Mrs. Kingzette's Blog

  The month of April brought with it one of the favorite chapters for the 5th grade class, the Ancient Greeks.  We began by studying the geography of Greece and then moved into the lifestyles of the Ancient Greeks.  We spent a lot of time learning about the Greek gods and goddesses and some of the myths that involve them.  After the gods and goddesses we learned about how the Ancient Olympic games began.  We will be covering the Ancient Romans during the month of May.

  The sixth grade are pros at studying wars.  We went from World War I to World War II and then into the Cold War.  The class ended the Cold War unit by the destruction of the Berlin Wall of Facts that we created in our classroom.  The all did a great job on the test for the unit.  I was so impressed because much of the information was not in the book.  We used a lot of newspapers, videos, flipcharts, power points, etc. to enhance the 40 plus year period.  We will begin this  month covering the history of Russia since they were so involved in the previous unit. 

Seventh grade keeps inching closer to the Civil War.  We spent the month of April discussing why settlers moved West during the 1840’s.  Ask your student about the history of the name for the San Francisco 49er’s!  We also covered the presidency of Andrew Jackson and the tragic Trail of Tears.  We had a group project where the class was responsible creating a report card on the presidency of Andrew Jackson. They were very hard graders! This is all leading to the addition of new western states and the issue of sectionalism that divides them.  We covered the famous Battle of the Alamo and the addition of Texas as a state before we get to the Civil War.

The Eighth grade seemed to really enjoy our unit on the 1950’s.  We discussed  how technology in the 1950’s brought many new inventions and then how they have changed to the present day.  We watched the movie Quiz Show that brought up many of the Cold War tactics that we had previously learned and how they impacted the lifestyles of Americans in the 1950’s.  We will be moving quickly these next few weeks.  Please make sure the students do not check out yet.  We still have a few important topics left to cover, as well as my favorite project of the year!

As we move into the month of May and all the activities that come with it, now would be a good time to go over a few of the upcoming events.

  1.  May Crowning/Ribbon ceremony is on Wednesday the 11th at 1 PM in Church.  The attire for the boys is a dress shirt with an appropriate tie, dress pants and dress shoes.  The girls may wear a dress or skirt that touch or are below the knee.  Tops

need to have an appropriate neckline and must have sleeves—no straps accepted unless covered with a shawl type addition.  Dressy Capri pants may be worn, however, they should not be simple cotton or khaki. 

2.  The 8th graders last day of school will be on Tuesday, May 24th. 

3. The Dinner Dance is on Thursday the 26th at 5:30 at Gaelic Park.  Please refer to the letter sent home in February  for

4.  Graduation is on May 31st at 7:30.  Students are to wear their caps and gowns to the graduation.  May Crowning attire is acceptable at the graduation

5th Grade

March was a  long and  productive month.  We completed our unit on North America and the students did a small research paper to sharpen their writing skills.  We talked about some ancient mound builders who lived in Illinois and that you can still visit artifacts from these people in Cahokia, Illinois.  The chapter we are currently on is Ancient Greece.  The classes have always had lots of fun with this chapter!  We will visit the computer lab to create Top Ten Lists for different gods and goddesses and will be having our own “Olympics” after break.

6th Grade

The sixth grade has moved from World War I to World War II and now to the Cold War.  We began by defining what a cold war is and the countries that were involved in this long conflict.  The unit is divided into decades beginning in the 1940’s and ending in 1990.  We will cover the Berlin Blockade, China falling to communism, the Korean War, the building of the Berlin Wall and the Vietnam War.  We will end with the collapse of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The students will be responsible for several different types of written responses during this unit.

7th Grade

The seventh grade made a very smooth transition back into using the textbook and notebook.  We began with the presidency of Thomas Jefferson and the purchase of the Louisiana Territory.  We then moved into some of the conflicts that the U.S. was undergoing and that led to some sectional divides in the country.  This is all leading us to the study of the civil war.  We have been really working on our writing skills since we moved back into the textbook.  Students need to remember to write in complete sentences and restate the questions/topics into their writing as well.  Many assignments have been returned to complete over if they do not meet these requirements.

8th Grade

The eighth grade has spent the 1st part of the month studying World War II.  We reviewed a bit of what we covered in sixth grade such as the causes and battles, of the war,  but this time we spent a lot of time on the climate within our own country.  We discussed the effects of Pearl Harbor and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan.  I brought in WWII uniforms, dog tags, draft cards, first aid kits and a few others to heighten the unit.  We then moved into the political climate of the world after WWII, focusing mainly on the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Wow, I cannot believe that the month of April is here already!  We are going to be very busy ! We will slowly be getting into graduation mode.  The class always has some good laughs when working on the Memory Book.  We will start thinking about this before Spring Break and working on it when we return.  Speaking of the that, many pre-graduation activities will be coming up fast.  We will begin practicing for May Crowning and Ribbon Ceremony as well training the 7th grade who will assume the responsibilities  of being on patrol next year. Hope everyone has a Blessed Easter and enjoyable Spring Break! 

