April 2016

Saint Pius X School

PANTHER PEN

Special points

of interest:

From the Principal

Pizza with the Pastor

April Calendar

Teacher Inserts

SPX Parent Sympo-

sium

Walking Stations

Flyer

And more!...

In the days ahead, we will commemorate our Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. The powerful services of the Triduum are the center of who we are as Catholic Christians. I pray that these days bring us all closer to our Lord who gave all that we may live forever. I highly encourage all families to make plans to attend all of the services over the Sacred Triduum. On behalf of our entire faculty and staff, I extend our wishes for a very Blessed and Happy Easter and a safe and enjoyable Spring Break. I look forward to everyone being back refreshed following break for the last quarter of another great school year!

Dear SPX Families, The SPX principal search committee is pleased to announce the process is complete. An offer was made and accepted by Mr. William “Luke” Carlisle. Mr. Carlisle is a current principal in the Olentangy School District and comes to us with 8 years of administrative experience. He also taught in elementary schools for 8 years at the 4th and 6th grade levels. Monsignor Funk and the committee are very excited to have Mr. Carlisle join the SPX School and community. Early next week, we will be mailing a letter to all families with more information.

More to come . . .

SPX will be moving tuition management from in-house to the FACTS tuition management

company. Families will select tuition payment plans and fee payment methods using an online account. There will not be a fee for families to register for FACTS. Look for more information to come

A few reminders . . .

Re-registration forms were due back in late February and reminder forms were sent

home in mid-March. Several of our classes have waiting lists for next school year and we will now begin placing new students for next year. Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Winkel or Mrs. Phillips in the office with any questions or concerns regarding re-enrollment.

March 24th is the final day of the 3rd Report Period. Progress reports will be posted on

Friday, April 8.

Easter break begins with dismissal Thursday, March 24. Classes resume Monday, April

4. The office will be closed over Easter break.

SPX Parent Symposium - Tuesday, April 5th. See flyer attached.

Congratulations to our students who earned “Pizza with the Pastor” for March. During the month of February, students from each homeroom in grades 1st, 2nd and 3rd were chosen to have a pizza lunch with Monsignor Funk on February 24. 8-201 Rachel G, Mia I, James F, Fredrick Z

8-202 Mason S, Grace S

7-203 Izzy D, Brody H, Pailyn G, David S

7-204 Joelea K, Megan L, JD R, Max K

Students in grades 4, 5 and 6th will be chosen by their homeroom teachers in April to enjoy Pizza with the Pastor on April 27.

Page 2 Saint Pius X School

A Night in Green Our 3

rd annual “A Night in Green” event was full of fun and fundraising! While some final expenses remain to be paid, I

am excited to share that this year’s event has raised over $60,000.00 for our school! This is an amazing amount. There are so many people to thank for sharing their time and talent for making the evening such a huge success. Kim Don-nelly and her committee have done a tremendous job transitioning the gym to a venue for an elegant evening. The eve-ning would have been an amazing success with the fellowship alone! If you missed this year’s event, mark your calen-dars now for the 4th annual “A Night in Green” which is planned for Saturday, March 11, 2017! As was announced during the event, the proceeds from this year’s “A Night in Green” will expand the school’s art and music program and update the media center. We have the wish lists from Mrs. Smith, Mr. Sharpe and Mrs. Trainer. We will keep you posted as we begin to order the additions to these programs.

A Look Into Kindergarten Lions, Tigers, and Bears

“Oh, My”

Butterfly Unit- We have been studying butterflies. We studied the life cycle of the butterfly and what they eat. We read many books, watched a short video, worked on a sequencing activity of the life cycle, also learned about caterpillars before they change into a beautiful butterfly. We completed our butterfly unit with a field trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory to see the Butterfly exhibit.

A Night In Green Bears Lions Tigers

All 3 Kindergarten classes made amazing pieces of artwork for our Night In Green Silent Auction. The Kindergarten Bears made their beautiful table cloth “ Blessed are the Gathered here” with

each child’s handprint. Kindergarten Lions had a picture taken and put on a canvas by Mrs. Jillian Rollins “Jillian Renee Photography”. The kindergarten Tigers had an amazing portrait spelling out

St. Pius X with their bodies!

Lent is a time to discover wonderful things about God, others and ourselves.

We will be celebrating this Lenten season by telling the Easter story with our Resurrection Eggs. Each day we will open one egg representing an important element of the Easter Story!

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by looking for our pots of gold. Singing and dancing to our Irish Music.

We talked about praying anytime and anywhere as a way to grow our

relationship with Jesus. We are also learning about sin, forgiveness and

making good choices. We will be doing several special activities during

Holy Week.

We are still working diligently to master the addition and subtraction facts

to 20! We have just started practicing adding two-digit numbers with

regrouping!

We had a fabulous time with our author study on Dr. Seuss! Students

worked on rhyming activities and got to dress as their favorite Dr. Seuss

characters! We also enjoyed Dr. Seuss themed snacks—yum!

In Health, students learned about their teeth and healthy eating. This

month we studied our position on Earth in Social Studies. We are now

working on a Science unit about animals.

Second Grade Spring News

Students in room 112 will complete their fairy tale unit as

Room 114 begins their study of literary tales. Students will read a

variety of tales, do a book report and/or finally write their very own

tale and share it with the class.

We are preparing now to receive First Holy Communion on April

30th. The Mass has become our focal point as we learn the

responses and parts. SPX students are encouraged to attend

Pray and Play on April 9th. Students will rotate through stations,

make bread, enjoy a craft and share in their faith community.

As we approach severe weather months in Ohio, our

curriculum in science will take us to weather. We will discuss

weather maps, water cycle and predictions. We will look at

various tools our meteorologist use to help them forecast

inclement weather. Our heads will be “in the clouds,” looking for

clues to see if the stratus clouds or cumulus will predict the

weather of the day.

