All Souls School 1 st Trimester
By All Souls Student Council
Edited by Luke David
Preschool
Preschool is a small yet energetic class that loves to play and learn every day at All Souls. They are learning their ABCs, building the core foundation of words and sentences. The preschoolers also learn their numbers, which will soon be the basics of math. They learn the different colors, have play time, and take naps. Because of October's spooky festivities, the preschoolers learned pumpkin songs! Some of the things they like doing at All Souls are playing with their friends and blowing bubbles on the playground. They love going to All Souls because of the friends they make here and the toys and playground. They play a variety of different games such as tag, in the sandbox, Legos, and driving the trains on the train tracks. Preschool at All Souls is about balancing learning while also having fun.
By Ocean Raguda
Kindergarten
What have the Kindergarteners been up to in class this trimester? Well, one exciting thing they have learned is how to write and compare numbers zero through nine in math. The Kindergarteners use the computer program I READY to assist them in their mathematical practice.
Their reading and writing skills have improved through the Superkids program. The kindergarten class has learned the letters C, O, and G, and are currently studying A. They have also studied long and short vowel sounds, along with defining and using basic pronouns. Each morning, they learn a new sight word. In Science, they have experimented with mixing colors. They have learned the five senses as well. These include sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. In social studies, they have studied American symbols such as the Bald Eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the flag of the United States. They have also memorized the Pledge of Allegiance and learned the importance of following the rules, good citizenship, and the law.
The Kindergarten class has also participated in many extracurricular activities. They have learned colors, numbers, and letters in Spanish with Ms. Ponce. Under Mr. Pineda’s guidance, they have studied the ways to use Google Search and Google Drawings during technology class. Ms. Julie and Ms. Marissa, the Mindfulness and Meditation teachers, help students focus on being present in the moment using mandala art and other methods. In Art, they have created a mummy mosaic with toilet paper and studied primary and secondary colors. In Music, they have practiced singing “Joy to the World” for the Winter Concert with Mrs. Carmen. Lastly, in PE, they practiced crawling with Mr. Lance, and after his retirement, they asked KIndergarten's parents to volunteer in instruction.
The Kindergarteners had a great time at the All Souls Fall Festival, riding rides, eating delicious food, and winning prizes. They participate with their seventh-grade buddies, meeting with seventh-graders to go to Mass, play, and do fun activities together a few times every month as well.
Overall, the Kindergarteners have had a successful first trimester in All Souls and will continue to grow and learn in the coming months and years.
By Matthew Nicolas
First Grade
For this first trimester, the first graders have worked extremely hard and learned a ton. In math this trimester they have learned: addition, and subtraction, by using different methods for such as using counter cubes, number lines, 100 charts, three addends, and ten frames. In science, they have studied: what plants need, how to grow plants, parts of the plant, and what animals need to survive. In religion this trimester they have learned: How Jesus loved, God's creations, John the Baptist, drawing for God, The holy trinity, The holy family, and Jesus’ followers. In social studies this trimester they have learned about voting, laws/rules, the practice of voting differently in the past, Abraham Lincoln, and slaves. In reading this trimester, they have participated in silent reading, when they read silently for about 20-30 minutes. In writing this trimester they have written: Halloween stories, what they like to do on Halloween, Writing in candy corn, writing the alphabet, and punctuation. In computers, they have played learning games, used google drawings, are learning to type, and making perfect circles. In music, they have been learning a lot of music for the winter showcase. In Spanish this trimester they have learned: how to count from 10 to 100, the colors, the alphabet, and family members. In PE this trimester they played many games such as banana tag, shooting the ball into the cone, and Zombie tag, they also had races. Lastly in art class, they have done many fun projects such as portraits, paintings, Halloween pumpkins, and Egyptian pharaohs. In this first trimester, the first graders have shown tremendous growth and are all so excited to see what they will learn next trimester.
By Alexia Jones
Second Grade
As the first trimester ends, the second graders are working hard and are showing their skills as active Christians, confident communicators, fully integrated individuals, lifelong learners, and responsible citizens with their wonderful and hardworking teacher, Ms. Hannah Villano.
