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St. Mary’s School
January 2015 News
From the Principal’s Desk… your child is prepared for
all that is expected. But if
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s), there is more clarification
needed, please do not
This is a New Year…2015! hesitate to reach out to the
May it be a glorious year teacher an express your
filled
with
cherished concern. Students are also
moments and wonderful encouraged to ask as many
questions as they feel they
health.
This
strategy
January can be dreary in need.
becomes
a
powerful
terms of the weather. We
know because there many learning skill.
snow birds who seek Catholic Schools Week
sunnier places during this begins Sunday January 25,
time.
However,
at 2015. We begin our celeSt. Mary’s School we have bration of Catholic Schools
sunshine every day as the by attending the 9:00AM
children
bring
such Mass on that date.
pleasant attitudes about Students come to Mass
learning and share their with their families and
their
uniforms.
gifts and talents so wear
Students also take an active
generously.
This month will mark the role in Mass by doing the
serving
and
end of the first semester. readings,
For the older classes there singing. It is a dynamic
for
the
will be semester testing presence
and a variety of projects parishioners to see your
due. It can be stressful for children and appreciate the
learning
the
families and students alike. quality
It’s a time to prioritize. The children receive through
teachers will ensure that their Catholic Education.
One of our faculty was
surprised this past month
by receiving the “Golden
Apple Teacher Award”
from Channel 8’s Kevin
Doran. A student in first
grade nominated Miss
Meghan Kenny, as the
“best teacher”, for her
dedication and support of
her students.
Miss Kenny will be
highlighted on the 5:30PM
Channel 8 News on
Wednesday January 28,
2015. Please try to watch
the news and see the
excitement and joy that
this well-deserved award
has brought to one of our
extremely talented faculty.
ROC the DAY!! And, you
surely did ROC our DAY
with
your
generous
donations. The total was
$813. This signifies an
awareness of need, but
also
demonstrates
a
commitment to Catholic
School Education. Our tag
line has been “Faith in
Every Student”. If we
reflect on that; there are
many way to interpret it.
So it can mean bringing
faith to every student, or
having faith that all
students are able to learn
and reach their potential.
Any way you look at it…it
spells success for ALL.
I would be remiss if I did
not make mention of
Mrs. Annette Joyce and the
time and talent she has
shared with St. Mary’s
school. Mrs. Joyce has
spent countless hours
designing, creating, editing
and organizing out new
website. Please, if you see
her give her a special
“shout-out” for her selfless
giving!
www.stmaryscanandaigua.org
Happy New Year!
God bless,
Ann Marie Deutsch,
Principal
January Highlights - CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Inside this issue:
January 25 Mass at 9 AM at
St. Mary’s Church
followed by Coffee Hour
January 27 Open School Day
Visitors Welcome!
Calendar
2
School News
3-4
January 26 Prayer Service
at 9:50 AM in gym
January 28 Community
Recognition Day
16 Gibson St. Canandaigua, NY 14424
Classroom News 5-9
585-394-4300 / [email protected]
Birthdays
10
Upcoming Events 10
www.stmaryscanandaigua.org
January 2015
Sun
4
Mon
5
11
12
Tue
6
13
Wed
7
14
Schedule of Events
Thu
Fri
Sat
 Jan. 1-2 - NO SCHOOL
1
2
3
 Jan. 6 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30 PM
8
9
10
15
16
17
 Jan. 9 - Geography Bee Finals @
1:30 PM
 Jan. 12 - SAC Meeting @ 6:30 PM
 Jan. 19 - Martin Luther King Jr Day/
NO SCHOOL
 Jan. 22 - March for Life
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
 Jan. 23 - Yearbook Group Pictures
 Jan. 25 - 30 - Catholic Schools Week
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
 Jan. 25 - CSW Mass at 9 AM /
Coffee Hour to follow in Dougherty
2014-’15 REGISTRATION



Registration for ALL students for the 2014-’15 school year will begin February 2, 2015.
Packets will be sent home to families via the Blue Folder on Friday, January 30.
Current families can receive a $150 tuition credit by spreading the “Good News of SMS”. Families can receive this credit by
referring a newly registered family. Referral forms are available upon request from the school office.
NEW PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
All families who will be registering new Early Childhood and/or NEW Kindergarten-grade 8 students should bring the child’s birth
certificate, baptismal certificate and immunization records to registration.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK - Schedule of Events
January 25: MASS & COFFEE HOUR
Students and families will participate in the 9AM Mass at St. Mary's Church.
