Science - Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders are continuing their study of chemistry, focusing recently on physical and chemical change and states of matter.  We had a great day experimenting with dry ice and observing sublimation.  We also did a viscosity lab, analyzing the viscosity of various liquids.  Our next area of study will be the organization of the periodic table and we are continuing to learn the names of the elements.  Students have a quiz on 10 elements each Wednesday.  The students have also learned to balance chemical equations and did very well on their recent quiz.  Overall, the 8th graders are doing a good job of following directions and safety procedures in their labs and they are working well together in their lab groups.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

Social Studies - Nennig

Hello Parents,

I pray that your Advent season has allowed you time to prepare for blessings of the next few weeks.

Both the seventh and eighth grade students participated in an amazing day at the Iowa History Museum last week. They learned much about the culture during the 1940s and what life was like during war time. The historic play we watched opened their eyes to the many different pieces and events of WWII. Students had many questions in our discussion following the day at the museum, which will hopefully help spark their research in the spring. Thank you for supporting this field trip!

In social studies, students tested over the American Revolution last week. Many of them saw the fruits of their hard work and study. We celebrated the success of the class as a whole.  We took a day to regroup and then began our Constitution Unit. The students began reading a role-play and discovering the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Upon returning from break students will explore the Constitutional Convention and the specifics of how our government works. This will be an exciting way to begin the new year.

As a reminder, please mark your calendars for January 15th, when all Confirmation Candidates at St. Francis Parish will come together for their first Sunday evening gathering. These evenings often inspire and build faith within our young Church to prepare them to enter as full members of the Church. Please also note that the Rite of Enrollment, a requirement for all candidates to begin their Confirmation process, will be celebrated at the weekend masses January 21-22.

Have a blessed and holy holiday season.

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are completing Chapter 4, Real Numbers, next week with a 2 day chapter test.  This chapter covered a lot of different concepts--everything from prime factorization to addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division of fractions to the Pythagorean Theorem.  By taking the test over 2 days, students have to time to work carefully and are not rushed to finish.  8th graders will be able to leave next Wednesday and enjoy the Christmas break with no Math to worry about.  Even with some many concepts the 8th graders have been doing a good job understanding and mastering the problems.

After Christmas break 8th graders will begin Chapter 5, Application of Proportions.  You and they can look forward to rates, ratios, and proportions in the new year.

Have a blessed Christmas season and enjoy family and friends.

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

In the 8th grade, the students just completed the novel, The Giver in which we explored the themes of individuality, choice, and the importance of memories. When we read The Outsiders, this group was extremely motivated and wanted to read faster and faster. Again, the same motivation occurred while reading this novel. I love that this group of students enjoys reading so much!

In addition to reading, the students have been plugging away at their weekly vocabulary. We recently took a review test over the past 40 words. The students did amazingly well which shows their preparation.

Lastly, we're wrapping up a grammar unit on capitalization. It was a short unit, so we'll take a short test on Monday prior to the students taking off for break.

After Christmas, more information will come as far as the author skyping goes and what the student timeline will look like for the book requirements they'll need to complete.

Thanks for a wonderful first half of the school year. Have a very merry Christmas!

Social Studies - Nennig

Hello Parents,

Your students are preparing for a test later this week. They will be tested over the American Revolution and the events surrounding it.  Each students was given their unit outline today to help guide their study.  I will be hosting a review session Wednesday in class and would be happy to work with students outside of class if they feel weak in a certain area. Please have them set up an appointment with me in the next few days.

Our next unit will explore the Constitution Era, looking specifically at the events, people,and thoughts that developed the American Constitution. The following are the units we hope to tackle the second half of the year: The Movement West, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Progressive Era & WWI, The Great Depression, WWII. Students at Dowling begin their study of U.S. History at Reconstruction so we will be sure to prepare them for their study ahead.

Finally, as you know your children will be participating in History Through the Arts Program: WWII In Their Own Words at the State Historical Building of Iowa on Wednesday, December 7th. Be sure to ask them about their field trip!

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are busy working in Chaptert 4, Real Numbers.  After spending time working with prime & composite numbers, prime factorization, GCF, LCM, writing decimals as fractions & fractions as decimals; 8th graders are adding, subtracting, multiplying, & dividing fractions.  The fractions are not just ordinary fractions, but both positive and negative fractions!  It makes it more challenging, especially when they have to "borrow".  They quizzed over it today, Dec 2.  We will continue working in Chapter 4 and finish the chapter before Christmas break.

It was wonderful to see and talk with so many of you at conferences.  I will continue to keep communication open after the Christmas break as the 8th graders take the Dowling Placement test and register for classes next year.

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are starting to read a new class novel this week, The Giver. They are already engaged and full of questions as we discuss the idea of a Utopian society and how it differs from our current society. We will be reading multiple chapters a day with this novel in order to get it done before Christmas break. I even heard from the students that a few parents are reading it along with us! How fun!

In addition to the reading unit, we are doing a short capitalization unit in grammar. The students are reviewing the many rules of capitalization in hopes to accurately and consistently demonstrate it in their own writing.

Social Studies - Nennig

Dear Parents,

The eight grade students just finished their exploration and colonization unit. They performed their puppet shows in order to demonstrate the influence of geographical features on the economy and lifestyles in the colonies. This week we investigated the French and Indian War and how this conflict led to future conflicts between the colonists and their mother country, England. We are setting the stage for the American Revolution. They began their study of the American Revolution in music class as they are watching the musical 1776. Students will be working on their “Angry Colonists” projects in class next week.

The students will be changing teams as travel groups change for second trimester. Looking ahead in social studies, we will investigate the Constitution and the Movement West during the second term.

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders have finished up their study of animals with a unit on animal behavior.  All grades for this trimester are entered on to Infinite Campus so the current grade will be the trimester grade.  The kids have had a great trimester and showed excellent progress.  Our next area of study will be chemistry.  We are starting out with the basics, such as physical and chemical properties, physical and chemical change, elements and compounds and atomic structure.  Students will be participating in many labs during this unit and will also be learning about the structure of the periodic table.  Thanks for a wonderful week!

Language Arts/Reading: Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are currently in the middle of a short story unit, "The Dark Side". We are reading eerie, mysterious, and suspenseful pieces like that of the works of Edgar Allan Poe and various other authors. The students have been very engaged in these pieces which makes the reading fun to discuss. We will test over the elements within a short story as well as the stories' content a week from Monday, November 21st.

Also, the 8th graders have just finished their final Chapter 1 lesson in their grammar books. We will review next Tuesday and Wednesday as it is a long chapter. However, please encourage your child to review at home as well since 8 lessons were covered overall. This test will be Thursday, November 17th.

Thanks for a great first trimester! See you at conferences.

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders have been busy with Chapter 3, Graphing in a Coordinate Plane.  There is more to the chapter than just graphing points, 8th graders can graph a linear equation (a line) and even graph two linear equations and find where they intersect.  It is a fun, but challenging chapter.  The test over the chapter on Friday, Nov 11 and we will then move to Chapter 4, Real Numbers, which has 8th graders working with fractions.

