Regina Jr Sr High Newsletter
April 2023
From the Principal
We have entered Holy Week. The significance of this week can't be understated. We have spent our Lenten journey preparing for the events of this week. Please keep in mind all that Jesus has taught us as we celebrate His life, death, and resurrection. As we enter the Easter season may we make a new commitment to his teachings and living our lives as he would want us to do. What that means to me is being kind to one another, fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, and forgiving those who have erred in their ways. I believe this Prayer to Live the Gospel, Be Disciples from the USCCB speaks to that.
Loving Father,
Open our hearts to hidden realities: your love for all people,
your presence in the community, your call to justice and peace.
May the sacraments stir in us that same love for those with whom we worship
and all members of our human family.
Christ Jesus,
Help us to imitate your example: healing the sick, welcoming the stranger,
assisting the poor and vulnerable.
May the sacraments remind us of your love and self-giving, which we strive to imitate.
Holy Spirit,
Make visible to our eyes what is invisible: your call to your people,
your summons to live our faith daily as witnesses of justice and peace.
May the sacraments move us to engage in love-inspired action
that transforms us and the world.
Amen
This month's newsletter includes:
- Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron
- Financial Aid Information
- InQUIZition
- Spring Concessions Help Needed
- Department Updates
Please do not forget that we have a regular school day on April 10. This was originally a no school day, but we need to make up lost hours due to inclement weather. The early out on Friday has now put us a little more than 2 hours short of our required hours. We have yet to finalize our plan for making up these hours. That plan will be communicated to you as soon as we figure it out.
Yours in Christ,
Glenn Plummer
Upcoming Events
Our Activities Calendar can be found at https://www.rivervalleyconference.org/public/genie/628/school/9/.
Regina Spirit Days
We will have Regina Spirit days throughout the year. The dates below will be Regina Spirit Days.
Students are allowed to wear Regina Activities, Club, or other Regina clothing on these days. Bottoms can be jeans or any dress code bottom. (No sweatpants, yoga pants, or athletic shorts.)
Apr. 14, 28
May 12, 26
Monthly Adoration
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054DAFA72CA75-eucharistic
InQuizition
9. Which of the following founders of a major religious order was never ordained to the priesthood?
- St. Benedict
- St. Dominic
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
- St. Alphonsus Liguori
- St. Francis of Assisi
10. Where did Jesus change Simon's name to Peter?
- The Mount of Olives
- Caesarea Philippi
- Caesarea Maritima
- Capernaum
- Jericho
Financial Aid Information
Financial Aid (STO) and Foundation Scholarships have a deadline of April 17th at 3:00 PM. Financial aid forms (English and Spanish are available) can be found on our website at https://regina.org/financial-aid-tuition-assistance/. Please attach your federal income tax return--pages 1 and 2 (Form 1040)
Also, on our website is Foundation Scholarships for students in grade K-12. All scholarships are NOT based on financial need. Apply online for these at regina.org/foundation
If you need assistance filling out either of these forms, please contact our Business Office.
La Ayuda Financiera (STO) y las Becas de la Fundación tienen fecha límite el 17 de Abril a las 3:00 PM. Los formularios de ayuda financiera (disponibles en inglés y español) se pueden encontrar en nuestro sitio web en https://regina.org/financial-aid-tuition-assistance/. Adjunte su declaración de impuestos federales: páginas 1 y 2 (Formulario 1040)
Ademas, en nuestro sitio web hay Becas de la Fundación para estudiantes en los grados K-12. Todas las becas NO se basan en la necesidad financiera. Solicite estos en línea en regina.org/foundation.
Si necesita ayuda para completer cualquiera de estos formularios, comuníquese con nuestra oficinas de negocios o de admisiones
Regina Pops Concert- Save the Date!
Parents in Support of the Arts are happy to announce the return of the Regina Pops Concert this spring!
This is a non-graded fundraiser performance event. The theme of the event is "A Night at the Movies", and will showcase musical performances from high school students in the areas of band, orchestra, choir and the artistic work from students in a visual arts show.
General Admission is $10/adults and $5/students and includes free pie/dessert during intermission. Tables of 6 are able to be reserved for $70 and include perks such as reserved table seating on the main floor, table service of pie/dessert during intermission, sparkling cider, popcorn and chocolate treats. Tickets are available to purchase online (Click HERE) and will also be available at the door. All proceeds benefit Regina K-12 arts programs. Parking for this event will be in the back lot and admission will be through the Events Entrance.