PTO hosts a Coffee Hour in Dougherty Hall following Mass.
January 26: PRAYER SERVICE - Join us for prayer service in the gym at 9:50 AM.
January 27: OPEN SCHOOL DAY
Open School Day is the perfect opportunity to observe our talented teachers educating our next generation of scholars. Currently
enrolled families and new families interested in SMS are welcome to attend anytime from 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Visit with faculty, staff,
parents and students. Please contact Pam at the school office at (585) 394-4300 to schedule a guided tour.
January 28: COMMUNITY DAY
On this day SMS, will show our appreciation to all our supporters throughout the community. These very important links help partner
with us in educating another generation of children. Community supporters of St. Mary's School will be recognized by receiving an
Appreciation Cookie/Candy Tray that will be assembled and delivered to them by SMS Parents & Students.
The Prayer Box
Please pray for the health and healing of :
Amy Eagle, Diana van der Velden, Elaine Liddell
Please pray for the repose of the soul of :
Ann Peets (Laura Panara’s grandmother)
Page 2
St. Mary’s School
SCHOOL NEWS
NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
BEE
- Mrs. Mercandetti
Classroom competitions were held on
November 20 and 21. The following
students will be in the finals on January
9th at 1:30 in our gym: 4th grade: Melanie
Khan and Daniel Neubecker; 5th grade:
Madeleine Jensen and Emma Sanford; 6th
grade: Carter Sabin and Jonas Williams;
7th grade: David LaBorde and Matthew
McMullen; and 8th grade: Gianni Grasso
and Olivia Obuhanych. Our school winner
will take a written test to qualify for the
state level contest.
Good luck to
everyone!
PTO
- Mrs. Bodine, Co-President
What an amazing season we, as
Christians, are currently able to participate
in wholeheartedly. As we prepare and
wait for the birth of our Lord, we are eager
to report that Breakfast with Santa and
the Santa Store were both filled with
children so excited for Christmas that their
emotions
were
nothing
short
of
contagious. Thank you for sharing them
with all of us and helping us adults reignite
the Christmas feeling that dwells deep in
each of our hearts. The group of us that
makes up the PTO are beyond fulfilled
that we can provide events such as these
to the children who care and love Jesus
so much. An extra thank you to Sue Jensen, Lisa Hubler and Lynn Nicoletti for
seeing these events through from start to
finish and providing such wonderful memories for us all.
Please join us for the next PTO meeting
scheduled for Tuesday January 6th at
3:30pm in the faculty lounge as we
prepare for another year of service to the
only One that matters most. We are
gearing up for Catholic Schools Week at
the end of January, prepping for a 5k in
April among other activities and would
love to see you there. Membership is not
required . Childcare is available in the
Activity Center at no charge. Please
contact me with any questions you may
have. A blessed Merry Christmas to you
and your families!
JANUARY 2015
ST. GENESIUS
PLAYERS
- Miss Commisso, Director
New Year greetings from the St.
Genesius Players! We would like to thank
everyone who attended our show last
month, and hope that you enjoyed
watching it as much as the children
enjoyed performing for you. Any actor will
tell you that the greatest reward for the
work they do is the applause of an
appreciative audience.
As we begin the new year we will cast
parts and begin rehearsing for our annual
production of Lenten Reflections. This
recreation of the Passion of our Lord is
one of the highlights of our Genesian
season. The children who are performing
get as much out of the play as the
audience, and it is a wonderful way for all
of us to prepare for Easter. We look
forward to seeing you at Lenten
Reflections.
NURSES’ OFFICE
- Mrs. Nicholson,R.N.
Vision and Hearing screenings will start for Kindergarten
and First Grade.
Second and Third
Grades will follow. Parents will be notified
in writing (Blue Folder) if there is need for
a referral.
ACTIVITY CENTER
- Miss Commisso
Happy New Year from the Activity
Center! I hope that everyone had a
wonderful
holiday and relaxing break.
Invoices for December will be sent home
in blue folders and should be paid in the
month they are received.
At the end of
January, I will send statements listing all
invoices and payments received for 2014.
This statement can be used for tax
purposes. Please feel free to contact me
with any questions.
ART - Mrs. Campolieto
I hope everyone had a happy
and restful holiday spent with
family and friends. We’re diving right back
to work in the Art Room this new year!
