"In the Round"
What is going on in Room 18? (Vol. 1, Issue 4) Mar/Apr 2017
A Note from the Desk of Mr. Clareen
Happy Spring!
I hope you are all excited as I am that the warmer weather and flowers are on their way! It is remarkable the difference the nicer weather has upon a school, the students and teachers are so excited and there is almost a new energy in the building. As we enter the “homestretch” of the school year, I take this time to pause and reflect on the progress we have made together as a school community. Students continue to show growth, in both the academic and social circumstances. They are taking responsibility for their assignments and are actively participating in the discussions of the classroom. From our youngest students to our “soon-to-be” alumni, great strides are being each and every day.
We have taken a brief hiatus from current events these past few weeks, as we need to continue focusing on the curriculum. I am hoping to continue our discussions again the near future, the kids are always asking when we will pick up current events again. I am glad to report that I have implemented “Current Event Fridays”, in which we read an article from Jr. Scholastic magazine. This is a great resource for students and teachers; it breaks down news articles into understandable lexile levels and asks students cognitively appropriate questions.
As well, over the past few months we have had numerous Space Days here at SJS! In group settings the students developed a constitution, or a set of rules, for the International Space Station. Further, we also compared and contrasted a 1961 speech of President Kennedy, about his ambitions to land an American on the moon by the 1970’s, and a 2016 speech of President Obama’s, about his ambitions to develop a civilization on Mars by the 2030’s. The students really enjoyed these activities and learned a great deal about exploration into space!
From our SJS Family to yours at home, I wish you and yours a very Blessed and Happy Easter season. I pray and hope you all have a restful and well deserved spring break (remember school is closed from Thursday, April 13th and re-opens on Monday, April 24th)!
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to always contact me. If you would like to schedule an individual parent-teacher conference with me, or any of the other teachers, please feel free email me at mclareen5591@stjoeronkelem.org or call the Main Office. Looking forward to a productive end of the school year!
Best,
Mr. Clareen
P.S.- The next and final “In the Round” edition will come out in Mid-June! That newsletter will be a farewell to the St. Joseph School of 2017!
Revolution Time!
Now this is what I call a WALL!
The times, they were Roaring!
5th Grade
For Social Studies in the months of February and March we’ve been learning and reading about the life in the colonies. Lesson 1 was about “New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies” and how the three colonies operated. It also talked about the geography, the region, and climate of the colonies. Lesson two was about “Daily Life in the Colonies” and what the 13 colonies produce, for example the Southern Colonies grew indigo and many more things! Also it talked about the Triangular Trade, Artisans, craftspeople, and the Colonies Society. Lesson three is about “Slavery in the Colonies” and how in the Slave Trade they had to pile hundreds of people into one boat, some of the slaves died in the middle passage. Another thing about it is the slavery in the North and South and the Fighting back Against Slavery. The last lesson which is lesson four was about “French and the Indian war” or the French and the Algonquins against the British and the Iroquois. Also in the lesson it talked about the conflict, King Philips war, and the war between the British and the French. This is what we’ve been learning in Social Studies for February and March.
-Written by 5th Grade Student, Aidan C.
6th Grade
The 6th grade class has been learning about the Chinese Empire and Ancient China in social studies class with Mr. Clareen. Our class learned about China's different religions, beliefs, dynasties, and achievements. China started to develop when people started to settle along the Hung River. China was originally under the rule of the Shang, but then a group called the Zhou overthrew the Shang. Then, while China was under the rule of the Zhou Dynasty, China entered an era of chaos and war, known as the "Warring States Period". This era in history lasted for a staggering 254 years (475 B.C.E. to 221 B.C.E.), it finally ended when the Kingdom of Qin unified China. Did you know that it was King Zheng of Qin, who later became known as the "First Emperor", that started to build the Great Wall of China?! The next dynasty, the Hans, ruled for about 400 years afterwards. Currently, the largest ethnic group in China is called the "Han". Overall, in social studies my class and I have learned so much about China and will continue our studies with the civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome.
-Written by 6th grade student, Paige M.
7th Grade
In Social Studies class we have been learning about our past presidents George Washington and John Adams. George Washington became the first president of the United States of America in 1789. Under his leadership he put the first working government into place and appointed the first attorney general to advise him on legal matters. George Washington appointed the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to oversee the judiciary and court system. George Washington laid the foundation for what the federal government should do. John Adams was the second president and was elected in 1796. Due to the bad relations between the United States and France he sent 3 diplomats to bribe France into reaching an agreement. This caused an outbreak of war fever between Federalist and Republicans in the United States. Luckily, John Adams avoided war. John Adams dealt with relations between France and United States. The Alien Act targeted immigrants because the Federalists feared the immigrants would tell them how they should rule their government. The Sedition act targeted Republicans and violated the freedom of speech. The president John Adams got powers to deport immigrants and jail people if they wrote bad about the government which was unconstitutional and outraged people.
-Written by 7th Grade Student, Emily R.
8th Grade
Over the course of a few weeks, the 8th grade class studied the unit of World War I. We intensively discussed the causes of the Great War using the acronym M.A.I.N. (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism) as a reference to guide us as we analyzed the specific causes. Beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, otherwise known as the “powder keg” of the war, we then learned how everything unfolded from there. We discovered just how different this war was compared to previous ones due to new weaponry from the Industrial Revolution, deadly diseases, and trench warfare. We then discussed why the United States declared neutrality, but soon learned the reasons as to why this country entered the war in alliance with the Allies against the Central Powers. Numerous assignments allowed the class to look at the situation of the war from the viewpoint of President Woodrow Wilson to achieve a better understanding as to why he decided to do so. Towards the conclusion of the unit, we learned how the Allies determined peace after a victorious win through the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. With the end of WWI, the 8th grade class is now currently delving into the Roaring 1920s and discovering just how the United States will evolve.
-Written by 8th Grade Student, Lauren A.