Questions? Please contact Pops Concert Chairs - Mark Santillan at reginapisacopresident@regina.org or Sofia Livorsi at slivorsi@gmail.com.
Help Needed for Concessions
Math Club
Mondays 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Mrs. Carmichael's room (610) - 6th through 8th grade students
Wednesdays 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Mrs. Hill's room (609) - high school students
Fridays 7:30 am - 8:30 am - Mrs. Hill's room (609) - 6th through 12th grade students
There will be a High School Math League contest at West High on 1/21 (time to be determined).
Department Updates
School Counselor
On Tuesday, March 28th, Lupe Hernandez from the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) spoke with our 8th graders about success in high school. She also spoke with all 11th grade students regarding the college and career planning process. We are so thankful for the partnership with ICAN to support our students' post-secondary plans.
On Wednesday, March 29th, four Regina juniors participated in the college fair hosted by West High School, visiting with 50+ colleges.
Registration for 2023-2024 School Year
Course registration for the 2023-2024 school year is in full swing. I've been in all classrooms for grades 6-11, discussing class options and introducing them to their new PowerSchool Student Information System platform that Regina is switching to for next year.
The Regina Course Description Guide showcases all Regina courses and also other course registration procedures.
Information Sheets by grade level--a quick view of class options and reminders about requirements.
7th grade Registration Information sheet
8th grade Registration Information sheet
9th grade Registration Information sheet
10th grade Registration Information sheet
11th grade Registration Information sheet
12th grade Registration Information sheet
All registrations will be on Powerschool. Each student received their new username and password in class.
I encourage students to keep that safe somewhere so they have it for next year.
A few other things:
- Regina online registration through PowerSchool will remain open until April 14th. All finalized course selections for the '23-'24 year must be complete by then.
- Students are expected to discuss their choices with their parents/guardians.
- Set up a meeting with me if you have any questions or need any assistance to navigate all of the registration processes.
- Regina Graduation Requirements--for reference and review
- High School PE Waiver Form if needed.
- Late Arrival/Early Release form for Juniors and Seniors only
- The parent approval of courses and paying the registration fee will be sent out through the business office soon. The registration fee is $100.
Upcoming:
Virtual College Financial Aid Webinar--April 26th at 6 PM
The Iowa College Access Network is hosting an online webinar for Johnson County and surrounding area high schools, discussing the Financial Aid process for college:
The financial aid process can be daunting. From completing the application to understanding award letters, developing a plan to pay for college is one of the most important steps in the college process. This program covers: Financial Aid Process FAFSA Application Review Understanding the Results of the Application Understanding Costs - College Comparisons Aid Options. Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2Zf9heB0QB6fovfWKPziLw
English
English 7
We are finishing up our unit over The Outsiders with a Character Poster Group Project, and then we will be watching The 1983 film adaption, comparing and contrasting it with the novel.
Speech 7&8
After we finish presenting our Informative Speeches, we will be moving into Persuasive Speeches, practicing the difference between a speech of exclusively facts, and now a speech of both facts and opinions.
LA 7: Rouse
Both classes are taking their test over the Poetry Unit, and then we will be taking a look at Science Fiction and what elements and vocabulary go into the writing of the genre.
LA 7: Barnes
The students have completed their ISASP testing. Having completed the Poetry Unit as they entered ISASP, the students are excited to be working with Science Fiction and Steampunk within the Fiction genre.
ELA 8:
In ELA 8 we will soon start the book To Kill a Mockingbird. An email was sent in March about the book, please be sure to check out that email! In this novel unit, we will focus on theme, mood, tone, irony, style, foils, point-of-view, and the genres of coming-of-age and Southern gothic novels. In LA 8, we are working on revising our persuasive rough drafts and will start short research paragraphs soon. These paragraphs are associated with the nonfiction book Before Columbus. This is an edition written specifically for middle school students. We will work on using focused topic sentences and using relevant detail to support our claims. We will also work on correct comma usage, particularly in compound and complex sentences.
English 9:
We will be starting The Lord of the Flies. Students tend to enjoy this novel! We will start with a survival game and background information on why Golding wrote the novel. Additionally, we will continue our vocabulary and grammar study.
