Specials Spotlight

Fourth graders are making pinch pots. I wasn't quite sure how they would do with their first venture into clay, so we did a trial run last week. I needed to make sure I could teach them to build a pinch pot with walls thick enough to support other structures, but thin enough to be a vessel. Well, let me tell you, those fourth graders came ready to build. They scored, slipped, smashed, and smoothed like pros, and their little practice cats held up really well! I dipped them in a little fortifying solution and their are ready to paint next week.

This week, the artists chose their own animal to create. They used the same method as last week. First they created a small pinch pot, then used the Four S method to connect a head and then added all the other details. I was evaluating student artists on smooth, even pinch pot walls, evidence of the Four S Method(score, slip, smash, smooth), if most of their details stayed on their animal after drying, and whether or not they used a variety of artistic habits.

Mark your calendars! The highly anticipated Scholastic Book Fair returns from December 1st to December 10th! As an added bonus, 55% of the profits are returned to the school to use to purchase library and classroom books, shelving, educational materials, etc. Every purchase directly benefits St. Cecilia students and teachers!

It’s the perfect opportunity to ignite a love of reading in your child as they explore a fantastic selection and pick out their very own books. Get them psyched up for new adventures!

Special Event: Donuts with Grownups!

Join us for a sweet morning! Our popular Donuts with Grownups event will be held on Friday, December 5th, from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM.

Students are invited to bring a special adult (parent, grandparent, guardian, etc.) to share a delicious donut and explore the Book Fair together before the school day begins. It’s a wonderful way to kick off the fair and encourage shared reading!

• Explore the Fair Online: Start browsing the amazing selection now and create a wish list with your reader: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/stceciliacathedralschool1

We can't wait to see you there! #ScholasticBookFairs

I am looking forward to preparing students for auditions in the next few weeks. After Thanksgiving break I will be helping students during music class to prepare the script reading, singing, and dance excerpts for their auditions. We will be making resources available soon for these students so they can practice at home as well. Here are some thoughts that may help prepare you and/or your students for this process.

Be prepared! If possible, have your student practice their audition at home. Encourage them to use an expressive voice and face, make big gestures, and really try to portray the character they are playing as in each excerpt. Singing and speaking nice and loud is also really helpful!

Any audition can be a stressful experience. Encourage your kiddo to be brave and try their best! Emotions often run high with an audition, so prepare your student to do their best and be willing to accept the results. When casting, we will always put a student in a role that they will be successful at. Unfortunately, we only have so much room on our stage. I would love to cast every student that auditions, but that is not a real possibility. Not being cast means please try again next year! Your kiddo will be that much better at it from the experience.

Last week was an incredibly impressive performance by 2nd through 5th Grade students! There was an average growth of 6.72 rounds (+18%) on the PACER Test, which is outstanding! There were a remarkable number of students, 59, who achieved a personal record, best on the PACER Test as well. Rather than listing all the names this time around, pictures were taken of those who set new personal records. The hard work and persistence over the previous seven weeks paid off! Next week students who achieved a personal record on the Timed-Lap and/or Push-Up Tests will be highlighted.

Middle School students are working on Pickleball right now. From serving cross-court to dinking and rallying, students are getting the hang of striking an object with a paddle. The first class period focuses on rallying. Once we’ve got a group of four who are ready we start having matches, which will eventually be competitive by keeping score. Pickleball will continue for Middle School students through Nov. 21 (Friday classes) or Dec. 1 (Monday classes).

PreK continues to work on jumping over a moving rope this week. Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are individually jumping a short jump rope. We begin with forward turns and work our way to backwards, even possibly challenging variations. 2nd through 5th Grade are working as a group to turn and jump a long rope five consecutive times. Ideally each group makes their way to the basketball challenge while jumping rope. Next week, PreK through 1st Grade students will begin using a pickleball paddle while 2nd through 5th Grade students will shift to individual, short jump ropes.

We had a productive and exciting week in Technology Class! Here is a brief look at the concepts and skills your students explored:

Pre-K: Introduction to Engineering & Coding Concepts

To introduce the foundational idea of computer programming, students:

• Listened to the inspiring book Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beatty.

• Followed up with interactive board lessons to practice the problem-solving and sequencing skills demonstrated in the story.

Kindergarten (KG): Launching Our Programming Unit

Our Kindergarteners are taking their first steps into the world of coding!

• We began our programming unit using Code.org.

• The initial focus is on essential skills like puzzles and sequencing, which form the building blocks of logical thinking and code. We will continue this unit over the coming weeks.

1st Grade: Hands-On Robotics with BeeBot

• Students repeated and refined the BeeBot robot programming lesson from last week.

• Having built on their initial experience, they successfully and smoothly programmed their robots, reinforcing their understanding of commands and sequence.

2nd Grade: Exploring Academic Skills with SplashLearn

Second graders were introduced to a fantastic new resource: SplashLearn.

• This is a game-based, curriculum-aligned online learning program that offers interactive activities to help students practice essential math and reading skills (such as counting, addition, shapes, and letter sounds).

• Benefits: SplashLearn supports confidence building, offers personalized learning paths, and includes progress tracking for both parents and teachers. This is a valuable tool to help reinforce fundamental skills.

We look forward to another week of exploring technology and building future-ready skills!