QUE PASA 1/15/2020 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       This Friday, we look forward to celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we have a special school prayer service in his honor.  He is a role model for us and our students as we discuss how others should be treated with dignity and love.  We can reflect on how Dr. King is an example of thinking critically, living out the KEYS, and taking action for social justice.  It’s a perfect opportunity to apply our growth mindset along with the children, and to take action through service!

       At the same time, we pray for peace in our world.  I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”  Like Jesus and Dr. King, let us remember to be examples of respect and peace for our children.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

AZTEC TREK

On Monday, we had a special assembly to introduce the AZTEC TREK, our annual mandatory fundraiser. Going home with each child today is the collection envelope for the AZTEC TREK.  Students and families can help support our school by collecting pledges for our walk-a-thon and game day.  This is our only mandatory school fundraiser, and it helps to keep St. Peter’s School’s tuition the lowest among the SF Archdiocesan schools.  The minimum mandatory amount to be collected by each student is $100, but the more a student collects, the more prizes and class points can be earned!  The due date for all money to be turned in is Friday, February 21.  See the attached flyer for more details. Thank you in advance for your support!

NO SWEATS THIS FRIDAY

Since we will be attending a school prayer service this Friday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all children must be in complete uniform, and not in the gray school sweats.  Also, no free dress passes may be used on this day.

REGISTER NOW FOR AZTEC SPORTS!

We are currently accepting registration for GIRLS CYO BASKETBALL for grades 3-8/  You can now register for St. Peter’s sports using your Venmo account.  Please make sure to include the following in your memo:

Student name, grade, full academic year, season, sport, registration, and/or uniform

Example:  Ryan Suárez 8A 2019-2020 Fall Soccer Registration and Uniform

*Note: If a student already paid registration and will only be paying uniform, the memo should read:  Ryan Suárez 8A 2019-2020 Fall Soccer Uniform

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

To show our appreciation for our Catholic Schools, we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from January 26-31.  Please see the attached flyer for the various themes of each day!

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION UPDATE

St. Peter’s School is currently accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  As mentioned before, 2020 is a re-accreditation year for our school.  The teachers continue to gather evidence of student learning to present to the WCEA/WASC visiting committee, who will be at St. Peter’s on February 5 and from March10-12.  In addition, the teachers have analyzed student work and input from parent and student surveys, and have completed writing the document, “Improving Student Learning,” which is required for accreditation.  If you would like to see this document or have questions about the school accreditation process, please contact the school office.

UNIFORM CHECK-IN

As the winter weather continues 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.  Socks must be black or white and extend above the ankle.  School shoes must be solid black or white, and boots may not be worn.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - As the Christmas Season has come to a close, we are now refreshed with the Baptism of Jesus! Let us bring him into our minds and hearts! We need to remember the importance of coming to school ready to learn so that we can be as sharp as our pencils!

1A - This week, we are reading and discussing folktales. In phonics, we are focusing on the soft /c/, /g/, and /dge/ sounds in words like: nice, page, and wedge. In religion, we are continuing our study of the sacrament of Baptism. In math, we are continuing to work on making 10 before adding on, in addition. In social studies, we are continuing our work on mapping skills.

2A - We will be reading one of 2nd grade's favorite stories about volcanoes! We are going to work on trading 10 ones for 1 ten, 10 tens for 1 hundred, and 10 hundreds for 1 thousand in math. We'll continue talking about forgiveness, especially God's forgiveness this week in preparation for reconciliation.

3A – This week 3A begins reading their second chapter book, Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.  It is a wonderful, heart-warming story of friendship, perseverance, and hard work. In Science, we are completing a unit on recycling.  In Social Studies, we will study the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Finally, in Math class, we continue practicing multiplication and division using arrays to understand these operations.

4A - Thank you for a great first week back! This week in Religion, we will focus on the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. In Literacy, we will focus on the comprehension skill of fact and opinion. We will use this skill in our writing as we write a two-paragraph essay this week! In Math, we will conclude our unit on Metric Measurement and begin our next unit on Multiplication. In Social Studies, we will focus on California Native peoples and researching the Ohlone tribe. In Science, we will focus on chemical and physical weathering.

5A - This week, 5th graders will continue our figurative language unit by learning about hyperboles and personification. In math, we will focus on multiplying decimals.

6A  Religion – Students will work with a chapter group to teach a chapter of Blest Are We to the class, including important vocabulary words and figures from the Old Testament.   Language Arts – We've begun reading our novel, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and we're already hooked on the plot! This week we'll continue to learn about the injustices facing the Logan family and how they try to rise above it all. We'll also learn how to support and refute claims using evidence from the novel.    Math - 6th grade students are using models to divide fractions.   Social Studies – Students continue with Ancient India and will begin learning about the differences and similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism.   Science - Scientists will explore latitude and its effects on weather around the globe. Students will then dive into another type of energy transfer, radiation, and the sun's effect on it.

7A   Religion – Students will get back into their Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons with topics this week of If-Then Plans and Values and Decisions.   Language Arts - Students are continuing their Poetry Unit. They have completed their Selfie Poem and will begin their “When I...” Poems.   Math - Students are working with number lines to solve integer problems.  Social Studies – Students are finishing their novel study of A Long Walk to Water! They will begin a group project on the book.   Science – Students have shown their knowledge of the cell and now it's time to highlight how cells make more of themselves: Mitosis!

8A   Religion - Students will continue to make comparisons between the Eastern and Western churches and make suggestions on how to build bridges between the two today. They will also prepare for their MLK Prayer Service, which 8A students are leading this Friday.  Language Arts - Students have finalized their Night Literary Analysis Essay. To officially end their unit on Night, they will have a Holocaust Guest Speaker come in this Thursday. The presentation will hopefully allow them to put a face to the experiences they read in the novel. As they wrap up Night, students will also transition to the introduction of their next units, Poetry and Speech.    Math –Students are creating translations and rotations on planes.   Social Studies – Students will begin learning the details of the Legislative Branch.   Science - Students are completing their rockets and having their first round of flights this Thursday!

REMINDERS

Jan. 15         AZTEC TREK Fundraiser begins

Jan. 17         8:30 AM, Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Service

Jan. 20         Dr. MLK, Jr. Holiday, No School

Jan. 23         8th Grade Graduation Photo Day

Jan. 23         3A Field Trip to Exploratorium

Jan. 26         11:00 AM, Sunday Family Mass,

Jan. 26-31    CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Jan. 27         12:30 Dismissal, Teachers In-Service

QUE PASA 1/8/2020 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       Happy New Year!!!  I pray that everyone enjoyed Christmas and new year celebrations filled with lots of love and laughter.  I am looking forward to another blessed year filled with hope, challenges, and growth.  Together as a school family, let us start 2020 with a prayer:

Lord, You make all things new.

You bring hope alive in our hearts

And cause our Spirits to be born again.

Thank you for this new year,

For all the potential it holds.

Come and kindle in us a mighty flame

So that in our time, many will see the wonders of God

And live forever to praise Your glorious name.  

AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

** CALENDAR CHANGE REMINDER! **

The second round of Parent-Teacher Conferences has been moved to March 17-20, 2020.  These were originally scheduled for January 28-31. 

Now, January 28-31 (Tuesday-Friday) will be regular 3:00 dismissal days (except for the usual 2:15 dismissal on Wednesday).  March 17-20 (Tuesday-Friday) will be changed to 12:30 dismissal days to accommodate Parent-Teacher Conferences. 

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.  Thank you for your understanding with this change in our school calendar.

HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE

Our annual holiday food drive was a great success and we collected a total of 1,150 pounds of food for the SF/Marin Food Bank.  THANK YOU for answering Jesus' call to serve the poor. 

We need to recognize two classes in particular that lived out our KEYS to LOVE and SERVE. 6A collected 417 pounds (12.6 pounds per student).  And the class that collected the most food per student was 3A with a whopping 17.5 pounds per student!  Both classes will receive a special prize to celebrate being leaders in generosity!

REGISTER NOW FOR AZTEC SPORTS!

You can now register for St. Peter’s sports using your Venmo account.  Please make sure to include the following in your memo:

Student name, grade, full academic year, season, sport, registration, and/or uniform

Example:  Ryan Suárez 8A 2019-2020 Fall Soccer Registration and Uniform

*Note: If a student already paid registration and will only be paying uniform, the memo should read:  Ryan Suárez 8A 2019-2020 Fall Soccer Uniform

GIRLS CYO BASKETBALL GRADES 3-8
If you would like your 3rd through 8th grade daughter to play basketball for the spring of 2020, please keep the following details in mind:
- January 13-17: Basketball practice schedules are created
- January 24: FINAL registration deadline

**A student is considered “registered” when both permission slip AND all sports fees (uniform fee and registration fee) have been turned in. Please see Mr. Suárez to request extensions on payments or to create a payment plan.
- March 6: Basketball regular season begins
- May 10: Basketball regular season ends
- May 13-16: Basketball playoffs
- May 17-22: Basketball championships

If you are unsure about your registration status, please check in with Mr. Suárez.
Thank you,
--St. Peter’s Athletics Committee  

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Happy New Year to Everyone! I hope the break brought us all good blessings! Thank you for all the hard work your children did on their activity book. As we come back to school, it is important to be a good citizen in our classroom. Your child can be a good citizen by following the rules, listening carefully, being kind and helpful, and sharing. We have a lot of academic ground to cover, so I would encourage a good night's sleep and a breakfast in the morning. Be sure to come to school with a snack and a reusable leak-proof water bottle! I pray that we can start 2020 in the right way!

1A - Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. This week, we are working on words with the long i sound and silent e. We are reading, writing, and discussing how plants change as they grow. In religion, we are learning about the sacrament of Baptism. In math, we are finishing up our work on subtraction. In social studies, we are learning about cardinal directions and how to use a compass rose.

2A - We will be reading a story about rainforests, and students especially love learning about the various animals that live there. We are going to count up and down from 90-1,000 so that we know place value inside and out! We are beginning to talk about choices (good and not so good) in preparation for Reconciliation. I hope you continue to make time for family and prayer.

3A – A brand new year, a fresh start, and SO much to look forward to in our new year of 2020. I hope that everyone had a restful and fun-filled vacation. 3A will begin the new year with a new reader with loads of fun and exciting stories. In Lexia, we will focus on many different types of comprehension and grammar problems. In Math class, we will be concentrating on multiplication and division. The kiddos should be studying these basic facts through the 12's. They can use flashcards, tablet applications, or worksheets that you download for free from many different websites. Remember that in order to GROW our brains, we must practice our various school subjects with a lot of studying!!!

4A - Welcome back to school! We are excited to get back into the swing of things and will be setting some New Year’s resolutions for both academic goals and life goals. We will be refocusing on our classroom community by reviewing our classroom rules, procedures, as well as core values. It will be a busy week ahead, but with a new attitude with can accomplish it all!

5A - Happy 2020! 5th graders are starting the new decade with some goal setting. We're starting to learn about figurative language in ELA and reviewing multi-digit multiplication strategies in math.

6A  Religion – Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo! This week students will be scoring themselves on the SLE self-assessment and using it to set a New Year’s resolution in a short essay project.   Language Arts – A new year brings exciting new things to learn and skills to practice! This week we begin our first novel unit, with a reading of the historical fiction story Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. We will begin by exploring the social context of the Jim Crow era and how it influences the themes of equality and justice.   Math – Students are using models to divide fractions.  Social Studies – Students will begin learning the physical geography and natural boundaries of India.  Science – 6th Grade Scientists will be reflecting on their time away and diving back into density and convection in the atmosphere.

7A   Religion – Students will be using the SLE self-assessment to set a New Years resolution.    Language Arts - Welcome back! Students have ended their Unit on A Christmas Carol. They are now moving on to the introduction of their next unit, Poetry.   Math – This week, students are learning about integers and how to combine them as well as finding discounts and new costs of items that are on sale.   Social Studies – Students will continue the final half of their novel study for A Long Walk to Water, connecting the story to the themes of geography and water as a resource in their Africa Unit.   Science – Students review organelles as they prepare to test their knowledge of cells.

8A   Religion – Welcome back, Class of 2020! Students will discover and discuss the Epiphany, Three Kings’ Day. They will also 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 are closing their Night unit with a Literary Analysis Essay, interpreting the significant events, topics, and themes in the novel.   Math – This month 8th grade will be learning about geometry. This week we are focusing on congruence, transformations, translations, and reflections on a plane.  Social Studies – Students will be pairing an art project with an opinion writing assignment about the writing of the US Constitution.  Science - Students work away on their rockets as they prepare to use SAFE chemical reactions to power their rockets!

REMINDERS

Jan. 17         8:30 AM Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Service

Jan. 20         No School; Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Jan. 23         8th Grade Graduation Portrait Day

Jan. 26-31   Catholic Schools Week

Jan. 26        11:00 AM Sunday Family Mass

Jan. 27        12:30 Dismissal, Teachers’ In-Service

QUE PASA 12/18/2019 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       I share this prayer (written by Christine Sine) with you all:

The coming of our Lord is near,
And we wait in joyful expectation.
Draw close, Lord Jesus Christ,
Shed your light on all that is filled with darkness.
The coming of our Lord is near,
And we wait with hope filled hearts.
Draw close, God’s beloved son,
Teach us the wonder of your all-embracing love. 

AMEN.

       During this Advent and Christmas, I keep the entire St. Peter’s School family in my prayers--I am grateful to be a part of this loving community.  I pray that everyone has a safe and relaxing winter break.  Have a joyous Christmas and a happy new year!  See you in 2020!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVCE & PROGRAM

This Friday, December 20, we will have our school Christmas Prayer Service at 9:00 AM in church.  Immediately after the prayer service, we will have our Christmas program, and each class will be performing a Christmas carol. Parents and family members are welcome to join us in this celebration!

ST. PETER’S CHURCH CHRISTMAS MASSES

You are invited to join in the Eucharistic celebrations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at St. Peter’s Church!

December 24 – 7:00 PM  Mass

December 25 – 9:30 AM Mass (English), 12:00 PM Mass (Spanish), and 5:30 PM Mass (Spanish)

BVCC WINTER CAMP

BVCC is open for Winter Camp on the following dates: December 23, 26, 27 for Week 1; and December 30, January 2, 3 for week 2.  To register, please go to the BVCC office after school.

TUITION POLICY

All student tuition accounts must be up to date and paid through December 2019 in order for your child to return to class on January 6, 2020. If your tuition is not up-to-date before leaving for Christmas vacation, your child will not be able to return to class on Monday, January 6, 2020. 

Please plan ahead so your tuition is received on time.

If you have any questions, please call the Tuition Office at (415) 647-8662.

*** CALENDAR CHANGE! ***

The second round of Parent-Teacher Conferences has been moved to March 17-20, 2020.  These were originally scheduled for January 28-31. 

Now, January 28-31 (Tuesday-Friday) will be regular 3:00 dismissal days (except for the usual 2:15 dismissal on Wednesday).  March 17-20 (Tuesday-Friday) will be changed to 12:30 dismissal days to accommodate Parent-Teacher Conferences. 

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.  Thank you for your understanding with this change in our school calendar.

DECEMBER 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 - As Jesus is the light in our world, Andrew Contreras is the light in our classroom. He shines bright in all that he does and shows us how service unites when he helps his tablemates with love and care each day. Andrew is a champion when it comes to Lexia and ST Math striving to reach ultimate heights! Shine on, Andrew!

1A - Angel Raygoza Robles is a wonderful example of a student who is always striving to live out the values of Jesus. She goes out of her way to help those in need and always makes sure that she is including others. Angel is a hard worker and takes pride in her work and it shows. She loves to learn and make her brain grow. For these reasons, Angel is first grade's student of the month.

