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St. Philip Neri Catholic School 8202 N. 31st Street, Omaha, NE 68112 Phone: (402) 315-3500 Fax: (402) 453-3620

November, 2018 Mary Simerly, Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It’s hard to believe that we have made it through the first quarter of the year and have begun the second quarter. Time goes by so quickly and it is incredible to see and hear how much the boys and girls have already learned!

Are you struggling to get your kids out of bed in the morning? You are not alone! As a parent myself, I know that at this time of year getting your child motivated to do school work can be a challenge. We are seeing a big increase in tardies, as of late. In thinking about that, I went looking for some ideas of how we, as parents/guardians, can help our kids stay motivated and succeed in school. The following are just a few suggestions:

1. Structure your schedule so that your child is able to get at least 10 hours of sleep. 2. Try to establish a morning routine so that you can get out of the house on time. 3. As a part of that routine, make sure your child eats breakfast every day. 4. Teach your child that learning is their job --- it’s not always fun, but we all have jobs to do, and theirs is to

learn. 5. Aim high --- expect your child to put their best effort into their homework and studies. 6. Distinguish studying from learning --- verify that your child has learned the lesson; quiz them over what they

have studied and then quiz them again on the same material a few days later. 7. Prioritize study time --- as a matter of priority, kids should, within reason, be encouraged to work first and play

second. 8. Provide a proper homework environment t --- provide a desk/table, a chair and a quiet place to work --- do not

allow phones or electronic devices in this environment. 9. Let them figure things out on their own --- have your children think about problems at length before asking you

for help. 10. Limit the time your child spends watching TV or playing video games to less than one hour per day.

I hope you find that some of these suggestions help you!

As we head into November, we have some important dates for you to mark on your calendars:

- Thursday, November 1st --- 1:00 dismissal; Parent/Teacher Conferences from 2:00-8:00 p.m. - Friday, November 2nd --- No School - Monday, November 5th thru Thursday, November 15th --- Student Council sponsored Canned Food Drive for the St. Vincent DePaul Society - Thursday, November 8th --- Health Screenings for grades K-6th and 8th - Tuesday, November 20th --- 2nd quarter progress reports go home - Tuesday, November 20th --- Student Council sponsored bake sale - Wednesday, November 21st --- No School — Thanksgiving Break - Thursday, November 22nd --- THANKSGIVING --- No School - Friday, November 23rd --- No School --- Thanksgiving Break - Monday, November 26th --- Classes resume

God’s blessings be with you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Simerly Principal

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Thanksgiving prayer for the family

Lord God, I give you all the members of our family. You know them all so well and love them all. I ask that you would cover us with a rainbow of hope. Hope that draws us together to work out our differences. Hope that helps us to celebrate together and care for one another. Hope that rides like a banner in our lives and watches over us wherever we go. Hope that overcomes adversity and gathers strength to overcome. Hope that guides us and gives us vision for our future alone and together. Hope filled with love. Hope that fuels faith. Hope that breathes peace. May our family live in you Underneath your promises. Amen.

Dig Out Those Pants The last day to wear shorts is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 31st. Pants and/or skirts/jumpers (for girls) must be worn after this date. Skirts and jumpers may only be purchased at Dennis Uniform.

BRRRRRR!! With the cold weather and snow upon us, please remember to send coats, hats and gloves to school with your child. All of the students have recess every day, so it’s necessary for them to dress appropriately. Girls may put on sweat pants under their skirts to go outside for recess. They may not wear those items during the school day.

Service Hours Many of you volunteered at the festival or baked or donated for the festival. Don’t forget to log your service hours into Sycamore. Thank you!

Early 1:00 pm Dismissal Early 1:00 pm dismissal on Thursday, November 1st . Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held from 2:00 to 4:30 pm and 5:30 to 8:00 pm.

Lunch Price Change Effective January 8, 2019 the price for a school lunch will increase to $2.70 per lunch. The increase is required so that our lunch program is in compliance with State of Nebraska guidelines. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Simerly at (402) 315-3500 or at mrsimerly@schools.archomaha.org

Trick or Treating Safety Tips • Never Trick or Treat alone. • Always carry a flashlight. • Only go to houses with a light on. • Always have mom or dad check your candy before

you eat it. • Be sure your costume is flame resistant. • Stay on the sidewalk. • Do not cut across yards or driveways. • Use reflective tape on your costumes. • Remember, 911 can be called free from any

phone. • Always take your mask off before you cross any

street.