In Math we are studying various ways to measure; followed

by data collection and graphing.

Religion: Language Arts:

Science: Health:

Social Studies: Math:

Throughout the month of March, students have been learning about new ways to travel, communicate and new ideas that have helped our nation move into our current 21st century. They have also been learning about basic principles of economics, wants and needs, consumer and producers, and spending and saving.

This month students have been working on learning how to spell words with the soft g and c, compound words, and inflectional. Additionally, students have learned about singular and plural pronouns, subject and object pronouns, and pronoun-verb agreement.

This month we have been reading the book A Family Journey with Jesus through Lent. Each day Hebrew children narrate stories about Jesus, starting with His Baptism in the River Jordan. At the end of each gospel scene, Jesus speaks lovingly and personally to your children about the significance of the story.

This month students have been learning about different forms of energy: heat, sound, light, and electricity. We have been studying about these main forms of evergy and how they are used.

Throughout the month of March students have been learning about nutrition: Why we need food, dietary guidelines, choosing healthful meals and snacks, food safety and even a lesson on table manners!

Throughout the month of March students

have been learning about fractions. They

have learned to identify and compare

fractions.

This week, students and I have been de-veloping individual writing pieces for our first classroom book called Life Murals. Our Life Mural book contains important experiences that stu-dents have experi-enced in their lives. We likened these ex-periences of our lives to murals applied to a wall. For a mural, paint is directly ap-plied to a large wall, just like life experi-ences are “directly applied” to our hearts and minds. We talked

about how these ex-periences can be positive, negative, easy, hard, etc., but that they all have helped us develop into the people that we are today.

I’m planning on sending home our classroom books for parents and families to read. The day I’m sending them home is still TBD (to be de-termined). A few students are still in the process of typing their final copies.

More information to come soon!

I thought the class-room books would serve as a great op-portunity for families to get to know some of the students in Room 212! Students were told in advance that their writings would be read by oth-ers, and I know they would welcome your comments! Having an audience always makes a writing piece more enjoyable!

Thanks for journey-ing with us in our writing process!

Classroom Books

Secret Student

Nate was the secret student last week!:)

Enjoy the interview for this week!

MA: What do you think would be the hardest thing about being blind?

SS: Hm.. It would be hard to know where you were going, and if someone did something

really cool, you couldn’t see it. You’d be left out of some-thing.

MA: Can you tell me about any stories in the bible that relate to blindness?

SS: The Pharisees said “Surely we’re not blind,” and Jesus responded that they’re blind with sin.

MA: What was the lesson of that story? What should we learn as God’s people?

SS: Try not to sin, and if you do, you can always go to con-fession and start all over again.

MA: Any last things to share with the class?

SS: My favorite flavor of ice cream is fudge swirl.

Special points of interest:

Monday, March 14: Tasks 5, 6, & 7 due for Sci-ence Fair

Monday, March 14: Spring Pictures

Tuesday, March 15: Mrs. Sullivan visits

Wednesday, March 16: Soup supper @ 5:00

Friday, March 18: Spelling Test– List 10

Friday, March 18: Chapter 6 Math test

Friday, March 18: Stations of the Cross @ 1:45

Monday, March 21: Tasks 8 & 9 due for Science Fair

Math: Comparing and ordering fractions

Religion: Lenten Unit continues “The God Claim”

Writing: Classroom stories– Science Link

Science: Science fair tasks & Earth/Sun Unit

Reading: Reading groups

Spelling: Contractions & -tion/ -sion endings

Novel: All About Sam

Learning this Week

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Volume 2, Issue 10

Friday, March 11, 2016

Panther Pen‐ Mrs. Mangan‐ Grade 4 

Religion: Lent is a time to see what we can do to better our relationship with God. 

The students try to follow the example of the priest (to be holy), the prophet (to 

tell about Jesus) and a king (to serve others). 

Math: The students have been working through the fractions still hoping to be 

whole again. 

Ohio History: The students have been listening to facts about WWI and WWII. 

They have reflected on the Revolutionary War, Civil War and the War of 1812. All 

the wars have had an impact on the people of Ohio.  

Health: What does Media have to do with our health? Our senses will reveal the 

answer. 

 

 

 

 

  

By Mrs. Farrell and Miss Harting  

In Science, we just wrapped up the unit on Rocks & Minerals. The students will start to learn about natural resources and how our choices affect the supply of natural resources.  Math A & B students just finished the chapter on fractions, decimals and percents.  The students will be starting algebraic expressions this month.  In Religion, we will be discussing the Mystery of the Church and the Mass.  In Health, the students are finishing the unit on the dangers of alcohol.  After that, the students will be introduced to Consumer Health.    

In Language Arts, the students finished writing a response to literature about “The Gold Cadillac.” We are now moving on to writing about characters and themes in our current book, Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone. In April, we will be looking at poetry and the elements of literature that poets (and other authors) use to make their writing fun to read. In Social Studies, we are wrapping up South Asia and will be moving into the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. 

 

 

 

The Junior High Journal Important Dates: April 8 - Progress Reports Issued April 14 - 8th Grade Graduation Pictures April 15 - Spring Musical 9 AM and 7 PM April 16 - Spring Musical 1 PM April 29 - Metric Olympics

Language Arts Eighth grade students are honing their communication skills through narrative and explanatory writing. After reading many examples of narratives, they will publish their own stories in the form of a short story, memoir, biography, or historical episode. Ask them what the difference is between them. They will also be researching and crafting an explanatory paper about a topic of their choice as a warm-up to their culminating, cross-curricular historical research paper. All of this writing is great practice for what is expected of them in high school.