2A - Second-grade's student of the month is Angel Robledo. His bright smile lights up the room. He participates in class with carefully thought-out answers. He tries to challenge himself whenever he can. He follows classroom and playground rules, and is very dependable. He always tries his best and has a positive attitude. He is going to grow and accomplish a great deal this year! Congratulations! 

3A – Christopher Chirino is a very enthusiastic student.  He enjoys and loves learning new things.  He is a whiz at Math and loves the challenge of new problems. He has a true gift for helping others whenever he can.  He is a role model for all of us when it comes to SERVICE.  Congratulations, Chris! 

4A - Congratulations to our Classmate of the Month, Angelo Moctezuma Bocanegra! Angelo has grown so much this year. He works diligently in the classroom to produce high quality work. He uses his critical thinking skills to solve complex math problems. He models love on a daily basis by treating others with respect and kindness. He is using his growth mindset to improve every day. Way to go, Angelo!

5A – Zinara Fuentes Cruz is 5th grade's December Student of the Month! She is always enthusiastic about learning and works hard in all subjects. She also sets a great example for others by being willing to embrace challenges with an open heart and open mind. Our class community is grateful that she shares her gifts and joy with us! Go Zinara Go!    

6A - We have been very lucky to have Jesse Reina Vasquez as part of our 6th grade class this year.  Jesse sets a great example of a student with the KEYS! Jesse has grown in his learning, is joyful when celebrating his and others' accomplishments, and supports his classmates and teachers when they need help.  He is a positive light in the classroom and we are lucky to have him at St. Peter's! Great work, Jesse! 

7A - Alaysha Flores lives out St. Peter's core values through her kindness towards those around her. She finds opportunities to grow when facing new challenges and she always seems to have a smile on her face, showing gratitude and spreading joy and positivity. In class, she tries her very best to continue to grow and meet her learning goals, always with an open heart and open mind. Alaysha leads by example and we appreciate all she brings to our community!  

8A - Jazmin Gamez has continued to grow and accomplish so much this year! Her focus and attention to detail has come through in every new experience she encounters. She is willing to go above and beyond what is asked of her and has stepped out of her comfort zone. Jazmin has shared her gifts as a student, a student council officer, and a friend. Keep up the awesome work, Jazmin!

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a new year full of blessings! As we spend time with our families, remember that they are the best gift of all!

1A - This week, we are reviewing what we have learned up to this point. We are continuing our trip around the world, visiting other countries, and learning about their Christmas traditions. In religion, we are continuing to celebrate the season of Advent. We are also trying to help those in need by working towards our Food Drive goals. Thank you for all of your support. Have a very Merry Christmas!  

2A - We will be learning how deaf people enjoy rock concerts by reading “Many Ways to Enjoy Music.” We'll compare measurements with centimeters (relating addition and subtraction). We visited the garden and cleaned it up! During the season of Advent, I hope you are able to make time for family and prayer.

3A – 3A is preparing for baby Jesus this week.  We have our rose-colored candle lit on our Advent wreath, our tree is decorated, and we are making ready for our Christmas vacation.  We are working on Lexia and ST Math to strengthen our ELA and Math skills.  Please don't forget to have the kiddos practice daily on their tablets or other devices.  Many of you have already downloaded these programs—thank you.  Keep them busy with learning activities during our vacation.  I want to wish all of you a joyous time with family and friends.  Remember what Mrs. Jimenez always tells us "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.”  I hope to see you at some of the special Masses during the next two weeks. God Bless All!

4A - This week, we will continue to focus on the season of Advent and working to prepare our hearts for Jesus' birth. It is Christmas Around the World in Literacy Block. Each day, we will focus on holidays in two different countries. This is a great time for us to work on our compare-and-contrast skills as well as learn about our cultures and traditions. In Math, we will be applying our addition and subtraction knowledge to multi-step word problems. In Science, we will be completing two Christmas STEAM activities. We will be working to spread our Christmas cheer!

5A - Have a blessed Christmas holiday with your families! If your family has access to Lexia and ST Math, please encourage your child to continue using those programs over break. See you in the new year!

6A  Religion – 6th Grade will be completing their Jesse Tree Project and preparing for the Christmas Program on December 20th by practicing "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree."   Language Arts – 6th grade is continuing to type out their final drafts, while making edits along the way. Our final stage of publishing will be to write the Dedication, About the Author, and Preview for our books!   Math - Hello families! Students took a test on Tuesday. All students will be taking STAR tests to track their progress in math on Wednesday. On Thursday students will be exploring mathematical patterns.  Science – 6th Grade Scientists have had an inquisitive and explorational year so far. They will take an end of the year test and will explore some concepts that they have been wondering about all trimester.

7A   Religion - Students will be making an Advent Trivia Board Game to learn more about the Advent Season. Language Arts - Students have wrapped up their reading on A Christmas Carol.  They will participate in a Change of Heart Activity, focusing on Scrooge’s BEFORE and AFTER character transformation. Through this, they will be able to identify how and why he leads to a "change of heart."  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!   Math – Hello families! All students will be taking STAR tests to track their progress in math on Wednesday. On Thursday students will be exploring mathematical patterns.  Social Studies – Students will be continuing their novel study of A Long Walk to Water.  Science - We welcome the 7th graders back to school and get right back at our study of the cell. This week the seventh graders make an extended analogy between a cell and something of their choosing.

8A   Religion - Students will examine and analyze the Nativity of Jesus as HE is the REASON for this Christmas SEASON!   Language Arts - Students have finalized their reading on Night. They will create a culminating Tear Art Visual to represent their feelings and reactions to an event in the novel. In doing so, they will be able to illustrate how mood and symbolism can convey a message to the reader. More importantly, students will be able to highlight the devastation in which the main character and other Jewish prisoners endured, while capturing the human emotion that is so vivid in the novel. Have a very Merry Christmas! See you in 2020, class of 2020!   Math -  Hello families! Students took a test on Tuesday. All students will be taking STAR tests to track their progress in math on Wednesday. On Thursday students will be exploring mathematical patterns.   Social Studies - Students will be having their own 'Constitutional Convention' where they will be debating important issues that were discussed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.   Science - Students continue to learn to use the tools necessary to measure mass, volume, and area. These skills will be necessary as they prepare their rockets!

REMINDERS

Dec. 20        9:00 AM, Christmas Prayer Service and Program

Dec. 20       12:30 PM Dismissal

Dec. 21-Jan. 5     CHRISTMAS VACATION

Jan. 6           Classes Resume  (Regular day, 7:55-3:00)

Jan. 7           8:10 AM School Mass

Jan. 17         8:30 AM Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Service

Jan. 20         No School; Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

QUE PASA 12/11/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

      This week, we celebrate two feasts of Mary: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  It’s very appropriate that we celebrate Mary during the season of Advent as we prepare for the coming of Jesus, because without Mary, and without her faith, strength, and love, we wouldn’t have Jesus.  And after all, Jesus is the reason for the season.

      Pope Francis wrote an Advent reflection a few years ago that reminds us of how Mary is a role model for us today.  Mary also reminds me of our Sisters of Mercy, past and present--like Sr. Marian Rose, Sr. Lucy, Sr. Paulina, and Sr. Toni Lynn--who answered the call of Mercy at St. Peter’s.  As Pope Francis describes, Mary is a loving mother who inspires us all to put God first in our lives.  Here’s a part of what Pope Francis wrote:

     “We bet on hope, on the hope of peace, and it will be possible! The journey is never finished. Just as in each of our own lives, there is always a need to restart and to rise again. Mary is a model of this spiritual attitude, to this way of being and of journeying in life.Although she was just a simple girl, she carried in her heart the hope of God.  In her womb, the hope of God took flesh, became man, and made history: Jesus Christ.  Let us be guided by her, she who is mother, she is a ‘mama’ and knows how to lead us. Let us be guided by her in this time of waiting.”                                                                                                 

      So let’s remember Mary, during Advent and every day, and how she is a role model for us to have courage, to put God first in our lives, and to have open hearts and open minds.  And when we do that, GREAT things can happen!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

SCHOOL MASS AND PRAYER SERVICE

Tomorrow, Thursday December 12, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a school mass at 9:30 AM. Next week on Friday, December 20, we will have our Christmas Prayer Service and Program beginning at 9:00 AM in the church.  Parents are welcome to join in these celebrations!

ST. PETER’S FOOD DRIVE

The 8th graders are leading the school in a SERVICE project of collecting dry or canned foods and cash donations for the SF Marin Food Bank to show LOVE to the thousands of hungry families who live in the Bay Area.  Last year, we collected 1,000 pounds of food.  Let’s UNITE to match or beat that goal!  The homeroom that collects the most donations will win a special prize.  

TUITION POLICY

All student tuition accounts must be up to date and paid through December 2019 in order for your child to return to class on January 6, 2020. If your tuition is not up-to-date before leaving for Christmas vacation, your child will not be able to return to class on Monday, January 6, 2020.  Please plan ahead so your tuition is received on time.

If you have any questions, please call the Tuition Office at (415) 647-8662.

*** CALENDAR CHANGE! ***

The second round of Parent-Teacher Conferences has been moved to March 17-20, 2020.  These were originally scheduled for January 28-31.  

Now, January 28-31 will be regular 3:00 dismissal days (except for the usual 2:15 dismissal on Wednesday).  March 17-20 will be changed to 12:30 dismissal days to accommodate Parent-Teacher Conferences.  

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.  Thank you for your understanding with this change in our school calendar.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - “Hark! The herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!” Please help our little “Angels” stay healthy to celebrate this joyous moment on December 20th! As illness is being passed around Kindergarten, it is important that we fortify ourselves by getting plenty of sleep, staying warm, hydrating, eating healthy and washing our hands! Thank you for your help!

1A - This week we are beginning our study of long vowels, specifically working on the long “a” sound, in words such as gate and take. In religion, we are celebrating Mary. In math, we are continuing our work on subtraction and related addition facts. In social studies, we are continuing our study on maps and globes. 

2A - We will be reading about some wild weather with the story, “Tornado!” We will continue measuring with centimeters and especially solving word problems using addition and subtraction. During the season of Advent, I hope you are able to make time for family and prayer.

3A – 3A is celebrating the 2nd week of Advent with many activities. We did some Christmas shopping on Monday in our very own Christmas shop. We received our Advent Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us prepare for Jesus' coming as well as attend our special Mary Masses. We led the school in the Immaculate Conception Mass on Monday, and on Thursday, we will honor Our Lady of Guadalupe with a 9:30 Mass. We are spending much of our curriculum time learning about the traditions, colors and beliefs associated with the season of waiting for Jesus. Each of these celebrations UNITE us with our school community and show LOVE for our Catholic faith and each other. God bless us, every one!

4A - We continue to prepare our hearts for Jesus' birth. As we enter into the second week of advent, we will be focusing on the important feast days during this season including the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We also celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Tuesday. In Reading, we will conclude our story and create a comparison paragraph on our fairytales. In Math, we will focus on subtracting multi-digit numbers using tape diagrams, place value charts, and regular algorithms. In Science, we will have our December STEM project. We are off to the public library on Thursday! 

5A - This is a busy week for 5th grade! We'll be continuing to work on our fictional narrative gingerbread cookie writing project, learn mental strategies for attacking multi-digit multiplication problems, and focus on figurative language in the next chapters of our Harry Potter novel study. Our class field trip to 826 Valencia will be this Friday, December 13th. Please make sure your child comes with a bag lunch! 

6A  Religion – Students will be learning about the Immaculate Conception and the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They will be leading the mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th.   Language Arts – Students will continue proofreading and editing their short stories as we get ready for the "publishing" stage. We will practice our typing and formatting skills as we convert our rough drafts into their final book form.   Math – Hello families! Students will be working mostly with solving and comparing unit rates from word problems, as well as finding equivalent fractions, decimals and percents, and solving problems involving percents. Students will have an exam next Tuesday on lessons 20-27 from their workbook, (excluding lesson 22).   Social Studies – Students will be learning about the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians.   Science – Scientists will expand their understanding of other forms of heat transfer other than convection. They will take a test on Friday.

7A   After having to reschedule because of the fires, 7th graders are visiting Caritas Creek at CYO camp up in Occidental, California. This week they will focus on ecology!  They will do a variety of community building activities, nature hikes and explorations.  They will also reflect on their faith and on God!  They will return this Friday afternoon.

8A   Religion – Students will conclude the meaning of Advent, the wreath and its purpose. They will also examine December feasts days, the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Our Lady of Guadalupe.    Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Night. Many lively discussions have already taken place as they learn of Elie's journey through the concentration camps. They will focus next on answering what it means to be a bystander or an upstander.   Math – Hello families! In 8th grade will be working on operating with integers and will have an exam next Tuesday. Students will also be familiarizing themselves with high school entrance exams. We will be discussing strategies as well as practicing how to solve problems.   Social Studies – Students are working on a "Whose more perfect Union?" project.  They are studying about the groups of people who were not invited to the Constitutional Convention and learning of ways that the Constitution could have been written differently to support different interest groups.    Science - Students are working hard to learn the skills necessary for their first project of the year: balancing equations, measuring mass, and calculating area. Good luck!

REMINDERS

Dec. 9-13     7th grade retreat, Caritas Creek at CYO Camp

Dec. 11        Free Dress for No Tardies in November

Dec. 12        9:30 AM School Mass, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Dec. 12        12:45 PM, 4A Field trip to Mission Branch Library

Dec. 13        9:00 AM, 5A Field trip to 826 Valencia

Dec. 13        6:00-8:00 PM, BVCC La Posada in the Gym

Dec. 17        Holiday Hat Day

Dec. 18        Christmas Sweater Day

Dec. 19        Winter Gear Day  (Beanies, earmuffs, scarves, mittens)

Dec. 20        9:00 AM, Christmas Prayer Service and Program

Dec. 20       12:30 PM Dismissal

Dec. 21-Jan. 5     CHRISTMAS VACATION

Jan. 6           Classes Resume

QUE PASA 12/4/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

      December is here--the last month of 2019!  Even though we’re near the end of the year, this past Sunday marked the beginning of a new liturgical year and the beginning of a church season—ADVENT.  Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus’ birth.   

      The teachers and I will be teaching the students about Advent, and how our preparations could include special acts—such as saying extra prayers, reading the bible, attending an additional Mass, giving to the school’s weekly Missions collection, or doing extra good deeds—because doing those special acts will make more room in our hearts for Jesus.  Some classes are following an Advent calendar or constructing Advent wreaths, yet some classes might also be planning special service projects to help those in need.  Whatever your child and your family do during Advent, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.  The children have heard this at school, but continue this lesson at home.  Let’s all be examples of open hearts and open minds, and know that we wouldn’t be celebrating if it wasn’t for our savior, Jesus Christ.    

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

REPORT CARDS

Report Cards for Trimester 1 are being sent home with each child today. Parents must sign and return report cards to teachers by this Friday, December 6.  If you have questions about anything on the report card, please contact the teacher ahead of time to schedule a conference or phone appointment.

CHRISTMAS SHOP

St. Peter’s School will be hosting a Christmas Shop for students on December 9-10! This will be a safe Christmas shopping experience for children, right here at school. Extra budget envelopes are available in the office. Students can bring their spending cash in these envelopes. 

ST. PETER’S FOOD DRIVE

The 8th graders are leading the school in a SERVICE project of collecting dry or canned foods and cash donations for the SF Marin Food Bank to show LOVE to the thousands of hungry families who live in the Bay Area.  Last year, we collected 1,000 pounds of food.  Let’s UNITE to match or beat that goal!  The homeroom that collects the most donations will win a special prize. 

