QUE PASA 11/20/2018 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I want to say Thank You for being part of the St. Peter’s School family!  I am proud to be part of our community as we continue to work together to teach our children to live our core values to grow, accomplish, love, serve, and unite.  I am grateful for your support towards this goal.

       While we are thankful for all our blessings—our families, friends, homes, and health, to name a few—let us also remember to pray for those who are in need.  We especially pray for all the victims of the wildfires, and for those who have lost their lives in the fires.  And let us not forget the first-responders who continue to work to contain the fires.  We pray for the health and safety of all.

Together, let us offer this prayer (written by “Anonymous”):

O Heavenly Father:
We thank You for food and remember the hungry.
We thank You for health and remember the sick.
We thank You for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank You for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
That Your gifts to us may be used for others.  AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

UNIFORM CHECK-IN

As the weather gets colder and you bundle up your child, please ensure that he/she follows uniform policy as posted by the school office and stated in the school handbook.  All undershirts, including long-sleeve undershirts, should be white.  If your daughter wears tights, they should be solid black or white and extend to the ankle.  Ankle- or knee-length socks must be black or white.  Boots may not be worn.

APPOINTMENTS WITH TEACHERS

Feel free to make appointments with teachers when you have a question or concern.  Please avoid last-minute morning meeting with teachers, as teachers use this morning time to prepare their materials for the day so that they can best meet your child’s needs.  If you would like a morning meeting, notify the teacher ahead of time by email or by calling the office a day in advance.  We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS 

We depend on parent volunteer support throughout the school year!  We recently experienced wonderful school events—the Halloween festival, Family Movie Night, and 140th Anniversary—and those would not have been possible without our loving parent volunteers! Some upcoming events include our Christmas prayer service and reception, Family Lotería Night, and the Family Dance.  If you would like to help plan future events and fundraisers, or would like to join one of our parent groups, please contact Mrs. Jimenez at sjimenez@sanpedro.org or leave your name and number at the office.

BVCC WINTER CAMP

If you would like your child to participate in the BVCC Winter Camp, open from December 26-28 and January 2-4, you can fill out and return the registration form which was sent home last week.  Forms are also available in the school office and in the Parish Hall with the BVCC After School Program.  

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will continue to write and produce complete sentences. Students will make sure they have a capital letter at the beginning of their sentence, a period at the end, spaces between words, and that it makes sense. We will also learn about the Mayflower and read One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims. In math, we will continue to add and subtract objects to find the total amount. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with joy! 

1A - This week in first grade we are thinking about the many things that we are grateful for and making keepsake books of personal gratitude. In religion, we are saying prayers for those affected by the fires. In math, we are working on Thanksgiving word problems. I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

2A - We will be reading “Biblioburro”, rounding numbers up/down, and reviewing place value. Mark your calendars for the next First Communion meeting, Wednesday November 28 at 5:45 PM in St. Peter's Church. Have a safe and restful Thanksgiving Break!

3A – 3A will not have a spelling test this week since we only have 2 days of school. Reminders: Saint projects are due on Tuesday, November 27th. We will also go to the Presidio for our field trip that day. Wishing all a very peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving.

4A - In 4th Grade, we will be celebrating and completing all Thanksgiving activities! In Religion, we will focus on what we are thankful for and create a writing sample about what God has blessed us with this Thanksgiving season. In Reading and Social Studies, we will create a lapbook. In our lapbook, we will learn about the history of Thanksgiving, specifically focusing on the First Thanksgiving. In Science, we will be reviewing for our Rocks test that is on Tuesday. In Math, we will create a Thanksgiving meal using our multiplication skills...yummy! Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am so thankful for your support and for the ability to teach your children! Please remember that students can use Raz-Kids as well as STMath at home during this Thanksgiving break!

5A - During this short week, 5th graders are learning about the Mayflower and other details of the first Thanksgiving. We'll do some review of long division strategies in math. In Language Arts, we'll practice writing a Thanksgiving poem that uses figurative language. Have a relaxing Thanksgiving break, and remember that if you have time, 5th graders can always do RAZ Kids, STMath, or read. 

6A  Religion – 6th Grade will be sharing what they are thankful for as we prepare for Thanksgiving break! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!    Language Arts – I am thankful for the wonderful students I see each day, for their passion for learning, their creative and critical thinking, and their joyful hearts. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!    

7A   Religion - I want to wish 7A families a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Thank you for all that you do for your children and the support that you give to St. Peter's School.   Language Arts - Students are wrapping up the introductory activities based on the play A Christmas Carol. They will begin reading when we return from break. Happy Thanksgiving to all!    Science - Students will wrap up work on cell structures these couple of days. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

8A/8B   Religion – In eighth grade religion this week students will continue to expand their knowledge on the East and West schism, more specifically the causes of it.   Language Arts - Students have begun the preparation and research of the historical content on the novel, Night, World War II, The Holocaust. Through this, students will have a better understanding as they read. They will begin the novel when we return from break. I hope all have a Happy Thanksgiving!   Science - Students will get more information on their rocket project and practice their measurement skills. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

REMINDERS

Nov. 21-23     No School—Thanksgiving break

Nov. 26          12:30 PM Dismissal

Nov. 27          8:10 AM School Mass

Nov. 27          3A Discovery Lab (Presidio) Field Trip

Nov. 28          5:45 PM First Communion Parent Meeting in Church

QUE PASA--11/14/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       I often comment to myself that there are not enough hours in the day to get through my to-do list.  I imagine this is a common feeling among fellow parents, especially as the holiday season approaches and as the amount of daylight lessens during the winter season!  But this reflection below (by Barbara Johnson from God Always Has a Plan B), could serve as a reminder to us appreciate the present and all its challenges and celebrations, and keep learning, growing, and moving forward!

“What about those of us who’d like to turn back the clock?  Sure, we’d like to be younger and stronger again. More resilient.  But remember Isaiah?  He said to let the past lie.  Look ahead.  Someone has said, ‘Don’t look back.  You’re not going that way.’  It is never too late to spend time on the important things.  This minute is a gift.  That’s why we call it the present.”

Let us all be thankful for all our blessings, especially those that are disguised as challenges.  Those are opportunities for us to GROW!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

CORE VALUES IN NOVEMBER

Throughout November, we continue to learn about saints and pray for loved ones who have passed away.  Ask your child about the saints we have learned about!  We also continue to pray for our veterans and all those who currently serve in our Armed Forces as they work to protect our freedom.  Last week, all children in the school made cards for veterans, and our 6A homeroom teacher Ms. Land delivered them to veterans at the Veterans’ Hospital.  I’m so proud of how our children and teachers lived out our core values to love, serve, and unite through this act of kindness!

Plus, we continue to show our LOVE to the victims of the wildfires in Butte County in Northern California, and in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties in Southern California.  We pray for their strength, health, and safety during this difficult time.  Currently, a fundraiser is being planned to help the victims, so stay tuned on how we can UNITE as a school to help those in need.  

A NOTE OF THANKS

We thank Ms. Janice Vela, our Interim Development Director, and Sister Marian Rose, who both led the planning and organization of St. Peter’s School joyous 140th Anniversary Mass and Reception on Sunday, November 4.  Ms. Vela and Sr. Marian Rose would like to especially thank the following volunteers for their assistance:  Maria Herrera, Maria Ortega, Evelyn Torres, Ana Montoya, Lorenza Ortega, Rene Rodezno, Nancy Rodriguez, Emelyn Mulato, Rosa Orellana, Jessica Cosio and Flavia Fonte. And very special thanks for their consistent involvement throughout the Anniversary planning process to Angel Carvajal, Joanne Ceballos, Angelica Gonzalez, Gladis Guevara, Karina King, Martha Martinez, John Nuno and Maria Velasco.  And to Miss Land and our FABULOUS 8th graders for all their help!

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

We depend on parent volunteer support throughout the school year!  We recently experienced wonderful school events—the Halloween festival, Family Movie Night, and 140th Anniversary—and those would not have been possible without our loving parent volunteers! Some upcoming events include our Christmas prayer service and reception, Family Lotería Night, and the Family Dance.  If you would like to help plan future events and fundraisers, or would like to join one of our parent groups, please contact Mrs. Jimenez at sjimenez@sanpedro.org or leave your name and number at the office.

AZTECS ATHLETICS

Congratulations to all our volleyball and soccer teams this season! Our 3rd/4th boys soccer team and 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th grade girls volleyball teams made it to the playoffs.  On Sunday, November 11, our 3rd grade volleyball team won the Championship!  Great job to all our players and BIG THANKS to all our volunteer coaches!  Up next—our boys basketball and girls soccer seasons.   LET’S GO AZTECS!

APPOINTMENTS WITH TEACHERS

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping your Parent-Teacher Conference appointments last week! These conferences are very important so that you can learn more about your child’s progress and ways to work with teachers to support your child’s growth in different areas. Moving forward, feel free to make appointments with teachers when you have a question or concern.  Please avoid last-minute morning meeting with teachers, as teachers use this morning time to prepare their materials for the day so that they can best meet your child’s needs.  If you would like a morning meeting, notify the teacher ahead of time by email or ClassDojo, or by calling the office a day in advance.  We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we are learning about the places we go. Students will pair up and tell about the places they have gone in the neighborhood near St. Peter's. We will read Please Take Me for a Walk and talk about the setting, characters, and events in the story. In Math, students will learn to take away to subtract and learn the meaning of the minus sign.

1A - This week in first grade we are reading, writing, and discussing the places that animals live together. In religion we are learning about God's Creation. In math we are working on fact families. In social studies we are finishing up our work on community helpers.

2A - Students will be reading “Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars.” In math, we’ll practice counting by 2's, 5's and 10's and telling time (analog clocks). We will talk about praying for the needs of others and learn about saints. Reminder: First Communion parent meeting on Wednesday, 11/28 at 5:45 p.m.

3A – This week we continue to use STMath on our tablets as we focus on place value, addition and subtraction with regrouping, and basic multiplication facts. In English/Language Arts, we are writing our rough drafts for the Archdiocesan "Respect For Life" Essay Contest. The theme for third grade is called The Unborn Baby - One of Us."

4A - Thank you for great conferences! In 4A, we will be focusing on our Saint Projects this week. Students will read short biographies about their Saints and highlight their important traits. We will create mini-posters about our Saints. In Reading, we will focus on our next story "The Power of W.O.W." We will concentrate on the comprehension strategy of theme. We will also be reading our Book report books! In Math, we will continue to work on multiplication of multi-digit numbers. In Science, we will have a test on Friday about rocks and the rock cycle. In Social Studies, we will learn about the landforms and regions of California.

5A - In 5th grade math this week, we're continuing our focus on mastering all types of long division. Ask your child if they can repeat our long division chant for you tonight! We're reading the book The Important Thing as we practice differentiating between the main idea and details in English/Language Arts.

6A  Religion – Students are learning about the events in the book of Exodus.   Language Arts – Students have been hard at work perfecting their short stories and will be finalizing changes in preparation for publication. Students will also be introduced to their independent reading projects.  Math – Students will divide decimals by whole numbers.  Social Studies – Students will continue with their Ancient Egypt Unit.   Science – Students will explain how geologic time is divided into units.

7A   Religion - 7A will identify ways to take responsibility for moral choices and to develop Christ-like qualities.   Language Arts - Students are finalizing their introduction to their Drama Unit. They will also participate in opening activities of A Christmas Carol to prepare for the reading of the play after Thanksgiving break.   Math – Students will multiply positive and negative fractions.   Social Studies – Students will begin a West African Empire Research Project.   Science - Students extend their cell analogy comparison as they continue to learn about organelles. Next up...the important process of cell replication!

8A/8B   Religion –Students will apply their knowledge of the east and west schism by examining how it has influenced a given Eastern Church rite.   Language Arts - Students are beginning the introduction to their next novel, Night, by Elie Wiesel. The opening activities will aid in comprehension of the historical content referenced in the text. The Woodworking Project is due this Friday, November 16.  Students will have an opportunity to share their creations with the class.   Math – Students will solve multi-step equations.   Social Studies – Students are beginning their Constitution Unit by thinking of questions they have about the U.S. Constitution.   Science - Students wrap up their study of the law of conservation of mass as they prepare to begin their rocket project!

REMINDERS

Nov. 14-16     STAR Testing continues

Nov. 19          8A/8B Mural Field Trip

Nov. 20          8:10 AM School Mass

Nov. 21-23     No School—Thanksgiving break

Nov. 26          12:30 PM Dismissal

Nov. 27          8:10 AM School Mass

Nov. 28          5:45 PM First Communion Parent Meeting in Church

QUE PASA 11/7/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

        This past Sunday, thanks to the planning and organizing by Sister Marian Rose and Ms. Janice Vela (our Interim Development Director), we celebrated the 140th Anniversary of St. Peter’s School!  We even received an official proclamation from san Francisco Mayor London Breed naming November 4, 2018 as “St Peter’s Catholic School Day!”  I feel so blessed to be a part of the legacy of St. Peter’s School.  I think of all the people who have carried out the mission of mercy before us at St. Peter’s, and I am grateful for their love and dedication towards our community. Today, we continue to live out that mission and help our children to reach their goals, by living out our core values--to GROW, ACCOMPLISH, LOVE, SERVE, and UNITE. St. Peter’s school has evolved over its 140 years, but we remain strong in our commitment to provide a quality, Catholic education and spread the Good News of the Gospel.

        We remember our Mission Statement:

Open Hearts, Open Minds

St. Peter’s Catholic School community nurtures the whole child to develop a lifelong passion for learning and to live out the Works of Mercy.
        As we commemorate the 140th Anniversary of St. Peter’s School, we give thanks to all those who have served and continue to serve St. Peter’s School; we pray for all of our students and families; and we pray for strength and patience as we move forward together in our mission.

        This week, we also honor our veterans.  They have given their lives and their lifetimes to serving our country at home and abroad, so that people may enjoy their freedom.  Here at school, we recognize our very own Mr. Frank Gonzalez, an army veteran, and all of your loved ones who are veterans as well.  Although our country and the world have a long way to go so that all are treated with equal respect and freedoms, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the struggle and commitment of our veterans.  God bless our veterans and their families!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU!

Last week, we had a number of big school events—our Halloween celebration, Family Movie Night, and our 140th Anniversary Celebration.  These events would not have been possible without the help of our parent volunteers!  THANK YOU to all volunteers who helped with the set-up and clean-up of these events, worked the booths or tables during the events, or donated items and money/gift cards.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES AND SURVEYS

Parent-Teacher conferences continue until the end of this week.  Please ensure that you keep your appointment, as it will be key to strengthen the home-school connection, and will help to nurture your child’s intellectual, spiritual, social, and emotional development.

Also, after your conference, please go to the Middle School Science Lab so that you can fill out an online survey about the school.  If you already had your conference but you weren’t able to complete the survey yet, please stop by when you pick up your child from school.  Your input is valuable and is an important part of our accreditation process.  Plus, there will be snacks for you, and you will receive a parent hour AND two KEYS for each of your children!

ST. PETER’S AZTEC SWEATS

Thank you for your patience as we await the arrival of our gray Aztec sweats order.  The order has been placed, but there are a few sizes of the sweatshirts that are still out of stock with the clothing distributor.  We will not receive the shipment until the entire order has been completed.  Again, thank you for your patience with this matter!

IN THE CLASSROOM

Kinder – This week in Kindergarten, we are going to explore different sounds we hear around us. We will identify objects that make sounds and write our ideas on a chart paper. We will continue to work on blending sounds to make words. In Math, we are adding to find how many and use addition to solve word problems. Parents, please help your child sign on to Mathseeds at home. Thank you!

1A – In first grade we are having a review week, due to parent/teacher conferences. In religion, we are making cards to show gratitude to our veterans. In math, we are beginning to work with fact families. In social studies, we are reading and discussing the importance of different places in the community.

2A – 2nd Grade will be reading “I Fall Down!” and in Math, subtracting 3-digit numbers with regrouping and counting by 2's, 5's and 10's (play games!).  We will talk about how we can take care of others' needs, and discuss, “who is your favorite saint?”

3A – This week we're learning about the men and women who serve and have sacrificed their lives to keep our world safe.  We'll honor these veterans at Mass on Tuesday, Nov. 6.  In Religion, we begin learning about saints.  Our saint project will be due on November 27th. These men and women are shining examples of our St. Peter's KEYS: Service, Love, Accomplishment, and Growth.  

