Lent and TerraNovas

We are about to enter into two very important times in our school year: Lent and TerraNovas!

For Lent, we made a calendar as a class with daily goals relating to prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness that also relate to the Ten Commandments. For example, right now we are looking at the second commandment, "Do not take the Lord's name in vain," which emphasizes the importance of the words we use, so today students need to pay a compliment and tomorrow pray for the people they love. Other activities include going to Mass, reading the Bible, giving up TV and video games, and donating items to the drive we are currently having to collect items for the women's center, for women who are pregnant.

TerraNovas are also about to begin. Our first day of testing will be Tuesday, March 6, and we will test through Wednesday of the following week. Please make sure your child arrives on time for school, having eaten a good breakfast and gotten plenty of sleep, with two sharpened #2 pencils. During this time, we will take a snack break in the morning, so students may bring a healthy snack such as fruit, carrots, or granola bars.

We also have begun practicing for our school play! I am very excited, that for the first time ever, the third and fourth grade will be performing in a musical about the history of the United States. The play will be the evening of Thursday, March 29. Feel free to invite friends and family! We will be practicing in school, but it is important for students, especially those with speaking parts, to practice at home, too.

Finally, congratulations to Abby and Destiny! They were received first and third place, respectively, in a city-wide contest for fourth graders held by the Chicago History Museum to write about DuSable, the founder of Chicago. Great work!

February 10, 2012

Our weather forecast podcasts are here! Students have finished recording them, and they are being posted on-line.


Students have several tests coming up. Their religion test on the Old Testament will be Wednesday, February 15. The social studies test on the Southeast is Tuesday, February 21, and this will also be the day that their poster is due. The English test will be on Thursday, February 23.

Catholic Schools Week

We've had a great Catholic schools week so far! I was amazed by the quality of posters that the students turned in, and touched by all the great things they had to say about the school. Thank you also to everybody who sent in the delicious food for the teacher luncheon! The students enjoyed reading with their blankets and pillows on Monday, and we made heart shaped Valentine card holders with our buddies yesterday. Don't forget that tomorrow students are wearing red to match with our buddy class, and all families are invited to visit school between 8:30-11:45. We will be going to an all-school Mass, attending the awards ceremony, then completing a fun social studies activity. Afterwards, the students have lunch from 11-11:45. Friday is spirit day, and we will have the whole school Olympics. Students should be in their gym uniforms.

While we learn about the Northeast in social studies, students are making a scrapbook poster to show different features of the region. This will be due the week of the test (probably in about 2 and a half weeks). One of the things they need to include is a picture from the Library of Congress. We went to the computer lab last week to print them, but some students were not able to finish in time. Here is the link in case they'd like to print them from home: Library of Congress: Explore the States.