SCHOOL MASSES NEXT WEEK

Next Monday, December 9, we will celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with a school mass at 8:15 AM. Next Thursday, December 12, we will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a school mass at 9:30 AM. Parents are welcome to join us at these masses. Students must be in complete uniform on these days; no free dress passes. 

BVCC SPECIAL EVENTS

All are welcome to celebrate La Posada, hosted by our BVCC Program.  La Posada will be on Friday, December 13 from 6:00-8:00 PM, upstairs in the Parish Hall.  There will be Christmas song presentations and food & drinks for sale!

 BVCC is open for Winter Camp on the following dates: December 23, 26, 27 for Week 1; and December 30, January 2, 3 for week 2.  To register, please go to the BVCC office after school.

TUITION POLICY

All student tuition accounts must be up to date and paid through December 2019 in order for your child to return to class on January 6, 2020. If your tuition is not up-to-date before leaving for Christmas vacation, your child will not be able to return to class on Monday, January 6, 2020. 

Please plan ahead so your tuition is received on time.  If you have any questions, please call the Tuition Office at (415)647-8662.

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.  Socks must be black or white and extend above the ankle.  Boots may not be worn.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - As we lighted the first candle on our Advent Wreath, we bring hope to the season! May we use these weeks of waiting to work on all that will make us successful! Use each day to sing the ABCs or spell words like bat, map, pan, ran, pin, tip, sit or sat, or count to 10 backwards and forwards. And if you want to help plan a fun end of the year Christmas celebration, please send me a message on ClassDojo.

1A - This week, we are reading, writing, and learning about maps, directions, and how we find our way around. We are also focusing on the /ch/, /wh/, and /ph/ sounds and preparing for our Unit 2 sight word test on Friday. In religion, we are learning about how we show love for God's Creation. In math, we are continuing our work on subtraction and related addition facts. In social studies, we are learning about the continents and oceans.

2A - We will be reading the story “Biblioburro.”  In Math, we will work on place value again, especially counting by tens. During the season of Advent, we are preparing for Jesus' birth, their favorite bible story! 

3A – This week, we begin oral presentations on our saint projects. We will learn many facts about a variety of saints. Also, during this first week of Advent, 3A students will make an Advent wreath for each of their desks. In Language Arts, we will start our first class read. It is a wonderful Christmas chapter book entitled The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. 

4A - Happy Advent! During these coming weeks, 4A will be working to prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus. In Religion, we will be focusing in the season of Advent and learning important sacramentals and feast days during this time. In Reading, we will practice our skills of comparing and contrasting as well as learning to make inferences during our fairytale unit. In Math, we will focus on adding multi-digit numbers using tape diagrams, place value charts, and regular algoritms. In Social Studies, we will continue to use our online program to learn about California Native Peoples. In Science, we will continue to talk about the differences in soil. Thank you for all that you do!

5A - This week, 5th graders are reviewing all of the decimal operations we've learned this year and applying those concepts in word problems. We will also use mentor sentences from Harry Potter to build our grammar knowledge as we continue our class novel study. In honor of the Advent season, we will begin a special religion project. 

6A  Religion – Students will begin a Jesse Tree project for Advent, begin to prepare for leading the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass on December 12th, participate in Advent Reconciliation, and be visited by Paula Pardini for their Building Bridges Program.   Language Arts – 6A is on to the next stage of our Writer's Workshop: as students complete their rough drafts, we will begin exchanging stories with peers to get feedback on story structure, writing style, and grammar. We'll continue to look closely on how to include more imagery and detail in our writing.    Math - Hello families, I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving break. 6th grade students will be working with unit rates this week. 6th graders will use rates of measurement to convert to other forms of measurement. Students are welcome to come in for some extra math support Monday and Tuesday morning during recess.   Social Studies - Students will begin to read some stories from Ancient Egyptian mythology.  Science - Scientists will re-commit to classroom expectations and policies. They will learn about convection in water and perform an experiment about heat and density. 

7A  Religion – Students will be visited by their Program Manager for their Caritas Creek retreat from December 9-13 and will participate in Advent Reconciliation.   Language Arts - Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and filling Thanksgiving! Students are beginning to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. They are participating in small and whole group Reader's Theater to incorporate the element of drama. They are also taking a deeper look into the play's content with a variety of lesson extensions, starting with "Marley's Ghost."   Math - Hello families, I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving break. 7th grade students will be working with creating equivalent fractions, percentages and decimals as well as working with graphs and equations to represent proportional relationships with fractions. Students are welcome to come in for some extra math support Monday and Tuesday morning during recess.   Social Studies – Students will continue reading A Long Walk to Water as a novel study, part of their West African Civilization Unit.   Science - Students will present their movies on two life processes this week and advance into a conversation about the cycles that are present in life science. 

8A   Religion – Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing and delicious Thanksgiving! Students will conclude how Christendom looked like and how we will be discussing it in this current unit. They will also explore and explain the meaning of Advent.   Language Arts - Students are beginning to read Night by Elie Wiesel. They are also preparing Cornell Style Notes to record the novel's content and personal observations. They are continuing their HSPT preparation with a presentation of strategies, general hints, tips and advice to ensure success in January.   Math – Hello families, I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving break. 8th grade students will be working with scientific notation and working with integers. Students are welcome to come in for some extra math support Monday and Tuesday morning during recess.   Social Studies – Students will study details of battles of the American Revolution and will begin a project about the Constitutional Convention.    Science - Now that students know about Lewis Dot structures, the next step is to study types of chemical bonds and how they occur!

REMINDERS

Dec. 4           Report Cards sent home with students

Dec. 5           9:00 AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 5-6

Dec. 9           8:15 AM School Mass, Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

Dec. 9-13     7th grade retreat, Caritas Creek at CYO Camp

Dec. 9-10     Christmas Shop at St. Peter’s School

Dec. 10        9:00AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 3-4

Dec. 11        Free Dress for No Tardies in November

Dec. 12        9:30 AM School Mass, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Dec. 12        12:45 PM, 4A Field trip to mission Branch Library

Dec. 13        6:00-8:00 PM, BVCC Las Posadas in the Gym

Dec. 20        9:00 AM, Christmas Prayer Service and Program

QUE PASA 11/26/2019 (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.  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.

Also—this Sunday marks the beginning of the ADVENT season. As this liturgical season approaches, begin thinking of ways that you and your child can prepare your hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas time!

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving! 

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANKSGIVING BREAK

There will be no school from Wednesday, November 27 – Friday, November 29 for the Thanksgiving break. School will resume on Monday, December 2.

CHRISTMAS SHOP

St. Peter’s School will be hosting a Christmas Shop for students on December 9-10! This will be a safe Christmas shopping experience for children, right here at school. Flyers and budget envelopes were sent home last week, and extras are available in the office.

BVCC SPECIAL EVENTS

All are welcome to celebrate La Posada, hosted by our BVCC Program.  La Posada will be on Friday, December 13 from 6:00-8:00 PM, upstairs in the Parish Hall.  There will be Christmas song presentations and food & drinks for sale!

BVCC is open for Winter Camp on the following dates: December 23, 26, 27 for Week 1; and December 30, January 2, 3 for week 2.  To register, please go to the BVCC office after school.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS 

We depend on parent volunteer support throughout the school year!  We recently experienced wonderful school events—the Halloween festival, and Family Movie Nights—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.

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION

The teachers have been hard at work in as we make continued progress in the school accreditation process.  We are making the final edits on our self-study document, which is required for accreditation, and continue to collect evidence of student work.  If you would like to see a copy of the draft of the self-study document, please contact the office. 

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May you all find happiness and blessings around your table together! I'm sending home a bountiful homework packet to help our little ones harvest the rewards of knowing their ABCs and numbers. It is also a good time to work on our beautiful coloring!  

1A - This week, we are thinking about the many things that we are grateful for and making keepsake books of personal gratitude. We are also reviewing addition and subtraction by working on solving Thanksgiving word problems. I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

2A - We're finishing up the story “Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars.” We are measuring and comparing things we measure with centimeters and meters. We are also talking small things we can do to help others (especially around the house!). Have a restful Thanksgiving!

3A – Thanksgiving blessings to all of you. Enjoy your time with loved ones.  During these 2 days before our break we continue our Thanksgiving projects.  We are making Pilgrim magnets, turkey pins to wear on Thursday, and a scalloped nouveau turkey to decorate our homes. Our Alebrijes are now finished and ready to decorate the St. Peter's Tree at Davies Symphony Hall. The alebrijes are so colorful and painted so beautifully thanks to Mrs. Fresnoza's creative suggestions and samples. 

4A - Happy Thanksgiving! The students will be preparing Thanksgiving poetry and a Thanksgiving prayer this week in Religion. Please ask your child to read their prayers on Thanksgiving. In Math, the students will be "shopping" for a Thanksgiving meal, using adding and subtracting with decimals to solve their problems. In Reading, we will be working on the history of Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for all of your help and support. I will be praying and thinking of you and your families over this Thanksgiving holiday! Enjoy your break!

5A - Happy Thanksgiving! 5th graders will be reviewing all of the adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing we've practiced with decimals with a special book order project this week. We will also publish our fun turkey-themed persuasive writing project. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!  

6A  Religion – Students will be writing positive affirmations for their classmates: "We are thankful for you because..."   Language Arts – 6A is continuing with rough drafts of their fictional narratives. The students are very excited about where their stories are going. This week, we'll focus on how to include dialogue to add an element of realism to our writing, including all the grammatical rules that go with using quotation marks.   Math - Greetings families! 6th grade students will be learning how to create equivalent fractions, percents, and decimals.  Social Studies - Students will be reading some primary sources about the history of Thanksgiving. Science - This week, scientists will use some online models to continue learning about pressure, mass, volume, and density. They will also learn about and create pressure maps. 

7A   Religion - Students will be writing positive affirmations for their classmates: "We are thankful for you because..." 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!   Math - Greetings families! The 7th grade students are learning how to find discounts from an original price. Students will also be learning how to create equivalent fractions, percents, and decimals.    Social Studies - Students will read chapter three of A Long Walk to Water for their novel study.    Science - Students are being tasked with explaining what makes things "living" or "non-living" and justifying their stances based on seven characteristics. 

8A   Religion – Students will conclude their Apostle's project this week. They will also be able to explain what the growth of Christendom looked like and how we will be discussing it in the upcoming unit.   Language Arts - Students have begun the preparation and research of the historical content on the novel, Night, World War II and 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!   Math - Students will be learning how to create equivalent fractions, percents, and decimals.    Social Studies -  Students will be playing their Kahoot.com quizzes that they created about the Causes of the American Revolution.   Science - Students review ionic and covalent bonding as they prepare to talk about the law of conservation of mass.

REMINDERS

Nov. 27-29    No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1           First day of ADVENT

Dec. 3           9:00 AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 7-8          

Dec. 4           Report Cards sent home with students

Dec. 5           9:00 AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 5-6

Dec. 9           8:15 AM School Mass, Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

Dec. 9-13     7th grade retreat, Caritas Creek at CYO Camp

Dec. 9-10     Christmas Shop at St. Peter’s School

Dec. 10        9:00Advent Reconciliation for grades 3-4

Dec. 11        Free Dress for No Tardies in November

Dec. 12        9:30 AM School Mass, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Dec. 12        12:45 PM, 4A Field trip to mission Branch Library

QUE PASA 11/20/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

      This Friday marks the end of our first Trimester, and the students have grown in many ways!  The teachers and I value our partnership with you, so that we can work together to help all students grow and meet their goals.  To help refresh your memory as we enter into the second trimester, and because these are an important part of our school culture, I am re-sharing the St. Peter’s Schoolwide Learning Expectations, also known as “SLEs.”  These expectations can extend into the home to help students live out our CORE VALUES to Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite! 

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 time, gifts, and joy with the school community.

- 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

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION

The teachers have been hard at work in as we make continued progress in the school accreditation process.  We are making the final edits on our self-study document, which is required for accreditation, and continue to collect evidence of student work.  If you would like to see a copy of the draft of the self-study document, please contact the office. 

THANK YOU!

Thank you to the Sports Committee and parent volunteers who helped to plan and prepare for last week’s fun Family Movie Night!  Big thanks to Mr. Suarez for coordinating the event!  If you’d like to join a parent group and plan future school events, please leave your name and number in the office.

FAMILY MASS
This Sunday, November 24, we will have Family Mass at 11:00 AM, which celebrated in Spanish.  Students who attend this mass in school uniform will receive a free dress pass on the following Monday.

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Monday, November 25 is a 12:30 dismissal day, and Tuesday, November 26 is a regular school day.  There will be no school from Wednesday, November 27 – Friday, November 29 for the Thanksgiving break.

CHRISTMAS SHOP

St. Peter’s School will be hosting a Christmas Shop for students on December 9-10! This will be a safe Christmas shopping experience for children, right here at school. Please see the attached flyers and “Christmas Budget Envelope” for more details!

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.  Socks must be black or white and extend above the ankle.  Boots may not be worn.

NOVEMBER 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 - Melissa Navarro shows us what love is every day and what it means to be courageous in the classroom. Melissa opens up her heart to others and shares her kindness and smiles. Melissa is truly growing with knowledge and hard work! 

1A - Alexander Quiroz Galdamez is a shining example of a student who lives out St. Peter's KEYS. Alexander is loving and kind to all those around him. He is an extremely hard worker and he never gives up if he gets stuck or makes a mistake. He comes to school every day excited to learn and make his brain grow. 

 2A - Damian Perez Ortega is so conscientious of his class work and homework. He writes in complete sentences using neat penmanship always. He's constantly striving to challenge himself and grow his brain. 

3A – During this month of Thanksgiving, 3A is grateful for Azalea VandenBerghe for her progress as a table leader.  Azalea has stepped up her leadership ability as a force that UNITES her fellow students. She has shown GROWTH in her effort to complete the tasks given to her as well as SERVE other students by helping out with classroom duties. You go girl!!!

4A - Ruby Valencia comes in each day ready to grow! She is a fluent and accurate reader who takes her time to accomplish her reading goals. She is kind to all of her classmates and listens with attention in class. She is a model of service in our classroom as she is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Congratulations, Ruby!

5A – Jaykob Offril demonstrates critical thinking skills when tackling tough word problems in math, and his willingness to embrace challenges has helped him to already show tremendous growth in both STAR reading and math so far this year. His bright smile and silly spirit make our class more joyful every day. Congratulations Jaykob!  

6A - Isaac Perez has been a KEY example of each of our core values this school year! Each day at school Isaac GROWS by welcoming new experiences with an open heart and open mind, SERVES by sharing his talents and joy with his classmates and teachers, and UNITES by supporting and encouraging others in what they do.  Thank you for your positive energy, Isaac! 

7A - Guadalupe Gonzalez-Cabrera continues to grow as a student, a leader, and a person of faith. She faces challenges with positivity and an open heart and open mind. She shows appreciation for others and makes choices based on the teachings of Christ. She shares her time and her gifts to serve others and our school. Guadalupe is a wonderful and important part of our class community.   

8A - Gabriel Sembrana has grown and accomplished so much this year! He has willingly stepped out of his comfort zone to serve his St. Peter's community, as the Student Council President, student, and friend. Gabe has continuously demonstrated what it means to love and appreciates what others have done for him by paying it forward, whether small or big, whether young or old. He always has a smile on his face and is ready to tackle the next challenge. Way to go Gabe! 

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - As Thanksgiving draws near, let's remember to find the blessings we receive in our daily lives. Teaching your children each day is my blessing. We just marked the 50th day of school, and we have come a long way together! 

1A - This week, we are focusing on consonant digraphs, such as the /sh/ /th/ and /ng/ sounds. In religion, we are talking about how the things that God made show his love. In math, we are working on addition and subtraction word problems. In social studies, we are finishing our study on community helpers. 

