St. Benedict Eagle's Nest
SOAR ~ Safety Ownership Achievements Respect
February, 2023
Principal's Message
Catholic Schools Week proved to be a huge success, where St. Benedict Catholic School celebrated those who support and contribute to Catholic Education.
The week started with our school OPEN HOUSE. This was a great opportunity for families to visit the classrooms and see what great work is taking place in our schools.
We celebrated our COMMUNITY by providing treats to the police and fire departments of Garfield Heights and Maple Heights. This gesture was a way for St. Benedict to show their appreciation for keeping our school community safe.
We acknowledged our PRIESTS at Mass with cards and a present. We thank our priests for leading St. Benedict spiritually.
TEACHERS play an important role in the education of our students. The teachers were provided with a hearty breakfast and lunch. PTU also showed their appreciation to our teachers and staff with a generous gift card.
Pancakes with PARENTS made a comeback this year! Pancakes with parents was a way for the St. Benedict staff to show their appreciation for our parents and school families by cooking breakfast.
The week ended by celebrating our STUDENTS. Students were treated to a movie and special treats throughout the day.
St. Benedict Catholic School is also in the process of enrolling new and returning students for the 2023-2024 school year. Spaces are filling up so please turn in your tuition worksheet and registration fee soon!
God Bless!
Daycare
Having the wide range of ages in our daycare program allows us to see students learn to roll over and crawl as well as to walk and talk. We also get to be a part of the huge milestone of potty training!
In 2023, we are looking forward to seeing how much our littlest learners continue to grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Preschool
Kindergarten
Happy New Year to you and your family! It is hard to believe that we are beginning the Second Semester of the 2022-2023 school year…time sure flies when you are having fun!
KA and KB students are working hard to learn new concepts and skills using what they learned in the first semester. We continue to practice naming letters and the sounds they make, blending sounds into words, building a word wall, and even reading and writing simple sentences! In Math, we continue to practice counting by ones, twos, fives, and tens to 100. We are building a number chart to show how many days we’ve been in school! The children are learning how to solve word problems with addition and subtraction. In Religion, we continue to discuss making good choices, praying every day, and saying, “yes” to God. In Social Studies we are learning all about great leaders and leadership qualities. In Science, the children are discussing winter and all the changes this season brings to our weather, clothing, eating habits, and activities/sports. In Health, the children are learning about Healthy choices in their diet, exercise, and personal hygiene. The children continue to work on fine motor skills such as printing in proper form, coloring neatly, pasting, cutting, tying shoes, and buttoning/zipping coats.
First Grade
Happy 2023! It's hard to believe we are half way through the school year already! The First
Graders have been hard at work and are making much progress! In Religion we learned the four
weeks leading up to Christmas make up the season of Advent. We then learned about the first
Christmas focusing on Jesus's birth, how he came to be our Savior, and how much he loves us.
We are currently learning about how God made all families special, focusing on the model of the
Holy Family, the image of a caring and loving family, and how we all belong to a parish family.
We are continuing to learn about the importance of prayer and how to be the best person we
can by being kind to everyone. In Math, we have been practicing addition and subtraction with
story problems, skip counting on a number line and have been working with time and money. In
Language Arts, we have been improving our fluency and comprehension skills. We are reading
and spelling words with consonant blends and digraphs. Currently we are working on “long a”
words that end in “e". Lastly, we learned what common and proper nouns are, contractions, and are learning about verbs. We are still practicing writing sentences that begin with capital letters and end with the proper punctuation marks. In Social Studies, we have learned about then and now when we talked about Thanksgiving and will be learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In Science we are learning about the four seasons. We are looking forward to Catholic Schools Week and the memories we will continue to make together this school year!
Second Grade
It is the middle of the year and the students in second grade are still doing amazing! We are learning so many great things in our classes and we cannot wait to share them with you.
In Religion, the students are learning about the Epiphany and the 3 Kings story of the Bible.
In Language Arts, the students have spent time learning consonant digraphs, vowels and high frequency words. They have been reading some fun stories in their reading books. This week's story is a story titled Wolf! Wolf!
In Math, the students are learning how skip count and add using an open number line with two digit addends. They are grasping this concept and have been experimenting with this in our daily routine. We are studying data and how a graph can be used to represent a data set, and solved simple comparison problems by using data.
In Science, we have started our unit on Habitats and environmental changes. In this unit, we will being learning about natural hazards, ecosystems, and what animals need to survive.
In Social Studies, we are learning all about economics. This unit has been a lot of fun and interesting. Students have learned who provides services for our communities, how people use their environments, how goods are made and brought to us and will be how to be smart consumers.
