The Knight Light - October 2025
Our first day of school, the courtyard quickly filled with loving parents, grandparents, and siblings; the boys and girls naturally displayed quiet anticipation and a small amount of anxiety. But, within a very short time, the children delighted in new friendships and the joy of learning, and they began to arrive each morning with smiles of excitement and interest.
We gratefully continue our Religion course of study in the form of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to religious formation for children, rooted in the Bible, the Liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles and gifted insight of Maria Montessori. This inspiring and prayerful curriculum encourages the children to quietly listen as God whispers to each of them personally. The boys and girls enter the Atrium in peaceful silence and after listening to a presentation, proceed with their hands-on work and in it, find a closer and deeper relationship with God; while at the same time learning about the liturgy, scripture, and the history of our Church.
We excitedly continue our reading series, “The Superkids!” This comprehensive curriculum is in complete alignment with Common Core Standards and could not be more appealing to the children. Every eight to ten days the boys and girls receive their very own workbook and meet an engaging new character, and through these characters and their diverse interests, learn all the essential elements necessary to become confident, independent readers. In Math, we have been building the children’s number sense, which includes recognizing the relationships between numbers and representing numbers in a variety of ways. And, while researching the causes and consequences of pushes and pulls on Science.
Each week of the first five weeks of school we focused on one of our Student Learning Expectations, as we discussed growing and learning to be active faith filled Catholics, lifelong learners, effective communicators, and responsible citizens, as well as culturally aware/global citizens.
On September 8th we celebrated Blessed Mother’s birthday, singing “Happy Birthday” to our Mother in Heaven as we reflected on her example of living every day of her life on earth with complete faith and trust in God and the importance of each of us trying to do the same.
In Honor of Hispanic Month we started October by learning and working on Mexican traditions related to the celebration of the “Day of the Dead”. The students were very happy and enthusiastic about participating in these activities.
We are so grateful to have the opportunity to walk to church and help the boys and girls understand more fully the sanctity of the altar and the miracle and gift of the Eucharist in the Tabernacle; allowing the students to continue to develop their understanding of the Mass.
The children met their prayer pals and shared a pleasant time with them in the kindergarten courtyard; they anxiously look for more experiences with their pals on campus and the church. We will have several opportunities throughout the year for the boys and girls to continue to enjoy and benefit from the time spent with the Eight Grade students.
These gentle little people are already practicing so many of the St. Francis Life Skills each day: effort and responsibility as they complete their class work. And perseverance, as they practiced their prayers throughout August and September, allowing them to confidently recite a decade of the rosary with the Student Body each morning in October. Additionally, the boys and girls display friendship, cooperation, and respect each morning and after lunch, as they excitedly enjoy recess together.
Students of the Month
Mateo Rodriguez and Kayen Silva
Scrip Purchase
Classroom Supplies
First Grade is enjoying an active autumn! We are overjoyed to be in First Grade. This year welcomed two new students to the Thomas Team: Max Ibarra and David Feesago-Torres.
During our first few months of school we have been working on the writing process with Thinking Maps and prompts. We are also continuing to learn about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and scripture. Exploring Patriotic themes and communities; the attributes of sound; working on addition, subtraction and math fact families; and reading about the Super Kids all add to our learning experiences. The Accelerated Reading program has been a popular attraction and a great way to instill the love of reading while increasing fluency! Singing our skills is always a fun way to learn new skills. Additionally, we love working on the IPads! Our favorite activities are Seesaw, IXL, and Freckle!
We honored the birthday of our Blessed Mother, Mary, with a birthday celebration. Later, we all loved having applesauce and apple juice to celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. To celebrate our Guardian Angels, we enjoyed angel food cake with clouds of whipped cream. Additionally, autumn highlights include praying the Holy Rosary each day and attending the Fall Festival, and having Trunk or Treat.