I have enjoyed working with your child this 1st trimester and look forward to seeing and talking with many of you at conferences next week.  It is an opportunity to discuss the progress of your child and how to bring out the best in them.  Until then, enjoy the winter weather God has given us.

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders finished up The Outsiders unit with a fantastic 1960s day filled with greasers and socs. We played 60's games, watched 60's commercials, and listened to 60's tunes. Thank you for supporting them in their participation with a fun end to a great unit!

On Monday the students will be turning in their final drafts of the Knights of Columbus essay. They have been working diligently over the last three weeks to get their essays ready. It's been a great experience hearing their Catholic beliefs come out in their writing.

Lastly, their 2000 bookmark minutes are due Wednesday, November 9th. Please remind your child to get their bookmarks signed, added up, and turned in to me.

Have a great weekend! Go Hawks!

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders have just finished up their study of birds and mammals.  They completed their Chapter 4 test, which they will receive back on Monday.  Today the students dissected owl pellets to learn about the owl's digestive system and to see some examples of what owls eat.  We have cleaned and organized all of the bones and lab groups will be joining together to create a display of what we found on Monday.  Overall, the students are doing very well at staying focused and on task during lab work.  Our next area of study is animal behavior.  The students received an article from a recent Time magazine article called "How Animals Think".  It is a very fascinating look at how different animals process and understand the world around them.  We will spend most of the week on this topic, comparing and contrasting many types of animal behaviors and interactions.  I will also be sharing some video clips and other information from the Great Ape Trust.

It's been great working with your students!  Have a wonderful weekend. 

Math Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders completed Chapter 2, Equations & Inequalities last week with the chapter test.  This is a challenging chapter for many, but with hard work and lots of practice, most of the class did an awesome job!  We will continue to solve equations throughout this year, so 8th graders will be able to practice and improve.

8th graders have started Chapter 3, Graphing in a Coordinate Plane.  This chapter is completely different than the first two.  Many students enjoy the break from "regular math" and like graphing points and the geometry that is involved. 

Happy Halloween and enjoy the fabulous fall weather!

Social Studies

Hello Parents,

The students just finished their Colonial Puppet Shows. They took a quiz yesterday over the similarities and differences of the different colonial regions.  The students should begin preparing this weekend for the Ch 3-4 Unit Test next Wednesday. They have a unit outline as well as a green review packet to help them study.  Following this test the students will have a quiz and a speech to give before the end of the trimester.

In addition to the above resources, below is a URL for our textbook online where students can take self assessments for the chapters we are reviewing.
http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&wcprefix=mfk&wcsuffix=1000

Next week students will enjoy a presentation by Tom Chapman, who works for the Council of Catholic Bishops. He will be presenting on the importance of Catholic citizenship.

Social Studies

Hello Parents!

Your eighth grade students have enjoyed looking back at our roots from Europe to understand the religious founding of our country. They explored the effects of the Protestant and Catholic Reformation. The eighth graders are now preparing puppet show presentations for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday about an assigned region of the colonies. The should be prepared for a quiz early next week over the differences in the regions.

Students will finish studying representative government in the colonies next week and prepare for a test the following week. Please contact me if you have any additional questions.

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders are continuing their study of animals.  The last couple of weeks we have been studying vertebrates, concentrating on reptiles and amphibians.  The students have studied the body systems and structure of various reptiles and amphibians.  We have also watched some amazing clips and videos about these interesting animals.  Last week was "Shark Week" and the students learned all kinds of information about sharks.  The highlight of the last two weeks was probably our two dissection labs.  We dissected frogs and dogfish sharks.  Mrs. Hade even joined the students for their shark dissection! The students did an outstanding job of dissecting and examining the specimens.  Their technique and attitude has been exceptional and I think we may have some future surgeons here at St. Francis.  Next week we will move on to birds and mammals and finish up with animal behavior, an extremely fascinating topic.   The 8th graders will have a test on Chapter 3 on Tuesday, October 11.  I am enjoying working with your kids!

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are finishing up Chapter 2, Equations & Inequalities.  The Chapter 2 test will be on Wednesday, Oct 19.  Students can begin reviewing the concepts of  Chapter 2: combining like terms, the distributive property (both positive and negative), solving one-, two, and multi-step equations, graphing inequalities, solving one- and two-step inequailties, problem solving, and the vocabulary.  We are spending several days reviewing, but students need to spend time preparing on their own.  After the test we will beging Chapter 3, Graphing in a Coordinate Plane.

On Thursday, Oct 13, the 8th graders had the opportunity to compete in the American Math Challenge.  They were abe to spend their class time in the computer lab doing 1 minute math challenges against other students in the United Staes and the world, some times even competing against their own classmate sitting next to them!  It was a fun way to practice math facts and see how they did against other students their age from other states.  8th graders enjoyed the expreience.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful fall weather we are having.

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are currently in the middle of The Outsiders novel. I can honestly say this is THE MOST enthusiastic group of students I've ever taught this book too. To top off the unit, the 8th grade class is going to have an Outsider's Dress-Up Day on Thursday, October 20th. Student are encouraged to dress as either a Greaser or a Soc which are the two gangs from the book.

Although we are reading a class novel, the students are still responsible for their independent reading. On Monday, October 17th, their 2nd book report is due. They have the option of completing their written book report or doing an alternative book report option. The students have rubrics for either option. Their 3rd and final report is due November 4th.

We are also going to start a writing unit which encompasses the Knights of Columbus Essay Contest theme. The students will be working on the content in Religion and the organization and editing in my class. They will receive a grade in both classes prior to submitting their essays to the K of C. Last year, we had two essays from SFA place first and second in the state!

Thank you!

Social Studies - Ms. Nennig

Your children have been investigating exploration of the New World. Thank you for your support in helping the kids bring in their items for the Columbian Exchange.  Our Columbian Exchange day went very well and the students enjoyed tasting the different foods the explorers may have experienced.  We've take some time to investigate the Old World and what caused exploration.

The end of this week students will begin looking at the settlement of the colonies and how religion played a role in early colonization. Next week students will discover the difference in lifestyle based on where colonists settled. Your children can look forward to team presentations next week. Students should also prepare for a quiz at the beginning of the week.

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders are currently studying vertebrates, especially fish, amphibians and reptiles.  Next week we will be having our first annual SHARK WEEK.  As part of our study of fish we will be focusing on the shark, one of the most fascinating creatures alive!  We will be using video, readings, websites, etc., all to help us learn more about sharks.  Following shark week we will be dissecting a dogfish shark and a frog, examining in detail both internal and external structures, as well as discussing organ body systems.  Our first two dissections went very well and the students' dissection technique is coming along nicely.  The 8th graders are doing a great job of focusing in class and serving as the leaders of the school.  Keep up the good work!

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are working in Chapter 2, Equations and Inequalities.  We quizzed today, Friday, September 30 on solving equations.  It was the culmination of two weeks of solving one-step, two-step, and multi-step equations.  For the students, it is a grand feeling when they figure out how to combine like terms and use the distributive property to solve a multi-step equation and get the right answer!  Everyone is working hard to master the concept.  It will be one that we continue to work on and use throughout the year.

