Dragon Tales-All School Newsletter
September/October 2007
Preschool Room 222 Sr. Maria Musto
The pre-school children have enjoyed the various activities, projects field trips we’ve taken that have been part of their fun learning experience thus far. Since the beginning of the school year, we have come to know one another. We have learned how to print our first names and some of our alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. We have been so excited interacting and learning the alphabet with the “Letter People Puppets”. Each puppet comes with a song that teaches the children words that begin with a particular letter.
We were quite busy during October! We discovered that an apple grows on a tree, but starts out as an apple seed. We tasted a variety of apples and prepared them in different ways. It seems our class loves red delicious apples. Apples were cooked up and mashed with a dash of cinnamon and sugar. Each child had a turn mashing the apples to make the sauce. The children brought in their own apples to make apple prints with paint. In the science department, we made flubber – what a great hands-on project. We suspended it from our ceiling and watched it separate, change shape until it fell into a clear bin near the floor. The children were given a piece each to mold and shape in class and later take home.
During the same month, we began learning about the season of fall. We studied leaves in their various shades as they were changing colors. The children used crayons to press leaves under a paper to produce a leaf print, it was so much fun! We were able to spend some time reading books about things that could be found on a farm.
The children enjoyed the bus ride to get to a real farm and find all the things they had heard about in class. Going to Bengston’s farm was the best life experience for the children to have. They were able to pet and feed some animals, watch pig races, go on a hayride and get on some kids’ rides. Despite the cold and windy weather the children had a fantastic time!
Kindergarten Room 224 Mrs. Jackie Gierut
We are having fun in Kindergarten. The classes are learning the rules and are starting to get into a routine. Visitors have been arriving into the classroom every week. These visitors are called the Letter People. So far we have had Ms.S., Mr. T, Ms. H, Mr. B, Mr. M, and Ms. K. Mr. Munching Mouth loves to make messes and one day we came into the room to find candy wrappers and all the other Letter People sitting at children’s desks. The children were very excited to see the mess and sit with the Letter People for awhile. Mr. Beautiful Buttons brought in bubbles for us to enjoy out in the playground. Mystery Readers are coming to the classroom every week to share their enthusiasm in reading with the children.
In Science, we have been doing experiments to go along with the lessons. The balloon experiment using baking soda and vinegar was a big hit. The children were amazed as they watched the mixture blow up the balloon. In Religion, I read Bible stories to the children and it is amazing how much they are absorbing. Father Ignatius has been coming to talk with the children and he was also very impressed with their responses. Spelling tests have begun and they really enjoy them. The first few tests are difficult because they do not know all the sounds or how to print every letter, but they are trying hard and they love the feeling when they get part or the whole word correct.
We went on a field trip to Bengston’s Pumpkin Farm and it was as successful as it was last year. The children went on the train, the frog hopper, watched the pig races, and enjoyed walking through the corn mazes. Great Fun! The new playground was built and we have had a few days to enjoy the slides and rock climbing walls, great in developing gross motor skills. The children love the playground.
The children have come along way with their reading and writing skills, and they are looking forward to learning more. We will continue to work together to make this year a successful learning experience for all.
Love, Mrs. Gierut
Grade 1 Room 104 Mrs. Labriola
Welcome to first grade! For the children and for me, this is a brand new experience. Since this is my “first” year in first grade, we are discovering many new adventures together. It is exciting for the children to have their very own desks, just like the big kids! Computer class is new and it is awesome! I know that going to weekly Mass is very special for the children when one of them asks me, “Are we going to church today? I love it!” And, you should hear them sing! Mrs. Dandurand says the first graders are the loudest!
It is so exciting to see the children begin to make sense of consonants and vowels by putting them together to create words! Of course, there are a few early readers in our room, and they are indeed a delight. For most of the children, though, this whole reading experience is just beginning to click, and I am thrilled to be a part of it! We are well on our way in our first hard-covered reader. The children love story time, silent reading, books on tape, partner reading, and anything else that has to do with reading!
In math, too, we have already experienced big growth! The children have learned math symbols and language, know how to construct a number sentence, know what a “switcheroo” is, (e.g. 3+5 = 5+3) and are memorizing their facts through 10. They love working with math counters and beans on their work mats. Besides using the calendar each day, we have a “question of the day” in which the children tally their votes. We count the tallies and add them. We also are counting the days down to the “100th” day of school. Math really is a big part of our every day life.