Each week we focus on the Life Skill and Ethics across the Curriculum theme by using literature, real life examples, and discussing how we live these values. Some of our favorite stories include I Can Cooperate, The Crayon Box That Talked, Leo the Late Bloomer, Caring is Sharing, Johnny Appleseed, A Chair for My Mother, and I Can Respect. Our School wide Learning Expectations are evident as we learn about our Catholic faith, have a desire to learn, practice responsibility, follow the Golden Rule, and learn effective communication skills. Conflict Resolution is a primary focus for learning how to solve disagreements and talk things out on the peace bench. This program is empowering us to use our talking power to seek solutions in a peaceful way. These are great reminders of what we learn in the Gospel messages.
We have enjoyed using Kagan strategies, comparing and contrasting, and engineering as we explored “Sound” in the STREAM lessons in the lab.
Accelerated Reading
5 or more AR points: Francesco, Kate, Layla, Amara, Nora, David, Olivia, Max, Zoey, Princeton, Anya, Anahi, Antonio, Gia, Aspen, Rylee, Belen, Brennen, and Ashley.
Students of the Month
Cairo Ramos and Nora Caruolo
Scrip Purchases
Classroom Supplies
Second Grade has been blossoming since the start of school in August! We have walked into our classroom each morning with a smile on our faces, ready to learn. This year, we have welcomed Sailor Marquez to our classroom! We are looking forward to so many new and exciting things this year!
We cannot believe that it is already October! We are truly enjoying this refreshing autumn breeze. This time of year helps us to remember what is most important: family, friends, faith, and being thankful for the little things that we might forget. We performed the ‘Lord, I Lift Your Name on High’ at our Prayer and Flag Ceremony, and now, we cannot stop singing it! The month of October has been a wonderful time of reflection, especially each morning as we pray for our special intentions at Rosary.
Our classroom charity, The Just One Project, was 100% funded by our students and families. Second Grade raised $480 in Amazon Gift cards to be able to help those who are in need. Mrs. Wilson helped us understand the importance of donating to our project, as part of being an Active Faith-filled Catholic. We truly appreciate seeing the need to demonstrate a spirit of service.
We have accomplished so much the past couple of months. It is fun having more independence in our work studies and being able to do more work on our own. We took our first standardized test! We “rocked” the test and showed how much we know. Our rock buddies helped us focus our attention. We enjoyed all the themed treats to keep our spirits high!
In Math, we just finished our first three chapters in addition and subtraction facts. We liked learning about the “grinchy” number when subtracting and how he has to be first! Now, we are learning about double digit addition and when to regroup into the tens place. We’re looking forward to more challenging math problems.
In Reading, we just finished Unit 3 and cannot wait to learn more about the Superkids’ adventures in Unit 4. Currently, Ms. Blossom is having the Superkids partner up to create inventions. We like to enrich our learning with the Superkids Online Fun App. Our favorite ‘game’ is Vocabulary Master.
In Writing, we just finished writing and publishing our very first Expository paragraph on Types of Communities. We first learned about it in Social Studies and on Brain Pop Jr. We enjoy getting to apply this skill to daily conversations about the types of communities we see.. Currently, we are working on a Response to Literature paragraph about Spookley the Square Pumpkin.
In Science, we finished our very first chapter. We are really enjoying the States of Matter and the properties it all has. We have loved our STREAM lessons and learning how to sort matter according to its properties. We soon will be learning about how matter can change states physically and chemically.
In Social Studies, we just finished our first chapter in our new Social Studies book! We really enjoyed learning about maps, map skills, geography, and the types of communities we can see around the country. We paired this learning with a lot of Google image searches for communities in different parts of the world, to see what rural, suburban, and urban areas look like.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we learned about pinatas! We learned about the history of pinatas, how people make them, and the reason why they are used for celebrations. We also wrote about the traditions of pinatas and all the fun ways there are to fill them. With the learning we made, we then got to make our own pinatas in the STREAM Lab out of cups and tissue paper. Students will be able to take them home very soon, filled with a surprise treat!