4A – 4th Grade, thank you for such an awesome week! This week in Religion, we will begin learning about different Saints. We will be working on a Saint Project that includes researching on our chrome books and creating a mini-poster. In Reading, we will focus on our new story, The Power of W.O.W., as well as talk about our November book report. In Math, we will continue to focus on Multiplication, multiplying money and in word problems. In Science, we will learn about the rock cycle and the three different types of rocks. In Social Studies, we will focus on the different regions of California. I look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher conferences.

5A – In honor of the midterm elections, 5th graders used the mentor text Granddaddy's Turn to start a class discussion about the importance of voting and civic engagement in social studies. We'll also continue studying similes and metaphors in ELA, learn a song to help us remember the long division process in math, and prepare to host you at 5th grade's student-led conferences this week. Looking forward to meeting with you all in person soon! 

6A   Religion – 6th Graders are leading the Veterans Day Mass to honor the men and women who have served to protect our country and our freedoms.   Language Arts – 6A is finished with their narrative rough drafts and will now work on proofreading and editing techniques.  Students will help their classmates identify common writing mistakes in grammar, organization, and style.    Math – 6A will divide decimals by decimals.   Social Studies - Students will continue learning about pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.   Science – Students will learn how geologic time is divided into units.

7A    Language Arts - Students will wrap up their novel study on Walk Two Moons with their Unit Test this week. They will participate in a review game, Jeopardy, to complete the test successfully. Students will also continue their introduction to Drama with review of specific terms, dramatic opposites and the element of acting with improv games!   Math – 7A will multiply positive and negative fractions.   Social Studies – Students will watch Unbroken for Veterans Day and will be talking about the sacrifices that men and women have made to protect our freedoms and our country.   Science - Students continue to learn about the special tools found inside of cells that give them the ability to do incredible things!

8A/8B   Religion – This week, students will be expanding on their previous knowledge of the Eastern and Western churches by learning the root causes of the schism and how icon veneration played a major role in this split.    Language Arts - Students have successfully completed their Mockingbird Debate! They will continue to work, individually, on their Woodworking Project, due on Friday, November 16. Students are also continuing to prepare for their High School Entrance exams with lessons centered on vocabulary and grammar.   Math – Students will solve multistep equations.    Social Studies - Students will be talking about the Midterm Elections and why voting is both a right and a responsibility!   Science - Students continue to learn about chemical reactions as they prepare to start on their first project: the rocket project!

REMINDERS:

Nov. 6-9      12:30 Dismissals, Parent-Teacher Conferences

Nov. 5-16     STAR Testing 

Nov. 7          Free Dress for No Tardies in October

Nov. 12        No School, Veterans’ Day Observed

Nov. 13        School Mass, 8:10 AM

Nov. 14        LifeTouch Picture re-take day

QUE PASA 10/31/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

      This week, we celebrate special days in the Church: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. On the Feast of All Saints, a holy day of obligation, we honor those who have lived lives faithful to God.  On the Feast of All Souls, we remember and pray for our loved ones who have passed away, and honor them through prayer, or even by making special altars in their memory.  

       As we honor the Saints, let us remember how they lived out the Beatitudes—Jesus’ teachings on how to live as a Christian and to find true happiness.  Also, while we prepare for Parent-Teacher Conferences next week, the Beatitudes can help us to reflect on how to be role models for our children.  We can lead our children by example and live out our faith!

      The Beatitudes  (Matthew 5:3-10)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

If you’ve pre-ordered your tickets for Family Movie Night, we’ll see you on the schoolyard at 6:00 PM this Friday, November 2!  There will be a movie presentation of COCO (in time for Dia de los Muertos), and there will be a snack bar, too!  Bring lawn chairs and blankets to stay warm and comfortable as we watch the movie!  Proceeds will benefit our Athletic program.

WINTER SPORTS REMINDER

The $85 payment for boy's basketball and/or girl's soccer is due this Friday, November 2nd. Thank you for your attention to this. GO AZTECS!

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES AND SURVEYS

Last week, each child took home an appointment sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Teachers are organizing their schedules so that they can meet with each parent in their class.  

Next week, from Tuesday, November 6 – Friday, November 9 are 12:30 Dismissal days for Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Your child is encouraged to attend the conference with you.  Please ensure that you keep your appointment, as it will be key to strengthen the home-school connection, and will help to nurture your child’s intellectual, spiritual, social, and emotional development.

Also, after your conference, please go to the Faculty Meeting Room so that you can fill out an online survey about the school.  Your input is valuable and is an important part of our accreditation process.  Plus, you will receive a parent hour AND two keys for each of your children!

140th ANNIVERSARY

St. Peter School’s 140th Anniversary celebration is this Sunday, November 4!  Join us for a special mass 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.  

IN THE CLASSROOM

Kinder – This week, we will continue to recognize and produce rhyming words. As a whole class, students will participate in a rhyming words scavenger hunt that will take place in the garden. It's going to be a fun week searching for rhyming words! In Math, we are working on adding and recognizing numbers from 10-20. 

1A – This week we are reading and learning about buildings and what they are made out of. In religion, we are celebrating All Saints Day. In math, we are continuing our work with subtraction. In social studies, we are discussing community helpers. And of course, we are celebrating Halloween and Dia de los Muertos! :)

2A – 2nd Grade will be reading poetry and adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping.  We will talk about praying (talking and listening to God) and investigate properties of liquids and solids.

3A – This will be a very busy, yet fun-filled week. We will celebrate Halloween with a visit to the convalescent hospital in our costumes to delight the residents. We will then return to school for our parade and party. After our parade, we'll be treated to games and food in the schoolyard until 3:00. These are great examples of our KEYS: Love and Service.  On Thursday, we'll celebrate All Souls Day by attending Mass and remembering all of our loved ones that have gone home to God, the Father. A week of celebration and fun. YEAH, St. Peter's!

4A – We have an exciting week ahead in 4th Grade! In Religion, we will be learning about All Saints' Day and Dia de los Muertos. We will be learning about different saints as well as praying for people in our own lives who have passed away. In Reading, we will be focusing on Friday's field trip to the Asian Art Museum. We will be researching Asian artwork and discovering the culture and traditions in art. In Math, we will begin our Multiplication unit. Please make sure you are practicing your multiplication facts at home! In Social Studies and Science, we will be learning about landforms specific to California and how they have changed over time. We will be prepping during the week for our conferences as the students will lead a portion of their conference for their parents! 

5A – As a special science investigation for Halloween, 5th graders will learn how to make ice cream in a bag this week. Students will investigate whether ice cream is a mixture, a solution, or something else. We will learn about Dia De Los Muertos in religion and ELA and discuss voting in social studies as the midterm election approaches. 5th graders will also begin reflecting on their first quarter work in preparation for next week's student-led conferences. Our first 5th grade newspaper was released on Tuesday, so check your child's take-home folder for it. As always, check Class Dojo for daily updates from our classroom.

6A   Religion – 6th Grade Religion will be preparing for their Works of Mercy Class Retreat this Friday. (The retreat will be at St. Peter's).  Language Arts – 6A is hard at work on their short stories. We are well into the drafting step of the writing process and this week we will focus on improving our descriptive writing. We will also continue to practice the rules of using quotation marks in our stories' dialogue.  Math– Students will present their Math game boards.   Social Studies – Students are continuing their Pharaoh research project and presentation.   Science – 6A will present their Science game boards. 

7A  Religion - I would like to begin by thanking 7A families for making last week possible.  Without your efforts, 7A students would not have been given such an amazing experience at camp last week.  As we return, we hope to take what we learned and apply it to our everyday lives.   Language Arts - Students will continue to wrap up their novel, Walk Two Moons, with lessons based on the story elements, plot, conflict, theme and character analysis. They will also begin their Enrichment Projects this week.   Math – 7A will add and subtract mixed numbers.   Social Studies – 7A is back from Caritas and will be starting to read a chapter book about life in Africa: A Long Walk to Water.    Science - We welcome back our seventh grade from their week-long retreat at Caritas Creek Camp where they focused on the ecology of the area. Now that they're back, we continue with their exploration of cells and cell structures!

8A/8B   Religion – Students will be able to identify ways to bring Christian principles into society and how icons influence prayer life.  Language Arts - Students are ending their unit on Mockingbird with a Debate: should Caitlin attend a mainstream school or should she attend a school with students of similar conditions and syndromes like herself, Asperger Syndrome? They are also working on their woodworking project-chest due in 2 weeks.   Math – Students will continue working on math projects and solve equations with variables on each side.    Social Studies – 8th graders are preparing for the St. Peter's 140th Anniversary Celebration this Sunday at 2:30pm!   Science - Students now know why atoms bond to make molecules. We now look at why molecules interact with each other to create chemical reactions!

REMINDERS:

Nov. 1         All Saints’ Day School Mass, 8:15 AM

Nov. 2         6th grade Retreat

Nov. 2         4A Field Trip to Asian Art Museum

Nov. 2         Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM

Nov. 4         St. Peter’s School 140th Anniversary Celebration, 2:30 PM Mass

Nov. 6         School Mass honoring Veterans, 8:10 AM

Nov. 6-9     12:30 Dismissals, Parent-Teacher Conferences

Nov. 5-16    STAR Testing 

Nov. 7         Free Dress for No Tardies in October

QUE PASA 10/24/2018 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       Blessings to our 7th graders as they are on day 3 of their 5-day retreat at Caritas Creek at CYO Camp in Occidental this week.  I know that they will all grow closer to God and to each other as they pray together and strengthen their faith and community, while being surrounded by the beauty of nature and God’s creations.

       Thank you to all the parents and teachers in preparing the students for this retreat.  This event would not be possible without you!  And a special thanks to Miss Land as she helped in coordinating this retreat and led the students in fundraising last year.

       The 7th grade retreat includes physically traveling to a place outside of school, but all of us within St. Peter’s are on a journey, too.  We are all on a journey to learn different ways that we can grow—intellectually, spiritually, and socially.  As we journey together, we learn new facts, try new activities, learn from mistakes, consider different perspectives, and help others around us.  We strive to open our hearts and open our minds, and live out our faith.  That is an adventure that challenges and excites me.  I am proud to be a partner in guiding your children on this journey of growth!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 31 from 1:00-3:00 PM.  We will begin with a costume parade followed by games.  Please see the attached flyers for ways that you can volunteer or donate items and to pre-order tickets to purchase food and play games.  Your help is appreciated!

Students may come to school dressed in an age-appropriate Halloween costume.  However, please do not bring any costume parts or props that resemble any type of weapon.  Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

Join us in our first St. Peter’s Athletics fundraiser of the year—Family Movie Night on Friday, November 2!  There will be a movie presentation of COCO (in time for Dia de los Muertos) at 6:00 PM, and there will be a snack bar, too!  Bring lawn chairs and blankets to stay comfortable as we watch the movie on the schoolyard on a 17-foot screen!

Tickets for admission to Movie Night must be pre-ordered by October 31, and tickets are limited.  Pre-orders for the “Aztec Special” at the snack bar are also being taken!  Don’t miss out!

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES and SURVEYS

Going home with each child today is an appointment sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences, which are from November 6-9.  For each child, please mark THREE possible appointment times that you can meet with the teacher, and return this form to your child’s teacher.  You will then receive confirmation of your appointment time.  

Also, after your conference, please go to the Faculty Meeting Room so that you can fill out an online survey about the school.  Your input is valuable and is an important part of our accreditation process.  Plus, you will receive a parent hour AND two KEYS for each of your children!

140th ANNIVERSARY

St. Peter School’s 140th Anniversary celebration is coming soon!  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.  

OCTOBER STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Homeroom teachers identify Students of the Month at the end of each month.  We celebrate these students because they have exemplified living the St. Peter’s KEYS:

Knowledge feeds GROWTH. 

Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.

You are LOVE.

SERVICE UNITES.

KINDER - Xitlali Cortes is always ready to learn and gives her best effort in all activities. She stays focused and completes her classwork assignments in a timely manner. She also enjoys helping others and engages in weekly school mass and morning prayers. 

1A - Dominic Leonor is a kind and hardworking student who never shies away from a challenge because he loves to make his brain grow. He is a great listener to his teachers and his classmates and always uses his words to solve any problem he might have. He is a helper to anyone in need and he always tries to make choices that would make Jesus proud. 

2A – Alejandra Nava-Gomez always has a smile on her face, is eager to help others, and tries her best. She does not get discouraged easily and likes to challenge herself. If you ever need a hand, you can count on Alejandra! 

3A – Andrea Perez is a person of high standards.  She not only excels in her academics but also in behavior and SERVICE.  She has more KEYS than anyone in 3A.  These KEYS are not only for SERVICE but many for LOVE and ACCOMPLISH as she works so very hard on classwork, homework and participation. Therefore she shows GROWTH in all areas. Andrea, you are a wonderful role model for all of us.

4A – This is Madonna Becerra's first year at St. Peter's, and she has had an open heart and an open mind from the beginning. She consistently reaches our classroom goals, and does her best to use her critical thinking skills in each assignment. She is an effective communicator, who is a good friend and a bucket filler to all and so welcoming to all of her classmates. She believes in the "power of yet" and shares her ideas with everyone. 

5A - We're only two months into the school year, but Romeo Woon has already ACCOMPLISHed a lot! His hard work, particularly in STMath and creative writing, is part of the reason he's been able to GROW so quickly. He consistently shows LOVE for others in our classroom and school community, particularly with his willingness to SERVE anyone who needs help. Romeo, thank you for helping to UNITE our class by living out St. Peter's KEYS every day.  

6A - Giovanni Serrano has been a wonderful example of a 6th grader with the KEYS already this year! He has been open to new experiences and faces challenges with an open heart and an open mind! Gio shares his knowledge with his classmates and inspires us to do our best! He is a great support to all of us and has been respectful to all of his middle school teachers. Thank you, Gio! We appreciate you!

7A - Justin Abregana-Reyes is a great example of student who lives out St. Peter's School's KEYS.  He is a great friend to his classmates and demonstrates leadership qualities in and outside of class.  He works hard and is someone you can rely on.  Keep up the good work Justin! 

8A – Luis Flores has demonstrated what it means to serve, by sharing his time, gifts and joy within our school community as a leader, student council officer, classmate, and friend. He is also constantly embracing new experiences with an open heart and open mind, by tackling his 8th grade year with enthusiasm and diligence. Luis has proved that he knows how to live out the KEYS! 

8B – Kalven Navarrete has demonstrated our KEY values of GROW and KNOW. He approaches new challenges and experiences with enthusiasm and optimism. His ability to think critically and communicate effectively have contributed to his success in the classroom. Undoubtedly, Kalven will do great things in the future because of the strength of the foundation he's laid for himself here at St. Peter's.   

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we are going to learn all about bugs! We will participate in various activities and visit the school's garden to search for bugs. We will draw observational pictures of bugs we find and name the three parts of an insect. Also, we will continue to focus on identifying the beginning, middle, and ending sounds of words. In math, we will begin to add and count to tell the number of objects. We will continue to work on number recognition as we are getting close to learning addition. 

1A - This week we are reading and talking about the different jobs that need to be done in a community. In religion, we are continuing to explore the different ways that we can praise God. In math, we are continuing to work on subtraction. In science, we are continuing our exploration of the effect of air on objects. In social studies, we are finishing our study of rules that we follow at home, school, and in the community.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Baby Bears,” subtracting 2-digit numbers with regrouping (practice!), and adding 3-digit numbers. We will talk about listening to God's word and remembering loved ones.  REMINDER: First Communion Parent Meeting TONIGHT, Wednesday, October 24 at 5:45 p.m. in St. Peter's Church.

3A – 3A is very pleased to be working on our tablets with a Math program that St. Peter's is piloting. This program will help our students to advance in the 3rd grade math curriculum. The students are enjoying the math work as they GROW and ACCOMPLISH the goals that we have set for them. In Religion, we are discussing the Rosary and the prayers that go with it. Each student is encouraged to bring a rosary from home if they have one so that after lunch we can pray using the beads and learn the prayers. This is a special time to grow closer to Mary, Jesus, and God, our Father.

4A – 4th Grade built more community this week! We focused on partner work and group work all week long. It is important to learn how to share ideas, listen to others, and to produce high quality work. In Religion, we will finish making our Rosaries and begin to focus on our new set of the Spiritual Works of Mercy. In Reading, we will continue reading, "How Tia Lola Came to Stay" and work on comparing and contrasting with a Venn diagram. In Math, we will conclude our Addition and Subtraction unit and begin focusing on Multiplication. Our new program, ST Math, is available for use at home. Please try setting up the app on your phone or tablet. In Science, we will focus on weathering and landforms.  