Don’t forget Accelerated Reading goals for fourth quarter - Remember to read every night!!! The seventh graders finished presenting their magazines about their Holocaust novel. Students did a fantastic job! They are continuing to complete daily grammar activities and are becoming stronger writers each day. Remember your Accelerated Reading goals. Students should be reading every night.

Accelerated Reading Goals must be meet by Thursday, March 24. Remember to read – for fun – every night!!!

Mathematics Math 7A and 7B

Math 7A and 7B students are currently learning how to apply percents. They are finding percent of a number, the percent proportion, the percent equation, percent of change, sales tax & tip, discount, and simple interest. Following this unit, students will learn about functions, equations, rate of change, slope, and variation. Math 8B Pre-Algebra

Students in Math 8B Pre-Algebra are learning about powers and nonlinear functions. In this unit they will explore powers and exponents, prime factorization, multiplying and dividing monomials, negative exponents, scientific notation, operations with scientific notation, powers of monomials, and linear and nonlinear equations. Math 8C Algebra 1

In Math 8C Algebra 1, students are finishing up studying polynomials and quadratic equations. In this unit they learned how to perform operations with polynomials and how to solve quadratics.

Following this unit we will continue to explore quadratics. Students will learn to graph and solve quadratics. Religion 8th Grade Several important Confirmation dates are coming up!

● The Sponsor & Candidate reflection is Sunday, May 1 at 2:30pm in the Church. ● MANDATORY rehearsal is Sunday, May 15 from 1:30-3:00pm. ● Confirmation Mass is Monday, May 16 at 7:00pm. Confirmandi & sponsors should meet in

the gym at 6:15. Moving forward on the Church timeline, we are in the Middle Ages, when life on earth was so terrible for most people that they clung to the hope of heaven and a better life with Jesus. How did life circumstances shape people’s faith? How did the Church and society influence each other? Did you know that at one point the Pope lived in France? Or that at another point there were multiple people claiming to be Pope? Ask your child about these interesting aspects of Church history. Seventh Grade

We are ALL called to be Jesus’ disciples, but how do we do that? The Beatitudes, the Greatest Commandments, and the New Commandment are terrific priorities to follow in our quest to be true followers of Jesus. Seventh graders will look into how that is applied in their lives and how the choices they make affect everyone around them. Science Eighth-graders are becoming proficient with the new inclined planes, data minders, photo gates and constant speed carts in the lab. We’ve done labs asking them to calculate speed and acceleration and observed how an object moving in a straight line at a constant speed has no acceleration. Next we’ll explore conditions that affect motion, such as friction and Mass, using the air tracks (loud, but fun!) Quick! Name 5 elements on the Periodic Table of Elements! Can you? Your seventh-grader should be able to. Students will never be required to memorize the Table, but will become familiar with many elements during our study of chemistry. We’ll start with matter, atoms, and the organization of the Periodic Table, and eventually explore chemical changes and reactions.

Social Studies Seventh Grade Social Studies

Currently in Seventh Grade Social Studies, students are learning about the the development of African Civilizations. Following this unit students will study the Mongol civilization and Medieval Europe during the Middle Age

Eighth Grade Social Studies

Currently in Social Studies, students are learning about the government of the early United States. They have examined the Articles of Confederations and its weaknesses. They also

learned about the achievements under the Articles. Students staged their own Constitutional Convention and represented a state in the Union, and its position on representation and slavery. Health Eighth-graders have looked at diet and exercise as part of building good health. This month, we look at the emotional and psychological aspects. Is all stress bad? (Spoiler! no). How do we cope with busy schedules and demands that come from many directions? How much sleep does a teenager really need? (Hint: more than 6 hours, less than 14). How can we support each other in managing our day, as called for by our yearly theme of “Everybody, Not Just Me” and our focus on empathy? After wrapping up our unit on Mental and Emotional Disorders, seventh graders should have a better appreciation for what a mentally healthy person is like and how we are called to be merciful in our treatment of those who struggle with mental and emotional disorders. The fourth quarter will be focusing on cyberbullying and the connection between exercise and our physical, mental, and emotional health.

It was another successful Diocesan-wide Art Show

this year at Holy Spirit. A BIG thanks goes out to

Mrs. Mangan, who collected and sent not only our

artwork but also all the literary work too down to the

show. She’s always a big help and keeps me noti-

fied and up to date when art show time grows near.

Choosing the artwork was the toughest part for me,

luckily, I had a school filled with work from our art

show to choose from. This year I, with the help of

some colleagues, chose 18 pieces (the most we are

allowed to submit). Another special thanks to all

those that attended and supported our young artists

and writers.

I understand that there is a decent amount of par-

ents out there who want to see growth in their young

artist’s work but have no idea on how to facilitate it.

You can easily find these tips online and us art

teachers refer to when asked...so here it is:

2016 Diocesan Art

Show Participants

Makenzie S. (K-Bears) Ella (K-Lions)

Hunter (K_Tigers) Olivia (Fries)

Chi-Chi (Fries) Starria (Marchi)

Jake B (Mrs H) Dominic (Mrs. H)

Shalom (Schiele) Adah (Mangan)

Layna (Amnah) Josie (Mangan)

David (Rees) Alex G (Farrell)

Caitlin (Schwab) Tiffany (Kehres)

Melanie M (Schwab) Maesyn (Berger)

Participate in Your Child's Art Work Encourage your chil-dren’s art work by being an active participant. Ask questions (what, where, who, why is it being created?), give suggestions and engage in their thought process and viewpoint (is object X

in front or behind subject A)

Have Good Art Resources Available Whether it’s trips to a gallery of museum, bring some art back home. Back in our day we only had limited options. Now-a-days, we can instantly find some of the most famous artists/artworks with a click of a mouse along with a pretty good explanation, that would make any of us look like professionals after reading it. I have a few apps on my ipad that do the very same thing (MoMA-Museum of Modern Art, Musee de Lourve, Art Circles-an ART.com app that aligns itself with it’s website that sells art posters and frames... and hundreds more that deal with specific periods, movements, artists, and subjects). As with any free app, you'll soon discover why it’s free and/or how they will end up trying to

make you pay for it.

