May 13, 2009

Endangered Species Day is May 18, 2009.  Fifth graders recently walked to Woodlake Nature Center for another wonderful session on Herpetology.  Students learned the major differences and similarities between amphibians and reptiles, and had a chance to see live animals, including a snake, a snapping turtle, and a salamander.  Some students lucked out and saw a skink in the wild!!

April 16, 2009

This week is Brain Awareness Week!  Visitors from the University of Minnesota recently came to the fifth grade classrooms and presented information about the human brain and its functions.  The researchers brought live, preserved animal and human tissue for the students to see, and showed many brain function concepts through the use of a laptop computer and pictures. 

April 7, 2009

Students recently learned about many famous paintings through the efforts of our wonderful Art Adventure volunteer, Deb Nordmarken.  Then the classes traveled to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to partake in a great day of seeing the artwork firsthand.  The beautiful, sunny Friday concluded with a surprise Easter egg hunt on the front lawn of the school.  The hidden eggs were actually sidewalk chalk in the shape of an egg!  Hopefully they will enjoy using their chalk eggs and draw some fun pictures on the sidewalks! 

 March 9, 2009

Fifth graders enjoyed a morning of cross-country skiing at Woodlake Nature Center in late February.  Woodlake is a rare, convenient gem in the Richfield area.  I would like to encourage students and families to take advantage of Woodlake and all of the wonderful programs and events that are offered there!  Membership is very reasonable, and as a matter of fact, I recently joined Woodlake for just $30 per year so that I can use their hiking trails and ski trails throughout the year!  The Woodlake staff love the relationship that exists between their facility and Blessed Trinity.  We visit the center 3 times per year as part of the Social Studies and Science units.  The amazing features of the natural world can be viewed throughout the year at Woodlake, so again, I encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity.

January 28, 2009

Today, 5M is feeling a little "blue" because that was the theme selected for clothing on this day of Catholic Schools Week.  Tomorrow is Dress up day, and Friday brings the comfy day theme.  Sweatsuits, pajama bottoms, and slippers will abound!

January 7, 2009

Happy New Year to all!  If you are a frequent recipient of Patty Mraz's schoolnotes, then you are probably aware that a major change was made nearly 4 months ago so that there are separate pages for Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology Integration, Homeroom information, and fifth grade as a whole.  I encourage you to visit the individual pages for specific updates.

Thank you,
Patty Mraz

September 11, 2008



Today in class, the fifth graders discussed the significance of this date in American History. We prayed for the victims, survivors, families,rescue workers, and all who were affected by this tragic event. Coincidentally, our school also practiced a code red lockdown drill in order to be prepared in the event of any emergency that requires such a response.

Fifth graders are actively studying the culture and lifestyle of the earliest Americans. They have completed nearly 10 lessons in Math and will have their first test next week. The Science unit at this time revolves around Birds of Prey: Owls, Hawks, Eagles, Vultures, Condors, Falcons, and the like. Students are becoming familiar with such topics as food sources, wingspans, nesting types, and dangers that confront raptors. The 5M homeroom has completed two units in Spelling and is off to a great start.

Please remember to return permission slips for the Children's Theatre on October 14. Marathon pledges are also being collected at this time. Patty Mraz