5A - 5th graders will start preparing their book talk presentations this week! In math, we will review the properties of multiplication and practice multiplying decimals. 5th graders will learn about the Beatitudes in religion and the Spanish explorers in Social Studies. Thank you again to the parent chaperones who made our field trip last week possible! As always, check Class Dojo for daily updates from our classroom.

6A   Religion – 6th graders will be constructing an Ofrenda and will be working on a Religion Vocabulary Slideshow.  Language Arts – 6A will end their short story unit with a culminating project of writing their own fictional narratives. Students will incorporate all the literary elements we've discussed: setting, conflict, characterization, point of view, plot, and theme to create original short stories. This week we will work on brainstorming story ideas and outlining our plot.   Math – Students will be working on various projects throughout the week.

7A   Religion - 7th Graders are on Retreat at Caritas Creek at CYO Camp in Occidental.  Students will be participating in nature hikes and outdoor activities, learning about how to care for their environment, and praying and reflecting individually and together.   Language Arts - Students have concluded the reading of their first novel, Walk Two Moons. When students return from camp, they will complete lessons based on the story elements, plot, conflict, theme and character analysis to better comprehend the overall story. They will also finalize the unit with an Enrichment Project and Test.    Science - We are so excited about our seventh graders going to Caritas Creek Camp this whole week! While there they will be doing ecology work through the BEETLES program for field education.

8A/8B   Religion – This week in eighth grade religion students will be discussing the challenges of following the natural law and being obedient to God in society today.  Language Arts - Students are wrapping up their first novel, Mockingbird. They are finalizing this unit with a couple of culminating assignments, a debate, and a woodworking project-chest.   Math – Students will work on a variety of math projects this week.   Social Studies – Students will be completing a Voter Survey Project to research the reasons why it is important to vote.  Students will also be responding to final questions about their recent interview project with St. Peter's community members and alumni.   Science - Students continue to work on determining why molecules interact with other molecules to create chemical reactions.

REMINDERS:

Oct. 22-26    7th Grade Caritas Creek Camp Retreat in Occidental

Oct. 24         First Communion Parent Meeting; 5:45 PM in Church

Oct. 25        BVCC Special Event: “Lights On After School”

Oct. 26        End of Quarter 1

Oct. 31        3A Field Trip to Sheffield Convalescent Hospital

Oct. 31        Halloween Parade and Celebration, 1:00-3:00

Nov. 1         All Saints’ Day School Mass, 8:30 AM

Nov. 2         4A Field Trip to Asian Art Museum

Nov. 2         Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM

Nov. 4         St. Peter’s School 140th Anniversary Celebration, 2:30 PM Mass

QUE PASA--10/17/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

Over these past few weeks, the teachers have been working together to update St. Peter’s Mission Statement and Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs), which are based on our core values to Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite.  Our school is in the beginning stages of the accreditation process, and analyzing our mission and SLEs is an important part of this process.  In addition, this can guide how all members of St. Peter’s School continue to learn and grow in different areas while meeting the needs of our students.

Mission Statement

St. Peter’s Catholic School community nurtures the whole child to develop a lifelong passion for learning and to live out the Works of Mercy.

Schoolwide Learning Expectations

A St. Peter’s student has the KEYS to ...

GROW by...

• setting and evaluating individual goals to grow spiritually, socially, emotionally, academically, and physically.

• embracing new experiences with an open heart and open mind.

• facing challenges with optimism and faith in God.

ACCOMPLISH by...

• listening and communicating effectively in social and academic environments.

• demonstrating critical thinking skills and knowledge in all subject areas.

• using technology effectively and responsibly.

LOVE by…

• making choices based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.

• nurturing a spiritual life through prayer, retreats, masses, and the sacraments.

• demonstrating an appreciation for what others have done for us.

SERVE by…

• living out the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy.

• sharing their time, gifts, and joy within the school.

• participating in outreach to strengthen ties with those outside of our school community.

UNITE by…

• engaging in weekly school Mass and morning prayer assemblies.

• supporting and encouraging others in order to strengthen school community.

• welcoming people of all backgrounds as St. Peter’s community members.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 31 from 1:00-3:00 PM.  We will begin with a costume parade followed by games.  Please see the attached flyers for ways that you can volunteer or donate items and the prices of tickets to purchase food and play games.  Your help is appreciated!

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.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

Join us in our first St. Peter’s Athletics fundraiser of the year—Family Movie Night on Friday, November 2!  There will be a movie presentation of COCO (in time for Dia de los Muertos) at 6:00 PM, and there will be a snack bar, too!  Bring lawn chairs and blankets to stay comfortable as we watch the movie on the schoolyard on a 17-foot screen!

140th ANNIVERSARY

St. Peter School’s 140th Anniversary celebration is just a few weeks 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.  

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will continue to work on letter recognition and sounds. We will also identify beginning, middle and ending sounds of words. In Math, we will learn and practice ordinal numbers.  

1A - This week in first grade we are reading and learning about exercise and how we move our bodies. In religion, we are reading about how people in the Bible praised Jesus. In math, we are finishing our addition unit and beginning on subtraction. In science we are constructing parachutes and observing them drop through the air. In social studies, we are continuing to discuss the different rules we have for the different communities we are part of.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Turtle Watch Out!” and subtracting 2-digit numbers with regrouping (practice!).  We will talk about listening to God's word.  REMINDER: First Communion Parent Meeting on Wednesday, October 24 at 5:45 p.m. in St. Peter's Church.

3A – This week in Religion, we will continue practicing the responses for Mass. We will focus on memorizing The Confiteor and our test will be on Thursday. In Math, we will finish our review of "greater than," "less than," and "equal to" as well as place value to the hundreds place. In Language Arts, we are writing the final draft of our letters to the residents at Sheffield Convalescent Hospital. On Halloween day we will walk to the hospital in our costumes and visit the residents once again.

4A – This week in 4th Grade, we will be focusing on Mary and the month of the Rosary. We will be making our own Rosaries to help us remember and follow along in prayer. In Math, we will be switching our focus to Subtraction and subtraction word problems. We want to continue using our critical thinking skills in all our work! In Reading, we will continue with our story, "How Tia Lola came to stay" and working on our strategy of cause and effect. In Social Studies, we will begin our first unit of California State history. In Science, we will be discussing the impact of weathering on earth's surface. We enjoyed our lab last week, and will continue to build off our recent lab. Keep up the great work, 4th Grade!  

5A - This week, 5th graders will take a field trip to the Mission Branch Public Library to learn about all the helpful resources there. We will discuss subtracting with zeroes in the minuend in math. In English, 5th graders will learn about persuasive writing and create their own poster with persuasive text.  

6A   Religion – Students will be comparing the Bible Story of Joseph in the book of Genesis to the Film: Joseph King of Dreams.   Language Arts – This week, the 6th graders will be tackling how to identify a story's theme or central message.  We will be reading "The Monkey's Paw," a classic horror tale with an important moral. Students will need to cite textual evidence in order to support the themes they chose.    Math - Students will find quotients of problems involving multi-digit divisors.    Social Studies – Students will be studying the social hierarchy of the Ancient Egyptian civilization.   Science – This week students will take a science test.

7A  Religion - Students will understand that Baptism gives us new life in Christ and unites us with community.   Language Arts - Students are wrapping up their first novel, Walk Two Moons. They are discovering many plot twists as they reach the end! To close the novel, students will participate in a variety of lesson extensions that center on the plot, conflicts and themes.   Math - Students will add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.   Social Studies – Students have completed their Arabia unit and will begin studying the physical geography of Africa.   Science - Students have made their hypotheses about why a dead squid moves after getting splashed with soy sauce. Now it's time to dive into the cell and figure out why this happened.

8A/8B   Religion – In eighth grade religion this week, students will continue comparing the liturgies of Eastern and Western churches and how they have developed over time. We will also begin to look at the connections between church and state in the early Church.   Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Mockingbird and completing assignments related to their reading. They will also begin the introduction to the English High School Placement Test (HSPT), beginning with analogies.   Math - Students will begin to solve equations with variables on both sides.  Social Studies – Students are deciding which causes to the American Revolution caused the war to begin.   Science - Students know about valence electrons and now it's time to start making molecules!

REMINDERS:

Oct. 21         Sunday Family Mass, 9:30 AM

Oct. 22-26    7th Grade Caritas Creek Camp Retreat in Occidental

Oct. 22         12:30 Dismissal

Oct. 23         School Mass, 8:10 AM       

Oct. 24         First Communion Parent Meeting; 5:45 PM in Church

Oct. 26        End of the 1st Quarter

QUE PASA--10/10/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

This past Sunday, October 7th commemorated the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the month of October is traditionally the month of the Rosary.

Here is a thoughtful reflection from Living the Rosary by Father John Phalen:

The Rosary starts with Mary’s human experience, and it encourages us to learn from our own.  The Rosary is:

·       Remembering Christ with Mary

·       Learning Christ with Mary

·       Being conformed to Christ with Mary

·       Praying to Christ with Mary

·       Proclaiming Christ with Mary

By looking to Mary, the courageous mother of our Savior, we can open our hearts and minds to God’s presence in our lives, and be models for our own children to live with love, patience, faith, and perseverance, even through the challenging times in our lives.

This also reminds me of how much St. Peter’s students honor Mary as they pass the grotto at school each day.  They make the Sign of the Cross, or stop to say a prayer.  The grotto is definitely a sacred place for our entire school family.

Throughout October, let us look to Mary as a role model of faith and courage, especially during this month of the Rosary and with our KEYS focus for October of “Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.”

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

HOT COCOA SALE

Our hot cocoa sale continues this week during morning recess—$1.50 to buy a yummy cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream.  Proceeds will benefit the 8th grade retreat fund.

ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS

The last day to order the gray athletic sweats is next Wednesday, 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.

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 31 from 1:00-3:00 PM.  We will begin with a costume parade followed by games.  Please see the attached flyers for ways that you can volunteer or donate items.  Your help is appreciated!

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.

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.  

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will discuss how tools help us to learn. We will read The Handiest Things in the World by Andrew Clemen. We will continue to explore our five senses and work on identifying lower- and upper-case letters. In Math, we will count to tell how many.

1A - This week in first grade we are reading, writing, and discussing the idea of friendship and what it means to be a good friend. In religion we are learning about the different ways we praise God. In math we are continuing to work on addition, using tens frames, number lines, and counting on strategies. In social studies we are learning about how we follow different rules in the classroom, at home, and in the community. 

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading the fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and adding 2-digit numbers with regrouping and subtracting 2-digit numbers without regrouping (practice!). We will talk about God's love and what it means and continue with sacramental preparation.

3A – This is a very exciting week for 3A. Not only did we go to Mass and complete activities about how a farm operates, but also on Thursday, we will go to the Great Peter Pumpkin Patch in Petaluma. We will pick a pumpkin from the field, dig for potatoes, go on a hayride, find our way through a corn maze, climb a hay pyramid, and visit with donkeys, calves, horses and goats. We will play in a corn pit and milk a cow. On Friday, we will write about all of the adventures we experienced at the pumpkin patch and tell about the many things we learned about living on a real farm. Our OPEN HEARTS and OPEN MINDS will help us LOVE and LEARN many new things.

4A – In 4th Grade this week, we will be focusing on our first book report of the year. Using picture books from our school library, we will be using skills of comparing/contrasting and summarizing to discuss our books with our classmates. We will also begin to focus on our new story, "How Tia Lola Came to Stay." In Religion, we will be focusing on the Spiritual Works of Mercy to help spread the good news of Christ and love to our classroom community and to our greater community. In Math, we will continue to focus on addition and subtraction of three and four digit numbers. In Science, we will have our second investigation about soil and discovering what happens when we add solution into our soil. In Social Studies, we will finish up our "Me on the Map" unit and focus on our first unit of California State history. We want to continue to work on our quality work and believing in our growth mindset!

5A - 5th graders will investigate whether salt solutions can be separated in science this week. We will review addition properties and subtraction rules in math, and publish our compare and contrast essays in ELA. Message Ms. Storms if you'd like to help chaperone next week's field trip to the Mission Branch library. As always, check our Class Dojo stories from more information! 

6A   Religion – 6A will be visited by Paula Pardini for their Building Bridges program, and they will continue planning their Veterans Day Service Project.  Language Arts – 6A is making good progress on our new literacy program, LexiaPowerUp, with several students getting streaks of 200-300 problems solved correctly! We continue to look at a story's PLOT structure as we read the classic children's tale, "Riki-Tiki-Tavi."   Math - 6A will multiply decimals by decimals.   Social Studies – Students are exploring the physical geography of Ancient Egypt.  

7A   Religion – 7A is preparing for their retreat coming up on October 22-26!   Language Arts - Students continue to read Walk Two Moons. They are finding the connections to their reading—text-text, text-self, text-world—which furthers their comprehension of the novel's content.   Math - 7A will add and subtract fractions with like denominators.   Social Studies – 7A is taking their Arabia Quest.   Science - Students can now explain where trees acquire their mass. Now it's time to take a look at the form and function of cells.

8A/8B   Religion – This week students will be able to make comparisons between the Eastern and Western churches and make suggestions on how to build bridges between the two today.  Language Arts - Students continue to read Mockingbird and completing assignments related to their reading.   Math - 8th graders will write two-step equations.  Social Studies – 8th graders will be interviewing two community members and will begin identifying which events or conflicts caused the American Revolution.   Science - Students are done exploring what makes up an atom and now it's time to explore how atoms make molecules.

REMINDERS:

Oct.9-12    8th Grade Hot Cocoa Sale

Oct.11       3A Field trip to Petaluma Pumpkin Patch

Oct.11       Riordan and Mercy High Schools presentation to 8th graders      

Oct.16       School Mass, 8:10 AM

Oct.17       5A Field Trip to Mission Branch Library

Oct.17       LAST DAY to order St. Peter’s Gray Sweats

QUE PASA 10/3/2018 (English)

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        

QUE PASA--9/26/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       Our focus of the KEY “Knowledge feeds GROWTH” for September was so appropriate as we began our school year together.  This was a time when we adjusted to different environments (such as different classrooms), got to know teachers and classmates, and learned how to collaborate with others.  Think about how your child has grown so far (academically, socially, spiritually) since the first day of school.  The knowledge they have gained will help to feed their mind and spirit, but they should not stop there.  We’ve only just begun!  Together, let us guide them to use that knowledge to take action to better themselves, to positively guide others, and to improve their communities.   And when they take action, they can understand that “Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage”--which will be our October focus of the KEYS! Together, let’s keep our growth mindset going strong as this first month of school draws to a close.

       Also, congratulations to the September Students of the Month!  They are inspiring examples of living out the St. Peter’s KEYS!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

FAMILY INCOME SURVEY

Please fill out the Family Income Survey which first went home with last week’s Que Pasa.  You will receive another blank survey if you have not already returned a completed survey.  Students who return the survey will receive an ACCOMPLISH key!  Thank you for your cooperation!

ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS

The order form for the gray St. Peter’s sweatshirt, sweatpants, and t-shirt was sent home last week, and additional order forms are available in the office.  This is the only time of the year that these sweats will be sold, and the last day to submit your order form and payment is October 17.  Don’t miss out!

FAMILY BIKE FAIR

Join us on the St. Peter’s School schoolyard this Saturday, September 29 at 12:30 PM for a Family Bike Fair.  Parents can learn about bike safety, and children can learn biking skills.  Practice bikes will be provided, or bring your own bike!  Register online at www.sfbike.org/TallerDeBicis or call 415-431-2453, ext. 314. 

ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.

*If you have already completed the online training by Shield the Vulnerable, your volunteer clearance is still good for 3 years from date of completion of that online course.

Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:

·       Go to www.virtusonline.org

·       Click on “First-time Registrant”

·       Click on “Begin the registration process”

·       Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)

·       Create a User ID and Password for yourself

·       Fill out the requested personal information

·       Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco)  **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**

·       Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”

·       Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)

·       Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.

Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office.  You will receive 2 parent hours.

SEPTEMBER STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Homeroom teachers identify Students of the Month at the end of each month.  We celebrate these students because they have exemplified living the St. Peter’s KEYS:

Knowledge feeds GROWTH.

Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.

You are LOVE.

SERVICE UNITES.

KINDER - Minerva Chamul Lopez is a very hard working student. She is always ready to learn and gives her best effort in any given learning opportunity. She is also kind, patient, responsible and a good friend. She gets along well with others and shows a great interest in learning.

1A - Genesis Garcia is a student who is always trying her best and is eager to learn and grow. She is kind and loving to all those around her and is always quick to help a friend in need. For these reasons Genesis is our first student of the month!

