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St. Mary’s School
December 2014 News
From the Principal’s Desk… them…I hope you are too!!!
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
If this seems early for a
December newsletter, I would
have to agree. It is a mystery
to me how the end of a
calendar year just seems to
come upon us. I am sure the
holidays have something to do
with this reality!
Our Middle States visitors
were very impressed with the
school and everyone they
met. The students made a
striking impression with the
wonderful
manners
and
caring interactions that were
demonstrated. As I told
the visitors, what they
witnessed, I witness every
day. The students had very
little prior knowledge of the
visit until the guests were
introduced that Monday
morning. So, their actions
were the typical daily
respectful behaviors that
make them quite unique!!! I
am very proud of each of
The PTO coordinators; Sara
Bodine, Lynn Nicoletti, Meg
Reston and Rick McMullen did
an outstanding job of
organizing and preparing for
our “meat raffle”. This effort
was supported by another 4050 parents, alumni and friends
of St. Mary’s School. This
labor of love was a great
kick-start to our fundraising
program for this school year.
I applaud these wonderful
giving people and I’m
grateful to all the patrons of
this event, as it was a huge
success!!!
PTO is also the core
of our hospitality and event
planning. December seems
to be threaded with a
variety
of
opportunities
for
fellowship.
Breakfast
with Santa is always a
highlight of our festivities. The
first Saturday morning in
December finds Santa ready
to listen to the children’s
dreams and wishes.
The
Christmas concert is always a
must see. I hope you will
enjoy this entire concert as all
the children love to share this
musical pageant with the
people they love the most!
Santa store, the Christmas
lunch and roller skating are
some of the
other events
that bring us together in a
very special way. PTO would
love to have your help in any
one of these activities. Once
you get involved, you’ll
really know why St. Mary’s
School is TERRIFIC!!!!
Advent begins on Sunday,
November 30th. This is the
liturgical season of our
Catholic church when we
prepare ourselves for the
birth of Jesus. We mark
this historical moment as
Catholics,
because
Jesus
was born of very difficult
circumstances and as a
teacher, we believe Him to be
sent by God to show the entire world the true meaning
of LOVE. During Advent, we
will light our candles each
16 Gibson St. Canandaigua, NY 14424
God bless,
Ann Marie Deutsch,
Principal
Inside this issue:
December Highlights
December 9 Christmas Concert
at 6:30 PM
at St. Mary’s Church
week and pray to God for His
guidance in our lives so
we too can become better
at LOVING one another.
Advent prayer will be
each Monday morning in
December at 9:50 am in the
gym. You are most welcome
to join us.
Our Christmas holiday will
extend into January this year.
The holiday will begin with
dismissal on Friday December
19 until after the New Year.
We return to class on Monday
January 5, 2015. (I can’t
believe I wrote that date!!)
My sincere wish for each of
you is to have a very blessed
Christmas and holiday season.
This is a wonderful time of
year for people of all faith to
focus on the gifts we are to
each other.
May your New Year be filled
with wonderful health and
family blessings!
Calendar
2
School News
3-4
Classroom News 5-9
December 17 St. Genesius Play
at 1:30 PM
December 19 Jesus’ Birthday
Celebration
585-394-4300 / smcdcs@dor.org
Birthdays
10
Upcoming Events 10
www.stmaryscanandaigua.org
Schedule of Events
December 2014
Sun
 Dec. 2 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30 PM
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
 Dec. 4 - Cookie Dough Pick Up
 Dec. 5 - Mass at 9 AM
 Dec. 6 - Breakfast with Santa,
9-11 AM at Dougherty Hall
 Dec. 8 - Immaculate Conception Mass at 9 AM
7
14
21
28
8
15
22
29
9
16
23
30
10
17
24
11
18
25
12
19
26
31
13
20
27
 Dec. 9 - Christmas Concert @ 6:30 PM
at St. Mary’s Church
 Dec. 12 - Santa Store
 Dec. 13 - Parents’ Night Out - Child care
 Dec. 15 - Gr. 6 DARE Graduation at Courthouse
at 1 PM
 Dec. 17 - “Jingle Bells Jury” presented by
St. Genesius Players @ 1:30 PM
 Dec. 18 - Roller skating
 Dec. 19 - Jesus’ Birthday Celebration
 Dec. 22-31 - NO SCHOOL/Christmas Recess
Unsung Heroes… The following individuals are being recognized for the positive contributions they have
made to the lives of others by caring ways.
