Our Lady of Pompeii School at 129 Laverack Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086 US - November 2009
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Great Creator God, giver of all good things,
We rejoice in Your abundant blessings.
For family and friends,
for food and drink
for hearth and home,
and for all your gifts,
we praise and thank you.
We ask Your blessings on those among us
who are hungry and thirsty,
who are homeless and alond,
who need your guiding hand and
depend on Your tender miracles.
May we share our many blessings with them
for they are our brothers and sisters,
Your beloved children.
Gracious God, giver of all that is good
we gratefully raise our hearts and voices to You
on this day of thanksgiving and always.
November, 2009
Dear Parents,
With November upon us, we turn our thoughts to the up-coming Thanksgiving holiday. There is much to be thankful for at Our Lady of Pompeii School this year. I am sure every one of you has a long list of blessings to be thankful for. Here are just a few of mine, which I would like to share with you. I am thankful for our students who walk into our classrooms each day. I am thankful for their parents who made the choice to send them to our school because they believe in Catholic education. In addition to that, I am thankful for our Home School Association members who give so generously of their time and talents to provide so many things for our school and students. I am thankful for our faculty and staff who work very hard to provide a solid academic and spiritual education for the children. I am thankful to Fr. Leon and our Parish family who continue to give us so much support this year in a variety of ways. It truly is a year of bountiful blessings!
We have some exciting news! A new nurse has been assigned to our school. Her name is Mrs. Michelle Bacher and she will hopefully be starting with us the first week of November. We know everyone will make her feel welcome into our OLP community.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Home School President, Mr. Tim Wozniak for all of his efforts and hard work on the Meat Raffle, which was held on Saturday, October 24th. It was a tremendous success! I must also thank all of the parents and OLP alumnus who worked on this event. Those of us who attended had a wonderful time and we are already looking forward to the next one. Well done, Mr. Wozniak!
Once again, I urge all parents to read all of our teachers’ newsletters, no matter what grade your children are in. There are many new and exciting things going on in every classroom.
Wishing you a very Blessed Thanksgiving,
Prayerfully,
Mrs. Diane Liptak
Principal
PRE-K News
The Pre-K had a very fun-filled October. We enjoyed our visit from the Lancaster Citizen’s Hose Company very much and invited grades K-2 to join us. It was very informative for everyone. Our trip to Kelkenberg’s Farm was a hit. We were able to visit with many animals, had lunch, and even got to ride a pony. It was a terrific day.
During the month of November, the Pre-K children will be working on a very extended Thanksgiving Unit. We will be discovering the many gifts God has bestowed upon us and the many reasons why at this time of year, we give Him thanks.
We will also be learning the differences between healthy foods and junk foods, as well as learning about the food pyramid and food groups. In conjunction with all of this, the Pre-K will culminate this unit with a field trip to a local grocery store. It promises to be tons of fun!
Soon we will be getting ready for our very famous Thanksgiving Feast, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, and a few “home-made” recipes of our own. We will be learning about the Pilgrims, Native Americans and the very first Thanksgiving. We will even be making our very own costumes.
‘Til next month,
Miss Barbara
Dear Parents,
How quickly the month has gone! Holiday season is upon us already and we are looking forward to learning about Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims, and the Indians.
In Health, we helped to spread the news that “OUR SCHOOL ROCKS DRUG FREE” with our 5th grade buddies. We had lots of fun learning and teaching other classes about the evil of illegal drugs. In Science, we are discussing plants and will be weighing, measuring, counting and decorating pumpkins.
In Religion, we have discussed the Holy Family and the Blessed Trinity. We have also learned about saints through Bible stories and DVD’s. We will soon be discussing the Church Year and thanking God and our families as we study about Thanksgiving.
Vertical subtraction and work problem strategies are what we are discussing in Math. Soon we will discussing the number line and how it is a good tool in solving problems.
In ELA we are writing adjectives describing Halloween and all the nouns and verbs that go along with this holiday. We are doing great with our spelling, reading, and writing. We love listening to music and stories each day. We have also acted out several songs and poems while dancing or “flying” through the room.