Pre-K and kindergarten are continuing
to practice fine motor skills while creating
winter-themed projects. 1st grade has also
started a winter-themed unit and will soon
study color in depth. 2nd grade has
already begun work on a unit devoted to
practicing their cutting skills.
3rd grade is starting a unit on different
techniques associated with line. 4th grade
is finishing their unit on Native American
Art and will next begin a unit exploring
painting. 5th grade has been working
diligently on a unit incorporating a
multitude of line work. They are currently
working on designing robots.
6th grade has wrapped up their portrait
unit and has begun a unit on Egyptian art.
This is always an exciting time for 6th
grade art students. 7th grade is working
on a parody of Grant Wood’s famous
piece “American Gothic”. They will next
work with perspective and shading to
create interesting snowmen while 8 th
grade has finished a piece using ideas
from Wayne Thiebaud’s work and will
soon start a piece incorporating
Michelangelo’s “Pieta” and cubist work of
Pablo Picasso.
As always, if you have any questions
about your child’s work, report card grade,
or performance in Art class, please do not
hesitate
to
email
me
at
[email protected].
MUSIC - Miss Snyder
Our Christmas Concert was a great
success! Thank you to everyone who
helped make everything run smoothly.
After Christmas break, we will explore
several composers and their music.
Grades three through eight will continue to
work on singing in harmony. Third graders
will be singing rounds and canons. Older
grades will explore partner songs and
middle school students will be singing
counter melodies and following a vocal
score. I will be planning the Spring
concert!
Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
Page 3
SCHOOL NEWS
TECHNOLOGY
- Mrs. Marvin
December has been an exciting month
in the computer lab. St. Mary’s Students
celebrated Computer Science Education
Week December 8-12 by participating in a
variety of activities. All students have
been participating in activities that focus
on programming and coding in the
classroom at their specific grade-levels.
Students in grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and Pre-K,
received coding instruction from Mr. Dan
Pohorence, who is an IT Network
Technician and Training Coordinator for
the Diocese of Rochester. Students were
able to use the information provided by
Mr. Pohorence to create shapes and
gaming operations based upon using
either Block coding or Java Script.
The 4th graders were also blessed with a
visit from Carolyn Dean, the Infrastructure
Manager at Paychex. These students
learned about the various career
opportunities that exist with the use of
technology and the special skills required
for these positions. There was a particular
interest from students in the area of
computer safety and security. We are
hoping to set up additional visits with both
of these special guests, as well as
welcoming more individuals in the
technology field in the future.
In other news, information will be sent
home for students wishing to join the E3
robotics club which will be starting up in
January. The E3 Engineering and
Technology Fair is currently scheduled
for Thursday, April 9, 2015. Its purpose is
to increase interest in engineering and
technology in middle school students
(Grades 6 – 8), who not only learn team
and process concepts as a result of their
projects, but also learn about careers in
engineering from professional engineers
at the Fair.
I have had requests for other groups not
competing in E3 to have an after-school
technology club. I will have to look into
scheduling opportunities to see if this is
possible. Please feel free to contact me in
regards to either of these opportunities.
Page 4
JANUARY 2015
ACADEMIC
INTERVENTION
SERVICES
- Mrs. Mercandetti
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
May God bless you and your families as
we begin another year! We are fortunate
to have new beginnings all the time: a
chance to start over! On the church
calendar, our year begins with Advent.
Our new calendar year begins in January
and the new school year starts each
September! Of course, each day is a new
beginning, too! We have so many
opportunities to have a fresh start and
make the most of the gifts that God has
given to us!
Our midpoint of this school year is
almost upon us.
If you have any
questions about your child’s progress,
please contact your child’s teacher and I
would be glad to be part of a conference.
PHYSICAL EDUCATON
- Mrs. Cowan
Grades 3 - 8 have just finished up our
floor hockey unit. These grades have also
completed the Fitness Gram Fitness Test.
I was very impressed with the outcome.
I will get results to you as soon as
possible. Grades K-2 have been working
on eye-hand coordination with different
manipulatives.
Have a Blessed and Wonderful
Christmas!!!
LIBRARY
- Mrs. Pohorence
Happy New Year, Everyone! Welcome
to a “new year” of reading. I hope Santa
was very good to you and left some great
“reads” under your tree. January is a
great month for snuggling up with a good
book on a wintry night to help chase away
the winter blues!