We enjoy using our iPads in our classroom almost every day! Not only do we use them for enrichment activities like Freckle, IXL, and the Superkids Online Fun App, but also for taking our check up lesson quizzes on Seesaw! Second Graders are becoming quite the 21st Century little experts!
In our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, we just reintroduced ourselves to the beautifully created Atrium and decorated our folders about God. We have worked on our Sacred History Chart, which helps us know the timeline from Creation to Redemption to Parousia. If you ask us, we can tell you that our faith has 3 moments that remember and that God has and always will be present. We have really focused on the altar articles and making sure to watch Fr. Rogelio and Fr. Lucas every Friday as they use them. We also love saying the rosary this month of October every morning with our family. We colored a life size rosary picture to help us remember that 10 Hail Mary prayers is one decade.
We appreciate our counselor, Ms. Washington, who comes in to talk to us for our conflict resolution. We love how she helps us determine what is a small problem and what is a big problem. She has introduced us to Kelso’s choices, and Kelso the frog! We know there are nine ways for us to use our talking power to solve a problem, and if we can’t, we find an adult we trust to help.
In Accelerated Reading, we are just flourishing with books! I have never seen so many students who love to read! To date, we have taken and passed 556 quizzes!
Accelerated Reading
Independent Readers: James Chaidez, Alina Davey, Scarlett Edwards, Winry Isanan, Sebastian Joubert, Anthony Serrano, and Juliet Uribe
Super Readers: Jacob Garcia, Miranda Sotuyo, and Ella Tobin
Advanced Readers: Kasen Hernandez and Miles Mariani
Students of the Month
Paul Garcia and Scarlett Edwards
Scrip Purchases
Classroom Supplies
The Third-Grade class has been consistently working hard since the first day of school! The students have been showing effort and patience as they have been learning new words, skills and concepts within the curriculum. We are showing cooperation in class as we work together toward our common goals. On Patriots Day, we came together as a class to put together a cooperative art piece. Each student was given one colorless square with instructions of what to color. When the coloring was complete, we demonstrated how to be cooperative and effective communicators and put our pieces together to form one class art piece. It was challenging, but we all learned that each of us has something special to offer and when we work together, we can achieve many great things. We also learned that what is broken can be fixed if we remember to live our lives as God has intended and love one another.
We have been reviewing and implementing our Student Learning Expectations each week. We are discovering different ways to become Faith-filled Catholics, Life-Long Learners, Effective Communicators, Responsible Citizens, and Culturally-Aware/Global Citizens.
It makes us feel so special and loved to pray the Rosary each day during the month of the Holy Rosary with our SFDS family. We love our dear Blessed Mother so much. We enjoyed celebrating her birthday in September. We sang “Happy Birthday” and write birthday cards to her! We also enjoyed some treats to celebrate.
In Religion we continue to build our relationship with the Good Shepherd. So far, we have worked on our continued development of the understanding of the rosary and why it is sacred. We have reviewed the Catholic family and why the holy sacraments are so special. Additionally, we have also discussed the human family and how God shows his love to us, each and every day. It is amazing to witness the students’ curiosity of our Catholic faith and to see their passion for God and the Catholic faith grow. Students especially enjoyed learning about creation and turning what they heard into art. We also enjoyed hosting our first school Mass together.
In Math, we have been working on our rounding skills and applying them to add and subtract three-digit numbers.
In Social Studies, we have been learning about geography and students had a chance to create their own globes with balloons.
We have been enjoying our reading stories from our Journey’s text and the students just completed their very first benchmark test. They did amazing. We finished reading The Cricket in Times Square. Students loved it and they wonderfully made connections SLE connection with Chester Cricket. They enjoyed seeing how the beloved cricket shined bright as a responsible citizen. We will begin reading Crenshaw this week.