2A - We're finishing up the story “I Fall Down” and we'll be starting “Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars.” We are measuring and comparing things we measure using centimeters and meters.  We are talking about things we're grateful for as we head into holiday season.

3A – 3A is hard at work on their many turkey themed assignments. We are doing turkey feather math, broken dinner plate compound word cut-and-paste pages and new vocabulary words in a turkey crossword puzzle. Happy Thanksgiving to All of our parents as we GROW, ACCOMPLISH, LOVE, SERVE AND UNITE. Gobble,Gobble!!!

4A - We will have a Thanksgiving week in 4A! In Religion, we will continue to focus on thanking God for all he has blessed us with and we will also begin to learn about the season of Advent. In Reading, we will complete our story “How Tia Lola Came to Stay” and be assessed on our skill of cause and effect. In Math, we will complete our Rounding Unit and focus on Addition and Subtraction. Please continue to work on these facts at home. In Social Studies, we will compare and contrast the lives of the Pilgrims and Native Peoples. In Science, we will continue to focus on rocks and soil. Thank you for your continued support.  

5A - Our class field trip to the Academy of Sciences is this week!  We're so excited to learn about African Ecosystems there. This week in math, we'll be focusing on dividing decimals. In reading, we will be working on creating more concise summaries. 

6A  Religion – Students will be making a Bible Quicksketch Book so that they can read and illustrate important Bible Stories from the Old Testament throughout Trimester 2.   Language Arts – After learning all the elements that go into a short story, 6th grade will begin their first writers’ workshop, creating their own fictional narratives! We'll spend this week brainstorming, planning, and prewriting and learn stylistic techniques like using dialogue and show not tell.   Math - Hello families, 6th grade students are solving problems by analyzing different unit rates given in tables, graphs, and equations.  All students have exams on Wednesday. They are allowed to use one index card for notes that they may use on the test.   Social Studies – Students are preparing for an Egypt Vocabulary Quest.   Science - Scientists will continue the experiments started last week and they will be taking a test about graphs.

7A  Religion – Students are creating a Gratitude Journal inspired by the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.   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 - 7th grade students are working with complex fractions.  All students have exams on Wednesday. They are allowed to use one index card for notes that they may use on the test.   Social Studies –Students are making a quicksketch book as we will begin the novel study of A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park during our Western Africa Unit.   Science - Students continue to define what it means for things to be considered alive. They will be introduced to the acronym MRSGREN! 

8A  Religion – Students will continue their understanding of the Apostles' role in the early Church through research of a given Apostle.   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. Their Woodworking Project is due this Friday, November 22. Students will have an opportunity to share their creations to the class.   Math – 8th grade students are working with scientific notation. All students have exams on Wednesday. They are allowed to use one index card for notes that they may use on the test.   Social Studies – Students are exploring the causes of the American Revolution and looking closely at the Declaration of Independence.   Science - Students show what they know about Lewis dot diagrams and begin showing how they would combine with other elements to form molecules. Students will be introduced to their first science project.

REMINDERS

Nov. 21         5A Field Trip to Academy of Sciences

Nov. 22         End of Trimester 1

Nov. 24         11:00 AM, Sunday Family Mass (Spanish)

Nov. 25         12:30 Dismissal

Nov. 26         8:10 AM School Mass 

Nov. 27-29    No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1           First day of ADVENT

Dec. 3           9:00 AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 7-8          

Dec. 4           Report Cards sent home with students 

Dec. 5           9:00 AM, Advent Reconciliation for grades 5-6

QUE PASA 11/13/2019 (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—with all our work responsibilities, children’s activities, and other personal and family obligations.  Now, especially as the holiday season approaches and as the amount of daylight lessens during the winter season, our to-do list might be getting longer yet with a more limited time-frame!  But this reflection below (by Barbara Johnson from God Always Has a Plan B), could serve as a reminder to us to 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

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.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

The next Family Movie Night (Toy Story 4) is this Friday, November 15, in the gym.  Snacks will also be on sale on movie night, and if students attend in pajamas, they can earn a UNITE Key!  Tickets are LIMITED.  Purchase your tickets early before they sell out!

SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. MASS

Do you attend the 11:00 Mass at St. Peter’s Church? After this mass, we need a few Spanish-speaking school representatives for a brief time (about 20 minutes) to help our school.  If you are interested in helping or for more information, please contact the school office.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - The holidays are coming upon us fast! Our days will be very busy and please pay close attention to anything coming home. And hopefully our little Buzzing Elves will have some magic up their sleeves! 

1A - This week in Language Arts, we are focusing on the main topic and key details of the stories that we are reading. In religion, we are learning the Gloria. In math, we are working on related subtraction facts. In social studies, we are continuing to learn about different occupations. In science, we are learning about where animals live together.

2A - We're finishing up our poetry unit and talking about gravity with the story “I Fall Down!”  We are measuring everything we can find at home and at school with centimeters and meters.  We will continue to pray for others.

3A – 3A students have completed their Family Turkey Project. They are all very bright, colorful, and quite creative. Stop by the classroom to view and enjoy them. In Math, we have completed our comprehensive review and are moving forward with the 3rd grade curriculum. The individualized basic fact tests that we take daily are providing needed practice to refresh and deepen our knowledge of these facts. Several third graders have mastered addition and subtraction basic facts and are well into the multiplication drills. The students that study REGULARLY and get practice and help at home are moving much faster. Keep it up parents, you're doing a fine job!

4A - As we continue our month of November, we thank God for all things He has blessed us with. In Religion, we will focus on a Thanksgiving project as well as continue to learn about the Saints. In Reading, we will focus on the comprehension skill cause-and-effect as well as the strategy of back-up and re-reading. We will use "How Tia Lola Came to Visit Stay" as our guiding story. In Math, we will continue to work on rounding using vertical number lines. In Social Studies, we will complete our four regions of California project in-class and in Science, we will begin to examine of weathering impacts our landforms. 

5A - Thank you for taking the time to come in for conferences last week! It was wonderful to see you all in person. This week, 5th graders are focusing on multiplying decimals in math and differentiating between the main idea and details in reading. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and more updates.

6A  Religion – This week, 6th graders led the Veterans Day mass and made cards to be delivered to the Veterans Hospital in San Francisco.   Language Arts – We'll finish our study on theme by reading the science fiction classic "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury. We'll continue to identify evidence from the text to support the themes we come up with.   Math – Students will be finding ratios associated with rates and working with rate problems.  All students have an opportunity to correct graded tests if they received a C or lower on a test. These corrections are due Thursday, November 14th and students must explain with sentences of what their mistake was and how to fix it.   Social Studies – Students are continuing to practice their outlining skills with lessons about Life in Ancient Egypt.   Science –Scientists will receive their graded Air and Atmosphere test back on Tuesday. We will carry out an experiment this week. 

7A   Religion - 7th graders will be visited by Paula Pardini for their fourth Building Bridges session.   Language Arts - Students will wrap up their Enrichment Projects this week. Students will also begin their introduction to Drama with review of specific terms, dramatic opposites, and the element of acting with improv games!   Math – Students will be working with complex fractions and converting decimals to fractions.  All students have an opportunity to correct graded tests if they received a C or lower on a test. These corrections are due Thursday, November 14th and students must explain with sentences of what their mistake was and how to fix it.   Social Studies– Students are viewing a film: Unbroken, to learn about experiences of some soldiers during World War II. They will write an essay response about the character strengths that Louie Zamporini showed in the film.   Science - Students begin to define what it means to be alive in order to take a deeper look at those living things.

8A   Religion – Students will conclude their examination of the Pentecost. They will further their understanding of the Apostles' role in the early Church through research of a given Apostle.   Language Arts - Students have successfully completed their MockingbirdDebate! They will continue to work, individually, on their Woodworking Project, due on Friday, November 22. Students are also continuing to prepare for their High School Entrance exams with lessons centered on vocabulary and grammar.   Math – Students will be putting numbers into scientific notation form and using operations with scientific notation.  All students have an opportunity to correct graded tests if they received a C or lower on a test. These corrections are due Thursday, November 14th and students must explain with sentences of what their mistake was and how to fix it.   Social Studies – Students are answering the question: What does liberty mean to me?   Science - Students begin their conversation about the law of conservation of mass as they begin to prepare for their first project: The rocket project! 

REMINDERS

Nov. 13-15    STAR Testing continues

Nov. 13          LifeTouch Picture Retake Day

Nov. 15          6:30 PM, Family Movie Night

Nov.  19         8:10 AM School Mass 

Nov. 21          5A Field Trip to Academy of Sciences

Nov. 22          End of Trimester 1

Nov. 25          12:30 Dismissal

Nov. 26          8:10 AM School Mass 

Nov. 27-29    No School, Thanksgiving Break

QUE PASA 11/6/2019 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

      Over the weekend, we celebrated 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, as we have our Parent-Teacher Conferences, 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

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU to all volunteers who donated and volunteered at our Halloween celebration last week!  It was a fun school event, and it would not have been possible without help from our parents.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

The next Family Movie Night (Toy Story 4) is on Friday, November 15 in the gym.  Tickets are on sale now, but tickets are LIMITED.  Purchase your tickets early before they sell out!

BAKE SALE

Due to evacuations, power outages, and unhealthy air quality in the Occidental area, the 7th grade camp retreat has been postponed.  However, in LOVE, SERVICE, and UNITY, our 7th graders are now focusing on helping the Sonoma County fire victims.  They will be hosting a Bake Sale during recess this week, and proceeds will go towards the fire victims.  The sale will continue while supplies last!  Let’s support our 7th graders in their efforts to help others!

SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. MASS

Do you attend the 11:00 Mass at St. Peter’s Church? After this mass, we need a few Spanish-speaking school representatives for a brief time (about 20 minutes) to help our school.  If you are interested in helping or for more information, please contact the school office.

NO SCHOOL THIS FRIDAY AND MONDAY

While teachers will be spending this Friday working on the WCEA school accreditation process, there will be no school for students this Friday, November 8.  There is also no school on Monday, November 11, in observance of the Veterans’ Day holiday.

STUDENT ARTWORK

Come and see the student artwork created in partnership with the Mexican Museum! Students learned about Tecuanes masks and then created their own masks.  The art exhibit is in the Faculty Meeting Room until tomorrow—Thursday, November 8.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Kinder – November is a month for blessings and to be thankful! Kindergarten will be blessed if we can identify all of our letters and we are able to write our numbers to 10! I am thankful to have this week to meet with all of you and grateful for all you do for your loved ones!

1A – This week, we are reading, writing, and learning about different buildings and the materials that they are made out of. In religion, we are continuing to discuss the different ways we can praise God. In math, we are continuing our work on addition, through our use of number bonds, related facts, and doubles.

2A – In Language Arts, we're finishing up “Baby Bears” and starting a poetry unit.  In Math, we are measuring things with centimeters and meters.  In Religion, we will talk about the importance of prayer, write prayers, and say prayers for loved ones.

3A – This is a short week here at school. We have Parent/Teacher Conferences Monday through Thursday so we will dismiss at 12:30 each of those days. In class, we will begin our second round of STAR reading tests. We will continue and complete our unit on the Rosary and introduce our upcoming project on saints. I will send home a list of saints so that together with your child you will pick 3 saints and report on 1 of them. This project will have 3 parts. There will be an oral presentation, a written report, and a poster showing important facts about that saint's life.

4A – I look forward to our parent-teacher-student conferences this week! We will continue to learn about Saints in Religion. In Reading, we will begin our book report project. We will also focus on our story of "How Tia Lola Came to Stay" and our comprehension strategy of identifying character traits. In Math, we will round multi-digit numbers to any place value using a vertical number line. In Social Studies, we will map out the four geographical regions of California.

5A – I’m looking forward to talking to you all this week during conferences! Your children have been working hard to prepare for these meetings. In math this week, we're beginning to subtract decimal numbers. In reading, we're focusing on using text evidence to support inferences we make about character traits. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and more updates.

6A   Religion – This week, 6th Graders will be preparing for their Veterans Day Mass that will take place on November 12th.   Language Arts – Students will continue their work on THEME. We'll present the fables students wrote on a central THEME and continue analyzing short stories and finding textual evidence to support the main message.   Math – Hello families, this week all students will be taking their STAR tests to monitor their progress in mathematics. 6th grade students will be creating unit rates from ratios.  Social Studies – Students will continue the beginning of their Ancient Egypt Unit.    Science – This week, scientists will be completing their levels of the atmosphere chart and reviewing for their Air and Atmosphere test.

7A   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 – Hello families, this week all students will be taking their STAR tests to monitor their progress in mathematics. 7th grade students will be working with complex fractions (dividing fractions).   Social Studies – Students are working in stations to read a ReadWorks article about conserving water, a BrainPop video about deserts, and a physical map of Africa to begin their Africa Unit with information about the geography of the continent.   Science - Students will present their movies on two life processes this week and advance into a conversation about the cycles that are present in life science.

8A   *Reminder: As students begin the month of November, please do not forget about upcoming High School Application Deadlines: St. Ignatius DUE Friday, November 15 / Sacred Heart Cathedral DUE Friday, November 29.

Religion – Students will continue to conclude their saint research project. They will also examine how Pentecost played a role in shaping the lives of the Apostles and guiding the early Church.  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, syndromes like herself, Asperger Syndrome? They are also working on their woodworking project-chest due in 2 weeks.   Math – Hello families, this week all students will be taking their STAR tests to monitor their progress in mathematics. Students in 8th grade will also be learning about how to perform operations with scientific notation.   Social Studies – Students are finding and analyzing primary sources from a revolution they are curious or passionate about - this will lead them into a personal essay that answers the question: What does liberty mean to me?  Science - Now that students know about Lewis Dot structures, the next step is to study types of chemical bonds and how they occur!

REMINDERS:

Nov. 4-15   STAR Testing

Nov. 6         Free Dress for No Tardies in October

Nov. 8         NO SCHOOL, WCEA Accreditation Work Day for teachers

Nov. 11       NO SCHOOL, Veterans’ Day Holiday

Nov. 12       8:10 AM School Mass in honor of Veterans

Nov. 13       LifeTouch Picture Retake Day

Nov. 15       Family Movie Night

QUE PASA 10/30/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

       As we conclude this month of the Rosary, we can reflect on the different events in Mary’s and Jesus’ lives. These reflections and prayers can fill us with joy and thanksgiving, and also give us strength during hard times.  At this time, we pray especially for the fire victims, both in northern and southern California. 

      Along with praying a Rosary for those who are suffering, here is a prayer by for California fire victims (adapted from a prayer by Antonio deLoera-Brust, americamagazine.org):

Almighty God,                                                                                  

Be with your people in California now in the midst of the fires. Bring aid to the firefighters who, by serving others, serve you. Give them courage and strength to persevere, to find the ability in their bodies and souls to keep working for another day or hour or minute. Ease the winds that spread the flames and disperse the smoke that covers the sky.  Bring hope to the displaced and the homeless. Keep alive inside their minds and hearts memories, the physical traces of which may be lost. Remind us that you are the promise of a new tomorrow.                                                             

As the cities are rebuilt, may no one be left behind. May all be remembered as you remember all.  May all be included and cared for as we rebuild, guided by your Spirit. May our hearts never turn away from you or from each other in our time of need. May we see you in the faces of those in need. May we see your work in the hands of all those who reach out to help and in the green—the life!—that will soon return, by your hand, to our land.  AMEN.                 

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place TOMORROW, October 31 from 1:00-3:00 PM.  We will begin with a costume parade followed by games.  If your child ordered tickets for games or snacks, they will receive them tomorrow.  Tickets will also be sold for a limited time at the start of the Halloween games.

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.