Home & School and the Great American Fundraiser The kickoff for the fall fundraiser will be on Friday, November 9, 2018.

Home and School News • Reminder to all families to sign up to bring food for

Parent Teacher Conferences scheduled for November 1st. This will count towards volunteer hours and it is a great way to say thank you to our wonderful teachers and staff who work hard for our children!

• On Friday, November 9th, Home and School will be hosting their very first Pajama Jam! Bring the whole family out and get comfy in your favorite pajamas so you can boogie the night away! This FREE event will be held in the cafeteria from 7pm to 9 pm. Drinks, cookies and neon lights will be provided! Let’s all have fun together!

• Christmas is fast approaching this year, a note will be sent out early in November to ask for monetary donations to help pay for faculty and staff Christmas gifts.

• Home and School’s next meeting will be Thursday, December 6th at 6pm in the school cafeteria. Everyone is welcomed to attend!

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Canned Food Drive Student Council is sponsoring a Canned Food Drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. We will begin on Monday, November 5th and end on Thursday, November 15th. All students should bring in nonperishable food items. St. Vincent de Paul will distribute the food to families in need. The class with the top percentage of food brought in, will win a surprise!

Nebraska Family Helpline The Nebraska Family Helpline is a collaborative effort involving the state of Nebraska and Boys Town. The Helpline’s focus is on improving families’ access to services within the child and family care system. The Helpline is supervised by licensed mental health professionals. Trained Helpline counselors assist callers by: • assessing immediate safety needs. • identifying the potential level of a behavioral health

crisis. • making recommendations or referrals to

appropriate resources. • helping them connect to emergency resources or

providers.

1-888-866-8660 www.nebraskafamilyhelpline.ne.gov

Discipline with Purpose This month we are focusing on two DWP Skills in our classrooms.

-- Following Instructions I follow instructions when I ...

1. Practice good listening skills. 2. Ask myself if I know WHAT I am to do? 3. Ask questions if i am unclear. 4. Make a plan on how I will do the task. 5. Know how much time I have to finish the task. 6. Evaluate the task and how I followed instructions

at the end of the work time. -- Asking Questions

Good questions are questions that ... 1. Have not been asked before. 2. Haven't already been answered. 3. Will make the speaker feel comfortable and not

ill at ease. 4. Help people think. 5. Keep conversation on the topic. 6. Are not statements in disguise.

Faith Committee The Faith Committee has had a great start to the school year! We have been busy beginning new traditions and finding great ways to unify our students. October is the month of the rosary so we have been saying a school-wide rosary after our All School Masses on Thursdays. We are also doing a saints project with our buddy classes. Students are learning more about a particular saint and we are going to hang them up in the hallways and show them off to our parents and SPN families during parent teacher conferences. Be on the lookout for your child’s saint project when you stop by school! A new school tradition that we are starting this year is the St. Philip Neri Award. St. Philip Neri is the patron saint of joy and happiness. He loved to share the Gospel and help people find or rediscover their faith in Jesus. Each quarter the teachers will nominate a student from their class who they believe displays the qualities of St. Philip Neri. We will present these awards to our school body at an All School Mass. We are excited to begin this new school tradition!

Student Council The halls are all decorated for Halloween with decorations provided by student council. On October 19th, we had a successful $0.50 black and orange dress down day. On October 26th, we had a great bake sale. Thanks to all our Kindergarten and 6th grade parents for providing the treats! Student Council will be sponsoring our annual can food drive from November 5-15th. The class with the winning percentage of food will get a free dress down day and an ice cream party courtesy of your friendly student council!

2018 – 2019 Student Council Meeting Dates Please add these Student Council meeting dates to your calendar. Our meeting times are: 3:20 to 3:50 pm.

The dates are as follows: Thursday, November 8th Thursday, December 6th Thursday, January 10th Thursday, February 7th Thursday, March 7th Thursday, April 4th Thursday, May 2nd

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Help St. Philip Neri School Year Round Here’s a list of fundraisers that go on throughout the year. These are easy ways to help St. Philip Neri earn money or merchandise for the school! Keep this list handy as a reminder that helping is easy.