~Anonymous thanks Jane Constantino for demonstrating the true spirit of giving by creating a welcoming entry to
SMS with seasonal decorations & messages. It lifts our spirits to come into a cared for school.
~ Emma Jo, Dawn & Rick Chrysler thank Brett Sabin, SMS 5th grade Soccer Coach for his outstanding guidance,
coaching & friendly respectful manner. An all around awesome guy. You brought out strength in Emma Jo and I
congratulate you on an awesome season. Great job and thank you very much for all you do for our children.
~ Kim Brocklebank thanks Miss Kincaid, Mrs. Jankowski and Miss Pohorence for all the time and energy they devoted
to the Cross Country team.
~ Lynn Nicoletti thanks Sara Bodine, Mike Menikotz, Meg Reston, Jessica Schock, Pam Negley, Donna Kamholtz,
Mrs. Deutsch, Rich Clayton and crew and all the countless volunteers who made the Meat Raffle a success.
~ The Gersbach Family thanks Mrs. Negley for her constant cheerfulness and genuine desire to assist families of
St. Mary’s with all their needs.
~ Jenny Khan thanks everyone in the Activity Center for making it such a great experience for my girls, and all the kids.
~ Maggie Meyer thanks Aunt Ginny Crowley for consistently setting an example for the students of St. Mary’s, no
matter what. :)
~ Mrs. Judy Healy thanks Mrs. Williams for volunteering whenever she is needed to be there for our children. Thanks!
~ Julie Andzulis thanks Carmen Johnson-Lawrence for helping with 3rd grade coordination of events and 4H. :)
~ Miss Pohorence thanks Mrs. Hubler for our awesome Halloween craft. They loved it!
~ 2nd Grade thanks Mrs. Constantino for our little pumpkins.
The Prayer Box
Please pray for the health and healing of :
Diana van der Velden (Former Kindergarten teacher’s aide)
Please pray for the repose of the soul of :
Delores Gallo (Mrs. White’s grandmother)
Page 2
St. Mary’s School
SCHOOL NEWS
PTO UPDATE
- Mrs. Mercandetti
Due to current Diocesan
policies, our Super Bowl Board is no
longer an option as a fundraiser. We
thank you for your past support.
We are looking at other possible
resources to meet our fundraising needs.
Share any ideas you may have with PTO
President,
Meghan
Williams
at
mcwilliams@mtb.com.
NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
BEE
- Mrs. Mercandetti
The annual Bee will be held in
classrooms on November 20th and 21st for
grades
4-8.
Questions
include
geography, climate, culture, map skills
and more. Our grade champions will
compete in the school championship on
January 9th in our gym. The winner of our
school competition will take a written test
to qualify for the state level. The national
championship will be held in Washington,
DC and the winner receives a $25,000
college scholarship! Good luck to our
students!
DECEMBER 2014
ST. GENESIUS
PLAYERS
- Miss Commisso, Director
It’s hard to believe the Christmas
season is upon us already! It seems like
only yesterday we were returning to
school from summer break.
The St.
Genesians have been hard at work since
September, rehearsing for our Christmas
production. We realize this a very busy
time of year for so many but, we hope you
can take some time out from your holiday
preparations to join us on December 17th
at 1:30 PM, for “Jingle Bells Jury”. While
the play is filled with humor, there is also
an important message that ties in not only
with the holidays but also our Olweus
program. We hope you will enjoy our
play, and on behalf of all the Genesians,
we wish you all a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy, healthy New Year.
MY STUDENTS
PROGRESS
The Parent Portal is up and running.
Email instructions were sent to all
parents with an email on file in the school
office. If you did not receive an email
please contact the office at 394-4300 to
have your parent information updated.
PTO
- Mrs. Williams
The PTO is looking
forward to celebrating the
Christmas Season at St. Marys! Bring
your families and friends and join us on
Saturday, December 6th for Breakfast with
Santa and have your children tackle their
Christmas lists at the Christmas Store on
Friday, December 12th. Look for
information and opportunities to volunteer
at these events in your blue folders.
The next PTO meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:30 pm. New
members always welcome!
ART - Mrs. Campolieto
The art room has been very
busy over the past few months
and
the activity doesn't seem to be
slowing down any time soon! PEC4 is
creating Christmas-themed projects that
will help reinforce their fine motor skills.
Kindergarten is working on patterns and
will soon start a shape/texture unit. First
grade has been working hard on a
symmetry unit.