YouTube...if you don’t know how to do it, there’s probably a video here to show you how (and how NOT to) do it. A couple

of views and you can come off as a knowledgeable pro.

PINTEREST...if you don’t know what this is, ask a friend or fam-ily member. This is my go-to resource for finding ideas, inspira-tion, or ways to enhance a project. Don’t go into it thinking it’s just “artsy-craftsy”. Much like anything else on the web,

“Parental Guidance is Suggested.”

Keep Working Materials Readily Available The products available for your young artist are unbelievable. They can by premade art projects to full sets of art supplies in their own cases. I prefer buying what I need because some of those sup-plies go unused. The old adage, “You get what you pay for” is true most of the time, but you can sometimes score big with the cheaper materials. Crayola is great, but so is Prang and Ro-seArt. Hobbylobby, Michael's and JoAnn's along with Target, Meijer's, Walmart, and Kmart are all good stores to find sup-plies Young Sculptors, Architects, Jewelers, Carpenters, Fash-ion Experts, etc. Let’s face it, drawing isn’t for everyone. I, myself, am trained as a painter and graphic designer, but stud-ied ceramics when I went into education. I’ve always been far more comfortable with a slab of clay or a block of wood (don’t get me started on LEGOs!). It might even be fabrics or jewelry (one of the classes I avoided until the last semester of school and ended up loving). I always tell the students (and adults) there is some form of art that they would excel in. Go out and buy a Crayola Model Magic kit at Target (it’s not messy, cleans up well, has a good and smooth texture, plenty of vivid colors, light in weight, and inexpensive). There are also plenty of jew-elry kits and many students already make the rubberband and/or Paracord survival bracelets.

Kindergarten through second grade students have been discussing and reading about all the various celebrations in the past few months. We’ve also been covering manners using books such as Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller, Splat says Thank you by Rob Scotton, Please say Please by Margery Cuyler, and Manners Mash Up– A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior featuring Ted Arnold and more. We have been covering “Digital Citizenship” in all the Media Skills Classes, grades 3 to 6. Third grade lessons have involved topics such as being good digital citizens, protecting oneself by thinking carefully about shared information, and being an “Upstander” when it comes to cyberbullying. Fourth through sixth grade lessons include how to identify the features of phishing scams and schemes, as well as the effects of photo alterations that can distort our perceptions and affect our self-image.

The junior high will continue to use their time in the Library Media Center as a resource time for Accelerated Math, Accelerated Reading, research, and other class work.

Music Notes

Kindergarten has been working hard on keeping the steady beat in music class. We’ve been working on keeping

the steady beat on different places on our bodies, while walking and moving around the room, and by playing

instruments to music. Loud/soft and fast/slow are constantly being reinforced throughout class as we begin

learning a new comparative: high/low.

1st and 2

nd graders have been working on steady beat vs. rhythm. The month of April focuses on using the

rhythm syllables ta and ti-ti to read, write and sing rhythms. They are also using picture icons to read high and

low sounds. By the end of the year, they will be able to read, write and sing notes on the staff!

3rd

grade has begun learning how to play the recorder! We started with the notes and fingers G and E as we

review lines and spaces on the staff. 3rd

grade will begin Recorder Karate, a system of songs that progressively

get harder as they learn new notes and build upon what they have learned in the last song they mastered. All 3rd

graders have passed and received their first belt, the red belt!

4th

and 5th

grade have really been moving along in their Recorder Karate unit! 4th

grade is working on Twinkle

Twinkle Little Star for their Brown Belt and 5th

completed the Black Belt song Jingle Bells and are now

Recorder Karate Masters! 5th

graders will start learning their DARE graduation songs when we return from

spring break.

6th

, 7th

and 8th

graders have been reviewing rhythm reading and note names on the staff and have been learning

classroom instrument parts to the hymn “Prayer of St. Francis”. First up are the tone chimes, then xylophones

and metalophones. We will be getting into reading notes in the bass clef as well reading chord charts and what

notes make up those chords. By the end, we will have a beautiful instrument ensemble to play as we sing the

hymn.

The Gold Choir is learning a new set of songs as they prepare for a Spring Concert.

The Blue Choir did a great job learning songs and participating in the All Diocesan Honor Choir on March 15th

!

They will start preparing for a Spring Concert with the Gold Choir. Date TBA.

The Spring Musical this year is The Lion King, Jr.! Practices are well underway and the music and dancing are

looking great! Performance dates are April 15th

at 7pm and 16th

at 1pm in the SPX gym.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at karsmith@cdeducation.org

Mrs. Karen Smith

Physical Education News

Jump/Hoop for Heart Huge Success Last year was such a success, that I thought it would be

tough to beat. We DID!

Our school raised 13,530.00 for The American Heart

Association. It is amazing that a school this size does that

well.

I have received the Thank You Gifte from the Association,

and passed them out this week. I will continue to pass

them out next week. If you have any concerns or

questions, please e-mail me.

5-8 – Will start fitness testing when we come back from

Spring Break. We have been fine tuning our skills

3-4 - grades – will work on soccer skills and game play

when we come back from Spring Break

K-2 – will work on foot and locomotor skills.

Have a wonderful and safe Easter!

Sarah Hennessey

shenness@cdeducation.org

This month in Spanish…

Kindergarten finished family vocabulary with a special gift to you! We hope you enjoy it Our next unit will be parts of the body. The students will learn “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” in Spanish and they will play some new games to work on vocab recognition.

