old SJA-Middle School: Language Arts

Study Guide for "11th Hour" and "Inconvenient Truth"

2008-05-22T15:50:00.004-04:00

Here are some of the main ideas and concrete details which may be found on tomorrow's tests:

"11th Hour"

Global warming caused by excess CO2 in atmosphere.
Chemicals in air, soil, water have led to increases in many diseases, including ADHD, asthma, and cancer.
11th Hour means "at the last minute".
Current sunlight vs. Stored (Ancient) sunlight.
We have removed over 90% of the big fish from the oceans.
Animals and plant species becoming extinct at a faster rate due to humans.
Tens of thousands of hours of TV watched by the time an American is 18, but can name few of the native plant and animal species in their area.
Planet's population: from 2 billion to 6 billion in 70 yrs. Took 10,000 generations to get to 2 billion.
99.9% of all animals that ever were are extinct.
Burning of fossil fuels creates acid rain.
Arctic and Antarctic ice melting due to global warming.
Too many of us (especially Americans) using too many resources too fast.
CO2 traps in heat.
Trees help prevent flooding and soil erosion.
For every truckload of lasting product Americans make, we waste 32 truckloads.
Exxon-Mobile's profits from last year (33 billion dollars) are more than all American automakers' profits. Combined!

"An Inconvenient Truth"

Moulin-a large crack in the ice where water seeps down to its crust.
Al Gore: former VP. Won Academy award and Nobel prize.
Canary in a coalmine.
Difference between sea-based ice and land-based ice.
Roger Revelle--Gore's former professor.
Ocean conveyor.
Strengthening and more frequent storms.
Changing/dying ecosystems.
Three factors: Population growth, new technologies, new ways of thinking.
Does becoming more environmental always equal bad for the economy?

Hope these help you focus your studying tonight. Remember, always involve writing when you study.

Mr. Heneghan

Today's Monarch

2008-05-22T15:42:00.003-04:00

Mrs. Collier-Mason helps out these 8th graders at last week's Finance Park.

From Mrs. Bryant...

As the school year ends, I want you to know how much I have enjoyed your children. Please remind them to do the extra credit in science for up to twenty points.

Sixth grade students will have a test tomorrow over invertebrates. Students should study their foldables, notes given in class, and textbook. They may also go online and take practice quizzes and tests at the textbook’s website.

Seventh grade students have been teaching their classmates about energy sources for electricity such as solar, nuclear, wind, coal, oil, gas, and hydroelectric power. Students should be able to tell you what energy source Hoosiers use for most of our electricity.

Eighth grade students will have a test tomorrow over The Nonliving Environment, Chapter 19, in their textbook. Again, students may go online and take practice quizzes and tests at the textbook’s website found on the Eighth Grade Quia homepage. Next week we will review the factor label method of calculation, a valuable tool for high school.

From Mrs. Groves...
Last Thursday the seventh and eighth grade students went to Junior Achievement’s Finance Park as the culminating activity for a three week unit in math, social studies and language arts. They represented St. Joan of Arc well by working diligently on their budget packets all day. They learned some very interesting things about how expensive it is to run a household, and how important it is to get a good education so they might be able to afford some of the nicer things in life. Ask to see their packets and budgets, and discuss with them some of the lessons they learned at Finance Park.

In Sports Connections, all the middle school students thanked our mentors for helping us throughout the year by presenting them with gifts last Monday. Mr. Kahl, Ms. Adams and Mr. McClelland were given an SJA hat, a binder filled with thank you notes, and a picture of all the middle school students gathered around our INTEL award sign. Each mentor hopes to return next fall for another year of Sports Connections.

From Mrs. Hasbrook...
The Spanish students had a really good first year! 5th, 6th, and 7th graders were able to make it through important introductory material, a preview chapter and then 3 additional chapters in our book. The 8th graders were able to make it through all of the above and chapter 4 in the text. Some of our highlights this year included singing De Colores, memorizing and perfoming dialogues, having a Spanish fiesta around Christmas, playing Spanish Bingo, playing Jeopardy to review for chapter tests, memorizing the Our Father in Spanish, and the 8th graders making the tres leches cake for the Cultural Arts Celebration. Overall, it was a great year!

From Mr. Carlstedt...
The students are playing Risk to enhance their Social Studies knowledge. It is a wonderful blend of strategery and global domination with a dash of Math for grins and giggles.

From Mr. Heneghan...

I have enjoyed teaching your children this year, and the years preceding. I am excited for the kids to move on to new adventures and learning in high school, as well as the direction Mrs. Jeatran will take these students towards for writing and reading. Good luck to you all, and continue to grow our St. Joan of Arc community.

All grades have a test over “The 11th Hour” and “An Inconvenient Truth” tomorrow.

Today's Monarch

2008-05-15T16:31:00.001-04:00

From Mr. Carlstedt...

The 6th grade will have a test next week on the countries of Europe from the last chapter.

The 7th grade has a test tomorrow on Europe.

The 8th grade will be deconstructing Reconstruction.

From Mr. Heneghan...

Students watched the environmental film, “The 11th Hour” this past week. They learned about global warming, pollution of the air, land, and water, who is responsible, and what are some of the actions we can take to prevent further abuse of our habitat.

Next week, we will watch “An Inconvenient Truth”, an academy award winning documentary created by former vice president Al Gore. It also focuses on the environment and the effect human activity has on it.

From Mrs. Groves...

FINANCE PARK AT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

Today the seventh and eighth graders enjoyed the culminating activity for their unit on economics. During the simulation they conducted pricing research on such things as home mortgages or rent, cable packages, and automobile prices. They tracked stock prices, and explored investment opportunities. They also gained knowledge about budgeting by evaluating hypothetical life situations and prioritizing budget items. They also experienced the use of a debit card and were expected to balance their budget at the end of the month. It was an enlightening experience for all.

Thanks to Susan Barney, Celesta Bates, Quinetta Buchanan-Brown, Kim Collier-Mason and Brent Kahl for chaperoning.

From Mrs. Bryant...

Please remind your son or daughter that if they miss a day of school or a class for an appointment, they need to check with the teacher as soon as possible regarding any work that they may have missed.

Sixth grade students will have a test over invertebrates on Monday. Students should review a few minutes each day before the test, using their flow chart, foldables, and student notes.

Seventh grade students will visit the Eco Lab at Marian College tomorrow. Students should wear old shoes and several layers of warm clothing, as their experience will be completely outdoors. Many thanks to Carolyn Holder and Mrs. Carlton who will be transporting students to this event.

Eighth grade students explored magnetism this week in lab as they magnetized an iron nail and then demagnetized it using two different methods.

Today's Monarch

2008-05-08T16:50:00.002-04:00

Syndey, Symone and Payge enjoy statistics and a nice day at Victory Field.

From Mrs. Sharpe...

To Parents of Middle School students:

Many students are spending a great deal of time on the internet at home. Many are using “My Space” (or other social networking sites like “Facebook”) as a means of communicating. Unfortunately, some students are using this as a way to communicate harmful information about each other. Our concern at St. Joan of Arc is that some of this is carrying over into school. Please check with your children, be sure you know what they are viewing and sending. The internet is a great tool if used properly and safely. Otherwise, it can cause a great deal of harm.
Thank you for monitoring this issue.

Mrs. Sharpe

From Mrs. Bryant...
Seventh grade will be visiting the Marian College Ecolab on Friday, May 16th from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. I still need three drivers for this field trip; if you are able to drive, please give me a call. Students will be learning about wetlands while earning a service hour.

Thermal energy was our topic last Friday, as sixth grade students made ice cream. This week students are learning about invertebrates and reviewing proportions.

Eighth grade students will be bungee jumping their Barbies from the computer lab window into a shallow pool the first day weather permits. Students incorporated a number of skills: graphing, determining the line of best fit, extrapolation of a graph for estimating, and proportion calculations in completing this lab.

From Mr. Carlstedt...
6th grade: wrapping up the individual countries of the Old Country. On a side note, they are creating a presentation on Central American countries.

7th grade: traversing the storied history of Europe and understanding basic concepts of personal financial responsibilities.

8th grade: understanding the social and historical impact of the Civil War while preparing for Finance Park.

From Mrs. Groves...
Last week the Sports Connection program sponsored by the Actuarial Foundation was able to host the entire middle school at the Indianapolis Indians Education Day. During the game between the Indians and the Columbus Clippers the students kept a box score. They had learned to do that in class as part of a statistics unit which includes gathering raw data. They will now take that data and tally some statistics such as batting averages and slugging percentages and compare the players’ performance in that game to their overall performance this season. The students also enjoyed lots of snacks from the concession stands!

Many thanks to our mentors as well as Mr. Barney and Mr. Poe for chaperoning.

The 7th & 8th graders are currently preparing for our visit to Finance Park on May 15th. More on that next week!

From Mrs. Schaefer...
6th grade is studying the life of Moses.
7th and 8th grades are reviewing chapters 1-9, while also creating a Crossword Puzzle.

From Mr. Heneghan...
All grades have focused on our Discipline with Purpose skills as the year winds down. Primarily, we have worked on improving Listening, Following Instructions, Asking Questions, and Sharing. All are basic life skills, and many students are finding they have much to improve in their self-discipline, so I hope they are finding these lessons constructive.

7th and 8th grades have been really enthusiastic about our discussion concerning credit for Finance Park.

Today's Monarch

2008-05-01T15:52:00.004-04:00

The 8th graders did mass today, and led our school outside afterwards for a May Crowning celebration. May is the month of Mary and mothers.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Please feel free to call me at home (841-3952) or send me an e-mail sbryant@sjoa.org
regarding your son or daughter’s progress report score. I can always print an itemized report if you want each specific grade that was earned this quarter. Thank you for continuing to emphasize the importance of their school work at home. I often remind the students that their parents and grandparents make great sacrifices to send them to St. Joan of Arc School, and that, at a minimum, it is their job to come to school prepared each day in order to honor all that you do for them.

Sixth grade students had a test today over plants. Our lab tomorrow is “The Problem with Flat Maps in a Round World.” Be sure to ask them how we used an orange.

Seventh grade students had their test over genetics today, and tomorrow they will have their DNA lab. Their test was an on line test which was scored immediately upon completion.

Eighth grade students took the plate tectonics test on Tuesday, it was returned in their Thursday folder today. Please review the test with your son or daughter. We will be working on the factor-label method of calculations; a skill which they should know well as they get ready to enter high school.

In Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...

• The 6th graders just finished testing over the chapter and began working on their dialogues this week.
• The 7th graders will be reviewing this week and testing next week.
• The 8th graders just finished up the vocabulary for chapter 4 and will be learning grammar and culture this week. They will test over Chapter 4 sometime in mid-May. The 8th graders will also be helping me make a special Central American treat for the Cultural Arts Celebration!