2A - Milena Arevalo Zelayandia is always ready to try new things and gives her best. She stays focused on her work and has a positive attitude. She contributes to class discussions and is eager to help others.

3A – Anthony Ortiz is a hard worker, comes to school ready to learn, is always in complete uniform, and has all of his school supplies. Anthony is quiet and focused on his assignments.  He stays busy whether he is working on a tablet task, reading at Silent Sustained Reading time, or figuring out his "daily do" challenge. Anthony, thank you for being a great example of our St. Peter's KEYS!

4A – Byron Lopez is committed to making our classroom community a better place. He comes each day ready to learn, is open to growing his brain power, and shares his knowledge with his classmates. He is respectful to all of his classmates, and is a true bucket filler inside and outside the classroom. Way to go, Byron!

5A - Aleska Salas Donis has been off to a great start this school year and is living out St. Peter's key values every day. Aleska's compassion and love for her classmates unites our class. She's always willing to serve others, whether it's by helping a classmate or patiently untangling the Chromebook cords. Her willingness to work hard means that we know she will grow and accomplish a lot this year. Aleska, keep up the good work!

6A - Gabriela Clemente has had a great start to Middle School! She learned the Middle School procedures quickly and has been a wonderful example to her peers in the classroom.  Gaby brings her growth mindset to school every day and always seems excited about learning new things! She has been supportive to her teachers and peers and has been an example of each of our core values here at St. Peter's! Her hard work and kind heart show us that she will continue to Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite all year!

7A - 7A's Student of the Month is Miranda Hernandez.  Although new to the school, Miranda has demonstrated courage and has opened her heart to new friends.  She has been an amazing addition to St. Peter's School. We are blessed to have her as a part of our school community.

8A – Anahi Hernandez, now as an 8th grader, has opened the school year with her continuous ability to grow in the classroom, both academically and personally. She constantly asks questions or seeks advice, ALL to better herself. Anahi has also exhibited love and service to the St. Peter's community. She is always lending a helping hand to peers and teachers alike, not because she has to, but because she genuinely wants to. She is a great, first example of someone who is living out the keys!

8B - Maria Castaneda-Chan has entered 8th grade ready to take on new challenges and committed to improving herself. She is serving our class as a student council representative and our school as a leading choir member. She is focused on her goals and on making her 8th grade year her best one yet.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Kinder – This week, we are going to learn about baby animals and find out ways they move. We will sing "Animals in Motion" and read On the Move, Pouch, Baby Animals on the Move, and The Tortoise and the Hare. In Math, we will continue to match and count to compare two sets of objects. Words to know this week are: equal to, more than, and fewer than.

1A – This week in English Language Arts the topic is “Where We Live.” We are discussing our own neighborhoods and communities, as well as those of others. In religion we are discussing the different ways we can praise God. In math we are continuing to work on sequencing and ordinal numbers. In science we are beginning to experiment with air and its effect on different objects.

2A – 2nd Grade will be reading “Families Work Together” and continuing with strategies to subtract sums within 20 (practice!).  We will talk about prayers, Mary, and praying the rosary. Reminder: First Communion Meeting tonight, 9/27 at 6 p.m. in St. Peter's Church.

3A – This week our class will visit Sheffield Convalescent Hospital.  We will not need chaperones for this field trip. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to practice our KEY that SERVICE UNITES.  In Reading class, we are completing the story On the Pampas about a family that lives on an Estancia in Argentina, South America.  In Language, we are continuing to study and review the sounds of soft and hard "C" and "G" in our English language.  

4A – 4th Grade had an exciting week filled with building stamina and celebrating the season of Fall! The students completed their first oral presentations, and did a great job. In Religion, we will focus on the corporal works of mercy, and brainstorm ideas of service projects in our classroom. In Reading, we will continue focusing on "My Brother Martin." Our goal is to learn how to identify the author's purpose. In Math, we will continue working on Addition and Subtraction. We also began our "Word Problem Wednesdays" where we focus on step by step word problems to help with our critical thinking skills. We will continue to focus on "Me on the Map" for Social Studies.

5A – Thank you to all the parent chaperones who made our field trip to the Academy of Sciences last week so successful! 5th grade is grateful for your support. This week, 5th graders will complete their first science investigation to see if they can separate mixtures. We'll compare & order decimals in math and review the components of a complete sentence in ELA. As always, check Class Dojo for daily updates from our classroom.

6A   Religion – 6th Graders will be visited by Paula Pardini this week for their Building Bridges program, and they will finalize Works of Mercy posters to present to the class in celebration of Mercy Day.   Language Arts – Students will be analyzing how authors develop a narrator's point of view. We will read two thrilling short stories that demonstrate very different types of point of view: "The Sniper" and "The Tell Tale Heart."   Math – Students will estimate and find products of decimals and whole numbers.   Social Studies – Students will be studying Mesopotamia vocabulary for their upcoming test next week.  Science – Students will take a test on Fossils.

7A  Religion - 7A will explain the ways Mary, the mother of God, is our spiritual mother and role model of faith.   Language Arts - Students have begun reading Walk Two Moons, while also responding to comprehension questions, text connections and vocabulary. The material thus far has provided very thoughtful and lively discussions. What is in store for Salamanca Tree Hiddle?   Math – Students will add and subtract like fractions.   Social Studies – Students will be finalizing their Essay and peer editing three of their peers papers.   Science - This week students show off what they know about cellular respiration and photosynthesis. They will take an assessment on it and show off their stop motion animations!

8A/8B   Religion – This week eighth grade religion will be discussing Pentecost and will conclude the week by examining the individual lives of the apostles in relation to the Marks of the Church.   Language Arts - Students have begun reading, Mockingbird. In addition to their reading, students have created a Character Study Notebook to record their responses to character transformation. This will serve as the main focus of the novel, while also participating in mini lesson activities to aid in further comprehension.   Math – Students will write two-step equations that represent real world situations.   Social Studies – Students will continue exploring St. Peter's history and practicing their interview skills. 8A will take their field trip to El Tecolote!   Science - Eighth grade students will also show off all that they know about atoms, atomic models, and the periodic table. Good luck memorizing the first twenty elements!

REMINDERS:

Sept. 26       First Communion Parent Meeting, 6:00 PM in Church

Sept. 27       ICA High School Presentation to 8th Graders, 10:45 AM

Sept. 27       8A Field Trip to El Tecolote newspaper, 1:30 PM

Sept. 29       Family Bike Fair, 12:30-3:30 PM

Oct. 2          School Mass, 8:10 AM

Oct. 4           LifeTouch School Picture Day

QUE PASA 9/19/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

Later this week, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, or as we lovingly call it, Mercy Day!  Though the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is on September 24, we will celebrate with a School Mass on September 21.  At St. Peter’s, we remember and celebrate the Sisters of Mercy who founded our school and continue to care for and support our students to this day.

The sisters of Mercy our living examples to us for living out the mission of Mercy.  MERCY means to show love and compassion towards others; to forgive others and to be grateful to be forgiven by others; to show charity and generosity, especially to those in need; to have the courage to stand up for what’s right, especially for others who are afraid to stand up for themselves; to have faith in God.  MERCY means having an open heart and open mind.

Let’s remember to be thankful for all the good works of the Sisters of Mercy, and try our best to live out the mission of Mercy ourselves, not only at St. Peter’s School, but everywhere!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

MERCY DAY MASS

Since we will have a school mass this Friday, September 21, students must be in complete uniform.  Gray sweats may not be worn this Friday.

SUNDAY FAMILY MASS AND RECEPTION

Our first Sunday Family Mass of the school year is this Sunday, September 23 at 9:30 AM.  A reception will follow in the Parish hall after the Mass.  Please join us in this celebration.  Students who attend Mass in uniform will receive a Free Dress Pass to use on the following Monday.

CLASS DOJO

If you haven’t done so already, join Class Dojo, a school communication app.  Contact your child’s teacher to get your code to join your child’s class on Class Dojo.  Each child has his/her own unique code.  If you have more than one child at St. Peter’s, make sure you obtain a code for each child so that you have access to each of your child’s classes.

FAMILY INCOME SURVEY

Please fill out the Family Income Survey going home with today’s Que Pasa, and return it by September 26.  Students who return the survey will receive an ACCOMPLISH key!  Thank you for your cooperation!

ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS

Going home today is the order form for the gray St. Peter’s sweatshirt, sweatpants, and t-shirt.  This is the only time of the year that these sweats will be sold, and the last day to submit your order form and payment is October 17.  Don’t miss out!

FAMILY BIKE FAIR

Join us on the St. Peter’s School schoolyard on Saturday, September 29 at 12:30 PM for a Family Bike Fair.  Parents can learn about bike safety, and children can learn biking skills.  Practice bikes will be provided, or bring your own bike!  Register online at www.sfbike.org/TallerDeBicis or call 415-431-2453, ext. 314.  

INDIVIDUAL EMERGENCY KITS

If you haven’t done so already, pleads provide your child with an emergency snack kit to be stored in their classroom.  In a Zip-loc bag labeled with your child’s name, please pack: a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water and a non-perishable snack such as crackers or a granola bar. If these emergency packs remain unused, they will be returned to your child at the end of the school year.

ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.

*If you have already completed the online training by Shield the Vulnerable, your volunteer clearance is still good for 3 years from date of completion of that online course.

Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:

·       Go to www.virtusonline.org

·       Click on “First-time Registrant” 

·       Click on “Begin the registration process”

·       Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)

·       Create a User ID and Password for yourself 

·       Fill out the requested personal information

·       Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco)  **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**

·       Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”

·       Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)

·       Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.

Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office.  You will receive 2 parent hours.

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 in Kindergarten, we will read What about Bear? By Suzanne Bloom and students will ask and answer questions about key details. We will also recite the Pledge of Allegiance and recognize the American flag. In Math, we will learn how to write 6 and 7, and match to compare two sets of objects. Our math vocabulary words for the week are: equal to, more than, and fewer than.

1A - This week in we are beginning with our First Grade ELA program. Please help your child practice their spelling and sight words on the front of their homework packet. We are also starting to prepare for our first visit to the science lab. In religion we are talking about the importance of The Bible. In social studies we are talking about classroom rules and being a leader. In math we are continuing to focus on number sense.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Lola and Tiva” and continuing with strategies to subtract sums within 20 (practice!).  We’ll be talking about giving praise and thanks to God and about sacramental preparation.  Please come to the First Communion Meeting next Wednesday, 9/26 at 6:00 p.m. in St. Peter's Church.

3A – 3A read a story about how one Chinese American family lives in America. The story taught us that Tangrams are a very popular game in China. This week we will be using sets of tangrams to make objects and animals. It should be fun and creative. This is a way to GROW our KNOWLEDGE about a different culture and have fun as we play this game. In Religion, we will begin preparing for our first field trip--we will visit Sheffield Convalescent Hospital.

4A – We had a great week in 4th Grade! We built our Stamina in Read to Self and accomplished three stations in Reading and Math. We used two new computer programs and helped each other achieve each level. In Religion this week, we will continue to work on our Mass responses as well as begin our unit on the Corporal Works of Mercy. We will discuss "good fit" books in Reading and begin our new story, "My Brother Martin." We will be discussing the legacy of MLK and how we can continue his amazing work today. We will begin to focus on rounding and estimation in Math as we move into our Addition and Subtraction unit. In Social Studies, we will be discussing "me on the map," and in Science, we will continue studying rocks and fossils. 

5A - This week, 5th graders are learning about African ecosystems on our field trip to the California Academy of Sciences! In math, we'll be working on comparing and orders decimals in math. 5th graders will continue working on RAZ kids and in their reading groups to practice the skill of summarizing a text. 

6A   Religion – 6A will be visited for the first time by Paula Pardini who works with St. Peter's Middle School classes and helps them to build and strengthen their Faith Community in the classroom.  Language Arts – 6th grade is wrapping up their analysis of conflict and is now moving on to characterization. Student will practice their inference skills by identifying how authors create characters both directly and indirectly.   Math – Students will estimate the product of decimals.    Social Studies – Students will be answering the question: Which Mesopotamian achievement/invention changed history the most? They will convince Ms. Land by using evidence to strengthen their opinions.   Science – 6A students will discover the several methods used to date rock layers relative to other rock layers.

7A  Religion - I look forward to see 7A families at Sunday's Family Mass.  We will be responsible in providing some treats for the reception after Mass.  God bless.   Language Arts - Students have focused on the types of conflict and how they are the driving force to any story. They will now put their knowledge to the test with a quiz and essay assessment. Additionally, students will be introduced to their first novel, Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. A series of pre-reading activities will take place to further comprehension as students read.    Math - 7A will compare and order rational numbers.   Social Studies – 7A is writing a comparative essay about the differences and similarities between Islam and Christianity.  Science - Students have gotten their briefings on photosynthesis and cellular respiration and now it is time to create a model to explain the processes.

8A/8B   Religion – This week eighth grade religion will focus on the Marks of the Church and how they are essential for maintaining unity and variety within the Church. They will also spend time learning about the lives of various saints.     Language Arts - Students completed their Personal Narrative Essay with a strong finish! They will now begin the pre-reading activities for their first novel, Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine this week. This will serve as contextual background of the different topics and themes that will be introduced as they read.    Math – Students  will solve two-step equations.  Social Studies – Students are continuing their St. Peter's history projects as they learn about interview skills and stories about St. Peter's alumni before they interview important St. Peter's community members.    Science - Students are getting to know the periodic table a lot better and what makes ions and isotopes.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 19       Caritas Camp Retreat Parent Preview Meeting for 6th grade parents, 6:00 PM in the Faculty Meeting  Room

Sept 21        Mercy Day School Mass, 8:30 AM

Sept 23        Sunday Family Mass and Reception, 9:30 AM

Sept. 24       12:30 PM Dismissal 

Sept. 26       First Communion Parent Meeting, 6:00 PM in Church

Sept. 27       ICA High School Presentation to 8th Graders, 10:45 AM

Sept. 27       8A Field Trip to El Tecolote newspaper, 1:30 PM

Sept. 29       Family Bike Fair, 12:30-3:30 PM

Oct. 4           LifeTouch School Picture Day

QUE PASA--9/12/18 ENGLISH

Dear Parents,

Yesterday, celebrating our first mass of the school year led me to reflect on the Sacraments and the meaning they have in our lives. 

In my reflections, I thought about my role as a parent as my third and youngest child prepares to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist this year, and I was drawn to read an article found on www.usccb.org (by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).  I share part of that here:

We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot "see" the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child.

The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives.

The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church.  Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.

As a family, I encourage you to live out the faith by attending Sunday Mass and joining us at school Mass when possible, and witness the grace of God in receiving the sacraments.  

*If your child has not received the sacrament of Baptism and you would like him/her to be baptized, please contact the school office.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

RECOLOGY ASSEMBLIES

Today, all students participated in informative assemblies teaching them about composting and recycling.  We are called to be stewards of God’s creation, and reducing waste, recycling, and composting are positive responses to that call!  Talk to your child about what they learned at the assembly, and encourage good habits that help protect the environment.

DIMES FROM HEAVEN

The “Dimes from Heaven” collection this week will help to benefit Student Council events for this year.  Also, because we want to live out our KEYS that “SERVICE UNITES” and “YOU ARE LOVE,” part of the proceeds will be donated to the local SPCA.  The classes in grades K-4 and 5-8 that raise the most money will win an ice cream party!

FAMILY BIKE FAIR

Join us on the St. Peter’s School schoolyard on Saturday, September 29 at 12:30 PM for a Family Bike Fair.  Parents can learn about bike safety, and children can learn biking skills.  Practice bikes will be provided, or bring your own bike!  Register online at www.sfbike.org/TallerDeBicis or call 415-431-2453, ext. 314.  See the attached flyer for more details.

CLASS DOJO

A parent invitation was sent home through your child to join Class Dojo, a school communication app.  Please join our school on Class Dojo using the code that was provided for your child(ren).  Each child has his/her own unique code!

APPOINTMENTS WITH TEACHERS

If you’d like to meet with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment.  The time before the first bell rings is time that each teacher needs to prepare the lessons for the day.  Please message your child’s teacher via Class Dojo, email, or a message in the office if you’d like to schedule a meeting so that he/she may plan accordingly.

INDIVIDUAL EMERGENCY KITS

A letter was sent home asking each child to bring an emergency kit to school.  While each classroom is equipped with an emergency bag with items such as a first aid kit, flashlights, and batteries, we also want every child to be ready with food and water.