First grade has been working with forest animal vocabulary. They have been working on pronunciation and spelling. We will continue this unit by discussing the diet of the animals and important parts of their habitat.

Second grade received another stamp in their Spanish class passports! They have now learned about Mexico and Spain. After Spring Break, they will learn the Spanish Alphabet and important letter sounds.

Third grade learned about the Holy Week activities in Guatemala. Then we focused on the geography of Guatemala! Our next vocabulary unit will be food groups and the marketplace.

Fourth grade has been learning animal vocabulary. We have discussed the diets of the animals and are moving on to habitats. We will then use our vocabulary to express our opinions and discuss fun facts! Our next unit will be on the country of Chile.

Fifth grade has been working on identifying food groups in Spanish. We looked at the marketplace and how the food groups are distributed in different stores. Next, we will start learning food items and look at menus in Spanish!

Sixth grade completed the family vocabulary unit with a cute activity! The next unit is food groups and the marketplace. The students will use the vocabulary to compare and contrast marketplaces around the world. We will also look at the typical foods from Spanish-speaking countries!

Junior High had a quick lesson on forming high numbers and they did great completing the class activities! After Spring Break:

7th grade will learn how to use nationality vocabulary, express where they are from and ask others where they are from.

8th grade will continue working with verbs, but we will look at family vocabulary first. The students will practice translating family descriptions, then use adjectives to describe family members and themselves.

1st Grade 1st Grade

The first graders have been taking tests in Accelerated Reader. They have also used the links on their teacher’s webpage to access sites for practicing a variety of skills, including Math Facts in a Flash. The kids did a beautiful job on their “Jelly Bean” Prayers for Lent.

3rd Grade 3rd Grade

Third grade students continue to work on their keyboarding techniques. We are challenging our students to set their own weekly goals for “Keyboarding for Kids” by Ellsworth. It will be important for them to practice this at home. You can access this program by choosing the link from my teacher website under keyboarding.

4th through 8th Grade 4th through 8th Grade

The fourth through eighth grade students use the computer time as an extension of their regular class work. Students in 4th grade have been learning the MLA format using Microsoft Word. Fifth graders have been creating an animal project in Microsoft Publisher. The sixth through eighth graders are in constant use of their chrome books for note taking, various Google classroom assignments, and research.

Our students are building on their previous keyboarding skills by using the online program, “Keyboarding for Kids” by Ellsworth. Each student will receive a keyboarding homework log. This log has an entry for each week of the quarter. Every time the student practices at home, the student will first fill in their goal for the week. Then they will mark the column with the times for the days they practiced. At the end of the week, they will determine if they met their weekly goal and write an ending statement in the final column. Students need to practice enough so that they will reach their grade goal by the end of the year. The requirements are as follows:

Fourth graders must be able to type a full page of double spaced, 12 point text during one class sitting by the end of the school year.

Fifth graders must be able to type two pages of double spaced, 12 point text in one class sitting by the end of the school year.

Sixth graders must be able to type three pages of double spaced, 12 point text in one class sitting by the end of the school year. In order to meet this goal, the students have been assigned keyboarding homework.

2nd Grade 2nd Grade

Second graders have worked on their math skills by using Math Facts in a Flash and Accelerated Math. They also have done some Accelerated Reader tests. In addition, the students have used the links on their teacher’s webpage to access sites for practicing various skills. Currently they are working on money and telling time.

April 2016

ADVANCED MATH AND 8A MATH

The 5th grade spent most of March learning how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers. Remaining units include those on dividing fractions, patterns and graphing, geometry and measurement. Students in Grade 6 learned a lot of new concepts while they studied Probability and Predictions last month. Statistical Displays will be the next focus. The 7th grade students studied angle and line relationships in March. Topics explored included cubic roots, the triangle inequality theorem, the distance formula and special right triangles. 8A Math students learned about concepts related to linear functions and graphing, including rate of change, direct variation and slope.

GRADES 2-4 ENRICHMENT

The last PEP groups for Grades 2 and 3 began meeting in March. The Grade 2 PEP classes explored shapes using geoboards, and will continue studying shapes in April by using tangrams. The third graders learned about geometric concepts in March by completing activities using pentominoes. To prepare for the Math League Contest to be held in late April, PEP students in Grade 4 learned how to access previous Math League Contests online to use as practice.

On March 14, the 5th-7th Grade Advanced Math and 8A Math classes participated in activities to celebrate pi. This year all classes were entertained by local musician Bob Piascik, of Pi Entertainment Services. Bob has been a solo guitarist and leader of several bands for over 25 years and has performed at many events, including Children’s Day at COSI, and on the green at Easton Town Center. Bob sang a number of familiar songs adapted with lyrics pertinent to pi such as American Pi, Ludolph the Mathematician (a tribute to Ludolph van Ceulen), Pi Day Time and more. The students learned interesting facts of pi in a really fun way.

During our celebration of pi, each class had a contest to determine who could name the most digits of pi. The winners were: 5th grade, Kaylee M., 1st place and Domenic I., 2nd; 6th grade, Riley M., 1st place and Bradley T., 2nd; 7th grade, Caroline B., 1st place and Pailyn G., 2nd; and 8th grade, Libby E., 1st place and 2nd place, tie, Megan G. and Emma S. Congratulations to Caroline B., who recited the most digits of pi (138) for all classes.

The students also participated in a pie throwing contest to see who could throw a pie (a Little Debbie oatmeal pie) closest to the mark of 3.14 meters. The winners were (1st and 2nd place respectively): Ava J. and Cece W., 5th; Paris B. and Bella P., 6th; Agnes B. and Timmy Z., 7th; and Jack K. and Megan G, 8th.

The winners of all contests received small prizes, and each student left with a pi pencil listing some digits of pi so they can begin practicing for next year’s contest.