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

Some dates to remember:
• Saturday: Radio show, check my blog.
• Monday: 7th Cristo Rey shadow.
• Thursday: 7th at GREAT Celebration.
• Friday: Walk-a-thon/ Field Day –don’t forget to get those pledges! We’d like each student to raise at least 25 dollars.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• Next week is Teacher Appreciation week.
• The 8th graders will be selling coffee, fruit, and other breakfast treats tomorrow morning. Stop on by!
• 8th graders and Mr. Carlstedt will visit Eli Lilly tomorrow.

Today's Monarch

2008-04-24T13:58:00.001-04:00

Mr. Heneghan and some of the 8th graders take a break in a garden on the campus of Marian College.

From Mrs. Bryant...
Seventh grade students will have a DNA have lab tomorrow. Please remind your son or daughter to bring their lab coat to class.

Sixth grade students are exploring plants in science; however, Friday they will learn about thermal energy in a short lab. Please be sure to ask them about it.

Eighth grade students are studying plate tectonics. Ask them where some of the plate boundaries can be found in our world and how our earth is shaped as a result of their pushing, pulling apart, or sliding past each other.

From Mrs. Groves...
6th graders are beginning to study algebraic properties and solve equations.

7th graders are finding percent of a number. They realize that our sales tax is 7%, but were surprised to find out that 7% for a $16,000.00 car added $1,120.00 to the cost!

8th graders are finishing up a unit on formulas—finding volume and surface area of prisms, pyramids, cones and cylinders. After attending the baseball game, we will apply what we know about formulas to find the “on base percentage” of some of the Indians.

Indianapolis Indians Game – Wednesday, April 30th
Reminder: For the Indians game next Wednesday, please be sure the students bring money for lunch. I did not realize that we are not allowed to bring food since we have box seats. For those who are chaperoning please arrive at school at about 9:30.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

· 6th-8th graders have finished their Shel Silverstein projects for National Poetry Month. Look for them in the halls starting tomorrow. We hope to share them with the younger kids in school. Mr. Carlstedt has also suggested they record them for an online podcast!
· 8th graders will NOT be going to Eli Lilly tomorrow. It has been rescheduled for next Friday. It is in the afternoon and we are looking for drivers. Contact Mr. Carlstedt if you can help out.
· The 8th graders will present the May Crowing mass on May 1st at 9am. Please join us.

Today's Monarch

2008-04-17T10:14:00.002-04:00

The 8th graders visited Marian College on Wednesday.

From Mrs. Groves...

• Great things are happening at St. Joan of Arc:
Middle School Finalist for 2008 Intel Schools of Distinction Award

SJA has been chosen as a finalist for the Intel Schools of Distinction Award - Math Excellence category. As a finalist we receive a $2500.00 grant. There are 9 finalists from across the country, and 3 will be chosen as the winning schools in June (See article in today’s school newsletter).

We are in the middle school math category. The winning schools receive $10,000.00 in grant money and $150,000.00 in tech products!

• Indians Game – April 30th

As part of our Sports Connection Program the middle school will be attending the Indians vs. Columbus baseball game at Victory Field on April 30th. We have openings and tickets for 2 chaperones. We will leave here at about 9:30 AM and return by 3:00 PM. If you would like to join us, please send a note to school.

• Finance Park – May 15th

The 7th & 8th graders will be visiting Finance Park on May 15th. They should have brought an information packet home concerning it on Tuesday. Please let us know immediately if you can volunteer to help. The details were included in the packet.

From Mrs. Hasbrook...

• The 6th and 7th graders just finished up the chapter and will test on Tuesday the 22nd. They have had lots of review time with flashcards and a game of Jeopardy, but still need to study, study, study!! After the chapter test, they will begin their dialogues and enter the next chapter (our last chapter for the year).
• The 8th graders have already written, memorized and performed their dialogues and are well into the next chapter. They will be quizzing over new classroom vocabulary on Tuesday the 22nd.

From Mrs. Bryant...

• Students enjoyed a visit from Professor Donovan and his traveling science show last Friday as he explored changes in gas volume, force, and temperature. The students were very enthusiastic about The Challenger Learning Center’s show. Ask your son or daughter not only about our student participation, but also how Mr. Carlstedt and Mr. Heneghan contributed to the performance.

• Mitosis and meiosis are the topics for eighth grade students this week. Ask your son or daughter to show you the computer game that they played which reinforced their understanding. If you are in the school, please take a stroll down our middle school hallway and see their detailed sketches, the students did an excellent job.

• Seventh grade students are studying heredity this week and will extract a sample of their own DNA from their cheek cells in their lab on Friday. Ask them to explain to you what a Punnett Square is used to predict.

• Sixth grade students have started learning about our world’s biomes and their plant and animal resources. Students are preparing Power Point presentations on their chosen area of the earth.

From Mr. Heneghan...

• We’ve been celebrating National Poetry Month by exploring some of Shel Silverstein’s children’s poetry, learning a little about the poet himself, and are actually creating and analyzing our own poems. Look for them in the halls in the week to come.
• Interested in some book suggestions? Not a reader, but would like to become one, and thus help your child be more engaged in reading? Check out the post after this week’s Monarch. It has some book suggestions for kids and adults, as well as an introduction to a cool reading community website called “Library Thing” (www.librarything.com).
• 8th graders learned loads at their Marian College visit yesterday. We toured the Catholic campus, sat in on Theology, Marketing, and Writing classes, had a roundtable discussion with current Marian students, and enjoyed a tasty lunch.

Some Random Books From My Library Thing

2008-04-13T21:50:00.007-04:00

About a month ago, I introduced the middle school students to the website librarything.com. It is a site which does many things, all of them connected to books and reading. It connects readers in a variety of ways, one way being that it creates places for people to talk about shared reading interests, like science fiction or thrillers, for example. The main function of the site is to give you an opportunity to catalogue books in your own personal library--the books you've read during your life. As you construct this list, you are connected to other users who have also read those books. You're also able to read their reviews of books and see what other books you might enjoy if you liked a certain mystery or a specific author, for example.

Anywho, here's a bit from my librarything catalogue. Check it out, and join up too! It's free. You can also click on 'my library' to see my entire collection (so far).

Today's Monarch

2008-04-10T13:58:00.002-04:00

Thank you to the parents who chaperoned at the Pacers game.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...
• This is National Poetry Month, so we have been exploring poetry, specifically the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Amazing how his poetry and cartoons still make our classes laugh!
• Look for your children to be writing their own poetry.
• Ask your child what their favorite Accelerated Reader book has been in the last month. Ask them why? Get involved in their reading, and tell them about what you read too.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

• On Monday, Terry Gallagher and Mr. Ellyson from the Marion County Department of Health were our guest speakers on mosquito biology. Sixth and seventh grade students were able to observe mosquitoes in various life stages through a microscope. Students also learned methods to prevent the number of mosquitoes around their homes this summer. Be sure to ask your son or daughter what diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes.

• Many sixth grade students did not score as well on the cell test as they had hoped. We discussed ways to improve their mastery of the concepts; making a foldable or flashcards and note-taking were all suggested. The key to any method working well is to keep up with the daily assignments and review each day what was presented in class. I explained to the students that in science it is important to read more slowly and for detail, as compared with the type of reading one uses for literature where they may want to grasp the overall idea.

• Seventh grade students will be visiting Marian College’s Eco-Lab the afternoon of Friday, May 16th. If you would be able and willing to chaperone and/or carpool students to this event, please let me know. Please call me at home: 841-3952 or send me an e-mail: sbryant@sjoa.org

• Eighth grade student tests over thermal energy are in their take home folder today. This is the first test of our last quarter. Please take time to review the test with your son or daughter.

• This week students received a book from NIH titled Inside the Cell. You may want to save this as a resource for future high school science classes. The photos are incredible and the illustrations are excellent.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

• 6th-8th grades have their capitals and map quiz on Friday.
• Tech terms for those classes on Friday as well.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...
• The latest in Sports Connections is that we have moved on from March Madness to baseball. The middle school students are learning how to keep a box score during a baseball game. They are also learning how to apply some of the mathematical formulas such as H/AB to find the batting average. That is “hits” divided by “at bats.” We will be attending the Indianapolis Indians Education Day on Wednesday, April 30th. Permission slips will be coming home soon.

National Poetry Month

2008-04-09T08:49:00.007-04:00

Shel Silverstein article

Homework Questions
a. What different careers did Shel Silverstein have in his lifetime, and what did he accomplish in each of these careers?
b. The article compares Silverstein to Dr. Seuss, A.A. Milne, and Edward Lear. What did these authors write? In what ways might they be compared to each other in terms of writing style? Why is each author considered a "master of the form" of writing for children?
c. What are some of the subjects of Shel Silverstein’s works (particularly short stories and poems) as described in the article, and why might they appeal to children? What morals does he seem to discuss in his works?
d. Have you ever read any of Shel Silverstein’s poems? What did you like about them? What makes them memorable to you?

Compare and Contrast Your Poem and Silverstein's
--How does the poem you wrote relate to the title?
--What is the meaning of your poem, and how did you attempt to relay that meaning to your reader?
--What does the title of this poem mean in relation to the poem written by Shel Silverstein?
--What is the meaning of the Shel Silverstein poem, and how did he attempt to relay that meaning to the reader?
--What methods did both you and Shel Silverstein use to reach your intended audience of children?

RUBRIC FOR SHEL SILVERSTEIN FINAL PROJECT
Essay: 20 pts
-5 pts: C.U.P.S., Neatly typed, crisp paper, 1 page or less
-5 pts: Concrete examples
-5 pts: Transition words for each "yellow"
-5 pts: Readability, style
Drawing: 10 pts: Connection to your poem; effort and care must be apparent
Your Poem: 15 pts
Silverstein Poem: 5 pts.

Today's Monarch

2008-03-27T13:21:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I’m proud. Meet a future reader!

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

1. We have been reading about gender stereotypes and gender roles, and ultimately Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role as possibly the first strong female candidate for president for a major party. We have used a couple articles from the New York Times to explore this subject.
2. We sent home a scholarship opportunity for 8th graders called the Sr. Fracesca scholarship, offered by the Sisters of St. Francis in Oldenburg. This is a scholarship for black students planning on attending a Catholic high school. So far, I have received zero applications. I have a few extras if needed. Deadline is April 15.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

1. Mr. Carlstedt will have extra credit available on his eClassroom over Spring Break.

2. He will be “going live” on his site this Sunday, not Saturday.

3. 6th and 8th grade have a test tomorrow.

4. 7th grade will wrap up Ch. 18 when they get back from break.

