Classroom News
Stamford, CT 06903
(203) 329-1623
School Year 2010-11
First Grade Update
It has been an exciting year in the first grade here at Holy Spirit School. The children have accomplished so much. They have grown in their reading, writing and mathematics skills. They enjoy reading new books and solving everyday math problems. They have grown in their prayer life and demonstrate each day that they are becoming closer to Jesus Christ.
We enjoyed hearing the children’s writing at a Mothers Day brunch. All our Moms and Grandmothers were invited to hear the children share excerpts from their journals. It was a wonderful celebration of their accomplishments.
As we finish off the school year we look forward to a healthy and happy summer.
Second Grade Update
What a great way to end the school year! The second graders were so busy. We learned multiplication in math class. It was so exciting. We also worked with solid shapes and fractions.
We studied the Solar System for the Science Fair. Each student was given a topic to research and write facts about what they learned. We then took the writings and mounted them on a display board. Then we each made a model of the topic we studied. We displayed the models and writings at the Science Fair in June.
We also went to the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport with the first and third grade classes. We were able to see all the animals even though it was a rainy day. We were treated to a ride on the carousel. It was so much fun and we had a great day.
We ended the year with our Author’s Tea. The parents were invited to a wonderful reading of the books each student compiled. This was a culminating activity in our writing class. Each student chose a story from the year to expand and turn into a story book. After typing the story during computer time, we illustrated the pages. This is what we shared with our parents.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy summer. We will see you in September.
Third Grade Update
May and June were busy months at Holy Spirit School. Our third graders displayed their creativity by writing original diamante poems, describing the beauty of spring. These poems, along with the students’ fabulous artwork, turned our hallway into a blooming celebration of this season.
Reading and writing skills were combined in our fable project. Students learned the characteristics of fables by reading and discussing many together in class. Students then paired up, to continue exploring fables, using several classroom books and on-line resources. On the Smart board, we played fable games where the students needed to figure out the moral of the story. The project concluded with each student becoming an author and illustrator of their own fable which they presented to the class.
During these months the third graders also participated in community building activates like planting flowers around the school and the May Crowning of Mary. We also attended a wonderful cultural program sponsored by our very active HSA. A local naturalist, Chris Evers of Animal Embassy at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, mesmerized students with an interactive animal program.
Third graders participated in The Holy Spirit Science Fair. It was truly a spectacular event in which students prepared their own special experiments. On display were projects ranging from lava lamps, mini-volcanoes, and dams, to robots, newborn chicks, and the solar system. The best part of this event was the active interest and enthusiasm of the students. They were not only excited to present their projects, but showed equal interest in learning about what other students created.
As a school, we also participated in a week long STEM project. These projects integrate the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math. These are hands–on projects designed to stimulate student creativity and critical thinking. The students had a great deal of fun using pizza boxes and other materials to come up with their own design for a solar oven. At the same time, they learned a great deal about the power of the sun and the need to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.
The last week of school, students participated in our Spring Concert. Our gym was filled with excited families and friends to watch our students march, dance, and sing to a great selection of patriotic songs. This upbeat and energetic presentation was fitting way to end our very busy and productive academic year!
Fourth Grade Update
It is hard to believe that another school year has come to an end! The fourth grade class has been having a great time at Holy Spirit School! During May, the fourth grade boys and girls went on a field trip to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT. The science/social studies programs they participated in were “I Am an Archaeologist” and “Woodland Indian Life”. The students took part in artifact discovery activities which turned them into history detectives. These activities were done in a setting that included a full size reconstruction of a Woodland Indian wigwam which recreated the life of the Native Americans who lived along the shoreline of Connecticut. By participating in hands-on activities, the students also learned how archaeologists work, the kinds of artifacts they collect, and how these artifacts are interpreted. They used communication and critical thinking skills as they worked in teams to identify Native American Indian artifacts and how they were used. Each team reported their findings to the rest of the class. Needless to say, the fourth graders had wonderful hands-on learning experiences on a field trip which was also a lot of fun!
Using our classroom SMART Board, the fourth grade students were involved in studying the weather and the atmosphere during their science classes. These lessons and activities prepared them for a visit in May by the News 12 Cablevision meteorologist, Paul Piorek. Mr. Piorek spent over an hour with the fourth grade class. The boys and girls were filmed participating in many exciting hands-on science activities. Several of the fourth grade students were chosen through games of elimination to give the weather report. Although there were some slight nerves when handed the microphone, the students looked right into the camera and gave the weather report just like seasoned professionals. The weather-related song that the boys and girls practiced was filmed to be included in the broadcast which was shown on the following evening on Channel 12 news. You can be sure that every student or weather kid (as Cablevision calls them) in the fourth grade at Holy Spirit School had a great time and we look forward to Paul Piorek’s visit to the fourth grade class next year.
The fourth grade boys and girls were very excited to congratulate three of their fellow fourth grade students who won awards in the fiction and nonfiction categories in the Annual Stamford Literary Competition sponsored by the Ferguson Library. I was very proud to attend the ceremony at the library to see my students receive their award certificates. In addition, one of our fourth grade students was a finalist in the Annual Knights of Columbus spelling bee.
The month of June was science month at Holy Spirit School. We had a wonderful Science Fair which involved all the students in the school. Some of the activities involved a robotic arm and hatching and raising chickens. The young chickens enjoyed their visit to Holy Spirit School.
Another week in June was STEM week. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Each class had their own STEM project to work on, and the fourth grade students did activities to learn what comprises a summer diet for healthy eating.
As the school year drew to a close, I think back on a year that was jam-packed with meaningful learning experiences, exciting hands-on activities and deepening the children’s Catholic faith. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the fall and the start of another great year at Holy Spirit School.
Fifth Grade Update
Our class has been very busy. In September we began researching the life and deeds of the Saints. Each student wrote a report accompanied by a poster board depicting a Saint. The fifth grade students also participated in the annual All Saints Liturgy and were joined by the fourth grade in the celebration of these blessed Saints.
As the year progresses, the students are discovering that there is a writer in each of them. When reading different genre they are learning from the writing styles of the authors. As a result the fifth graders are becoming proficient in writing personal narratives, persuasive text, and articles that compare and contrast. Through these efforts they are not only learning writing techniques, but word usage, grammar, and punctuation. Who knows, in the mist of this group of students, there may be a future Newbery Medal award winner.
In Social Studies, the students have created a timeline that began with the earliest migration to the Americas. Now, the text has taken the students to1400’s and they are now learning about the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the conquests of the Spanish explorers. They are also developing map skills, understanding terms like longitude and latitude, and pinpointing locations on the map. Next the students will read about Jamestown and learn about the colonies established by the British.
The Sixth grade readers, in fifth grade, are reading stories about different cultures and the human life experiences. One of the stories the group read was called Hot dogs and Bamboo Shoots, by Yoshiko Uchida. They learned a lot about the Japanese culture and explored different art techniques such as Origami. One of our students creates Origami objects as a hobby. She was quite happy to demonstrate and instruct the other students. At the end of the session each student was able to make a hat, a house, a dog, and a tulip. Wow! There is so much talent in our fifth grade class!
The students were so excited about this experience; they decided to share it with their other classmates. They have decided that each of them will present a brief summary of what they learned about the Japanese culture and will help instruct their classmates in the construction of an Origami object for the spring. The entire class is hoping that Spring is just around the corner.
403 Scofieldtown Road Stamford, CT 06903 P (203) 329-1623 F (203) 595-0858 Sitemap
Website by:
