12/02 Update

Greetings,

As we approach our Christmas break, there is still so much to do.  Let’s start with Eighth Grade.  Printed copies of Saint Essays as part of the Confirmation requirement are due on Monday December 5th.  Confirmation is ultimately about one’s commitment to our Catholic faith, and having the essay completed on time to best of one’s ability is a small, yet very significant act of faith.  All Springfield payments have been made and the deposit has been placed.  Thank you for your efforts in making that happen.  In Language Arts, Eighth Grade is wrapping up Unit 10 on Verbs, and in Social Studies, we have just begun covering the Civil War.

Now for Seventh Grade.  Students will need to submit their essay contest assignment on Classroom on Monday December 5th.  Please have a printed copy available that day too so that it may be entered into the contest.  Hopefully, we can continue our school’s run of success in these contests.  Also, History Fair Annotated Bibliographies are due on Friday December 9th.  Lots of time has been given in class to work on this, but additional time at home may still be needed for some students.  I have nearly everyone’s $5.00 payment for their poster boards.  Again, if paid before Christmas break, students will be able to take boards home with them to work on if your family chooses to do during the time off.  I will have samples of previous years’ displays posted on Classroom as we get closer to that time.  We will work on the argumentation plan and process paper in class over the course of the next few weeks.  In Language Arts, we have just finished Unit 10 on Verbs.

Lastly, Sixth Grade.  Look at all you have to look forward to over the next two years!  It hasn’t been as busy in Sixth Grade. However, we have just completed Unit 10 on Verbs, and we are returning back to Ancient Egypt in Social Studies.

As the winter weather intensifies, please make sure that your children aren’t sneaking out of the house without their cold weather gear.  If the temperatures are not hazardous, we do go outside for recess even if it is cold.  Also, while students are expected to follow all dress code rules, one that really stands out in the winter involved sweatshirts.  Students should be wearing their school-issued St. Cletus sweatshirts.  They will be told to remove any non-St. Cletus sweatshirt, any hooded sweatshirt, and any coat/jacket while they are in the building.

I think it’s important, especially for Eighth Graders, to remain disciplined and focused on school work during this time of year.  We know that at the high school level, this is when students are typically preparing for mid-term exams.  Getting into the habit of balancing work and play will serve our students well when they reach that level.

“And we are better throughout the year for having in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time.”  – Laura Ingalls Wilder

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