Neri Dollars: Neri Dollars are gift cards to your favorite vendors. They are easy to use and a percentage comes back to St. Philip Neri. Contact Marie McFarland at 402-455-1289 with questions or to make your purchase. Box Tops 4 Education – Please collect Box Tops from various products like Fruit Roll Ups, Ortega products, Kleenex, etc. It’s easy to do. Just cut out the box top and send it to school. (Shelly Philbin – parent representative) Hy-Vee Receipts – This year’s CASH FOR STUDENTS program began on Saturday, September 1st and continues through Monday, December 31, 2018 and includes the Omaha and Plattsmouth Hy-Vee stores.

Here’s how it works: Parents, grandparents, friends, staff and administrators who shop at any of the Omaha and Plattsmouth Hy-Vee stores save your receipts and turn them into our school. Hy-Vee records and totals the receipts collected and agrees to donate $1.00 for every $200.00 spent. The maximum award to be donated per school is $2,000.00. (Trisha Cech – parent representative)

Please save box tops of General Mills cereal and Betty Crocker products. Bottle caps and Coke codes from all Coke products. Please send in the bottle caps and the code from inside the 12-packs, 18-packs, or 24-packs. (Chris Berkey – parent representative) We also collect and recycle pop cans for the Knights of Columbus. The money is used to fund scholarships for eighth grade students attending Catholic high schools.

CLASSROOM NEWS

Pre-Kindergarten Mrs. Holzapfel Fall is in the air & we love it. It is a great time to explore colors, change and all of the wonderful, beautiful things that God created for us. We made the cutest little Frankenstein’s ... they are a must see. We also dropped pumpkins into a bucket of water to see if it would sink or float. The kids had to make a guess and well… after 12 drops & much disbelief, IT FLOATS! Our entire class is so excited for the Halloween party. I can’t wait to see all of the kids in their costumes. J We have been learning about Daniel and the lions’ den. We know that Daniel would not worship or pray to a false god so the king threw him into a lions’ den how scary!

BUT … God is so powerful that He sent an angel down from heaven to protect Daniel. The angel (with Gods’ help) shut the Lions’ mouth. WOW! I am sure you can imagine how excited the kids were about this. Verse to remember: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Our Goals for Pre K are to introduce your child to: 1. The message and values of Jesus & His word. 2. A love for learning. 3. Basic skills of self-discipline & social development.

• Listening. • Following directions. • Asking good questions. • Sharing time, space, people and things. • Using age appropriate social skills.

Pre-K Star Students My full name is Christian Thomas Kurtz. My birthday is September 19th. I am 5 years old! I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. I have 0 pets. My favorite color is red. My favorite food is hot dogs I am good at building Legos. My favorite bible story is David and Goliath. My favorite book is There’s a Monster at the End of this Book. Someday I would like to be a boxer. My favorite song is The Immigrant Song.

My full name is Kinnley Renee Kastrup. My birthday is September 20th. I am 5 years old! I have 3 sisters. I have 1 pet. My favorite color is red. My favorite food is doughnuts. I am good at sitting very still. My favorite book is All Around my House. Someday I would like to be a real princess. My favorite song is Under the Sea.

My full name is Abraham William Dowling. My birthday is September 26th. I am 5 years old! I have 1 sister. I have 4 pets. My favorite color is green. My favorite food is chicken. I am good at drawing. My favorite bible story is Daniel and the Lion My favorite book is The Hulk Book. Someday I would like to be a jail guy. My favorite song is My Love.

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Kindergarten Miss Thomsen October has been an exciting month for us! We attended our first mass on the 23rd and went on our first field trip to the Rose Theater!

Reading - In reading we have been talking about verbs, and parts of a story. We have also learned our sight words: “I”, “like”, “the”, “and”, “see”, “we”, “a”, “come” and “to”. Beginning sounds of words and what letter makes that sound is another big thing we are working on. We also started talking about the sounds letter make. So far, we have discussed “/M/”, “/A/”, “/S/”, “/T/”, “/C/” and “/P/”. For each letter we also have an “Alpha-friend”. So, each letter has its own character that helps the students remember the sound the letters make.

Math - We can count to 50 and are working on getting to 100! We have also been practicing writing, and recognizing our numbers, and using ten-frames. Writing - We are close to finishing our handwriting books and now just working on perfecting our letters. When we get done perfecting our letters we will start working on making sentences. Religion - Kindergarten will now be attending masses on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have been discussing church / mass to prepare for it. We are also learning more about God.

