SPANISH LANGUAGE

Kindergarten and first graders are still working on the pregunta (question) ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?). Kindergarten has added the responses: Tengo hambre (I'm hungry), Tengo sed (I’m thirsty), and Cansada/Cansado (Tired). We are also practicing the calendar, which provides great opportunities to practice counting and review vocabulary words from last year. In both kindergarten and 1st grade, we worked on Advent and Christmas words in Spanish:

• Esperando – waiting
• Estrella – star
• El niño Jesús – Baby Jesus
• Tres regalos – three gifts
• Arbolito de Navidad – Christmas tree
• Feliz Navidad – Merry Christmas

Second graders are working on learning the Hail Mary (Ave María). I love that the students have the opportunity to learn Spanish through our faith. We have learned about Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Since Catholicism is the primary religion in Mexican culture, sharing the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe creates a beautiful connection and a wonderful opportunity to deepen our faith while exploring other cultures. They are also reviewing animals and colors. We read Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo, ¿Qué Ves Ahí? (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) and have started creating our own libros (books). Additionally, we continue to work on the Hail Mary.

Third graders are continuing to work on the pregunta (question) ¿Te gusta? (Do you like…?), along with the two different responses: ¿Me gusta? (I like…) and ¿No me gusta? (I don’t like…). We created a graph using our fruit vocabulary to determine our favorite fruit—cerezas (cherries) won! Students also learned about the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo and are preparing to start a silhouette project. They will use fruits and vegetables from our vocabulary list to create amazing silhouettes!

Fourth graders have begun working on the pregunta (question) ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (How is the weather today?). We are practicing many different responses. In addition to learning new vocabulary words, we will be reviewing the calendar, which provides great opportunities to practice counting and reinforce past vocabulary, such as the months of the year and the seasons. These topics serve as a foundation for discussing the weather.

Fifth grade finished Vamos Unit 2 Los faroles. We learned about the geography of Costa Rica and facts about Costa Rica's iconic Lantern Parade and patriotic symbols. We will begin Vamos Unit 3 Las papas. Throughout the unit students will learn about the geography of Perú, communicate about descriptions of people and things, create their own characters, play games, communicate about the date, and learn facts about Perú's biodiversity and geography: all in the target language!

• Core Verbs: hay
• Recycled vocabulary: tiene, son, prefiere, le gusta, ¿Qué es esto?, niños
• Featured Country: Perú
• Cultural Focus: Perú's biodiversity

Holy and Healthy Habits

January 2025

Family Faith Challenge:

January is dedicated to The Holy Name of Jesus. Take time each day to say and reflect on the simple yet profound Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" or simply “Jesus”.

Family Fit Challenge:

Jump squat in January! Each day, jump squat that day’s date (ie. 20 for the 20th). If you want to change it up, just complete ANY type of jump!

K-3rd PE Classes:

• Apply the Gospel Values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Compassion, and Teamwork, to spiritual, mental, and physical health while participating in MVPA (Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity) throughout the year. This includes keeping ourselves rooted in Christ when learning new skills or participating in gameplay- we are focusing on building each other up, winning with humility, and losing with grace- regardless of wins or mistakes, we are all still LOVED INFINITELY BY GOD and that’s what matters most.
• Skills will include pickleball skills (underhand serve, forehand strike, backhand strike), Volleyball skills (underhand serve, forearm bump, overhead set), parachute skills, cardio/stick drumming, directional cues, spatial awareness, relevant vocabulary, locomotors, muscle stretching and identification, heart rate zone concepts, emotional recognition and regulation, cooperation, and Pietra Fitness (Pietra Kids).
• Mrs. B’s Blessings is well underway! We are reviewing the Gospel Values during every class! I encourage your family to review and practice the Gospel Values at home!

4th-5th PE Classes:

• Apply the Gospel Values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Compassion, and Teamwork, to spiritual, mental, and physical health while participating in MVPA (Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity) throughout the year.
• Skills: Classes this month have been working on their bowling and kickball skills and learning the different rules and strategies of the games. Students will get a chance to show their skill and sportsmanship during gameplay.  

Holy Name of Jesus, have mercy on us!

God bless, Mrs. Brumbaugh & Mr. Farris

K-5th grade January Newsletter:

Exciting News About Our Upcoming Art Show!

We are thrilled to announce that our K-5th graders have begun working on their projects for the upcoming Art Show, which will take place on Wednesday, March 12th, 2025 (exact time to be determined). Each of your children will showcase four unique works of art during the event!

Here’s what you can expect:

• 3D Clay Piece: A creative sculpture crafted by your child.
• Favorite 2D Artwork: Their artwork that they like the best.
• “Living” Wax Museum Project: Students will transform into “Living” Wax figures, representing various art fashions throughout the hallways.
• Class Project: An additional 2D artwork selected to be displayed as part of their entire class exhibit.

This year’s Art Show is going to look a little different! We are excited to share the evening with a fantastic band concert and dance performances that will occur throughout the night, making it a truly fun-filled experience for everyone!