In math, the second graders are learning about arrays, how to add two-digit numbers, odd and even numbers, and their place values; such as the thousands, hundreds, and tens places. The second graders are also learning about solving word problems, how to count by 5s and 10s, their “fact families”, and their “double facts” (Ex. 8+8=16). In ELA, or English Language Arts and Reading the hardworking second graders are using the ‘Superkids Reading Program’ to learn how to add ‘-ing’ and ‘-ed’ into words, their vowels and consonants, spelling patterns, onomatopoeias, visualization by reading with pictures, connections, how to show ownership by adding ‘s, how to understand the context of a text, nouns, and verbs, and last but not least, pronouns. In writing, the second graders are learning how to write “friendly letters” to send to others around the world, the different parts of how to write a letter and make it, facts and opinions, and punctuation. Each Monday they write “weekend news” to journal about their weekend, In religion, the second graders are studying miracles and parables, how to pray the rosary, Jesus’s sacrifice, how the Holy Spirit gave faith to all people, Pentecost and the Passover, Palm Sunday, and the seven sacraments, two of which they will receive this year. In science, the second graders are learning about animal lifecycles, things that dissolve in water, marsupials, animal reproduction, how animals adapt to their environment, seedlings, insects, germination. They had caterpillars that they watched grow into butterflies in their classroom!In history, the second graders are learning about the past, present, and future, learning about how things evolve, such as a telegraph into a phone, how things are different from the past than today, goods and services, and last but not least, they are learning how to be good citizens.
In art taught by Mrs. Carter, the second graders are learning about still life, the wonderful artists Paul Cézanne and Paul Klee, cast shadows, tints, and shades, how to make checkerboards, They made spiderwebs for Halloween that used patterns and primary colors. In music taught by Mrs. Carmen, the second graders are practicing ‘Come all ye Faithful’, 'Carols of the Bells’, ‘Angels Sing’, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, and ‘Joy to the World’. In Spanish taught by Ms. Ponce, the second graders are learning how to say their colors and ABCs, how to spell words and count by numbers, and practice counting from their 10s to 20s, they also learned Halloween words, emotions, and family members. In P.E the second graders learned about boundaries, movement, how to hula hoop, how to help others and be safe and kind, and have several fun games that they get to play involving physical movement. In mindfulness, the second graders are learning about their five senses and how to use them. They have done mindful drawing, mindful meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and worked on how to be patient. In computers, instructed by Mr. Pineda, the second graders are learning about the proper way of typing, how to paste and copy, different types of technology, learning how to edit shapes and turn them, how to properly use google drawings and google docs. We can’t wait to see what this great group will accomplish in the next trimester! By Kenitoni Nau
Third Grade
The third graders have kicked off this brand new school year full of new experiences, laughs, and friends. In math the third graders have mainly focused on drawing and understanding how different graphs work and what their functions are. Besides that, they’ve learned how different properties help solve equations more simply. In science, they’ve learned all about the animal world that surrounds us. The students learned how some animals are consumers, and producers, where they live, how they survive, what they eat, and how the ecosystem ties it all together. In social studies, they’ve learned how we can save our planet from ruin by conserving resources such as energy and water. The directions on the compass and the different regions of California, such as valleys, mountains, deserts, and coasts. In language arts and reading, the two subjects have interwoven to give the third graders knowledge about the parts of speech, new vocabulary to add to their list of words,fun, and have read many stories. In religion, the third graders have learned about the Blessed Trinity and fully take part in learning the prayers of the rosary and the reason why we pray to Mother Mary. At the moment, they are in the midst of a project focusing on the different saints of Catholicism. The third graders have focused on the traits of many saints, as well as the process of how to become a saint. In art, they’ve learned about the artist Paul Klee and his works on abstract art. In the spirit of Halloween, many of the third grader’s artistic works have been pumpkins or Halloween cats. In Spanish, they’ve learned how to say the letters of the alphabet, numbers, colors, family members, and fruits. In computer class, they’ve been practicing their typing skills, getting faster and more familiar with the keys every time. They’ve learned tricks on the computer, such as how to copy and paste. In conclusion, the third graders have had a great trimester and are ready for the next chapter of adventures.
