Congratulations to Ms. DeLuca!
We are proud to announce that Ms. Domenica DeLuca will be our new Director of Admissions and Marketing! She will remain the Grade 4 teacher throughout this school year and transition to the new full-time position on July 1st.
We believe in supporting our Faculty and Staff's personal goals of advancement within our school. After reviewing many applications and interviewing multiple candidates, we strongly believe that Ms. DeLuca's experiences not only in teaching but also in marketing as well as involvement in our school and parish community made her the best applicant.
Please congratulate Ms. DeLuca as she prepares for this full-time role in July 2023.
Thank you to Renalyn for all the work you have done for our school community and our prospective and current families. We will miss you very much!
A Message from Our Director of Development, Mrs. Patricia Salic
During this season of giving, I hope that you and your families will consider a gift to our beloved school. Your generosity of time, talent, and resources benefit our entire community. Please consider donating today here. Please look out for our formal request in the coming days.
Book Fair Open For Students 12/4 - 12/6!
Get ready for an upcoming literary adventure at St. Marys! Our Scholastic Book Fair will be open for students from Monday (12/4) to Wednesday (12/6) during library time. Transforming into a haven for readers of all ages, the fair will offer a diverse array of captivating stories, educational wonders, and imaginative worlds. From beloved classics to the latest literary adventures, there's something for everyone. This event not only fosters a love for reading but also contributes to building our school library collection. Your support at the Book Fair helps us acquire new books and resources that benefit our students. Join us in encouraging your children to explore the wonders of reading and share in the joy of discovering new books. Thank you for being a part of our literary celebration. We look forward to seeing you there!
Check out our school website to set up your child’s eWallet: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/stmarys
Promoting Academic Excellence with Each Grade's Curriculum
Our Instructional Leadership Team members, Mrs. Kacie Palmer and Ms. Domenica DeLuca, met with teacher teams during our bi-weekly Professional Learning Communities to map out curricula from PreK through Grade 8. On this day, they focused on reading and writing academic goals by grade level. While curriculum is already set, organizing it in a vertically aligned document is essential in maintaining and promoting academic excellence at our school.
Library Class Update
Recently, Mr. Pike’s library students have been transitioning into the holiday season by sharing books that focus on Christmas and celebrating the coming of winter! A few highlights include: Olivia Helps with Christmas, Arthur's Christmas, and Teddy Bear's Christmas.
The fun is enhanced by holiday and winter-themed movement break activities. These breaks are balanced out by short, yet educational videos demonstrating various library-based topics.
Circulation is thriving, and new books are being continually added to our collection. Students have been especially pleased with the expansion of our graphic novel inventory.
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
In Ms. DeLuca’s 4th grade science class, students have been combining engineering, history, culture, and the scientific method by learning about the TarPul. TarPul translates to “Wire Bridge” and is a type of technology that has been very important to the people in Nepal to transport people from one side of a river to another. Students learned the term “compaction” and used the new vocabulary to test different two different types of soil: rocky and organic. By adding weights incrementally to their model TarPul, students were able to measure the difference in compaction between the two soil types.
Grade 5
5th graders will soon be the stars of the show as the Christmas Pageant approaches quickly! This week, students were introduced to the script for the Christmas Pageant. They are combining their skills in Drama class with their reading and presenting skills as they rehearse the scenes. Meanwhile, the transition into winter is coming with a transition of topics in social studies and science. In social studies, students began a new unit on the American Revolution. In science, the topic is planet Earth and its position in space.
Grade 6
In math, students are diving into a whole new world: algebra. The skills they are learning right now will be the foundations for more advanced math in the years ahead.
In 6th Grade Social Studies, students began their unit on Egypt. They learned all about the Nile River and its importance to Ancient Egyptian culture, and they learned how to write in hieroglyphics.
In Religion class, one point the 6th graders have been learning is that all of Scripture is inspired by God, and that just as the Spirit of God was present at the beginning of Creation and within Adam, so too is it present within the Scriptures.
In 6th grade Earth Science, students learned all about the three different types of rocks. This includes metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary. With this knowledge, they will take next week to learn all about the rock cycle.
Grade 7
In Mr. Febesh's class, 7th grade recently began their mini-unit on Japan. This included learning about the Samurai and their code of honor called Bushido. Students made posters with the Japanese character of one of the seven virtues of Bushido.
In 7th grade ELA, our students have been reading Corrie ten Boom's "The Hiding Place," a memoir of a Christian family's efforts to hide Jews during WWII and their subsequent imprisonment in concentration camps. We've been walking through the history of anti-Jewish laws that led up to the concentration camps, and understanding what life was like during the Nazi takeovers.
In Social Studies class, the 7th grade recently began their mini unit on Japan. This included learning about the Samurai and their code of honor called Bushido. Students made posters with the Japanese character of one of the seven virtues of Bushido.
In 7th grade Science, students chose a specific cell that captured their interest and researched the difference in the cell’s function and structure compared to a standard animal cell they had previously learned about in their text. Next week, students will complete a clay model of their cell and present what they learned about their specialized cell to their classmates.
Grade 8
In Math class, our 8th-grader scholars explored the relationships between multiple linear inequalities and gained a visual insight into the possible solutions that simultaneously satisfy both linear inequalities. This visual representation helps them make sense of complex scenarios, such as budgeting constraints, and production possibilities with limited resources. These practical examples not only reinforce mathematical concepts but also highlight the importance of mathematical reasoning in everyday decision-making.
In Social Studies, 8th grade took a deep dive into the Articles of Confederation and why our first government failed. They are gearing up for a simulation of the Constitutional Convention on Monday.
