Thursday's Newsletter 8/30/07

The Monarch
Thursday August 30, 2007

• We have started the “Homework Club”, so if your child has not done their homework, they will be calling to let you know.
• 8th grade retreat at Rancho Framasa in Brown County is scheduled for Oct. 1-2. This is an overnight trip. We are looking for male and female chaperones. Please contact Mr. Heneghan if you are interested.
• French Market is Saturday, September 15th. We have no school on the Friday of that week.
• No school on Monday, it’s Labor Day!

In Math...

In middle school mathematics, all students are reviewing pre-requisite skills for their current year. This will assure that they are better prepared for ISTEP as well as the new skills they will learn this year. Thus far, most of the students have been doing a fine job of showing their work and turning their homework in on time. Those students who do not have their homework will be calling home to let a parent know. The homework would then receive partial credit the following day. Thank you for encouraging your student to do their homework neatly, thoroughly, and on time.

In Science...

Sixth grade students have been learning about recycling, particularly paper.
They tested various paper samples for absorbency today and will finish analyzing their data tomorrow.

Seventh and Eighth grade students continue to intensely review for I-Step. Please encourage your son or daughter to use their textbook when completing any worksheets that are given as homework. If they are having difficulty, have them see me at school or give me a call at home 841-3952.

If there are any allergies that your son or daughter has, please be sure to let me know as we will be working with many different materials in science class.

In English...

Students have all started reading novels. 8th is reading To Kill a Mockingbird, 7th is reading And Then There Were None, and 6th is reading The River Between Us. We are reading these in class, so you won’t see them at home, however, you SHOULD see them reading their A R books every night.
6-8 will have their first vocabulary test over Unit 1 next Tuesday. You should see them reviewing their flashcards every night.
One of the gifts the 8th graders received from LAST year’s 8th grade class was a book called, 7 Habits for the Highly Effective Teen. The 8th graders will be reading this at home on their own. Periodically, we will have quizzes.

A Truly Amazing Piece of Footage

God certainly works in mysterious ways...



Those who watch the entire video will be rewarded with a surprisingly pleasant resolution.

The Monarch 8-23-07

The Monarch
Thursday August 23, 2007

Welcome back!

We are all so excited to get started on another fabulous school year, and part of that was last night’s Back to School Night. Thank you so much for attending. It is one of hopefully many occasions to see our parents in our building. Some announcements:

• Saturday is our “Growing the Arts” fundraiser at the home of Michael O’brien. There will be food, beverages, music—SJA’s own choir—and student artwork on display for purchase. Come join us! Call the office for details (283-1518).
• All students should have their planners and binders.
• Purple folders go home every Thursday and should be returned Friday. Discuss newsletters, graded work, stat trackers, etc. with your kids every week.
• This Sunday from 1-3pm, all middle schoolers have been invited by Bishop Chatard to attend the North Deanery Cadet Football Jamboree. They have also been given a ticket to get their picture taken with the Colts’ Super Bowl Lombardi trophy. Bring your cameras!
• French Market is Sat. Sept. 15th.
• sjoa.org will be changing to an updated look with new features. Be on the lookout!
• Homework Watcher emails go out daily. If you have not given your email address to us—or would like to add an additional address—let us know.
• All teachers also have blogs. For example, Mr. Heneghan’s is: http://sja-eclassroom-msla.blogspot.com/
  
  A note from Mrs. Bryant...
  
  Middle School Science
  
  Sixth grade students have been using the microprojector, which is similar to a large microscope, to examine their specimens from nature. At the same time we learned a little bit about chlorophyll and its role in photosynthesis.
  Seventh and eighth grade students have begun to prepare for I-Step testing, which takes place in a few weeks.
  Please make me aware of any allergies that your son or daughter has, as we work with a variety of materials in science. Please call me at home 841-3952 or send me an e-mail at sbryant@sjoa.org.
  
  Our emails:
  English—Mike Heneghan—mheneghan@sjoa.org
  Social Studies—Eric Carlstedt—ecarlstedt@sjoa.org
  Math—Beth Groves—bgroves@sjoa.org
  Science—Sherri Bryant—sbryant@sjoa.org
  Religion—Mary Anne Schaefer—maschaefer@sjoa.org
  Spanish—Julia Hasbrook—shasbrook@sjoa.org

Back To School Night!

Welcome!

Just some quick notes for tonight:

About me:

• Christ the King, Bishop Chatard, IU
• 10th year of teaching (2 in Poland, 8 at St. Joan
• married to Corrie
• love reading, cooking, teaching, softball, basketball

In class:

• My focus: literature, writing, and vocabulary
• My grades on report card: Reading, English, Spelling
• Syllabi, stat trackers
• Participation, curiosity, and learning

Talking points:

• Thursday folders
• Recycling
• Growing the Arts Dinner this Saturday at Michael O'Brien's
• 8th grade only--PCR, retreats, 8th grade trip, fundraisers, Cath. higher ed.

Questions?

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Entering my 8th year as a teacher at St. Joan of Arc, I am not only blessed to see our young readers and exceptional writers grow, I also have the pleasure of working with some pretty terrific people as well. Living every man's dream, I'm joined by my mother-in-law Jeanne Conner (the "peaceful" one on the left) this year, who is working with her sister, Ms. Peggy, on the Pre-K floor.

In addition to these two knuckleheads, St. Joan of Arc has many more who comprise the family I get to work with everyday. From Patsy, Burnside, and Eileen in the office, to Carolyn and Sarah who work with our after-school children, to my compadres in the middle school--Eric, Beth, Sherri, Julia, and Mary Anne--and many more. But, my favorite people are, of course, my students.

I work with the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in a host of ways, but in the most generic sense, I'm the middle school English teacher. We spend most of the time in my classes exploring literature and writing, with a dash of vocabulary sprinkled in to boot.



As the eighth grade homeroom teacher, I also spend extra time doing special projects like discovering local business opportunities with the eighth graders in conjunction with corporations like Eli Lilly, Ice-Miller, the Indianapolis Convention and Tourism Board, and Kite Realty among others.

I am also the liason for students' experiences with Catholic higher education, including excursions to our North Deanery high school, Bishop Chatard, Marian College, and this year, St. Mary of the Woods.

Lastly, I am blessed to be part of the 8th grade retreat, a two day spiritual exercise at Rancho Framasa in scenic Brown County. We hike, pray, do high ropes (as seen below), canoe, team build, and learn about God's presence in the everyday simplicity of nature. In more ways than one, truly a "trip" every year.

I look forward to the journey ahead!

---Mr. Michael Heneghan