By Lisbeth Flores
Fourth Grade
This trimester, the fourth graders are off to a great start!. In math, the fourth graders have been learning how to rename numbers, compare multiplication, and multiply numbers by 10, 100, and 1000. They have also learned how to round numbers, use expanded and standard forms, and subtract and add with word problems. They’ve also learned about polygons, lines and angles, area and perimeter, and triangles as well as how to use place value and how to determine greater than, less than, or equal to numbers. In English, the fourth graders have learned about run-on sentences, simple subjects, and simple predicates, in addition to complete subjects and predicates. They’ve also learned how to write interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, and declarative sentences, and they have learned about sentence fragments. In reading, they have learned different idioms. They have also learned how to write descriptive paragraphs, as well as learning story elements, and PIE (persuasive, informative, entertaining). They also complete reading logs, these are used to track reading minutes each week. In science, they have learned about different ecosystems, such as taiga, fresh water, salt water, desert, and rainforest. They’ve also learned about life process, living and nonliving things, and communities and populations. The fourth graders have also learned about different organisms, the temperate zone, and coral reefs. In social studies, they have learned about prime meridian and the equator and latitude and longitude. They have also learned about different Native American tribes, how the first people got to America, different legends, and maps, especially California’s maps. They’ve also learned about the four regions of America, and the compass rose. In religion, they have been studying the Beatitudes, different types of sins, the Pentecost, and why God gave us Jesus. They’ve also learned about how everyone is born with Original Sin, incarnation, the Church, and baptism. They’ve also learned about free will, the Kingdom of God, the disciples, and their missions. In mindfulness, they’ve participated in mindful eating, breathing, coloring, meditating, and listening. They’ve also done different yoga poses, learned about their five senses,and are practicing focusing on the present moment. In music, the fourth graders have learned how to sing different Christmas songs, and about ostinato, which are repeating patterns in a song. In art, they’ve drawn art with letters and numbers, hibiscus flowers, Halloween pumpkins, and chalked leaves. They also learned about cubism, negative and positive space, and the color circle. In PE, they did push-ups, racing, partner activities, and a cone game. They also learned how to control their breathing, and do hula hoop activities. In Spanish, the fourth graders have learned the alphabet, the names of Halloween words, numbers, colors, families, and hand signals. In computers, they are learning how to type correctly using the home row, trying to type quickly and accurately, and trying to not look at the keyboard while typing. Some of the fun activities the fourth graders do are: Fun Friday. volleyball during recess, brain breaks, and daily warmups. They sometimes even greet each other in different languages, such as Spanish, French, and Chinese. They also love DEAR (or drop everything and read) time. This period allows the fourth graders to relax and read, while also helping them improve their comprehension skills. The fourth graders have had a wonderful first trimester, and I’m excited to see their progress as they move throughout the year and eventually into Junior High.
By Jadeane Mascarinas and Carmen Thorsen
Fifth Grade
This first trimester, the fifth graders have learned many things and made the adjustment to Junior High with flying colors! We have enjoyed using and organizing our lockers and gotten used to switching classes.
In language arts, we have learned simple subjects and predicates, how to differentiate between complete sentences and sentence fragments, kinds of sentences, irregular verbs, subject-verb agreement, compound sentences, recognizing nouns, and capitalizing proper nouns. In math, we studied the place value of numbers, properties, numerical expressions, and dividing three and four-digit dividends by one and two-digit divisors. In our science class, we have learned about separate constellations in the sky. Currently, we are learning about how matter makes up everything, from volcanos to our very own clothing. In social studies, we are researching about the many Native Americans in the United States. Moving on to reading, we learned to examine plots, recognize themes, compare and contrast, and recognize the order of events. In religion, we learned about Jesus’ mission, parables, and spreading the good news of the lord. The Paschal Mystery, Corporal Works of Mercy, and Spiritual Works of Mercy are many other important lessons we’ve focused on. The fifth graders have learned many interesting things in their electives as well. In art we learned about one element of art, lines. We have also studied the many fabulous art pieces from both Charles Demuth and Winslow Homer. In Spanish, we have learned to count to one hundred and also to one thousand, the alphabet, and emotions with our new teacher, Mrs. Ponce. In computers, we are testing how well and fast we can type. In music, we are working hard to prepare our wonderful voices for the Christmas show, which is in December. The fifth graders have attended recent school and parish events such as faith families and the fall fest. Watch us as we further expand our knowledge this year!
By Althea Nicolas
Sixth Grade
This trimester, the 6th graders have been learning a lot of different things! Starting with science, the 6th graders first learned about landforms on Earth and Mars. They studied how you can tell the difference between a channel landform formed by water and lava using evidence. After that, they started learning about plate motion, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. The 6th graders learned to understand the difference between divergent plate boundaries and convergent plate boundaries. Meanwhile, in social studies, the 6th graders have been learning about early humans in the Paleolithic Age, Mesopotamia, and the Neolithic Age. They learned about their lifestyle, and how it has changed. In math, they have been learning scientific notation, multiplying and dividing by powers of ten, and multiplying and dividing with decimals. Other things they have worked on in math this trimester are algebraic expressions, rounding, place values, and comparing numbers. In ELA, 6th graders have been learning different types of verbs and nouns. Not only that, but also about adverbs, adjectives, subjects, and predicates, and are currently learning about direct objects. The 6th graders read the novel Tuck Everlasting. Other than the novel, they learn about things like context clues and figurative language. Some examples of figurative language are personification, similes, and metaphors. Lastly, in religion, they have been learning about how humans are different from other creatures, and how we can be responsible for God’s creations. 6th grade studied about how God created the earth and everything he has done for us.
