Last Week of March :)

Technical Difficulties
I would like to start off by sending my most sincere apologies, I am having internet issues at my house and am unable to post anything.

Tubing was a great success!
What a beautiful day to be outside and have fun. The kids and teachers enjoyed themselves this past Friday. Thank you to the parents and grandparents who were able to attend.
Please know that we still have 2 helmuts here at school.

Healthy School Committee
Eating Through the Rainbow!
Monday: Bring in something healthy that is red to eat.
Tuesday: Bring in something healthy that is orange to eat.
Wednesday: Bring in something healthy that is yellow to eat.
Thursday: Bring in something healthy that is green to eat.
Friday: Bring in something healthy that is blue/purple to eat.
 
Big News
At the LDCSB Board Meeting last night, it was announced that Mr. Cocurullo would be transferred to St. Theresa school for September 2014.  Honestly, we are a somewhat sad here at St. Catherine of Siena only because Mr. Cocurullo has been an excellent principal and we are truly blessed to have him. We wish Mr. Cocurullo all the best at his new school! 

We will welcome Mr. Mike Bruneel, currently the principal at St. Jude's (Ingersoll) has been appointed principal of St. Catherine of Siena for September 2014. We look forward to meeting Mr. Bruneel. (All of this information can be found in the SCOS newsletter that was sent home today)

Curriculum Corner

Religion Focus
Our Lenten journey together with Jesus.
At home focus: Doing a few "extras" together as a family.


Math 
~ The students are working away at their Minute Madness Minutes and improving daily.
~ They have been learning about the Area and Perimeter of shapes and we will be wrapping up the unit this week.
There will be a test this Monday, March 31, 2014.

Math Review
Standard Area Units
Square Centimetres and Square Metres
Relating Linear Dimensions and Area
Relating Shape, Area & Perimeter
Solving Problems Using Organized Lists


Language

Persuasive Writing ~We have moved on from persuasive letter writing to the beginning stages of planning a persausive essay. The students went home the other day and had to choose a topic of their interest to write about in the near future.

Creative Writing/Journal ~ As a teacher, it is a blessing to see the creativity that comes about through your children's imagination and is transferred to their writing. Their limericks and Something that is Worth More to Me than Gold journal entries were a pleasure to read.

Novel Study ~ Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. We are all enjoying our novel study and reading about Peter and Fudge's relationship.

Social Studies

Today we began our new Social Studies unit, Early Societies. Our class will investigate various early societies around the world. We will investigate what life was like, how they were similar and different to each other, how the people used their envirionmnet and how life in the societies compares top life today.

As we work on this unit, I will be sending home activies that you and your child can work on together.  Here are some other ways you can support your child's learning throughout this unit.

Learning Skills
~ Together with your child, formulate questions about an early society that interest you.  For example: Why did the Egyptians build pyramids?

~ Gather and organize some information related to your questions. You could research together, by watching documentaries, reading articles online, or going to the library to take out books on the topic. Ask your child to determine if you need more information to answer the question.

~ Interpret and analyze the information that you have gathered together. Ask your child to identify the key ideas in the resources that you have located.

~ Draw conclusions together.  Ask your child to creat a concluding statement that answers the question you started with.

Please note that anytime your child has social studies activities to bring home, s/he will bring the text book home but absolutely needs to bring it back the next day so the other junior classes can use them.


Friendly Reminders
Dental Screening ~ Thursday March 27, 2014.
Off Uniform Day ~  Friday March 28, 2014.
Lenten Reconciliation ~ Next Wednesday April 2nd, 2014.