Of course, what’s a party without food? Thanks to generous parents, we had lots and lots of pies (of course), drinks and supplies for our parties. An appreciative thank you goes to all the parents who came to help us.

METRIC OLYMPICS

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 29, and pray for good weather! The students in Grades 5-8 will be divided into teams and will participate in outside events that will help them use and understand the metric system. Volunteers are needed. If you can assist from 8:00-11:00 that day, please contact Mrs. Signoracci at jsignora@cdeducation.org.

METRIC OLYMPICS

ADVANCED MATH AND 8A MATH

GRADES 2-4 ENRICHMENT

Mrs. Signoracci’s

‘Eggs’travagant Books to Read Over Spring Break!! I have generated a small list of „series‟ books that children would enjoy reading. I think it is a great idea for your

child to also journal about his/her reading (keep a reading response journal) for future use. Enjoy!

Fly Guy Series (AR 1.4-2.7) by Tedd Arnold

Boy and fly meet and so begins a beautiful friendship and, so begins a very funny friendship. Using hyperbole, puns, slapstick,

and silly drawings, this book is great for a new reader and it is full of fun.

After-School Sports Club (AR 1.5-2.3) by Alyson Heller

The After-School Sports Club learns to play many fun and exciting sports in this series. Check out the latest story of this Ready-

to-Read series from your local library!

Fancy Nancy (AR 1.6-3.2) by Jane O‟Connor Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy (AR 3.0-3.5)

For Nancy, there's no such thing as too, too much. She loves her frilly bedroom, her lace-trimmed socks, and her pen with a

plume. Nancy teaches her family how to be fancy, too! Fans of Fancy Nancy will love joining Nancy Clancy in the latest edition to the

chapter book series.

Henry and Mudge (AR 2.0-2.9) / Henry and Puppy Mudge (AR 0.6-.08) Annie and Snowball (AR 2.3-3.0) by Cynthia Rylant

Just right for newly independent readers, with cartoon-style illustrations that gallop, skip, and splash right along with the text.

Annie and her pet bunny, Snowball, live right next door to Annie's favorite cousin, Henry, and his big dog Mudge. Annie and Henry have

great adventures together with their pets by their sides!

Here’s Hank (AR 2.0-3.5) by Henry Winkler

Hank stars the same Hank as in the bestselling Hank Zipzer series, only this time he's in 2nd grade! In the first book in this new

series, Hank's class is putting on a play, and Hank wants the lead part: Aqua Fly. But he freezes in his audition and can only buzz like a

fly. His teacher creates a special part for Hank, a silent bookmark. This may seem like an insignificant role, but when his enemy, Nick

McKelty, freezes during the performance, it's up to Hank to save the play!

Big Nate (AR 2.0-3.5) by Lincoln Peirce

Aspiring cartoonist Nate Wright is the star of Big Nate, the daily and Sunday comic strip and a favorite middle-grade book

character. Nate is 11 years old, four-and-a-half feet tall, and the all-time record holder for detentions in school history. He's a self-

described genius and sixth grade Renaissance Man. Nate, who lives with his dad and older sister, enjoys pestering his family and teachers

with his sarcasm.

Cam Jansen Mystery Series (AR 2.3-3.9) by David A. Alder

Cam is a spunky young heroine with a handy photographic memory. Cam uses her gifted mind to crack each case.

Amber Brown Series (AR 2.8-4.1) by Paula Danzinger

Amber Brown is a strong-willed third grader students will relate to as they travel with her through divorce, friendship, and moving

on to fourth grade- all with a dash of humor and sensitivity.

Ivy and Bean Series (AR 3.1-3.6) by Annie Barrows

Ivy and Bean--a dynamic duo like no other. The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But

when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide quick Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are

people never meant to like each other.

Flat Stanley Series (AR 3.2-4.0) by Jeff Brown

A bulletin board falls on Stanley Lambchop during the night, and when he wakes up he is only half an inch thick! Now amazing

things begin happening to him, like getting rolled up, mailed, and flown like a kite.

Just Grace (AR 4.3-5.3) by Charise Harper

The third-grader Grace Stewart gets stuck with the name “Just Grace” when she tries to distinguish herself from the three other

Graces in her class. Grace is plenty different, though.

Feel Free to contact me for more reading suggestions!

LRogich@reyn.org

866.6050 x408

March Classroom Guidance Lesson Updates:

Kindergarten – We went fishing for good friends this past month! Using the story, “Rainbow

Fish” by Marcus Pfister, we discussed that it’s not what we look like on the outside, rather it’s

how we treat others that is important. We discussed the qualities that make a good friend.

1st grade – Last month, we read “The Recess Queen” by Alexis O’Neill and discussed how to

resolve playground conflicts that are repeatedly happening on purpose using the talk-walk-tell

strategy. Be sure to ask your child how one kind act in the story changed everything for the

main character!

2nd grade – Be sure to ask your child how fishing and teasing are alike. As a class, we read

Simon’s Hook by Karen Burnett and the students learned the importance of not “biting the bait”

when it comes to teasing. They learned five alternative strategies to help them appropriately

deal with teasing: don’t react, leave/walk away, use humor, agree or distract/change the

subject.

3rd/4th grade – We discussed how to de-escalate conflicts and express feelings in a non-

threatening way using I-Messages. Both grades practiced using I Messages while role playing

various situations. Be sure to ask your child about the fun games they played in small groups

and remind them to use I Messages at home!

5th grade – For the last three months, we have been discussing strategies that help resolve

conflicts peacefully including changing tone of voice, using I Messages and understanding

others’ point of view. This past month we put our skills to the test and played conflict

resolution Jeopardy!

6th grade - Stand Up, Stand Strong, Stand Together was the message the students received in

our lesson. We talked about the importance of working together to put an end bullying rather

than being a passive bystander. Be sure to ask about the pencil demonstration!