Santa has been very good to our library
and has added several new series and
many new titles to the shelves. Here are
just a few:
Fiction:

The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan

The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Memory Maze
by Gordon Korman

Homeroom Diaries
by James Patterson

Spirit Animals: Fire & Ice Bk. 4
by Shannon Hale

Lara’sGift
by Annemarie O’Brien
Non-Fiction:

How They Made Things Work:
Solving Technology Problems
400-4500 years ago (4 Vols.)

Research Tools You Can Use
(6 Vols.)

Survive Alive: Practical
information to survive in the
wild (4 Vols.)

The World of Plants (4 Vols.)
Life Cycles (6 Vols.)

Mechanic Mike’s Incredible
Machines (5 Vols.)

Space Mysteries (4 Vols.)
Look for these and many more new titles
on the BIG display in the Library.
December
During January, Kindergarten and First
Graders will hear winter-related stories
Sportsmanship Awards
and learn what happens in our wintery
The students listed below have world. Second Grade will be learning
displayed wonderful sportsmanship skills in dictionary use. Grades 3-5 will be
qualities during our physical education involved in learning activities with “Dewey
& the Decimals”. Grades 2-8 will also
classes:
begin reading their choices from the NYS
3-Apples Book Award nominations so we
1st Grade– Lennon Knight
can enter our votes to choose the 2015
2nd Grade– Timothy Murphy
recipient, on April 20th.
3rd Grade– Leah Batterson
January is the month of New Year’s
4th Grade– David Jankowski
Resolutions, so encourage your children
5th Grade– Abbey Herod
to make a resolution to start the New Year
6th Grade– Ryan Paré
th
off on the right foot, by stepping into the
7 Grade– Maren Hubler
library and entering into an amazing world
th
8 Grade– Emma Daino
of reading adventures!
St. Mary’s School
CLASSROOM NEWS
3 YR. OLD
EARLY CHILDHOOD
- Miss Gigliotti
I hope everyone had a wonderful
Christmas and has come back to
school refreshed and ready to learn
new lots of things.
The preschoolers had a busy month
in December. We spent some time
learning about the true meaning of
Christmas. We read many stories
involving the nativity. We enjoyed
celebrating the birth of Jesus. The
Christmas Concert was also a
success and great fun.
We worked on learning the letters A
and B. We will continue learning new
letters in January. We will practice
letter formation with a pencil, play
dough and wiki sticks. In Math, we will
focus on the numbers one through
five. The children will be learning
about how to write and represent
these numbers. In Religion, we will
read many different bible stories and
discuss the meaning to us.
4 YR. OLD
EARLY CHILDHOOD
- Mrs. Falbo
Welcome 2015! I hope you and your
family had a wonderful holiday
season. I cannot believe we are
already into January.
The New Year brings a new unit:
Properties of Matter. The Property of
Matter unit introduces children to the
exploration of solids, liquids and
gases, and how they all relate to each
other. The class will learn the
characteristics of solid, liquids and
gasses and how temperature can
change the state of matter. This unit
has a lot of hands on activities that
use many wonderful materials like
snow, ice and water. The children will
get to explore and use these
materials in many different ways. We
will continue learning letters and
sounds and work on rhyming and
syllables.
JANUARY 2015
In Math, we will continue building on
the skills that we have learned. The
students will explore shapes and
patterns. They will recognize and
write numbers and count sets of
objects. We will also begin learning
about measurement and how to use
measurement tools.
In Religion we will continue to
explore God and prayer. The children
will learn the Our Father prayer and
learn many new bible stories.
I hope January brings much
happiness to you!
KINDERGARTEN
- Mrs. White
We begin this New Year with the
celebration of the Epiphany, when the
Wise Men arrived with gifts for the
Baby Jesus. May this New Year hold
special gifts from God for you and
your family.
In Language Arts, we will continue
to hone in on our listening skills. This
is an ideal age for one to learn to listen
effectively for information and
comprehension. We will also work on
finding context clues in
reading,
using
reasoning
skills
for
understanding, and continue practicing our alphabet and sight word
recognition.
In Math, we will begin to understand
the
concept
of
addition
and
subtraction.
In Science, we will continue talking
about weather and climate. In Social
Studies, we will learn about Martin
Luther King, Jr. and his teachings.
We thank all our parents for
their
continued support at home with help
in
academics
and
reinforcing
expected classroom behavior.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
May you be blessed with good health
and joy in your life!