Solving equations requires all math basic operations to be used--addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division--so continued practice of all the math facts is helpful for all students.

Enjoy the beautiful weekend ahead with family and friends.

Language Arts/Reading: Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders took a figurative language writing test yesterday. Throughout the unit the students researched figurative language in song lyrics, practiced creative writing, and completed a "Growing Up" poem in which they had to incorporate examples of figurative language into it.  I look forward to reading their poems this weekend.

Next week, we'll begin our first class novel, The Outsiders. Each student will have their own copy of the novel during the unit in which they will be assigned nightly reading. The unit will consist of independent and small group reading, literature circles with roles, class discussions, and a study of the 1960s era of fashion, music, and icons. I am excited to start a class novel with this group of 8th graders!

FYI: Students should be around the 1,000 reading minutes mark! Keep reinforcing independent reading at home.

Thank you and go Hawks!

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

We are off to a great start to the new school year!  I enjoy seeing how the students have grown and matured over the summer.

We just completed Chapter 1, Integers and Algebraic Expressions, with the Chapter 1 test on Thursday, Sept 15.  This is a chapter which reviews a lot of concepts and most students did a wonderful job.  Be sure to check Infinite Campus and talk with your child about how they are doing.

We have started Chapter 2, Equations and Inequalities.  I told the students that this is one of my favorite chapters, as it is the basis for a lot of Algebra.  They will learn how to solve multi-step equations and use this knowledge throughout Algebra next year.  It is fun seeing the light bulbs go off as we work through the chapter.

Enjoy the beautiful autumn weather we are having.

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

Welcome back to the blog. I'll use this post to do a quick run-through of a few standard items for 8th grade reading and language arts.

First of all, spelling is a weekly subject. Each Monday students have a pretest; all students take a post test on Fridays. If they get 100% on the pretest they do not have to do the homework, but they are still required to take the test again on Friday.

Second, we started our first list of vocabulary this week. The students get their word list (10 words) on Mondays. We practice throughout the week and test on Thursdays.

The next requirements I want to remind you about are the reading requirements. Again, the 8th graders need to read 2,000 minutes per trimester which are logged on bookmarks that the student must have signed by a parent in order to be acceptable. Students also are required to report on their independent reading novels by presenting one book talk, one alternative project, and one written report. These reports need to be on three different books unless the book is over 400 pages in length, then it may count for two book reports.

Lastly, our writing unit is revolving around poetry at this time. We are studying poetry terminology as well as figurative language and sound devices. The students will be responsible for quizzes, a final test, and a few poetry pieces to model the information they have learned.

Have a great weekend. Go Hawks!

Social Studies

Hello Parents!

It has been a joyful start to school this fall. I have really enjoyed the maturity and laughter your children. We've been working on setting the ground work for our American story. The students have studied about the ancient cultures in the Americas as well as the trade routes and culture in Europe before Colonization.  They should be studying this weekend for their test on Tuesday. Their notebooks will also be due on Tuesday.  Our next unit of study will be Exploration and Colonization.

Please continue to speak to your students about current events as well as social and political issues. They can learn a lot from just listening to your adult conversations.

Peace,
Erin Nennig

Student Council

8th Graders received letters today about student council for the 2011-12 school year.  Applications are available from Mrs. Mistry and are due on Wednesday, Sept. 21.  Take advantage of this great leadership opportunity!

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders have had an awesome start to the school year.  They are doing a good job of staying focused in class.  We are starting out the year with a study of animals.  We have covered simple invertebrates, such as sponges, worms and corals and more recently worms, arthropods and crustaceans.  We have completed dissection labs for worms and clams so far.  The 8th graders did very well on their first test and other graded work.  All summative graded work is posted on Infinite Campus.  Next week we will be starting our study of more complex invertebrates, such as fish, reptiles and amphibians.  Students will have a chance to dissect a frog and a dogfish shark, which they are looking forward to.  Thanks for a wonderful couple of weeks and I am looking forward to exploring science with your kids!

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders turned in their WWII/Holocaust research papers today! It's been a month-long unit of the MLA citation process and the note card research method. The paper is worth a large portion of their grade this trimester and many of the students worked diligently throughout the month. I hope you had a chance to read their final product prior to your child turning the paper in today.

The next two weeks will consist of reading Left to Tell which coincides with the Religion curriculum as well. Students have nightly reading assignments, reading strategies to complete, and an independent vocabulary list to form. If you enjoy reading, I suggest you read along with your child as this book is a wonderful non-fiction experience.

Lastly, each 8th grader is working on a reflective poem and graduation speech. Each student must present their speech to their class for an oral speaking grade. However, it is not required for them to audition for the graduation mass. I encourage you to speak to your son or daughter about this to see if they want to audition to be the graduation speaker this year. Auditions will be next week before and after school Wednesday-Friday.

Enjoy the lovely weather this week!

Religion / Faith Formation

Dear Parents:

Over the course of the last few weeks students discussed some main points in apologetics.  They have learned some ways to teach others about our faith.  Students role played dialogues to help them put to words what we believe.  For you to brush up on our Catholic teaching in order to explain it to others, consider exploring: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/

We also began discussing decision making and morality. Students are reading the popular Catholic book Left to Tell, which is about a woman's spirituality during the Rwandan Genocide.  We are using elements of morality and conscience formation to evaluate the storyline of text.  This powerful and life-changing story allows the students to see how making decisions and living spirituality can inspire others to do what is good and holy.  Please ask your children about the book.

Announcements for Service Day - Tuesday, May 17th:
1. Turn in permission slips and $8.50
2. Bring sack lunch and water
3. Wear clothes that can get dirty
4. Wear closed-toed footwear
5. Bring flowers to plant and personal care items (can be hotel size!)

Religion / Faith Formation

Dear Parents,

As a reminder ten Serviam service hours are due on Friday, May 6th. 

Your children have practiced praying this week. They made prayer boxes a few weeks ago that represented their spirituality.  After taking a prayer survey, each student visited several stations throughout the room where they practiced many different ways to pray.  They received small gifts at each station as a reminder of that specific way to pray.  They will be bringing their prayer boxes home at the beginning of next week. Please encourage them to use the tools in their prayer box to dive deeper into the love of Jesus.

As you know, this week brought a little more change to our middle school. After much prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit, I have decided to accept the social studies position here at St. Francis.  I am excited to share my background and gifts in social studies with the students in this way.  I will always be grateful for my call to lead young people in faith for the past four years. It has truly been a joyous time for me.  I have grown deeply in faith and learned much about myself, our Church, and the power or prayer.  As our school transitions, I ask you and your family to please pray that the Spirit will move hearts to bring new life to our middle school through the gifts of a new teacher.

May your family have a Happy and Holy Easter.

Middle School Dance

Thank you so very much for all of your wonderful contributions for the SFA Middle School Dance!  The dance was a great success thanks to all of the items you donated, help in chaperoning and serving snacks, etc.  We all appreciate your help and the students had a fun evening thanks to you!  Thanks again for your support.