7 Habits For Highly Effective People

2008-03-26T21:49:00.002-04:00

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

You’re invited to attend a free 1-hour webcast.

When: Friday, March 28, 2008

Time: 1:00 pm ET/12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT/10:00 am PT

Presenter: Todd Davis, FranklinCovey Consultant

Cost: Free

Attend a free 1-hour overview on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Brought to you by FranklinCovey, this webcast will help you better understand the 7 Habits and how you can implement them into your life. This webcast will also provide information about the various programs that FranklinCovey offers that focus on 7 Habits content including: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Program, 7 Habits Interactive Edition, The 7 Habits Maximizer and The 7 Habits for Associates workshops. These workshops provide participants with a robust and tactical implementation plan to fully integrate The 7 Habits into their lives.

The 7 Habits help you learn:

>To improve focus, communication, and balance for yourself and your organization

>To develop professional relationships for productive collaboration

>The importance of responsibility, accountability, and commitment

>Skills for increasing productivity by staying focused on the right things

>How to reduce conflict by understanding exactly what you can influence

FranklinCovey has found that the key to an organization’s success is the people. From the mailroom to the boardroom, it becomes more imperative that employees are effective, both personally and professionally. With the 7 Habits you can achieve sustainable superior performance from every employee. The timeless principles taught in the 7 Habits workshop suite gives people the foundation to achieve unheard of levels of effectiveness in their lives at work and at home.

Please join us for this overview of these habits and these life-changing programs.

Please click this link to register for this 1-hour overview.

Your source code is E1.

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/482945021

Please check out FranklinCovey’s archived webcasts at: www.franklincovey.com/webcasts

Meet Mary Margaret Heneghan

2008-03-15T12:45:00.006-04:00

Mama Corrie and baby Mary are doing great at home. Thank you for all of your prayers and hard work in my absence.

God bless you,

Mr. Heneghan

P.S. Here's a good shot of a future reader and great writer...and me.

MORE PICTURES OF BEAUTIFUL MARY.

Mary chills after a hard day of napping.

Girls Will Be Girls?

2008-03-13T22:37:00.008-04:00

We will discuss more on this next week, but for now, read this article from the New York Times.

What are gender roles? Should boys do boy things and girls do girl things?

What do YOU think?

Homework Questions for Monday and Tuesday night:

a. What does the author, Peggy Orenstein, mean when she says that many women are "struggling to find an ideal mix of feminism and femininity"? Do you agree? Why or why not?
b. Why did some people get upset about the implicit "Girls Keep Out" sign on the cover of the "Dangerous Book for Boys"? Does this bother you? Why or why not?
c. Who does Orenstein believe the "Dangerous Book for Boys" was marketed to? How was it marketed to this group?
d. How do the new girls' books push for girls to "have it both ways"? What does this mean? Do you think this is a good goal for today's young girls? Why or why not?
e. Orenstein believes that the book "How to Be the Best at Everything" subscribes to "the 'I am woman, see me shop' strain of feminism." What does this mean? Do you think that this ideology is a positive or negative one for a new generation of women?
f. What is "relational" feminism? Do you subscribe to this type of feminism? Why or why not?
g. Does anything about Isabelle Cherney and Kamala London's study surprise you?
h. What does Orenstein mean when she says that girls are "allowed more latitude in their identities" than boys? Do you agree? Why or why not?
i. What conclusions do you come to after learning that boys are just as likely to play with "feminine" toys as "masculine" toys when they think that no one will find out?
j. What does Orenstein mean when she says that "learning to 'create an amazing dance routine' ... is still far more Dangerous for boys than … learning to juggle"? Do you agree?
k. If you were to one day become a parent, what would you want your child to learn about gender roles?

PART II (For Wednesday and Thursday)

"When Women Rule" article.

HOMEWORK Statements to respond to:

1. -"Hillary Clinton isn't the only woman struggling to find an ideal mix of feminism and femininity, one that allows a woman to behave both like and unlike a man without being penalized either way."
2. -"In democracies in the television age, female leaders also have to navigate public prejudices -- and these make democratic politics far more challenging for a woman than for a man."
3. -"The broader conundrum is that for women, but not for men, there is a tradeoff in qualities associated with top leadership. A woman can be perceived as competent or as likable, but not both."
4.-"It's an uphill struggle, to be judged both a good woman and a good leader."
5. -"Exposure reduces prejudice.":

Want to Know More About Some Cool Books?

2008-03-10T21:49:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of "All Things Excellent" guru Sarah Batt: Click on a book title to learn more about that book, read reviews from other readers, and even check out some OTHER books readers of that book like. For example, if you loved "Gregor the Overlander", click on that title and see what other books people have read who also loved "Gregor", like "Charlie Bone", "The Ravenmaster's Secret", "The Prophet of Yonwood", or "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh".

There are even discussions amongst other avid readers about "Flowers for Algernon" (or any other book you could think of) that you can read. If you thought "Into Thin Air was a great non-fiction read about mountaineering, see what other non-fiction reads are out there that are along the same lines, in this case, "The Climb", "Left for Dead: My Journey Home From Everest", or "Ghosts of Everest".

If you've read, for example, "A Northern Light", click on the author's name and see what else Jennifer Donnelly has written, like "The Tea Rose", or "Humble Pie".

There is much more to see and learn. Hopefully that whets your appetite.

This is all on a pretty sweet site, www.librarything.com. EXPLORE!

Today's Monarch

2008-03-06T15:40:00.002-05:00

A painting from African-American artist William H. Johnson called "Off to War".
From Mr. Heneghan’s class...
• My wife is going to have a baby in the next day or so, therefore, I am taking a paternity leave for the next two weeks. Brandi Mickens, who works with NYO, will be my able replacement. I will be checking back in with school periodically to see how everyone is progressing.
• 6th and 7th graders have been studying artists from the Harlem Renaissance, including Zora Neale Hurston (writer), Bessie Smith (Blues singer), William Henry Johnson (painter), and Langston Hughes (writer). By Friday, they will have created a PowerPoint slideshow including all they’ve learned about their chosen artist.
• 8th graders will complete a Black History Month mural on Friday. In groups, they were assigned certain themes, including politics, religion, sports, food, civil rights, music, etc. They will convey these themes using a variety of different mediums, including watercolor, photographs, magazines, the web, and their own writing.

From Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...
• The 6th and 7th graders are well into the next chapter which focuses on school supplies, clothing and the conjugation of AR verbs. They also just received return pen pal letters from the students in Honduras! We are in the process of reading and translating these letters.
• The 8th graders are going to test over the chapter on Tuesday the 11th. After completing this chapter's test, all students will begin to compose and later perform a dialogue in front of the class that will take place in a clothing store or a bookstore. One student will be the salesclerk, the other the customer.
• Overall, students are doing a great job. They need to remember to bring their copy of the prayer, their notebooks, and all completed homework to class!

From Mrs. Bryant’s class...
• Sixth grade students learned how to calculate speed by measuring distance and time of Hot Wheels race cars on Monday. Students will next explore plant and animal cells.
• Seventh grade students are doing a fine job with probability as they estimate the likelihood of a desired outcome in comparison to all the possible outcomes. Stars and galaxies have been our major focus this week. Ask your son or daughter the following questions: What color is a star? What does the color of a star tell us about a star? What is parallax? --- Ask them to demonstrate. What is the closest star to earth?
• Eighth grade students were tested on Newton’s Laws of Motion this week as they were asked to calculate speed, acceleration, and force. Overall, test results were very disappointing, and I believe this to be chiefly a preparation issue. Often questions missed were taken directly from the notes students took in class. Only 25% of the class indicated that they had even read a portion of the textbook. The grasping of new science terms, formulas, and concepts can usually be greatly increased if a student completes the daily assignments as well as being on task in class.
• Congratulations to Phillip Bates, Payge Fowlkes, and Christian Williams, who did an excellent job representing St. Joan of Arc at the CYO Science Fair on Saturday. I received many positive comments from the judges.

From Mr. Carlstedt’s class...
• Check out Mr. Carlstedt’s RADIO SHOW this Saturday at 1pm. You can get to this radio show via a link from his Social Studies eClassroom (blog).

From Mrs. Groves’s class...
• Back from Honduras!
Mrs. Groves returned from her field assignment in Honduras bringing letters from our partner school Escuela de Carlos Roberto Reina. The 5th through 8th grade students were thrilled to receive them. She hand delivered them because mail is practically non- existent in the remote mountain area in which the school is located. The school is a small two-room building for 70+ students. It has no electricity or water. The only restroom is an outhouse in the back. The students walk hours to get to school each day, so the day is quite a bit shorter than ours. Consequently, they work very hard while they are there.
Although the team from HETO (Hearts in Education Teacher Outreach) delivered 3000 pounds of supplies for the fourteen schools they visited, Escuela de Carlos R. Reina School is sill in need of many things. Tania, the teacher there, gave Mrs. Groves a list of needed materials. Our students would like to do a fundraiser so that we can send the money to a HETO representative there, to purchase the necessary materials. We will pursue that in the near future.
Meanwhile, the students are learning to translate their letters from Spanish and will write back. They will be hand-delivered by our HETO representative.
• Sports Connections
Monday the students will play 3 on 3 basketball to give them some practice in keeping statistics. On Tuesday, the middle school students will go to the Pacer game at Conseco Fieldhouse. There they will follow a player, tracking his personal stats. Upon return to school they will figure out shooting percentages, and compare their performance to their overall season statistics.
• Drivers Needed For The Pacer Game on Tuesday, March 11th
We are in need of a few more drivers. We will leave the playground at 6:00 PM and return at 10:00 PM. If you are available to go with us to the game, please call the school office (283- 1518) and let us know how many students you can take in seat belts. You will need to provide a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. These can be brought to the office anytime to be copied. We have great tickets thanks to Mr. Morris!

"Striving and Achieving": Modern African-American Culture

2008-02-29T11:49:00.006-05:00

What do you value most in this life?
Money?
Family?
Clothing?
Music?
Community Service?

The 8th grade is dicovering what is important to them, and more interestingly, whether that is connected to race, age, or socio-economic status.

Well-known activist Al Sharpton certainly has an opinion, revealed in an interview with the New York Times.

Here's the article.

What do YOU think?

Comprehension Questions
1. What criticism did Al Sharpton have for the Democratic Party in the recent election?
2. According to Sharpton, what is and is not true "black culture"?
3. What happened to the black female cited in the article who was the first in her family to go to college? How does Sharpton feel about this?
4. What are Sharpton's concerns for the future of his daughters?
5. What did Sharpton notice at the rally for H. Carl McCall?

Part II

Groups: If you were born in January-March you are Group 1. If you were born in April-June, you are Group 2. If you were born in July-September, you are Group 3. Lastly, if you were born in October-December, you're Group 4.