Check back next quarter for an update and to see how much more we are learning!
Third Grade
The Third Grade classes began the new year thinking about the gifts that God has given them. Just as the Magi came with gifts for Baby Jesus on the feast of the Epiphany, we too can offer our gifts and talents to Jesus. So we began writing down ways we can use our skills to serve Jesus. So the lists were endless… obeying our parents, saying kind words to others, following the rules in the classroom and school, practicing longer and harder for quizzes and tests, and on and on it goes. Our third graders are always willing to improve and make changes. We are very proud of them.
In Reading and Social Studies, students are learning about the history of our country beginning with the many immigrants as they entered New York City in search of freedom and jobs. Of course we journey through the lives of the many famous people who made an important impact in the United States and throughout the world such as Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., Ruby Bridges, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and more.
Our students love a good challenge in Math. They will be taking the MAP tests soon and will be tested on the many skills that they have been working on such as Multiplication, Rounding Numbers, Story Problems, and Triple-Digit Addition and Subtraction. They will also be challenged by main ideas of stories, vocabulary, and so much more.
We haven’t had much snow so far this year, so and in-door snowball fight may be on the agenda for the end of January!
Fourth Grade
Happy New Year!
It is hard to believe that we are just about reaching the halfway point in the school year. The second quarter in 4th Grade was filled with lots of fun and lots of learning. We celebrated a Halloween Dance, the Thanksgiving Feast, and prepared for the Christmas Season.
In Math students have been working on calculating angles, and adding and subtracting fractions.
In Science students have been learning about the earth’s surface, rocks, and fossils.
In English and Reading students have been working on a unit on verbs, reading weekly short stories and identifying the themes from each corresponding story.
In Social Studies students have been learning about Ohio during the French and Indian War, and the first major cities that began in the state.
In Religion we have been focusing on the four types, the way that we show God Love. We spent time during Advent reading a daily scripture passage on our class Advent Calendar.
We are halfway to 5th Grade!
Fifth Grade
Hello 5th grade families! It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the school year. Academically the students are progressing very well. In each subject we are beginning to apply what we’ve learned so far to complete work that requires higher order thinking.
What We Are Learning
Math
If the buzzword in Math for the past few months was fractions, then the new buzzword is decimals. Students should be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide, order, and compare fractions at this point in fifth grade. We have now moved on to being able to do all that same kind of work with decimals. Students are working on coloring grids, ordering, writing decimals in standard, expanded, and word form, and then will be able to write equivalent fractions and decimals, round and problem solve. At the same time students are graphing coordinates and learning new geometric concepts. We're trying to see all the places we use math on a daily basis!
Reading/Writing
The focus for the 3rd quarter is on informational texts. While reading informational texts students will learn: the different text structures, how to identify the main idea and supporting details, summarizing, and author's point of view/purpose. In writing students have been learning how to write letters.
Social Studies
Students are finishing up learning about the Intolerable Acts. Once finished they will start learning about the causes of the Revolutionary War.
Science
We finished up our unit on space. We have moved on to ecosystems. So far the students have learned about food webs and food chains. Currently they are learning about the roles of all things biotic and abiotic in an ecosystem and how they can impact each other both positively and negatively.
Religion
Currently we are finishing up our unit on the different parts of Mass. Once we get to the last chapter in this unit we will have a big review and a test on all the different parts of Mass. Our next unit will focus on the Sacraments of Healing.
Sixth Grade
perfecting their punctuation and grammar skills as well as their
ability to write coherently through many journal entries. They
learned about literary devices and analyzed two poems "Dreams" by the
African American poet Langston Hughes and "Little Tree" by American
poet e e cummings (not an error. This poet does not capitalize.)
Sixth graders have been reviewing general English skills through Daily
Oral Language. They also have been reviewing the formation of
possessives and separate and joint possession.
In Social Studies our 6th grade students spent much of the second
quarter evaluating the various forms of Government that exist in the
world today, including Monarchy, Dictatorship, and Democracy among
others. Using this information students were asked to assess, citing
facts, which type of government that they believe to be the best, and
why they believe this to be true. Looking ahead to the third quarter,
we will learn about Ancient Egypt, and the civilizations that emerged
in the Indus River Valley.
We have finished the Physical Science Unit and are beginning to delve
into the Life Sciences. We began learning about cells and how cells
are the basic unit of life. They were amazed that human beings are
made up of more than 75 trillion cells, and that every part of our
bodies are made up of cells. We also discussed the differences between
plant, animal, and human cells.