The children are beginning to write little stories and illustrate them. They love to use their imaginations and show their creativity. You always will find their beautiful stories on display in our hallway.
We know how much God loves us by the wonderful world he gave us. We are reading about creation and learning to care for our planet by finding ways to recycle.
For our first field trip of the year, we enjoyed a part of God’s beautiful nature at The Little Red Schoolhouse. We searched for animal tracks as we walked the trails on a perfect fall day. Our day was made even more fun when we picnicked at a nearby forest preserve.
We are off to a wonderful start and are enjoying every minute of first grade. Now we’re looking forward to a spooky Halloween. Boo! Happy autumn!
Club information:
The purpose of the Caring Hearts’ Club is to provide a smile for those people who need a little joy in their lives. We make cards and decorations for people in nursing homes and for sick children in hospitals. The first meeting of the Caring Hearts’ Club was a huge success. We had over 50 children in attendance after school. We split the children between Mrs.Vock and me, and the children worked on a Halloween project.
Because there is such a great request for children’s artwork and notes, this has now turned into a school-wide project. Every child in grades one through eight will create some type of monthly greeting for a person in need of some happiness. How many more people we can reach with everyone participating, and what a beautiful extension of our religion lessons! As Jesus said, “Whatever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto Me.”
I’ve delivered over 400 lovely Halloween greetings to several nursing homes. The directors are extremely grateful to our children for the time and love they put into these projects. The patients cherish these sincere notes and drawings, as for some, it is the only “mail” they ever receive. Thank you, students of St. George.
Grade 1 Room 101 Mrs. Vock
Give three cheers for Room 101! We have six reading books (units) to finish before the end of the year, and we just finished Unit 2! It’s amazing how fast children learn. Three short vowel sounds have been introduced so far – short a, i, and o. I hope you are enjoying listening to your child read to you. Math is going great, too. We are working on adding and subtracting facts to 10. The children have learned how to “count on” for addition facts and can use a number line for addition or subtraction facts. A happy note about recess – the kids love the new playground!
P.S. Last week the kids had a surprise in the afternoon. Mr. Weston stopped in and read them a story. The class is looking forward to the next time Mr. Weston stops in.
Grade 3 Room 105 Mrs. Sullivan
The students and I have all adjusted well to the transition into third grade. There is quite a bit of responsibility involved in changing classes. Most of the kids quickly learned which materials they need to bring to Mrs. Davis’ room and we rarely have anyone returning for a “forgotten” book or binder.
After what seemed a very long time, we finished our math chapter on place value, greater/less than and rounding. We are currently enjoying the study of time and money.
In science, we dug up the dirt on plants, learning all about the need for roots and stems, the main parts of all plants and the way new plants grow. We studied the two types of trees and even touched on fossils and plants of long ago. We have begun to study animals by making a replica of a backbone. We also be made a squirrel shelter out of a Kleenex box and construction paper. This doubled as a science and an art project.
Our field trip to Naper Settlement was both fun and educational. Most enjoyable for me was the old time, one room schoolhouse. It was interesting to have to follow the very strict rules and see just how different things were years ago. I still smile, every time one of the kids curtseys or calls me “ma’am”.
Grade 3 Room 103 Mrs. Davis
The third grade has gotten off to a wonderful start! All the boys and girls have adjusted well to the challenges of changing classes and almost always remember which materials and books they need to take with them when they switch rooms. My new classroom is becoming “home”, and my new partner Mrs. Sullivan has been wonderful.
We had an absolutely beautiful day at Naper Settlement in September. The weather couldn’t have been better and the grounds were beautiful. I think all of the children learned something about the difficulties of life in the past. I know they all enjoyed the day!
In the classroom, I have been pleased with everyone’s work. The introduction of vocabulary is always something of a challenge for the kids (and parents). The tests are difficult, and until they have taken a couple, and get a feel for them, they tend to challenge the students. This year I introduced a new “study guide” that has worked out wonderfully and I feel has eased some of the tension over learning vocab.