In Social, we are learning how important it is to follow rules, reading a calendar, and learning about our country and community helpers.
Our Halloween Party is Friday, October 30th and we thank Home School for planning a fun time for us. Please send a Halloween costume in a bag on that day. For our theme basket donation we are asking that each student bring in $3.00.
We thank our parents for all their support in helping us with homework and our studies.
Ms. Colella and Grade One
Third Grade November Newsletter
October flew by due to the fact the third graders were extremely busy!!! Their continued hard work has enabled them to make great progress. Way to go, third graders!!
During health class the students will continue their study of drugs. They will discuss how stimulants and depressants harm the body as well as learn about the adverse effects of such illegal drugs as cocaine and marijuana. The students will also practice using the Refusal Skills. These skills will help them be assertive and say NO to behaviors and situations that are harmful for them.
In religion class students will finish their study of the rosary. Next, they will learn how Jesus called the apostles and disciples. The students will know that they have been called personally by Jesus to spread his love.
Students composed a personal narrative for ELA class. They focused on using different techniques to create leads for their piece. They also practiced elaborating their sentences by adding vivid and specific details.
During reading class students read about a real-life young roper, Anthony Reynoso. They discovered that he must practice daily to become more skillful. Yet he still has time for homework and other activities that boys his age enjoy. The skills we worked on were determining the author’s purpose and identifying causes and effects.
Students had fun doing a science investigate with pumpkins. First, each made a prediction about the circumference, height of the stem and pumpkin, number of seeds and sections, before doing the actual measuring and counting. They were surprised at the number of seeds in a small pumpkin.
During math class students identified odd and even numbers and used a 100 chart to skip-count. They recognized the value of a digit by using its place-value position. Students practiced writing 4-, 5-, and 6-digit numbers in expanded form. They are able to describe, extend, create, and predict number patterns from numbers and models. Students worked on solving word problems by using the problem solving strategy: Use logical reasoning.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be on November 20th. Look for the reminder (date and time) on the back of your child’s report card.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. Remember to take a moment to reflect upon the many blessings God has bestowed upon you and your loved ones. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!!!!!
The Third Graders and Mrs. Ripa
What’s New In 5th Grade November
5h Grade has had a wonderful October. We have been and will continue to be very busy preparing for a very big month to come. On November 16 and 17 the 5th Grade will be taking the New York State Social Studies exam. Our class has been working on writing DBQ essays, answering scaffolding questions, and even grading sample essays! With a little more hard work we will be more then ready for our exam.
In religion we have been studying the sacraments and will continue in November when we study Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. In science we are finishing up a lab on inherited characteristics and will have our results posted in the hall for the entire school to see. D.A.R.E. has been going great and we have been learning a lot of useful information from Officer O’Brian. In math we have been working with algebra by writing and solving equations with variables. This month we can already see some improvements in our writing and have begun to try our hand at creative expression through poetry. Our next writing project will be a persuasive position paper.
Parents, we take time every day to make sure we have all of our assignments written down. All work is due in the morning by 8:15 please make sure that your child is keeping up with their assignments. Parent teacher conferences are on Friday November 20th. If you have signed up for a time and would like to reschedule please contact me as soon as possible so arrangements can be made. I am looking forward to talking with everyone.
Mr. Lukasiewicz
Grade 5
November News
October has been another very busy month for the sixth graders at Our Lady of Pompeii.
Sixth graders proudly published their first writing pieces after using all four stages of writing to pre-write, draft, revise and edit their work. Our class had recently finished reading Gossamer by Newbery Medal Winner Lois Lowry.
This story features mystical creatures called dream-givers. These creatures collect memories and feelings by touching household objects, and use fragments of these memories to bestow pleasant dreams to people. We put our imaginations to work to create our essays that answer the following question. If Dream-Givers visited your home, which objects might they touch, and what feelings or memories would they bestow upon you to give you your ultimate dream?
Our essays also included illustrations to aid in telling our story. Before displaying the essays in the hallway outside our room, we shared them aloud with one another. It was a wonderful experience to listen to each student share their personal story.