They have practiced
cutting circles out of squares and will next
discuss the difference between symmetry
and
asymmetry. Second grade is
beginning a unit practicing their fine motor
skills of cutting.
Third grade is finishing a unit on color
theory and will soon start a unit based on
line. Fourth grade is finishing their own
line unit and will next begin a unit based
on Native American art. Fifth grade is
working on their own unit based on lines.
Sixth grade is studying artwork based
on Ancient Egypt.
Seventh grade is
creating a cemetery scene in the style of
Grant Wood’s Midwest, cartoonish
realism, and Eighth grade is looking at the
work of Wayne Thiebaud and creating a
piece depicting an everyday object.
I’m so excited to see all the wonderful
work my students are creating in the Art
Room! Just a reminder to 8th grade
parents--if you have not already sent in a
baby picture of your child, please do so as
soon as possible. Have a wonderful
holiday season!
NURSES’ OFFICE
- Mrs. Nicholson,R.N.
If your child is sick, please
call & notify the school of the
illness. Send an excuse/note
when he/she returns to
school.
The note should
include any diagnosis such as strep
throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, etc. If
they are injured and come to school with a
cast, splint, sling or stitches, please
provide a note from the doctor listing Gym
and Recess restrictions. An additional
note from the doctor is required when they
can once again participate in Gym and
Recess.
HEALTH SCREENINGS
When Kindergarten and 1st grade
screenings are completed, 2nd, 3rd and
5th grades will start. Parents will be
notified in writing (Blue Folder) if there is
need for a referral.
Page 3
SCHOOL NEWS
TECHNOLOGY
- Mrs. Marvin
As
part of our Middle States
Accreditation process, the planning team
has spent countless hours looking at the
technology capabilities, practices and
future endeavors at St. Mary’s School. In
addition, the passage of Smart Schools in
the last election will provide the school
opportunities to fulfill many of the needs
we have identified. Some families have
already been hearing from the students
about the future implementation of
individual devices and programs within the
school. The technology departments have
been working diligently to provide a safe
environment for using these applications
and are excitedly anticipating the launch
of the various applications. Any questions
or concerns about these applications or
any other technology concerns can be
emailed to me at dmarvin@dor.org. To
help with this transition, I find it prudent to
share some information about the Google
applications that we will be addressing
and adding to the classrooms.
Google Apps for Education (GAFE) is a
core suite of productivity applications that
Google
offers
to
schools
and
educational institutions for FREE. These
communication and collaboration apps
include Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs and
Sites, and a GAFE account unlocks
access to dozens of other collaborative
tools supported by Google. All of these
applications exists completely online (or in
the cloud), meaning that all creations can
be accessed from any device with an
Internet connection. Once a school
decides to embrace Google Apps for
Education, they can register their school
domain (web address), and administer all
teacher and student accounts from an
administrative dashboard.
Explaining Google Apps
*Once a school registered email address is
registered with Google Apps for Education,
teachers and students can unlock Google’s
apps with one login.
* An “office suite” of tools - Docs, Sheets,
Slides, and more - that offers the ability to work
from any device as well as share and
collaborate.
* Because all Google Apps save to the cloud,
teachers and students gain the flexibility to
work from any computer or device.
* Students and teachers can seamlessly save
work and collaborate both synchronously
and asynchronously.
Page 4
DECEMBER 2014
ACADEMIC
INTERVENTION
SERVICES
- Mrs. Mercandetti
Support within classroom learning
situations
is
helping
students
in
understanding concepts presented by the
regular education teacher. In acceleration
classes, students are writing and
illustrating
stories
or
challenging
themselves with higher level skills in ELA.
In both cases, it is my pleasure to work
with your students to clarify or extend
learning!
PHYSICAL EDUCATON
- Mrs. Cowan
December already! How can that be?
Grades 3- 8 are starting a unit in floor
hockey. We will be focusing on our
passing and controlling our hockey stick.
Grades K-2 will be working on team
games and working with different types of
manipulatives while moving.
We are working on being good sports
whether we win or lose, and how to help
others who need help.
Enjoy this holiday season!