Please continue to encourage your children to read, read, read! All third graders should have a silent reading book in their desks. The more a child reads, the better their comprehension skills. I hope to foster a love for reading in all third graders! It will benefit them for the rest of their lives...
Grade 4 Room 217 Mrs. Grosschadl
In Religion we are completing our First Unit. We have learned about different types of prayer and the story of creation. We even wrote our personal prayers. We have read and discussed the Ten Commandments. We heard the Scripture story of the Ten Plagues and God’s covenant with Moses. October is the month of the Rosary. We say a daily decade at the end of our school day. We are now preparing for All Saints’ Day.
In Reading we have completed our first Unit of stories. We have read our first Accelerated reading book, Sarah, Plain, and Tall. Life on the prairie was lonely and difficult. The Cricket in Times Square, our next Accelerated reading book takes us to
one of the busiest cities, New York.
In English classes we have mastered the four types of sentences. We are currently learning about nouns-common, proper, singular, plural and possessives. The first quarter of school is a very busy time.
Grade 4 Room 212 Mrs. Owoc
I can hardly believe that it is already October. Our class is off to a great start. The students have done a fantastic job of reading in church and we have also been praying the rosary.
Fourth and fifth graders have been reviewing the basics of addition and subtraction. Fourth grade is moving onto borrowing with zeros while fifth grade is working on more complex multiplication. Math club is set to begin in October and November for both grades. Thanks for the overwhelming responses! I look forward to a great end of the first quarter. Accelerated math will also begin in October. Ask your child how it’s going.
Grade 5 Room 216 Mrs. Pierce and Mr. Fischer
Religion- The children have been learning that all life and all of creation, is God’s greatest gift. He taught his disciples the Beatitudes. By living the Beatitudes, we can find real happiness in God’s kingdom.
5th Grade Social Studies – Family trees – Family history – Artifacts – Immigrant Reports
The fifth graders had fun learning about their ancestors. They shared stories about how and why their family members came to America. Some told stories about neighbors and friends.
4th Grade Social Studies- The class is learning about the 5 Regions of the United States. Under the direction of Mr. Fischer, the class had fun making a pop-up Columbus Day card.
Grade 5 Room 211 Mrs. Lokes
Room 211 Grade 5 is off to a great start. We have begun our religious education by learning to appreciate the gifts of God’s creation. Also we have begun our fifth grade study of the Seven Sacraments. We have studied the sacraments before, but this year we bring new maturity to our studies.
We are so fortunate to have a new Science series this year. Our books are designed to improve comprehension while continuing to encourage discovery. If you happened to walk into our class during October you may have seen over 33 models of homemade invertebrates. The students did such a wonderful job that we put them on display for the entire school to view!
Grade 6 Room 201 Mrs. R. Credio
The first quarter in the Junior High Math Program is basically a series of reviewing and adding to the concepts from the previous year. The three most important concepts that the students must master are fractions, decimals, and percents. Algebra and Pre-Algebra are based on these concepts.
Another very important part of math is learning the vocabulary. If students do not know or understand the terms and rules of math, they will lack the ability to solve various problems and equations.
The eighth graders are learning about rational numbers. This includes the integers that are positive and negative whole numbers. Each operation has its own rules, and therefore they must be memorized.
The seventh graders are comparing, ordering, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and mixed numbers, The next concepts to be explored will be percents and how to convert them into decimals and fractions. (and vice versa)
The sixth graders have completed working with decimals using all four operations. The first field trip for the sixth graders is scheduled for November 16, 2007. St. Laurence High School is sponsoring a Leadership Day. More information will follow later.
Junior High Science Room 204 Mrs. Baldinelli
It’s hard to believe how much we have covered in just two short months!
The eighth grade has been learning about matter, its properties, and changes. We look forward to moving on to learning about the periodic table of elements!
The seventh grade has focused on life science. We have learned about cell structures, functions, and processes. We have just finished learning about the cell cycle and mitosis. Our next lesson will introduce us to body systems.
The sixth grade has been tackling the tough physical science concepts of motion and forces. Now that they have learned Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, we move on to Bernoulli’s Principle.