Religion

Thank you all for your support of the Paper Wars.  The school really gives their all with this event.  The eighth grade will be working on our class service project.  This entails presenting “A Walk Through Holy Week” to the Pre-K-1st graders.  The class  divides itself into groups consisting of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  They are responsible for leading the younger children through the importance of the day.  It is great to see them step up and take charge while having fun with the little ones.  The younger students really enjoy the older kids as well.

Upcoming Events:

4/6—Altar Server Field Trip

4/8—Report Cards

4/11-15—Penny Wars

4/19-21—Jelly Bean Guess

4/21—Garbageless Lunch and full day

4/22-5/2—Spring Break

5th Grade World History

Oh What A Month!  We have traveled a bit closer home during the month of February.  We studied the Maya of Mexico and are finished up with the Inca of South America.  We developed our writing skills by researching a famous city, landmark, or monument in South America.  We read the Magic Tree House book Afternoon on the Amazon.  We will also be creating a display on great places to visit in North America.  The Fifth grade did an excellent job dressing as Presidents and First Ladies! 

6th Grade World History

The sixth grade did an excellent job absorbing the material from WWI and are doing great with WWII.  Once again we have been looking into the causes of the war and labeling the hot spots on a map of Europe.  This is challenging because many boundaries change during these wars.  We will be looking into the Holocaust and the dropping of the atomic bombs.  The children had many questions about these two important and tragic events.  We had some great costumes for Presidents Day!  Well Done!

7th Grade American History

The United States Constitution test is over and we have just completed  the Illinois Constitution.  Just as with the U.S. test, the students had to also pass the Illinois test prior to graduation.  Students are glad to have both tests behind them. The “We Are Illinois” projects were well done and some of the comparisons to themselves were very creative.  I was impressed with many of them.  The 7th grade is back to using the textbook and notebooks.  Please make sure that if new notebooks are needed they are ready to be used by  Friday.  Thank you for all of your support during the Constitution unit.  They did a great job.

8th Grade American History

We had a great time working on our monopoly boards this month.  They are very creative and well done.  It was nice to see the students working together so well during this project.  They seemed to have a great time coming up with themes that surrounded the great depression era.  Their newspaper projects comparing the 1930’s economy to that of the economy today were also very well done.  Some of the students found articles so similar that it made them think about the situation that many families are currently experiencing.   We are currently in the WWII era.  We just finished taking a look at Pearl Harbor and will also be tying past and present together when studying the Holocaust. Please keep in mind that the year is not over yet and your child should still be doing homework on a regular basis.  If you find they are not, take a look at school notes or give a call to find out more.

We are a little more than half way through the 3rd quarter.  I know there were some upset 8th graders when progress reports went home.  I have stressed that the year is not over and they are expected to perform to their full capabilities until graduation.  I am hoping to see an improvement on the report cards. 

We have a very long month ahead of us but we are going to be very busy.  Paper Wars will be at the end of the month and Penny Wars will be in April.  

Congratulations to Sam, Nikki, Erin and Nate on receiving scholarships based on the placement tests at the private schools!!!

Thank you to everyone for your support in the Confirmation process.  I am positive all the hard work will shine  during and after the liturgy and ceremony. (Please refer to the letter sent from RE as to specifics for the day). Hopefully this will remain as one of the special memories of eighth grade year.    With confirmation preparation over, we will be moving into a new unit.  In conjunction with Black History and Women’s History months, we will be focusing our attention on how we should treat minorities in the world today.  We will be comparing the present to the times of Jesus and making connections.  I hope that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will shine through the 8th grade!

February is a fun month for the 8th grade.  We begin the month with the Confirmation Retreat on the 8th.  This is a normal day for the 8th grade.  They may come dressed down and will be supplied with a lunch.  On the 14th, the 7th and 8th graders are invited to attend the Valentine’s Day Dance from 1:30-4 PM.  Please see the permission slip for all the details.  We continue to spend time with our 1st grade prayer partners.  We will be doing some Valentine’s reading activities with them this month. There is no school on the 18th  (due to an in-service for the teachers and optional parent/teacher conferences) and the 21st for President’s Day.

  The 8th grade has been working hard since we returned from Christmas break on preparing for Confirmation.  All paperwork and fees were due.  If there are any outstanding materials, please be sure to get them in as soon as possible. 