GRADE 1- Miss Kenny
What a busy and fun December it
has been! This month, we have been
preparing for the birth of our savior by
examining all aspects of Advent. The
first graders have been reflecting on
the coming of Jesus and how he is
our Savior. In January we will
continue to examine Jesus and his
power of forgiveness.
December has been a busy month
utilizing our math skills, as we have
started learning to add double-digit
numbers to 20. We have also been
learning about solving multi-step
addition and subtraction problems.
Next month we will be learning
counting patterns such as counting by
2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.
This Month we have continued
working
on
our
ELA
unit,
responsibility, and our Social Studies
unit, communities and citizens of a
town. Students have been exploring
ways we can be responsible at home,
at school and in our town. Next
month, we will continue to explore
what it means to live and work in a
neighborhood community.
December has been an exciting
month full of Holiday spirit! I hope
you all have a wonderful Christmas
and a Happy New Year.
Page 5
CLASSROOM NEWS
GRADE TWO
- Miss Pohorence
Second grade is welcoming
the New
Year with exciting new units and a student
teacher! During the next few months we
will have a student teacher from Hobart
and William Smith Colleges. We will be
ready to learn from her and help her learn
how to be a great teacher!
We will begin a new unit in Religion and
GRADE 3- Mrs. Baker
The 3rd graders have been working on
"Prayer" in their Religion class. We have
talked about when and where good places
to pray are, what prayer truly means and
what Jesus has taught us about
prayer. The students made bookmarks to
keep in their Bibles at home as well as
Christmas cards for the VA Hospital here
in Canandaigua. After the new year, the
students will start to work with Parables
and memorizing required prayers. I hope
everyone has a great Holiday Season!
In Math we will wrap up our discussion
of addition and subtraction and move into
JANUARY 2015
Social Studies. In Religion, we will
examine our conscience and learn how to
ask and give forgiveness. In Social
Studies, our class will begin to look at how
communities change and the economics
of a community. In Math, we are
continuing our unit on adding and
subtracting 2 digit numbers with and
without regrouping.
Parents, please
continue to review the basic facts with
your child.
In ELA, we are continuing our unit on
courage. As for Science, we will finish our
unit on animals and their life cycles. We
will be ending this unit with a research and
writing project.
We will be very busy this month
completing many different projects and
will have these projects on display in the
classroom and the primary wing during
Catholic Schools Week. We hope that
you will stop by and see the amazing work
second grade has been doing.
multiplication. We will be learning facts up
to twelve with frequent practice and in
class quizzes. Please work with your son
or daughter to help them learn their facts
as often as possible. It is essential that
they grasp this concept before going on to
fourth grade. We will aim to learn the
facts quickly so we can move on to word
problems involving multiplication.
In ELA, we will spend some time working on grammar this month. We have
been doing a lot of quick writing lately and
now we will work on fine-tuning it. We will
be learning new material including the use
of common and proper nouns as well as
the proper use of I and me. In Reading,
we will begin a new unit with stories
focusing on animals and their habitats.
These stories tie in nicely with what
we’ve been studying in science about
plants and animals.
In Science, we will be studying how
environmental changes affect organisms.
We will talk about natural disasters and
how animals and plants may respond and
even adapt to the changed environment.
In Social Studies, we will begin studying
“An English Colony at Jamestown.”
Students will begin studying about the
early colony in Jamestown including why
the English chose to make a settlement
there and the struggles the English
colony had surviving on the land.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year
and may you continue to see the Light of
Jesus through the winter months!
CHRISTMAS BASKET PROJECT
Mrs. Genecco, on behalf of St. Vincent DePaul Society,
requested the school children help unload boxes from the
truck on December 1st for Christmas baskets. Fifth grade
students helped with the boxes. Mrs. Rodney worked with
the 6th & 8th graders to fill baskets on Dec. 9.
Message From St. Vincent DePaul Society:
Jesus teaches us that the two most important things for us
to do are to:
1. Love your God and
2. Love your Neighbor.
The faculty at St. Mary’s School works tirelessly to instill
these values in their children. In these pictures we see
school children helping to unload the boxes used for the
“Christmas Basket” to be given out at Holiday time by the
St. Vincent DePaul Society. The children know they are
helping the “needy” (their “neighbors” less fortunate than
themselves). When filled, these boxes will be taken home
by people who have been determined to be in need of food
for their Holiday Dinner.