SCIENCE FAIR - FINAL CHECKLIST!!!

Please review the Science Fair Grading Rubric in your science fair packet before you put your board together.  Remember that we will have work days in class on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27.  Please come with all materials you need (markers, glue, lettering, etc.)  I will not be providing these items for you. Make sure to bring $4 for your board if you have not already done so.

Final checklist - Include all of these on your board:
_____________1. Problem, stated in question form.

_____________2. Hypothesis:  Should answer the question and should be based on
                              your background information.

_____________3. Procedure:  This includes Materials (what you used) and
                              Method (what you did).  Each section should be clearly
                              labeled, in metric measurements and detailed.  Method steps
                              should be numbered or bulleted.

_____________4. Data Collection (Observations):  This is what happened in your
                              experiment.  It should be documented by data in tables, pictures,
                              graphs, etc.  Label this on your board as Observations or Data.

_____________5. Conclusion:  This should answer your problem question.  It is the
                              same as your hypothesis but based on what actually happened.

_____________6. Variables:  Identify the independent variable and
                              the responding variable.  Tell what variables you kept constant.
                              (controlled variables)

OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR DISPLAY:
* Background information report (should include a cover page and citation page).  The cover page should have your name, class and a title.
* Some type of visual to set on the table in front of your board.  For example, if you grew plants, bring the plant.  

OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WILL BE GRADED ON: 
* Student knowledge:  each student will be indivdually interviewed on Friday or Monday.
* Display:  Items clearly labeled and shows detail and effort
* Neatness:  Appearance of the board, grammar and spelling is correct, information is typed, items are straight and orderly.

Any questions, let me know.  We will also go through this list on Tuesday.
Final project is due on Friday, April 29.

Math Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders have finished Chapter 8, Geometry.  After working with all the angles associated with parallel lines they explored angles of differnet polygons.  They were able to find the total sum of the interior angles of any polygon, as well as each angle of a regular polygon.  The last part of the chapter had 8th graders finding the area of parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, circle and the circumference of a circle.  They did a great job on the chapter test.

8th graders are now in Chapter 9, Geometry and Measurement.  This chapter has 8th graders working with three-dimensional figures.  They are able to name many different figures, such as a pentagonal pyramid, cone, hexagonal prism, and a sphere.  They are know finding the surface area of some of the three-dimensional figures.  Many are doing a great learning the formulas and finding success with correct answers.

Have a blessed and joyful Easter with your family.

Language Arts/Reading: Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are finishing up their WWII/Holocaust Book Club books within the next week. They've been completing various tasks and discussion roles throughout the book. I have enjoyed listening to the groups' conversations and insight. The students have received their final project options/rubric for their novel which can be done independently or with their small group. These projects will be presented and completed by the first week in May.

Starting Tuesday, the 8th graders will begin researching for their research paper topic that also goes along with Mrs. Wallace's WWII/Holocaust curriculum. Topics were chosen today and the students seemed very eager to get started. They will be using the MLA citation format for this paper as well.

In addition to starting their research papers, the students are also starting a grammar unit in effective sentence structure. This should help them with implementing dynamic and useful sentences into their papers.

Lastly, the students have been reading independent selections. These books will be reported on by using a "techy" format. The students have those rubrics and should have been working on the report steadily for the past month. All 8th graders will be presenting these "techy talks" Tuesday-Friday of next week. The 8th graders should be practicing at home as public speaking skills are part of the graded rubric.

Thank you and have a Happy Easter!

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders are continuing their study of weather.  Today they had a test on Chapter 3 Weather Patterns, which focused on wind and pressure systems, storms and weather prediction.  We have also viewed footage of actual tornadoes and learned about current technology in weather prediction.  The students are continuing to work on their science projects.  Their final projects are due on Friday, April 29.  Please see the separate post with the Science Fair Final Checklist.   They may bring them to the Science Room beginning at 7:45 on Friday.  The students will be with their project during their class time on Friday. You might want to check with your child to see when they have Science.  Remind them that it is Mass day schedule.   You are welcome to stop in and look at the projects between 7:45 a.m - 5:00 p.m next Friday.    Hope to see you there and hope you all have a very blessed Easter!

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

The 8th graders have started their last and final unit: WWII and the Holocaust.  They will be working on a research paper over WWII and the Holocaust which will be graded by myself and Ms. Mataloni.  I will be discussing the paper with the students today and giving them my grading rubric for the paper.  I will be essentially be grading the content of their paper.  The 8th graders will also have to do an informative speech about their topic to their social studies class.  I think that they will really enjoy this unit and it will be a great one to end the year on.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend with your families!

Religion/Faith Formation

Hello Eighth Grade Parents,

Last week we posted the end of the year dates for the eighth graders. We are still looking for volunteers to help with the Service Day on May 17 (May 20 rain date.)  If you are able to help please contact me.

Next week, Wednesday, April 13 is our Lenten School-wide service project.  As you know we are bringing Meals from the Heartland to St. Francis Parish Hall.  The students will be participating in this service event throughout the day in religion class. You are more than welcome to come and volunteer to serve with the kids during their scheduled service event.  Joni Schnoes is working on coordinating volunteers, please contact her if you are interested. Joni Schnoes: jschnoes@dowlingcatholic.org

Also a few weeks ago, Deacon Bill invited all the Confirmation candidates to join the SFA Youth Group traveling to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in November of 2011.  NCYC registration and deposit is due next week. I know this seems like a long way out, however, for a conference of this size an early commitment is essential.  I know many of your families collected information from Deacon Bill regarding this event. Please strongly consider sending your child to this life-changing weekend.  I went as a high school student and was inspired to make faith an important part of my life.  We have had many SFA graduates who have attended NCYC and they would all tell you it was worth their time and money.  Please be sure to contact Deacon Bill if you have any questions.  Bill Richer: bricher@saintfrancischurch.org

Kathy Lang also would like to announce an 8th Grade Class Party:
8th Grade Class Party
Friday, June 3rd 6-10pm
Connor Lang's House
31281 Champagne RD
Waukee IA

The SFA eighth grade students will be taking their Confirmation test on Thursday of next week in religion class.  Each student has been given a study guide, scavenger hunt, and Confirmation lessons to help guide their study.  Essentially the test will be composed of multiple choice, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions regarding the basic teachings of the Catholic faith.

Eighth graders are also working on their Confirmation project which is due Monday, April 18th.  Their last workday in class will be Friday, April 15th.  During Holy Week students will be participating in a diversity of prayer stations.  They will each receive gifts at the prayer stations in order to remind them of the many different ways to pray.  Please continue to encourage daily prayer at home.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, all Serviam hours are Due on Friday, May 6th. Please use the following link if the students need ideas as to where to serve.
http://saintfrancisschool.org/Academics/Sixth%20Grade/service/Service%20Organizations.pdf


Lastly, many parents and sponsors contact me each year about gift ideas for Confirmation.  My strongest suggestion is to give something that can help them continuously grow in their Catholic faith or something that will help them connect with universal Church.  Below you will find a few ideas. Many of these gifts can be found at the Catholic bookstore Divine Treasures on Hickman or online.

