Dear Parents,
Tomorrow, October 4, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, and our city’s saint as well! As St. Francis loved and cared for animals and nature, let us remind children of their own (and our own) responsibility to be stewards of God’s creations. Continue to examine habits that might harm our Earth and take action towards caring for all of God’s gifts. St. Francis is also remembered for devoting himself to a life of prayer and for his generosity to the poor.
Although the identity of the author of the following prayer remains a mystery, it is often referred to as The Peace Prayer of St. Francis. It is one of my favorite prayers to reflect on, and I hope that you will pray take the time to share it with your family.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. AMEN.
--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez
ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS
The last day to order the gray athletic sweats is October 17! Don’t miss out, or you’ll have to wait until next year to place an order. Order forms are still available in the school office.
IMPORTANT INCOME SURVEY
We are still collecting the Income Verification Survey. The information gathered from this survey is CONFIDENTIAL, and is necessary for our school to receive funding for useful services such as reading and math programs that help our children. If we don’t collect these surveys on time, we could lose this funding! Please help the school and return your completed survey right away.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Progress reports are being sent home with students who have a C-average or below or an “N” in a subject, or a 3 or 4 in Behavioral Expectations or Learning Skills. If your child receives a Progress report, it must be signed and returned by this Friday, October 5.
140th ANNIVERSARY
St. Peter School’s 140th Anniversary celebration is just one month away! Join us for a special mass on Sunday, November 4 at 2:30 PM, which will be followed by a reception in the parish hall. If you are available to help with the set-up or clean-up of the event, please contact the school office.
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Please ensure that your child is following the uniform policy as stated in the Parent and Student Handbook. Also, several students have already reported missing school sweatshirts, so check that your child’s sweatshirt is labeled with his/her name and grade.
IN THE CLASSROOM
KINDER - This week, students will work in pairs to create a display that will give information about how we learn from our senses. It will also have sentences that tell which sense students used and which object they explored. It's going to be a fun week exploring our five senses. In Math, we will count to tell how many and work on writing numbers 0 to 20.
1A - This week in first grade we are reading and talking about pets and what makes them special. In religion we are continuing to work on the Our Father and learning new songs to sing our prayers. In science we are continuing to experiment with air and its effect on objects. In social studies we are continuing to talk about what it means to be a good community member.
2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Sled Dogs Run” and adding 2-digit numbers without regrouping (practice!). We will talk about giving praise and thanks to God, what it means to be people of God, and discussing sacramental preparation.
3A – This week 3A will learn about St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day is Thursday. We will also continue to practice our Mass responses. Thursday is also picture day. Please remember students must be in complete uniform. In math class, Mr. Pico (our BVCC assistant) and I will begin using STMath. We will use our tablets two times a week to boost our math proficiency using this program.
4A – This week in 4A, we will continue to learn about the corporal works of Mercy. We will also be learning about St. Francis of Assisi. In Reading, we will finish up "My Brother Martin" and look at other community organizers who have made a difference in the world. In Math, we will use our addition and subtraction strategies to focus on multi-digit problems. We will continue learning about map skills and geography in Social Studies. We will also continue learning about rocks, soil, and landforms in Science. Let's have a great week!
5A - In math this week, 5th grade will practice rounding decimals to different place values. In ELA, we're continuing to expand our use of the Daily 5 system. We're focusing on the proper letter format in writing and possessive nouns in grammar. In science, 5th graders will learn about the difference between mixtures and solutions. Finally, we'll wrap up our explorers unit in social studies and prepare for Indigenous Peoples' Day by discussing the controversy around Christopher Columbus.
6A Religion – Students will be reading about Sacrifices and Promises in Chapter 2 of Blest Are We. We will explore the story of Isaac and how it relates to the Eucharist. Language Arts – Students continue to analyze narrative point of view and will read a short story with an unreliable narrator: "The Tell Tale Heart." We will also begin looking at plot structure and have our first unit spelling test. Math - 6A will multiply decimals by decimals. Social Studies – Students will take a Mesopotamia Test and will begin learning about Ancient Egypt!Science – Students will describe several methods used to date rock layers relative to other rock layers.
7A Religion - 7A will discover the rich symbolism found in the Rite of Baptism. Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Walk Two Moons. They are in anticipation of what will happen next to the Winterbottom Family! Math – 7A will work on a project and presentation focused on comparing and ordering rational numbers. Social Studies – Students will research the inventions and achievement of Medieval Arabia. Science - Students have completed their explorations on cellular processes and now it's time to look at the special parts inside of cells that allow for those functions to happen.
8A/8B Religion – Eighth graders will be working on a project that focuses on the Twelve Apostles and how they shaped the early Church. We will also begin our new unit on the Growth of Christendom. Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Mockingbird and completing assignments related to their reading. Math - 8th grade will continue their projects on solving two-step equations. Social Studies– Students are finalizing their Colonization Unit and finishing some interviews with St. Peter's alumni and community members. Science - Students now know the parts of atoms, their history, and the different ways of symbolizing them. It is now time to prepare to test on these building blocks of matter.
REMINDERS:
Oct. 4 LifeTouch School Picture Day; Complete Uniform
Oct. 8 School Holiday—Indigenous People’s Day
Oct. 9 School Mass, 8:10 AM
Oct. 11 3A field trip to Petaluma Pumpkin Patch
Oct. 11 Riordan and Mercy High Schools presentation to 8th graders