Page 6
St. Mary’s School
CLASSROOM NEWS
GRADE 4
- Mrs. Deragon
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful
Christmas holiday. The fourth grade
welcomes a new calendar year filled with
continued learning and growth.
In Religion this month, we discussed the
meaning of sin in relation to venial sin,
mortal sin, and social sin. We discussed
the concept of self-dignity and shared how
everyone is created in God’s image,
therefore, must be treated with respect.
The students are working towards
memorizing the Nicene Creed. Our next
focus will be on making good choices, free
will, and conscience.
This month in Math has been very busy.
The students worked in groups to create
an original board game using multi-digit
addition, subtraction, and word problems.
The games were an interactive way to
reinforce key math skills. We have been
working
on
number
sense:
multiplying by one digit numbers. When
we return from break we will start our next
unit on multi-digit multiplication and
division strategies.
In Language Arts this month we
practiced close reading skills and focused
on main ideas and significant details. Miss
Delgatto planned an interactive Social
Studies/Language Arts unit on the
Iroquois Confederacy and the students
took on the roles of clan mother, chief,
and clan member to create a constitution.
They did an excellent job on the unit, and
learned a lot about the Iroquois! We were
sad to say goodbye to Miss Delgatto.
In Science, we have continued our unit
on animals. The students worked in
JANUARY 2015
groups to create animal projects. We will
focus on animal behavior, instinct, reflex,
stimulus, and response when we return
from break.
Thank you all for your continued
support. Wishing you a happy New Year!
GRADE 5
- Miss Dedrick
HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!
I
hope that all the families had a fun and
safe break! The fifth grade has a lot going
on in January! The students will be taking
midterm exams this year.
They are
considered Summative Assessments and
will give me and the parents a great
indicator as to how the kids are doing in
5th grade so far!
In the Math, the students will be working
on geometry and will start their fractions
unit during January. They just finished up
multiplication and division of decimals and
did a great job!! In Science, the students
will be finishing up Unit 2 – Physical
Science. They observed how to mix a
liquid and solid to form a gas. The
experiment was mixing vinegar and
baking soda inside a water bottle with a
balloon on the opening of the bottle. The
gas (carbon dioxide) produced blows the
balloon up! It was messy BUT fun!
In ELA, the students continue to work on
stories out of their Imagine-It Series. The
stories they are reading in ELA correlate
with their Science topics! It is always
awesome to see the students make
connections between their different
classes! In Writing, the students have
started working on a persuasive writing
assignment.
In Social Studies, the students are
learning about the Thirteen Colonies and
how the United States was established.
We have just started discussing the
American Revolution. The students will
complete an activity on the differences
between the American economy then and
now.
In Religion, the students continue to
work out of their workbooks. They will be
completing activities that will help them
make good decisions by using God's
Virtues. We also finished a project
revolving around the Parables and Jesus’
lessons. They got to look up parables,
“translate” into their own thoughts and
illustrate. They will be on display until the
end of January!
As you can see, we stay very busy in 5th
grade! As the New Year is approaching I
look forward to continuing to teach all of
these wonderful children in 2015!!
God Bless,
Miss Dedrick
SPANISH - Señor Pursel
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Happy New Year!
Seventh and Eighth Grade Spanish
students, as well as Sixth Grade Religion
students, will be taking January Midterm
exams.
We will review for these
assessments in early January. Please
check your child’s planner for specific
testing dates.
After the January assessment, Eighth
Graders will begin Unit Four which is
centered on daily routines in Mexico.
Students will be able to give addresses,
request directions and talk about modes
of transportation. We will learn how to
make polite requests while shopping and
ordering food.
Seventh Graders will begin Unit Two.
This unit focuses on school related
routines and nomenclature for classroom
objects. Students will be able to use
adverbs to express frequency of
occurrence.
They will continue to
practice conjugating regular “ar”, “er” and
“ir” verbs. We will learn more irregular
verbs.
These verbs will need to be
memorized as they do not follow a set
pattern.
It is essential that all students are
spending at least twenty-five minutes per
day reviewing vocabulary and grammar.
I am available daily for extra help. If there
are any concerns, please contact me.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
JANUARY 2015
SCIENCE & GR. 6 HOMEROOM - Miss Kincaid
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
December has just flown by! As I write this, we are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season; among the recent
festivities middle schoolers have enjoyed are field trips, packing St. Vincent de Paul food baskets, and performing at the annual
Christmas concert. Next week will bring more wintery fun – with the 6th grade DARE graduation, roller skating, the Genesians’ play,
and a Christmas celebration!