Cathlic Books
The Catholic Youth Bible, Third Edition: New American Bible Translation (Hardcover)
Blessed are the Bored in Spirit: A Young Catholic's Search for Meaning - Mark Hart
Do I have to Go? - 101 Questions about the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life
Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?: And 199 Other Questions from Catholic Teenagers
Did Jesus Have a Last Name?: And 199 Other Questions from Catholic Teenagers
365 Saints: Your Daily Guide to the Wisdom and Wonder of Their Lives by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker
Catholicism For Dummies
My Life with the Saints - James Martin
I Choose God - Chris Cuddy and Peter Ericksen
100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know. - Mark Hart & Todd Lemieux
Rediscovering Catholicism - Matthew Kelly

Other Gift Ideas
Patron Saint medal or icon
Palm of Your Hand Crosses
http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/conf.html
Miscellaneous
http://www.findgift.com/Occasions/Confirmation/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/34354/ten_memorable_confirmation_gift_ideas.html

End of the Year Dates!

8^th Grade Dates – April-June  2011

Friday, April 15                                   7^th and 8^th Grade Dance at St. Francis            7:00 – 9:00 P.M.

 *If you volunteered to help we will be contacting you early next week.  If you would like to help and didn’t volunteer please contact Mrs. Mistry.  If you can donate a case of water, Propel or Gatorade to sell at the dance or healthy snacks (baked chips, granola bars, etc.) please let Mrs. Mistry know.  All proceeds from the dance after expenses go toward 8^th grade expenses, such as service trip, Adventureland trip, t-shirts, etc.  If the dance does not cover expenses students will have to pay for the Adventureland trip and service trip bus.

Saturday, April 16                   Confirmation Retreat 4:30 P.M. – 10:30 P.M.

Tuesday, April 26                    Confirmation Interviews -  You will be receiving a letter in the mail from Mrs. Ryan regarding your child’s specific time.

Friday, April 29                                   Science Fair – bring projects to Science room at 7:45-8:15a.m.

Open for viewing all day, your child will be with their project during their class period.

Thursday, May 5                     Confirmation Rehearsal          5:30 L-Z,    6:30 A-K

Friday, May 6                          8:45 a.m. Mass, May Crowning:  8^th grade students are asked to bring at least one bedding plant for the Mary Garden.  Any of the following would be great:  impatiens, petunias, snapdragons, lilies, alyssum, geraniums, marigolds, any color or size.  Send plants on Thursday, May 6 with your child.  We will plant the garden the following week.  If you signed up to help Mrs. Mistry will contact you. 

Friday, May 6                          All Service Hours are due.  Students who do not complete hours or do not turn in forms by this date will be required to do service at school on Friday, May 28.

NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

Friday, May 6                          Confirmation for L-Z

Saturday, May 7                     Confirmation for A-K

Tuesday, May 10                     7^th/8^th Music Program and Talent Show 2:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.

Saturday, May 14                    Confirmation Dance at St. Theresa’s 7:00-9:00 P.M.

Mid-May (date not finalized)   Service Day, House of Mercy

Chaperones and volunteers needed, please contact Ms. Nennig.

Tuesday, May 31                     No Classes – Grade 8 only

                                                Make up day for missing work or service hours

                                                Work must be completed by the end of the day.

Tuesday, May 31                     Graduation Mass 7:00 in church, reception to follow

                                                Pictures begin at 5:30, group picture at 6:30

                                   

Wednesday, June 1                 Adventureland *see below for requirements

Thursday, June 2                     Last day, clean lockers, turn in books, activities with

                                                Kindergarten Buddies, clap out at 1:00 p.m.

Adventureland Trip Requirements – Students must complete ALL of these to attend.

1. All work must be turned in and any tests must be completed.
2. Service Hours completed and turned in by May 6.
3. Active participation in the 8^th grade service trip.

*PLEASE NOTE:  IF STUDENTS HAVE SERVED 2 IN-SCHOOL OR ANY OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO TO ADVENTURELAND. ADMINISTRATORS WILL HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE TRIP. 

Religion / Faith Formation

The eighth grade students spent the week looking into Catholic internet websites.  Each student has explored the internet and found a differnent Catholic website that they have entered into our March Madness competition.  The students vote at the end of each class as to which website will go on in the competition.  The goal is to expose your children to a world of Catholic resources avaliable to them at their fingertips. 

We have also learned more about the Sacrament of Confirmation this week and the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. Next week we will spend some time reviewing the gifts of the Holy Spirit and begin working in groups on our Confirmation projects. 

All Serviam hours will be due on or before May 6th. Please contact me if you or your child needs help finding places to serve.  One of our greatest needs in our Diocese is the need for supplies to help settle refugees.  I have received the following email from Catholic Charities, if your child would like to plan a "supply drive" in your neighborhood for the new refugees please let me know. They can receive Serviam hours for planning and collecting items.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities in Des Moines is in need of donations for apartment setups! If you have any of the items listed below please call or email Katie Ryan! Tax receipts are given if you need one! They do furniture pickups Mondays 9:30-12:30pm.

*Kitchen Tables and chairs* *( MOST NEEDED ITEM)*·
Coffee Tables/end tables·
Lamps/shades
Vacuums ·
Light bulbs·
Hand soap·
Pots and pans ·
Children’s backpacks (middle school and high school age)·
Notebooks and folders·
Sewing kits·
Band-Aids·
Brushes/combs

Katie Ryan
Volunteer/Donation Specialist
Refugee Resettlement Program
Catholic Charities
601 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Phone: 515-237-5090
Fax: 515-237-5099
kryan@dmdiocese.org

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are currently learning about figurative language and poetry terminology. They've done an excellent job of being actively involved in creating alliterations and clever idioms, metaphors, and similes. Next week, they will put these terms into action when they create a sensory imagery poem about spring.

After we finish up the poetry unit, the 8th graders will begin the WWII/Holocaust literature unit. Each student will have a choice to read one of seven novel options that coincide with the WWII topic. They will be expected to read each night and take part in whole group and small group conversations and projects. It is one of my favorite units of the year and I can't wait to get started!

In addition, students need to keep reading 25-30 minutes per day to get their 2000 reading minutes completed by the end of the trimester. 8th graders are continuing with weekly vocabulary and spelling, too.

St. Francis Middle School Dance - Mrs. Louise Mistry

St. Francis will be hosting the Diocesan middle school dance on Friday, April 15.  We will need many volunteers to make the dance a success so we thank you in advance for your help!  The dance is from 7:00-9:00.  A typical shift is about 45 minutes.  Many of you signed up to help at the dance.  I will be sending out a schedule the first week of April.  If you did not sign up and would like to help just let me know.  Thanks!

Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders are finishing up their study of astronomy.  Our next are of study will be weather and climate, which should be a very relevant topic, given our weather this week!
The students have also started work on their science fair projects.  Students have selected their topics and turned in their proposal sheet.  I will be looking over their proposals and may ask the students to make changes if needed. 