Our religion and social studies units have provided opportunities to learn about Mesopotamia and the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. In social studies, we have learned about the geography of Mesopotamia including the location, physical features, and history of the land. This has provided the students with wonderful background information for understanding the stories of the Old Testament.
We also had the opportunity to enjoy a fieldtrip during Red Ribbon Week. Our class along with chaperones, Mrs. Wild and Mr. Piskor, attended a full day presentation about making positive choices. The activities included motivational speaker Fran Kick and musician Glenn Colton. I was so proud of your children’s behavior during the fieldtrip. They represented OLP well by being both respectful and enthusiastic.
In November, students will either beginning reading The Call of the Wild or The Wednesday Wars as we begin our guided reading groups. Both are award winning novels which will challenge students and provide opportunities to practice and develop their comprehension skills. In social studies, we will begin a unit on Ancient Egypt and we will also begin working on a new narrative writing piece.
Eighth graders are completing a unit on Reconstruction following the Civil War. They have also analyzed and created political cartoons on Reconstruction. This week, we will begin planning our first Document Based Essay which will serve as the unit assessment. Our next unit will focus on the transformation of the Western United States.
Seventh grade students recently completed a unit on European Exploration and are beginning a new unit on the Colonization of America. During this unit, students will be comparing and contrasting the New England, Middle, and Southern English Colonies as well as learning about the Spanish Colonies in North America.
On October 20, I attended the Quiz Bowl Competition at St. Francis High School. Eighth grade student Richard Luczak and Seventh grade students Jacob Shepard and Frank Fialkewicz represented Our Lady of Pompeii proudly. If you have the opportunity, please congratulate these young men on their wonderful performance. They served as wonderful role models for OLP.
Ms. DeMita
Mrs. Breinlinger’s Business
November reminds us to stop and thank God for all the gifts and blessings in our lives. It is at this time that I stop to consider all the true blessings we have here at OLP:
· Teachers and staff who genuinely care about our children and their education
· Parents who are also dedicated to their children’s education and our school
· Students who wish to be educated and strive to learn all they can
· Strong parish and community support
· And above and beyond all: That we can truly live our faith each and every day
Thank you to all who make OLP such a blessing in my life.
God Bless,
Mrs. Breinlinger
Homeroom News:
In homeroom we will begin collecting items for our classroom Chinese Auction basket. The class has decided on a “Movie Night” theme basket. I am asking that each student bring in $1.00 and a bag of “Movie Night” snacks/candy for the basket. We will use the money to purchase a Block Buster gift card from the SCRIP program and then fill the basket with the candy & snacks. All money and snacks must be received by Friday, November 13th.
7th Grade News:
Seventh grade continues to make great progress in both math and science. We are just finishing up a unit on bacteria and viruses and will begin to study other simple organism like protists and fungi. After that we will begin our study of plants.
In math we have begun to study rational numbers. The students have a firm grasp of basic operations with decimals and will begin to explore decimal equations. After that we will review basic fraction operations and move into fraction equations. Then we will move on to proportions. We will review ratios and rates and also examine similar figures and percents.
NOTE: Seventh grade is now allowed to use calculators in math class. However, students are still expected to show all work required for a problem! Please be sure your student has at least a basic four function calculator for class each day. Scientific calculators are also allowed. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly by calling the school.
8th Grade News:
Eighth grade is moving along and staying right on track. We have just completed our unit of study on the states of matter and will begin to explore the periodic table and elements. After that we will examine other materials such as polymers & composites, metals & alloys, ceramics and radioactive materials.
In math we are continuing to study graphs, functions and sequences. We will then move on to explore exponents and roots and examine scientific notation and the Pythagorean Theorem. After that we will look at ratios and proportions.
6th Grade News:
Sixth grade continues to study weather factors with a look at clouds and precipitation. We will then examine weather patterns. We will discuss the different types of fronts, storms, and discover how we can predict the weather.
We continue to make forward progress in math. We have just begun our unit on number theory and fractions. We will examine the concepts of divisibility, greatest common factor and least common multiple. We will then review basic fraction operations. After that we will move on to proportions.