Science - Science has been full of experiments as we are learning about our 5 senses and how they help us learn about the world around us. We tried many different tastes, touched different types of textures, and smelled all kinds of smells. We then talked about how we use sensory words (adjectives) to describe objects.

October Birthdays: Kinzley Johnson (Oct.19th)

Kindergarten Stars Star Students: Isaiah Keitges, Ajok Akol, Keegan Rosloniec, Amelya Bostwick

First Grade Mrs. DeSalvo Shhhh! The first grade class is a nursery! On Monday October 15, we received a dozen chicken eggs from the Nebraska Extension Office. We are studying embryology. Anticipated birth date of our chicks is November 5th. Stop by and meet our new class mates! Our handwriting is ‘shaping’ up! We have been working on the four keys of shape, size, spacing, and slant this month. We are ready to take on each number and letter! Don’t forget your spaghetti and meatball spaces when writing! Handwriting class is a first grade favorite.

In math, we have been subtracting this month. We used cubes as manipulatives to subtract. We also learned the vocabulary words: related facts, subtract, minus, and difference. New this year is our “Problem of the Day.” We have a lot of fun with our flashcards and our new Mad Minute pocket sheets! Size, shape, color, number! These are the adjectives we have been working on. Our writing is a lot more interesting this month! We wrote a class Halloween book and scarecrow stories. We took a class field trip to the Rose Theater to see “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” We got to see many color and number adjectives in action during the show!

First Grade Stars Our stars this month are Evan B. and Clair!

Evan likes to play video games. His favorite song is, “There will be a Day.” For food, he loves to eat ribs and pizza. His favorite color is blue. He really likes the Lego Movie. Clair likes to draw. Of course, her favorite subject is art! Her favorite books are about My Little Pony. Her favorite holiday is Christmas. For a hobby, she likes to play tag!

Second Grade Mrs. Merriman The second graders are moving right along. In Religion class we have learned the seven Sacraments and have especially focused on Baptism. We talked about our own Baptisms and ones we may have seen. We know why water is important in baptizing. Currently we are busy memorizing the Ten Commandments. We will discuss ways we can follow God’s laws. Father Mario comes to visit with us on Tuesdays now. He pretended to baptize one of the second graders. When we went to Mass, we were able to see the Baptismal font and where we can get holy water to take home. We never knew our church had so many interesting things. We have read many stories about animals in Language Arts. We read about taking care of pets, what a vet does, a spider who goes to school, a fly that rescues spiders, true facts involving spiders, and a classroom that has more pets than you could imagine. We have written, read and spelled words with long vowels, hard and soft “c” and “g”, and consonant blends. This group is fantastic at spelling! Most students get bonus words at least once a month. Our writing has focused on different types of sentences and different nouns.

Congratulations to Emma, Jack, Jesse, Carlie, and Delaney who can do forty doubles facts in under one

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minute! Kiley has passed two levels since last month. Carlie, Gizzy, Tres, Ted, and Tony have advanced five levels since last month! Practice those math facts periodically at home. It will help with recognition and speed. We practiced number patterns and skip counting during class time. We currently are learning how to regroup in addition which will be followed by two-digit subtraction.

In Science we finished our unit on plants and will be starting on land habitats. Our Social Studies work involves urban, suburban, and rural communities along with map skills of our country and world. There is no shortage of learning opportunities in the second grade!

Third Grade Mrs. Ottinger Religion: We are working on praying and learning the mysteries of the Rosary! We most recently have been talking about the Sorrowful Mysteries. Math: We are practicing subtracting with regrouping. Next, we will begin multiplication! Be sure your child is practicing their math facts weekly. We do timed tests every day!

Spelling: Reminder that we have a test every Friday. Their words are in their planners to study! Social Studies: We are finishing up communities. We learned about rural, suburban, and urban communities. Next, we will start a unit covering Economics.

Science: We are chugging through force and motion and learning about how they work! Grammar: This week we are working on the different types of verbs.