November
Sportsmanship Awards
The students listed below have
displayed wonderful sportsmanship
qualities during our physical education
classes:
1st Grade– Meaghan Wiepert
2nd Grade– Dominic Falbo
3rd Grade– Robert Simons
4th Grade– Nina Tran
5th Grade– Andrew Gellatly
6th Grade– Madisyn LaPlant
7th Grade– Nicole Durkee
8th Grade– Claire Keck
LIBRARY
- Mrs. Pohorence
The Library is all decked out for the
holidays in bright holiday trimmings and
displays of “Season’s Readings” for our
students to enjoy! We have a great
selection of holiday books available for
withdrawal. Kindergarten and 1st Grade
will delight in hearing Christmas and
seasonal stories from different lands and
cultures. Please log-on to our library
webpage for a selection of seasonal and
holiday readings and some of the latest
acquisitions to our shelves.
During December, the students will be
reading the 2015 3-Apples Book Award
nominees so that we may participate in
the April vote for this year’s award
recipient. All students from grades 3-8
must have read three of the nominated
books from the 3-Apples Book Award list
in order to be eligible to vote. These lists
will be on display in the library and also on
the library webpage. There is a Teen
Choice Award for which I hope our 7 & 8
graders will voice their choice with their
vote. Grades K-2 will also be voting for
their favorite book.
It’s going to be
exciting to see the results in May!
Also, in December, grades 2-5 will be
learning more about the ins and outs of
the Dewey Decimal System, through
learning games and activities during their
library session. Through these activities,
students will become more familiar with
the 10 main classes and selected
divisions of the Dewey Decimal System
and will facilitate understanding of the
classifications.
December will be a very busy but
exciting month as we
prepare for
Christmas.
May we all enjoy the
sights and sounds of this
blessed
and
magical
holiday season.
MUSIC - Miss Snyder
On Tuesday, December 9th we will
have our annual Christmas Concert at
6:30 PM. The entire school is preparing
for this wonderful holiday concert. It will
be held in St. Mary's Church. Students
should dress in their holiday best. Be sure
to invite family and friends as students are
excited to they share their gifts of music
with all. I look forward to seeing you there
as we celebrate in song this blessed
season.
St. Mary’s School
CLASSROOM NEWS
DECEMBER 2014
In the month of November, we
began learning about different letters
in the
alphabet. We started off by
learning the letters “C” and “T.” We
practiced finger spelling, tracing the
letters, doing letter themed art
projects. Our art projects
included
making C shaped caterpillars and T
shaped turkeys. We will continue with
our letter work in December and will
learn the letters “E” and “F.”
December is a very special month
and an exciting time for children. We
will be learning about the season of
Advent and the birth of Jesus. As
a class, we will explore the true
meaning of Christmas.
I hope everyone enjoys the holiday
season with family and friends!
In Religion we will carry over what
we learned about prayer and being
thankful as we focus on the miracle
that was
Jesus’ birth. The children
will learn about the excitement that
leads to the birth of Jesus, the
wisemen, Mary and Joseph. This is a
very fun and exciting time in PreK and
the children will enjoy the many
activities that we will do.
There are many fun activities that
take place in December for our class.
On
December 9th the class will get
to show off their wonderful signing at
the Christmas Concert. On December
17th, Santa will be making a special
visit to the preschool to spend time
with the children before he heads
back to the North Pole. We will have a
special birthday party for baby Jesus
on December 19th.
I wish you and your family a joyous
and blessed Christmas and New
Year.
4 YR. OLD
EARLY CHILDHOOD
- Mrs. White
3 YR. OLD
EARLY CHILDHOOD
- Miss Gigliotti
- Mrs. Falbo
November was a very thankful
month in PreK. We spent a lot of time
talking about the things we were
happy to have in our lives. We began
our unit on Living Things and really
enjoyed the center activities that were
planned for the month.
December will see us continue our
unit on Living Things. We will learn
about habitats, insects, trees and
hibernation. The class will be making
a terrarium, dig in dirt to discover
what lives in it, and many different
neighborhood animals and their
habitats.
In Math we have been working on
the numbers 1-5 and patterning. The
children are learning how to write and
represent these numbers and are
working on AB and AAB patterns.
December we will continue to work
on number sense by learning the
phrases “one more” and “what comes
before/after”.
These
are
both
important skills when developing
number sense.
KINDERGARTEN
During this season of Advent, we
find ourselves preparing our hearts for
Jesus. In an effort to help others as
Jesus did, we are collecting mittens
and hats through December 5th. This
service project will benefit the families
who receive Christmas baskets
through the St. Vincent de Paul
Society.
Thank you for helping
those
who
are
in
need.
In ELA, we will continue to work on
our
listening
skills,
following
directions, reasoning skills and
sounds. We continue learning about
fiction and non-fiction
stories and poetry.