ALL SAINTS’ DAY SCHOOL MASS

This Friday, November 1, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints in a school mass at 8:30 AM.  You are welcome to join us at this mass.

**Since we will be attending mass this Friday, students must be in complete uniform.  No gray sweats or free dress passes may be used on this day.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES 

The first round of mandatory Parent-Teacher Conferences is next week, from Monday, November 4 through Thursday, November 7. Each day is 12:30 dismissal for students.   Please meet your child’s teacher in the classroom at your confirmed appointment time.  If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

BAKE SALE

Due to evacuations, power outages, and unhealthy air quality in the Occidental area, the 7th grade camp retreat for the week has been postponed.  However, in LOVE, SERVICE, and UNITY, our 7th graders are now focusing on helping the Sonoma County fire victims.  They will be hosting a Bake Sale during recess and after school from November 4-7, and processed will go towards the fire victims.  The sale will continue while supplies last!  Let’s support our 7th graders in their efforts to help others!

SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. MASS

Do you attend the 11:00 Mass at St. Peter’s Church? After this mass, we need a few Spanish-speaking school representatives for a brief time (about 20 minutes) to help our school.  If you are interested in helping or for more information, please contact the school office.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Happy Halloween to Everyone! I hope the light of your jack-o-lantern will shine bright just as your little Trick-or-Treaters are trying to do! Name letters on candy wrappers and count each delicious treat because learning on Halloween is always sweet! Thank you for getting in your Parent-Teacher conference requests. I have done my best to accommodate your first choices. If you haven’t turned your request in, please do so by tomorrow.  

1A - This week we are working on the short “e” sound in words such as, 'bed' and 'bread.' In religion, we are learning about the story of Zacchaeus. In math, we are working on memorizing our addition doubles facts. In social studies, we are continuing to learn about jobs in the community and discussing what we want to be when we grow up.

2A - We're finishing up “Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!” and then we will be starting “Baby Bears.”  We're working really hard (and even having a little fun) with place value and manipulatives in math.  We are talking about acting on God's word and we'll attend a bilingual mass on Friday - all are welcome to join us.  I'm looking forward to meeting with everyone for Parent-Teacher Conferences next week. 

**Please remember to complete and return your religion worksheet I sent home with your child.

3A – 3A is working diligently on our Reading and Math technology components. We are completing our study of the rosary in Religion class. We have just completed our sewing project for Art class. The Halloween Pumpkin Pillows turned out to be very well done and are just darling. Thanks to Xavier's wonderful mom who not only supplied all of the materials for the project but taught us how to thread a needle, cut out the felt pieces from a template, and sew through the felt material. Stop by 3A to take a look at the pillows. We are very proud of them. 

4A – Happy Halloween! We will have a Halloween themed week. We will be learning about different Saints in Religion to help us prepare for All Saints' Day. We are saints-in-training! In Reading, we will focus on finding the Author's purpose in a variety of Halloween themed texts. We will also have a vocabulary quiz. In Math, we will create vertical number lines and use them to help us round numbers to the millions. In Science, we will conduct a Mystery Science experiment about bones and our skulls. In Social Studies, we will learn about the four geographic regions of California. Please be on the lookout for any notes in your child's Homework Folder or on Class Dojo. Thank you!

5A - Since 5th graders are responsible for their learning, we do student-led conferences in 5th grade. We'll be preparing for that by doing some reflecting on the school year so far in class this week. In math, we'll learn how to add decimals. In reading, we'll focus on identifying character traits and using those to help us better understand what we read. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and more updates. 

6A   Religion – This week students will be completing their Ofrenda projects.   Language Arts – Students will be looking at the last element of short stories: theme. We'll be analyzing classic fables and the short story "The Monkey's Paw" to identify theme and find evidence from the text.    Math – Hello families! Students had their first math test today. They have been working hard learning how to create tables, create ordered pairs, and graph the information. We are also reviewing how to create equivalent fractions and multiply fractions.  Social Studies – Students will begin researching a pharaoh from Ancient Egypt.   Science – This week scientists will learn and explore about Earth's atmosphere and engage in an in-class experiment.

7A  Religion – Students will be completing an All Saint's Day research project and preparing to host a bake sale for the fire victims in Sonoma County.   Language Arts – Students will complete lessons based on 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.   Math – Hello families! Students will be working on interpreting graphs and using complex fractions to solve for unit rates.  Social Studies – Students will begin to learn about the physical geography of Africa and early civilizations in West Africa.  Science – CYO camp for students has been postponed, and with that, their study of ecology. For now, students continue creating their stop motion animations to model two very important life processes.

8A   High School Scholarship Update: The Achieve Program (Riordan, Mercy - San Francisco) updated their application due date to Friday, December 6, 2019. You can find their current application online at https://achieveprogram.org/

Religion – Students will conclude their saint research project. They will also examine how Pentecost played a role in shaping the lives of the Apostles and guiding the early Church.   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 - Hello families! Students are working with using operations with scientific notation. Students are transforming standard numbers to scientific notation.  Social Studies – Students will define the words 'Revolution' and 'Liberty' before they look ahead to their American Revolution unit.   Science – Students continue to look at the importance of electrons, as we prepare to explain why atoms bond to create molecules.

REMINDERS:

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

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

Nov. 4-7      Parent-Teacher Conferences / 12:30 Dismissal Days 

Nov. 5         8:10 AM School Mass

Nov. 5         6:00 PM, High School Application workshop for 8thgraders and parents

Nov. 6         Free Dress for No Tardies in October

Nov. 8         NO SCHOOL, WCEA Accreditation Work Day for teachers 

Nov. 11       NO SCHOOL, Veterans’ Day Holiday 

QUE PASA 10/23/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

       I feel blessed to have been a part of the St. Peter’s School community over the past 18 years as a teacher, a parent, and an administrator. I’m grateful for all the people who have shown and continue to show so much love and dedication to St. Peter’s!  I’m thankful for all the students who inspire me to continue to grow as an educator.  As the celebration of our annual Alumni Memorial Mass approaches this Sunday, I am reminded of all my students, many of whom are now St. Peter’s alumni!  Here is a special alumni prayer that we can offer in thanksgiving for all alumni and for all who have been a part of St. Peter’s rich history:

Welcoming God, with glad hearts we celebrate our shared histories. In deep gratitude that stretches back through the years, we remember the strong friendships forged at St. Peter’s School. We give thanks for the devoted lives of teachers, coaches, mentors, and family whose generosity nurtured students as they grew.                                                                             May alumni and St. Peter’s community members enjoy their time together as they share memories of days gone by and news of where life’s journey has taken them. May their personal reunions be shaped by kindness and laughter, and may the stories told and retold bring delight and good will.  Bless their reunion time. May these moments together lead us all to treasure ever more fully each beat of our hearts and every new day life brings us.                                                                          

We ask this, through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place on Thursday, 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!

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.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES 

Going home with each child today is an appointment sign up for mandatory Parent-Teacher Conferences, which are from November 4-7.  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.  

ALUMNI MEMORIAL MASS

St. Peter School’s annual Alumni Memorial Mass is this Sunday!  Join us for a special mass on Sunday, October 27 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 - Our Student of the Month for October is Frida Garcia. Let us put our hands together and our voices in cheer as every accomplishment needs celebrating! Frida is finding her courage and her voice among her peers. She is eager to learn and ready to say “YES” to the challenge just as Mary had said to God.  

1A - Nadyah Ghattas is an excellent example of a student who lives out St. Peter's KEYS. Nadyah is loving and kind to all those around her and is always quick to help those in need. She comes to school ready to learn and faces new challenges with an open heart and open mind. She works together with her classmates to achieve goals and she loves to make her brain grow.

2A – Rio Rangel is second grade's student of the month. Rio's enthusiasm for learning and growing shines through in everything she does. She is quick to serve others and lend a helping hand. She goes the extra mile to get things done. She enjoys every subject!  Go Rio! 

3A – Angel Romero is a fine example of our COURAGE and GROWTH keys.  He has shown remarkable GROWTH since the beginning of the school year.  He has also shown COURAGE because of his willingness to help others in many different classroom situations. Besides rising to "table leader," he has shown leadership throughout the classroom by staying focused and helping others to focus as we've been learning in our Second Step Program.  We are very proud of you, Angel! 

4A – Cristhian Sevilla came in this school year focused! He puts great energy and effort into all of our assignments, showing his dedication to accomplishing tasks. He is kind to all of his classmates helping us make our classroom community a united and loving place to be. He applies critical thinking skills to our new math curriculum and he loves to read! Keep up the great work, Cristhian! 

5A - 5th grade's October Student of the Month is Serena Vanden Berghe. In just one month of school, she's already shown *incredible* growth on her STAR math and reading tests! She also lives out St. Peter's mission by embracing new experiences with an open heart and open mind. We know Serena's kind and resilient spirit will help her accomplish great things this school year. Keep up the great work, Serena!   

6A - Daniela Perez has been exemplifying each of our core values this school year.  She has the KEYS to grow and accomplish as she tries new things and accepts challenges with an open heart and open mind.  Daniela has the KEYS to love as she lives out the teachings of Jesus in her words and actions - she serves and unites as she shares her gifts with us and supports and encourages always. Thank you for being such a light in our classroom, Daniela!

7A - Giovanni Serrano is a great example of self-control and working effectively in both social and academic settings. He approaches new challenges with an open heart and always keeps striving toward his goals. Gio is a wonderful part of class and school community. 

8A – Vianey Avendano has accomplished so much this year! She has confidently stepped out of her comfort zone, has a drive to be academically successful and has offered herself to others whenever possible. Her focus and dedication is admirable, and by taking risks she has grown in many ways. Vianey continues to keep an open heart and open mind, for herself and for those around her. Keep up the great work Vianey! 

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Halloween will be haunting us again soon! Costumes are always fun to do! So please come dressed on the 31st to school and remember no inappropriate costumes or items such as swords, guns, knives or scary masks. Also, we will be doing a little trick-or-treating and decorating bags in our room, so to participate please have your child bring in a small treat (i.e. spider rings, pencils, stickers, temporary tattoos or candy) by October 30. Please have enough treats for 18 students and place them all in one Ziploc bag with your child’s name on them. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!  

1A - This week we are focusing on words beginning with r and s blends, such as "spin" or "grab." In religion, we are continuing to focus on the ways we praise God. In math, we are continuing to practice forming and breaking apart number bonds. In science, we are learning about how our bodies move. In social studies, be are beginning to talk about the importance of different community members.

2A - 2nd Grade is reading and comparing the fables "The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and "Wolf, Wolf!”  We are reviewing place value in math. In religion, we will say prayers for loved ones and pray the first decade of the rosary. 

3A – This week 3A will focus on our rotational models working on iPads and tablets to GROW our math skills in rounding numbers, place value, and standard and expanded notation. We will work on Lexia (our Language Arts skill builder) with iPads and tablets. The focus will be on spelling rules involving doubling consonants and sequencing sentences. Small group and one-on-one instruction will be stressed. In Language Arts, we will write journal entries about the many lessons that were learned and enjoyed on our field trip to the Great Peter Pumpkin Patch in Petaluma. 

4A – We are making great strides in 4A! This week, we will make our own Rosary beads as a way to pray to Mary, our Mother. In reading, we will discuss the comprehension strategy of author's purpose and work on the skill monitor/clarify. We use both of these skills to help us comprehend what we are reading. Please remember that we will begin our first book report on November 4th. In Math, we will focus on creating numbers that are 1, 10 and 100 times greater or less than a number. We will also be exposed to vertical number lines to round numbers. We have our field trip to the California Academy of Sciences this week. Thank you for all your support!

5A - This week, 5th grade explored the art in our neighborhood with a Precita Eyes Mural Tour field trip. We are becoming masters at rounding decimals in math, and we are focusing on using text evidence to support inferences we make while reading. 

6A   Religion – Students are continuing their Ofrenda Project by viewing the Day of the Dead BrainPop Video and brainstorming prayers and items to include in their shoebox Ofrenda next week.  Language Arts – 6A continues to analyze the PLOT structure of short stories. We'll be reading the classic Rudyard Kipling tale: "Rikki Tiki Tavi" which will show exactly how an author builds suspense.   Math – Students are creating tables, graphs, and diagrams to show proportional relationships.   Social Studies – Students will begin exploring Egypt by learning about the physical geography of the region.  Students will also begin a two-session art project with Diane and Alejandra from the Mexican Museum.   Science – This week, scientists will be learning about mass, density, and volume. They will also begin preparing for laboratory time.

7A  Religion – Students will be visited by Paula Pardini and Meredith Seel (Caritas Leader) to prepare for their retreat next week.   Language Arts - Students are continuing their reading of Walk Two Moons. They will complete lessons based on the story elements, plot, conflict, theme and character analysis to better comprehend the overall story.   Math – Students are using ratio reasoning to compute unit rates associated with fractions in the context of recipes, lengths, areas, and speed.   Social Studies – Students will be finalizing Arabia projects as this is their final week of class before progress reports are complete.  Students will also begin a two-session art project with Diane and Alejandra from the Mexican Museum.   Science – Students continue to work on their science art projects as they prepare to make their way to CYO camp next week! Their science focus next week will be: Ecosystems!

8A   High School Scholarship Update: The Achieve Program (Riordan, Mercy - San Francisco) updated their application due date to Friday, December 6, 2019. You can find their current application online at https://achieveprogram.org/

Religion – Students will continue to explore the importance of Jesus’ call for togetherness among his followers. They will also begin a saint research project.   Language Arts - Students are quickly coming to the end of their first novel. They are recognizing the ways in which Caitlin is changing on her way to finding closure. They will also continue their High School Placement Test (HSPT) lessons on analogies.   Math - 8th grade students are learning about powers of 10 and scientific notation.  Social Studies – Students are continuing their SWOT analysis about the colonies; they will debate their findings.  Students will also begin a two-session art project with Diane and Alejandra from the Mexican Museum.   Science – Students continue to work on atoms and will specifically begin to determine why they bond with other atoms!

REMINDERS:

Oct. 23                5:45 PM, First Communion Parent Meeting in  Church

Oct. 24                4A Field Trip to California Academy of Sciences

Oct. 26                11:30-2:00, SF Bike Coalition Bike Fair at St.  Peter’s School

Oct. 27                 2:30 PM, Alumni Memorial Mass 

Oct. 28                 12:30 Dismissal

Oct. 28-Nov. 1     7A at Caritas Creek Camp

Oct. 29                 2A Field Trip to Mission Branch Library

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

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

QUE PASA 10/16/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

This past Monday was our observance of Indigenous People’s Day—a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.  For me, it is also a reminder to respect ALL cultures and continue to work towards social justice so that all people are treated with kindness, dignity, and compassion.  Here at school, as described in our Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs), we guide our students towards social justice in various ways—

to GROW by embracing new experiences with an open heart and open mind; 

to ACCOMPLISH by thinking critically; 

to LOVE by making choices based on the teachings of Jesus Christ; 

to SERVE by living out the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy; 

to UNITE by welcoming people of all backgrounds as St. Peter’s community members.

Together, let us continue our active efforts towards social justice and offer the following prayer:

God, you have given all peoples one common origin.
It is your will that they be gathered together
as one family in yourself.
Fill the hearts of humankind with the fire of your love
and with the desire to ensure justice for all.
By sharing the good things you give us,
may we secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
May there be an end to division, strife, and war. 
May there be a dawning of a truly human society
built on love and peace.  We ask this in your name.  AMEN.

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

CONGRATULATIONS

Best wishes to Mr. Suarez, who was married at our St. Peter’s chapel last Friday, October 11.  Blessings to him and his new wife as they begin their new life together!

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

Our school Halloween celebration will take place on Thursday, 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!