Handwriting: We just finished learning all the lowercase letters in cursive. Next, we are starting the uppercase letters! Reading: This week, we are focusing on synonyms, comprehension, fluency, and sounding out our words! We are trying not to just guess what words are based on the first letter in the word. :)

Fourth Grade Miss Schroer October has flown by, which means that November is here! We have been so busy learning many new things! We finished our addition and subtraction chapter and are

moving onto multiplication and division in Math. In Religion we are working on a saints project and are having fun learning about many different saints. Now that we have finished identifying the fifty states on the map (woohoo!), each of the students chose a state that they wanted to further research and did a report on the state. Our class is also part of a nation-wide postcard exchange and we love receiving postcards from all over the country! Our first field trip of the year was a blast! We loved touring Lauritzen Gardens! The changing fall colors on the trees made for a very beautiful day. In reading stations, we are having book club twice a week. There are three different book clubs in our class and each book club is reading their own chapter book. We read as a small group and discuss the book. Remind your child to complete their monthly book reports! The October book report was a mystery book and the November book report is an informational text. As a reminder, please check your child’s planner every night to see what they are learning in school and what they have for homework. Don’t forget about our Class Dojo website! Encourage your child to study their spelling words, quiz them on their math facts, and encourage them to do their best every day! Your children are truly a blessing and I am so grateful to work with such a fun group!

Fifth Grade Mrs. Boisen I am happy to report that there are two students in band this year! Eli Berkey and Dayton Collins are our musicians. Band class offered through Catholic Schools is a wonderful experience for interested students. We look forward to hearing our fifth graders perform for the class sometime soon! Learning and praying the Rosary has been the focus in religion during the month of October. Praying in the beautiful Rosary Garden at church was a highlight of October for the class! The students are looking forward to serving and candle bearing at Mass. This group is always ready to volunteer for parts at Mass, and they will be a great addition to the St. Philip Neri servers and candle bearers. The new server schedule will come out next month. Conferences are coming up. Conference time is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss a child's progress. Check Sycamore to see how your child has started out the second quarter. Remember to look over papers on Tuesday to check progress in all subjects. Please praise your child for areas he or she did well in

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and point out subjects/behavior when improvement is needed. Effort is the most important aspect of your child's progress. Papers that are written in a hurry show a lack of effort. The personal growth/work habits area is very important, as I do expect students to show respect to everyone and focus in class. Everyone in this class is respectful and kind to others. We are studying the sacraments and how each sacrament is a sign of God's love. During class discussions, we have pointed out how each fifth grader is a Sign of God's love.

Sixth Grade Mr. Hughes My students and I are very excited for the second quarter of the school year!

Literature classes have been going well – guided reading has been implemented on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and students are reading and analyzing novels together in small groups. Sixth graders are practicing making inferences and distinguishing fact from opinion; seventh and eighth graders are continuing to discuss the best way to get to the truth and how what is ‘true’ may be different from person to person. In the coming weeks we will be shifting our focus primarily from short stories to novels as we continue to read and discuss these works as a class.

Middle school math classes are also going very well! The sixth graders have been studying order of operations, math-to-word translations, and introductory algebra; seventh graders have been perfecting their skills with integers, equivalent fractions/decimals, and algebraic expressions; lastly, eighth graders are learning how to solve equations using a variety of methods.

I’m excited to continue moving forward with a great school year!

Seventh Grade Miss Knipp 8th Grade Science Eighth Grade has recently been learning about elements and their properties. In one lab, they determined that the ink in pens are just a mixture, not a compound of elements, because the colors can be separated through physical means. They can now explain development of the atomic theory and the different parts of an atom.

They can also calculate an atom’s average mass based on isotopes present. Next up is learning about the periodic table and how elements are organized!

7th Grade Science and Religion Seventh Grade has enjoyed learning about heredity the past few weeks. Students found topics about recessive and dominant traits especially interesting as they learned how traits can be passed through generations. They can now complete a Punnett Square and calculate the probability of getting a certain gene! Students will soon be learning about genes and DNA.

In Religion, students enjoyed completing an Ignatian Daily Examen each day during the week of Terra Nova testing. This form of prayer encourages reflection of daily activities to recognize where God is present. Students also recently finished a project where they drew an image for a religious icon and wrote a description about the image.

6th Grade Science and Religion Sixth Grade has enjoyed learning about different types of rocks and how Earth has formed. The class enjoyed having a short debate about the theories of uniformitarianism and catastrophism, and concluded that both theories have impacted the Earth’s development. Students also enjoyed learning about fossils. They wrote a creative essay to tell the story of how one type of fossil may have formed.