All junior high students have begun preliminary work on their Science Fair projects. Students have chosen projects, formulated purposes and hypotheses, and have begun writing a materials list and procedure. Milestones were sent home with seventh and eighth grade students at progress report time. This year we are fortunate to be able to schedule class time to meet in the computer lab to type much of the science paper. This will make the necessary forms from the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) easier to complete. The ability to type our papers in the computer lab enables me to monitor student papers, and corrections can be more easily made. This should alleviate much of the work that used to take place at home.
On August 31 of this school year, the students of the science lab, most especially the sixth graders, spent an incredible 41 days caring for a Monarch Butterfly with a broken wing. “Arkie” came to trust her student caretakers, living on pots of flowers and drinking hummingbird nectar which we dropped into the center of those flowers. We were sad when Arkie left us, but were grateful for the opportunity to get an ‘up close’ experience with one of God’s most beautiful creatures.
Grade 7 Room 209 Mrs. Aranda
Hello again everyone. We are bout 2 months into the school year and the 7th Graders of Room 209 have accomplished quite a bit.
We are collecting the tab tops from cans of soda. We have filled 3 milk gallons already. These will be given to McDonald's for recycling. They use the money for the Ronald McDonald Houses they have near the hospitals for the families of sick children to stay in while their child is recouperationg.
We made Halloween Cards for the Nursing Home in Tinley Park.
We are studying how certain countries celebrate Christmas, then we will work in groups (each group will have a different country) and show the class how each different country decorates their tree, what are the typical foods they eat for Christmas, what type of music they have and in general how Christmas is celebrated in each country.
I can't wait to see the results. HAPPY HALLOWEEN to EVERYONE!
Grade 7 Room 205 Mrs. Spacucello
In Social Studies, junior-high students have been improving their skills of outlining, finding main ideas, and preparing study cards. Each class has done several special projects which can be viewed in the hallway and the S.S. classroom.
The sixth graders have been busy setting the stage to study Ancient History. To understand cartography, students made detailed scale drawings of their rooms, and to grasp the importance of oral history, students told the class wonderful stories about their families’ traditions, migration to the U.S., and cultural beliefs.
Seventh graders have been using various methods to gather facts about the early explorers and the Thirteen Colonies. We have had interesting discussions about the impact of the explorers and settlers. Students have made time-lines and will be creating travel brochures on the colonies.
The eighth graders have been studying about the politics and growth of our country during the 1800's. Students have done time-lines and drawings of the movement westward. Much to their surprise, they actually had fun working in groups, using their study cards to review prior to their last chapter test. And it paid off, because they got super grades on their tests! Hooray!
Almost forgot, Mrs. Morrissey and baby Ellie paid us a surprise visit! But, Mrs. Spacucello will still be here for awhile yet .Baby Ellie still needs Mom at home.
Grade 8 Room 203 Mrs. Pries
The first two months of school have been off to a good start, and all of the junior high students are familiar with their schedules. Homework assignments, projects, and special events are listed daily on the St. George School K12 Web Page. Please check for important links to help with school work.
All of the junior high English classes have been quite busy. The sixth graders have been working on sentences and reviewing nouns. The children created collages dealing with the four sentence types and designed individual graphic aids. In seventh grade English, the children have reviewed sentences, have worked with plural and possessive nouns, have created advertisements about healthy life styles, and have written informative papers on individuals who have shown some form of bravery in their lives. The eighth graders have also been very busy in English class writing persuasive papers and reviewing basic grammar skills to prepare for the up-coming high school placement tests.
On September 18, various Catholic high schools from the area spoke to the seventh and eighth graders to inform them about their particular schools and to invite the students to the many open houses and shadow days that are scheduled throughout the year. Please check with the individual high schools for the scheduled dates and times.
Congratulations to Student Council Vice President Kelly Boylan and Treasurer Colin Avendt! We’re sure that they will do a terrific job in representing Room 203 at all of the Student Council meetings. Also, congratulations to Mike Irwin for winning an award in geography at the Providence Catholic High School Academic Bowl.
The Class of 2008 has been preparing for the Washington, D.C. trip in the spring. The students have already sold Entertainment Books and are currently selling Christmas wreaths. Please help our eighth graders finance this once in a lifetime experience.
A special thank you goes to the St. George Athletic Association. Even though the weather was extremely warm, the students enjoyed this year’s Walk-A-Thon, the lunch, and the activities in the gym during the afternoon.