The week before spring break the 8th graders received a packet of information about their project which you may want to review with you.  They have a rubric, a review of scientific method,  a timeline of due dates and a letter from me.   Background information reports are due next Friday, April 1 and they have detailed guidelines about how to prepare the paper.  We will be ordering tri-fold boards on Monday.  I prefer that all students use the same board, which I will order in bulk.  The cost is about $4.  No need to send money until the boards arrive (in a couple of weeks). 

The final project is due on Friday, April 29 and projects will be available for viewing in the science room all day. 

Math Mrs Cindy Streff

Welcome back from Spring Break!  I hope everyone is ready for the last months of the school year.

8th graders are working on Chapter 8, Geometry.  The first part of the chapter has them learning about angles--vertical, adjacent, complementary, supplementary, corresponding, and alternate interior.  It is interesting to see how many different types angles are congruent to eachother.  We will continue with Geometry for several weeks (Chapter 9 is also Geometry).  We will finish the year with Tables & Graphs and Algebra Readiness.

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

The 8th graders are currently working through Chapter 20: The Industrial Period of the US.  We are studying such industrial giants as Andrew Carnegie, J.D. Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan.  The students also discussed the "Gospel of Wealth," by Andrew Carnegie in which he believed that it was the duty of the wealthy to give away most of the fortune to charity.  We then connected it to the recent foundation work of men such as Bill Gates and Warrne Buffett with their "Giving Away" drive in which people can sign on to pledge to donate most of their wealth.  It was great to take the philosophies of these men a hundred years ago and relate it to today.
The 8th graders should be testing over Chapter 20 on Friday, April 1st.  We will then be studying WWI and working our way to our last unit which is WWII.

Religion / Faith Formation

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, for your help in guiding these young people about the love of the Church and the sacredness of their bodies.  I have just finished reading their tests and I can assure you they learned from you. Although topics regarding the body can sometimes be sensitive issues with middle school students, they hunger for the truth about their bodies.  Please continue to talk with your children about these issues as the truth will need to be reinforced as they enter high school.

Additional Theology of the Body Resources:
For Teens

http://www.demandyourdignity.com/
http://www.chastity.com/
http://www.tobforteens.com/

For Adults

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbzoE3bdudc
http://www.theologyofthebody.net/
http://www.tobinstitute.org/

As a reminder Ash Wednesday is next week which begins the liturgical season of Lent. During this time we reflect on the temptation and suffering of Jesus. Below is a prayer website that will help you experience the Lenten season with your family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCmn7pDgXlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWKRhk-yYI0

Creighton University Lenten Resources

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/

Our next mini-unit will explore Catholic Online resources.  Students will be responsible to do a website review for their classmates of a specific Catholic Website.  Hopefully this will promote continuous spiritual growth in and out of the classroom.

Finally, as spring break approaches, this could be a wonderful time for students to participate in service.  Two additional Serviam hours will be due the first week in May, totaling ten Serviam hours all together. Thank you deeply for your support of this program.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Serviam Opportunities:

Knit or crochet newborn hats and send them to newborns in impoverished countries in effort to lower the newborn mortality rate. Instructions are on the website and also knitting and crochet patterns if you don't have your own. One hat would probably take a couple hours the first time and then maybe an hour after the kids get into a groove. There's a downloadable/printable flyer on this website too.  Website:  http://www.goodgoes.org/caps

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

This week, the 8th graders will be finishing up their unit over the Civil War.  For the last couple of days, the students watched the movie Glory.  They were able to view th contributions of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment which was an all African-American regiment that fought for the Union.  The students will be reviewing this week and will be having their test on Friday, March 4th.

We are then going to do a quick overview of the Industrial period with figures such as John D.Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.  We are working our way towards WWI and then eventually WWII to end the trimester.

Also, the 8th graders finished up their last week of Junior Achievement.  The students really enjoyed the program and a big thank you to our volunteers!!

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

This week the students completed their final book report project. They did a wonderful job of retelling their novels to the class. The 8th graders are currently reading The Giver, as well. I have been truly impressed by their questions and in-depth conversations related to the themes of the Newberry Awarded novel. We will continue to work on The Giver for the next seven days, so it is finished prior to Spring Break.

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th Graders are continuing their study of astronomy, this week focusing on the solar system.  They have learned about the characteristics of the inner and outer planets and also about unique characteristics of each individual planet.  We also studied the history of observation of our solar system, beginning with the early astronomers such as Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler and including the development of geocentric and finally heliocentric theories.  We also learned about comets, asteroids and meteors and discussed the possibilites of life outside of Earth - certainly an interesting topic!    Next week we will move on to stars, galaxies and the universe, learning about the stars and galaxies.  The students will be learning how to locate the Big Dipper and at least 10 other constellations in the night sky.  Happy stargazing!

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

Last Friday, 8th graders took the chapter test for Chapter 6, Percents.  It was the last grade for the second trimester.  The class as a whole did very well on the test.

8th graders are working on Chapter 7, Exponents and Powers.  It is a short chapter so we will be testing over it before Spring Break.  We have already looked at Scientific Notation, writing both very large and very small numbers.  This is their first experience writing with negative exponents.  We have also discussed multiplication and exponents--simply adding the exponents when you multiply a number with the same base.  Division and exponents has 8th graders subtracting the exponent when dividing a number with the same base.  Simple concepts, but can be difficult when put all together.

Good luck with Dowling Catholic registration!  If you have questions, even after Saturday, please do not hestitate to let me know.

Spanish - Mrs. Buckmiller

The 8th graders have started saying the Hail Mary by memory.  They did a great job on the first day!  They are also working on using me gusta and me gustan.  They will have a test over this in 2 weeks.  How can you help your child?  You can listen and look at the words as they practice saying the Hail Mary and point out areas they need to work on.  You can help them study for the me gusta / me gustan test by helping them learn the vocabulary and practice with words that go with me gusta (singular nouns and infinitives) and which words go with me gustan (plural nouns and more than one singular noun).

Science - Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th Graders are contiuing their study of astronomy.  This week we have learned about how rockets worked, different types of rockets and have seen video of several rocket launches.  We have also focused on space exploration, including the founding of NASA, the Apollo program and the history of space exploration in the United States.  We have learned about current methods of space research and exploration, including the space shuttle program and the International Space Station.  The students saw video of space shuttle launches and landings and of the shuttle docking with the International Space Station, as well as the components of the station.  We will also be discussing the benefits of space research and how knowledge of space science can be used on Earth.  The students will have a test on Chapter 2 on Tuesday.

On a side note, we  revisited "Teco" the 8 month old bonobo from the Great Ape Trust and read and discussed this week's article about Teco in the Des Moines Register.  Students also watched a video clip of Teco's current progress and discussed the implications of research with the bonobos on humans.

We are working on making sure the students stay focused, as there is a lot of learning left to do.  Please remind your student to make the most of their educational opportunities!  Have a great weekend!

Religion / Faith Formation

The eighth grade students just finished their unit on Vocations this week.  Their test was yesterday, and I will have the scores posted on Infinite Campus on Monday.  The students learned about their universal call to holiness, no matter which vocation God calls them.  On their test they were asked to predict twenty years from now, what vocation they would be living.  Their answers were very interesting.  Please as your child about this.  In addition, please pray for all middle school students as we had several who felt called to priesthood and religious life. 