Eighth Grade News for October 2009
As the autumn season wears on, the Eighth grade has been working hard. From an academic standpoint, the students have been learning the steps involved in the writing, illustrating, and potential publishing of storybooks. This has been occurring during ELA classes over the past several weeks. The storybooks are going to be an ongoing project. At the conclusion of the unit, the students will be sharing the completed project with a child in the lower grades. Many of the stories being written have a Halloween theme. A copy of the stories will be on display during parent conferences in November.
In Literature class, the students are covering a unit on “creepy” literature. We started out reading the classic short story, “The Tell Tale Heart”, by Edgar Allan Poe. After the students discussed the essential elements of creepy stories, we began reading “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” by R. L. Stevenson. This is an interesting book because of its many parallels to religion class, including the story of Cain and Abel and the presence of the devil’s temptation in everyday life. In addition to the interdisciplinary discussions we have been engaging in, the students are building a stronger vocabulary through the reading of this book as well.
The New York State ELA Exam has been moved from January to April. Nonetheless, we have begun the task of preparing for the testing using the “Buckle-Down Book for ELA” a few times a week. As the test nears, the frequency with which we use this book will be increasing.
Religion class has been focusing on the many types of prayer, including why we pray, how we pray, and the importance of prayer. In addition, the students completed a genealogy tree after completing a discussion of the genealogy of Jesus. The students have also been learning about the importance of kindness and volunteering as they continue to serve as leaders of the school here at Our Lady of Pompeii.
The students have been talking with great excitement about the Eighth grade trip this year. More information on this, including a tentative meeting date and time will be coming soon.
I apologize for the typographical error in my newsletter last month; I was still adjusting to my new laptop and inadvertently deleted a section of one sentence.
Thought for the month:
“Literature is the immortality of speech.”
---August Wilhelm Von Schlegel
Mr. Kapperman
ABOUT THAT DARN HOMEWORK…
Most of our students do a consistently good job completing homework and thus supporting and extending the classroom experience. In math, there is homework most nights in grades 2-8. We know it’s usually not fun, but it is essential to practice math.
For those families that struggle with homework, it is key to have a:
TIME and a PLACE
for homework Monday through Thursday and at some point on the weekend.
In our house, homework must be started by 7:00 pm (M-Th) and nothing else is begun until it is finished. If there is an evening activity, homework has to be started right after school. Our high schoolers can pick their weekend time, but it can’t be Sunday night (to avoid procrastination). Mom or Dad is always available for some part of these sessions. Find a good time for your family and stick to it.
The “place” in our house has become more flexible as our four boys have grown. In the early years, the kitchen table was the most popular. Once dishes were over, I would sit and do my “work” along side them. I would be available for clarification, assistance and encouragement. I often marveled at how acceptable, and maybe even desirable, this arrangement seemed to the kids. The “place” can never include electronics, unless the computer is part of the assignment or non-distracting music is used as background or “white noise”.
Sometimes it’s hard for the adults in our house to maintain these rules, but then we remind ourselves how our kids have reaped the benefits of our efforts and caring!
Mrs. Cassidy
MAD is mad at MAM. When MAM showed him the September newsletter article he said and I quote, “How come you didn’t tell them I lost 10 pounds and I’ve kept them off?” (Hellooooo MAD, this is SUPPOSED to be about MAM’s weight loss NOT yours!) But, being the good sport MAM is she is now publicly proclaiming, “MAD has lost 10 pounds and kept it off!” (That should make him happy, but with a name like MAD who knows?) Anyway, looking for any new gimmick, I mean weight loss strategy, MAM innocently and sincerely asked, “How did you do it?” Looking MAM straight in the eye MAD said, “Willpower.” “WILLPOWER!!!!!! WILLPOWER!!!!!!!!!! “shouted MAM. “I HAVE WILLPOWER. I’M USING IT ALL UP STAYING MARRIED TO YOU!” The nerve of MAD insinuating MAM has no willpower.