The focus in Reading has been on applying various reading skills to an
assortment of activities and different types of literature. We have
used escape rooms to apply these skills to get through tasks. The
students have read informational texts on the history of Christmas,
real vs. artificial Christmas trees, the science behind snowflakes and
most recently they explored New Year traditions around the world.
Looking ahead we will be reading about Martin Luther King Jr.,
Valentine's Day, and more!
In religion we spent time during Advent preparing our hearts for the
birth of Christ. Students learned about the different names of Jesus
and their meanings. We talked about the meaning of the Advent wreath
and the Jesse Tree. Sixth graders are continuing to study the Old
Testament, learning about Abraham and his descendants and Moses
leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
In Math class, we finished Unit 1 and 2! Unit 1 was a long unit but fun. We learned a lot about shapes, their properties, and dimensions. Unit 2 is about ratios. Students solved problems with ratios and found equivalent ratios. During our remote days, the students did fun activities with math about different Christmas topics. The students have been reviewing fractions and completing fun activities with fractions. Unit 4, our next unit, is on dividing fractions. Students are looking forward to more fun activities and learning!
Seventh Grade
The seventh graders have participated in a number of service projects to help those in need-food drive, decorations for Senior Living Facility in North Olmsted Religion, and cards for the military. The students enjoyed helping those in need and brightening the holidays for the seniors. They are looking forward to projects in the third quarter. The students created their own Advent calendar about what Christmas means to them, they did an awesome job. They also enjoyed visiting the Chapel for monthly prayer services. The students completed different webquests to learn about saints, Mary, Christmas, and Epiphany. The webquests gives the students an opportunity to use the internet to find information about different topics and watch interesting videos. The students learned about Pope Benedict and how he influenced the Catholic Church during his lifetime. They will continue to learn about Jesus, saints, the special feast days, and Holy Days.
The focus in Reading has been on applying various reading skills to an assortment of activities and different types of literature. We have used escape rooms to apply these skills to get through tasks. The students have read informational texts on the history of Christmas, real vs. artificial Christmas trees, the science behind snowflakes and most recently they explored New Year traditions around the world. Looking ahead we will be reading about Martin Luther King Jr., Valentine's Day, and more!
In math class, the students completed a unit on circles. They were able to find the area and circumference of a circle plus solve word problems about circles. They also completed a unit on proportional relationships. They used ratios, scale factors, unit rates, and proportional relationships to solve problems. The unit also included working with fractions, decimals, and percents. The students figured out how many presents and how much it would cost
to give all the gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Surprised by how many gifts and the cost! Students are looking forward to more fun activities and learning!
Seventh grade students have been perfecting their writing skills by frequently composing responses to journal questions. In addition to improving on writing skills, they are also using their critical thinking skills to respond to these journal entries. Students are also working on grammatical and punctuation through Daily Oral Language. They are in the process of completing the short novel The Little Prince. The seventh graders also learned that the American author Henry David Thoreau was not always an excellent writer. They read an essay he wrote when he was twelve years of age about the seasons of the year. Students highlighted his many errors and responded to questions about his essay. They did not feel it was well written or deserving of a high grade.
In Social Studies our seventh graders spent much of the second quarter learning about Classical Rome and its many influences on our own society today. Rome influenced many things that affect our lives today, including our own system of government, and its various systems of checks and balances, as well as architecture, and even our calendar. Looking forward into the third quarter we will learn about the great trading civilizations that flourished in West Africa.
Students are learning about the moon. How it was first created, and what it's like compared to that of the earth and sun. They were fascinated to learn about the space race and the Cold War that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union. They are currently tracking the changes in the moon each night and recording their findings on a moon chart organizer. They will culminate this unit by carving out the eight phases of the moon, by using Oreo cookies.
Eighth Grade
Happy New Year to our students and families. May you receive God’s blessing throughout the new year.
It is difficult to believe, but the eighth graders are in the process of completing their high school applications. This is an exciting time for them as they will await their acceptances some time in February.
In English, the eighth graders have been working very hard perfecting their writing skills. They have been doing an excellent job thinking critically with their writing prompts. I can attest that they are well prepared for the rigors of high school writing. Students have completed another chapter in Thoreau’s Walden. They have learned how to answer short answer questions in sentence format. Students have also been reviewing punctuation and grammar through Daily Oral Language. We are presently beginning an introduction to the Holocaust and will be continuing with the Civil Rights Movement. Students will be reading “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau as well as “Letters from the Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will be involved with numerous writing assignments throughout this unit.