Accelerated Reading
Independent readers (10+points): Eve-Marie Cretin, Violet Denton, Alondra Garcia, Liam Miles, Atlas Pascual, Kaliope Rosales, and Caleb Vargas
Super Readers (15+ points): Adan Wandling, Daniel Stephensen, Reese Poruzcnik, Giorgio Jarrous, Brian Feesago-Torres, Vey Cohen, and Angel-Lynn Cantiberos
Advanced Readers (20+ points): Makayla Bass, Olivia Byrd, Zoe Espinosa, Brayden Eugarrio, Olivia Hernandez, Calvin Marshall, Bella Romero, and Reina Ruvalcaba
Students of the Month
Bella Romero and Giorgio Jarrous
Scrip Purchases
Classroom Supplies
We have started the year off by showing our caring and generosity towards others in a big way with our annual charity drive! We were able to raise a $600.00 donation for The Micah Project, a program to help children with special needs at St. Viator’s Catholic school. The generous spirit of the students and families’ in our class is inspiring! We see the love of God working through them! We have also been collecting ring tabs for Ronald McDonald House charities. I have already made a delivery to the home on West Sahara with a large box full of ring tabs. Keep up the good work!
In Religion we have been introduced to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lessons with the Book of Genesis! We are looking forward to a wonderful year growing in our faith. We will continue to honor Mary, Our Blessed Mother, each day during the month of October by praying the rosary. In addition, we have been discussing our Lifeskills such as: honesty, responsibility, caring, and kindness which are so important in our daily lives.
In Reading, we started the year off with The Whipping Boy, a novel by Sid Fleischman about the true meaning of friendship. Our second novel was a Halloween tale, Bunnicula, by Deborah and James Howe. We enjoyed the antics of Chester, a cat with a case of sibling rivalry very much. Frindle, is the current novel we are reading together. Our main character, Nicholas Allen is full of ideas that sometimes have surprising results. In addition, our nightly reading should be filled with many wonderful stories! Please be sure everyone is reading each and every night!
In Social Studies, Fourth grade concentrates on Nevada History. We have learned many new things about the great state of Nevada. We know all the major symbols of our state along with the reasons they were chosen to represent us. We have been honing our map skills by using the compass rose, map key, and scale, and we have even learned how to use lines of longitude and latitude to locate exact locations on a map. Now we are beginning our exploration of the first people who inhabited Nevada thousands of years ago.
In Science we started the year off with some fun experiments as we learn about the human body. We began with the muscular skeletal system before introducing the parts of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. We discovered how they are dependent on each other to keep us alive. Now we are moving on to the digestive and nervous systems. Throughout these lessons we will discover how important it is to keep ourselves healthy with proper nutrition and exercise so that all our body systems continue to work properly.
Math has been a review and mastery of our addition and subtraction skills, but we are moving to multiplication with double digit multiplication problems coming up soon! This math is very challenging, but we will feel a great sense of accomplishment because we used perseverance! With practice, these tough problems will become much easier. As always, practice on basic math facts using Freckle Fact Practice will help every student become more confident in their work.
Accelerated Reading:
Independent Readers(10 points): Ayanna Nunez
Super Readers (20 Points): Harrison Blackwood, Angel Duarte, Ivy Mariani, Gabriel Martinez, Jayden Solano, Emmett Soriano, Daniel St. James
Power Readers (30 points): Alexander Flagg, Mabel Ibarra, Johnny Mitchell, Gavry Reyes
Students of the Month
Ivy Mariani and Daniel St. James
Scrip
Classroom Supplies
October finds the Fifth Grade not only enjoying cooler weather, but all the gifts that Fall brings. Everyone liked working on art projects for Autumn and Halloween. Our Home Sweet Haunted Homes are spooky and fabulous. We have great imaginations.
In Math, after completing a unit on multiplication, we began learning about division. When we do a review, we sometimes get to use the white boards to go over all of the problems in the lesson. We also enjoy using flashcards to review facts with Mr. Cruz as well. It’s fun to see how quickly we can answer.