Mrs. Sullivan

Intervention Intersection

Shelley Shoemaker, Intervention Specialist Fixing your children's sleep problems may improve their grades and their behavior By Michael J. Breus, PhD

WebMD Feature WebMD Feature Archive

Sleep deprivation often wreaks havoc with health, academic performance, and behavior. It is an

unrecognized epidemic. From elementary school through high school and beyond, a great many of our

children are chronically sleep-deprived. With more than more than 2/3 of all children having some kind of

sleep problem, and most adolescents not getting enough sleep, many will struggle to meet the barrage of

new challenges, demands, and emotions of a new school year. It is not widely recognized and

appreciated just how pervasive and critical quality sleep is for brain development and how it directly

influences daytime functioning, performance, mood, and behavior. When was the last time your doctor or

school teacher asked about your child's sleep? Parents wouldn't think of letting their child skip meals or

run into a busy street, but staying up late is very often of little concern. It shouldn't be.

Sleep Affects How Your Child Thinks, Feels and Functions and Impacts Academic Performance

More and more research studies demonstrate that daytime sleepiness from chronic sleep deprivation and

poor quality sleep has significant impacts on daytime behavior and academic performance, as well as

concentration, attention, and mood. Even 20 fewer minutes of needed sleep may significantly affect

behavior in many areas. One study showed that those students with C's, D's and F's got about 25 fewer

minutes of sleep and went to bed an average of 40 minutes later than A and B students. The pediatric

research findings are startling and alarming:

Poor sleepers reported being significantly more depressed, without energy, tired, tense, moody, stressed,

irritable, and less rested and alert than good sleepers. Interestingly and importantly, they were also more

likely to have a negative self-image, which, in light of the above, is not surprising.

Insufficient sleep has been associated with daytime fatigue, inability to concentrate in school, ADHD, a

tendency to doze off in class, problematic behaviors, and lower levels of social skills. One study showed

that teachers believed that some children with sleep disturbances were hyperactive and less attentive.

Persistent sleep problems are associated with learning difficulties throughout the school years. In fact,

several studies suggest specific academic deficits, including poor school performance.

Poorly performing first graders with sleep disordered breathing showed significant improvement in their

grades after treatment.

Poorly performing seventh graders were 2-3 times more likely to have frequent and loud snoring.

Poorly performing middle schoolers were more likely to have snored in early childhood.

Poor sleepers were more likely to display type A behavior patterns.

Teenage insomnia has been related to anger, depression, difficulty with school adjustments, and stress.

And studies suggest that insomnia often begins early in life and persists into adulthood.

Sleep-disturbed elementary school-age children may have poorer coping behaviors and display more

behavioral problems at home and in school.

Several studies report that more total sleep, earlier bedtimes, and later weekday rise time are associated

with better grades in school.

Those with poor grades are more likely to sleep less, go to bed later, and have more irregular sleep/wake

habits.

Failure rates on exams for medical students were markedly higher (42%) for frequent snorers than for

non-snorers (13%)

From Elementary to High School, Sleep Problems Are Pervasive and Widespread

You may be surprised to learn how prevalent sleep problems are. In studies of elementary school-age

children, nearly 40% showed some kind of sleep problem, and 10% had daytime sleepiness.

Adolescence: Sleeplessness impacts personal health and public safety

With increasing freedom from parental control, social activities and academic challenges, sleep is not

exactly a high priority for adolescents, and the sleep time most teenagers get is insufficient: the average

is under 7 1/2 hours, with only 15% sleeping 8 1/2 hours or more on school nights and more than 25%

typically sleeping 6 1/2 hours or less. Up to half of adolescents reported at least occasional difficulty

falling or staying asleep, with up to 13% experiencing chronic and severe insomnia.

Sleepless adolescents are not just tired teenagers. They are at increased risk for negative moods,

impaired memory, motivation and ability to think and make good judgments. Drowsy driving together with

"microsleeps" (i.e., unintended sleep episodes) add up to increased automobile accidents, of

which teens are heavily represented.

Late to Bed, Early to Rise, Makes Us Cranky, Moody and Cry

The first day of school often initiates a cycle of poor sleep and problematic behaviors that may be difficult

to break. It goes something like this:

1. Late Bedtimes, Early Start Times: Late summertime bedtimes collide with early school start times; so

kids start the new school year being sleep-deprived.

2. Sleep Debt Builds: Each day they lose more sleep, building up a "sleep debt" that, like all debts, must be

paid-off.

3. Weekend Catch-up - There's a Catch: Now comes the weekend, and we feel good that our child sleeps

late, catching-up on all that sleep. But wait just a minute - there's a catch to that catching-up: it is actually

a big red flag that your child is not getting enough sleep, and late weekend sleeping

actually perpetuates the whole dysfunctional sleep pattern.

Interestingly, a study in which school start times were moved from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., resulted in

children getting an hour more sleep each night and improved attendance.

Late-night-type, rebellious adolescents are predisposed to this pattern and often complain that it is very

hard to fall asleep, easier to fall asleep if bedtimes are later, hard to wake in the morning, late to school

and sleep late on weekends.

Sound Familiar?

What to Look for in Your Child: Signs, Symptoms and Typical Tactics

Results from the National Sleep Foundation's 2004 Sleep in America poll may (or may not!) surprise you:

Infants most often seem sleepy or overtired during the day (29%) and/or wake too early in the morning

(21%) at least a few days a week.

Toddlers most often stall about going to bed (32%), resist going to bed at bedtime (24%) and/or seem

sleepy or overtired during the day (24%) at least a few days or nights a week.

Preschoolers most often stall about going to bed at bedtime (52%), resist going to bed at bedtime (30%),

seem sleepy or overtired during the day (26%), snore (19%) and/or have difficulty waking in the morning

(19%) at least a few days or nights a week.

