right now as we re-visit fractions. This is a concept they’re going to see more and more of, so it’s great to have a foundation and basic understanding before 5^th grade. They are doing a lot of comparing with fraction strips to help them see equivalent fractions and order fractions. Thanks for your patience as we continue working through this new material! I am confident it will click … eventually!

We are also writing our own Mystery stories based on the Encyclopedia Brown series. The students are working in teams and are doing a great job of writing creatively and independently. We are going to publish a class book that should be back before the end of school. So be looking for information coming home soon on how you can order one. You are under no obligation to purchase the book, but will have the option if you would like to.

Other Upcoming events:

April 13  - No School

April 14 – Artesia

April 20 – Jean Day

April 30 – 5^th grade Blood Drive

March has arrived!  With it, we have had a little bit of spring fever. We’ve had several discussions this past week about being good listeners, following directions and just being respectful. You may see some conduct grade declines reflecting this. We are working on doing our best on every assignment, getting work turned in ON time and using our neatest handwriting on daily assignments.

Last week we completed the state reading assessments! And we are very pleased with the effort and hard work the students put into taking them. They really took their time, worked hard, used their tools and looked back in the passage to answer each question. Thank you for making sure your student arrived to school on time, was well rested and prepared. I could really tell, some students had spent time reviewing and felt more confident! Some of the skills we are still working on for reading are main idea and details and summarizing. They also need to read, read, read, to make sure they get the 7 AR points for this 9 weeks due March 9.

Remember: our state math assessment will be March 12 - 14. We are reviewing all topics right now to prepare and the students are really working hard to recall and review all the skills they have learned throughout the year. You can always review multiplication facts, elapsed time and counting back change - money problems. Your students can log onto www.studyisland.com to review any of these math skills. It is a great website our school has purchased to help the students review and practice.

Religion – We are still working on how the 10 commandments apply to our daily lives and are going to have a test over chapters 16 and 17 on March 15^th. We are also learning about the Sorrowful Mysteries during this Lenten season, will continue to pray the Stations of the Cross every Friday and are discussing the three pillars of lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Growing closer to God through prayer, fasting to be aware that we are choosing God over whatever we give up and almsgiving to really be considerate of those around us and putting others first. Our March prayer test will be the 28- 30^th over the Stations of the Cross just written on a blank sheet of paper. We are also in charge of the Mass on March 9 so if your child was not involved last semester, they will be doing something this time!

In Science we are working on magnets and electricity. The students did a great job this past week with a lab on making an electric circuit and lighting a bulb using wire and a D battery. They were so excited when their team successfully completed the task! Ask them to tell you about parallel and series circuits and see if they can identify any around the house.

Upcoming Events:

6th grade Vocation Day - No School - March 2

Social Studies Midwest States Quiz is Tuesday, March 6                                                                  

End of quarter March 9

Spring Break March 19-23

Just a few quick notes! As you know, this week is Catholic Schools' Week and we are celebrating what a privilege and blessing it is to attend Magdalen. We are still raising money for the St. Katharine Drexel fund now through the penny wars. Students can bring pennies for the fourth grade total and silver coins and dollar bills to put in other classes to count against their total. It is for a great cause!

We had a special announcement yesterday after Mass that MCS was named one of six Banner Schools (schools that are doing an outstanding job) in the diocese! We are so excited and want to congratulate you, as parents of the students, that made this possible.

Also, the sign-ups for the mandatory Feb. 16 parent teacher conferences are out on the tables near the gym. Please sign-up for a time from 1-8 p.m.

We will be having a science test on Monday, February 13 over the Body Systems. Body Venture today was a great review and preview of what is to come! :) Thanks to all the volunteers who made this unique opportunity possible for our kids! We are continuing to prepare for State Assessments in Reading and Math. Reading Assessment will be Feb. 22 - 24 and Math March 12 -14. Please look over worksheets being sent home and any reviewing you can do of basic facts in math and summarizing/retelling in reading is helpful!

We are finishing up our Family Life unit in religion and then will be moving on to Reconciliation and the Sacraments of Healing. The students are learning about many Saints, so quiz them any time about something new they learned.

Happy Catholic Schools' Week and thanks for making ours a wonderful place to learn!

January 21, 2012

We are off to a great start after Christmas break and learning many new things! We are really working hard to prepare for state assessments. In 4^th grade we have a special responsibility of taking THREE: Reading, Math and Science. They will start after Parent Teacher Conferences in mid-February. Please help your student review for these by continuing to practice questioning skills while reading, working on basic multiplication/division facts in math and problem solving skills in science. A lot of the questions they can answer if they really take the time to stop and think, consider the answer choices that make sense and cross out the ones that aren’t possibilities. These are good strategies to use on everyday assignments and chapter tests as well.

We are excited to be hosting Body Venture, February 1^st for grades K-5 from 8:30-1:30. If you received the email and can help with this in any way (giving the talks about different systems in the body or taking a 4^th grade group through) please email me. What a neat way for the students to learn and a great connection to our current science unit. We are just beginning to talk about body systems, health, and nutrition.