Group 1-Civil Rights and Sports
Group 2-Music and Politics
Group 3-Art and Literature
Group 4-Entertainment and Religion

Each group will have two themes (above) related to achievements in African-American culture, such as: civil rights, sports, music, entertainment, art, and literature. Using Encarta and the New York Times, groups must research their topic. Then groups create a sketch for their section of a class mural celebrating the qualities that Sharpton used to define "black culture," namely striving and achieving. Some issues for groups to consider as they sketch the images that they would like to use for their section of the mural include:
--What images will best represent our topic thematically?
--What images (events, people, etc) will best represent the achievements of African-Americans in this area?
--What images will be the most visually striking?
--How can we use our images to tell the story of this theme (e.g., creating a visual timeline or using text as well as images)?

Rubric
10 points--Smaller, rough draft (due Wednesday, March 5)
10 points--C.U.P.S. + Neatly completed + interesting shape for mural + no white space
5 points--1+ photo from magazine
5 points--1+ picture from the Internet
5 points--1+ application of water color paint
5 points--1+ application of crayons, pastels, markers, or colored pencils
10 points--explanation/description for each of the above, being sure to
connect them to your themes.

Final Mural piece due: Friday, March 7th at the end of class.

Today's Monarch

2008-02-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

7th graders Nicole, Aar-Yana, Rebekah, and Christine ham it up at the Peace Learning Center at Eagle Creek Park.

From Mr. Heneghan’s class...
• The 8th graders had a swell time visiting our high school, Bishop Chatard on Tuesday. We participated in classical conditioning experiments in a senior-level psychology class, shadowed independently for part of the day, toured Chatard’s new Student Center, and were treated to a scrumptious lunch.
• 6th and 7th graders began learning about Zora Neale Hurtson, a major figure during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s and ‘30’s.
• 8th graders on focusing on improving their writing across the curriculum, meaning they want their writing to be well-planned and well thought out in ALL classes.

From Mrs. Bryant’s class...
• Sixth grade students will have a test over bacteria and fungi on Friday. Students should review their class notes and text.
• Seventh grade students created dose response curves for their radish seeds lab, which are being returned in today’s take home folder. Ask your son or daughter what their unknown substance was and how it affected the germination of their radish seeds.
• Eighth grade students are studying Newton’s laws of motion and gravity.
• Phillip Bates, Christian Williams, and Payton Fowlkes will represent St. Joan of Arc at the Archdiocesan Science Fair this Saturday from 11am until 1pm at the CYO Center on Stevens Street.

Learning About the Harlem Renaissance

2008-02-27T16:14:00.011-05:00

Among the performers at the SummerStage salute to Zora Neale Hurston on Tuesday were Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, who opened the event by reading some of Hurston's folk tales.

During Black History Month, it is common to discuss the horrors of slavery and the struggle for Civil Rights, but people of color have offered our nation a rich literary history too. Read about the Harlem Renaissance in an article from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20020816friday.html

When taking Cornell notes, be sure to complete the notes section before filling any questions into the Question column.

Part II-More Harlem Renaissance figures
Learn about more black artists and writers who enriched American culture during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and '30s.
Use Encarta, the Library or Congress, the New York Times, and Wikipedia(I have located specific links for you, which are stored in the "Reading" drive at SJA under "Black History Links") to find out more about:
Bessie Smith
Langston Hughes
William Henry Johnson

Some questions you'll want to know the answers to:
1. How did this artist become involved in the Harlem Renaissance?
2. What was this artist's most famous work?
3. What is thought to be this artist's contribution to the world and to black culture?
4. (UPDATED)Each student should prepare a 5 slide PowerPoint presentation.
-Slide 1(10 points): photo plus date of birth/death,
place of birth/death, artistic genre, and a list of 10 of their most
important/best/your favorite works.
-Slide 2(10 points): a Stoplight plan of an essay on their life and
achievements.
-Slide 3 (10 points): An example of their work, plus another photo (label both).
-Slide 4 (10 points): A 200-300 word essay on their life and achievements.
-Slide 5 (10 points): Another example of their work, plus a 5-10 sentence
statement of how YOU feel about this artist and their creations.
5. What is your opinion of this artist? Do you like their works? Why or why not?

The Monarch

2008-02-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

Mrs. Groves will be in Honduras next week on a mission trip with Hearts in Education Teacher Outreach (HETO). All the middles school students have written letters to the students she will be teaching in Honduras. They also included a picture of themselves.Hopefully the Honduran students will continue to correspond with us after her trip.

While she is away, Mrs. Branham will be covering her classes. The students will be working on an economic unit involving reading paychecks and credit card bills, finding interest and finance charges, writing checks and balancing a checkbook.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

• All students are continuing with Bloom’s Taxonomy and their notes.
• The sixth grade is in ancient Rome and Greece with assessment next week.
• The seventh grade is discovering the rich history of the Far East.
• The eighth grade will be delving further into the causes of the Civil War.

A Service Opportunity for 8th graders!

(Below is a note from an employee at Parkview Cooperative Preschool)

Do any of your students need to earn service hours? Would they be interested in volunteering at a fundraiser for Parkview Cooperative Preschool?

We are a parent-run preschool at 4550 Central Avenue and each spring we host the "Bunny Hop" as our annual fundraiser. Bunny Hop consists of a silent auction for parents and games for young children. In the past, 8th graders from St. Thomas volunteered at the event, but this year we are looking beyond St. Thomas. Most of our 8th grade volunteers are Parkview alums. There may be some at your school too?

It is a really fun event and a great volunteer opportunity for anyone interested in working with children. Volunteers run the games under my supervision and we provide lunch to students who work the entire event (Saturday March 8, 10 am -2 pm).

Please let me know if you have any questions or if your students would be interested.

Thank you,

Marianne Scott Lusk
926-9025

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Ask sixth grade students what tasty “bacteria” treat they enjoyed this week, as they learned that not all bacteria are bad, in fact only about 1% of all bacteria are classified as pathogenic, or disease causing. The students’ test over bacteria, protists and fungi, in chapter 12 of their textbook, will be Friday.
Seventh and eighth grade students continue to explore how the concentration or dose of a chemical is what often determines its toxicity. They are currently germinating radish seeds using different concentrations of unknown liquids.
Please feel free to call me (home 841-3952) or e-mail me with questions about progress report scores.
Thank you for sending to school, and please continue to send to school, empty peanut butter jars or any other plastic jars with screw top lids.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

See my eclassroom for all the cool writing our students are doing. We are currently working on writing across the curriculum. For example, we have working on using all the great planning techniques we’ve learned in my classes and utilizing them in science and social studies writing too.
8th graders will be going on a fieldtrip-shadowing adventure at our high school, Bishop Chatard, next Tuesday. Lunch and transportation will be provided.
Good luck to the 6th and 7th graders who will be attending the Peace Learning Center at Eagle Creek Park tomorrow.

This Week's Student Scrawling: A Typical Wednesday

2008-02-19T16:47:00.011-05:00

Directions: Imagine it's an ordinary Wednesday. School empties out at 3:15 as usual. Bumping into your buddy on the way down the hall, you start gabbing about something you heard at lunch. Something about how to make a mean shrimp quesadilla with guacamole. Your friend reminds you about the wicked score she set on Guitar Hero last night (That's something you swear you'll top tonight!) As you part ways, you pull out your assignment notebook and start planning which homework you're going to do first. Here's what's on tap for you tonight:

-Mr. Carlstedt has a Bloom's assignment over Ch. 10 due tomorrow.
-Mr. Heneghan has assigned vocab unit 6 due for Friday.
-In math, Mrs. Groves has given pgs 256-257 the odds, due tomorrow.
-You have a science test over Electricity (Ch. 11) tomorrow.
-Mrs. Hasbrook will give a Spanish quiz next Tuesday.
-Finally, as with every night, you have 30 minutes of AR reading.

You walk home, go to NYO, or are picked up by a parent. What happens next?

Be sure to include:
1. The homework you do, don't do, and in what order. Explain WHY.
2. HOW and WHERE you do your homework, e.g. write out the definitions, reread the chapter, in your bedroom, at the kitchen table.
3. How long you'll spend doing each part of the homework, and the total, e.g. 45 minutes for math, and two hours total?
4. What do you do besides homework, e.g. dinner, watch American Idol, play video games, chat with family, exercise, and for how long?

Rubric
10 pts-250-300 words
10 pts-C.U.P.S.
10 pts-Cover the above 4 pts
10 pts- 5 transition words, 2 metaphors (minimum)

Due: Friday by 5pm.
(STOPLIGHT plan must be turned in before submission will be accepted)

This Week's Monarch

2008-02-14T14:32:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Jr. High Religion students have been introduced to the Criterion, the Catholic Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Each student will receive their own copy to study, read, and share with their family. This past week we had the opportunity to search for articles that reflect on the life of Jesus during this special time of the church year called Lent. The students were also assigned to share an article with their parents, grandparents, or caregiver and discuss why they were interested in a poem about Lent, how working at a clinic reflects on their own personal life with Jesus, or talking about the Sacrament of Matrimony. The article about the clinic and the volunteers—doctors & lay people—trying to help the needy, poor, and sick was the most discussed.

Ms. Bobbie Lincoln spent time with the middle school students and shared how we can be strong Christians together: by studying, sharing the Word, and praying together. By standing together we will not be divided. Ms. Bobbie will be returning to Africa in late spring to help minister to the infants and children in a small village. The middle school made blankets for the infants and children of this village.

Mr. Brown, a father of one of our students, will be coming and speaking to our middle school students about being a Minister, Husband, Father, Teacher, Coach, and Friend and still knowing the importance of having Jesus in his life. Mr. Brown is a teacher and coach at Perry Meridian High School.

Sr. Demetria and Sr. Loretto from the Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis will be with students on 2/28/08 and talk about their journey in the Mission fields of Africa and Liberia and more. Slides and other materials will be shown to the students to help them understand the universal work that is being done in the world today.

All of this is being shown to help the students realize that Jesus is not just here at SJA, but also around the world. We are made in His image and likeness.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Middle school students explored the copper industry in the United States today using the internet. A few students were able to identify their unknown mineral through a series of tests they performed in Monday’s lab. Mineral quizzes and their worksheets are being returned today in their Thursday folder. Your sixth grade student should be able to tell you why a Valentine’s heart is an easy reminder of how to calculate density,

Seventh and eighth grade students are exploring Chemicals, the Environment and You, a lesson plan from NIH. As one experiment, they will be examining how caffeine affects their heart rate. Students will be given a cola to drink in class for this experiment. Please let me know if you would prefer that your son or daughter observe, rather than participate in this experiment.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

Students are continuing to create and answer questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each section will be a different area. For instance: Section 1 would be Knowledge, Section 2 would be Comprehension and up the ladder as they move forward. I have already heard numerous sound and insightful questions from the students and am very encouraged with the results.

In Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...

The Spanish students have been busy preparing for and taking their chapter test, making Valentines, and writing their pen pal letters. 8th graders have already begun the new chapter on school supplies and clothing and the 6th and 7th graders are soon to follow. We will be writing, performing, and videotaping a dialogue this chapter of a scene in a bookstore or a clothing store. One student will be the sales person and the other will be the customer. Overall the students are doing a good job. They need to remember to bring their Spanish prayer and Spanish notebook to class!

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• As always, check out my eClassroom for all kinds of student work, book recommendations, tonight’s homework, pictures from school events, and more: sja-eclassroom-msla.blogspot.com.
• We have written a lot about Lent and how we will commit ourselves more deeply to Christ during this season. This is a great conversation starter for families.
• English vocab test over Unit 5 in grades 6-8 will be on Tuesday. Be on the lookout for study materials over the long Presidents’ Day weekend.
• Each student should read for AT LEAST 30 minutes every night. If you don’t see them reading daily, they probably aren’t. Please encourage them to do this every night. From a parent that I’ve quoted before: “For every hour of TV/Computer/Video games at night, there should be an hour of reading.” Great advice!

This Week's Web Essay: Helping Others

2008-02-11T16:17:00.001-05:00

In your previous essay on Lent, many of you outlined how you were going to BOTH grow your personal relationship with God AND help out others in our community. Here are some of the things you had to "say":

I am not going to argue with my brother or sister at all during Lent.

One more thing I want to give up is being mean to others.

I will volunteer more at church because my church gives some of the money that they earn to poor families so that they can get food and clothes.

I would give all of the money that I have to the Salvation Army so they can give the money to the other organizations as well.

In order to give back to my community I will do the best I can to raise and donate money.

I will help people even more than I usually do, and I will pray some more so I can have a better relationship with God.

For Lent this year I plan on giving up junk food.

I am going to pray every night before I go to bed, and when I wake up every morning.

These are all wonderful examples of Lenten self-denial (fasting), prayer, and almsgiving. HOWEVER, they are quite vague and difficult to measure. If you say, "I'm going to pray more" or, "I want to give to the poor", it is not as concrete as saying, "I'm going to pray for ten minutes before I go to bed every night". "I will bring two sacks of clothes to Goodwill this Friday" is also much clearer.

This week's assignment is two-fold. First, describe how well you've been able to put your general goals into action after one week. Next, turn your goals into something much more concrete and measureable.

Rubric:
10 pts--200-250 words + C.U.P.S.
10 pts--A reflection on your progress so far
10 pts--A more concrete plan of action for the remainder of Lent
Due: Friday, February 15, 5pm.

7th Quiz: "Tiger" and "Golden Girls"

2008-02-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

Directions: Answer each question in a complete sentence in a Word document. Edit and revise before submitting it in this post's Comments section. Number each of your responses.

1.What does Tiger's letter to Coach Goodwin show about his character?

2. What was Sarah Tueting's dream in college? Why did she nearly give up on this dream?

3. Why did sportswriters complain about covering the finals? Why did they "walk out gushing"?

4. Who was responsible for pushing Tiger to achieve so much in the world of golf?

5. How may the victory of the U.S. women's ice hockey team affect the dreams of other female athletes?

6th Quiz: "Water" and "Talent"

2008-02-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

Directions: Answer each question in a complete sentence in a Word document. Edit and revise before submitting it in this post's Comments section. Number each of your responses.

1. Who wrote "Water" and what is unique about her?

2. Explain what Annie Dillard means when she says, "There's no such thing as talent."

3. Why do we "normal" people want to believe, for example, that Rembrandt is just naturally talented, and NOT the product of education and hard work?

4. What does Annie try to teach Helen as a young girl?

5. What event helps Helen recognize the meaning of "water"?

Today's Monarch

2008-02-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

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.

PAPAL MESSAGE FOR LENT 2008

2008-02-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

"Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters.In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving."

"According to the teaching of the Gospel, we are not owners but rather administrators of the goods we possess: these, then, are not to be considered as our exclusive possession, but means through which the Lord calls each one of us to act as a steward of His providence for our neighbour".

"In the Gospel, Jesus explicitly admonishes the one who possesses and uses earthly riches only for self."

With Lent starting with Ash Wednesday, the Pope reminds of how we must put extra emphasis on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Reflect on how you will address each of these holy acts during the ncxt forty days.

5 pts--C.U.P.S. + 200-250 words
5 pts-Address how you will pray, fast, and give of yourself
5 pts-Readability, Sincerity, Creativity

Submit this into the Comments section on this post only by 5pm on Friday, Februrary 8th.

The Monarch for Thursday, January 31st

2008-01-31T15:29:00.001-05:00

Bishop Chatard students helped Miles learn about math and careers at our Math Fair last week.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

This week in Sports Connection, we planned a trip for two to the Super Bowl. Their assignment was to find the grand total for two people to spend three days and two nights in the Phoenix area and attend the Super Bowl. This included tickets, airfare, hotel, meals, and tips. The students had to find the going rate for tickets. They discovered that the cheapest seats, in the upper level end zone were going for $1300.00 each. The most expensive tickets on the lower level between the thirty yard lines were about $12,000. The total costs ran from about $5,200 to $55,000 for two people to stay. Absolutely mind-boggling!.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Sixth grade students will be having a science test tomorrow over the oceans. They should study their notes taken in class, their text, self-check questions, and chapter review.
On Friday, seventh grade students will learn how computers use the binary system to store information. They will then create a coded math puzzle and picture using the binary system of ones and zeroes, to be shared with a fellow student. Ask your son or daughter to share their puzzle with you.

Eighth grade students will be making series and parallel circuits tomorrow in class. Their test will be Monday. Since I have them for two periods on Monday, they should bring their questions to the first class, and they will then be tested during the second class. They should review their text, practice power and voltage problems, and notes taken in class from their Science notebook.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

The sixth grade is wrapping up South America and preparing to embark for Europe.
The seventh grade will be comparing the cultures of Japan and China.
The eighth grade will be examining Jefferson and his impact on our country.

Buy Yearbooks!

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

I hope everyone is enjoying our eClassrooms. They are a great place to see the day’s homework—though not a replacement for the students’ assignment notebooks. They also have so much more, as I hope many of you are finding out. Starting last week, all of the middle school classes have been submitting assignments via this classroom. Check ‘em out! Read what your children are writing. Talk about it at home. This week’s assignment, called “Now MY Class Is In Session” is all about what class your kids would create for St. Joan of Arc. Some are highly entertaining.

In Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...

Ask your Spanish student what time it is and they should be able to tell you en espanol! All Spanish students will take their chapter test next week. Once we are finished with this chapter, we will begin composing letters to send with Mrs. Groves to Honduras. Mrs. Groves will be visiting a school while in Honduras and will deliver our letters and request return letters. We are very excited to have this unique "pen pal" opportunity.

7th and 8th grade DANCE

We will still have the North Deanery dance Friday night 2/1 UNLESS the IHM school is closed due to snow. To be sure students should check through the school closings Friday am to see if Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, Indianapolis is closed.

If the dance is a go: SJA still needs volunteers! Anyone who attends this dance should send a volunteer, it’s the one dance the kids need to have their parents attend since we are the co-host. Also as a reminder, the cost of the dance is $6.00.

Now MY Class Is In Session

2008-01-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the spot for all of this week's submissions.

Peace,

Mr. Heneghan

SJA Rocks!

2008-01-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Second grade SJA student Mercedes B. is a doppelganger for our first Indiana saint, Theodora Guerin.

Click here to go to a great article in this week's Criterion about your beloved St. Joan of Arc Catholic School and just a smattering of why your school is so incredible.

The Monarch for Thursday, January 24th

2008-01-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

BRRRRRR! Don't you wish it was warm like this?

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

Our third annual Math Fair was held Wednesday with collaboration from honor students from Bishop Chatard High School. They created such stations as Zoo Keepers, Medical Professions, Retail Store, Athletics, Cooking, and Engineering to give our students hands on experiences of how mathematics is used in our everyday lives. For example, students were given this sample problem: If a polar bear eats five fish a day, how many fish will it eat in a week? On a higher level, if a polar bear eats 20 pounds of fish a day, and it weighs 450 pounds, what percent of its weight is this?

In addition, there were eleven estimation stations, several that were created by our eighth grade class. Each student in the school submitted estimations for each activity and prizes were awarded in the closing ceremonies. A good time was had by all.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Mrs. Bryant is looking for a few committed seventh grade students who enjoy science and younger students. The students will be working to write a short United Way: Youth as Resources grant to allow them to design and demonstrate science concepts for younger groups of students at St. Joan of Arc, and other schools as well. Students who are interested should contact Mrs. Bryant by next Thursday.

It is early in the third quarter, and any middle school student who feels that they need additional science help should let Mrs. Bryant know.

Just a reminder that science fair for eighth grade students is next Thursday, January 31st beginning at 8:05 a.m. in the gym and will last for about an hour. The students’ exhibits will stay up all morning, but the students will be at their poster to answer questions until they go to mass at 8:55 a.m. Eighth grade students presenting may either wear their school uniform or dress up (dress shirt for boys, dress pants or skirts for the girls).

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

The students will be moving to the next level in Social Studies. They will begin constructing questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy for notes.

Sample of Knowledge and template question:
What happened after...?
How many...?
Who was it that...?
Can you name the...?
Describe what happened at...?
Who spoke to...?
Can you tell why...?
Find the meaning of...?
What is...?
Which is true or false...?

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

Students have been busy as all get out on their “St. Joan of Arc Is A Light For Me” essays. Look for student samples tucked into this week’s church bulletins.
Students also have a web-based assignment related to their AR books. This can only be turned in via my eclassroom.

How Much Do You Know about Dr. King?

2008-01-22T14:50:00.001-05:00

Parents and students, take this quiz and find out!

Dr. King Quiz

The Monarch for Thursday, January 17, 2008

2008-01-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

"Moo Moo" Evans of the Globetrotters spoke to SJA students about working hard in the classroom through the acronym C.H.E.E.R.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...
Please call or e-mail me with questions that you may have about your son or daughter’s grade for science. All students were given the opportunity to turn in extra credit, but less than one-half, or only 39%, of all middle school students chose to take advantage of this opportunity.
Sixth grade students are learning about the oceans this week.
Seventh grade students are learning about how scientists classify life.
Eighth grade students are learning about electricity.
All students will be learning about blood typing in their laboratory tomorrow, where they will type artificial blood. If you know your son or daughter’s blood type, please tell them what it is before they come to class tomorrow.
The eighth grade science fair will be Thursday, January 31st, beginning at 8:30a.m. Please plan to stop in the gym and see the students’ exhibits. The judges will choose the top exhibits to represent our school at the CYO Science Fair March 1, 2008 at the CYO Center, where students will compete with other seventh and eighth grade students from schools in the archdiocese.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...
This week in Sports Connections the middle school students explored the dimensions of an NFL football field. They found the diagram on line, and then answered questions concerning it. They figured out the area and perimeter of the field. 8th graders used the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the diagonal distance of the field. They also learned that every NFL field is identical in its markings and size. For instance, every numeral on the yard markers are 4' wide by 6' tall. It was a valuable lesson in reading diagrams and using them to problem solve.