In Social Studies this month we are learning about the early Americans. We have learned about the resources they used and where they lived. It was so much fun remembering what we also learned in 4th Grade and applying that knowledge this year. Our favorite group was the ancient Puebloans. We liked learning about the shelters called Pueblos they lived in. After finishing the chapter on Geography and Map Skills, we all made our own island projects and presented them to the class. It was so entertaining seeing and hearing everyone’s take on what their island project was.
Reading is fantastic! There are all kinds of different types of books. There are comics, fairy tales, adventure, non fiction, fiction, fables, and more. Our reading series has many of these in it.The class favorite is comics. What’s yours? After completing Wonder, and taking the AR on it, we watched the movie and loved it. What a wonderful book and movie about kindness, empathy, and acceptance.
In Science, we finally completed the unit on Astronomy and Patterns in Space. Listening to “sounds” from the planets was interesting and creepy. Scientists convert electromagnetic waves into sounds through sonification. We have done a few STREAM projects as well: Marshmallow Constellations, Sprinkle Vibrations, Moon Craters, an Edible Solar System, and now our own International Space Stations. It was fun doing some of these in the STREAM Lab.
In Religion we have been learning about the Eucharist, Baptism, and Communion. We remember our First Holy Communion with such joy. So far our favorite lesson was when Mrs. Wilson came in and taught us about Guardian Angels. It is wonderful and comforting to know that not only is God always with us, but a special Angel watches over each of us all the time. Our class is now researching the Saints. We can’t wait to present our findings not only to each other, but the entire school on November 4th.
All the Fifth graders are working hard toward becoming life-long learners. We continue to learn about and practice our life skills everyday, especially perseverance, cooperation, and integrity.
Accelerated Reading
Independent Readers: Saraiah Carambas, Cash Delgado, Kinley Ferreira, Ivan Garcia, Leovy Garcia, Mia Garner, Giselle Gougeon, Zoey Green, Darlene Lopez, Saul Luna, Nicholas Martinez, Gracie McCaleb, Kelly Mae Medallo, Pamela Mercedes, Audrianna Miranda, Kiani St. James, Delilah Uribe
Super Readers: Blaire Davey, Isabella Lauria, Izabella Gagne, Alexis Rosales, Clara Shevorski
Advanced Readers: Erlise Saraste
Star Readers: Luke Perez, Everett Ware, Lady Arabella Santos
Classic Readers: Rebecca Rickert
Students of the Month
Giselle Gougeon and Gracie Mc Caleb
Scrip Purchases
Bus for field trip
6th grade has made an incredible start to Middle School! The students are confidently adjusting to new routines and embracing their daily school life.
In Social Studies, we have been exploring the Stone Ages, diving into the earliest stages of human history. It’s fascinating to learn how early people lived, worked, and adapted. We also take time to compare these historical insights with the Creation stories from the Bible, encouraging thoughtful discussions about the origins of life from different perspectives.
In Religion class, we focus on Life Skills such as Respect, Courage, Cooperation, Responsibility, Effort, Caring, and Curiosity. We work on applying these values in our daily lives, helping students grow not only academically but also as compassionate and responsible individuals.
I’d also like to give a special shoutout to Audrey and Ethan for earning Student of the Month. Your hard work and positive attitudes inspire us all.
As the holiday season approaches, we’re excited to dive into the festivities and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year together.
A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who made time to attend Conference Week and who has contributed to anything for our classroom. It’s always a joy to share what makes me love my job, your amazing students!