We will be
walking to Granger Homestead to see
a puppet show of The Night Before
Christmas. We are excited about the
scavenger hunt through the home
looking for objects from the poem.
Math will find us working with
numbers to 10. We will be able to
compare with length, weight and
numbers through 10.
Problem solving is a daily exercise.
We have concluded our Science unit
on Trees and will moved forward with
Weather and Climate.
GRADE 1- Miss Kenny
We have lots to be thankful for in
First Grade! I had a wonderful time
seeing
all
parents
at
the
parent teacher conferences.
This November we have been
learning about Jesus and his family.
Students have been talking about the
Mother Mary, Joseph, and God. We
have also been learning about the two
different parts of the Bible: The Old
and New Testaments. Next month
students will continue reading stories
from both Testaments.
In English Language Arts students
have been working on story elements.
Our first graders have been learning
about setting, characters, main idea,
problem and
solution. This month
students wrote a book report on a
book of their choice, to wrap up our
unit on story elements. Next month,
we will continue working on our
reading comprehension strategies, as
well as, introducing a new strategy,
inferencing.
Our first graders are gifted writers!
We have been writing an information
paper about the Pilgrims! Next month
we will be starting opinion writings on
a variety of topics.
This month, in Math, we have been
working on manipulating numbers in a
ten frame. Next month, we will be
working on adding and subtraction
numbers to 12. This will require
students to have a
greater
understanding of the relationship
between addition and subtraction.
In Science and Social Studies, we
have been working on a variety of
topics. In Science, students have
been learning about babies. We have
been discussing how people and
animals grow and change. Next
month we will be talking about what
animals and humans need to grow big
and strong. In
Social Studies
students have been working on
differences and similarities in our
families. Next month, we will be
working on culture.
Page 5
CLASSROOM NEWS
GRADE TWO
- Miss Pohorence
Second grade is preparing their
hearts for Advent! We will be listening
to many stories about the meaning of
Advent and the true purpose of the
celebration of Christmas. As we talk
about Advent, we will begin to discuss
how we prepare our heart through
examining
our
conscience,
understanding the commandments,
and how we ask for forgiveness. The
primary grades will be making cards
for the veterans and soldiers.
GRADE 3- Mrs. Baker
During this season on Advent, the
children and I will be spending some
time talking about the birth of Jesus
and what it means to us today. This
is a very exciting and special time of
the year.
In Math, our study of addition and
subtraction will be wrapping up and
we will be moving into multiplication.
The children are excited to study
multiplication!
We will start by
learning some basic facts and
drawing
connections
between
addition and multiplication. We will
then study patterns and work on
DECEMBER 2014
During the month of December we will
be continuing and completing many
units of study. We will work towards
completing our ELA and Science unit
on living things. Be sure to check out
our information cubes and our animal
information wind socks. Also, we will
completing
our
introduction
to
communities units by engineering 3D
communities and will write about the
different communities we live, work,
and play in.
In Math, we will start our unit on
adding and subtracting numbers with
regrouping. This is an intensive unit
for our students but, we will take
some time out to have some fun with
regrouping games.
Finally, the class would like to wish
the entire St. Mary's school family a
safe and healthy holiday season!
learning all of our multiplication facts
over a few weeks. Please work with
your son or daughter to learn the
facts. Practice, practice, practice!!
In ELA we are continuing our theme
of Friendship.
We continue to read
short stories and poems around the
theme. The students are enjoying
connecting to the characters and
incorporating
different
reading
strategies as we work through the
text. In writing we will continue our
study of the parts of speech and story
elements as we work on our own
writing pieces.
In Social Studies we will begin our
unit entitled “Looking Back into the
Past”.
We will discuss Native
American communities and the
technology of long ago. In Science we
will finish our study of how animals
grow and change. We will learn
about adaptations and the role of the
environment, too. We may to be able
to work on a project in technology
where the children are research an
animal and learning about the
adaptations that it has to survive in its
environment.
December is an exciting time for
children and adults alike. I pray you
all have a wonderful and family-filled
Christmas season. Merry Christmas!
News You Can Use...Do You Know?...
Front Hallway
Windows
Each month, SMS Alumni Parent &
Grandparent, Jane Constantino,
displays the current events at SMS.
She also beautifully decorates the
windows and ledge on the stairway
to Primary department.
Thank you Jane!!!
