November Class Activities
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We have so much to be proud of here at SMS! We hope this will give you just a little more insight into the many wonderful things that are being learned and taught in our classrooms each day. Both our students and teachers truly work very hard.
KINDERGARTEN
The Kindergarten class is learning about families and friends and the First Thanksgiving. We will be having a classroom feast to help celebrate this important holiday. We will also be studying community and taking a community walk in Riverdale. We will learn the importance of jobs, responsibilities and communities. We have also begun reading and writing simple sentences using our letters and sounds.
GRADE 1
In First Grade we are exploring outer space and learning all about the planets. We are also learning about how we help our families and why it is important to cooperate and take responsibilities for jobs in our house, as well as other places.
GRADE 2
We just finished our Personal Narratives which are on display in our hallway, along with our creative self portraits. We did a report on a saint, for All Saints Day, and learned a lot! We each chose a saint to write about and then shared our report with the class.
In Second Grade we are learning all about Immigration, and how the first immigrants arrived at Ellis Island. We watched some video clips that taught us why the people left their countries, how they traveled to America, what the trip was like, what they hoped to find here in America, etc. Then we did an interview with an immigrant. Boy was that interesting! We interviewed people from China, Albania, Ireland, Equador, Phillipines, Dominican Republica, Jamaica, Russia and more!
We've been learning about animals, and putting them into categories, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. We are now choosing an animal to do a Research Report on.
We have been studying the Seasons of the Church. We learned what color vestments the priest wears in each season, and what each season is all about. Soon we will begin the Season of Advent. But before that, we're working on a great song for our Thanksgiving Prayer Service!
GRADE 3
In preparation for their math test each third grade student became a “Teacher for a Period” and created a math test on 3-digit addition. When finished, they switched papers with a partner and took one another’s test. After, they switched back and then graded the tests. If someone had gotten any wrong, they would explain to the student how and why a problem was wrong. This was a great way to reinforce both computational skills and “checking work” skills.
In Language Arts we are currently learning about plays. The students worked in groups to write a play. They came up with a name for their play, the characters, setting, a problem and a solution. Each student had a speaking role. They enjoyed working together and creating their own plays. As a part of the writing process the students had an opportunity to write about their own strengths and weaknesses. This was a good way to reinforce the fact that we all have things that we are good at and things that we are weak at.
GRADE 4
The fourth grade class has had some very exciting events occur in our classroom. During Election Week, four students were chosen to represent the candidates that were running for President and Vice President. They researched the candidates, and the class held a debate. Then a mock election was held on November 4th. The class learned about the election process. In addition, the class is excited about our upcoming trip to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk where we will explore endangered animals that are native to the East Coast. Lastly, we have been spending a lot of time in the computer lab. Our activities have included a Smart Board Activity on graphic organizers and doing research on the Internet to create our animal brochures.
GRADE 5
In fifth grade we are studying the Liturgical Calendar. As a class we will be creating and displaying a Church year calendar. Working with partners we will illustrate each of the liturgical seasons using the season’s colors and creating a design appropriate for that particular liturgical season.
GRADE 6
The students in sixth grade have been exploring one of the early river civilizations, Egypt. Religion, Art, Social Studies and Literature classes have been combined to bring this early culture to life for the students. The Book of Exodus in Religion has brought students from Moses’ life in Egypt through the Passover and exodus across the Red Sea while Social Studies classes study the unusual Nile River which flows from south to north creating a magnificent delta. The Internet has brought this river to life for us as we viewed the Nile River from space on GoogleEarth.
In Literature class the sixth graders will learn of the trials of the archeologist, Howard Carter, as he uncovered the tomb of King Tut. They will go on a virtual tour of the pyramids, which will enhance their knowledge of the magnificent skills which the early Egyptians possessed. Our trip to Egypt will end with students’ creation and presentation of 3-dimensional projects displaying all that they have learned.
GRADE 7-1
In seventh grade Religion we are studying the Sacrament of Baptism and the importance of family. We wrote personal narratives of the day of our Baptism. We also created family tress which included photographs of our loved ones.
GRADE 7-2
In our literature classes we have completed projects aimed at interpretation of text, connecting with text, and most importantly, making the books come alive! One recently completed project was "Meet the Press". The eighth graders, in literature groups, planned questions that they would ask the author. These had to cover all elements of the story. They then presented their work in the format of the author being interviewed by a panel of journalists.
GRADE 8
In eighth grade Religion, we are learning about Church history. We just finished reviewing the early struggles of the Church and the contributions that many important people had during the first few centuries. We learned how Emperor Constantine made Rome a Christian city and led the path for the next emperor to make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. In his honor, the 8th grade created beautiful mosaic crosses, for it was the symbol of the cross that led Constantine to grant religious tolerance for Christians.
In grades 6-8 math/technology classes the students have learned how to use the smart board and its software. Each class presented a Smart Board presentation (in groups of 2) about a famous mathematician. They did such an excellent job for the first time using the new software! Their presentations were colorful and creative, and they used some "magic" tools as they gave their presentations. Now they can use their "Smart Board" knowledge to give presentations in other classes. Ms. Fitzgerald looks forward to teaching them other tricks/tools on the Smart Board in the next quarter. Pretty soon they will be experts!
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