NOVEMBER 2009
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Grades K-6 and 9th grade have been working on endurance the past few weeks. The students in these grades recently ran a mile outside. WELL DONE!
KINDERGARTEN
October has been a busy month for the Kindergarten class. Each day the group has learned more about wild and tame animals, and now know that all animals need food, water, and shelter in order to survive. Our Head Start friends and the kindergartners together visited the John and Darlene Pfeifer pumpkin patch this month. Both groups of students learned that pumpkins are grown in a field or a garden. Then they painted and decorated their own pumpkin at Head Start. On October 13th, the K-2nd grades went to another pumpkin patch and had fun with all of the rides and activities. The students each got to take a pumpkin home that they had chosen. Our classroom door is decorated with autumn leaves and wonderful pictures the students have drawn about their pumpkin patch fun. Come see! The kids are excitedly waiting for their first Halloween party at school!! BOO
1st & 2nd GRADES
The month of October has been full of fun and new learning experiences for the 1st & 2nd graders. The first week of the month we talked about how to be safe from fires. It was Fire Prevention Week. The kids made Home Fire Escape Plans with safe outside meeting places. On Friday we visited the Spalding Fire Department. They liked the big Fire Trucks. On October 13th the K-1-2 graders traveled to Norfolk. They visited the radio station of U.S. 92 and 94 Rock. They even got to be on the radio! They also went to Kids Against Hunger and helped make bags of food. They were proud to help others who are hungry! In the afternoon they went to Poppy's Pumpkin Patch. It has been a fun month and we wish you a Happy and Safe Halloween!!
SCIENCE
Environmental students are out and about testing the Cedar River Stabilization Project for changes in erosion on the river. A&P is learning about the skin they're in. Physical raced matchbox cars to understand the measurements and calculations for velocity and acceleration. Earth students are blowing their tops about having to study earthquakes and volcanoes. Seventh grade computers class finished up on word projects that also taught a lot of American history in the process. Biology found a yummy way to learn about the cell by several students making edible cell models out of cakes, pan bars and large cookies. Chemistry measured the difference and found the metric system to be significantly easier to use in science. Thanks for the great attendance Parents at conferences, Teachers really appreciate it!
NCYC...
Our school Mass is celebrated with about 150 people, November 19th through the 21st, three of our SA students will be experiencing Mass with 20,000 people!
They will experience this and many other faith and fun-filled concerts, workshops, games, liturgies, prayer services and more during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Kansas City, MO. Susan Bauer, Maria Glaser & Kassi Hartley will be representing Spalding Academy along with 5 other youth from St. Theresa's in Ericson and Sacred Heart in Greeley for the 3 day trip. Sponsors for the trip are Rob and Maggie Smith.
Those attending have the opportunity to meet thousands of other young Catholics from around the country. We will also get to be acquainted with Catholics from across the Grand Island Diocese as we travel together on buses from Grand Island.
Please continue to pray for our SA students, all students and sponsors making the pilgrimage to the National Catholic Youth Conference this month!
7th GRADE RELIGION
Seventh grade religion students have been learning about the Holy Spirit! We've learned that the Holy Spirit is always with us - even in our everyday activities like listening to music. Students brought in some of their favorite songs from radio play and movies and played them for us in class. Students chose songs that reminded them of the Holy Spirit by what the Holy Spirit does for us or perhaps even songs that talked about symbols of the Holy Spirit like wind and fire! All the 7th graders stood up in front of their class and told why their song reminded them of the Holy Spirit. Ask your student what their song was and remember to ask why it reminded them of the Holy Spirit!
Also as a part of our learning about the Holy Spirit, we are learning how Catholics believe that our work and our ministry are valuable expressions of our worth as children of God! Every baptized member of the Church is called to service through using his/her gifts, talents and abilities! So 5 students and 1 parent volunteered time on a day off from school to play Bingo with residents at the Friendship Villa. We had a great time helping residents with Bingo, visiting, eating cookies and sharing our time and talents!
ALL SOULS DAY
All Souls' Day is a Roman Catholic day commemorating the faithfully departed or those believed to be in purgatory. It is celebrated on November 2. All Souls Day was established in the eleventh century. The day purposely follows All Saints' Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory. On this day, three requiem masses are celebrated: one for the celebrant, one for the departed, and one for the pope. Here at SpaldingAcademy, we will begin the celebration with a school wide prayer in the morning and incorporate different aspects of All Souls Day throughout the day.
DIOCESE INSERVICE DAY
Oct. 5th the SA teachers attended the GI Diocese Inservice Day at North Platte Saint Pat's School. Many great ideas were brought home by these teachers with the biggest being to ¡†have a Catholic Identity with your school. That is something all involved with Spalding Academy need to stay focused on, that this school is a Catholic School in which our main goal is to teach the Catholic faith and integrate it in all parts of our curriculum.
NOTES FROM MRS. MCKAY
*In preparation for Advent, and in refocusing their lives toward God, the students of Spalding Academy will be taking part in a Reconciliation Service on November 12th. Grades 7-12 will be from 1:00-2:00 followed by Grades 3-6 from 2:30-3:30.
*With November being the month of Thanksgiving, students will once again be thanking God for all that they have and share that gratitude by donating to needy at our school Thanksgiving Mass on the November 25th. More information on this will be sent home with your children at a later date.
*Advent is just around the corner, and that is an advantage we have at a Catholic School, in that we embrace our Church Holidays and bring these celebrations into our school and teachings. All the students will once again take part in morning prayer during the Advent season.
* We have just finished up our first quarter of school. Parent-Teacher Conferences were well attended giving you parents that chance to visit with the teachers, especially those new teachers we have this year. Getting used to newness and change with teachers can sometimes be difficult for students and parents alike. So please keep up that line of communication you have started with these teachers throughout the rest of the school year, and continue to help us educate your child through your support and guidance of your child. One such way is mantras quotes that are catchy, repetitive phrases that parents can use with their children. Children who establish life patterns of planning and working evolve into adults who are capable and responsible. Following are a couple mantras you can use with your child to help them do better:
Bear in mind that a faithful friend is hard to find. So when you've found one just and true, don't change the old one for the new.
Show me your friends and I'll tell you what you are.
Good, better, best! I will never rest until my good is better and my better is my best. That's the secret to success.
Plan your work and work your plan.