We have just started the Family Life series in religion and the students are making some really good connections to our faith, the lives of the saints and our relationships within our school and family. Be sure and ask them how they are learning to live responsibility and make good choices! You probably heard, but this past week we “traded” classrooms with the first graders for the morning in connection with the Walk in Sisters Shoes campaign. We wanted to experience first-hand how other students learn everyday: in desks and chairs that are not just the right size, without all our nice text books and materials, without the ELMO and computer to instantly look up different information. We even came to appreciate our workbook pages after copying down all the sentences for our English assignment! I hope the students came away with just a little understanding of how other students don’t have all the resources and materials we are so blessed with at our school and that’s why we are raising money for the Drexel Fund. Not even to supply these schools with everything that we have, but to help them meet their most basic needs.

Measurement is one of the most challenging math skills we have tackled so far this year and the students are really sticking with it. Help them review reasonable units of measurement of regular household items (ex. Juice glass in mL) and reasonable amounts (a newborn would weigh about 6-8 lbs.). This is an ongoing skill and the application helps them realize their need for it!

Retelling is one skill in reading we are really struggling with. When your students read a passage, paragraph or story, help them review by retelling it in their words. Summarizing means its not every details, but just the main idea and sequence of the passage.

This Month we are celebrating St. Katharine Drexel as we are raising money with the "Walk in Sister's Shoes" cam paign. This raises money for the St. Katharine Drexel fund that provides lower income Catholic schools with needed material s and supplies throughout the diocese. Students can bring in donations until the end of Catholic Schools week January 30 - February 3rd.

Our class is learning about a different aspect of St. Katharine's life each day. So far, we've seen how she served the Native Americans and African Americans, those who were most in need during her lifetime. She provided for their needs by sharing her wealth and starting schools. She founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament whose mission today is to continue to minister to and educate the poor.

St. Katharine Drexel, Pray for us.

For further reading about St. Katharine check out the link below:

http://www.katharinedrexel.org/blessedcongregation.html

Our trip to the food pantry to deliver our birthday bags was a huge success! Thanks to all the parents who helps with supplies and driving. It was a great learning experience for the kids to hear about people in need and how they can help. If you or your family is interested in volunteering you can contact the Director Of Volunteers, Rachel Hittner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Advent is a great time for the kids to really understand what it means to share and give.

As we approach Christmas break, here are a few upcoming important dates!

December 14 - All School Confessions 10 a.m.  Middle School Matinee - 1:30 p.m.

December 16 - Social Studies States and Capitals Test

December 19 - Science Chapter 2 Test - Animal Adaptations

December 19 - 20 Prayer Test - Act of Hope and Theological Virtues (Faith Hope and Love)

December 21 - Christmas Around the World and Noon Dismissal

December 22- January 3 - Christmas Vacation

December 5, 2011

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your generous response to our birthday bag drive. We are so happy to be able to provide for children and families who might not otherwise get to celebrate their birthdays with a birthday cake.  We are excited to be taking a trip on Wednesday, December 7^th to the Catholic Charities Food Pantry to drop off our birthday bags. We will be leaving Magdalen at 12:45, please meet us in the classrooms around 12:40 to pick up your students. The address is 241 N. Indiana which is between 1^st and 2^nd street about 3 blocks east of Washington. We will park in the St. Anthony Church parking lot at the corner of 2^nd and Indiana and then walk to the pantry just south of the parking lot. We will be helping put our bags away and then listen to the director of volunteers explain a little about what goes on there.

Thank you for your time and support with this project!

Sincerely,

Miss Hoffman and Mrs. Clark

Advent is here!

Religion -  We are excited to be learning about the New Translation of the Mass and practicing the responses. Hopefully your children will be able to help you remember at Sunday Mass. We are also finishing up the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary and moving into the Joyful in honor of the Christmas season. We will be testing over our November prayers The Act of Contrition (verbally) and the Nicene Creed (fill in the blank) on Wednesday, November 30.

We have a field trip coming up to take our birthday bags to the Catholic Charities Food Pantry. Thank you so much for your generosity and helping to make this a special birthday for a child in need! We will be going on Dec. 7th leaving at 12:45. Please check your students agenda for the permission slip and to sign up to drive. A note for parent drivers will be sent home at the end of the week.

Remember: The Stuff the Bus drive is continuing through Thursday December 1st. Please check the lists around school for items needed.

Reading - We are continuing to work on many 4th grade skills: Author's Purpose, Cause and Effect and Fact and Opinion. Be sure and review these with your students as you read at home. We are also working on decorating our Jesse Tree to celebrate Advent and will be summarizing a bible story to share with our classmates.

Math - As you probably noticed we are working on conquering 2 digit x 2 digit multiplication. It is challenging, but the students are working hard and really getting the hang of it. We worked through several different methods before arriving at the traditional method and encourage the students to use what works for them. I do point out however that the traditional method is quickest and the least amount of writing. :)

Science - We are starting a new chapter exploring animals habitats and adaptations that help them survive. It is an interesting topic to most students and will be less abstract! We will be continuing with life science for this whole unit.

Upcoming Events:

December 1st, Stuff the Bus

December 7th, Field Trip to Catholic Charities food pantry to deliver Birthday Bags

December 8th, No School - Holy Day - Immaculate Conception