Lighting the Way for Math in Everyday Life
On Wednesday, January 23rd, St. Joan of Arc School is having our 3rd annual Math Fair. This year's theme is Lighting the Way for Math in Everyday Life. Honor students from Bishop Chatard High School will partner with our students in their exploration of several areas of everyday mathematics. They will have booths set up in Doyle Hall with activities involving retail shopping, medical careers, zoo keeping, athletics, etc. In addition, we will have an "Estimation Hallway" where students will respond to several different estimation activities. Feel free to drop in between 8:00 AM and 1:30 PM to see this exciting event in action.

In Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...

This week in Spanish we will be wrapping up the chapter. In this chapter we have learned classroom vocabulary, how to tell time, and the plural of the verb ‘Ser’. We should test over this material sometime next week. Please make sure that your student has and brings his/her Spanish notebook to class every Tuesday and Wednesday. Our text has to remain in the classroom and his/her Spanish notebook is like a text for them to bring home and study as they take all grammar notes and enter all vocabulary into these notebooks. A "buen trabajo" (good job) goes to Rebekah Johnson and Stephanie Tinsley in 7th grade and Amber Trimpl and Khristen Crowe in 8th grade for receiving A's on their famous Central American projects!

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...
Students have been focusing on editing and revision in English class over the last week. We made connections between a Central American recipe book and one on mythology. One way that we tried to vary our sentences was through the use of the “ABC” method. We tried to begin each sentence with a new letter of the alphabet. It’s challenging, but it makes students think of new and interesting ways to state their ideas.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...
6th grade – moving farther south into South America
7th grade – moving in an easterly direction in Asia following the monsoons from the Arabian Sea
8th grade – examining the first Presidency

The Monarch for Thursday, January 10, 2008

2008-01-10T15:44:00.000-05:00

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Sixth grade students have been reviewing in class this week over the standards addressed in the first semester.

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students will explore the properties of a unique polymer in class on Friday. Be sure to ask them what they observed and where this polymer might find a useful application.

All classes seemed to enjoy a segment of the Planet Earth video series showing the vast caves of Borneo. Ask your child where Borneo is or what kind of rock makes up these caves and how they were formed; they should be able to tell you.

Eighth grade students have started working on their science fair experiments. Many ideas were suggested, or students were able to ask their own question to be answered. They are doing individual experiments, and their materials list was due to me last Tuesday. If they discover that additional, readily available materials are needed, please feel free to purchase them, and save the receipt; I will reimburse you.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

6th, 7th, and 8th graders have been working on essays about Central America this week. Central America is especially relevant this year, as our school has been using it as our theme. Students have been focusing on this region in art and social studies too!

New Visitation Policy

In light of the increased frequency of parents visiting school—which we love!—we would appreciate it if parents could set up their visits with the teachers beforehand. By prearranging with the teacher, you help them foster the best learning environment in our classrooms. If you just need to speak to your child during the school day, we will have your child meet you in the office, which keeps the distractions in the classroom to a minimum.

The Monarch for Thursday December 13th, 2007

2007-12-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

At left, Ivan, Stephen, and Phillip practice their roles as the Three Wise men.

From Mrs. Groves...

• In math classes, the sixth graders are gaining a better understanding of decimals and are beginning to use them in algebraic expressions.
• Seventh graders are working with the computation of integers (positive and negative numbers), and graphing ordered pairs on a coordinate plane.
• Eighth graders are exploring exponential notation, squares, square roots, and applications of the Pythagorean Theorem. They seem to understand this concept very well.

From Mr. Carlstedt...

• On Saturday December 8th, several 7th and 8th graders were involved in the Second Annual Middle School Mock Trial Competition. Held at Noblesville middle school, the students acted as attorneys, witnesses, defendants, and plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit.
• The students applied skills from asking questions, following directions, and thinking on their feet. Aside from necessary instruction, the students constructed questions, thought out answers, and learned to think quickly using their knowledge of the case. A parent, Jim Osborn, was instrumental as legal advisor. A warm ‘thank you’ to him!

From Mrs. Schaefer...

• All middle school students were shown the video “The Nativity”.
• Next week we will have a discussion on the students’ feelings on the birth of Jesus—in the past and if He were born today.

From Mr. Heneghan...

• The 8th graders have been busy preparing for the Nativity play, to be presented in concert with the Christmas musical program next Friday. We can’t wait to transport you back to the story of the birth of Jesus.
• Thank you to all families who helped with our 8th grade poinsettia sale. Pick up is today between 3:30-6pm in Doyle Hall.

The Monarch for Thursday, December 6, 2007

2007-12-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

Ivan and Jordan (above) measure carefully during a lab in Mrs. Bryant's class.

TODAY IS THE FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS!

From Mr. Carlstedt...
• Please check with your student and their weekly planner. It is important they are writing their work in the planner and not relying on Homework Watcher. Homework Watcher is a fantastic aide and communication venue, but NOT a substitution for students writing down their assignments.
• As the 8th graders are finishing up typing with Mrs. Morris, the 6th and 7th are using Publisher to learn about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

From Mrs. Schaefer...
• Projects: 5th grade and 7th grade joined classes and made four blankets for an orphanage in Africa. Mrs. Lincoln will send these blankets to their destination before Christmas. These blankets will be given to those infants and toddlers who are in need. These children actually cuddle-up together to stay warm. Hopefully, these blankets will help. We will also have the 8th and 4th grade come together and do the same project before the Christmas holidays. Mrs. Lincoln will come and pick-up these blankets the week of December 17th – 19th.
• Movie: 6th, 7th, 8th students will be shown the movie The Nativity Story, December 10th – 12th. The 4th & 5th grade students have been invited to join us. Discussions will follow.
• The 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students made an Advent Wreath . Fr. Guy also came and talked with the students about the meaning of Advent and the Advent Wreath.
• The Jr. High students will be completing their rosaries, as these rosaries will be sent to the soldiers in Iraq.
• Christmas cards are also being prepared for the elderly and for those without families.

From Mrs. Hasbrook...
• The 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders have just completed another chapter in their Spanish textbooks. We are entering a new chapter that is entitled Alumnos y Cursos (Students and Courses). We will be learning lots of classroom vocabulary, the plural of the verb SER (to be), and how to tell time. In addition, students have just begun a project that will require them to research a famous Central American. They have a partner from their Spanish class and will write a 2 page report and create a visual. This project will be due right before Christmas break. Students will also be singing some Spanish Christmas carols as the season is upon us. Overall, they are all doing a really good job.

From Mr. Heneghan...
• Praise for the following students for taking advantage of recent extra credit opportunities: Marshall, Graham, Dominic, Miles, Aeriel, and Ben.
• Students have been reading articles from the New York Times recently. This is our nation’s paper of record, and one of the finest newspapers in the world. I hope this spurs their curiosity to read more and find out about the world around them.
• We have been practicing Cornell Note-taking, a method that has a built-in study tool as well: the questions the students create. These notes will come in handy in our reading comprehension quizzes and on the test next week.
• Students will also be writing an essay where they will need these important facts, opinions, and questions from their notes.
• We will start Vocab Unit 4 on Friday.

From Mrs. Bryant...
• Would all grades please save and send in empty and clean peanut butter jars? I use these so often in science class and would appreciate any that you have.

• Students will be given lab coats for this year. They are to bring them on lab days and be responsible for taking them home for washing when needed.

• All students have their own pair of safety goggles for labs which stay with them for the three years of middle school and are not shared. I keep those in the science room for their convenience.

• Please see me with any concerns about progress reports. I am always happy when a parent calls me with questions or concerns because it is the beginning of a solution.

The Monarch for Thursday November 29

2007-11-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

Tony Dungy and the Colts in prayer.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Sixth grade students are learning about air pollution this week, and will test our most recent rainwater for acidity.
Seventh grade students are learning about osmosis and diffusion. They will be exploring these concepts with a couple of hands on experiments today and Friday.
Eighth grade students are learning about chemical bonding and electron energy levels.
So much of what the students learn during a school year is building upon previously mastered concepts. Please encourage your child to complete their work to the best of their ability each day.
In sixth grade, we use the time between 3:00 and 3:15 each day as a short study hall. If students have questions about their assignments, the teachers are readily accessible at this time.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

The boisterous 6th grade is going South of the Border to Mexico the next week.
The 7th grade has been studying Africa from the Masai to the Boers to Nelson Mandela.
The American Revolution has been the focus point for the 8th grade.
Finally, the 6th and 7th graders are working on a project using Publisher in Technology as they study the aspects of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

In sports...

The Athletic Committee is having a Chili Cook-off this Sunday in order to raise money to subsidize the cost of uniforms. Come on out and support our athletic Monarchs! Tickets are five dollars each.
Boys basketball and Girls volleyball are in full swing. Can’t wait to see those games.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

8th graders are working on their own personal mission statements. This is something we learned about during our “7 Habits for the Highly Effective Teens” training. 8th graders will be sharing these with the whole school at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.
7th graders are reviewing nouns and working on responses to writing.
6th graders are working on responses to writing.
Students are now half way through the quarter, and therefore should be half way or more to their point goal for Accelerated Reader. Check at home to see their progress.

8th graders will begin selling poinsettias this week. The proceeds go towards our gift to the school and our 8th grade trip.

How Much do YOU Read?

2007-11-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

These are some excerpts from a recent New York Times article, highlighting a new National Endowment for the Arts study on reading.

Study Links Drop in Test Scores to a Decline in Time Spent Reading

By MOTOKO RICH
Published: November 19, 2007

"Harry Potter, James Patterson and Oprah Winfrey’s book club aside, Americans — particularly young Americans — appear to be reading less for fun, and as that happens, their reading test scores are declining. At the same time, performance in other academic disciplines like math and science is dipping for students whose access to books is limited, and employers are rating workers deficient in basic writing skills."