In a Zip-loc bag labeled with your child’s name, please pack: a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water and a non-perishable snack such as crackers or a granola bar.  These kits will be stored in a closed bin in the classroom.  If these emergency packs remain unused, they will be returned to your child at the end of the school year.  Please bring these individual emergency packs to your child’s teacher by Friday, September 14.

ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.

*If you have already completed the online training by Shield the Vulnerable, your volunteer clearance is still good for 3 years from date of completion of that online course. 

Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:

·       Go to www.virtusonline.org

·       Click on “First-time Registrant”

·       Click on “Begin the registration process”

·       Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)

·       Create a User ID and Password for yourself

·       Fill out the requested personal information

·       Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco)  **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**

·       Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”

·       Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)

·       Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.

Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office.  You will receive 2 parent hours.

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 - Hello families! This week we will continue to review letter recognition and identify numbers 0-10. We are also working very hard on writing our names and numbers. We will also talk about what it means to be a good citizen at school and at home.

1A - This week in First Grade we will be finishing our review of Kindergarten reading skills. Please help your child prepare for their Smart Start sight word test on Friday. We will be continuing to express how we're feeling using "I Messages" and talking about the importance of respecting the rights and opinions of others.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Not Norman” and continuing with strategies to add sums within 20 (practice!).  We will be talking about heroes, Mary, saints, and good/not so good actions.  We’ll learn about praying a litany, loving one another, and talking about sacramental preparation.

3A – This week in 3A we are practicing the Mass responses that we use at church each Sunday and Tuesday.  We are also beginning our rotational models for STMath.  In Reading class we are enjoying the story "How My Family Lives in America." 

4A – This week in Religion, we will continue to focus on our Mass responses as well as begin to learn about the Old Testament. In our Literacy Block, we will focus on identifying story elements through our novel Because of Winn-Dixie. In writing, we will focus on the relationship between subject and predicates in our complete sentences. We will focus on our new word work and our new words for the week. In Math, we will continue to focus on place value through expanded form and ordering numbers. We will continue to discover different rocks in Science. In Social Studies, we will work on "Me on the Map" discovering where California is in relationship to other states, countries, and continents. We will discuss what high quality work entails and work on developing high quality work throughout the year!

5A - This week, 5th graders are starting to work with their "literary societies."  Different reading groups rotate through reading, writing, and grammar activities together. We'll identify the place value of decimals in math and discuss the scientific method in science. As always, check Class Dojo for more daily updates from our classroom.

6A   Religion – Students will begin to explore the parts of the Bible and the beginning stories of the Old Testament. Language Arts – 6th Grade ELA will be talking about conflict in short stories this week, focusing on identifying the different types of conflict, such as internal and external. Students are also doing a great job at our rotation model procedures.    Math – Students will estimate the product of decimals and judge the reasonableness of the results.   Social Studies – Students will continue to study the first known civilization: Ancient Mesopotamia.  Science – Students will explain how fossil correlation is used to determine rock ages. 

7A   Religion - Students will learn that through the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus Christ became man while continuing to be God.   Language Arts - Students are continuing to identify and analyze the types of conflict in a short story. They are transitioning to apply the types of conflict, internal or external, in their very own short story!    Math - 7A will compare and order rational numbers.   Social Studies – Students will compare the similarities and differences between the three major world religions.   Science - Students continue their exploration of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they prepare to work on their first model of biological processes.

8A/8B   Religion – This week eighth grade religion will focus on the word “catholic.” They will examine the root of the word, how it has evolved over time, and what Pope Francis sees for the future of Catholicism.   Language Arts - Students are in the beginning stages of composing their Personal Narratives based on a challenge they have overcome or are currently overcoming.   Math - 8A will solve two-step equations.   Social Studies – 8th graders are beginning St. Peter's School history projects by interviewing alumni and community members that have impacted the history of our school.   Science -  Students continue their work on exploring atoms, learning more about isotopes, ions, and atomic models.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 4-14     STAR Testing, Window 1

Sept. 10-14   Dimes from Heaven Collection

Sept. 12        8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7:30 am OR 6:00 pm

Sept. 12        Recology School Assemblies

Sept. 13        St. Ignatius Presentation to 8th graders

Sept. 13        Summer Learning Challenge Grand Prize Field Trip to Levi’s Stadium

Sept. 13        8B field trip to El Tecolote newspaper

Sept. 17        5A Field trip to Academy of Sciences

Sept. 19        Caritas Camp Retreat Parent Preview Meeting for 6th grade parents

Sept 21        Mercy Day School Mass, 8:30 AM

Sept 23        Sunday Family Mass and Reception, 9:30 AM

QUE PASA--9/5/18 ENGLISH

Dear Parents,

In six days, we remember the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and United Flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania.  Though this day reminds us of a sad event in history, it should act as a reminder of our responsibility to listen to our children and provide a safe space for them to learn and grow, because WE ARE LOVE.  In unity and solidarity, we all help make our school a safe place for students to accomplish their goals, to combat ignorance, and to act for social justice.

I’d like to share a prayer from sistersofmercy.org to call for strength to be positive examples for our children:

Loving God,                                                                                          

You inspire us with love for all creation. Give us the strength and courage to transform the compassion of our hearts into acts of peace, mercy and justice. Forgive us for the arrogance that leads to moral blindness; forgive us for desires for vengeance.  Empower us to shape a world marked by ways of life that lead to justice and peace. Fashion in us a people who are ready to grow in understanding, not judge those who are different from us. Form us, a people determined to heal wounds rather than inflict them. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus who came among us to show us the way.  AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU!

Thank you to all the parents and guardians who attended Back-to-School Night last Wednesday.  We want to continue to work as partners to support your child’s overall growth.

If you were unable to attend, please make sure you have received any handouts and important information from your child’s teacher(s).  If you were unable to attend or you forgot to pick up your Parent-Student Handbook at Back-to-School Night, your child should have brought home a handbook.  Please go over this handbook with your child, and sign and return the yellow form inside.

CLASS DOJO

Last week, a parent invitation was sent home through your child to join Class Dojo, a school communication app.  Please join our school on Class Dojo using the code that was provided for your child(ren).  Each child has his/her own unique code!

APPOINTMENTS WITH TEACHERS

If you’d like to meet with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment.  The time before the first bell rings is time that each teacher needs to prepare the lessons for the day.  Please message your child’s teacher via Class Dojo, email, or a message in the office if you’d like to schedule a meeting so that he/she may plan accordingly.

BVCC

The Buena Vista Child Care (BVCC) After School Program is available to students in grades K-8.  All students who participate must be registered in the program.  If your child participates in a CYO sports team, attends after-school computer lab, or participates in another after-school activity, he/she must register with BVCC.  Financial Aid is available.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If your child has not yet returned all the required forms--Emergency Card, Medical Packet, Permission to walk/take public transportation after school, Photo Release form, Technology Acceptable Use Policy, Email address verification—please make sure those are submitted right away.  The information provided on these forms is very important for the safety of your child.

INDIVIDUAL EMERGENCY KITS

Last week, a letter was sent home asking each child to bring an emergency kit to school.  While each classroom is equipped with an emergency bag with items such as a first aid kit, flashlights, and batteries, we also want every child to be ready with food and water.

In a Zip-loc bag labeled with your child’s name, please pack: a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water and a non-perishable snack such as crackers or a granola bar.  These kits will be stored in a closed bin in the classroom.  If these emergency packs remain unused, they will be returned to your child at the end of the school year.  Please bring these individual emergency packs to your child’s teacher by Friday, September 14.

STAR TESTING

September 4-14 is our first STAR Testing window.  During this time, students will take the computer adaptive STAR test in both Language and Math.  The results of these tests will be available to the teachers in order to help meet students’ needs.  Throughout the year, students will participate in progress monitoring and universal screenings using the STAR test to provide input on academic growth.

ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.

*If you have already completed the online training by Shield the Vulnerable, your volunteer clearance is still good for 3 years from date of completion of that online course.

Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:

·       Go to www.virtusonline.org

·       Click on “First-time Registrant”

·       Click on “Begin the registration process”

·       Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)

·       Create a User ID and Password for yourself

·       Fill out the requested personal information

·       Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco)  **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**

·       Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”

·       Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)

·       Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.

Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office.  You will receive 2 parent hours.

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 in Kindergarten, students will share about their families. We will have a discussion about many different kinds of families, big families, small families, but the main message is that all families are unique and because of that, each family is special. After, students will create a family portrait and share with the class. We will have a gallery walk! Also, we will continue to go over the letters in the alphabet. In Math, we will work on writing and identifying numbers 0-10.

1A - This week we are continuing to work on our classroom procedures and talking about community. We are working on solving our disagreements and problems using the “I Message.” Please ask your child to demonstrate it for you. Thanks so much for all of your help.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Big Red Lollipop” and "How Families Celebrate."  We are continuing with strategies to add sums within 20; talking about heroes/saints; and talking about symbols of baptism.

3A – This week, we are beginning our STAR Testing for reading.  In actual reading class, we are reading Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary.  In math class we are setting up and learning the procedures for our STMath Centers.  Last week we began our class in Spanish Mindfulness.  REMINDER:  the Reflection Form for Sunday Mass needs to be signed and returned each Monday even if you were unable to attend Mass.  Also, since we have homework every weekend please remember to sign your child’s Student Planner. 

4A – In Religion this week, 4th Grade will be focusing on mass responses and the birthday of Mary. During our Literacy Block, we will continue working on our Read to Self. We want to improve our Stamina! We will also be focusing on story structure through Winn-Dixie, our new word work, and finally formulating and writing complete sentences in Writing. In Math, we will continue to focus on place value through the Millions place. We will focus on rocks, fossils and soil in Science and begin our introductory California State history lessons. We will continue to focus on growth mindset throughout all of our course work.

5A - In math this week, our class goal will be to identify all place values through billions. We'll also continue working with ST Math and review the elements of story structure to add to our reading menu activities. Our class is reading Fantastic Elastic Brain together and discussing what neuroplasticity means for our own growth mindsets.  

6A   Religion – Students will explore their textbook and discuss what they will be learning this year about the Old Testament. Language Arts – 6A will continue exploring the importance of setting and how it can help drive the plot of a story, as we read a classic mystery story with Sherlock Holmes. Students have also already begun to use LexiaPowerUp to strengthen their comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills.   Math - Students will continue to add and subtract decimals.   Social Studies – Students will begin to learn the definition of civilization and start to study the first known civilization: Ancient Mesopotamia.   Science – 6A students will describe the processes of fossil formation.

7A   Language Arts - Students are identifying the types of conflict in a series of literary short stories. All of which will lead to the writing of their own conflict, internal or external, in a short story. Students have also successfully implemented the rotational model in the classroom! This new model will expand the learning experience, and students kept an open mind and were definitely not afraid to dive in.    Math - 7A will continue to express rational numbers as decimals and decimals as fractions.   Social Studies – Students will study the physical geography of the Arabian peninsula.   Science - Students will begin to uncover the mystery of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

8A/8B   Religion – This week eighth graders will be discussing the importance of the sacraments in students’ personal lives and in terms of church community. Significant time will be spent examining Christ's true presence in the Eucharist.    Language Arts - Students are currently focusing on Personal Narratives, what it means, how it applies to everyday and literature based examples. Students have also successfully implemented the rotational model in the classroom! They kept an open mind and heart as we add this new learning experience to our ELA curriculum.   Math – 8th graders will continue to solve equations with rational coefficients.   Social Studies – Students will discuss the reasons why Europeans began to colonize the United States and learn about the conflicts that occurred between two cultures in the New World.   Science - Students know that atoms make up everything that is matter, now we begin a more in depth exploration on what makes atoms.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 4-14     STAR Testing, Window 1

Sept. 10-14   “Dimes from Heaven” Collection

Sept. 11        Opening School Mass, 8:30 am

Sept. 12        8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7:30 am OR 6:00 pm in the

                           Faculty Meeting Room

Sept. 12        Recology School Assemblies

Sept. 13        St. Ignatius Presentation to 8th graders

Sept. 13        Summer Learning Challenge Grand Prize Field

                           Trip to Levi’s Stadium

QUE PASA--8/29/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       While we are midway through our first full week of school, I reflect on the many pieces and people that must come together in order for us live out our mission of Mercy and education at St. Peter’s.  Parents, teachers, staff, volunteers, clergy, and students--there’s so much to coordinate!  We at school want to be partners in faith and education with parents, so that we can be positive examples of learning and growing.  Together, we can model the ways we can live out our KEYS:  Knowledge feeds growth.  Every accomplishment needs courage.  You are love.  Service unites.                                                                                     I found this excerpt from a speech by Pope Francis (May 10, 2014) to be a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish in our school, and I clearly hear him speak of St. Peter’s School core values to grow, accomplish, love, serve, and unite!        

“One is educated to learn many things, that is, much important content, in order to behave in a certain way and also adopt values. And this is very important. I wish you all — parents, teachers, people who work in the schools, students — a beautiful journey at school, a journey that enables you to learn three languages that a mature person should know how to express: the language of the mind, the language of the heart and the language of the hands. Harmoniously though, that is, to think what you feel and what you do; to feel deeply what you think and what you do; and to do well what you think and what you feel. Three languages, together in harmony! … And please, never let us allow our love for school to be stolen from us!”

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

TONIGHT!  BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Back to School Night is scheduled for TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 29, beginning at 6:00 PM. 

6:00 – 6:30 à General parent meeting in Church

6:35 – 6:50 à Middle School parent meeting in Church

6:35 – 7:40 à Visit booths on the schoolyard

6:55 – 7:20 à Parents visit K-5 Classrooms

7:10-7:30 à Parents visit Middle School Classrooms

There will be child care available in the Parish Hall from 6:00-7:45 PM.  *Make sure you pick up your Parent-Student Handbook at the table in the school yard tonight!

CLASS DOJO

On Monday, a parent invitation was sent home through your child to join Class Dojo, a school communication app.  Please join our school on Class Dojo using the code that was provided for your child(ren).  Each child has his/her own unique code!  More will be explained about Class Dojo during Back-to-School Night.

BEFORE and AFTER SCHOOL

The school doors open at 7:30 AM. You may drop off your child as early as 7:15 AM at the Alabama Street gate.  If you must drop off your child before 7:15 AM, please bring him/her into Church for the 7:00 AM Mass so that they will be supervised at all times.

Please do not park in the White Zone on Alabama Street.  For safety purposes, the driveway must be kept clear at all times.  Also, please do not park in any yellow-numbered spaces in the Alabama Street parking lot.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter!

The Buena Vista Child Care (BVCC) After School Program is available to students in grades K-8.  All students who participate must be registered in the program.  If your child participates in a CYO sports team, attends after-school computer lab, or participates in another after-school activity, he/she must register with BVCC.

All students not registered for and not participating in the after-school programs must leave the schoolyard by 3:15 PM on regular dismissal days and 2:30 PM on Wednesdays. Students may not leave the schoolyard and return to the campus after dismissal. At no time will a student be allowed to be on campus unsupervised.  Parents must also leave the campus at this time, unless they have an appointment with a teacher or administration.

CAFETERIA and LUNCHES

Please make sure your child brings payment for lunch if he/she will be purchasing their lunch.  Lunches should be purchased in the cafeteria before 8:00 AM.

** Lunches may no longer be delivered to school during the school day.  Please make sure your child comes to school with a prepared lunch or purchases a lunch from the school cafeteria in the morning. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please make sure to read and complete all the forms that were sent home with your child. The information provided on these forms is very important and due back to the office by Friday, August 31st.

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE

In the Que Pasa today is information concerning the Student Accident Insurance provided by the Archdiocese. The insurance will cover your child for injury at school.

ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.

*If you have already completed the online training by Shield the Vulnerable, your volunteer clearance is still good for 3 years from date of completion of that online course.

Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:

·       Go to www.virtusonline.org

·       Click on “First-time Registrant”

·       Click on “Begin the registration process”

·       Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)

·       Create a User ID and Password for yourself

·       Fill out the requested personal information

·       Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco)  **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**

·       Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”

·       Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)

·       Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.

Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office.  You will receive 2 parent volunteer hours.

TDAP VACCINATIONS

California Law, (California State Law A354) requires that all students entering 7th-12th grades show proof of a Tdap (Whooping Cough) Pertussis booster shot. If you have not already done so, please submit documentation to the school no later than August 28th. The San Francisco Department of Health informs us we cannot offer a grace period for those who do not have a booster. Please contact your child’s health care provider and arrange for the Tdap booster.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Hello parents, welcome to Kindergarten! I am looking forward to working with you and your child. This week, we will be reading "Chrysanthemum" and "Animals in the Park: An ABC Book." We will be talking about the idea that each person is special. Students will tell something that is special about themselves or a friend. We will continue to go over procedures and getting to know each other. Parents, please continue to help your child with homework. Thank you so much!