The EcoFusion club has especially gotten into the holiday spirit and participants have done a number of projects for others – from
tying blankets for Catholic Charities to making cat toys and pinecone bird feeders for our furry and feathered friends. One of our next
big projects will be to make calendars for the new year!
Pictured above, 8th graders Gianni, Antonio, and Tristan add cereal to the boxes for less-privileged people in the area (left), and 6th graders
Madisyn, Adrienne, Quynn, Julia, Carter, and Ryan peek out from behind a blanket made during a recent EcoFusion session (right).
In Science class the 6th graders have switched gears from weather, weathering, and erosion to density, rocks, and minerals!
Students have done all sorts of things to practice calculating density – including hands-on measurement and even solving for “z”; this
has given the students a great opportunity to see how topics – and subjects – overlap! The 6th graders were excited to hear that the
rock/mineral unit will be rather delicious as we will be using food to demonstrate how igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks
form!
7th grade students are beginning to discuss the classification of organisms. We’re carrying on our discussion of the role genes play
in organisms’ environmental interactions and ability to survive and have been learning how to read and create dichotomous keys!
From here, we’ll study each “kingdom” in turn and recall how each fits with what we previously learned about cells!
The 8th grade class is moving right along towards our Rube Goldberg projects! When the new year starts, students will bring a
variety of objects and materials to construct elaborate contraptions. But before we get there, we’re learning about motion and forces,
and the simple machines we’ll use to build our projects. The students are excited to get underway!
I am happy to say that the Tuesday after-school help sessions have been a valuable time for the students who come – it gives
middle schoolers an opportunity to address questions and concerns they didn’t quite get to during class/in the large group setting. I
encourage students to come for help if they need it – and have been known to bring treats for those who do! :)
I hope everyone has a safe and happy break and will be eager to see you all again in 2015! With smiles, ~Miss Kincaid :)
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH - Mr. Meiggs
Grade six is beginning Chapter 5,
“Multiplying and Dividing Fractions.”
In this chapter students will continue the
study of fractions as they multiply and
divide fractions. They will also manipulate
mixed
numbers
and
equations.
In addition, students will use fraction
computation to change unit within the
customary system of measurements.
Grade seven is beginning Chapter 3,
“Exponents, Factors, and Fractions.” In
this chapter, students will extend order of
Page 8
operations to include exponents. They
will express numbers in scientific
notation and use divisibility rules.
Students will simplify and order fractions
as decimals and percents.
Grade eight is beginning Chapter 2,
“Equations and Inequalities.”
In this
chapter, students will simplify algebraic
expressions and write and solve both
one-step and two-step equations and
inequalities.
Algebra I is beginning Chapter 5,
“Writing Linear Equations.” In this chapter
students learn to write and use linear
equations. They will write the equation of
a line when given a
point and a slope or
two points on the
line. They will also
learn the equations
for
vertical
and
horizontal lines.
St. Mary’s School
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
ELA & GR. 7 HOMEROOM
- Mrs. Palleschi
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had
an enjoyable and restful holiday break
spent with family and friends. As we
begin the new year, it is my hope that your
children are enjoying their middle school
experiences here at SMS. Time passes
so quickly, so let us embrace the learning
and fun that is yet to come in 2015….
Students in 6th grade are reading both
fiction and nonfiction pieces in their
Imagine It texts…they have compared
multiple
accounts
of
the
events
surrounding the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
and destruction of Pompeii, and have also
analyzed and responded to various texts
about tsunamis. In addition, they continue
to add to their classroom writing binders,
having just completed a creative writing
piece in conjunction with the novel Things
Not Seen. And maybe you have seen
their daily editing practice sheets? They
are certainly getting better at identifying
spelling, grammar, and punctuation
mistakes as they work through these
assignments.
7th grade students read Fever 1793, a
historical fiction novel written by
Laurie Halse Anderson, and completed
a chapter by chapter analysis of the
historical quotes as they were used
throughout the book. 7th graders have
also done extensive work learning literary
terms, in particular the difference between
major/minor
and
static/dynamic
characters, as well as symbolism,
theme, and point of view.
Students
should be experts at identifying these
various elements as they continue to read
a variety of novels and short stories
throughout the year.