An interesting quote:
"The new report also looked at data from the workplace, including a survey that showed nearly three-quarters of employers who were polled rated “reading comprehension” as “very important” for workers with two-year college degrees, and nearly 90 percent of employers said so for graduates of four-year colleges. Better reading skills were also correlated with higher income. "

To read more, follow this link to the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/arts/19nea.html?em&ex=1195707600&en=19c57bbd70b9bb6a&ei=5087%0A

Today's Monarch

2007-11-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

• 6th grade: the intrepid sixth grade is moving in the southerly direction of the Western Hemisphere. We recently finished Canada and the US and are examining the geographic, historical, and political aspects south of the Rio Grande and north of Colombia.
• 7th grade: the heat of the Sahara moved the seventh graders into Sub-Saharan Africa.
• 8th grade: the thoughts of the recent political upset in Indy are part of the conversations of the 8th grade as we study taxes imposed by the British.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

• Tuesday night seventy parents and students enjoyed a delightful evening at Family Math Night. They learned twelve different games to play and were able to take several home with them. Many thanks to the Education Department at Marian College and their students for helping with the event, and to all our parents from FSF and the Sports Committee. They helped prepare and serve the delicious meal and clean up afterwards. Also, thanks to Ms. Bayt and Ms. Clouse for babysitting during the evening. It was an enjoyable, fun-filled, educational evening for all.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...
• Sixth grade students are discovering which areas in the United States are currently experiencing drought conditions. Students should know what a watershed is, the name of the watershed that serves our community, and be able to tell you where it is located on an Indiana map. We will have a class discussion of ways to conserve water and then the students will create posters as a reminder of what one person can do. Only 1% of all water on the earth is available as fresh water.
• Seventh grade students will be making cell cakes and sharing them with the fifth grade once they all have mastered the cell’s components and the function of each.
• Eighth grade students will have a test Monday over the periodic table of the elements. Tuesday the students played Element Bingo in order to better learn the elements’ symbols. Thursday they received sample test questions online in our computer lab. Please reiterate at home that it is important to review a little each evening.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...
• All grades completed their compare-contrast essays this week. Look for those to come home next week. How well do they write?
• We’ll be watching a brief video on Study Skills tomorrow. What kind of study skills do you promote at home?

In sports...
• Congratulations to the 7/8 girls on their Semi-final appearance in CYO basketball. Lots of teamwork and hustle out there!
• Can’t wait to see the boys basketball teams go to work in the next month. They have a jamboree at Chatard this weekend. Go Monarchs!

Recess!

2007-11-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

High School Parent Night: This Wednesday the 14th

2007-11-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

Please join us this Wednesday at 7pm in Mrs. Groves's room. Representatives from the surrounding high schools--Bishop Chatard, Cathedral, Brebeuf, and Providence Cristo Rey--will be there to talk and answer your questions. Your high school students-to-be are encouraged to attend as well.

The Monarch

2007-11-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

Bishop Chatard Open House is this Sunday from 12:30-3pm.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

Sixth grade students will be studying water, with special attention to what we have seen in the news the last few weeks with regards to the droughts in Louisiana, Tennessee, and other parts of the United States.
Seventh grade students continue to study plant and animal cell structures and will have a test next Monday. Tomorrow, students will be using the microscopes to observe cells. They need to remember to return their lab safety contracts by tomorrow.
Eighth grade students are learning about the periodic table of elements and common uses for some of the less well known elements. Ask your son or daughter what element is used to make solar panels, or which element is used to make computer chips; they should know.

In Mrs. Groves’s class...

Middle School Students compared the statistics from the Colts-Patriots game this past Monday. It certainly would have been more fun had the Colts won Sunday afternoon. We figured passing percentages: Manning -59% , Brady – 65%. Both quarterbacks were well below their pre-game average. We also found the yards per carry for players on both teams. The students seem to really enjoy learning math through our Sports Connections Program.
Please join us Tuesday evening for Math Family Night. Dinner and FSF meeting at 6:00, Math at 7:00 pm. Dinner is $5.00 per person, $15.00 per family. The students will each earn extra credit points for attending.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• See my eclassroom for all sorts of goodies, including slideshows, videos, book lists, hot links, polls, and even this very newsletter!
• We are beginning a review unit in vocab, so all students must have their units 1-3 flashcards at the ready. This is when organization pays off!
• We are now beginning a big writing section in English, so look for your kids to be planning, proofreading, and organizing their writing for homework.

In Service...

We would like to have 6 – 8 7th /8th grade volunteers to help with the Early Education Open House tomorrow night. We will need about 3 young people to help watch the little kids and help with the children’s activity (decorating butterfly cookies). Then we will need 3 – 4 students to help with set up and clean up.
We will start setting up at 4:00 p.m. and we should be done pretty close to 8:00 or shortly thereafter. This will qualify for service hours.

In Sports...

• Both the 56 and the 78 girls basketball teams have moved on to the second round of play in their respective tournaments. Represent us well, girls!
• Boys basketball practices are ongoing. Please see the office for details.

Bishop Chatard Open House

2007-11-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

You and your family are cordially invited to attend Chatard's annual Open House.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
12:30-3pm
Official welcome programs will be held at 12:30 and 2:15pm (Tours begin after first program).

Important dates for the Class of 2012
Placement tests-November 17, December 1, and January 12. Tests begin at 8:30am.

Application AND financial aid deadline: January 16

For more information, please contact the admissions office at 251-1451, ext. 2247 or 2242. Via email at admissions@bishopchatard.org

All Saints Day Edition of The Monarch

2007-11-01T15:26:00.001-04:00

Jerome Dawn searches through Mr. Heneghan's "Mystery Box" after reaching all three of his AR reading goals.

In English…
6th and 7th graders will finish their novels tomorrow. Both will have a test next Tuesday.
All report cards are past due. If you have not conferenced yet, please call the school office to set up an appointment, 283-1518.
7th and 8th grade parents: there will be a high school night here at SJA on Nov. 14th at 7pm. Bishop Chatard and representatives from the other surrounding private schools will be in attendance.

In Social Studies...
There are a few barristers in the making among the seventh and eighth graders. Classes are participating in the second annual Indiana Middle School Mock Trial. The competition will take place on December 8th. The case involves a paintball injury and the liability of the paintball facility. The characters have some imaginative names:
Izzy Hurt, Plaintiff
Dr. O. Noh, Plaintiff's doctor,
Lee Nonmie, former R.A.G.E. employee
Carey Less, Defendant
Lou Sur, friend of Plaintiff
Pat Turn, paint ball expert

In Math...
In Sports Connections last week we took a look at the batting averages of the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox. We determined the teams overall average. Rockies, .222; Red Sox, .300. We also discussed whether of not this was indicative of the outcome of the series. There were pros and cons. Hind sight, of course, is 20/20. With the Red Sox sweeping the series 4-0, it seems in this case the batting average of the team was indeed influential in their win.
Next Monday we will be comparing and analyzing some of the stats from the Colts/ Patriots game. One we will figure out will be the passing percentage of the quarterbacks. It should be a very interesting game.

In Spanish...
The majority of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders have completed their dialogues in front of the class. Some of them have been recorded and will be available for viewing on my blog via the SJOA website in the near future. This week all Spanish students are continuing to learn new vocabulary. They are mainly learning adjectives, as they are learning to describe people. Students enjoyed playing 20 questions and trying to guess famous celebrities using their new Spanish vocabulary. This week students will also be studying/celebrating “El dia de los muertos” (The day of the dead).

Are You A Good Leader? 8th Grade Is Learning How.

2007-10-23T15:25:00.000-04:00

8th graders worked with Ted Roach, Bill Campbell, and top students from St. Richard, and St. Thomas on how to be a more complete person. They have used the book "7 Habits of a Highly Effective Teen" as a framework.

The Monarch for Thursday, October 18, 2007

2007-10-18T13:54:00.000-04:00

Scenes from today's 8th grade mass:

From Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• 6-8 grades will have their Unit 3 spelling Tests next Tuesday.
• The 8th graders have been busy promoting paper recycling throughout our school. We got our first progress report back: our school has recycled almost ONE TON of paper, that’s 2000 pounds! That is six cubic yards of landfill space that we didn’t use because we cared enough to recycle. In addition, we also earn money for every ton recycled, so please feel free to package up all your newspapers and magazines (no cardboard) and drop them off in our yellow and green paper recycler. RECYCLE!
• Check out my blog for a slideshow of today’s mass:
• Remember, all blogs, a.k.a. eclassrooms, can now be accessed from the new St. Joan of Arc website at www.sjoa.org.

Kucinich? Really?

2007-10-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

This website will ask you to answer some questions about some of the big topics of today, including Iraq, universal health care, and social security. See how your responses match up with the Republicans and Democrats running for office.

I was surprised to see who I agree with most and on what issues.

You probably will too.

http://www.wqad.com:80/Global/link.asp?L=259460

Coats for Kids Service Trip 10-10-07

2007-10-11T16:56:00.000-04:00

Your kids helped a lot of people today...

The Monarch for October 11, 2007

2007-10-11T14:26:00.000-04:00

From Senora Hasbrook,
By the end of this week all of the Spanish students will have completed our introductory portion of the class. All students have studied and been tested over the following material:

The Spanish alphabet
Numbers 0-100
Colors
How to form the date
Singular/Plural
Feminine/Masculine
Noun/Adjective Agreement
Definite/Indefinite Articles

The 6th and 7th grade students will begin using their textbooks next Tuesday. The 8th graders have been working in the text for a few weeks. Currently the 8th grade students are working on dialogues. They are pretending to be in a Spanish restaurant. The students are required to memorize 5 lines each and perform their dialogue in front of the class. These dialogues will be performed next Tuesday and Wednesday. During the second quarter the students will be studying new vocabulary and grammar as well as learning about el dia de los Muertos, researching a famous Central American, cooking and taste-testing a famous Spanish dish, and learning and singing a few fun Spanish Christmas carols.

Please make sure that your students are completing their homework. Overall, everyone is doing a great job. I’m looking very forward to a fun second quarter!

From Mrs. Bryant...

Seventh and eighth grade students are exploring radioactivity as they modeled half-lives using M&Ms, and then graphed their results. They should memorize the half life formula for their test Friday; we have been working with it throughout the week. They should also be able to tell you about the work of Marie Curie and her husband. Ask your son or daughter where you might have radioactivity in your home; they will be able to tell you.

Sixth grade students finished up a lesson on the solar system and were able to ask an astronaut their question online at the NASA website. The students came up with some very interesting questions. They will be checking this week to see if their questions have been answered.

From Mr. Heneghan...

• Stat trackers for English, Reading, and Spelling are due next Thursday. Next Friday is the final day of the 1st quarter.
• Parent-Student-Teacher conference slips went home yesterday. Please be sure to list your top three choices. Those who turned them in today got first dibs.
• All students’ top three AR quiz scores go into their Reading grade. How many quizzes has your child taken? Many students have quizzed on four, five, six or more. Most importantly, how did they do on the quizzes? Our school goal is 90% or more.