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY

All teachers are attending an Archdiocese Educator Day for their professional development this Friday.  Therefore, there will be no school on Friday, October 18.

ALUMNI MEMORIAL MASS

St. Peter School’s annual Alumni Memorial Mass is just a few weeks away!  Join us for a special mass on Sunday, October 27 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 - We warmly welcome the Montes family back to St. Peter’s and Matias to our hive! I hope everyone can join me in welcoming them, and may they have all our blessings! It’s a short week so remember to turn in your homework and your blue folder tomorrow. Use the long weekend to practice singing your ABCs and writing your numbers to 5.   

1A - This week, we are reading, writing, and discussing the different things that friends do together. We are also focusing on the short o sound in words like 'dog' and 'hop.' In religion, we are learning about how we can praise the Lord. In math, we are continuing our work on addition. In social studies, we are continuing to discuss the importance of rules in different situations. 

2A - 2nd Grade is reading the fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”  In Math, we are reviewing place value.  We will say prayers for loved ones and talk about what God's love means.  Reminder: First Communion meeting next Wednesday, 10/23 at 5:45 PM in St. Peter's Church. 

3A – We have our first field trip of the school year tomorrow (Thursday, 10/17). Our trip will be to a working farm, animal shelter, and pumpkin patch. We hope to learn a lot about pumpkins, potatoes, lambs, bulls, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows. Because it's a short school week, our Final Spelling Test is also on Thursday.

4A – We have a very short week in 4A! In Religion, we will continue to learn about the Rosary. We will read and write multi-digit numbers using base ten, number names and expanded form in Math. In Reading, we will continue reading My Brother Martin, focusing on the skill of understanding the author's purpose and using our inferencing strategies. In Social Studies, we will have a geography quiz. Please continue to check your child's planner each night and Class Dojo for updates and events.   

5A - In math this week, 5th graders will learn how to use vertical number lines when rounding decimals. We'll focus on making inferences in literacy block. Because of the short week, there will be no spelling test. We still have one spot for chaperones left for the 10/21 mural walk field trip! Send me a message on Class Dojo if you're interested in joining us.

6A   Religion – This week students will be visited by Paula Pardini for Building Bridges and will begin to prepare for their Ofrenda building project that they will work on during religion class time the week of October 28.  Language Arts – Students will take their focus to the short story element of PLOT. We'll look at how an author builds suspense throughout a story, from exposition to resolution.  Math – Hello Families,6th graders will be comparing ratios using ratio tables and exploring real world situations to chart the information. Students will also be reviewing how to divide with decimals. Please help child practice their long division with decimals at home. For example, if 6 apples cost $1.50, how much is it per apple? All students must master dividing with decimals to be successful in class.  Social Studies – Students are collaborating on Google Docs on outlining skills about Ancient Mesopotamia and the accomplishments of the Mesopotamian civilization.   Science – This week scientists will be sharing information with their peers regarding their inspirational Hispanic or Latino(a) person. Each scientist has a three-minute presentation in class.

7A  Religion – Students are learning the themes of their retreat that will take place starting on October 28.   Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Walk Two Moons. They are discovering many plot twists as they reach the end!   Math – Hello families, 7th graders will be creating equations using the constant of proportionality. They will be finding proportional relationships (by dividing) in real world scenarios and make equations showing that relationship. Students will also be reviewing how to divide with decimals. Please help your child practice their long division with decimals at home. For example, if 6 apples cost $1.50, how much is it per apple? All students must master dividing with decimals to be successful in class.   Social Studies – Students are working on their “1,001 Arabian Nights Project”—they are choosing to write a creative ending of one of the stories in Arabian Nights or groups are acting out the stories.

8A   Religion – Students will continue to explore the importance of Jesus’ call for togetherness among his followers. They will also begin a saint research project.   Language Arts - Students continue to read Mockingbird and are 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 be learning about what the power to 10, specifically understanding the magnitude of what these powers (both negative and positive), mean. Students will begin to compare and estimate quantities in a single digit times a power of 10. Since it is such short week, there will be no quizzes or exams. 8th grade parents will need to sign their child's math test this Wednesday and have students return it by Thursday.  Social Studies – Students are completing a SWOT analysis research (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of their assigned US Colony region. 8th Grade will also participate in a recording of a lesson on Wednesday October 16 if they have received permission from parents to participate.

REMINDERS:

Oct. 17      3A Field Trip to Petaluma Pumpkin Farm

Oct. 18      No School—Archdiocese Elementary Educator Day

Oct. 21      5A Field Trip with Precita Eyes

Oct. 22      8:10 AM, School Mass

Oct. 23      5:45 PM, First Communion Parent Meeting in Church

Oct. 24      4A Field Trip to California Academy of Sciences

Oct. 27      2:30 PM, Alumni Memorial Mass 

QUE PASA 10/9/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

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!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to all parents who donated food, drinks, and time to help make our first Family Movie Night of the year a success!  Without this valuable assistance, these fundraising events would not be possible.  Special thanks to Mr. Suarez and the Sports Committee for coordinating Movie Night!  Stay tuned for more information on another Family Movie Night.

PASEO ARTISTICO

St. Peter's Community Members! This weekend, your school, BookCastleSF, and Paseo Artístico are teaming up to sponsor an art event to be held in the chapel courtyard at 2909 24th Street between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Come by to build a collage at our booth and take some extra time to visit the rest of the 24th Street Corridor art installations.  We hope you can make it!

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!

NO PARKING IN DRIVEWAYS

The rectory has informed us that their driveways on Florida Street have been repeatedly blocked by parked cars.  Please avoid parking in these driveways, as our priests and rectory personnel need to leave promptly for masses, meetings, and other important commitments.  Also, please avoid parking on the sidewalk and in the schoolyard driveway on Alabama Street.  Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

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.

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.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Kindergarteners are doing their best to be “Sweet as Honey” making sure to be on the class “Honey Pot!” Each day they are rewarded with a sweet treat if they do! It’s all the buzz! The "Honey Pot" is a visual reminder of how our individual choices affect the entire hive. Each day we are working together on becoming stronger listeners and more caring citizens.

1A - This week, we are reading, writing, 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 math, we are continuing our work on addition by practicing with number bonds and word problems. In social studies, we are continuing to talk about the importance of rules in different situations.  

2A - 2nd Grade is reading “Sled Dogs Run.”  We are reviewing place value and comparing numbers in math.  In religion, we will talk about giving praise and thanks to God, what it means to be people of God, say prayers for loved ones, and continue with sacramental preparation.

3A – This week in math, 3A will continue to review place value to 10,000. In Science, the review will focus on plants, seeds, and changes in our environment. During Language Arts class, we will read a new story and concentrate on learning about story setting and characters in the story. Also, in Language Arts we will use Lexia on our iPads to practice phonics and story comprehension. 

4A – This week, 4A will be learning about the Rosary. We will practice praying the Rosary together in class. In Math, we will focus on reading and writing numbers through the millions with base ten numerals and expanded form. In Reading, we will begin our new story, My Brother Martin. We will be focusing on author's purpose. We will also learn about important past activists and current activists. It will be a great week!

5A - This week, 5th grade is starting our first class novel study! We'll be reading the first Harry Potter together in class, and I'm excited to share this magical book with 5th grade. In math, we'll be comparing fractions using the <, >, and = symbols. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and daily updates. 

6A   Religion – This week, students will be completing a Rosary webquest to learn about the history and mysteries of the Rosary. 6th Grade will also be visited by Paula Pardini.   Language Arts – This week we'll continue our analysis of point of view and look more closely at how authors use unreliable narrators to develop their stories. We'll read the Edgar Allen Poe classic, "The Tell Tale Heart" to analyze the narrator's perspective. We'll also have our first unit spelling test this week.    Math - 6th grade has been learning how to create equivalent fractions from a ratio and put the information into a table.   Social Studies – Students will learn about the accomplishments of Ancient Mesopotamia.   Science - This week we will be learning about mass and the air. Scientist will also be working on a week-long project about a Latinx person that has impacted science in the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month.  

7A   Religion – Students will be visited by Paula Pardini for Building Bridges and will explore the mysteries of the Rosary to celebrate Our Lady in the month of October.   Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Walk Two Moons. They are in anticipation of what will happen next to the Winterbottom Family! Math - Students have been learning about finding the constant of proportionality and writing equations using the formula y=kx, where k is the constant.   Social Studies – Students will learn about short stories from Medieval Arabia.   Ciencia - Students will learn how to create a stop motion animation and begin the planning stages of their project. They will choose to highlight either cellular respiration or photosynthesis. 

8A   Religion – Students will continue to focus on the Marks of the Church and how they are essential for maintaining unity and variety within the Church. They will also explore the importance of Jesus’ call for togetherness among his followers.   Language Arts - Students are continuing to read Mockingbird, while also completing assignments to help deepen their understanding of the novel's content.   Math -  8th grade is learning about exponents and making proofs. All student have assessments on Wednesday. Social Studies – Students will continue with their document based questions: Why and how did people move to early America? 8th Grade will also begin to distinguish between settlement in New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.   Science - Students know about atomic structure and will now begin exploring the periodic table and how it organizes atoms.

REMINDERS:

Oct. 7-15   STAR Testing (Progress Monitoring)

Oct. 9        Free Dress for No Tardies in September

Oct. 14      No School—Indigenous People’s Appreciation Day

Oct. 15      8:10 AM, School Mass

Oct. 17      3A Field Trip to Petaluma Pumpkin Farm

Oct. 18      No School—Archdiocese Elementary Educator Day

Oct. 21      5A Field Trip with Precita Eyes

Oct. 23      5:45 PM, First Communion Parent Meeting in Church

QUE PASA 10/2/2019 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

This Friday, October 4, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, and our city’s patron saint!  As St. Francis loved and cared for animals and nature, let us be models to our children 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 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

LIFETOUCH SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

Tomorrow—Thursday, October 3—is school picture day.  All children will take their photo in their complete uniform, and it is optional to order photos.  Photo order forms were sent home last week, and you can also place your order online at mylifetouch.com using the picture day ID: BY419451Q0

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

If you pre-purchased your Family Movie Night tickets for this Friday, we’ll see you on the schoolyard at 6:00 PM for a screening of Aladdin!  (Tickets are now SOLD OUT!)  For movie night, you may bring your own blankets and chairs.  Thank you to Mr. Suarez and the Sports Committee for coordinating this fundraising event.

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION UPDATE

The teachers spent this past Monday continuing their work on an extensive self-study document entitled “Improving Student Learning,” where we have been examining different data and evidence (such as last year’s parent and student surveys), and how our practices impact student growth and learning.  We are also setting critical goals that will help keep our school community moving forward.  The completion of this document is an important requirement to our school’s accreditation. The latest draft of the self-study will be shared with the Associate Superintendent in mid-October.  Please continue to hold the school community in your prayers as we undergo this important process for our school improvement and Accreditation!

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 - Happy October! Mother Mary pray for us all as we continue to grow and learn! Starting today, you will receive a Blue Folder containing the previous work from the last week or two. Please remove all work, find your child's best and put it on the refrigerator! If there is any unfinished work, then please complete at home for extra practice. Then, return the empty blue folder on Thursday with your Que Pasa signed!

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 continuing to experiment with air and its effect on different objects.

2A - We're reading “Families Working Together” (expository nonfiction).  We'll continue working on addition, place value, and subtracting within 100.  We are also working on Lexia and STMath.

3A – This week in Religion, we will learn about St. Francis of Assisi. His feast day is this Thursday, October 4th. We will read stories about St. Francis, watch a video about his life, and discuss facts that we have learned. On Friday, we will take a comprehension test to see what we remember about this great saint. In Language Arts this week, we will review homonyms, suffixes, and punctuation. We continue to work on our tablets and iPads using them to increase our knowledge of math and grammar.

4A – Happy October! This week, the students will be focusing on the Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy. We will learn how to become closer to Christ by helping those who in need. In Reading, we will conclude our Story Elements unit and begin focusing on the author's purpose. We will also be checking for understanding when we read, a great way to practice our comprehension skills. In Math, we will begin our Eureka Math series focusing on place value in word problems, addition and subtraction. In Social Studies, we will be learning about the four geographical regions of California. In Science, we will be learning about San Francisco's water. Thank you for your help and support!

5A - In math this week, 5th graders are going to expand their place value reasoning by naming decimal fractions in expanded, unit, and word forms. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we'll be using mentor texts by a variety of Latinx and Hispanic authors to practice making inferences. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and daily updates.   

6A   Religion – Students will be continuing with the Second Step Social Emotional Learning program with the lesson: Grow your Brain.   Language Arts – Students are continuing their analysis of short story elements by focusing on an author's point of view. They'll examine why authors use certain types of narration and how it affects a story's development.   Math - Students will be working with finding equivalent ratios.   Social Studies – Students are continuing with the beginning of their Ancient Mesopotamia Unit. We will be defining the term 'civilization' and learning about details of one of the earliest known civilizations.   Science – This week we will start to learn what is in the atmosphere's air. Scientists will discuss and investigate the properties of air and use a model to interpret observations of air.

7A  Religion – Students will continue with the Second Step Social Emotional Learning program with the lesson: Making Mistakes.  Language Arts - Students have begun reading Walk Two Moons and are 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 be making graphs from tables and determining if they are proportional or not proportional.   Social Studies – Students are continuing with their Islam and Christianity Compare and Contrast Five Paragraph Essay.   Science - In order to help explain this phenomenon, students will begin their creation of a photosynthesis or cellular respiration model!

8A  Religion – Students will finalize their discussion on disagreements that arose in the early Church and how these have affected Catholic beliefs today. They will also focus on the Marks of the Church and how they are essential for maintaining unity and variety within 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 work with negative exponents this week.   Social Studies – Students will begin to practice using primary sources to answer essential questions with Document-based Questions (DBQ packet).   Science - Students have begun creating models of atoms. Now we connect the periodic table to the structure of the atom.

REMINDERS:

Oct. 3          LifeTouch School Picture Day

Oct. 4          Aladdin Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM on the  Schoolyard

Oct 8          School Mass, 8:10 AM

Oct. 8         4A Field Trip to Garden for the Environment

Oct. 9        Free Dress for No Tardies in September

Oct. 14      No School—Indigenous People’s Appreciation Day

Oct. 17      3A Field Trip to Petaluma Pumpkin Farm

Oct. 18      No School—Archdiocese Elementary Educator Day

QUE PASA 9/25/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

       As we wrap up the first month of school, I am reminded of our KEY “Knowledge feeds GROWTH.”  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”—another one of our 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

We are still collecting Family Income Surveys (on PINK paper).  If you’ve received a 2nd notice to turn it in, please do so as soon as possible, as these surveys help our school receive extra services.  Thank you for your cooperation!

ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS

We are currently taking orders and payments for the gray AZTECS sweats.  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 2.  Don’t miss out!

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

The movie Aladdin will be shown on the St. Peter’s schoolyard on the evening of Friday, October 4.  Ticket and dinner pre-order forms for this movie night have been sent home, along with volunteer and donation forms. Make sure you place your pre-order so you and your family can join in on the fun!

BAPTISM

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

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.

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 - Rene “RJ” Rangel is always ready to learn and happily sets a positive example for others! RJ went above and beyond to complete the Summer Learning Challenge just proving that all accomplishments need courage.  He is truly embracing Kindergarten with an open heart and open mind! 

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

2A - Emily Gonzalez-Cabrera is second grade's student of the month for September. From day one, she's been working to grow her brain and learn new things. Emily works hard and always tries her best! We're off to a great start with Emily leading the way!

