SAINT ODILO COUGAR BITES NEWSLETTER
WINTER 2013
The 6th grade has just finished their unit on the Scientific Method. In it, they learned the basic steps of problem solving. Through identifying a problem, gathering information, and running an experiment, they honed their skills of observation and analysis of data. Afterward, they learned about the tools of measurement and are now preparing to practice their skills by observing the microscopic world.
The 7th grade has finished the study of the phylums of sponges, cuidarians, worms, mollusks, anthropods, fishes, and amphibians. They had fun observing the behavior of earthworms in one of their lab activities. Taking a break from animals for now, they are studying cells, including their structure and the function of each of the organelles contained within the cells.
The 8th grade is busy studying the human body and all of its systems. From the skeletal and muscular systems through the digestive system and all of the organs involved, they are continually amazed by what the body is capable of. We are now studying the circulatory system and looking forward to an activity about blood typing. The 8th grade
will be dissecting owl pellets. After dissecting the pellets, the students reconstruct the bones of the animal found inside.
Students in Grade 5 became empowered to be energy experts of their household after attending an in-school presentation by educators from the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Group and receiving a take home energy efficiency kit. The Take Home Kit contained a high-efficiency showerhead, two sink aerators, a five minute shower timer, 3 CFLs and practical energy information. A mini-grant is still pending and hopefully we have met our goal.
Eat well, sleep well, and exercise. Third graders are working to improve their nutrition habits by learning which food groups should be in their daily diets. Nutrition labels have been studied and a nutritious breakfast, luncheon, or dinner is being planned. The First Lady has a special recommendation for a nutritious diet to keep our children healthy and avoid the problem of obesity and the increase of diabetes that is occurring in our country.
The sixth graders have recently finished a unit in Social Studies focusing on the ancient Egyptian empire. The students learned the steps of mummification, and were able to see the outcome in an activity that included an apple, salt, and baking soda. They learned about several aspects of Egyptian culture, culminating their first essay of the year. Currently they are in the middle of a unit on Hebrews and their influence on our culture.
In Language Arts, the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders have been hard at work dissecting the parts of speech in our language. They are now moving forward with their knowledge, creating effective and descriptive sentences and paragraphs. The 7th and 8th graders have also started units in vocabulary so they will be well prepared for the rigors in their continuing education.
Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders have been preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. They have chosen their saint’s name and have completed the necessary research. The students also worked on an “armor of Faith” shield, choosing symbols that depict the Holy Spirit in their lives. Some of these projects will be displayed for Open House.
At Mass everyday, Father Brankin has been reviewing the Ten Commandments with grades 1 through 8. He takes a Commandment a week and each day gives the children insight on its meaning.
The 2nd grade class is continuing to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by learning the Ten Commandments and praying the Act of Contrition every day. We have been talking about Resolutions for the New Year and will be making Timelines of our lives in Social Studies. We started learning how to write in Cursive and most of us LOVE it! We also began to learn how to ADD 2-digit numbers with Regrouping – a BIG milestone for second graders! We have read several chapter books in our Superkids Book Club; most recently, “Wagon Wheels”, a story about three young African American boys, between the ages of 3 and 11, who had to walk 150 miles to reunite with their father. It provided a great deal of interesting discussions about responsibility, fear and bravery. We are looking forward to Catholic Schools Week and all the fun activities that are planned, especially the Fun Fair.
St. Odilo is crazy for Kindergarten! The Kindergarteners have begun each week this year with their curriculum focused on one central theme. Some themes we have learned so far this year include: a week of giving thanks, color celebration, fire safety, and many more. We have also traveled on two field trips that have allowed us to learn outside the classroom, The Oak Lawn Children Museum and the Brookfield Zoo. Two field trips is hardly enough fun for the whole year, which is why we have more coming up, one of which will be a life skills trip to Dominos Pizza, learning how to make pizza and how we use money to pay for things. A new spin this year in Kindergarten is having our very own Scientist! Our Scientist, Mr. Todd Veltman, father of Aidan, has already taught us so much about chemical reactions and will soon teach us about physics. The most exciting part about Kindergarten is finally meeting all 14 Superkids from our Superkids Reading Program. We have also begun a new religion series called Faith First. The new series allows us to teach topics such as being a child of God, God giving us the Earth, and how your family is a sign of God’s love. We have also been learning our prayers and how to make the Sign of the Cross.
