"In the Round"
What is going on in Room 18? (Vol. 1, Issue 3) Jan/ Feb 2017
A Note from the Desk of Mr. Clareen
Hello Everyone!
I hope this finds you well, as we settle back into our routines from the Christmas Season and begin an exciting second part of the year at St. Joseph School. For our students, they are all coming along very well, with the students working on exceptional projects or honing their writing skills in and outside of the classroom. Each and every day I am seeing academic and cognitive improvements from the students, not only during our discussions about current events, but also as it relates to the content of the classes. As you can see I like to give all students the opportunity to succeed, and with that comes various assessments throughout the remainder of the year. There will definitely be more projects and writing assignments which will only expand the students’ understanding and comprehension of the content.
I am proud to share that our school was in the spotlight, through Newsday, the weekend of January 21st with regards to our “International Space Station” program. This will continue to be discussed during the remainder of the year, through the final week of May, as we prepare to speak with the astronauts a few thousand miles above our very school. In an effort to ensure parents are aware of student progress, please have all graded assignments sent home signed and returned the next day to school. Further, as you can see I post all of my upcoming assignments on the class pages; please be sure to look out for what is coming next for your student!
The students and the teachers were enthralled in watching the Inauguration of President Trump on Friday, January 20, 2017 and look forward to reviewing new policies and pieces of legislation which will be proposed by his administration. I am proud to say that the students have really come full circle in following the election, transition, and now the beginning of a new presidency.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to always contact me. Looking forward to a productive remainder of the school year!
Best,
Mr. Clareen
P.S.- The next “In the Round” will come out in mid-March!
Extra Help!
Extra help is available to Social Studies students (Grades 5-8) during Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, and during study hall through appointment with Mr. Clareen. In order to receive this service, please have your student return the signed permission slip to Room 18.
5th Grade
In Social Studies, 5th grade has been learning about North America, past and present. We learned about the economy and geograpghy. We also learned about the importance of civic particpation; poltics and government. Also, we finished talking about Native American tribes and their cultures, way of life. Currently, we are learning about European Expliration and the reasons the exploreres travled arocess the world. All of these men contributed to the discovery and development of North and South America. Right now, we are working a project which we will presented to the rest of our class on January 31st!
Social Studies is an intresting topic class because you may learn about an event that has happened in the past where you live. You can learn something new that might intest you, so you can learn even more new facts.
-Written by 5th Grade Student, Skylar R.
6th Grade
Welcome to Mr. Clareen’s social studies 6th grade class page. Currently in our class we are learning about the Asian Indian culture. We are learning about what customs they follow and what the geography is like in India. There are the Himalayan Mountains, which protect the Indians from the north from attackers. This chapter about India is quite interesting for me to learn because of the many religions they follow.
For our class, Mr Clareen assigns us current events every day so we can expand our knowledge of present day. A great feature that I like about Social Studies is that he does not regularly give out homework like all of my other classes, which is great! For the rest of the year my class and I will be learning about various parts of the world such as China, Europe, Rome, Greece, and much more! So overall, I think this will be a fun year with our new social studies teacher, Mr. Clareen.
-Written by 6th Grade Student, Keegan C.
7th Grade
In the 7th grade social studies class, we are learning about the French and Indian War, in the mid-18th century. The British and French got into conflict because the French and British were competing for territory and resources in the Ohio River Valley. The British sent General Braddock to the colonies as commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America. He sent a letter to Ben Franklin, and he was obviously very full of himself and over confident. He was already predicting his victory at Fort Duquesne. Unfortunately, he was defeated and failed to capture Fort Duquesne in the western part of the colonies. George Washington was traveling with Braddock; however he managed to escape safely, and learned from the mistakes of his commander.
Believe it or not, these events will eventually lead to the American Revolution!
-Written by 7th Grade Student, Ralph S.
8th Grade
The students of the 8th grade have been immensely studying the great beginning of the country that we live in today. We began with the Transcontinental Railroad. The students learned how Chinese immigrants were treated as they built the railroad. They also explored the positive and negative effects that this railroad endured upon the Native Americans and citizens of America.
After the students covered this topic of the railroad intensively, we progressed to learning about entrepreneurs, such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, who helped shape America. The students studied these entrepreneurs lives’ and how they became some of the richest men in the world. The topic of steel and oil has also been a topic that we covered. The students learned how important steel and oil has been in America for hundreds of years. Now, we are currently learning about immigration and factory laws. We are learning about child labor laws and the effects on the immigrant families during this time period. I look forward to working with the rest of the 8th graders and filling our minds with a desire to want to learn more about the history of America.
-Written by 8th Grade Student, Ava S.
Open House at St. Joseph School
Open House is January 29, 2017. Come to mass at 9am, bring a friend, and stay to tour our facilities. Staff, parents, and community partners available to answer any questions you have.