In Religion, students have been focusing on October as the Month of the Rosary. Each week, a new mystery of the rosary is chosen. Each decade in the rosary is learned about and prayed throughout the week. Students have enjoyed taking turns leading each day. Additionally, they are looking forward to learning about our Saints of the Month for October – St. John Paul II and St. Therese of Lisieux.

5th Grade Science Fifth grade has continued the year learning about plants. They have particularly enjoyed learning about how plants behave and interact within the environment. The students can now explain the differences between monocot and dicot plants, and are currently learning about the parts of a flower. They have created diagrams of the flowers and will also observe real flowers to identify the different parts.

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Eighth Grade Ms. Adams Eighth graders continue to help out around the school with recycling, cafeteria duty, and rectory running. The eighth-grade girls led the whole school in the Rosary after mass one Thursday in October. I am very proud of them. We’ve chosen our sponsors for Confirmation and will be writing our Saint report this quarter. In religion we have started Decision Point, which is the text we are using to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In 8th grade History, we learned about the first colonies and are now in the thick of the Revolutionary War. In 7th grade Social Studies, we have learned about the civilizations of Egypt - including how mummies were made - and we are currently exploring Ancient India. We continue to strengthen our vocabulary skills, Vocabulary Workshop, the book we are using, is quite challenging, but we are facing it head on.

In 7th and 8th grade grammar we are working on narrative writing. We will be moving into persuasive writing.

Important dates: November 1 – 1:00 p.m. dismissal, Parent/Teacher Conferences, November 2 -- No School, November 20 -- Progress Reports, November 21 – 23 -- Thanksgiving Break.

Music Mrs. Miller What a great quarter it has been in music class! We have accomplished quite a bit in a short space of time. In kindergarten, we have covered the basics of how we describe music: high or low, fast or slow, and loud or quiet. Next, we will move on to keeping a steady beat. In 1st grade, we learned about a new rhythmic concept: the rest. Having spaces in the music with no sound are just as important as the spaces with sound! 2nd grade has added Low La to their repertoire. We’re getting more and more notes to work with! In 3rd grade, we have been learning about triple meter, where the rhythmic patterns are grouped in threes instead of twos or fours. 4th grade has also been making huge strides in recorder! Now that we have four notes at our disposal (G, A, B, and C), we can play a larger repertoire of music. 5th grade is learning about our last two solfege notes: Fa and Ti. To understand them, we are learning about half and whole

steps on the piano and how that applies to the scales we are used to listening to. Middle school had headed straight into their music history units. 6th grade learned about the music of the Middle Ages, which was the beginning of what we call “Western Music.” 7th grade picked up after the Baroque era where they ended last year, and are learning about the “Viennese School” of the Classical Era, which includes Mozart and Beethoven. 8th grade is working independently, learning about the Impressionist and Modernist movements. Soon they will start research projects on composers from the Modern Era. Just a reminder, all students in grades K-5 are required to perform at the Christmas concert on December 13th at 6:30 pm. This is an Archdiocesan requirement for the music curriculum. If there is a genuine reason that your student must miss this performance, please contact Mrs. Miller as soon as possible so that an alternate assessment can be created for them.

Art Mrs. Miller So much creativity in so little time! We have been mastering skills and creating beautiful artwork in every class. In Kindergarten, we used watercolor paints to recreate our own version of the book “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh. We learned about primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and the secondary colors you can create with them (orange, green, and purple.) In first grade, we have been studying different kinds of lines and patterns. Second grade completed a project where we studied warm and cool colors, angled and curved lines, and incidental shapes all in the same project! In third grade, we used chalk blending skills to create galaxies. Fourth grade has been studying facial proportions. It is interesting to see how different we think things look compared to how things actually are. Fifth grade has started a unit on drawing forms. Forms are three dimensional figures. Figuring out viewpoint is difficult, but once you have it, it looks so cool! Sixth grade has finished their Pop Art Portraits and have moved on to tessellations. Seventh grade finished their symmetrical self-portraits, and eighth grade put their finishing touches on their Coat of Arms. They all turned out great, and there are several that are sure to win some awards at the Duchesne Art Competition this spring!