Page 6
Warm Clothing
Please make certain students
dress appropriately for cold
weather. Students have daily
recess with the exception of
rainy days & temperatures
below 20°.
St. Mary’s School
CLASSROOM NEWS
GRADE 4
- Mrs. Deragon
The fourth grade is thankful for our
family, friends, and school this November.
We have had a wonderful month, and
have been very busy! Our class
completed their first oral presentation on
the Steps in a Process. The students did
an excellent job on the projects, and they
are on display outside of our classroom.
In Religion, we finished our unit on the
Ten Commandments and the Scripture of
Joseph and his Brothers and the Exodus
of Egypt. The students are working
towards memorizing the Nicene Creed.
We have been focusing on God’s image,
human dignity in Scripture, and defining
sin.
We have been exploring place value
relationships, and comparing, ordering,
and rounding multi-digit numbers in Math
this month. Students have been working
diligently on solving word problems, and
continue to practice their multiplication
facts. Our next unit will be on using
mental math to add and subtract and
estimating sums and differences of whole
numbers.
In Language Arts, we are continuing to
read nonfiction text, focusing on scientific
texts and comparisons. We are working
on close reading strategies and critically
examining a text when we read. The
students also wrote a narrative about a
difficult journey. Next, we will begin a unit
on erosion and Earth’s changing
landscapes by drawing inferences and
explaining events and texts.
In Social Studies, we are learning about
the geographic features, flag, and
DECEMBER 2014
symbols of NYS, and practicing map
skills. We will
read additional
informational text about Native Americans
in New York with a focus on determining
main ideas. In Science we began our unit
on animal habitats, characteristics, and
adaptations.
I
hope
everyone
enjoys
the
Thanksgiving Holiday, and we look
forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus
this month.
GRADE 5
- Miss Dedrick
The fifth graders
had a GREAT,
busy, and quick November! I can’t believe
that this is the December Newsletter…
wasn’t it just September? All of the
students did a FANTASTIC job on their
Heritage Projects! All of the poster boards
are on display in the hallway…please stop
and take a look! A lot of the students also
brought in homemade foods that were
DELICIOUS!
In Math, the students are working on
division! They are doing a great job and
realizing how important it is to know their
multiplication facts. They will finish up
with division during December.
In Science, the students have finished
up Unit A – Earth Science. They all did a
great job and are currently working on
Unit B – Physical Energy. This is a great
unit to teach and will give the students
some great opportunities at hands-on
activities. They will also be starting a new
project in the Computer Lab this month.
In ELA, the students just finished reading Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine
Paterson. This is my favorite book to read
with the students. They also got a chance
to watch the movie. In Writing, they are
working on a compare and contrast
essays revolving around the novel and the
movie. (The novel ALWAYS ends up
being the students' favorite.)
In Social Studies, the students have
been continuing to work on how the
United States became the nation it is
today. We have discussed the Thirteen
Colonies, Struggles of North America and
will be getting into Breaking Ties with
Great Britain and the Revolutionary War
very soon.
In Religion, we will start to do some
work with the Parables and the important
lessons that Jesus teaches us through
these stories.
Each student will be
assigned a parable to read, decipher,
rewrite in their own words and illustrate.
These will be in the hallway on display
before our break! They will also continue
their workbook activities and read
chapters dealing with, "Virtues" and "The
Image of God".
I wish all the students and their families
a great Holiday Season! May God bless
you all during this time!
~Happy Holidays~
Miss Dedrick
SPANISH - Señor Pursel
¡Feliz Navidad!
Doesn't time pass quickly? For Eighth
Graders, our review of Seventh grade
curriculum is over! We are moving on to
new material! I hope that students will put
extra time into their studies, especially for
our new concepts.
For Eighth graders, Unit Four focuses
on Mexico. Students will be able to
identify places, give addresses, request
and give directions to a specific location,
and choose transportation. We will learn
prepositional phrases to express location
with the verb “estar” and affirmative
familiar commands. Also, as Christmas
approaches, we will share the Mexican
custom of Posadas and discuss Latin
American Christmas customs.
Seventh Graders are working on
Mexican family traditions and customs
such as the Quinceanera and Posadas.
We will continue to go over possession
using “de” as well as possessive
adjectives. Students should be reviewing
daily to gain proficiency.
During this holiday season, I wish all of
my students and their families a peaceful
and blessed Christmas. I look forward to
continuing our studies in 2015.