Grade 8 Room 202 Mrs. Bujan
It is hard to believe that we are already in the month of October. The eighth grade is looking forward to the many exciting activities planned for the next few months. We will be celebrating Halloween with a dance on October 31. On November 1, the eighth grade is also planning a trip to the Rialto Theater. We will be viewing four short plays that connect with our literature unit, Tales of the Strange and Mysterious. The seventh and eighth grades will also be participating in Snowflake on November 16. This is an educational program that is concerned with building self esteem and keeping our children drug free. Snowflake is always one of the most rewarding and memorable events of the year.
The eighth graders are currently reading Romeo & Juliet. This play, written in the 1500s, appeals to modern teenagers. In addition to learning many new literary devices, they will be responding to the play in computer class in a journal. The students will be commenting on the events as if they were one of the characters.
The seventh grade is reading The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton, a coming of age novel about the friendships of a group of young people. They have also been working in computer lab with a new program called Kidspiration. This program allows them to create graphic organizers to use with their reading. Their first project was a relationship chart for the characters in The Outsiders. It turned out great! Thank you, Mrs. Skibinski.
The sixth graders are getting used to our Accelerated Reader program and were the first class to earn a free reading day. On a free reading day they can bring a snack, choose a comfortable place to sit, and read a good book for the class period.
The sixth graders are reading the novel Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. This novel is set in the Great Depression. This story is about the adventures of a young boy looking for his father. While reading this novel we will be learning about life during the Great Depression. The students will do research on a topic and do a short oral presentation for the class.
Junior High Spanish Room 219 Mrs. Wilson
The sixth grade class has started off the school year with great enthusiasm in learning Spanish. They started off with the basics like the alphabet, the numbers from 1 through 10 and other topics like greetings, the verb ser, and subject pronouns. They have completed the preliminary chapter and will soon have their chapter 1.1 test. They will soon get to pick Spanish names at the end of the first quarter. They were very successful in learning their Glory Be and the Sign of the Cross.
The seventh grade class has finished reviewing last year’s material. They are now learning the new material in chapter 2.3. They were also very successful in learning the Hail Mary. They have also picked Spanish names.
The eighth grade class is still reviewing all the material in the Bridge Unit. Every Friday, we are having a quiz. These quizzes will prepare them for their high school Spanish placement tests. They were also very successful in learning the Our Father prayer. They have also picked Spanish names.
Spanish tutoring is available on Tuesday’s after school from 2:10 until 2:45. The Spanish club is meeting on the 3rd Tuesday and 3rd Thursday of the month. On the 3rd Tuesday, the sixth and seventh graders are meeting. On the 3rd Thursday, the eighth graders meet. I had the split the club in two because I have 60 members.
On October 22nd, the Dia de Los Muertos sucker sale begins. Thank you for your support.
Reading Teacher Cahill Center Mrs. Victoria Ann Crosby
I am Victoria Anne Crosby, the St. George School Reading teacher. Students in need of extra Reading help have been identified by their teacher, referred to me, tested, and scheduled for additional reading help. I am currently working with over 35 students throughout the week. The nature of Reading is very complex. We work on Reading Rate-amount of time needed to read a story. We work on Reading Accuracy-student’s ability to correctly pronounce words. We work on Reading Fluency-the Rate and Accuracy combined. We work on Reading Comprehension-understanding the meaning. This is our ultimate goal. And we work on gaining confidence to keep trying. I provide a place for students to succeed, even, sometimes, in small steps. Students are given individual assistance with the material they are working on in their regular Reading class.
I will be periodically placing on my web-site articles about special ed. topics and learning problems for your information. Check it out.
Besides my full-time Reading teacher responsibilities, Mr. Weston has asked me to work with him on some administrative projects. I was sent to represent our school at the local Tinley Park School District #146 meetings this fall. I consulted and offered input at these meetings in order to help determine and acquire public school tutoring services for our students. I was responsible for the processing of the official paperwork to obtain State funding for our special ed. students. This paperwork will lead to the St. George students getting over $10,000 of direct special ed. instruction.