1A - Welcome back 1st grade families! This week we are continuing to review reading and math learned in Kindergarten. We are talking about the responsibilities of a first grader and what it means to be part of a community. Thank you for a wonderful start to the year. I'm looking forward to seeing you all at Back-to-School Night.

2A - 2nd Grade will be reading “Help! A Story of Friendship” and “Little Flap Learns to Fly.” We will review adding within 20, practicing the Our Father and sign of the cross, and talking about communities.

3A – Welcome back to school and 3rd grade. I am looking forward to meeting all of you on Wednesday evening for Back to School night. This week in Phonics/Language class we will be reviewing the beginning, middle and final consonant sounds.  In Social Studies, we will begin a unit on recycling.  We will continue to learn the rules and procedures for the year. A reminder - please be sure to sign the student planner each night after checking that the homework has been completed.

4A – Welcome back to school! This week, 4th grade focused on building classroom community. Through Do Unto Otters, 4th Grade brainstormed ideas for our classroom rules and why we need them to succeed. We discussed safety through Officer Buckle and Gloria, and created our own safety tips for our school. We also discussed respect and finally learned about our bucket filling activity. This week, we will begin our daily routines and our core subjects. We will discuss ways to read a book and story structure in Reading. In Math, we will focus on place value. We will continue to focus on building our classroom community where all students feel welcomed!

5A - 5th grade started out the school year by discussing what makes a good classroom community. Our class will work on combining those guidelines into one "class constitution" this week. We'll also review key math and reading concepts from last year.   

6A   Religion – Welcome back to school! 6th Graders will be enjoying some team building activities.  Language Arts – Welcome to 6th grade English Language Arts! We have an exciting year ahead where students will discover the joys of poetry, drama, novels, and the power of persuasive writing. We will also be piloting a new literacy program this year that will target students' needs and make them stronger readers. This week, we will begin with exploring the elements of the short story, focusing on the characteristics of setting.   Math - 6A will begin the year focusing on adding, subtracting, and estimating the product of decimals.   Social Studies – Students will be deciding as a class what a successful year will look like to them.  Science – Students will identify the conditions necessary for fossils to form. 

7A  Religion – Students will review existing knowledge about Jesus and the New Testament.   Language Arts - Welcome back! This week we are focusing on getting to know one another, while also learning the importance of 7th Grade. Students will begin formal instruction mid-week.    Math - 7A will focus on expressing rational numbers as decimals and decimals as fractions.    Social Studies – Students will be setting up an outline of our units that we will learn about this school year!  Science - This week we establish our routines in science class. Students will work on knowing exactly what to do during the first five minutes of class and how to prepare for the day's lesson. Seventh grade students will also begin their explorations on life science.

8A/8B   Religion – Students will be focusing on The Apostle’s Creed and using it as a foundation for the rest of the class. They will create their own “Classroom Creed” that will be used to set expectations for the rest of the year.   Language Arts - Welcome back to another exciting year at Saint Peter's! This week we are focusing on getting to know one another, while also looking into the High School Application process. Students will begin formal instruction mid-week.   Math – Students will translate tables and graphs into linear equations.  Social Studies – Students will be setting up an outline of our units that we will learn about this school year!   Science - This week we establish our routines in science class. Students will work on knowing exactly what to do during the first five minutes of class and how to prepare for the day's lesson. Eighth graders will soon begin their explorations on physical science!

REMINDERS:

Aug. 29         Back-to-School Night, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Aug. 31         All school forms due

Sept. 3           No School – Labor Day Holiday

Sept. 4-14     STAR Testing, Window 1

QUE PASA 8/22/18

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school! Mr. Suarez (Director of School Culture and Community Life), Mrs. Fresnoza (Director of Academics), all the faculty and staff, and I hope that you had a wonderful summer break.

We warmly welcome all new students and families to our school community.  In addition, we have some new faculty and volunteers joining our school family.  Our new 4th grade teacher is Ms. Elizabeth Watters.  Mr. David Guzman is returning to St. Peter’s as our 7A homeroom teacher and Middle School Math Teacher.  Ms. Julia VanConas is our new Mercy Corps volunteer.

The Que Pasa will be sent to you every Wednesday.  In addition, it will be posted on the school website, www.stpeterssf.org and sent to you via SchoolSpeak.  Please take the time to read through the newsletter each week since it does contain important information.

For this new school year, let us pray:  

God of our past, our present and our future,
God of our dreams, our designs and our decisions,
Be love in us as we journey through this new school year.  Be our inner vision, that we may see life through your eyes,
Be our inner hearing, that we may listen well for your call,
Be our inner judgment, so we may discern clearly that which gives life, promotes growth, and nurtures love.                                         As we move into this school year, fill us with hope and abiding trust that you dwell in us,
So that, in both joy and sorrow, we radiate hope.                AMEN.                                                                                (from https://rscj.org/prayer-new-school-year)

I look forward to another great school year with everyone in our St. Peter’s Family!                                                        Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, Unite!
St. Peter’s has the KEYS to Open Hearts, Open Minds!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

BEFORE and AFTER SCHOOL

The school doors open at 7:30 AM. You may drop off your child as early as 7:15 AM at the Alabama Street gate.  If you must drop off your child before 7:15 AM, please bring him/her into Church for the 7:00 AM Mass so that they will be supervised at all times.

Please do not park in the White Zone on Alabama Street.  For safety purposes, the driveway must be kept clear at all times.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter! 

The Buena Vista Child Care (BVCC) After School Program is available to students in grades K-8 beginning on Thursday, August 23.  It begins after 12:30 dismissal that day and closes at 6:00 PM.  All students who participate must be registered in the program and past-due payments must be paid.

All students not registered for and participating in the after-school programs must leave the schoolyard by 3:15 PM on regular dismissal days and 2:30 PM on early dismissal days. Students may not leave the schoolyard and return to the campus after dismissal. At no time will a student be allowed to be on campus unsupervised.  Parents must also leave the campus at this time, unless they have an appointment with a teacher or administration.

CAFETERIA and LUNCHES

Cafeteria service will begin on Monday, August 27. Please make sure your child brings payment for lunch if he/she will be purchasing their lunch.

** Lunches may no longer be delivered to school during the school day.  Please make sure your child comes to school with a prepared lunch or purchases a lunch from the school cafeteria in the morning. 

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Back to School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, August 29.  There will be childcare available if necessary.  Please see the attached flyer for the schedule for Back-to-School Night.  

CULTURAL VISION

We continue in helping our students live out St. Peter’s KEYS, which are based on our core values of Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite:

Knowledge feeds GROWTH.

Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.

You are LOVE.

SERVICE UNITES.

Throughout the year, the teachers and students will be focusing on how to live out this vision.  Please join us in helping students to live their values in all they say and do.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please make sure to read and complete all the forms that were sent home with your child today. The information provided on these forms is very important and due back to the office by Friday, August 31st.

COACHES NEEDED

The following St. Peter’s CYO teams are seeking coaches:

Boy’s Soccer: 8th grade

Girl’s Volleyball: 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th grades

Please contact Mr. Suarez at school or at rsuarez@sanpedro.org if you are able to help our teams.  Thank you for your consideration!

TDAP VACCINATIONS

California Law, (California State Law A354) requires that all students entering 7th-12th grades show proof of a Tdap (Whooping Cough) Pertussis booster shot. If you have not already done so, please submit documentation to the school no later than August 28th. The San Francisco Department of Health informs us we cannot offer a grace period for those who do not have a booster. Please contact your child’s health care provider and arrange for the Tdap booster.

REMINDERS:

August 23-24   12:30 Dismissal

August 23         BVCC Services Begin

August 27         Regular School Schedule Begins,                    

                                7:55 AM - 3:00 PM

August 27         Cafeteria Services Begin

August 29         Back-to-School Night, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

August 31         All school forms due

September 3      No School – Labor Day Holiday

Que PASA 6/6/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

       Together, we made it to the last few days of school!  On behalf of the Leadership Team (Mr. Suárez and Mrs. Fresnoza), I want to thank you for all the support and encouragement you’ve shown us as we experienced our first year as St. Peter’s School administrators.  Like the students, we learned a lot, and we look forward to continued learning and growing in the coming school year.

       Your child progressed and developed socially, academically, and spiritually this year at St. Peter’s.  Continue to support them over the summer!  Guide them as they work on their Summer Learning Challenge requirements.  Attend mass and pray together. Seek out fun, new, and enriching experiences as a family.  I promise to do the same with my own family!  

I share with you this prayer to end this school year:

God of wisdom,
We thank you for all the gifts you have given us throughout this school year. We praise you for blessing us with knowledge, so that we may use this knowledge to make our world a better place—to be positive examples of love and service. 

As we come to the end of this school year, we thank you for the good things you have done in us, and we praise you for all who have shared in the work of this school. We ask you to bless them in your love and give them refreshment and peace.  We pray that everyone has a safe summer, and for us to return to school even more ready to learn and grow.  We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. AMEN. 

And don’t forget…

Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, Unite!  

St. Peter’s has the KEYS to OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS!

Have a great summer! 

See you for the new school year on August 22!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

ACADEMIC AWARDS ASSEMBLY

On Thursday, June 7 at 9:00 AM, we will have our Academic Awards Assembly for grades 1 through 7 in the church.  You are welcome to join us for this assembly. 

FRIDAY—END-OF-SCHOOL YEAR MASS

This Friday, June 8 at 9:00AM, we will have our final school mass for this school year.  Please join in this special mass.  Since it is a mass day—no gray sweats or free dress passes may be used on this day.

NO BVCC SERVICE ON JUNE 8

Friday, June 8th is the last day of school, and dismissal is at 10:00 AM.  However, BVCC will not be open on that day, so no child care at school will be available.  Please make arrangements for the pick-up of your child at 10:00.

COMPUTER LAB

The last day for computer lab services was Tuesday, June 5.  As of Wednesday, June 6, the computer lab will be closed until the next school year.

SPORTS UPDATE

Dear Aztec Families,

We have two very important announcements for next year concerning our sports program. First, we are so excited that we are GROWing! With growth naturally comes a need for more coaches. The most urgent needs that we have for our Fall season are: one boys soccer coach and one girls volleyball coach. Please let Mr. Suárez know if you're interested in helping lead a team! Second, as we look to create a more UNITEd front with all of our teams, the Sports Committee is excited to announce that beginning next year we will be selling our sports uniforms to our families. This is an exciting opportunity to get great looking uniforms that your athlete can wear for many seasons. Soccer sets will be on sale for $40, fully reversible basketball sets will be on sale for $45, volleyball tops will sell for $30, and baseball tops will sell for $25. Please save up over the summer to buy your fall sports sets when we come back for our 2018-2019 year!

SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE

Students in grades Kindergarten through 7 have received information about the Summer Learning Challenge.  Completing this Summer Learning Challenge will help prevent the “summer slide,” where students can lose 2-3 months of reading and math skills every summer.  This adds up—by 5th grade summer learning loss can make a student 2.5 - 3 years behind their peers who read during the summer.  Plus, students who complete the Summer Learning Challenge by the due date will qualify to win prizes!

Please look over the summer learning challenge with your child, and encourage them to complete the mandatory components of the challenge by the due date.  Summer Learning Challenge information will also be available on the school website, www.stpeterssf.orgif at any time your child misplaces the packet of information over the summer.   

BVCC SUMMER PROGRAM

Registration is now open for the BVCC Summer Program.  Weekly programs are available from June 11 - July 27.  Tutors from the University of San Francisco will be available once a week throughout the program and can provide assistance to your child as they complete their Summer Learning Challenge.

2017-2018 YEARBOOK

There are still a very limited number of yearbooks available for purchase for $25.  If you’d like to purchase one, please go to the office for payment.

SPECIAL MASS AND RECEPTION

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church, a special mass and reception will be held in honor of Sr. Ana Maria Pineda.  She is a St. Peter’s parishioner since the 1950s, a St. Peter’s graduate from the 1960s, and a Sister of Mercy since the 1970s.  She is a former St. Peter’s teacher and Parish Minister at the Church for the Hispanic Community, and currently a professor at Santa Clara University.  She has recently been elected as Assistant to the President of the West Midwest Sisters of Mercy.  Please join is un honoring Sr. Ana Maria on Sunday, June 10!

REMINDERS

June 5        Last Day of Computer Lab services

June 6        Free Dress for No Tardies in May

                  9:00 AM  Kindergarten Celebration in the gym

                  12:30 PM Dismissal

June 7        9:00 AM  Academic Awards Assembly in church        

                  12:30 PM Dismissal

June 8        9:00 AM  End-of-School Year Mass

                  10:00 AM  Dismissal

                  LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

                  No BVCC Services

Aug. 22     First Day of the 2018-2019 School Year

QUE PASA 5/30/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

       The 8th graders are taking their final steps towards GRADUATION!  We proudly share in their accomplishments as we—their families and teachers—have helped them to lay the foundation for their future.  When we celebrate their graduation, don’t forget to celebrate us as a whole school community as well!

Let us offer this prayer for our soon-to-be graduates:

       Loving God, we thank you for our graduates. You have    

       blessed them during their years at St. Peter’s School with

       wisdom, friendships, and skills. Continue to challenge

       them to make this world a better place because of their

       education. Help them to look forward to their next steps in

       high school. Give them faith and a sense of purpose in

       their next steps. Show them how to serve others in

       effective ways.  May they be aware in everything they do

       that they find fulfillment in doing your will, that you will

       be with them always, and that you will bring to

       completion the good work you have begun in them. 

       AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

FRIDAY—8th GRADE GRADUATION MASS

This Friday, June 1, we will honor our 8th graders with a graduation mass at 9:30 AM in church.  You are welcome to join in this special mass.  Students in grades Kinder through 7th should be in complete uniform—no gray sweats or free dress passes may be used on this day.

THANK YOU!

We thank Ms. Leannna Wilcox, our counselor trainee from the USF Center for Child and Family Development, for the counseling services and support that she provided for our school community this year.  She completed her final day of services at St. Peter’s on May 29.  We wish her the best as she moves on to continue her graduate studies. 

SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE

Last week, students in grades Kindergarten through 7 received information about the Summer Learning Challenge.  Completing this Summer Learning Challenge will help prevent the “summer slide,” where students can lose 2-3 months of reading and math skills every summer.  This adds up—by 5th grade summer learning loss can make a student 2.5 - 3 years behind their peers who read during the summer.

Please look over the summer learning challenge with your child, and encourage them to complete the mandatory components of the challenge by the due date.  

BVCC SUMMER PROGRAM

Registration is now open for the BVCC Summer Program.  Weekly programs are available from June 11 - July 27.  Tutors from the University of San Francisco will be available once a week throughout the program and can provide assistance to your child as they complete their Summer Learning Challenge.

NO BVCC SERVICE ON JUNE 8

Friday, June 8th is the last day of school, and dismissal is at 10:00 AM.  However, BVCC will not be open on that day, so no child care at school will be available.  Please make arrangements for the pick-up of your child at 10:00.

COMPUTER LAB

The last day for computer lab services is Tuesday, June 5.  As of Wednesday, June 6, the computer lab will be closed until the next school year.

2017-2018 YEARBOOK

There are still a very limited number of yearbooks available for purchase for $25.  If you’d like to purchase one, please go to the office for payment.

SPECIAL MASS AND RECEPTION

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church, a special mass and reception will be held in honor of Sr. Ana Maria Pineda.  She is a St. Peter’s parishioner since the 1950s, a St. Peter’s graduate from the 1960s, and a Sister of Mercy since the 1970s.  She is a former St. Peter’s teacher and Parish Minister at the Church for the Hispanic Community, and currently a professor at Santa Clara University.  She has recently been elected as Assistant to the President of the West Midwest Sisters of Mercy.  Please join is un honoring Sr. Ana Maria!

MAY STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Homeroom teachers identify Students of the Month at the end of each month.  We celebrate these students because they have exemplified living the St. Peter’s KEYS:

Knowledge feeds GROWTH. 

Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.

You are LOVE.

SERVICE UNITES.

KINDER – Aaliyah Gonzalez is hardworking, dedicated, kind, and respectful towards her peers. She is always willing to help others and takes learning seriously. Over the last month Aaliyah has demonstrated amazing growth as a learner. Her growth in math and reading is outstanding. She works hard in school and I am delighted to name Aaliyah as May's student of the month. Congratulations and keep up the great work! 