Page 7
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
DECEMBER 2014
SCIENCE & GR. 6 HOMEROOM - Miss Kincaid
Dear Families,
The middle schoolers are doing some great work in Science! I am a little
dismayed at the change in the weather, but it gives the 6 th graders a perfect
opportunity to think about the reasons for the seasons. Moving on from
weathering and erosion, we have been exploring various ways that Earth’s
systems interact. The students recently finished movable models of weather
fronts, which were very impressive! In the upcoming weeks we’ll be reading
– and making – our own weather maps, observing clouds and modeling
plate tectonics!
The 7th grade is now learning about genetics and heredity and the students
are extremely interested in this topic! We recently did a taste-testing lab
which revealed that some of us have different genes – to taste – or not taste
– certain chemicals. We’re beginning to apply our understanding of
genotypes and phenotypes with Punnett Squares, and there are lots of
exciting labs coming up – I can’t wait!
8th graders just finished up their energy presentations, deepening their understanding from
6 grade. We are going to do a little more to apply our knowledge to the “real world” before
moving on to a big unit on motion and forces! A lot is being learned in the 8 th grade Science
class!
th
EcoFusion took a 2-week break, but will be doing a number of fun projects and field trips in
the weeks to come. The current theme is “Thankfulness & Giving” and we’ll be working on ways
to show appreciation and give back.
I will be offering an extra help session each Tuesday for any student who needs it. Students
staying after should bring a note to school
and are expected to bring specific questions
and things to work on. You can pick up your
child any time before 4:45pm on Tuesdays. I
look forward to this opportunity for students
to spend additional time with the material.
Thank
you
for
your
enthusiasm,
communication, and support! We are
accomplishing a lot and you help make it
possible!
8th graders Ambrose and Andrew
demonstrate a model of a water turbine
they made for their project.
With smiles,
~Miss Kincaid :)
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH - Mr. Meiggs
Grade six is beginning Chapter 4,
“Adding and Subtracting Fractions.” In
this chapter students will find sums and
differences of fractions and mixed
numbers with the same and different
denominators. They will also solve one
step equations with fractions.
Grade 7 is beginning Chapter 2,
“Equations and Inequalities.”
In this
chapter, students will evaluate and write
expressions and write and solve both
one-step and two-step equations. Then
they will draw upon their understanding of
expressions and equations to graph and
solve inequalities.
Page 8
Grade 8 is beginning Chapter 1, “Integers
and Algebraic Expressions.”
In this
chapter, students will evaluate and write
algebraic expressions. They will use the
concept of absolute value to add and
subtract integers. They will also multiply
and divide integers.
Algebra I is beginning Chapter 4,
“Graphing Linear Functions.”
In this
chapter students will use linear equations
and their graphs to model real-life
situations. They will draw and make
predictions from scatter plots. Students
will graph linear equations using a variety
of techniques, including a table of values,
two points, and a point and the slope of a
line.
St. Mary’s School
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
ELA & GR. 7 HOMEROOM
- Mrs. Palleschi
ELA fall fun continues in the middle
school! Students have embraced the
Thanksgiving spirit, and are remembering
to be grateful for all their blessings. Be
sure to check out the Thanksgiving
Acrostic Poems that 7th graders
completed, which are displayed in the
downstairs front hall.
During the month of November, 6th
Graders began reading Things Not
Seen, by Andrew Clements. This novel
has provided a nice opportunity to discuss
the literary concepts of irony, and the
difference between static and dynamic
characters. Students are also working on
narrative writing, and have worked
through the writing process to complete
personal narratives about a “time they will
never forget”. I hope you will ask them to
read their stories….they are really quite
good! We have also started to tackle
descriptive writing, and students are
working hard to use more sensory
details
which
help
the
reader
“experience” the place they describe, not
just read about it.
In 7th Grade, students have begun
reading A Long Walk to Water, by Linda
Sue Park. This amazing book tells the
true story of Salva Dut, one of the “Lost
Boys of Sudan” who journeyed across
Africa as a refugee escaping his war-torn
land of Sudan. Students love this dual
narrative, and will hopefully share some of
this inspirational story with you.
In
addition to many response to literature
writing assignments, students will also be
writing a two-voice poem of their own as
a culminating activity. Finally, 7th graders
are practicing analogies using the many
new words they learned in the first three
units of their vocabulary book.
8th Graders have been furiously
reading a wide variety of fiction, including
the culmination of S.E. Hinton’s The
Outsiders, various short stories by
O’Henry, and Twelve Angry Men, by
Reginald Rose. With all of these texts,
they have continued to practice the Claim/
Evidence/Evidence/Conclusion format
as they respond to literature in writing.