Our next unit will be our Love Unit.  This is an extension of our Vocations Unit for the eighth grade.  The kids will explore how to love in the single vocation through concepts from John Paul II's  Theology of the Body.  There will also be a teaching piece we will ask you to do with your child at home.  Please watch for a follow up email regarding your role as their primary Catholic faith teachers.  Thank you for your continued prayers for your children, they are wonderful young people.
Additional Theology of the Body Resources:
For Teens

http://www.demandyourdignity.com/
http://www.chastity.com/
http://www.tobforteens.com/

For Adults
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbzoE3bdudc
http://www.theologyofthebody.net/
http://www.tobinstitute.org/
 _________________________________________________________________________________

Serviam Opportunities:

Knit or crochet newborn hats and send them to newborns in impoverished countries in effort to lower the newborn mortality rate. Instructions are on the website and also knitting and crochet patterns if you don't have your own. One hat would probably take a couple hours the first time and then maybe an hour after the kids get into a groove. There's a downloadable/printable flyer on this website too if you simply wanted to post it.  Website:  http://www.goodgoes.org/caps

Contact: Heather at hiburg@eastersealsia.org
Easter Seals Crop for Camp
Still in need of volunteers!

Shifts that we need help filling:
Friday, Feb. 25 - 5-10 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 26 - 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. / Noon - 5 p.m. / 5:30 - 10 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 27 - 8 - 11 a.m. / 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. / 2 - 5 p.m.

*Event is at Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside
http://varietytelethon.com/index.php

Volunteers needed to assist Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside for the 2011
Variety Telethon!!
Saturday, March 5th - 5:30 - 7 a.m.
Orientation: 5:30 - 6 a.m.

Where: Polk County Convention Center, 501 Grand Ave. Downtown Des Moines
We're in need of 30 volunteers to help answer phones. Volunteers will
receive an Easter Seals long sleeve t-shirt to wear on air and
complimentary breakfast will be available following the shift.
Variety has supported Easter Seals for more than 25 years. Please help
us to assist them again this year!

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please contact
Heather at hiburg@eastersealsia.org

Language Arts/Reading - Mataloni

The 8th graders just finished the illustration process on their picture books. They turned out amazing! I was really impressed with a majority of their motivation and effort put into their final piece. The 8th graders will be sharing their stories with their Kindergarten buddies on Wednesday morning. I look forward to seeing the interaction between them as their share their work.
We are still plugging away at punctuation. The students just took a quiz over quotation marks and underlining. We will finish up next week with apostrophes and hyphens. The final test over the entire punctuation unit will be the last week of February.

Starting Monday we will begin reading The Giver as a whole class novel. I look forward to this unit every year as it is one of my all-time favorite novels! Students will be expected to do daily readings and daily responses to the novel and its themes.

Math: Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are finishing up Chapter 6, Application of Percent. 8th graders are working on simple and compound interest.  It is one of the few times they use calculators during class.  It is interesting for them to see how little or how much interst they can earn.  We will test over the chapter at the end of next week.


In a couple of weeks you will be registering your child for Dowling Catholic and the classes they will take as a freshman.  I will spend time one day in the coming weeks talking with all 8th grade classes about their options, but will also give them here, for you the parent.  Contact me if you have questions or concerns about the math class your child should be taking.

**Algebra A--for students who struggle with math.  Algebra is taught over 2 years (Algebra B as a sophomore).  Small class size and a slower pace.
**Algebra I--for most students.  What most of us remember about our own freshmen math.
**Advanced Algebra I--for students with strong math skills.  Class moves quicker, covering most of the book.
**Advanced Geometry--for students who took Algebra as an 8th grader.

It is an exciting time for you and your 8th grader.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

The 8th graders now are studying the people and events of the Civil War.  In the upcoming week, we will be focusing on the major battles, the music of the Civil War, and the decisions of Lincoln.  In class, we will also be watching the movie Glory to study the contribution of African-Americans during the war.  I love this movie as it gives them a sense of what sacrifice all soldiers have made for our country.
For the past couple of weeks, the 8th graders have also been particpating in a Junior Achievement program.  The program provides the students with examples of how business and entrepreneurship affected the economic development of the United States during the 19th century.  Each lesson has really tied in closely with what the students have been studying in class.  They will continue with the program until February 25th.  A big thank you to our volunteers!!

Science: Mrs. Louise Mistry

The 8th graders have finished up their first unit of Chemistry and did very well on their final test.  Our new area of study is Astronomy.  This week we have been focusing on the relationship between the earth,  moon and sun.  The students should now have a clear understanding of lunar and solar eclipses, phases of the moon and tides.  I am trying to get the students to think about the world around them, rather than just learning facts.  I will be asking them to get outside and observe the moon in different phases, constellations, etc.  Since today was the 25th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy I shared with the students my memories of that day.  I had actually applied (as thousands of teachers did) to be a part of the program and clearly remember watching with my 8th grade students as the explosion occurred.  We certainly remember all of those killed and their families in our prayers.

We are looking forward to a great Catholic Schools Week next week and will enjoy the fun activities and special days.  We hope that you can join us at our open house on Sunday!

Language Arts/Reading - Miss Mataloni

The 8th graders are continuing to plug away at their punctuation unit. They took a quiz over comma usage this week which, as a whole group, they did very well. Next week, we will focus on semicolons and colons. The students also incorporated their punctuation skills into their short story editing stations this week. Their final drafts are due this Monday, January 31st. The next step will be publishing their short stories into picture books with illustrations to accompany the scenes within their stories.

In reading, the students have been listening to a realistic fiction novel titled, SLOB. It has sparked some interesting conversation and debate. While listening, the students have been creating visual representations of each character with a focus on symbolism. The students also finished up the last round of book talks this week, too. I enjoy listening to their recommendations each trimester.

As always, you should be seeing the green spelling book at home each week, as well as, vocabulary lists. The students have a vocabulary quiz each week over words based on the letter in the alphabet. Next week, we'll take a test over all the words from lists "A-D".

I look forward to the fun activities and attire the 8th graders will bring for Catholic Schools Week! Have a great weekend!

Spanish - Sra. Buckmiller

The 8th graders are practicing er and ir infinitives and using them with me gusta or no me gusta (I like to do ____ or I don't like to do _____).  They have also learned a list of nouns and are saying I like ____ or I don't like ____ in Spanish.  They will be having a test over these concepts in 2 weeks (the week after Catholic Schools Week). 
  They are also learning the Hail Mary by memory.  They will be assessed by saying this prayer aloud to me in partners.  Help your child practice by having him or her say the prayer to you.  Even if you don't know the prayer in Spanish, it is helpful to them to have to say it out loud in front of another person!

Math: Cindy Streff

8th graders are working on Chapter 6, Application of Percent.  They have already quizzed over percent problems--solving three different types of percent problems using either a proportion or equation. We will spend next week applying our knowledge of percents and the how it is used in shopping.  Concepts of the percent of markup & discount, selling & sale price, and regular price of a sale item will be looked at.   It is practical knowledge that students can use and even teach you when out shopping!  Simple and compound interest will also be explored.  We will test over Chapter 6 before the end of the trimester.