English 10:
The students have successfully completed their ISASP testing, and they are reporting positive feelings about their results. 10th grade English has begun an investigation into the Victorian Era, with a tour of poetry, short story, and drama throughout the era.
English 11:
The students in English 11 are celebrating the end of ISASP testing forever! They are now working on their final essay projects; a grown-up version of “What I Want to be When I Grow Up.” Many students are unsure of the direction that their futures will take, so they are using this project to investigate the possible careers that await them.
AP English Lang. & Comp. 11:
We just completed reading The Great Gatsby. We will use this novel as a springboard for reviewing synthesis. Also, we are continuing presenting Voice Lessons to the class as a review for diction, detail, imagery, syntax, and tone. We are moving into test prep mode soon.
English 12:
We are finishing 1984. We’ve had some really interesting discussions on the novel and it’s been very thought provoking. We have discussed modern parallels, using euphemisms, and all of the manipulation used in the novel. Following this, we will have some fun researching interesting future plans.
AP English Lit. & Comp. 12:
We are in the midst of our Poetry March Madness! We began with 32 poems and are narrowing the bracket! Our selection process in round one is based on meaning and theme. Rounds two and three will focus on the detail of the chosen poems, and finally, we analyze the remaining poems. The students seem to be enjoying this unique way of studying poetry. We will soon be focusing on major test prep.
Fine Arts
- Come support the Regina arts for an evening of musical performances by the band, choir, and orchestra; enjoy pie and desserts; and browse an art exhibition by Mr. Demory's students on April 26 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the high school gym!
- May 3rd at 7:00 PM in the high school gym will be a combined 5-8 band and 4-12 orchestra performance. Younger musicians will have the opportunity to be inspired by hearing the junior high and high schoolers perform!
- May 10th at 6:30 PM in the high school gym the 6th through 12th grade choirs will be performing a concert featuring The Wonderful World of Disney.
- May 15th at 6:30 PM in the high school band room will be a chamber music recital of elementary and junior high band and orchestra ensembles that have been specially selected and put together by the students!
Religion
Welter Via--In Mrs. Welter’s Via, we will finish the unit on Nutrition. We will culminate with a Nutrition Project presentation about a fruit or vegetable of the students choosing. Our next unit will focus on Building a Relationship with God and see what that looks like with Jesus as the Redeemer and Vocations. We will also continue doing Lent and Easter activities and the Gospel each week.
Sprengelmeyer Via – In Mrs. Sprengelmeyer’s Via, we have finished the unit on Human Sin and will be entering a new religion unit on Jesus as Redeemer soon. We are now working on an adolescent health unit on nutrition. Next week, we will discuss Holy Week and its importance in the Catholic faith as well as Easter and some of the special traditions we incorporate during Easter and the Easter Vigil.
Theology 10
Sophomore’s did a stations of the cross prayer service in the Chapel and will be doing a reflective project on each of the stations. We have just started the units on the Gospels- looking at each of the 4 in depth.
They will be taking a Holy Week assessment and the Passion of Christ timeline. We continue to journal on topics. A few projects on the horizon are: they will be taking me on a holy place trip(kind of like a travel agent), and a green screen project where they are in front of holy place and telling me about it.
Theology 11-The juniors will be looking at the transitions and challenges of Marriage. To culminate the unit on Marriage the students will interview a married couple. Then we will shift to learning about the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The students will learn about deacons, priests and bishops and understand their role in the Church. We continue to read the Gospel and will celebrate the Easter Season
Theology 12- Seniors have started the study of Catholic Social Teaching. We learned that it is grounded in Scripture. As a class they have read parts of five different encyclicals, Rerum Novarum, Caritas en Veritate, Pacem en Terris, Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti. They have also started rehearsing for the upcoming Stations of the Cross Prayer Service in Friday, April 7th at 11:00am.
Science
7th grade science - Mrs. Coffin
The 7th grade science students are well into the Physical Science unit on Force and Motion. We have collected Zombie data and learned that graphs tell us stories about movement and speed. We made our own graphs telling the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. We are currently working on balanced and unbalanced forces and next week will begin our work with understanding the force of friction.