1A -  Ana Martins Moreira is a kind, caring, and hardworking student. She is very driven and independent, but also a great team player and quick to help anyone in need. She takes pride in her work and isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it, because she always strives to do her best. For these reasons, I am very proud to announce Ana as first grade's student of the month.

2A - Julissa Cabrera is our student of the month. She is attentive, tries her best, and never gives up. Julissa does not get discouraged easily. She volunteers to help others whenever they need it. She is there when a friend needs someone to listen and works cooperatively with others.  

3A – Matthew Diaz has continued to improve academically and behaviorally this year.  He earns KEYS each week by helping others without being asked and finishing tasks that seemed too difficult just a month ago.  He pays close attention to instructions and if in doubt, asks for help. Matthew has become a focused and productive third grader.

4A - Karen Hernandez is 4A’s Student of the Month.  She has been an honor student throughout the year and a student who exemplifies St. Peter's School's KEYS.  She is kind, honest, hard-working, and a great team player. 

5A - Alaysha Flores is 5th grade's Student of the Month. Whether she's in the classroom or on the basketball court, Alaysha is always working incredibly hard. This has allowed her to see tremendous growth in both math knowledge and creative writing over the course of this year. Our 5th grade class also appreciates how kind, funny, and helpful she is. Congrats Alaysha!

6A   Gabriela Camacho has been a student living out the KEYS for the entire school year!  She has a kind heart and is very helpful to her peers and notices when a peer needs her support.  Gabriela also uses her own time to help teachers! Gabriela keeps her focus in the classroom and is proud of the work that she does.  We appreciate her hard work this year and are grateful for the support she has given us inside and outside of the classroom! Thank you, Gabriela! 

7A - This month I would like to recognize Kalven Navarrete.  While maintaining his great academic accomplishments, he has also been found helping out those around him, overcoming fears and learning from trying new things, and always lending a helping hand in the classroom.  

7B -  Jesus Lopez is a great example of two of our key values: “You are Love” and “Service Unites.”  Jesus shows love in the way he treats others with compassion and generosity of spirit. He watches out for others, especially those who need extra help. He is always willing to serve and lend a hand, expecting no recognition or reward, simply because he knows it's the right thing to do. Thank you, Jesus, for being a great example of the spirit of St. Peter's.

8A - Lesley Garcia is a positive role model for all students. She is very hard-working, respectful, and kind. Lesley participates in all classroom activities.  She is not timid to participate in discussions, which makes students like her stand out in a crowd. Lesley has continuously lived out the keys from beginning to end. Way to grow!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will write a letter that includes a greeting, body, and closing. Students will work in pairs to write their letter. In Math, we will learn to build shapes using wooden sticks and marshmallows. Lastly, we will prepare for the celebration that will take place on June 6th in the gym from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. After the celebration, your Kindergartener may go home with you.

2A - Second graders will be reading “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and determining the lesson in the story. We will review arrays and practice our multiplication facts (2's, 5's and 10's). We have classroom worms! Have you seen our lettuce in the garden? We will continue working with our composting jars and garden in science. We will be talking about how we can appreciate God's gifts all around us in religion. 

3A – This week in Science, 3A is hard at work on our Owl Investigation. The students are enjoying learning about many different aspects of owl life. We will have our last week of spelling tests on Tuesday and Friday. After that our spelling time will focus on academic vocabulary in several different subject areas. We continue to practice cursive writing with downcurve and slanted letters. These include i, t, e, l, b, u, w, f, y, n, and capital a. Some of the students have already begun their Summer Learning Challenge. This is a good thing! Let's try to keep them challenged with their MANDATORY summer work. It will count for their first homework assignment in fourth grade. It's due the first day that we return to school (August 22). We have had a very successful third grade year. We have grown and accomplished a great deal. Congratulations to students, parents and teachers.

5A - This is 5th grade's Career Week! 5th graders spent some time formulating good interview questions before getting to talk with people who work in a variety of professional fields. We're looking forward to talking with an author, an artist, a comedian, a military veteran, a software engineer who works on self-driving cars, an Air Bnb recruiter, one of Google's creative engineers, and more. The goal is to expose 5th graders to different careers that they might be interested in doing someday!

6A   Religion – 6th graders will complete a final essay about a figure from the Old Testament they learned about this year who inspires them to live their faith.   Language Arts – 6th Grade ELA will wrap up the school year with their final academic vocabulary quiz and assess their knowledge of parallel sentence structure. Literature circle groups are also nearing the end of their novels and will begin choosing their culminating projects.   Social Studies – Students are presenting passion projects and finalizing research on Ancient Rome.  Science – 6th graders are closing out their year-long study of weather by researching San Francisco's unique micro-climates. 

7A/7B    Language Arts - Students will be introduced and begin their Final Project for the novel The Outsiders.  Social Studies – 7th Graders are looking ahead to a project for next year and will finish presenting passion projects.   Science - After having completed their IntoScience exploration on ecosystems, students are primed for a deeper conversation about how the environment influences a species.

8A   **8th GRADE REMINDER**  

·       8th Grade Picnic will take place on Thursday, May 31 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at San Bruno Park. 8th Grade Graduation Mass will take place on Friday, June 1 at 9:30 AM and Graduation Ceremony will take place at 5:00 PM in church. Students must bring their gowns and wear formal attire. Families are welcome to attend the Mass and Ceremony. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Fuaau.

Language Arts - Students have successfully completed their Final Academic Week! This week, they will focus on wrapping up the school year and graduation.   Social Studies – 8th grade has finished their last classes at St Peter’s. Good luck 8th grade we will miss you!   Science - After an eventful year of meeting standards and completing projects, the eighth graders get ready to say goodbye to Saint Peter's.

REMINDERS

May 31      8th Grade Picnic, San Bruno Park

June 1        9:30 AM  Graduation Mass

                  11:00 AM  Graduation Brunch for 8th Graders

                  5:00 PM   Graduation Ceremony in Church

June 5        Last Day of Computer Lab services

June 6        9:00 AM  Kindergarten Celebration in the gym

                  12:30 PM Dismissal

June 7        9:00 AM  Academic Awards Assembly in church        

                  12:30 PM Dismissal

June 8        9:00 AM  End of School Year Mass

                  10:00 AM  Dismissal

                  LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

                  No BVCC Services

QUE PASA 5/23/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

       This Monday, we celebrate Memorial Day, a day where we take the time to honor and remember those who died in all of America’s wars.  These men and women sacrificed their lives as they were protecting others and protecting our rights and freedoms.  Let us offer this prayer for the soldiers who have given their lives for our country, and reflect on how we ourselves can peacefully work for justice in our world:
Dear God,
This Memorial Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down their lives for the cause of freedom.  May the examples of their sacrifice inspire in us the selfless love of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bless the families of our fallen troops, and fill their homes and their lives with Your strength and peace.
In union with the people of other nations, give us the courage to work for peace and justice, and seek an end to violence and conflict in our communities and around the world.
We ask this through your holy name.  AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

FRIDAY—8th GRADE PINNING MASS

This Friday, we will honor our 8th graders as they receive their St. Peter’s School Pins—a symbol of their time spent here at St. Peter’s.  You are welcome to join in this special mass and celebration at 8:30 AM.  Students should be in complete uniform—no gray sweats or free dress passes may be used on this day.

SPORTS COMMITTEE

Join the Sports Committee as they plan on how to help our Athletic program grow.  The next meeting is next week on Tuesday, May 29 at 5:00 PM in the Faculty Meeting Room.

We are also looking for coaches for the 3rd and 6th grades girls’ volleyball teams and the 7th/8th grade boys’ soccer team for the upcoming school year.  If you are interested, please contact Mr. Suárez in the office or email rsuarez@sanpedro.org. 

SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE

Tomorrow, students in grades Kindergarten through 7 will be receiving information about the Summer Learning Challenge.  Completing this Summer Learning Challenge will help prevent the “summer slide,” where students can lose 2-3 months of reading and math skills every summer.  This adds up—by 5th grade summer learning loss can make a student 2.5 - 3 years behind their peers who read during the summer.

Please look over the summer learning challenge with your child, and encourage them to complete the mandatory components of the challenge by the due date.  

BVCC SUMMER PROGRAM

Registration is now open for the BVCC Summer Program.  Weekly programs are available from June 11 - July 27.  Tutors from the University of San Francisco will be available once a week throughout the program and can provide assistance to your child as they complete their Summer Learning Challenge.

NO BVCC SERVICE ON JUNE 8

Friday, June 8th is the last day of school, and dismissal is at 10:00 AM.  However, BVCC will not be open on that day, so no child care at school will be available.  Please make arrangements for the pick-up of your child at 10:00.

2017-2018 YEARBOOK

The Yearbook is on sale NOW!  $25 for a 52-page, full-color, hardcover memory book for this school year!  Supplies are limited.  Pre-order now to guarantee your copy!

AZTEC TREK

If your child received a statement for any unpaid balance for the mandatory AZTEC TREK Fundraiser, this balance is past due.  Please pay the amount as soon as possible. 

SPRING PICTURES

If your child took LifeTouch Spring pictures, please return payment of the pictures that you wish to keep, and return any photos that you do not purchase.

SPECIAL MASS AND RECEPTION

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church, a special mass and reception will be held in honor of Sr. Ana Maria Pineda.  She is a St. Peter’s parishioner since the 1950s, a St. Peter’s graduate from the 1960s, and a Sister of Mercy since the 1970s.  She is a former St. Peter’s teacher and Parish Minister at the Church for the Hispanic Community, and currently a professor at Santa Clara University.  She has recently been elected as Assistant to the President of the West Midwest Sisters of Mercy.  Please join is un honoring Sr. Ana Maria!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - We will continue to identify vowels and distinguish between short and long vowel sounds. We will participate in various vowels games and work in pairs. We will review the letter names a, e, i, o, and u. In math, we will describe the position of these shapes: cone, cylinder, sphere, and cube. We will use words such as above, below, in front of and behind.  

1A -  This week in first grade we are reading about and discussing different traditions and working on words with beginning three-letter blends. In religion, we are practicing the different ways we can pray to God. In math we are beginning our fractions unit. In science we are working on distinguishing between different sounds. In social studies we are continuing our study of direction. 

2A - Second graders will be reading “Amazing Grace” and determining the problem and solution in the story. We will review adding 3-digit numbers. Have you seen our lettuce in the garden? We will continue working with our composting jars and garden in science. We will be talking about peace and justice in religion this week. We are keeping many loved ones in our prayers.

3A – This week in 3A we are beginning a Science unit on OWLS. Everyone is very excited, especially Mrs. G. We will not only dissect pellets but we will learn the names of many different owls and their body parts. In Math class, we continue multiplying 2-digit numbers by 1-digit and dividing numbers with remainders. In Social Studies class, we will focus on Memorial Day activities. This is an important patriotic holiday that honors all the men and women who died in the service of the United States. GOD BLESS AMERICA! 

4A - This week 4A will begin working on their 4th Quarter Projects.  These projects will focus on their understanding of the Gold Rush, the three types of rock, and a board game covering much of what they learned this school year in Religion, Math, Reading, English, History, Science, and Handwriting.     

5A - Over the past month, 5th graders have had "genius hour" time to research anything that they're interested in. We've been practicing our technology, research, and writing skills during this unit. Students will finally start to present these passion projects this week. We're excited to learn about everything from the history of hot Cheetos to the science behind eye color in our classmates' presentations this week.

6A   Religion – 6th graders will be learning about the different types of prayer and writing their own prayers.   Language Arts –Students continue to work in the rotational model and are really getting it down! Students are well into their novels for their literature circles and this week will be working on writing sentences in parallel structure.   Social Studies – Students will begin their Ancient Rome Unit by completing a lesson on the physical geography of Italy and coming up with questions they have about the Roman Empire.   Science – 6th graders will review the principles of condensation in relation to our larger weather systems and begin discussing evaporation.  

7A/7B    Language Arts - Students have ended their reading of The Outsiders. They will complete a Final Project to capture the overall content of the novel.  Social Studies – 7th Graders will be completing a five-paragraph essay on the First American Civilizations and will be presenting their passion projects.   Science - Students pick up where they left off after their week at Caritas. Genetic disorder presentations are done and now we look at ecology.

8A   **8th GRADE REMINDER**  

·       Pinning Mass will take place on Friday, May 25 at 8:30 AM. 8th graders must bring their gowns and wear formal attire. Families are welcome to attend. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Fuaau.

Religion – 8th graders will take their final exam and finish their read aloud book: Refugee. Language Arts - Students have finished Of Mice and Men. They will now participate in a Final Exam based on the novel's last chapter. Did George make the right decision when he killed Lennie? Was he helping a friend or getting rid of a burden?  Social Studies – 8th Graders will take their final exam and present their passion projects.   Science - Mousetrap car races and runs begin! This will be a three-day event capped off with a post-lab assignment to analyze their performance.

REMINDERS

May 25      8:30 AM  8th Grade Pinning Mass

May 28      Memorial Day Holiday; NO SCHOOL

May 29      5:00 PM  Sports Committee Meeting

May 30      9:00 AM  8th Grade Awards Ceremony

June 1        9:30 AM  Graduation Mass

                  5:00 PM   Graduation Ceremony

QUE PASA 5/16/18 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       Please join me in congratulating our 8th graders who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this past Saturday!  They have been “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit!” This is an important step in their faith journey, and they were able to reach this point thanks to the loving support of their families and teachers.

       It is our hope that they are now united more firmly to Christ; have a strengthened bond to the Church; and possess a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ.  How appropriate that they took this step in their faith journey just one week ahead of Pentecost (which is this Sunday, on May 20), and is considered the “birthday” of the Church.  Pentecost is the day the apostles were granted the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

     And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong   

     driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they  

     were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

     which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And

     they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak

     in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

     [Acts 2:2-4]

I hope that we as parents, along with our newly-confirmed 8th graders, will continue to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit.  We strive to be positive examples of love, kindness, peace, patience, courage, and faithfulness, and live out our St. Peter’s KEYS!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

We are so grateful for all the hard work and dedication that St. Peter’s teachers have shown this school year.  They are a KEY part of our school community, and they definitely model how SERVICE UNITES.

We especially thank Mr. David Guzman, our 4th grade teacher for the past 10 years, and Mr. Lawrence Hargarten, our 7th grade homeroom and Middle School Math teacher for the past 4 years, for their service at St. Peter’s School.  Mr. Guzman and Mr. Hargarten have chosen different paths for the upcoming school year.  We thank them for their dedication and care for the students at St. Peter’s School, and wish them the best in their future endeavors.  We will miss you, Mr. Guzman and Mr. Hargarten!

SUNDAY FAMILY MASS

This Sunday, May 20, is Pentecost Sunday and our Family Mass celebration.  Join us for mass at 9:30 AM!

SPORTS CELEBRATION

Aztecs!  Did you play a sport this year? If so, you are invited to join us for our Annual Sports Celebration THIS SUNDAY on May 20, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. (after our 9:30 a.m. Sunday Family Mass) in the school gym.  Not only will we have delicious pastries and exciting information to share with you, we will also take the time to recognize some scholar athletes for exemplifying our core values: grow, accomplish, love, serve, and unite!

Registrations for 2018-2019 sports seasons will also be available at the celebration.  See you there!

2017-2018 YEARBOOK

The Yearbook is on sale NOW!  $25 for a 52-page, full-color, hardcover memory book for this school year!  Supplies are limited.  Pre-order now to guarantee your copy!

AZTEC TREK

If your child received a statement for any unpaid balance for the mandatory AZTEC TREK Fundraiser, this balance is past due.  Please pay the amount as soon as possible.

SPRING PICTURES

If your child took LifeTouch Spring pictures, please return payment of the pictures that you wish to keep, and return any photos that you do not purchase.

SPECIAL MASS AND RECEPTION

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church, a special mass and reception will be held in honor of Sr. Ana Maria Pineda.  She is a St. Peter’s parishioner since the 1950s, a St. Peter’s graduate from the 1960s, and a Sister of Mercy since the 1970s.  She is a former St. Peter’s teacher and Parish Minister at the Church for the Hispanic Community, and currently a professor at Santa Clara University.  She has recently been elected as Assistant to the President of the West Midwest Sisters of Mercy.  Please join is un honoring Sr. Ana Maria!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will review Unit 10 and our sight words. Also, students will work together to write sentences that state opinions about a topic. Then they will make a poster to display their opinions. For example: “I think we should keep parks clean!”

1A -  This week in first grade we are reading and learning about how weather affects us and working on reading words with silent letters. In religion we are continuing to talk about the importance of forgiveness and saying sorry. In math we are continuing with double-digit addition and regrouping. In science we are continuing our study of sound and vibrations. In social studies we are continuing our practice with directions and using a compass.  