Moving on to elective classes, in Spanish class, they have mostly been learning about simple phrases, and reviewing old concepts learned in 5th grade. In art, 6th grade has done a few different projects, and learned about the color wheel! Currently, they are working on Egyptian Art. In music, 6th graders have been singing and preparing for the winter concert. Meanwhile, In computers, they are doing projects and activities to test their skills. Doing this helps them improve their knowledge of computers and their use of them. In mindfulness and meditation, they have been doing yoga and practicing to stay in the present moment by doing activities that require being focused and using your 5 senses. Some of the things the 6th graders enjoyed the most this trimester were the festival, the Halloween party, and getting to know their new classmates. They had an incredible first trimester!
By: Cheryl Ouyang
Seventh Grade
This 1st trimester, the 7th graders have been progressively moving forward in their studies. In math, they have learned how to solve algebraic expressions, using properties, and order of operations. Under the guidance of their math teacher, Mrs. Allen, the 7th graders have been practicing how to approach and solve word problems. They now know how to find missing values in formulas such as area, volume, and perimeter. The class also participated in a fun activity where they played “Battleship” with their classmates, using coordinate planes.
Instructed by Mr. Nicholas, the 7th graders have been learning great things in science. They have learned about the human microbiome and the microorganisms that live within it. They know the functions and importance that many bacteria do for our body. They have also learned about how the cellular respiratory system works and blood doping. The 7th graders have done a hands-on experiment to see how molecules interact as well. In English, Mr.Mascarinas is helping the 7th graders become better writers. The 7th graders are reviewing and diving deeper into nouns such as collective, compound, abstract, concrete, and appositives. The 7th graders have been doing worksheets to refine and practice what they learned. The class is also expanding their vocabulary and learning how to use the words they learn. Each morning the 7th graders do IXL to practice skills in reading and grammar. The 7th graders are also reading short stories such as “The Last Dog” and “The Titanic”. In addition, they have also started reading a class novel, Counting by 7‘s.
Next in history, Ms.Cadelago has taught the 7th graders about the fall of the Roman empire and the spread of early Christianity. They learned the roles of monks and nuns during those times. Currently, the class is learning about Medieval Europe. They are learning about feudalism and how it started. In religion, Mr.Nicholas has been teaching the 7th graders about the apostles and their deeds. They have been reading parables to find the meaning behind them and what they can learn. They have also been reflecting on the world and themselves. Plus they have also reviewed the event of the Pentecost and taken a closer look at it.
The 7th graders are doing a great job in their electives as well. In Spanish class, they are rapidly learning new things such as pronouns, emotions, and vocabulary. The 7th graders can now count to 1000 in Spanish. During PE, the 7th graders learn to pivot and also refine their overhand and underhand throws. They have also learned how to bear crawl and the benefits of the exercise. In Art class, the 7th graders are taught by Ms.Carter where they have learned about Wassily Kandinsky, and done a project inspired by him. Now they are finishing up on their Illuminated Manuscript, a highly decorated text used in the Middle Ages.
The 7th graders also enjoy Mindfulness and Meditation taught by Ms.Julie. In class, they learn how to be mindful and stay in the present moment. In Computers, Mr. Pineda has taught the 7th graders about online safety. He has also taught the students how to use Canvas and animate on Animaker. Lastly, Ms.Carmen and the 7th graders are preparing songs for the Winter Concert.
7th grade’s first trimester at All Souls has been a spectacular time and they are eager for the rest of the year.
By Melody Hu
Eighth Grade
For the first trimester of the 2023-2024 school year, the Eighth Graders have been working hard by showing their learning skills. For English, they have been recently learning about how to find the subordinate clauses in each sentence and independent clauses. They also have been learning about finding the subject in an inverted and natural order sentence. The thing they have been mainly learning was how to create different sentences using compound subjects and sentences. They also learned about different conjunctions like subordinating conjunctions, as well as learning the different conjunctions using an acronym called FANBOYS. In Science, the eighth graders learned how energy works, and how there are different types of energy as well. They have learned about the different forces, masses, and the effects they all have on different objects. They have been recently learning about how gravity works and how to make objects fall slower. In the next subject, math, they have been learning about exponents, PEMDAS, scientific notation, and how to multiply and divide fractions. They have been learning about these specific things because it is going to help them prepare for algebra in high school. In history, they have been learning about Europe and various explorers that have been there in past times. They have been learning about exploration throughout the Americas and the whole world as well. Besides this, they have learned about the Age of Enlightenment. In religion class, they learned about the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes, and where they came from. In reading class, the eighth graders have read short stories called “The Necklace”, and The “Monkey’s Paw”. They learned about different points of view. In Art Class, they have recently been learning about pop art, and how to draw the specific style. In addition, they have studied how to shade their drawings and negative and positive spaces. In Spanish, they have been learning about the alphabet, pronouns, family members, and how to count. In computer class, the eighth graders have learned about how to be safe online. In meditation class, they have been focusing on clearing their mind. The eighth graders had a very good year and hope to keep up the good work until they graduate from All Souls.
By Nathan Alimorong