8th Grade Science - Mrs. Goldsmith
Students in 8th grade science have just finished their studies of the Nervous and Endocrine Systems and are moving on to Reproductive Systems and Pregnancy, Growth, & Development. There’s so much to learn about the human body and students have been doing a great job participating in class discussions and asking questions. After we complete our Life Science portion of the year, we will move on to our final Earth and Space Science topics, which also involves some physics - Waves, Sound & Light, The Universe, Solar System, Earth, and Weather. It’s a great time of year to study things that allow us to go outside!
Earth & Space Science - Mrs. Coffin
The Earth Science students are drawing their final blueprint of the earthquake resistant homes. Next week will be dedicated to construction, using materials the students “purchase” with points earned during the unit. The trial day will be on April 10. After the Earthquake Unit, we will begin a unit on Biogeochemical Cycles and how humans have influenced these cycles
Biology - Mr. Evans (Updated by Mrs. Coffin)
Students have been introduced to the classification system of living things. Before spring break, the students took their unit test over the characteristics common to all living things. Students are currently learning about Kingdom Protista and completing a poster project showing the animal-like, plant-like, and fungus-like protists. These will be presented next week. The next unit will be Kingdom Fungi.
Chemistry - Mrs. Goldsmith
Chemistry kids are in the midst of their stoichiometry unit, where they are learning how to use chemical equations to determine quantitative values for reactants and products in chemical reactions. To learn about limiting reactants, students did a S”Mores lab, which was deliciously fun and educational. Next we will be doing a Salt Lab, which is not quite as delicious, but students will be taking a small taste of the salt they make to see if they did it correctly. After stoichiometry, we will move on to Solutions and then Acids and Bases.
Anatomy & Physiology - Mr. Evans (Updated by Mrs. Goldsmith)
Students are currently learning about the Nervous System. The lab for this unit will include dissection of a sheep’s brain. Students might also get to examine a horse’s brain, which is significantly larger than the brain of a sheep. The second part of the nervous system unit will involve learning about how the five senses work in coordination with the nervous system. So many fun options for activities to do in that unit!
AP Biology - Mr. Evans and Mrs. Reilly (Updated by Mrs. Goldsmith)
The AP Biology Exam will be at noon on Wednesday, May 10. Students are well on track to being fully prepared for test day. In the last month, students have covered DNA, Gene Regulation, Viruses, and Genetics--big topics! Labs have been utilized to help reinforce the concepts they have been learning. In the “Complement Your Sweet With a Treat” labs, students applied the rules of base pairing to construct a model of DNA and illustrated DNA replication. Thank you to veteran AP Biology teacher, Mrs. Reilly, for assisting Mr. Evans and providing students with your expert knowledge and guidance in this area for the remainder of the year!
Principles of Biomedical Science - Mr. Evans (update by Mrs. Goldsmith)
The Biomed students are currently working through Case 2.3.1 involving a pregnant woman who came into the clinic with stomach pains and subsequently delivered a baby. Students are examining the baby to determine what condition the baby suffers from and then providing a care plan for both the baby and the mother.
Physics - Mrs. Goldsmith
Physics students are studying Waves, Sound, and Light. We are surrounded by them at all times, but often don’t really think about what they are and how they work. There will be activities where we investigate both waves, sound, and light more--refraction glasses to see the various wavelengths that make up different colors of light, listening to see how our range of hearing compares at different frequencies, optical illusions, etc. After our waves, sound light unit, students will move on to Electricity!
Social Studies
Osweiler Classes
Government: Students finished learning about the executive branch of government. Students will now be focused on the judicial branch for the month of April. After this students will learn about politics and their role in government/politics.
World History: Students are learning about the Industrial Revolution and Imperialism. They are discovering the positives and negatives of these events and how they still affect the world today. The next step on the World History Timeline will be the causes/effects of World War I, the interwar period the 20s/30s, and the causes/effects of World War II.
AP World: Students are learning about the Cold War and the Decolonization of European colonies. Students will finish up the year learning about globalization and the effects it has on the world today. Students are also reviewing for the upcoming AP Exam on May 11th
AP Government: Students are learning about the difference between government and politics. The next few weeks will be devoted to political ideologies and beliefs. Students are also reviewing for the upcoming AP Exam on May 1st.
Moeller Class
Economics: Students are quickly making their way through the world of economics. With senior trip fast approaching we will adapt a little while half the class is gone. Students are just finishing their Supply and Demand Unit, a key to understanding economics. We will then move into our unit on market structures ( Monopolies, oligopolies, perfect competition and monopolistic competition) as well as business structures (sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations). This next unit will move fairly quickly, especially for the seniors who will miss a week of class.