Accelerated Reading:
Super: Charlz Abboud, Carson Bass, Julian Diaz, Gavina Diaz-Carpenter, Jacob Ibarra, Chase Reyes
Advanced: Sango Akoh, Ava Cosino, Aurora Ellis, Eloy Espejo Dominguez, Colton Gardner, Natalie Guerrero, Dean Ingram, Van Kirk, Frances Leveck, Ian Lopez, Esmeralda Luna, Marlee Marquez, Roosevelt Mee, Stella Morales, Avery Nunez, Terrance O’ Donnell, Sophia Ramirez, Rafael Ruvalcaba, Mateo Tapia-Zamora, Miguel Villegas
Star: Brielle Angeles, Avalon Lambert, Isabel Zepeda
Students of the Month
Ethan Garcia and Audrey Shevorski
Scrip Purchases
Bus for Field Trip
The Seventh grade would like to extend a warm welcome back to Saint Francis de Sales Catholic School. It seems hard to believe that we are already in October and November is just around the corner. This year is a preparation year for seventh grade as we strive to become leaders in our school. We have been given some new responsibilities this year such as raising the flag every morning, 1st grade prayer pals, and the preparation of the Stations of the Cross.
Seventh graders are looking forward to spending time with their prayer pals, at our first meet and having great conversations on getting to know each other. We are looking forward to sitting at mass together in November. We look forward to our many gatherings throughout the year.
We also have been busy reviewing thinking maps. We have been enjoying working together cohesively throughout the Jane Schaffer writing process. For example, we are currently writing on the story “Rogue Wave” and analyzing the internal and external conflicts between the brother and sister for their survival as they are stranded out near the Baja peninsula. In addition, the students also worked on a brace map in Spanish on colores.
The students enjoyed the Arts Attack program; they completed a contour drawing of Wild Horses and colored Halloween pictures for the month of October. Stop by our hallway to admire the wonderful artwork being displayed.
Science: Currently we are studying the individual planets, and we have just learned about the different phases of the moon. We are looking forward to our very first Science Fair this year.
English: We just wrapped up our punctuation and capitalization sections and are currently on prepositions, which are the key to identifying all types of phrases. We continue to work on My Access writing assignments on a bi- weekly basis.
Religion: This year we are learning about many new interesting events in Religion. Currently, we are studying parables in the Bible. Soon we will begin studying the women of the Bible.
Reading: This year should be an awesome year in reading. Our reading book is filled with many stories. We are also starting our Greek Mythology unit in November.
Social Studies: We are currently studying about early colonies as well as learning the map of the United States in regional areas.
Math: Is so cool but it is also going to be a challenging year. We are looking forward to learning more about Solving Expressions and Equations using integers.
Seventh grade is up for the challenge of being responsible citizens who love to learn. We look forward to a dynamic year filled with opportunities for us to grow and learn throughout the year.
Accelerated Reading:
Super 15+ pts: Charlz Abboud, Carson Bass, Julian Diaz, Gavina Diaz-Carpenter, Jacob Ibarra, Chase Reyes,
Advanced 20+ pts: Sango Akoh, Ava Cosino, Aurora Ellis, Eloy Espejo Dominguez, Colton Gardner, Natalie Guerrero, Dean Ingram, Van Kirk, Frances Leveck, Ian Lopez, Esmeralda Luna, Marlee Marquez, Roosevelt Mee, Stella Morales, Avery Nunez, Terrance O’ Donnell, Sophia Ramirez, Rafael Ruvalcaba, Mateo Tapia-Zamora, Miguel Villegas
Star 50+ pts: Brielle Angeles, Avalon Lambert, Isabel Zepeda
Students of the Month
Ava Cosino and Roosevelt Mee
Scrip Purchases
Classroom Supplies and buses for a Field Trip
The final year for the class of 2026 from St. Francis de Sales is well underway. We welcomed two new students this year, Anthony Alatorre and Riley Holdsambeck. We wish them a very successful year at St. Francis de Sales. We did some SLE license plate artwork the first week of school. It was hanging in the hallway until the month of October when we put up our beautiful pictures of Mary. We also filled out a personal inventory of ourselves for our portfolio as well as a questionnaire as to our leadership skills.
We have been concentrating very hard on the SLEs. As leaders of the school, we want to demonstrate all the necessary qualities for leadership for the younger students. Before we know it, high school will be here, and we will be making decisions as leaders and young adults.
Eighth grade enjoyed the Welcome Back Barbeque. It is fun to see students from past years who come back to visit.