3A – Milena Arevalo Zelayandia is a very focused student.  Although school has just begun, Milena has come to school each day ready to listen, ask questions, and work hard.  Her behavior is a positive model for all of us. She doesn't participate in chatter at her table when she’s working and concentrating.  She helps her other table members when needed and completes her assignments neatly. You are a great third grader--keep it up!

4A – Julissa Cabrera has started off the school year strong. She challenges herself to have an open mind by using her critical thinking skills and comprehension skills. She is a bucket filler, focusing on using kind words when speaking to classmates and uniting our class in different activities. She uses her knowledge to make our classroom a better place! Congratulations, Julissa!

5A - Izabella Valdovinos has started off the school year by embracing new experiences and taking on challenges with an open heart and an open mind. Her hard work, compassion, and enthusiasm for learning makes our classroom a better place every day. Bella, keep up the good work! 

6A - Nicholas Aragon has started his 6th grade year by showing that he has the KEYS to accomplish and love!  Nicholas has been a very enthusiastic student and has asked questions in class to show his passion for learning more!  Nicholas also lived out the LOVE Student Learning Expectation (SLE) in his first coding elective where he was a great support to classmates that needed help with the Google CS First Program.  Great start to 6th grade, Nicholas! 

7A - Aavey Carreto is a wonderful example of Growth Mindset. She continues to focus on learning more and doing better than before. She faces new challenges with positivity and sees them as opportunities to grow. She lives out love daily through her service to friends, family, and our St. Peter's community. Her patience, caring, and empathy unites our class and we're grateful for her!

8A – Achella Ramirez has continued to GROW by embracing new experiences with an open mind and open heart, especially now as an 8th grader. She has exhibited what it means to be a leader in the classroom, as our Student Council Vice President and our overall St. Peter's community. She also demonstrates LOVE by her positive demeanor and the choices she makes for others, but more importantly for herself. Achella generously offers assistance whenever necessary and willingly gets out of her comfort zone. She is a great, first example of someone who is living out the KEYS!

IN THE CLASSROOM

Kinder – I love seeing all the smiling faces in the morning! And I hope the Kindergarteners can keep up their smiles all day long! I know it is a difficult adjustment. Each passing day should get easier as they build their stamina. A good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast can help a lot! Thank you so much!

1A – This week, we are beginning with our First Grade English Language Arts (ELA) program. Please help your child practice writing their spelling words and reading their sight words on the front of their homework packet. In religion, we are practicing mass responses. In social studies, we are continuing to discuss the qualities that make up a good citizen. In math, we are continuing to focus on making number bonds to help us with our addition.

2A – We're reading “Lola and Tiva” this week (a non-fiction story), and we’ll continue working on subtracting within 100. We'll attend mass, work on mass responses, and receive a blessing. 

3A – This week, 3A continues to focus on traditional prayers such as The Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Grace Before Meals. Written assessments will be during the next two weeks. In Language Arts class, we are working on our review of initial, medial and final consonant sounds. We are beginning a program called Second Step. There are several important steps that we will learn to better prepare us to be mindful of the way we treat all people. A few of these steps are: 1. Use respectful words;  2. Face the person you're talking to;  3. Focus on the speaker;  4. Wait your turn to speak. There are many other tips that the students will learn as we move forward and practice strategies in class.

4A – This week, we will focus on the Corporal Works of Mercy as well as continue to review the Mass Parts. Our corporal works of Mercy will help us become closer to Christ. In Reading, we will identify story elements through the great novel Because of Winn-Dixie. In Math, we will review our Place Value Unit as we have our first Math test on Thursday. For our next unit, we will begin to use Eureka Math--our new Math curriculum! In Social Studies, we will begin to use our California Native Peoples and Missions online program. We will focus on the different geographical regions of California. In Science, we will begin our exploration of rocks. Thank you for all your support!

5A –This week, 5th grade will kick off this year's 30 Book Challenge! We're going to set ambitious goals that will help us grow as readers this year. We're focusing on decimal place values and exponential form in math. As always, check Class Dojo for photos and daily updates.

6A   Religion – Students will continue in the Spirit of Mercy Day by journaling about Works of Mercy that they have lived out or witnessed in their lives. 6th Grade will also have their second Building Bridges session with Paula Pardini.   Language Arts – Students will continue their exploration of short story elements by looking at ways authors use direct and indirect characterization. This is a great way for students to practice their inference skills while reading and also their writing skills, by creating original, well-rounded characters. We'll be reading the short story "Miss Awful" while annotating the text in search of characterization strategies.   Math – Hello families! 6th grade students will be discovering what makes a ratio equivalent. If you enjoy cooking, please cook with your child and double or triple a recipe together to reinforce the idea creating equivalent ratios.   Social Studies – Students are practicing their primary source analysis by looking at objects made by their peers, making observations, and asking questions.   Science – This week we will learn the difference between weather and climate, we will record the weather every day we meet, and we will find patterns by comparing the weather we have recorded. We will begin preparing for working in the lab as scientists.

7A  Religion - Students will be visited by Paula Pardini for their first session of Building Bridges this year. 7th grade is also continuing with our new Social Emotional Learning Program: Second Step.   Language Arts - Students are finalizing their Short Story Narrative this week! They have also begun the introduction of Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. In doing so, students will gain a better understanding of the novel's overall content.   Math – Hello families! 7th grade students will be determining if tables and graphs are proportional or non-proportional.   Social Studies – Students will begin to compare and contrast Christianity to Islam after learning about beliefs and traditions of the Islamic Religion.  Science - Students are breaking down the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They are paying special attention to reactants and products in the processes and highlighting the complementary relationship between the processes.

8A   8th Grade Reminder: Please do not forget about our Mandatory 8th Grade Parent Meeting, this Thursday, September 26 at either 7:15 am OR 6:00 pm. We will be discussing the High School Application Process, Retreat, Confirmation and Graduation.

Religion – Students will continue to detail the root of the word “Catholic” and note what Pope Francis wants for the future church. They will also be able to identify and explain disagreements that arose in the early Church and how these have affected Catholic’s beliefs today.   Language Arts - As students wrapped up their writing on their personal narrative, they are introduced to a series of pre-reading activities based on Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine this week. They will comprehend the themes and make use of characterization through their Character Study Notebook.   Math – Hello families! 8th grade will be learning more about exponents and what it means to have an exponent that is zero.   Social Studies – Students are continuing their Family Interview Project and practicing their interview skills. After their interviews, they will reflect on their family values and compare their family values to the five core values of St. Peter's School.   Science - Students are making note of the discoveries made in atomic theory and are now focusing on the structure of the atom.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 25       First Communion Parent Meeting, 5:45 PM in Church

Sept. 26       8th grade Parent Meeting, 7:15 AM or 6:00 PM in the Faculty Meeting Room

Sept. 26       Community Builders Parent Meeting, 5:45 PM in the Elementary Science Lab

Sept. 30       NO SCHOOL; WCEA Accreditation Teacher In-Service

Oct. 2          Payments and Orders due for gray AZTEC sweats

Oct. 2          6th Grade Caritas Creek Parent Preview Meeting, 6:00 PM in the Faculty Meeting Room

Oct. 3          LifeTouch School Picture Day

Oct. 4          Aladdin Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM on the Schoolyard

Oct. 8         4A Field Trip to Garden for the Environment

QUE PASA 9/18/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

Later this week, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, or as we lovingly call it, Mercy Day! 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 20, 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 22 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.

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 victims of Hurricane Dorian.  The classes in grades K-4 and 5-8 that raise the most money will win an ice cream party!

FAMILY INCOME SURVEY

We are still collecting Family Income Surveys (on PINK paper).  If you’ve received a 2nd notice to turn it in, please do so as soon as possible, as these surveys help our school receive extra services.  Thank you for your cooperation!

ST. PETER’S ATHLETIC SWEATS

We are currently taking orders and payments for the gray AZTECS sweats.  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 2.  Don’t miss out!

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

The movie Aladdin will be shown on the St. Peter’s schoolyard on the evening of Friday, October 4.  Ticket and dinner pre-order forms for this movie night have been sent home, along with volunteer and donation forms. Make sure you place your pre-order so you and your family can join in on the fun!

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.

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 - Kindergarten is continuing to “BUZZ” with activity. We are still working on classroom rules and procedures. I am so excited to see them all growing into strong learners and good listeners. We are learning the importance of sitting properly on the rug and keeping our hands always to ourselves. Remember to send your “BEE” (child) with a reusable water bottle (preferably leak proof) and a small healthy snack for morning recess every day!

1A - This week 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 – This week, we're reading “Not Norman” and working on adding and subtracting. We'll attend mass, practice mass responses, and receive a blessing. Please mark your calendars for September 25 for our First Communion meeting at 5:45 PM in St. Peter's Church. If you have not already submitted a copy of your child's baptismal certificate, please do so by this Friday, September 20. Thank you!

3A – This week in Religion class, we will read the story of Mother Catherine McAuley and the beginning of the Sisters of Mercy. We will celebrate the Sisters of Mercy and their presence in our school since it began in 1878. That celebration Mass will begin at 8:30 AM. Please join all us if you can. In Language Arts, we will begin our daily language review which will focus on complete sentences, punctuation and capitalization. In Math class, our emphasis will continue to be on place value through 9,999.

4A – The 4th graders are doing an awesome job with our two online programs Lexia and STMath. This week, we will continue to focus on our Religion responses. We will also be working on Second Step, a socio-emotional program to help us with conflicts and resolutions. In Reading, we will focus on Because of Winn-Dixie, where we will discuss story structure and summarizing. We are up to 10 minutes in our Daily 5 Stamina! In Math, we will finish up our Place Value unit. It is the basis for our future units of Addition/Subtraction and Multiplication/Division. In Science, we will begin our unit on the landforms. In Social Studies, we will continue to focus on Me on the Map. Thank you for all your help and support!

5A - This week, 5th graders will use their place value understanding to relate base ten units from millions to thousandths in math. We’ll also use a silly story by Louis Sachar to practice using story structure elements when summarizing. In religion, 5th graders will come up with their own practical definitions of mercy in honor of Friday’s Mercy Day celebration.  

6A   Religion – Students will be preparing for Mercy Day by defining mercy in their lives and identifying ways that they can live out mercy throughout the year.   Language Arts – This week we are delving further into our short story unit and analyzing different types of conflict. We'll read the tense short story "Amigo Brothers" and create our own comic book representations of types of conflict.   Math – Hello families, this week the 6th grade students are exploring ratios and learning what it means to be equivalent.   Social Studies – Students are getting connected to both Google Classroom and BrainPop where there will be Social Studies lessons and assignments posted throughout the year. You can ask your child to show you their accounts!   Science – This week we will continue to learn about the weather, climate, and meteorology. We will have our first test this week covering the syllabus and the first week of content about weather. We will review as a class prior to the test.

7A  Religion - Students will be preparing for Mercy Day by defining Mercy and identifying ways that they can live out Mercy throughout the whole year. They are also on the second lesson of their Second Step Social Emotional Learning Program in Religion class.   Language Arts - Students have focused on the types of conflict and how it is 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 next week to further comprehension as students read.   Math - 7th grade students are exploring proportional ratios through creating tables and finding a constant.   Social Studies – Students will begin to study the physical geography of Arabia and identify ways that life in Arabia is affected by its geography.   Science - Students have now tested on class procedures and the scope and sequence of the academic year. Now, seventh grade begins their journey into life science by way of photosynthesis.

8A   Religion – Students will be able to detail the root of the word “Catholic” and note what Pope Francis wants for the future church. The emphasis on service and mercy lends itself to our Mercy Day celebration at the end of the week.   Language Arts - Students are finalizing their Personal Narrative Essay this week! Next week, they will begin the pre-reading activities for their first novel, Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine. This will serve as the contextual background of the different topics and themes that will be introduced as they read.   Math – 8th grade is continuing to work with exponents. There will be math games and activities on Thursday to reinforce their learning of the concepts.  Social Studies – 8th graders will begin a Family Interview Project and some 8th grade students will be interviewing community members for the St. Peter's Legacy Project.    Science - Students have now tested on class procedures and the scope and sequence of the academic year. Now, eighth graders start their year of science by studying atoms.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 20        Mercy Day School Mass, 8:30 AM

Sept. 22        Sunday Family Mass, 9:30 AM and Reception after Mass

Sept. 23        12:30 PM Dismissal 

Sept. 25        First Communion Parent Meeting, 5:45 PM in Church

Sept. 26        8th grade Parent Meeting, 7:15 AM or 6:00 PM

Oct. 2           Payments and Orders due for gray AZTEC sweats

Oct. 2          6th Grade Caritas Creek Parent Preview Meeting, 6:00 PM in the Faculty Meeting Room

Oct. 3           LifeTouch School Picture Day

Oct. 4           Aladdin Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM on the schoolyard

QUE PASA 9/11/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

Yesterday, celebrating our first mass of the school year led me to reflect on the important role that parents play in helping our children to grow closer to God and grow in faith.  Our Student Learning Expectations, or “SLEs,” stem from our Core Values to Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite, and living out all these values helps our children to grow academically, spiritually, and socially.    

The teachers and I will be regularly referencing our SLEs, which are listed below, posted throughout the school, and available on our school website, www.stpeterssf.org.  

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 time, gifts, and joy with the school community.

- 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.

Talk to your child about how they live out our SLEs at school and at home!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

BAPTISM

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

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 this Friday, September 13.

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.

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 clearly labeled with his/her name and grade. 

AZTECS SWEATS

Last week, order forms for the gray AZTECS SWEATS (which can be worn on most Fridays) were sent home.  Extra forms are available in the office.  These sweats are on sale for a LIMITED TIME, so submit your order and payment by the October 2 due date!

ODDS-AND-ENDS SALE

Sr. Lucy is hosting an Odds-and-Ends sale Monday-Friday next week, every morning from 7:30-7:50, and after school on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday if items are still available.  Items are free, but donations will be accepted and given to the school’s Missions collection.

IN THE CLASSROOM

KINDER - Kindergarten is officially a BUZZ! On Friday, we celebrated making it through our first week of school with popsicles! We are ready to GROW and share our LOVE! Remember to bring in your "ART T-shirts" and preferably a reusable water bottle!

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 - We are reading “The Big Red Lollipop.”  We are practicing addition and subtraction within 100, writing about ourselves, and attended our first school mass on Tuesday! 

3A – This week we will continue our STAR testing in Math.  We practiced our Mass responses in preparation for our opening school Mass.  We will also begin our Coding Class with Miss Kendall, who is our USF Partner. The students are excited for this opportunity which will GROW their mindset in yet another way. 

4A – This week in 4A, the students will learn about growth mindset. We will focus on Mass responses in Religion and had our first school Mass on Tuesday. In Math, we will begin reviewing place value. In Literacy Block, we will review parts of a story. Homework and Spelling begin this week. We will have our first Spelling Test on Friday. 

5A - This week, 5th graders are beginning to learn about the Readers' & Writers' Workshop structure we'll use in ELA this year. We have officially started our spelling routines, so your child should be studying for our first spelling test of the year! Spelling tests will always be on Fridays unless I post otherwise on Class Dojo. In math, 5th graders are using place value charts to expand their understanding of the relationship between adjacent base ten units. Check Class Dojo for daily updates and photos! 

6A   Religion –We will be preparing for our Building Bridges program with Paula Pardini. Paula will lead ten sessions throughout the year with 6th grade to support them in building a faith community and treating each other as Jesus would treat them.    Language Arts – Students will continue to explore the importance of setting in a story. We will read the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" to analyze how setting and social context can help drive a story's plot. Students have already begun working on our online reading program, Lexia Power Up, and have set learning goals for themselves.   Math – Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 6th graders will learn about ratios.    Social Studies – Students are carefully reading the tech policy and finding important details that will support them in accomplishing our Schoolwide Learning Expectation of using technology responsibly and effectively.    Science – It was great to meet many parents at Back to School Night. A letter about our 6th grade science class was given to parents. For those of you who did not attend, your scientist will be taking a letter home this week. The back of the letter has a place for you to add comments and sign. This week our scientists will be learning about the weather, including severe weather.