School-aged children are most likely to stall about going to bed (42%), have difficulty waking in the

morning (29%) and/or snore (18%) at least a few days or nights a week.

Does My Child Have a Sleep Problem? Awareness Is Key

Given the prevalence and enormous impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning, we should all

regularly look at our own children to see if they are getting the sound sleep they deserve. For some it may

be obvious, but for most of us it requires some education, investigation, and a keen, watchful eye. This is

because few of us really know what normal, healthy sleep should be, plus there is a great deal of

individual variation among children and at different ages. Sleep deprivation is also difficult to detect

because sleep problems are masters of disguise, often masquerading in myriad manifestations. Consider

that:

Children rarely complain about sleep problems. A study of adolescents showed that very few sought help

for their sleep, even though some considered their problems to be very severe. Another found that almost

90% of adolescents say that they need more sleep, but how many parents have heard their child say,

"You know, I think I am going to go to bed early tonight."

Adolescent sleepiness is so prevalent that it almost seems normal. Though bedtimes get later and later,

the biological need for sleep in adolescents does not decease with age.

Parents may overestimate the amount of sleep their child gets, because we may be unaware of when our

child actually falls asleep, as well as night awakenings. Research has shown that medical conditions may

cause or contribute to sleep problems even when overt medical symptoms seem well controlled. For

example, asymptomatic children with asthma and gastroesophageal reflux may have poor sleep and

daytime fatigue. Allergies may cause respiratory distress when sleeping. In one study, almost 1/3 of the

children in elementary school reported significant body pains during the night, of which parents were

largely unaware.

Enlarged tonsils can cause intermittent breathing problems by physically blocking the airway. One study

showed an increase in grades in children with sleep disturbed breathing after tonsillectomies.

Sleep deprivation may present itself in many ways other than daytime sleepiness -- inattention, poor

concentration, moodiness, behavioral problems, and poor academic performance and social skills, to

name a few. Interestingly, poor sleepers were found not to be consistently more tired than good sleepers,

and they were actually least tired in the evenings, when most good sleepers were tired.

What Can I Do? Think Sleep!

With so many hidden faces of sleep deprivation, you must be aware and "think sleep." As a parent, if you

do not recognize the problem, it may well go unrecognized. You will also likely implement any remedies

required. Early intervention is important, given the consequences and that children do not "grow out of"

sleep problems; rather, the sleep problems of childhood tend to persist into adulthood.

Talk with you child. Just taking the time to ask some of the right questions can go a long way. If there is a

problem, discuss it and make a plan agreeable to all. Include detailed targeted behavior changes and

rewards.

With your child in school during the day and with after-school activities and part-time jobs for many, it is

critical to talk with teachers, coaches, bosses, etc. to see if your child is exhibiting any signs of sleep

deprivation. This may involve you taking some time to educate the educators.

Teach your child good sleep habits, also known as "sleep hygiene".

Establish sleep-healthy bedtimes, bedtime routines, habits, and diets. If late bedtimes are an issue, try

ticking back bedtimes in 15 minute increments every night or other night until you get to a bedtime where

your child wakes up easily and refreshed.

Identify and reduce as much daytime stress as possible.

Limit TV and other "screen time" (computers, video games), especially at bedtime, and do not put a TV in

your child's bedroom: children with a TV in their room tend to go to bed later and get less sleep than

those without, and those kids who get less sleep are more likely to spend 2 or more hours watching TV.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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PSR 5-6:30PM

4 5 6

7

8 9

10

PSR 5-6:30PM

11

12

13

Home & School

Meeting

6:30 PM

14

8th Grade

“Graduation” Photos

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PSR 5-6:30PM

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PSR 5-6:30PM

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April 2016

E A S T E R B R E A K

Progress Reports Issued

First Eucharist

Pray and Play Day

12-4:45 PM

School Resumes

Spring Musical

9AM & 7PM Spring Musical

1PM

Math

League

4th & 5th

First Eucharist Practice

For 10 AM Mass

@ 7 PM

First Eucharist Practice

For 2 PM Mass

@ 7 PM 5th Annual

Metric Olympics 5th-8th 8:15AM

SCAAP

SPX First Communion

10 AM & 2 PM

Seton Parish

First Communion

9:30 AM & 1:30 PM

4th Grade

Science Fair

12:30 PM- 2 PM

Grade 3 to Ohio

Historical Society

Kindergarten to

Blacklick Woods

Grade 1 to

The Works

Grade 4 to

Statehouse

Pizza with the Pastor Grades 4th, 5th & 6th

WHEN: Tuesday,

April 5 7:00-8:30pm

WHERE: St. Pius Church

WHO: SPX 5th-8th grade parents

YOU WILL: •Hear what’s really going on for students at St. Pius. •Learn the top social, educational, health, safety and interpersonal issues

that your sons and daughters are currently facing. •Hear what St. Pius students say are the challenges in their lives and what

they need and want from their teachers and parents. •Leave with concrete strategies to communicate and work more

effectively with the boys and girls in your life.

Learn how to help the adolescents in your life manage the madness!

To help us gather RSVP’s, please register for this FREE event at: www.tinyurl.com/stpiusparent

To learn more about Dr. Hinkelman, please visit girlswithoutlimits.com

DramaSelf-Esteem

FriendshipsAcademics

Gossip & Rumors

Communication

Social Media Cyberbullying

Join us for a specially designed event with

Dr. Lisa Hinkelman award winning author, accomplished researcher,

educator, and Founder & Executive Director of

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX)

a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based empowerment programming for girls.

This evening will be customized to include specific data from St. Pius students and will also include research and

insights based on Lisa’s work with more than 4,000 students over the past decade.

Confidence