We were thrilled to meet with our Kindergarten Prayer Pals the week after Terra Nova. We made cards for them, played outside, and enjoyed popsicles with them. We are looking forward to Minion Day in October and Thanksgiving Pie Day with them.
We also had our first retreat with Mr. Blaskey. He continued to emphasize our leadership expectations and how we can influence the younger students by our actions.
Ms. Studdard’s math classes are concentrating on integers, rational numbers, exponents and one and two step equations. We reviewed extensively for Terra Nova, and we were happy to have the math section over with on Wednesday, September 17! We can tell that this year will be a very busy year in math!
In science, we are also slowly beginning to work on the Science Fair…it is not until February! We will be choosing our projects very soon and will start the research paper soon as well. We are also studying simple machines and making simple machines from Legos.
In social studies, we discussed slavery and abolitionists. English, reading, and religion are also keeping us busy with grammar, writing, and learning the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Beatitudes.
Spanish is always exciting with learning new verb tenses and new vocabulary. We love the videos Mrs. V plays for us in class.
In technology we continue to practice our keyboarding skills. We are excited about the “Knightly News” broadcast. Our field trip to Avenger Flight Group was very exciting. I am sure we have some future pilots in our midst.
Accelerated Reading:
Super: Presley Chirpac, Fallyn Napolitano, Jayleen Orduna
Advanced: Anthony Alatorre, Blair Angeles, Alissa Balsicas, Daniel Batara, Alana Cano, Samuel Cantiberos, Isaiah Carambas, Jayden Carias, Chloe Cullum, Christian Duarte, Sebastian Garcia, Blake Hazard, Riley Holdsambeck, Natalya Jarrous, Anthony Khayat, Jacoby Laranio, Lea Lopez, Gianela Martinez, Reagan Medford, Julius Nasiak, Juliette Rosales, Gabriel Ruvalcaba, Sophie Simon, Tyson Valdez, Eliana Valencia, Aaliyah Vigil, Piper Wells
Star: Kennady Byrd, Olivia Delgado, Josephine Ibarra, Josslyn Kimenker, Dresden Reyes, Isabella Toledo
Classic: Layla Mariani
Students of the Month
Kennady Byrd and Natalya Jarrous
Scrip Purchases
Classroom supplies and buses for Field Trips
6th Grade Living Science
It has been an exciting start to the school year for our Living Science 6th grade class as we spent weeks exploring plant life and animal cells under microscopes! Starting next week, we will be discussing organ systems and students will be dissecting animal gelatin molds to understand how these organ systems work! We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings!
7th Grade Earth Science
The 7th grade, Earth Science class has had quite a hands-on experience with learning all about matter and getting to do experiments with dry ice, learning about pressure and temperature under the Earth’s crust by cracking their own geodes, and digging for their own gemstones. Next week students will be getting up close to rocks that form the rock cycle. These amateur geologists look forward to what this school year will bring!
8th Grade Physical Science
The 8th grade Physical Science class has had an electrifying year learning about electricity, parts of an atom, using compasses to learn about position and magnetism. Students recently built simple machines out of Legos and were very proud of their creations. 8th grade are excited to begin their projects for science fair and we look forward to seeing all the creative posterboards!
We started SY 2025-2026 by learning the words and the tune of the U.S National Anthem. We also started learning about the elements of music, particularly rhythm. We read stick notation and used rhythm sticks, xylophones, and glockenspiels to play music.
First Grade is preparing to host prayer and flag so we are learning the song Home Means Nevada.
We continue to learn Instruments of the Orchestra and learning more church hymns for our weekly Eucharistic celebrations. Middle school is doing research about various music composers from Renaissance to Contemporary period. I will also start assigning each class their music for our Christmas Program. All classes will be busier in the coming months as they prepare for much-awaited program.