Library and Computer Mrs. Clayton Library Classes We have had a busy month in our library classes. Kindergarten started off the month listening to seasonal stories. While first grade is learning about parts of a book. Second grade learned about the jobs of an author and illustrator and third graders learned about fiction and

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nonfiction shelf orders. Fourth graders started the month learning about the fiction genres, realistic fiction, tall tales, and mysteries. They will continue their genre study throughout the year. Fifth grade worked on their Author of the Month project by creating word documents that they can attach to the Author board when their month occurs. 4th and 5th grade were also introduced to the Golden Sower Nominee books for this year. They were given a “Golden Ticket” to track their reading. 6th grade learned about primary and secondary sources as well as the dictionary, both paper and online. Our month wrapped up with Book Fair. Thank you also to everyone that volunteered and attended book fair. The proceeds will be used to purchase books for our library.

Computer Classes In computers this month, Kindergarten has spent their time learning to navigate the iPads, using the touch screen and QR codes. 1st grade is getting more adept at logging into the laptops and navigating to the computer class symbaloo. 2nd graders worked on learning the placement of the keys on the keyboard and played various fall themed games to practice their addition and subtraction skills. 3rd and 4th grade worked on creating Microsoft Word documents exploring various fonts, colors and text features to make the documents more interesting while continuing to work on their Typing Club lessons. 5th graders continued to work on their touch typing with Typing Club as well as working on their Author of the Month projects. 6th, 7th and 8th grades have begun learning about the Google Suite and are creating documents to show their newly learned skills. Physical Education Mrs. Plewa It has been a busy month in our PE classes! K - 2 did a bean bag unit. We practiced tossing and catching, balancing, making bridges, throwing for distance, and various challenges with the bean bags. We are in the middle of a jump rope unit now. We are learning/reviewing rope turning and various types of rope jumping. 3 - 5 grades did a soccer unit. We practiced dribbling, passing, and shooting on goal. We also played various soccer lead-up games. 6 - 8 grades have been working on increasing our stamina and focusing on overall fitness. We are working on putting in the effort to jog more than walk, doing circuits and workout routines, and playing team games. All grades also have time most

PE classes to just “play.” They are given certain sports equipment and have time to interact with their friends and have fun while playing. My hope is that they enjoy themselves as they practice various athletic / movement skills and realize that being physically active is fun.

7th & 8th Spanish Mrs. Plewa 7th grade Spanish has been working on learning colors and numbers. We just took a test over these and are now working on calendar words. 8th grade completed projects on Spanish-speaking countries and are now working on learning verbs. A reminder for all Spanish students: They must have earbuds at school for Spanish class. This is a required school supply that enables them to use (and listen to) the Spanish language learning apps on the I-pads. Please make sure your students have them here asap. Thank you.

The Omaha Archdiocesan Schools admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origins to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

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November 2018

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Holy Day of Obligation All Saints Day

All School Mass 1:00 pm dismissal

No aftercare Parent / Teacher Conf

2:00 to 4:30 and 5:30 to 8:00

2 All Souls Day NO SCHOOL

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4 Daylight Savings

Time ends. Set clocks back

1 hour

5 Student Council

Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th

thru 15th Earned Dress

Down Day

6 K – 4 Mass

Election Day

Student Council Canned

Food Drive Nov. 5th thru 15th

7 5 – 8 Mass

Student Council Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th

thru 15th

8 All School Mass

Student Council Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th thru

15th Student Council Meeting

3:20 to 3:50 pm Health Screenings for

Grades 1 – 6, & 8

9 Wear a Red Shirt to

Support Our Troops for Veteran’s Day – (No

charge dress down day)

H & S and the Great American Fundraiser

Kick-off Student Council Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th thru

15th H & S Pajama Jam 7:00 to

9:00 pm SPN cafeteria

10

11 Veteran’s Day

12 Student Council

Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th

thru 15th

13 K – 4 Mass

Student Council Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th thru

15th

14 5 – 8 Mass

Student Council Canned Food Drive Nov. 5th

thru 15th Little Flowers

3:15 to 4:45 pm

15 All School Mass

Student Council Canned Food Drive ends today

16

17

18 School Mass @ 10:30 am

19

20 All School Mass

2nd Quarter Progress Reports go home

Student Council $0.50 Bake Sale

21 No School

22 Thanksgiving Day

23 No School

24