I have also been asked to coordinate the Terra Nova Testing, namely its ordering and post-testing analyzing. The Terra Nova test is the standardized test that every Catholic School administers in the spring. These test results are important, as we utilize them in the curriculum decision making. Due to my training, I have been made curriculum writing leader, working with the rest of the faculty to review, revise, and rewrite four of our subject areas to align with state standards.
Finally, after researching and communicating with the Tinley Park School District, I will present to our faculty at our next meeting, the new steps and procedures to take in order to properly refer our students for special ed. testing and services.
The school year brings many challenges and rewards. I am looking forward to working with your children and you. If you ever have any questions, comments, concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Computers Cahill Center Room 301 Mrs. Skibinski
Time flies when you’re having fun! I cannot believe we are almost to Halloween! The kids have learned so much already:
1st Graders are still working on mouse control. Soon we will be talking about how to open different applications on the computer.
2nd Graders are exercising their fingers and working on their keyboarding skills. They really like to play typing games in Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.
3rd Graders are working on their All About Me posters in Kidspiration.
4th and 5th Graders are doing an awesome job with their Fruits and Veggies projects. They have done all the research themselves!
6th Graders will be telling us about their family traditions and cultures and making a diagram in Kidspiration.
7th Graders are working in computers and in reading on creating characterization diagrams for the novel The Outsiders.
8th Graders have finished MS Word, learned how to operate Kidspiration, and are now typing letters to soldiers in Iraq. Soon, we will be start MS Excel to prepare them for the Science Fair.
SPECIAL NOTE: Just wanted to remind all parents that the teachers work hard on their class web sites to give information regarding homework and other class news. To check them out go to www.stgeorgeschool.org and click on K12Web Teacher Websites. There you will find a listing of all St. George’s teachers. Click on any teacher and you will find information regarding what is going on in class as well as homework assignments, upcoming tests, and field trips. Happy Halloween, Mrs. Skibinski
Physical Education
A lot Happening In and Around Our Gym!
Classes are in full swing and going great. We welcome our 'new' students with open arms. I know they are being well taken care of by their classmates and all the children have quickly fallen into the daily routines of learning and enjoying their classes, teachers and friends. The kids are learning about safety in our gym, playing a variety of games, moving constantly, and having lots of fun. The St. George Dragons Girl's Basketball season is also underway and I encourage all students and parents to attend games and support our Dragons! The biggest news, of course, is 'THE PLAYGROUND' which is being built right outside the West door of the gym. I have been opening the West door so the children can watch and track its progress. The children are becoming more and more excited in anticipation of its completion. Don't worry, I will work to establish behavior and safety protocols for its use, so everyone will get the most out of it when we use it during P.E. time.
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE
St. George School Tackles Children's Health Issues
October 6, 2007 (Tinley Park, IL) Officials at St. George School in Tinley Park are not only worried about childhood health issues, they are implementing plans to do something about it.
As sited by health professionals and numerous news media outlets across the U.S., children in this country get less exercise and eat less healthy than ever before. This trend has led to more health problems among children and worries that we are raising a generation of children that will develop serious diseases at an earlier age. Long term effects are expected to take an enormous toll on quality of life as well as on healthcare costs, which are already skyrocketing.
St. George School is addressing the problem head-on by encouraging more daily exercise and better nutrition among its students. More P.E. and health classes have been added to the curriculum, homeroom teachers have been provided with exercise videos for their classes, a new playground has been erected to encourage children to move, climb and play, and there are healthier menu selections at lunchtime.
Furthermore, the St. George Athletic Program never turns a child away, and makes certain that each child who wants to participate in athletics can. St. George School recognizes that athletics is not only a great way to help children maintain good health, it also teaches values, sportsmanship, and teamwork, which are lessons a child can apply to every aspect of life, throughout life, for a better life.
Last year, St. George School began participating in the annual “Hoops for Heart - Jump Rope for Heart” program which is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association. This program serves to raise money for education, research and healthcare, while providing a fun fitness program for students. The program offers incentives and prizes for the children, but more importantly, gets them to start thinking about what their daily health habits and choices really mean for their futures.
Additional ‘health’ program plans are in the works to further help students learn that they can easily make healthy choices each day that will impact how they feel and perform both today and tomorrow. Good individual health makes families and communities stronger, and ultimately, helps make the world a better place for everyone.
(submitted to Chicago Tribune, Local News section.)