Please support all the fundraising projects of our SFDS Choir so we can replace our old choir robes, and buy our new choir shirt. This year, we are blessed to have a total of 35 singers from 4th to 8th grades. We are planning to audition to sing the National Anthem in Aviators games.
See you on October 19, Parish Festival and please support the SFDS Choir as they prepare surprise very popular songs for you.
It has been a very busy month with Volleyball. Our volleyball team has been playing very well this season. I am very proud of our team and how hard they are played. The Volleyball team made it to the finals and took 3rd place against St Anthony. Congratulations to all players!!!
We have finished our volleyball unit. Students learned the fundamentals and the rules of volleyball on our brand-new courts. We worked on passing, offense, and defense. The lower grades also worked on the fundamentals. Our upper grades continue to reinforce their fundamentals, and also play scrimmages so they could learn about the game and practice positions. Overall students are working hard in PE to get better at playing volleyball.
This month we began our basketball unit. The students have been looking forward to getting started with basketball. We will work on fundamentals and work on defense offense, shooting, passing, and dribbling. Our upper grades will reinforce their basketball skills. It should be a fun unit.
We also trained the past two months for Cross Country. We ran hard and we took 2nd place. Thank you to the 4th graders who ran also. Congratulations to all the runners and Anthony A. in 8th grade for wining a 1st place medal
We will continue to learn the importance of good sportsmanship, and the importance of staying active and living a healthy active lifestyle. Please continue to keep your children active.
Have a great month in October!!
The election for NJHS officers took place on Tuesday, October 15, 2025.
The results are President, Kennady Byrd; Vice-President, Alissa Balsicas; Secretary, Sophie Simon; Treasurer, Josslyn Kimenker; and Historian, Piper Wells. We wish everyone in NJHS a very successful year. Our first Pop Tart Sale will be on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Piper Wells
Historian
Dear Parents,
We are excited to share the October issue of The Knight Light! Inside, you'll find updates from the classrooms and fantastic articles! We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together for you.
Our school year is off to a wonderful and very busy start! With Parent-Teacher Conferences just behind us, we’re already more than halfway through the first trimester. It was a pleasure meeting with each of you to discuss your child’s progress. These conferences mark our first “official” communication regarding academic performance, and we truly value the opportunity to connect with you.
We believe that strong communication between home and school creates the foundation for student success. Your openness in sharing what's happening at home, and how it might affect your child at school, helps us provide the support and flexibility each student may need. Likewise, we are committed to keeping you informed about what’s happening in the classrooms and throughout our school community. Together, our partnership among parents, teachers, and students is the key to a successful year.
Parish Festival News
A heartfelt thank you to all our amazing parents for your time, talent, and generosity in making this year’s Parish Festival a great success! Your support is never taken for granted. We are so grateful for everything you do.
Student Council Events
Mark your calendars! Student Council will be hosting the annual Black and Orange Free Dress Day and Pumpkin Decorating Contest on Thursday, October 30th. Bring your most creative, spooky, or funny pumpkin creations. There will be fun prizes for all winners!
Trunk or Treat – October 30th
We’re thrilled to announce our Fifth Annual Trunk or Treat! Students will go from trunk to trunk collecting candy in a festive and safe environment. We can’t wait to see the creative car decorations! You won’t want to miss it! We’ll be sharing lots of photos from this exciting afternoon!
Day of the Dead – November 1st
We are excited to see everyone’s beautiful and meaningful ofrendas as we continue our school’s Día de los Muertos tradition. This is an important celebration that honors the lives of those who have passed. Thank you for helping us keep this tradition alive on November 1st!
Scrip Program Update
Thank you for your ongoing support of our Scrip program! Your participation has helped fund Staff Development, our Welcome Back Barbecue, classroom supplies, the Scholastic Challenge, and field trips. A special thank you to Mrs. Chirpac for her tireless dedication to ensuring the program’s continued success.
I’m truly excited about all that lies ahead this year and grateful to be part of such a strong, supportive community. Let’s keep up the great momentum!
Respectfully,
Carol Wilson
Principal