Ask them about their responses…they are
making really great progress in this area
of writing! Did you know that 8th graders
also memorized a poem by Robert Frost
this month? This makes two Frost poems
they now know….tell them to recite one
(or both!) for you.
Blessings and a Happy Thanksgiving to
you and your families….Mrs. Palleschi
SOCIAL STUDIES,
GR. 7/8 RELIGION &
GR. 8 HOMEROOM
- Mr. Williams
December is a busy month for eighth
graders as the class continues several
annual class traditions. All students
participate in the Christmas Concert by
helping to narrate and create several
tableaus of the Infancy Narratives. Also,
your child is encouraged to participate in
an annual class service project by helping
set up the Christmas store. Thanks to all
volunteers and staff for their help with
these events.
In addition to these activities, eighth
graders begin a new unit: An Age of
DECEMBER 2014
Beauty and Faith. We will discover how
medieval society in Europe produced
traditions that define much of Catholicism
today. We will also learn how the Church
was part of everyday life and how society
revolved around the Church. For Social
Studies, the class examines the country’s
new role in international affairs at the end
of the nineteenth century—its economic,
military and colonial expansion into the
Pacific and its political dominance of Latin
America. Then, the class begins to focus
on World War I from the outbreak of the
war in Europe and debates over
America’s neutrality, to America’s role on
the battlefield. They will come to
understand the transforming effects of the
war on the United States, both
domestically and internationally.
Seventh graders focus on the meaning
of a “Christian life”. We will learn how we
are all called to be Christ-like and how we
grow to be like Christ through sharing in
the Eucharist, which gives us nourishment, and through his healing, which
gives us strength. In Social Studies, the
class begins our study of the
Revolutionary Era. Your child will discuss the
crisis that led to conflict in the colonies
and
continue
by
examining
the
Revolutionary War. They will study the
Declaration of Independence, the first
attempts to govern the newly independent
states, the military and political events of
the American Revolution, and lastly, the
economic, political, and social changes
within the nation brought about by the
defeat of the British.
The sixth grade continues its study of
ancient Egypt and Nubia in December.
Over Christmas break, ask your child to
tell you some other interesting facts they
have learned about the ancient Egyptians.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HOUSE NEWS - Mrs. Mercandetti
Thank you for your wonderful
response to our canned food drive for the
St. Vincent dePaul Society Christmas
baskets and your donations for Melita
House, a Sisters of Mercy outreach for
young women and their babies. We
appreciate your generosity!
Middle School Students will be visiting
Brighter Day and Elm Manor for
Christmas Caroling on Dec. 11. The
Middle School Houses will be sponsoring
a “Parents’ Night Out” on Saturday, Dec.
13. Please refer to the information that
came home in your blue folder. Profits left
after expenses will be donated to St.
Vincent dePaul Society for additional
Christmas basket needs. Our Advent
projects have begun. Each House has
chosen someone in Parish Administration
to remember in a special way. Our House
system is making a positive impact in
helping students reach out to others!
Thursday,
December 11
Saturday,
December 13
Page 9
 St. Mary’s School exists to integrate spirituality with the student’s moral, academic, cultural, and physical development.
Our school fosters character, compassion and values through a Christ centered education.
 As an extension of the Roman Catholic Church ministry, we partner with parents and our community to provide the highest
quality education.
 St. Mary’s School strives to nurture the students in a family atmosphere to become service oriented, responsible and selfmotivated citizens.
DECEMBER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
2- Miss Finewood
18- Vincent Constantino
5- Vu Washington
20- Maya Fantauzzi
William Neubecker
Sean Quigley
6- Sophia Enzinna
Miss Gigliotti
11- Noelle Lewis
Austin Owren
May the birthday candles
that represent the years of
your life be a reflection to
others of your love for
Christ.
14- Mara Jankwoski
St. Mary’s School
16 Gibson Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR JANUARY EVENTS:
January 6 - PTO Meeting at 3:30 PM
January 9 - Geo Bee Finals at 1:30 PM in gym
January 12 - SAC Meeting at 6:30 PM
January 23 - Yearbook Group Photos
January 25 - Catholic Schools Week Mass at 9 AM/Coffee Hour follows
January 25 - 30 - Celebrate Catholic Schools Week
27- Benjamin Daino
Elizabeth Daino
28- Annabelle Trickey