Today's Monarch

The 6th and 8th graders don't know what to make of their weird prizes in Mr. Heneghan's Mystery Box.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

In sixth grade students have been covering fractions and decimals. They learned how they are connected, and how a fraction like 3/8 is the same value as 0.375. They will proceed to computation with fractions.

Seventh graders have been studying the relationship among fractions, decimals, and percents. They now can convert one to another and compare and order them. They will begin exploring applications with fractions.

Eighth graders are about to complete a unit on percent application. They have learned various methods of solving percentage problems. They know how to find sale prices, compute tax and tip, and determine percent of mark up or discount. They can find the percent increase or decrease and compute simple interest. This is one of the most important units they study, as these concepts are life skills that are needed by every adult.

Up-coming event! Save the date!
Mark you calendars for the evening of Tuesday, March 11th. All middle school students are invited to attend the Indiana Pacers vs. Seattle Sonics game at Conseco Fieldhouse. This is part of our Sports Connection Program with the Actuarial Foundation. A big thank you to Mr. Morris, who was able to get St. Joan of Arc FREE tickets for the game. Details will be forthcoming.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Sixth grade students are exploring minerals and rocks this week. Students will be given an unknown mineral to identify by testing its physical properties such as density, streak, and hardness in Friday’s lab.

Volcanoes worldwide, their past and recent eruptions, and how these eruptions have affected the climate and people near the site is the topic seventh grade students are exploring this week.

Thank you for sending in paper towel tubes. Eighth grade students will use these to learn about the conservation of energy, particularly potential and kinetic energy, as they make roller coasters in class.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• Check out this week’s web essay. The topic? How St. Joan of Arc students will deepen their sense of prayer, choose a way in which they will fast—it doesn’t necessarily have to involve food—and almsgiving.
• My eClassroom also has a slideshow of 6th and 8th grade recipients from my “Mystery Box”. Students who met AR goals chose either a coupon for a free pizza at Pizza Hut or a pull from the box.
• MANNERS: We are placing extra emphasis on manners here at school. Increasingly, we are noticing many of our middle school students failing to say “thank you”, “excuse me”, or “good morning”. Please continue to model these simple, yet all important behaviors at home.