  Part of the Confirmation process is participating in an interview with a member of the parish staff.  Many of these will take place during the school day and will be completed soon.  Please make sure to refer to the letter coming soon from the RE Office on the specifics for the big day.  Pay special attention to times and dress codes

5th Grade World History

The 5th grade has moved into chapters that bring us to civilizations that existed near North America.  We began the month learning about the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec.  We did some work in the computer lab on our new software, Inspiration.  We are currently working on a project that involves writing, sharing, and oral speaking skills.  We will then study civilizations from South America.  After a trip to the computer lab, we will be reading a book about the Amazon from the Magic Tree House Series.

6th Grade World History

Sixth grade is getting into some of the toughest material they will be learning this year.  It is tough because we are learning about some countries that they may have never heard of before.  They are learning their locations and roles in the world at the start of the 20th centuries.  This is all in preparation to begin our unit on the World Wars.  We started with World War I this month and will soon have their first project due. They have really absorbed the climate of Europe prior to the outbreak of war and I hope this will help as we move though out the rest of the war and transtion to WII.

7th Grade American History

We are moving right through our Constitution unit.  We are taking  the Federal Constitution test this week and will begin the study of the Illinois Constitution next week. It is mandatory for them to pass both tests prior to graduation. The political firsts and turmoil affecting our country and state specifically have greatly contributed to our classroom discussions.  They have been asking so many pertinent questions and learning from the experiences they are currently witnessing.  Please encourage them to watch the news on a regular basis.

8th Grade American History

Eighth grade has just finished with the Roaring 20’s and had a great time doing it.  We have currently been studying the Great Depression.  We have made many visits to the computer lab to work with Inspiration and some newspaper sites to make connections with our current economic situation.  The class was also responsible for comparing President Roosevelt’s 1934 State of the Union Address to President Obama’s speech this year. One of the most anticipated projects is underway.  Students are working in groups to design their own Monopoly games based on the Great Depression.  This project is done during the Great Depression because the game was created as a way for people to take their minds off the economic crisis and have some fun playing around with money.  These always are amazing!

5th Grade World History

I hope you enjoyed your time off and have had a nice start to 2011.  The fifth grade will wrap up their study of Ancient India by investigating the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.  We will continue to work on our writing throughout this unit.  We will then begin a new unit that focuses on the civilizations in and around Mesoamerica.  I traveled to this area in November and will be brining in some pictures and souvenirs to share with the class.

6th Grade World History

I hope you had a very nice break and some nice time spent with family.  The sixth grade ended before break by looking into the cause and effects of revolutions that took place across the globe in the late 1800’s.  We will pick up in this chapter but focus on a different kind of revolution—the Industrial Revolution.  Look for a new project coming home on this part of our history.

7th Grade American History

After some well deserved time off I hope the seventh grade is ready to work.  We are continuing with the study of the United States Constitution.  We will begin with the three branches of government and how bills become laws.  Much of the homework will be from the blue book they received or handouts from me.  I am also asking them to keep up with the current political scene in Illinois as that will be our next area of interest .  There will be a research project at the end of this week.  The test should fall at the end of the month. 

8th Grade American History

Welcome back to the Class of 2011!  The year is finally here, but there is still much to be done in social studies.  We ended 2010 by studying the first World War and the beginning of the 1920’s.  I will be asking students to keep up with the current economic situation as we move into the stock market crash of 1929 at the end of our chapter.  There is no better way to understand this than to keep up with the news of today.  We will be using a new website to identify with the effects of the decade.  It is called awesome stories and will link us to pictures and videos. We will then begin one of my favorite projects as we begin to look at the Great Depression.

I hope that you enjoyed your holidays and time off with your families.  I know that I did!  Hopefully, the students are well rested as we begin this new year.  Graduation may seem a ways away, but we are underway with some things.  Mrs. McManus will be measuring for caps and gowns this week and on the 19th they will take their graduation pictures.  The boys should wear a shirt and tie with their uniform pants.  The boys’ gown is red—ties should be appropriate in design.  The girls should come in regular uniform.  You will also be receiving a letter regarding attire for graduation as well as the dance.

Religion

All that will be on the mind of the 8th graders in religion the next few weeks is Confirmation.  On the 16th of this month, the class of 2010 and their sponsors will need to attend 9:30 AM mass at Incarnation and then attend a morning of reflection in the Bernardin Center until about 12:00PM.

             At the end of the month we will be finished with our Guidelines for Christian living unit and will begin our detailed study of the sacrament and prepare for the actual day.  The beginning of next month we will attend our retreat in the Bernardin Center.

Please make sure all paperwork has been handed in to the RE Office.

Upcoming Events:

01/08—Catholic High School Tests

01/14—End of 2nd Quarter

01/16—Confirmation Mass at 9:30 AM

01/17—No School

01/19—Graduation Pictures

01/21—Report Cards sent home

01/23—Catholic Schools Week Mass at

11 AM.