In Sports...

The Lady Monarchs basketball teams had a doubleheader on Tuesday evening. The 4/5/6 girls played a great back-and-forth game, but finally lost to St. Pius X, 24-20. The Cadet ladies also played an impressive game and beat St. Barnabas, 26-17. Great games, ladies!

The STA/SJA 56 Football team won this past Sunday 24-7 against St. Mark on the Roncalli turf. This Sunday's game will be against St. Lawrence at the St. Lawrence field at 46th and Shadeland. Come out and support the boys. Game starts at 3:00 pm.

In High School news...

Our Open House at Providence Cristo Rey is Sunday, October 14th 1:00-4:00 with chili supper from 1:00-3:00. If you know of students who are in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grade and who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school is providing our young men and women the opportunity of a lifetime. Please feel free to call with questions.

The Monarch, Thursday October 4

2007-10-04T10:14:00.000-04:00

The Monarch
October 4, 2007
From Mrs. Groves...
Wednesday, our middle school students will go to the Indiana State Fairgrounds to help the Salvation Army set up for Coats for Kids. While there, they will sort hundreds of coats, check them for broken zippers, missing buttons, etc., and put them on hangers. They will then place them on the appropriate coat rack according to size. The following weekend, coats will be given away to any child or adult needing a winter coat. In the past, our students left with a new appreciation for the huge number of dedicated volunteers it takes to make an event like Coats for Kids happen. It is a great lesson in service to our community.

From Mrs. Bryant...
Sixth grade students are learning about our solar system. They will have a test probably next Monday. We will review in class on Friday.

Seventh and eighth grade students will have a quiz over atomic structure on Friday. They should study their notes and handouts provided in class. They will be learning about Marie Curie, her discovery of radium, and how to calculate half-lives after their quiz and into early next week. They were given class time today to earn their extra credit points. Several students had completed this online exercise, but neglected to include their names.

All students should have brought home a copy of their detailed grades from science this week to be signed by a parent. I wanted to give them an idea of what they had achieved thus far in the class before report cards came out in the last half of October.

From Mr. Carlstedt...
7th grade: Test Friday on Chapter 3
8th grade: Test Friday on Chapter 3
Technology quiz for 7th on Thursday, for 6th and 8th on Friday.

Please turn in Homework Watcher or Internet Permission slips to the office or Mr. Carlstedt.
Chat
Real-time text-based communication in a virtual environment. Chat can be used in e-learning for student questions, instructor feedback, or even group discussion.
Collaboration technology
Software, platforms, or services that enable people at different locations to communicate and work with each other in a secure, self-contained environment. May include capabilities for document management, application sharing, presentation development and delivery, white-boarding, chat, and more.
Courseware
Software designed to be used in an educational program.
Hub
A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a local area network (LAN).
Infrastructure
The underlying mechanism or framework of a system. In e-learning, the infrastructure includes the means by which voice, video, and data can be transferred from one site to another and be processed.
KB (kilobyte)
1,024 bytes.

From Mr. Heneghan
--6th and 7th graders will have Vocab Test 2 tomorrow, Friday.
--8th graders will test over Vocab Unit 2 next Tuesday.
--1st quarter ends Oct. 19th. The following week will be parent-teacher conferences. We will send a schedule of times next week.
--October 23 & 24 are half days for parent-teacher conferences. The 25th and 26th are Fall Break.

8th Grade Retreat

2007-10-02T17:25:00.001-04:00

Check out some pics from our great retreat at Rancho Framasa. Many more pics were taken with a different camera, and I'll have those up as soon as I can.

Enjoy,

...and here are the rest of the photos!

Peace,

Mr. Heneghan

The Monarch Thursday Sept 27

2007-09-27T13:39:00.000-04:00

The Monarch
September 27, 2007

From Mrs. Bryant’s class...

I was very encouraged by the effort that the students gave in completing their I-Step tests.
All grade levels are studying atomic structure and will create sketches tomorrow to demonstrate their new knowledge. Seventh and eighth grade student groups will present the theories of scientists such as Dalton and Thompson, whose ideas on atomic structure preceded those of today.
Seventh grade students will be given an opportunity to retake their sound and wave quiz. This score will replace their earlier one. We will review beforehand in class tomorrow.

From Mrs. Groves’s class...

The middle school students have started “Sports Connections”, our math program that uses sports to heighten the interest and enthusiasm for mathematics. In “Sports Connections” students will learn mathematical concepts while using statistics from various athletic teams. This week students gathered statistics about the Colts using our new computers in the Math Center. They then created bar graphs and histograms of the heights and weights of the Indianapolis Colts players. We will then compare these statistics with those of other teams and see how the Colts stack up size-wise.

Volunteers from the Actuarial Foundation and others from the community are mentors for our students. Working in groups of four or five, the mentors were able to help them determine the best way to display and analyze their data.

From Mr. Heneghan’s class...

8th graders will be on their way to Brown County on Monday morning. Thank you to Mrs. Poe, Mr. Edge, and Susan Tsangaris for accompanying us on this overnight retreat. Permission slips and release forms must be returned BY TOMORROW.
Students took their first novel tests today.
Pictures are next Wednesday.
Students may come in Spirit Wear tomorrow for a buck. Proceeds go to HETO, which supports schools in Honduras.
8th graders will have a special meal and presentation tomorrow, courtesy of Mrs. Jeatran and the good folks at Mama Carolla’s. They’ll be learning about manners.

From Mrs. Burnside...
Students will no longer be able to purchase school lunches if they forget theirs. If your child forgets their lunch, a parent will be called.

The Monarch for Thursday September 20

2007-09-20T13:53:00.001-04:00

The Monarch
September 20, 2007
From Mr. Heneghan...

Students are busy taking their ISTEP this week. We will finish up Wednesday of next week. All students who pass the English portion will be treated to fine dining from Mr. Heneghan!
All students are reading every night, whether it’s from To Kill a Mockingbird, And Then There Were None, The River Between Us, or 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens.
Ask your kids questions about what they’re reading, for example, “What is your favorite part?” or “Describe the main character”.

IMPORTANT: We must get another male volunteer for our retreat on October 1 & 2. If you know someone, please contact me. We don’t want to have to cancel such a great trip.

ACTIVITY FEES ARE DUE.

A great story!
I was playing basketball with a guy the other day. His name is Larry and he’s probably in his late forties. He has a son who is a junior in high school. He told me whenever they have to buy the next book for his son to read for a class, they buy two: one for his son, one for him. So, they both read the books and are able to have discussions around the dinner table. What a great idea! I say go for it, parents!

From Mrs. Sherri Bryant...
Students should log onto my website: bryantscience.com and click on the Eighth Grade Quia link, then go to the last link under useful links entitled: "Students Try this Quiz." They should take the 20 question, 8th grade science quiz. They were introduced to this in class last week, so students should know how to do this.
Students can earn up to 20 extra bonus points (one point for each correct answer) by completing the quiz and printing off the grade sheet. They may take the quiz as often as they like. Parents please try to encourage your son or daughter to take time for these extra points. This extra credit is due Friday.
If a student does not have internet and a printer access at home, ask them to make arrangements with me to come in early, work during lunch, or stay after school if they would like to take advantage of this opportunity.

The Monarch for Thursday Sept. 13

2007-09-13T13:58:00.001-04:00

The Monarch
Thursday, September 13, 2007

Dates to remember:
• Oct. 1 & 2 is the 8th grade Retreat in Brown County. We need a male and female adult chaperone to make this happen.
• Sept. 15 is the French Market. Come on out to the school and church celebration. Thank you for all your fundraising efforts!
• Sept. 17-27 is ISTEP Testing. Please be EXTRA sure your child gets a good night’s rest and healthy meals. Curtail absences as much as possible. Homework assignments will be lighter during this time.

Questions Adults Should Be Asking Students, Every Week

Some good questions that I ask my students BEFORE and FOLLOWING a given homework assignment or test:

1. How did you prepare?
2. Did you do your best?
3. Do you think the grade is an accurate reflection of your preparation and effort?
4. How did you study? (I ask this one in place of the terrible question, “Did you study?” It is just too easy to say, “Yes” to that one and never really know what a student has done. Make THEM explain exactly what they do to prepare/study)
5. Did the way you prepared work? If not, what are you going to do differently the next time?
6. If you didn’t understand something in class or for homework, did you seek out someone to clarify the confusion? If so, who? Were they helpful?

Thursday's Newsletter 9/6/07

2007-09-06T10:01:00.000-04:00

The Monarch
Thursday, September 06, 2007
French Market is just a week away! Many students are signing up to volunteer, so be sure to write down the times so they can be sure to be prompt.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• Looking for adult male and female chaperones for 8th grade two day retreat to Rancho Framasa on Oct. 1-2. Contact Mr. Heneghan for details.
• Middle schoolers are “sharpening the saw” on their writing. We are practicing color-coded “Stoplight Writing”. This helps students organize their ideas before they write expository essays.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

• We are continuing to review in grades seven and eight for I-Step. I met individually with seventh and eighth grade students to review their progress in science. Several students are off to a great start giving excellent work and effort in science. I especially appreciate the questions that I get from students in class.
• I was disappointed by a few students who are not working to their potential, as all student scores –except one-- has come from homework assignments where they are encouraged to use their text as a reference.
• Sixth grade students are learning about scientific method, and why scientists use models. They will have a quiz on Friday. Students may verify their notes taken in class or review by going to bryantscience.com and clicking on the Sixth Grade Quia link. When they get to the Sixth Grade Quia home page, students should click on the red tool bar.

From the office...
• Please sell your French Market raffle tickets. Your efforts help our school financially. St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church provides us with financial assistance to help our school meet our budget. Selling your tickets is a great way to say thank you for supporting our school.
• New Dispensing of Medicine Procedure: Please do not send in medicine with a blanket statement saying “student’s name” needs to take this as needed or on a daily basis. We are no longer allowed to dispense medicine with directions as this. We must have a written statement or e-mail giving us permission to dispense on specific days. Also, to dispense ibuprofen to your child, will require a phone call to you and then a follow up e-mail or written note. If you have any questions concerning this new procedure, please call the school office.
• To all school families enrolled in the free/reduced meal program: Our hot lunch program began 2 weeks ago. If you have not returned the necessary items (application and current copy of pay stub) to re-qualify for the program, you must submit them immediately. If we don’t receive them tomorrow, you will no longer be eligible for the program. Please call the school office to be sure your have been re-qualified.

Thursday's Newsletter 8/30/07

2007-08-30T13:48:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-23T13:16:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-08-22T18:05:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-17T13:41:00.000-04:00

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