8th graders finished
reading
A
Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens,
and had a fantastic time seeing the play at
GEVA Theatre. For many, this was their
first time seeing a musical, and it was truly
a treat! In conjunction with this field trip,
students wrote an analysis of various
aspects of the play, such as set design,
costumes, and music/lyrics. They also
wrote reflective essays about their own
past, present, and future, as they
considered the messages these same
spirits brought to Scrooge throughout the
novel.
Lastly, be sure to check out the “picture
vocabulary” on display in the downstairs
hall and on my classroom door if you get a
chance. 7th and 8th grade students had
fun turning some of their recent
vocabulary words into visual works of art!
Wishing you warmth and peace during the
month of January….Mrs. Palleschi
SOCIAL STUDIES,
GR. 7/8 RELIGION &
GR. 8 HOMEROOM
- Mr. Williams
January is a time of reflection and new
beginnings. It is a time for people to
consider new ways to make a difference
in the world. For some of our students, it
is the time to travel to our nation’s capital
and show support for a meaningful issue.
JANUARY 2015
A group of more than fifteen students and
parents will participate in the annual
Youth Rally organized by the Catholic
Archdiocese of Washington DC with 20,
000 other teens and then walk in the very
peaceful 41st Annual March for Life will
begin and with over 200,000 people.
During the Month, eighth graders
continue to grow in their understanding of
the four marks of the Church—one, holy,
catholic, and apostolic. They learn that the
Church is holy because it was founded by
Jesus, is guided by the Holy Spirit, and is
called to carry out Christ’s saving mission.
For Social Studies, your child begins a
new unit “United States between the
Wars”. First they learn about the “Roaring
Twenties”: the Republican’s return to
power; the booming economy; popular
culture; the lingering divisions between
rich and poor; and the United States’
relative isolationism in the world’s affairs.
Seventh graders reflect on the impact
Jesus had on the first disciples and come
to realize that their own relationship with
Him can gradually deepen too. They learn
that Jesus is still with us through the
seven sacraments and that we accept his
call to discipleship in the sacraments of
Initiation. Even before the Revolution was
over, the colonists were setting up a new
government. As a young republic, the
United States was immediately confronted
with a wide range of responsibilities,
problems, and opportunities in the late
1700s and early 1800s.
In January, sixth graders will begin
their study of ancient Greece. The topics
covered will include the Greek geography,
culture, art, philosophy, political structure,
mythology, and daily life.
Upon
completion of this unit of study each
student should be able to explain the
impact of Greek civilization not only upon
the Mediterranean region but also our
present day culture.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HOUSE NEWS - Mrs. Mercandetti
Our Advent projects found us busy
creating special gifts for our priests,
deacon and principal. We journeyed to
the DOR Pastoral Center on December 8
to attend Mass with Bishop Matano.
It was a beautiful celebration on the Feast
of the Immaculate Conception! Bishop
Matano spoke of Mary’s faith and our own
faith which sustains us during times of trial
and tribulation. Our last activity was a
“Parents’ Night Out” on December 13 to
give parents some time to do last minute
shopping or enjoy an evening out.
Any money left over after expenses will
be donated to the parish St. Vincent
DePaul Society.
We are now thinking about our
Lenten project.
We have decided
to
focus on Canandaigua Comfort
Care Home. CCCH will open this
winter and will care for people with
terminal illnesses in a home-like setting.
More information will be forthcoming.
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.
JANUARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
2- Eily Hubler
21- Mrs. Nicholson
Gabriel Lewis
Emma Spiehler
3- Jocelyn Biletnikoff
22- Mrs. Palleschi
Brie Gamez
23- Christopher O’Neill
6- Hannah Lutz
24- Lennon Knight
8- Jacob Bodine
Rhianna Yates
9- Mrs. Haynes
13- Adrienne Reston
May the birthday candles
that represent the years of
your life be a reflection to
others of your love for
Christ.
26- Amy Tran
27- Fr. Stan
28- Leiliah Garrett
Brayden Trickey
29- Mrs. Cambalik
15- Carter Sabin
McKenna Macri
Matthew Nicoletti
20- Amanda Brocklebank
Aunt Ginny Crowley
St. Mary’s School
16 Gibson Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY EVENTS:
February 2 - Registration begins for the 2015-’16 school year
February 3 - PTO Meeting at 6:30 PM
February 6 - Mass at 9 AM
February 9 - SAC Meeting at 6:30 PM
February 16 - 20 - Winter Recess/NO SCHOOL
February 26 - Sr. Mary Smith Annual Spelling Bee
Mr. Wolfe