Oh yeah, and MAD is also mad at MAM because she waists all her money on diet books and diet food. MAD, it is not a waste. Here is MAM’s weight loss philosophy. First, you spend good money on a diet book, any diet book. Why MAM has at least thirty diet books (one for each pound) and hundreds of magazines with diet articles. Now by reading the current diet book and through the process of osmosis (a chemical process, please ask Mrs. Breinlinger to explain) the words on the page are supposed to go to the fat cells and tell them to “get lost”. MAM has to admit that so far the fat cells are NOT doing their job. She thinks it is because they do not know how to read. She is now seriously considering hiring her alter ego, Mrs. Walker, as a tutor to help the fat cells learn to read.
After reading the aforementioned diet book or article, MAM then purchases her diet foods. This in turn makes MAD say, “Why spend all that money on diet food and then eat junk anyway?” WELL, EXCUSE ME but MAM does NOT eat junk food. She only purchases quality foods like Antoinette’s chocolates, premium ice cream, her own home-baked cakes and cookies, not to mention Tim Horton’s coffee (double cream and double sugar please.) Now, having purchased the low cal diet foods, MAM has enough calories left to indulge in her “goodies” which of course she needs to maintain her sanity, stamina and willpower staying married to MAD.
So now, my friends, the big question remains, how is this weight loss venture going this month? And the answer is……….not very well. Yes, MAM has lost 2.2 pounds this month but she thinks it is more from carrying the diet books around rather than her eating plan. It has been a bit of a hectic month with six family birthdays and Halloween candy. Yes, MAM is well aware that Halloween has yet to arrive but she has had to repurchase it four times already (probably five by the time you read this.) So please continue to keep MAM in your prayers as she continues to rethink and replan her weight loss strategies for the month of November. Till next month. God bless, MAM.
Now it is time for Mrs. Walker to speak. First, I would like to say how very proud I am of the students I work with. They are all trying very hard to improve their reading skills. Of course, there are many skills involved in reading so we will approach a different skill each month.
I think the first lesson children need to realize is that speaking, reading and writing are related. What is spoken can be written and what is written can be read. Many times children can orally answer a question but cannot write it down. When working with your child, have them orally answer a question. Write down exactly what was said and then read it back. Add any missing information to completely answer the question. When children get the idea that speech, writing and reading are connected they improve. Continue to question your child about what difficulties they believe they are having and encourage, encourage, encourage. Till next month, have a Happy Halloween and God bless.
Mrs. Walker
Art News
There are many reasons for studying and creating art. Through study and observation we can learn about different artists and their many talents. When the students create artwork that is related to a certain artist, they practice the skills of observing, thinking and creating.
As an art teacher I incorporate art history and the elements of art to help introduce a lesson. This will help the students construct ideas and convey feelings in their artworks.
The kindergarten students looked at several artists who used a still-life arrangement of vase and flowers. The students then painted their own vase and flowers.
The first grade students looked at artwork by Henri Matisse. When Matisse was older he began making paper cutouts. He would cut interesting, colorful shapes and make a collage. The students cut geometric and organic shapes and assembled it to make their own collage.
The second grade students are making an “Under the Sea” painting. They are drawing a variety of sea animals and will be painting with watercolor paints.
The third grade students discussed the element of line, what it is and the many types that can be drawn. The students created a line design. They will be learning about different color schemes, such as, primary colors, secondary and complementary colors.
The fourth grade students are learning about the artist Henri Rousseau. He enjoyed painting jungle scenes. The students are drawing their own jungle picture.
The fifth grade students will be drawing a seascape or landscape painting with watercolor paints.
The sixth grade students are working on a Georgia O’Keeffe drawing. Flowers were her favorite subjects and she would sometimes paint flowers very close up. The students are drawing their own enlarged flower.
The seventh grade students are taking a small picture of an animal and enlarging it, using a grid system. They are drawing with pecil.
The eighth grade class is starting a pen and ink drawing of an animal.
I am especially enjoying the excitement of the pre school class. The students painted a beautiful tree and glued some apples on.
Thanks for all your hard work,
Mrs. Celeste
St. Mary’s High School
Performing Arts Department
will be presenting
Turn Back the Clock
a comedy in three acts
November 5th and 6th
7:30 PM
$5.00 per person
for tickets and more information,
Please call 683-4824
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