The 8th grade has been reading “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. After reading each section the students discuss the various themes of the novel and learn about writing and literary devices. The 8th grade has also been preparing for their Catholic High School entrance exams which took place on January 12th. This year’s class tested at eight different Chicago area schools: Fenwick, Nazareth, Queen of Peace, St. Ignatius, St. Joseph, St. Lawrence, St. Patrick and Trinity.
Fifth Grade had a very interesting first trimester. In October we enjoyed a trip to Cantingy Park in Winfield. It was a wonderful way to step back in time and see how our country has been involved in different wars, from the Civil War to Viet Nam. The students also had a great time climbing on the tanks that are display. We wrote letters to servicemen for Christmas and were lucky to receive three replies. Second trimester brings about an exciting project in Social Studies. We are each going to learn about a specific president, dress like him and tell his story to the class.
Prekindergarten is keeping busy with a full curriculum. We are beginning a unit in geometry. We will be making shapes by folding, cutting and copying. We will also build shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows. We will use string to create triangles. Then, we will transform them into squares, rectangles and circles. We will also make shapes using the children’s bodies! We will make three dimensional shapes using Play Doh. We will also be doing a choral reading of “Hickory Dickory Dock”. The children will make mice as well as clocks out of geometric shapes! They will also sequence the poem focusing in on comprehension skills. Our class is also reading “The City Mouse and the Country Mouse”. We will analyze the story and find out why Country Mouse doesn’t like the city. In science we will begin graphing the weather. Prekindergarten has a weather station where each day a child is picked to be the weather man. He or she will then make daily observations and predictions about the weather, then graph it accordingly.
This year the Fourth Grade has been involved in exciting activities. In November, we studied the Pilgrims and Native Americans. After the unit was completed, we had a celebration making our own butter. In December, not only did we realize that Jesus is the reason for the season, we made beautiful wreaths to share with our families. Now, in the New Year, we are very busy writing, illustrating and producing our own Classroom newspaper. It will be ready for viewing on Open House Day. This activity is well received by all students and they learn a great lesson in cooperation, sharing and working together.
Our First Graders enjoyed an in-school field trip with the Morton Arboretum! We have been studying what different animals do during the winter season. We learned that some animals can migrate, hibernate, or adapt. Then we were able to act it out in our classroom! At the beginning of the New Year, our first graders set some personal goals and thought of ways to attain them. We have been very busy reading and writing stories; we have grown so much! We are excited to see what the second half of first grade will bring.
In Computer Class, Grades 5 through 8 took a few weeks in December and January to take creative photos which have been printed in black and white and are on display for Catholic Schools Week. Grade 8 just finished a 6 week project with student teachers from Saint Xavier University. The project consisted of writing short stories and these were critiqued and graded weekly by their assigned student teacher.
Since January is Health Month and Fitness Month, our Gym Class for Grades 1 through 5 will be visited by Nutritionist Aileen Waldschmidt who will discuss healthy eating for kids.
Our half day Preschool and Prekindergarten were very busy during the Holidays. They learned about Baby Jesus and the manger where he was born. We made gifts for Mom and Dad. They were excited to get back to school after the New Year and are now back to work. They really like learning about the letter “M” because M&Ms begin with this letter. They graphed with them, sorted them, counted them, and, of course, ate them. Will the letter “N” be as much fun?
St. Odilo Choirs – On January 11, members of the Children’s Choir and Jr. High Choir sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Loyola University basketball game. It was very exciting to sing at center court, especially with all the lights and TV cameras around. The children did a beautiful job! The Jr. High Choir is preparing to be part of the Pueri Cantores Chicago Choir Festival on Thursday, February 7th at St. Michael Church in Old Town. It is a chance for the kids to sing with other children’s choirs from all over Illinois. Last year there were over 800 participants.