For our special Wax Museum segment, each grade level will create art “fashions” that they’ll present along the St. Pius Hallways. Your child’s creation will come alive as they stand still like a wax figure, showcasing their artistic talent while embodying what they’ve made or who they’ve transformed into.

If your child would like to participate in the “Living” Wax Museum, we would love for them to join in! However, participation is completely optional—if your child prefers not to participate or cannot attend on that day, that's perfectly fine! We still want every student’s artwork featured in the show because all efforts deserve recognition.

Thank you for supporting our budding artists as they prepare for this exciting event!

This month each class is learning about the music of George Gershwin. We listened to his piece "Rhapsody in Blue" and listened for glissandos. The classes also learned about his introduction to music through a player piano.  

Kindergarten students learning group song games. We practice working together, following rules, singing with our singing voices and singing with the appropriate expression. The students are learning drumming patterns and songs. Students will learn how to play patterns together and how to play drumming solos.

First grade students continue to practice their singing technique through singing games and songs from various cultures. We are exploring different ways to add expression to songs. The classes are also beginning their drumming unit and will practice pieces with different tones and dynamics.

Second grade students are learning singing games from different cultures. We are practicing our rhythm skills using body percussion, drums and handheld percussion instruments. We are learning to decode and read rhythms in 6/8 time using new rhythm combinations.

Third grade students will begin their recorder unit by learning practice techniques and how to establish practice routines at home. Students will build their knowledge of music notation and instrumental performing through independent practice and performance. The classes will explore ensemble part playing using simple songs.  

Our talented aspiring fourth grade musicians have successfully wrapped up their bass clef unit and completed their time mastering the PBuzz trombones. As we entered the new year, we shifted our focus to the classical world, diving into the life and works of the great Franz Joseph Haydn. Alongside this, we’ve been revisiting the treble clef to solidify our understanding. Excitingly, students have revisited the recorder, bringing fresh challenges and musical discoveries to their learning. 

Fifth grade students will begin their instrumental study by playing recorder and xylophone. Students will build their reading skills, improvisation skills and practice skills through independent practice skills both at home and school.

Our fifth grade beginning band musicians have officially kicked off their preparations for the highly anticipated March to the Arts concert! With great enthusiasm, they’re diving into an exciting array of pieces, including "Popcorn Prelude," "Dragon Dance," and "12 O'Clock Strikes." Each selection provides them with an opportunity to showcase their growing skills and musicality. Additionally, they’ve just completed their Blue Band Karate Belt song, marking another milestone in their musical journey and further fueling their confidence as they continue to progress. 

RELIGION

The kindergarteners will be busy in the Atrium pondering many of the Kingdom of God parables. There are five Kingdom of God parable presentations that the children receive. The Pearl of Great Price (Mt. 13:45-46), The Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:31-32), The Leaven (Mt. 13:33), The Hidden Treasure (Mt. 13:44), and The Growing Seed (Mk 4:26-29). The Mustard Seed, Leaven and Growing see parables lift up the mystery of the Kingdom of God as the mystery of life itself, a mystery of growth and transformation, with a continuous movement from lesser to more life. The Pearl of Great Price and Hidden Treasure parables invite us to contemplate the Kingdom of God as the most beautiful and valuable thing there is; a gift from God that is intended for our greatest Joy.

The first graders will soon begin a work called The Holy Bible and the Books that Comprise it. This work gives students a visual image of the composition of the Bible. The children are also shown this work that you may see coming home. This work is a foundational work to help the children feel comfortable using the Bible and hopefully inspire them for future reading of the Bible.

The second graders have been working on learning how to look up scripture verses in the Bible. This work has a collection of Bible verses listed on a card. The children look up each of the verses from various books of the Bible. After they have found the verse, they complete a card listing where the book is found (Old or New Testament), what type of book it is (Prophetic, Gospel, Historical, etc.), the chapter and verse. Then they write out the verse on the card. The children keep track of each verse they have copied and keep their collection of Bible verses on a book ring. This work helps the children become familiar and comfortable with finding things in the Bible.

The third graders will be introduced to the work The Holy Bible and the Sacraments. In this work the children talk about what a sacrament is – an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. A Sacrament is an efficacious and visible symbol of an invisible grace. The sacrament actually brings about what it symbolizes. The sacraments affect grace by their very operation. (CCC 772-774, 1127, 1116). We then break down the definition even further. What is a sign? What is grace? Who gave us the sacraments? Jesus is the source of all grace. It was through His suffering and death that made it possible that we could receive grace to sanctify our souls. When we receive grace, we receive the life of Christ within us. We then go on to talk about how many sacraments there are and the different types of sacraments.

The fourth grade students have been reading and rewriting the 1st creation story into an original children's story to share with our 1st graders. We will then begin reading the 2nd creation story of Adam and Eve and how God calls us to care for his creation. 

Before the Christmas Break the students participated in skits.

In religion the fifth graders have learned about the life of Abraham and how he is the father of the three world religions. The students are investigating the basics of world religions. We have discussed that as Christians we are called to evangelize and we begin with what we have in common. Next we will learn about the Holy Trinity and the Creed.

Before the break the students played Catholic board games.