7A   Religion – Students are preparing to begin their Building Bridges program for their 7th grade year with Paula Pardini this week. Paula will support them in continuing what they learned with her in their 6th grade time with her.    Language Arts - Students are continuing to identify and analyze the types of conflict in a short story. They are transitioning to applying the types of conflict, internal or external, in their very own short story!   Math - Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 7th graders will learn about ratio and rates.   Social Studies – Students are looking ahead to the units they will explore this school year and will begin their Arabia Unit this Friday.   Science - Students are completing their conversation about school policies and, at the end of the week, will be showing me what they know about the following: definition of science, four main themes of science, class policies, percentage worth of assignments, and main themes to be covered in class.

8A   Religion – Students will be finalizing their lesson on the Catholic community and apostolic succession. They will also be discussing the importance of the sacraments in student's 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 in the beginning stages of composing their Personal Narratives based on a challenge they have overcame or currently overcoming. They are also continuing the High School Application process, scheduling shadow visits and creating accounts for their online applications.   Math - Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 8th graders will be learning about exponential notation.   Social Studies – Students are annotating the technology policy so that they can begin the year with a clear understanding of the way that they can accomplish our Schoolwide Learning Expectation: Accomplish by using technology respectfully and effectively.    Science - Students are completing their conversation about school policies and, at the end of the week, will be showing me what they know about the following: definition of science, four main themes of science, class policies, percentage worth of assignments, and main themes to be covered in class.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 3-13      STAR Testing, Window 1

Sept. 12         St. Ignatius Presentation to 8th graders

Sept. 16-20    “Dimes from Heaven” Collection

Sept 20          Mercy Day School Mass, 8:30 AM

Sept 22          Sunday Family Mass and Reception, 9:30 AM

Sept. 23         12:30 Dismissal

Sept. 25         Parent Communion Meeting in Church, 5:45 PM

Sept. 26         8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7:15 AM or 6:00 PM

QUE PASA 9/4/2019 (ENGLISH)

Dear Parents,

       While we are completing these first full days 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.  Your partnership is valuable to us, and we hope to strengthen that collaboration as the year goes on!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

WCEA ACCREDITATION

Your partnership is even more valuable this year, as we work towards re-accreditation.  The process began last year, as parents and students completed special school surveys and teachers began collecting and writing about evidence of student learning. 

This accreditation process helps our school seek the best and most effective ways to educate children for the 21st century, infusing this education with a strong and vital Catholic identity, while supporting parents in their role as the primary educators of their children. Every six years we have the opportunity for a very specific Self Study process leading to the re-accreditation of the school. This year, the school will continue to involve faculty, staff, parents, and students in this process using a specific protocol outlined by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA). This coming March, a Visiting Committee from WCEA will review our Self Study document, including our Action Plan for ongoing improvement, and will determine our accreditation status for the next six years. Throughout the year, we will be keeping you informed about this Self Study and Accreditation process. We welcome your support, your feedback, and your prayers for the success of this process!

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

7:10-7:35 à Parents visit Middle School Classrooms

There will be child care available in the Parish Hall from 6:00-7:45 PM.  Parking is very limited, so please avoid driving to school, if possible.  *Make sure you pick up your Parent-Student Handbook at the table in the school yard tonight!

STAR TESTING

We have begun STAR testing this week, and will continue next week as well.  These tests help teachers understand students’ areas of strength and areas for extra growth.  Last year, the tests showed the greatest growth average among our students since we’ve begun taking these tests five years ago.  Let’s continue this academic growth this year!

CLASS DOJO

We want all parents to be connected to Class Dojo, a school communication app.  Please join our school on Class Dojo using the code provided for your child(ren), which will be distributed to parents at Back-to-School Night if you are not yet connected.  Each child has his/her own unique code, so if you have more than one child at St. Peter’s, be sure to connect to each of your children’s teachers!

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.

The Buena Vista Child Care (BVCC) After School Program is available to students in grades K-8.  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.

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. 

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 as soon as possible.

IN THE CLASSROOM

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 - We're reading HELP! A Story of Friendship, reviewing addition with regrouping, learning how to choose the best books for us, and praying for others.  We’re also having lunch in the lunchroom now! Please pack lots of snacks! We're off to a great start!

3A – Welcome back to school. We're off to a fantastic start. The third graders were all present for the first days of school, the supplies are almost complete, and the uniforms were 100% including their school shoes. Parents and students, you're REALLY exemplifying two of our School-Wide Learning Expectations.  You're ACCOMPLISHING and UNITING!

4A – We had a great first week in 4A! This week, we will be reviewing rules and procedures by focusing on topics of growth mindset, respect, and honesty. We will begin STAR testing this week, so please make sure your child gets a good night sleep and eats a healthy breakfast. We will also be practicing our Mass responses this week. Welcome to 4A!

5A - It's been an awesome first week for St. Peter's Class of 2023! 5th graders are doing well learning our classroom routines. We're taking our baseline STAR assessments in both math and reading this week, finishing our 5th grade class constitution, and talking about the growth mindset principles we'll use to challenge ourselves to grow throughout this school year. Check Class Dojo for daily updates and photos!   

6A   Religion and Social Studies – Welcome to 6th grade, students and families! I (Miss Land) am excited to be your child's homeroom teacher this year as they begin their time in middle school. This week in homeroom we are collecting all emergency forms, connecting parents to Class Dojo, practicing middle school procedures, and enjoying some team building activities to get to know our classmates better. I look forward to meeting you at Back to School Night and sharing more about what this year will be like for your 6th grader!   Language Arts – We will begin our ELA curriculum with an in-depth look at the elements of a short story, starting with setting and social context. We will also start practicing our procedures for our rotational learning stations.   Math - Hello families, I (Mrs. Hanson) am teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th Mathematics this year. So far we have had some teamwork activities and covered classroom procedures. This week we will look for mathematical patterns and review procedures in the classroom.   Science – Welcome 6th Grade Science students and families! I (Ms. Solorio) am thrilled to be a part of the St. Peter's School family and to be teaching science this year. This week we will be reviewing our syllabus to ensure there is clarity about how to create a scientific community that enables exploration, learning, and growth. We are also getting to know each other and I look forward to continue doing that by seeing you at Back to School Night tonight. We will end the week with an introduction to the science topics we will cover this year. See you on tonight!

7A   Homeroom - This week we will continue practicing our homeroom routines and procedures. Mrs. Fresnoza will also begin meeting with students to help set goals for the school year!  Religion and Social Studies – Welcome and welcome back! I (Miss Land) am happy to be teaching and learning again with your child this year and working with you to ensure their success! See you at Back to School Night!   Language Arts - Welcome back! This week we are focusing on getting to know one another, while also learning the importance of 7th Grade. Additionally, 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.    Math - Hello families, I (Mrs. Hanson) am teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th Mathematics this year. So far we have had some teamwork activities and covered classroom procedures. This week we will look for mathematical patterns and review procedures in the classroom.     Science - Knowing how to start our science class is a key to its success and effectiveness. This week we continue to work on our norms and procedures! We will end our week by looking at the topics that we will cover throughout our academic year.

8A   Religion – Students will participate in various introductory activities, 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. They will also identify and explain the Catholic community and apostolic succession.   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. Additionally, students will focus on Personal Narratives, what it means, how it applies to everyday and literature-based examples.   Math – Hello families, I (Mrs. Hanson) am teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th Mathematics this year. So far we have had some teamwork activities and covered classroom procedures. This week we will look for mathematical patterns and review procedures in the classroom.    Social Studies – Welcome and welcome back! I (Miss Land) am happy to be teaching and learning again with your child this year and working with you to ensure their success! See you at Back to School Night!   Science - Knowing how to start our science class is a key to its success and effectiveness. This week we continue to work on our norms and procedures! We will end our week by looking at the topics that we will cover throughout our academic year.

REMINDERS:

Sept. 3-13     STAR Testing, Window 1

Sept. 4           Back-to-School Night, 6:00 – 7:45 PM

Sept. 6           All school forms due

Sept 10          Opening of School Year Mass, 8:10 AM

Sept. 13         Emergency Kit due

QUE PASA -- 8/28/2019 (English)

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 Kindergarten teacher is Mrs. Jennifer Gonsalves.  Mrs. Sarah Hanson is our new Middle School Math Teacher. Ms. Ana Solorio joins us as our new Mercy Corps volunteer for this school year.

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

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.  Join us in helping students to live their values in all they say and do.

BEFORE and AFTER SCHOOL

The school doors on Florida Street 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 and Florida Streets.  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 29.  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.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Back to School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4.  There will be childcare available if necessary.  Please see the attached flyerfor the schedule for Back-to-School Night.   

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 for your child’s safety and due back to school by Friday, September 6.

GENERAL AZTEC SOCCER ANNOUNCMENT

Co-ed Kinder and 2nd grade soccer team members, as well as 4/5 and 6/7 combo soccer team members, your coaches would like to meet you and your parents on Thursday, August 29 right after school at 12:30 p.m. Please ask your parents to attend this brief informational meeting to exchange contact information and set expectations for parents, players, and coaches.

FIRST GRADE SOCCER PLAYERS

We are looking for a couple more players to play up to fill our 2nd grade Co-Ed soccer roster. If you are interested in playing, please contact Mr. Suárez as soon as possible!

CAFETERIA and LUNCHES

Cafeteria service will begin on Tuesday, September 3. Please make sure your child brings payment for lunch if he/she will be purchasing their lunch.

** Lunches may not 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.  

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 September 4. 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.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

St. Cecilia School (660 Vicente Street, San Francisco) is seeking an Extended Care/Afterschool Aide for their Transitional Kindergarten Program.  Work hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 2:45-6:00; Wednesday from 2:15-6:00; and Minimum days from 12:15-6:00.    If interested, please send resume and cover letter to: Chris Uskert (cuskert@stceciliaschool.org)

REMINDERS:

August 29-30   12:30 Dismissal

August 29         BVCC Services Begin

September 2     No School – Labor Day Holiday

September 3     Regular School Schedule Begins, 7:55 AM - 3:00 PM

September 3     Cafeteria Services Begin

September 4     Back-to-School Night, 6:00 7:45 PM

September 6     All school forms due

September 13   Student Emergency Kit due

QUE PASA--6/5/2019 (English)

Dear Parents,

       Together, we made it to the last few days of school!  Our students showed so much growth this school year. Thank you for being partners in our children’s education!

       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 28!

--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez

THANK YOU!

Two of our teachers will be moving on from St. Peter’s School at the end of this school year.  Mr. Guzman, our middle school math teacher, and Ms. VanConas, our Mercy Corps Volunteer, have dedicated so much time and love to our students.  We are extremely grateful for their service and wish them the best on their future endeavors!

ACADEMIC AWARDS ASSEMBLY

Tomorrow—Thursday, June 6 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. 

NO AFTER SCHOOL SERVICES

There will be no BVCC after school services available tomorrow, Thursday, June 6 (12:30 Dismissal) and Friday, June 7 (10:00 Dismissal).

The Computer lab is also now closed for the school year.

FRIDAY—END-OF-SCHOOL YEAR MASS

This Friday, June 7 at 8:30AM, we will have our final school mass for this school year.  Please join in this special celebration.  Since it is a mass day—no gray sweats or free dress passes may be used on this day.

BVCC SUMMER PROGRAM

The BVCC Summer Program will be at St. Peter’s School from June 10 – July 26.  Registration forms are available in the school office and at BVCC.  If you have further questions, please call Rochelle at 415-713-0625. 

YEARBOOK

There are still some yearbooks available for purchase in the school office.  $25 for a full-color, hardcover memory book for this school year!  Supplies are limited!

SOCCER COACH NEEDED

Aztecs! Do you play soccer? Are you interested in coaching?! We are very excited to announce that we will be starting a second-grade soccer team next year! The league is not part of CYO, as they do not begin team play until third grade, but we firmly believe that exposing our students to sports at an earlier age can only be beneficial! Please contact our Athletic Director Jim Sanchez at 415-722-3999 if you are interested in helping out! 

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.  Information about the Summer Learning Challenge is also available on the school website, www.stpterssf.org

UNIFORM SHOES

Beginning next school year (August 2019), we will a have new uniform shoe policy to help show our UNITY as a school.  Uniform shoes will be solid black or solid white rubber-soled shoes or sneakers; no boots.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

END-OF-YEAR MESSAGES FROM TEACHERS

1A - Thank you for a wonderful year! Your children have been a true pleasure to teach. It has been such a privilege to watch them learn and grow and I can't wait to see all of the amazing things they will go on to do. Please continue to support them over the summer by reading, visiting the library, and completing the summer learning challenge. Encourage them to go for the grand prize. Have a wonderful summer! :)   From: Ms. Rowe

2A – Each day I am just amazed at how much these students have grown. To hear them talk about proper nouns, adverbs, multiplication facts, and worm castings is like music to my ears! I hope everyone has a restful summer and you spend time with loved ones. Read, read, read! Find ways to stay busy and keep your brains growing!  From: Mrs. Schusteritsch

3A – It has been an amazing year with much growth and many accomplishments.  You are an AWESOME class.  I will truly miss each of you and I love you dearly.  I believe that you will make impressive 4th graders.  You are prepared with all of the knowledge that you have acquired.  Please do all that you can to stay prepared throughout the summer.  This means NO SUMMER SLIDE but instead working daily on your STMath lessons as well as your Summer Learning Challenge.  Stay focused on your ability to achieve and have a spectacular summer.  From: Mrs. Gonzalez

4A - Wow, I cannot believe our school year is coming to a close! It has been a privilege teaching your children this year. These 5th-Graders-in-Training are kind, hard-working and determined to succeed. We will finish out our week with a variety of fun activities, some cleaning, and of course, our mini field-trip the Precita Park. Thank you for all your help and support this year. I will miss this class so much! I really appreciate it! Please begin to work on the Summer Learning Challenge--Let's keep the learning up!  From: Ms. Watters

5A – I'm so impressed by how much the 5th graders have grown this school year! Ask your child to explain the graphs of their STAR growth they brought home over the weekend. This week, we will continue to talk more about how our soon-to-be 6th graders can continue growing their brains over this summer with some summer goal-setting activities. We’ll also celebrate the start of summer with Wednesday’s special trip to Burger Joint, care of the Ramirez-Cauich families. Thank you for sharing your children with me! It's been such an honor to spend this year with them!  From: Ms. Storms

6A  To our 6th graders: Thank you so much for such a wonderful year full of growing, accomplishing, loving, serving, and uniting! It has been such a joy to teach you and learn with you this school year! I am looking forward to seeing each of you for 7th grade Social Studies! We have a lot more to learn and explore together! I wish you and your family a very exciting and safe summer! Thank you, parents and families, for your support from home this year with our schoolwork and our class activities and fundraisers! We would not have had such a wonderful year without all of your help and support! God bless you all!  From: Ms. Land

7A   I want to thank 7A families for giving your children the love, support, and patience they needed during their 7th grade year. It was a pleasure working with them. I wish them all the best moving forward. St. Peter's School is looking forward to seeing their growth as they become next year's leaders. May God bless you.  From: Mr. Guzman 

REMINDERS

June 6            9:00 AM, Awards Assembly in church

June 6           12:30 Dismissal

                      Computer Lab and BVCC Closed

June 7           8:30 AM, End of School Year Mass

June 7           10:00 Dismissal – Last Day of School!

                      Computer Lab and BVCC Closed

August 28     First day of the 2019-2020 School Yea