2A - Second graders will be reading more poetry and determining the author's point of view. We will review adding and subtracting with 2-digit numbers. We will continue working with our composting jars and garden in science. We have been visiting the grotto to say prayers lately for loved ones.

3A – Our reading dioramas were finished and proved to be done with lots of thought and creativity. Great job 3rd grade! You gave it your all and never gave in or gave up. Now we'll begin our next chapter book called Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith. In Math class we are multiplying 2- digit by 1-digit numbers. We are also exploring long division with remainders. This skill is made so much easier when we know our basic math facts!!! We are sounding much better at Tuesday Mass since we've been practicing our Mass responses each week.

4A - This week 4A will continue to explain and identify an author's purpose, identify and use adverbs in writing, and add fractions with unlike denominators.      

5A - This week, 5th grade will finish their STAR testing and book talk presentations, go on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences museum, and celebrate the end of our book study on A Wrinkle in Time with a class party.

6A   Religion - Students will be reading about Pentecost as the Easter season comes to an end.    Language Arts – 6th graders will continue reading novels in literature circles, while practicing using context clues to find the meaning of unknown words. We are also trying out rotating in learning centers, so students have the opportunity to learn in small groups.   Social Studies – Students are finalizing their Greek Unit by viewing Hercules, completing their review game boards, and having an art teacher visit the classroom for a Greek art project.   Science – 6th graders will review principles of condensation as they prepare for an investigation into water vapor's impact on weather systems.

7A/7B    Language Arts - Students are continuing to read The Outsiders. They have engaged in thought-provoking discussions and lessons based on what it means to be hero. Can Greasers bestow acts of heroism or does their negative reputation hinder them from being heroes?   Social Studies – 7th graders will begin to compare and contrast the four early American civilizations.   Science - Students are back from camp and now we look to complete our genetics presentations and begin our ecology unit here at school.

8A   **8th GRADE REMINDERS** 

·         Graduation Fee ($140) and any Outstanding Bills (tuition, AZTEC Trek)—NOW PAST DUE! Please make payments in the school office.

·         Picnic Permission Slips due Wednesday, May 23 to Mrs. Fuaau.

Religion – Students are continuing their book, Refugee, and will reflect on the end of the Easter season with readings about Pentecost.  Language Arts - Students have begun reading Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. They are introduced to the unlikely pair of Lennie and George, their friendship, and the journey west.   Social Studies – 8th Graders will continue learning the details of the Civil War and presenting on specific battles that occurred.   Science - Students have been hard at work on their mousetrap cars. This week, we look to get all of the kinks out as we prepare to race next week.

REMINDERS

May 16       8:30 AM  May Crowning Prayer Service and Student Council Installation

May 20       9:30 AM  Sunday Family Mass

                   10:30 AM  Sports Celebration in the Parish Hall

May 25      8:30 AM  8th Grade Pinning Mass

May 28      Memorial Day Holiday; NO SCHOOL

QUE PASA 5/9/2018 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       This Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day. We recognize the important role that mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and all mother-figures play in our lives!  We are thankful for the love they show us and sacrifices they make for us.  During this month of May, we also dedicate time to pray to our Blessed Mother Mary.  We look to Mary as an example of faith, love, and courage as she said YES to God!  Let us pray in thanksgiving for our Blessed Mother Mary and for all mother-figures in our lives.

Heavenly Father,

We Praise You and we thank You for the gift of our mothers, through whom You give us life and through whom we experience love. We thank You for Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, a mother so gracious and a woman of example in motherhood for all of us.  May our prayer warm the hearts of all mothers. May they know that they are loved and precious. May mothers all over the world feel in their heart the joys of being called a mother and in all their goodness and all their failings, be blessed in Your love and forgiveness.

We pray in Grace they belong close to You Lord Jesus Christ, AMEN.

(Prayer by Geevetha Mary Samuel)

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU, TEACHERS!

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week!  Join me in showing thanks to all of our teachers for all that they do at St. Peter’s School!

PRAYERS FOR OUR 7th AND 8th GRADERS

This week, our 7th graders are having their 5-day retreat and outdoor education experience at Caritas Creek Camp.  This week is also time for the final preparation for our 8th graders before they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday.  Both are important events in the lives of our 7th and 8th graders, and we keep them all in our prayers. 

STAR TESTING

From May 7 – May 18, students will be completing their final STAR standardized tests of the school year.  These tests help identify areas of strength and growth so that teachers can meet students’ needs, and results are also shared with the Department of Catholic Schools at the Archdiocese of San Francisco.  To help students do their best, please make sure that your child is getting a good night’s rest and eating breakfast.  Also, providing your child with a recess snack would be helpful.  Please help the teachers in encouraging the children to do their best on the last STAR tests of this school year.

STUDENT COUNCIL

We are extremely proud of all those students who showed COURAGE and school spirit in running for office!  Below are the newly elected officers for the 2018-2019 school year:

   President, Tattyana Montenegro

   Vice-President, Cesar Jimenez

   Secretary, Julian Bautista

   Treasurer, Matthew Jimenez

   Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Oscar Castaneda

   Commissioner of Traffic & Safety, Luis Flores

   Commissioner of Sports, Odalis Alvarez

   Commissioner of Communications, Elijah Langlois

FAMILY LOTERIA NIGHT

Thank you to all parent volunteers who helped in the planning and preparation of our first Family Lotería Night last Friday! We appreciate all the time and donations that helped make the event possible.  If you are interested in planning future community building and fundraising school events, please contact Mrs. Jimenez.

LICE

If you are aware that your child has lice, please keep him/her at home and immediately begin treatment to help remove the lice.  Your child may not return to school until your child is fully clear of all lice and nits.  We want to prevent the lice from spreading to other children in school.  Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

AZTEC TREK

If your child received a statement for any unpaid balance for the mandatory AZTEC TREK Fundraiser, this balance is past due.  Please pay the amount as soon as possible.

SPRING PICTURES

If your child took LifeTouch Spring pictures, please return payment of the pictures that you wish to keep, and return any photos that you do not purchase.

SPORTS CELEBRATION

Aztecs!  Did you play a sport this year? If so, you are invited to join us for our Annual Sports Celebration on May 20 2018 at 10:30 a.m. (after our 9:30 a.m. Sunday Family Mass) in the school gym.  Not only will we have delicious pastries and exciting information to share with you, we will also take the time to recognize some scholar athletes for exemplifying our core values: grow, accomplish, love, serve, and unite!  Registrations for 2018-2019 sports seasons will also be available at the celebration.  See you there!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week, we will learn about how things can be alike and how things can be different. We will start by reading a poem about a made-up world and discuss how things are very different. Also, we will explore words with long and short e sounds. We will use sound boxes to count the sounds and write words. In Math, we will learn how to compare solid and flat shapes.

1A -  This week in first grade we are reading and talking about the different people in our lives that help us. In religion we are talking about the importance of forgiveness. In math we are continuing our introduction to addition with regrouping. In social studies we are learning about the different directions and how to use a compass. In science we are beginning our unit on sound and vibrations. 

2A - Second graders will determine the theme of the story, Poetry! We will finish up math arrays and review adding coins. We will continue working with our composting jars and garden in science. We will talk about our special gifts in religion.

3A – This week we are completing our Mother's Day projects. In Religion, we continue to learn about the different types of prayer including The Rosary. During Math class, we've begun learning how to multiply two digit numbers by one digit.

4A - This week 4A students will identify and use adverbs in writing, explain and identify an author's purpose for writing, and rename improper fractions as whole numbers or mixed numbers in simplest form.    

5A - This week in science, 5th graders will investigate making solutions of different concentrations. Students will continue working to challenge themselves with their math groups and will also have a special introduction to coding workshop on Friday.

6A   Language Arts – 6th Graders will begin their literature circles unit, focusing on different roles as they read a novel with a small group. We will also be studying how to use context clues to find the meaning of unknown words.   Social Studies – Students will be working on an Alexander the Great Board Game Project.   Science – 6th grade scientists will continue examining the effect of wind patterns on our weather by comparing land breezes and sea breezes.

7A/7B    7th Graders are at their Caritas Creek Camp retreat this week!   Science – 7th graders will study ecology while at Caritas Creek Camp in Occidental.

8A   **8th GRADE REMINDER--Graduation Fee ($140), Confirmation ($8), and any Outstanding Bills (tuition, AZTEC Trek)—NOW PAST DUE! Please make payments in the school office.**

Religion – 8th Graders will be preparing for their upcoming Confirmation.  They will be receiving Confirmation this Saturday, May 12 at 10:00 AM at St. Mary's Cathedral.  Language Arts - Students have finished Romeo & Juliet. They have discovered how far one will go to be together in this tragic love story. They will now begin their introduction to their last novel of the school year, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck.  Social Studies – Students will be watching the movie Glory about the Civil War and will begin a 4th Quarter Passion Project.   Science - We continue to build our mousetrap cars this week as we prepare to compete next week!

REMINDERS

May 7-11    7th Grade Retreat at Caritas Creek

May 7-18    STAR Testing

May 9         Free Dress for No Tardies in April

May 9         6:00 PM  8th Grade Confirmation rehearsal at St. Peter’s Church

May 12       10:00 AM  8th Grade Confirmation at St. Mary’s Cathedral

May 16       8:30 AM  May Crowning Prayer Service and Student Council Installation

May 20       9:30 AM  Sunday Family Mass

                   10:30 AM  Sports Celebration in the Parish Hall

QUE PASA 5/2/2018 (English)

Dear Parents,

       It’s SPIRIT WEEK at St. Peter’s School--a special week where we can celebrate our unity and school pride!  As parents, some ways we can show school spirit are by supporting our children as they learn new things at school, guiding them to have open hearts and open minds, attending school events and sports games, and volunteering to help at school.  As we take part in this fun week recognizing the different ways we can show our school spirit, let us take time to pray as a community to the HOLY SPIRIT for guidance and strength, especially in these final six weeks of school.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT,

And fill our hearts with your gifts.

Let our love be true and our charity be generous.

Help us in all our needs

and grant us the knowledge to do what is right.

Advise us in our doubts, 

strengthen us in our weaknesses, 

protect us when we are tempted, 

and console us when we are afraid.

Graciously hear us, O Holy Spirit, and pour your light into our hearts, minds, and souls.

Guide us to live holy lives and to grow in goodness and grace.

AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

FAMILY LOTERIA NIGHT

Join us in playing Loteria THIS FRIDAY, May 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM in the Parish Hall!  Only $3 for a Loteria card for unlimited play for a chance to win a prize from the prize table.  Or, pay more to play for one of the Grand Prizes, which include tickets to watch the San Francisco Giants!  There are limited Loteria cards available to play for the grand prizes, so pre-purchase your card at the office before May 4.  Any remaining cards will also be sold at the event.  Also, see the flyer for more details and ways that you can help out with this fun event.

RE-REGISTRATION FOR 2018-2019

If you have not done so already, please return the bright orange re-registration form to school.  The form and new tuition rates are also available on the school website, www.stpeterssf.org.  In order to reserve your child’s space for the next school year, the registration fee of $450 per student is now due.

LICE

If you are aware that your child has lice, please keep him/her at home and immediately begin treatment to help remove the lice. Your child may not return to school until your child is fully clear of all lice and nits.  We want to prevent the lice from spreading to other children in school.  Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

STAR TESTING

Beginning next week, from May 7 – May 18, students will be completing their final STAR standardized tests of the school year.  These tests help identify areas of strength and growth so that teachers can meet students’ needs, and results are also shared with the Department of Catholic Schools at the Archdiocese of San Francisco.  To help students do their best, please make sure that your child is getting a good night’s rest and eating breakfast.  Also, providing your child with a recess snack would be helpful.  Please help the teachers in encouraging the children to do their best on the last STAR tests of this school year.

AZTEC TREK

If your child received a statement for any unpaid balance for the mandatory AZTEC TREK Fundraiser, this balance is past due.  Please pay the amount as soon as possible. 

SPECIAL MASS AND RECEPTION

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church, a special mass and reception will be held in honor of Sr. Ana Maria Pineda.  She is a St. Peter’s parishioner since the 1950s, a St. Peter’s graduate from the 1960s, and a Sister of Mercy since the 1970s.  She is a former St. Peter’s teacher and Parish Minister at the Church for the Hispanic Community, and currently a professor at Santa Clara University.  She has recently been elected as Assistant to the President of the West Midwest Sisters of Mercy.  Please join is un honoring Sr. Ana Maria!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - This week in Kindergarten, we will explore words with short and long u sounds. We will also review pronouns: I, we, he, she, it, and they. Then, students will work together in groups to write complete sentences using a pronoun. In math, we will review flat shapes and explore solid shapes. We will continue talking about how shapes are alike and different.

1A - This week in first grade we are reading and discussing how we can work together to make our lives better. In religion we are reviewing what we've learned about the Eucharist. In math we are gearing up to begin double-digit addition with regrouping. In science we are working on recording observations over a month-long period. In social studies we are continuing our study of commerce.  

2A - Second graders will be determining the problem and solution in a story.  We will be making arrays and starting to learn about multiplication.  We will continue working with our composting investigation in science. We will attend mass, receive the Eucharist, and practice mass responses.

3A – In Religion, we are beginning a unit on the Rosary.  We'll study the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and (for the season of Easter) Glorious Mysteries.  We'll also learn the various types of prayer. In Reading class we'll begin making shoebox dioramas. These will show our favorite part of one of the stories in our reader.  This will be the 3rd graders’ culminating assessment on the reading text. Our school will show UNITY and school spirit as we "dress up" during this spirit week.

4A - Students will continue to identify and explain an author's purpose for writing, identify and use adjectives, including proper adjectives and articles.  Students will also add fractions with like denominators.  

5A - This week in 5th grade, students will start creating a plot for their own comic. In math, we will learn how to add fractions with different denominators. We're also going to test solutions with different concentrations in science.

6A   Religion – 6th graders will reflect on the story of Satan testing Job and journal about how Job inspires them to live their life with trust in God.   Language Arts – We are completing our unit on the novel Tuck Everlasting and sharing our dreams about our futures through our Ferris Wheel projects. We will also take a closer look at the characteristics of different genres this week.  Math- 6th graders are into the world of Geometry, focusing on angles and triangles.  We will explore the world around us and find how angles make up the structures and shadows among us.  Social Studies – Students will begin to read about Alexander the Great, his empire, and the effect it had on world history.   Science – 6th graders are learning how the flow of air particles affects weather patterns. They'll complete an investigation on wind this week.

7A/7B    ** 7th GRADE REMINDER—Caritas Creek Camp Retreat payment and paperwork now past due!  Please submit all payments and forms to Ms. Land. **

Religion - We continue our study of prayer and leadership, this week focusing on the Lord’s Prayer, The Our Father, and the elements that make it such an impactful prayer .  Connected to this is the journey of St. Peter and how he was a true leader.  We will focus on elements of doubt when we are faced with challenges and how prayer can be a way to put our doubts and fears to rest.  Language Arts - Students are continuing to read The Outsiders. They will analyze Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and how it applies to the novel.   Math - We continue our exploration of all things small and large and look at the immeasurable with exponents and Scientific Notation.  Social Studies – Students will be finalizing their outline and research on the Incan Empire. 7th Graders are also preparing to spend next week at Caritas Creek!   Science - Students will be presenting their genetic disorder projects all week long.

8A   ** 8th GRADE REMINDER--Graduation Fee ($140), Confirmation ($8), and any Outstanding Bills (tuition, AZTEC Trek)—NOW PAST DUE! Please make payments in the school office..**

Religion – 8th graders will be continuing the book Refugee, reflecting on how the book inspires them to treat their neighbors.   Language Arts - Students are well into Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet. They have participated in lively, thought-provoking discussions based on the play's themes, especially regarding young love.  Math - We put it all together with using systems of equations in various real world situations and then start our culminating 4th quarter project of building our ramps using linear equations.  Social Studies – Students will determine which Cause to the Civil War had the greatest impact on the start of the war.   Science - Students will begin building their mousetrap car for their final project.

REMINDERS

Apr. 30 – May 4    SPIRIT WEEK

                Movie Monday / Teacher Tuesday / Work-It    

                Wednesday / Tourist Thursday / Fairy Tale Friday

May 4         1:30 PM  Spirit Week Finale

May 4         5:00-7:00 PM  Family Lotería Night

May 7-11    7th Grade Retreat at Caritas Creek

May 7-18    STAR Testing

May 8         8:15 AM School Mass

May 9         Free Dress for No Tardies in April