Continue to reveiw math facts--addition, subtration, multiplication, and division--we use them all the time!

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

The 8th graders will be finishing up their Chapter 16 on Tuesday over the events leading up the Civil War.  We will then be studying the main battles, events, and figures of the Civil War time-period.  On Monday, the 8th graders will be debating the positions of the North vs. the South leading up the war.  The students will be doing a formal-style debate with introductions, main position statements, rebuttals, and conclusions.  This will give them good practice of composing an argument and then having main points to back it up.  Hopefully, this will spark some interest for students to join debate as they enter high school. 

Religion/Faith Formation

Dear Eighth Grade Parents,

The eighth grade students have been learning about vocations for the past few weeks.  They have learned a lot of vocabulary that they should be practicing this weekend.  Our focus was that all people have a calling to holiness because of their Baptism.  Holiness can be lived out in many different ways and each person has a different call.  All students right now are called to a life service.  The students have also been practicing different ways to take notes.
One day each week we have a speaker here from Employee and Family Resources who teaches and practices life skills with the students.  The students have already had lessons on body language, decision making, and conflict resolution.

Today, the 8th grade students had a Jewish speaker come in to talk about Judaism in today's culture.  When studying the Apostles Creed our Jewish roots often surfaced to discussion.  Today the students found many similarities between our Christian tradition and Jewish tradition.

Next week we will have many different activities for Catholic Schools Week. On Monday of Catholic Schools Week we celebrate "Our A+ Community." One of the ways we are going to celebrate this year is through prayer. The website above is an interactive live website that includes the following:

1. Words to guide you through the rosary
2. Pictures to keep you focused on prayer
3. Intentions link to offer intentions (and thanksgivings for our school)
4. Interactive Rosary beads to follow along on the computer

Please select the Mysteries of Light as these mysteries are about Jesus' ministry as the teacher to the disciples. It takes about 15 minutes to say a whole rosary with this website. Consider writing a few intentions of thanksgiving for our school and join us in prayer for our school on Monday of Catholic Schools Week.

Finally, we are still looking for a location for our 8th grade service day.  If you have suggestions for a place our for our class service project please contact me.  Thank you so much.

Peace,
Ms. Nennig

Religion / Faith Formation

Hello Parents!

We began the New Year by finishing our study of the Apostles Creed.  Our ancestors passed down the many truths about our faith in the simple words of the Creed.  The students took a test over this information on Wednesday.  Scores should be posted by the end of the weekend.

We spent the rest of this week preparing for their Rite of Enrollment Ceremony this weekend.  Thank you all for your support in their Confirmation process.  Please know that Sponsors are also encouraged to come this weekend, but are not required.  Your prayers are always welcomed for your children as well as all the candidates at they continue to grow throughout this process.

This week was Vocations Awareness Week.  Due to preparing for the Rite of Enrollment, we have postponed our vocations study until next week.  Fr. Kautzky will be coming up in the next few weeks to talk to the students about the vocation he has chosen.  Thank you for your support in educating these young people on the many different roles needed to build up God's Kingdom here on earth. Below is a website to help you talk to your kids about their discernment process and vocations in life.

http://www.foryourvocation.org/parents/index.cfm

God bless your weekend.

Math Mrs Cindy Streff

8th graders are busy with Chapter 5, Applications of Proportions.  We have learned about rates, ratios, solving proportions, similar figures, and scale models & maps. 8th graders are now working on a scale drawing of their bedroom.  It is a great real world application to Math and I enjoy getting a little glimsp of their life outside of school (and I think they enjoy it!).  They will complete their scale drawing project next week and then will test over the Chapter 5.

Last Saturday 8th graders took the placement test for Dowling Catholic.  As registration for next year draws closer I will be talking to all students about their options for Math.  If you, as a parent, have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Enjoy the wonderful winter weather and all it brings!

Student Council Schedule

All meetings are 7:45-8:15.  8th graders will be meeting as one group.

Thursday, January 20 (note change in day) - 8th Grade
Friday, January 28 - all
Friday, Feb. 4 - 6th and 7th grade
Friday, Feb. 11 - 8th Grade
Friday, Feb. 18 - all
No meeting week of Feb. 21
Friday, March 3- 6th and 7th Grade
No meeting week of March 8 or 15 (conference and spring break)
Friday, March 25 - 8th Grade
Friday, April 1 - 6th and 7th Grade
No meeting week of April 5 (teacher inservice)
Friday, April 15 - all
Friday, April 22 - 8th Grade
Friday, April 29 - 6th and 7th Grade
Friday, May 6 - all
Friday, May 13 - 6th and 7th Grade
Friday, May 20 - 8th Grade
* We will go to Culver's as a group sometime in May.

Mrs. Louise Mistry: Science

The 8th graders have been exploring the history and organization of the periodic table and are currently focusing on polymers and alloys.  Thursday and Friday the students created polymers (similar to silly putty and slime) using white glue with either boax or laundry starch as the cross-linking ingredient.  Most students are doing well with lab work and are doing a good job of following directions and showing detail in their work. Some students are still having difficulty independently following written lab directions and we will continue to work on this area.

 Please remind your students to prepare well in advance for tests.  Many students did not score as well as usual on the most recent test (Chapter 3, Elements and Periodic Table)  and missed easy questions, such as vocabulary terms.   We are also working on taking notes on their reading assignments and I am discussing some notetaking techniques with them.   I have given the students the option of using a study guide type of outline (I provide the basic outline, which they add to) or creating their own notes.   The 8th graders are working well together in their lab groups and it has been a great year so far!

Social Studies: Mrs. Wallace

The 8th graders finished up their unit over American History from 1800 to 1850.  We are now working our way towards the Civil War.  The students will be learning about all of the compromises that were enacted in trying to prevent war; Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas Nebraska Act.  The students will be then debating the sides of the North and South in a class debate in the next week.  We will then learn about the leadership and philosophies of Lincoln.  The 8th graders have continued to work hard in class- tell them to keep up the hard-work!

Language Arts/Reading - Mataloni

The 8th graders are working on the writing process by creating a short story. They must incorporate a theme/lesson for adults to pick up on and create a plot that is entertaining for a developing reader. They are currently writing their first drafts. We will work on editing and revising within the next two weeks.

In grammar, the 8th graders are starting a punctuation unit. This will coincide with their writing unit by accurately implementing the conventions into their own written work. We will cover end marks, commas, quotations, apostrophes, hyphens, colons, and semicolons.

In reading, the 8th graders are working on their independent book reports. Check with them to see if they've completed a book talk, alternative book report, or written book report yet. Their alternative book report is due by January 19th. They can turn those in ahead of time, as well. Encourage your child to keep reading during these cold, winter months!

Vocabulary and spelling are continuing to be a weekly practice with quizzes on Thursdays for vocabulary and a post-tests on Fridays for spelling.

Happy New Year!