Congratulations to sixteen of our eighth graders, who will have their original poems published in Celebration of Young Poets. In English, the students needed to write an original 20 line poem expressing feelings about growing up or the feelings of a toy watching them drift away from childhood. The notification from “Poetic Power” stated: “The teachers and students of your school should feel honored as only the top 50% of the entries submitted from across the nation are invited to be published! Publishing the accepted poetry from our contest creates a record of what is important to today’s students. Without this publication, the entries that reflect the unique creativity and talent of the youth today would be lost forever.” Congratulations to the following eighth graders:
Tre’Ana Williams
A’niyah Smith
Donnell Parker
Jeremiah Kreiger
Blake Benedictis
Ti’Nija Bonner
Kortnie Church
Janiya Byrd
Kimora Wright
Sanaa Brooks
Zachary Ade
Deona Byrd-Mims
Serenity Ellis
Abigail LaGuardia
Carlee Koerner
Gabielle Avery
The focus in Reading has been on applying various reading skills to an assortment of activities and different types of literature. We have used escape rooms to apply these skills to get through tasks. The students have read informational texts on the history of Christmas, real vs. artificial Christmas trees, the science behind snowflakes and most recently they explored New Year traditions around the world. Looking ahead we will be reading about Martin Luther King Jr., Valentine's Day, and more!
In the eighth grade, the students are learning about the history of the earth and how it has changed in the past 4.5 billion years--things such as the atmosphere, climate, terrain, plants and animals. They created their own timeline, and outlined major events that have occurred in their lives, beginning with their birth. They then learned about the many different types of fossils. They will then make their own fossils by using plaster parish and various objects.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Are these just hollow words, or are they the fundamental ideals of a new nation. Our eighth graders analyzed in detail, perhaps the most significant document in human history, The Declaration of Independence. These words formalized a rebellion that would lead to the founding of our nation. We then explored how a small burgeoning nation, America, defeated the worlds largest superpower. Looking forward, now that independence has been won, we will study the development of the American Nation in our Social Studies class.
The eighth grade has started focusing on algebraic concepts. Last unit students worked on mastering how to find the slope, writing the equations of a line in slope-intercept form, and graphing a line. This unit we are reviewing how to solve multi-step equations and building
towards solving systems of equations. The eighth graders are showing great improvement in their algebraic reasoning. Additionally, students continue to practice fraction and integer operations.
Art
As we begin this new year, students are finishing up projects that required them to imitate Vicent Van Gogh, Claude monet, and Pablo Picasso. We will begin new art history adventures that include Piet Mondrian, Yayoi Kusama, and Georgia O’Keeffe among other famous artists. We will also continue our journey into our understanding of the elements of art, with special attention to color theory. In addition students will continue to refine their technical skills in the use of pencils, scissors, glue, brushes, paper, and needles/thread.
Please note that art teaches so much more than how to create. It teaches problem solving, collaboration, increases fine motor skills, and builds self esteem as students make their own choices and find answers to to complete their compositions. Please ask your student about their projects. They would love to tell you about all they have learned. And if you have the time, try creating with your child. The internet has so many resources for step by step projects. It is a wonderful way to increase all these skills at home!
Music
Physical Education
STREAM
All grade levels have been moving full STREAM ahead during our second quarter! Our two major focus areas were; stop motion movie creation and programming/coding in computer science. I have been very impressed with the students’ growth in working collaboratively with their peers!
To begin the quarter, all students in grades 2 through 8 dove deep into the history of STEM in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They learned that we have a huge connection to the parade here in Akron, Ohio thanks to the Goodyear Company. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is known for their giant balloons. Each grade level was given a different aspect of the parade to research. Students then used the engineering and design process to create their own parade designs. 2nd graders used map skills and their understanding of magnetism to create their own versions of the giant parade balloons. 3rd and 4th graders designed parade float prototypes. 5th and 6th grade researched the clowns and costumes and created parade characters. Students used stop motion to bring their characters and costumes to life. 7th and 8th graders researched “balloonicles” which are part float and part vehicle. They then created their own balloonicle prototypes and showcased their prototypes in a stop motion movie.
The second half of our quarter was focused on introducing programming and coding. All grade levels have participated in activities for “Hour of Code” and Computer Science Week, which is celebrated every December. The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code”, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.
Kindergarten through 4th grade students have been learning to code our new “BlueBot BeeBots.” They have participated in a variety of challenges and centers with the bots, that focus on problem solving skills.
5th through 8th grade participated in a variety of challenges to enhance their understanding of coding and coding skills. This included programs such as Lightbot Hour of Code, Swift Playgrounds, AppLab App creator, Koodable and ASCII text art coding.
We will continue to use our coding and programming skills as we explore more through the use of robots like Dash, Sphero and Beebot in 3rd quarter.