Wallace Classes:
AP US History: With a little under 20 class days left to the AP US History exam (May 5th), we are busy finishing up Period 7 with our study of The Great Depression, New Deal, and WWII. The students will then have a timed-DBQ essay for their Period 7 assessment on Wednesday, April 5th. Afterwards, we will finish up Periods 8 &9 in order to begin our review around April 21st. I am planning to have an optional practice exam on Saturday, April 22nd from 8-11 am for any interested students! We are almost there…so keep up the hard work!
7th Grade Global Studies: This week, the 7th grade students finished up their unit over the global issue of refugees by listening to the remaining chapters of the audiobook Refugee by Alan Gratz. The students listened to the story of Mahmoud who was based upon the accounts of Syrian refugees from around 2015-2017. We have also started our Junior Achievement Global Marketplace unit being lead by three Junior Achievement volunteers including our very own Regina parent Mark Koch. We are so very grateful to our volunteers for being able to provide these financial lessons to our students so thank you!
Kahler 8th History:
The History class will finish up their last biography of the year in April, they have done a nice job on these.
We did an Oregon Trail unit, the students did a pack your wagon assignments, and read a short book about the trail. We are going to do a journal DBQ on the gold rush in 1849. They will start lessons on the pre Civil War issues and the causes for the war. An always fun assignment; each student will select 3 events they would like to have witnessed in person and describe the event and why they want to witness it. It is amazing we only have two months left, the year has gone by quickly.
Pohren Classes
AP Psychology:
Students have finished their exams on Unit 7 - Developmental Psychology. They are currently working on the materials covered in Unit 8 - Clinical Psychology and Uint 9 - Social Psychology. Their will be an exam next Tuesday, April 4 on both units. Then the students will begin reviewing the last seven class periods getting ready for the AP Exam Tuesday, May 2 at Noon.
Psychology
The students are preparing group presentations on Module 11 - Prenatal and Childhood Development and Module 12 - Adulthood. The presentations will be finished next week and present to the class the week of
April 10.
U.S. History:
The students have finished playing Trivial Pursuit and will begin working on materials and information about World War II. Next Thursday, April 6, Staff Seargent Harmes will be coming from the Iowa National Guard and discuss the History of the Guard, the role the Guard played in WWII, military weaponry, and answers questions the students have.
Sociology:
The students are working on information and material from the textbook pertaining to Socialization. The class will be finishing up questions this week from the text, reviewing vocabulary for the chapter, and taking a couple small quizzes next week.
Spanish
Spanish I:
Students are studying the verb 'Jugar' to talk about sports; They are studying the verb "saber" to talk about various things they know and the verb"conocer" to talk about
various people and places they know.
Students are also studying the Parts of the human body to talk about what hurts using
the verb "doler." Me duele . . . / Me duelen . . . and ways to stay healthy.
Students are also studying the preterite tense of -AR Verbs to discuss what they did
during a vacation time or last weekend. Etc.
Spanish II
Students are creating complete sentences in Spanish using impersonal expressions to
tell others what to do or to make suggestions politely with verbs in the subjunctive
mood. Students are also learning the future tense of regular and irregular verbs to
discuss their future professions and life plans. Students are speaking espanol en clase and they are making progress in their Spanish
learning journey!
Spanish 3
As we near the end of the school year, we have started an all-review on the side. We
are finishing March with an oral presentation using the future and conditional tenses and
vocabulary on obligations and responsibilities as a community. By the end of the first
week in April we will start our last unit of the Program of studies for Span 3. After this
unit, I will review/re-teach other important items students need to have mastered by the end
of level 3. We will also concentrate in more writing, reading, and speaking skills.
Spanish 4
In Spanish 4 we are ending unit 7.1 with an oral presentation putting into practice 8
different verb tenses. We will start 7.2 lesson that talks about career possibilities, skills,
interests, and values. We will continue with the subjunctive mood used with other
tenses. Students will also do a literary reading called “El Esqueleto de Visita”. By the
end of April, we will continue reviewing material learned in all 4 levels.
Regina Junior Senior High School
Email: glenn.plummer@regina.org
Website: www.regina.org
Location: 2150 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City, IA, United States
Phone: (319)-338-5436