11-13-08
Here I am again. 
We are presently reading Starfish in literature. The students are responsible for reading, doing a work study sheet  or outlining the material. There are grades for each of these assignments.  Also, in literature they are reading outside reading books, writing chapter  summaries on them and turning in the summaries for credit. 
since this trimester  ends on November 21, all reports must be in by them to have credit. 
Please ask your child if he/she has read the required number of books for an A, B , or C. This does affect the grade.
In religion we have finished studying the Old Testament and are now doing a comparative study of the four Evangelists. Today we are going to the computer lab and to process the chart. It is  a comprehensive chart and they may use it for any tests we have on these four men.
In language we do have the spelling and etymology every week; in addition, we are now studying clauses and their various uses within a sentence.. They do not have homework for the language, but there is homework for the spelling and etymology. Also, there is a quote every week. This quote will be published every week in the Newsletter.

Some of the 8th graders will  be going over to the Penn campus on December 5 to have a St. Nicholas party for the pre-schoolers.

also, the 8th graders n the art class are sponsoring a food drive
I stay after school one (or two) nights a week to make up work missed because of absences. I expect the student to make these arrangements. If the work is not made up an m is entered n the book, and this becomes a Fail if the students does not take the resonsibility for making an appointment for makeup.  It is the student's responsibility to make the arrangements for makeup.  I will put on the board the nights I am staying.

Each of the 8th grade students has been given the name of and Old Testament character or an apparition of the Blessed Virgin for his/ her Leaning Fair Project.

There are three due days for this project. The first due date is October 24. On that day the student must have a rough draft of the outline of the project.The second due date will be 11-20. On that day the rough draft of the whole project will be due. Then, on December 19 the whole completed project is due. That will be the back board, with a typed copy of the whole report, 25 copies of the typed outline, visual aids, 25 copies of a word find or word game and note cards. Information on the Old Testament characters can be found in the Bible. The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin can be found in books in the library.
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.We now have a new system in place for outside reading. Each student is to keep a chapter summary notebook for the book he or she is presently reading. We will have due dates that must be met for the outside reading. The students have the four deadlines for Trimester 2. Each time a due date occurs, the student MUST have read the required number of pages and have written the chapter summaries. (The number varies depending on the # of pages n the book) If the student has not completed the required number by the due date,he or she must stay after school in the homework room until he or she  meets the deadlline requirement.The first deadline is 12-12; the second is 1-13; the third is 2-6; the fourth is 3-5. This is for trimester 2. In the next trimester, we will send you the due dates for the reading and the summaries. The school will call if your child has not met the requirements and will be staying after school.
 All of the religion projects are due on Friday December 19. They must have 25 copies of their game; 25 copies of their outline; their board with report, game, outlines and visual aids. Then, they MUST have their notecards.  No one is excused.
In religion we are going to be studying the Travels of St. Paul in January.
We also are studying iconography. It is fascinating!Each part of the art work has a message and a meaning.
Be sure your student keeps up his/her reading and writes his/her chapter summaries as he/she goes along. Next report is due on 1-16.
We will be having try-outs for the spring musical on the 15th of January at 2:15 until 4:00. The students will prepare a small presentation with singing or dancing if they wish to sing or dance in the production. There will be four or five teachers who will make the final decisions.
Please send in the parental congratulations so we can put it in the yearbook.  The ones we have received are beautiful. We would like to hear from more parents.
We have almost finished the baby picture page so don't send any more of those in.
We still have spelling and etymology tests on Friday so make sure they are studying on Thursday night.
Hope you are had a blessed Christmas.
Mrs. Culnane