Good-bye from Fourth Grade,
Normally I would say “Hello”, but as this is the last 4th grade class at Saint Dunstan Catholic School, it is more appropriate to say good–bye and wish all of you the best. Thank you for supporting our school.
Oh to be a kid again! The students have big plans for the lazy, hazy days of summer:
Branden DeCamillo: I’m going to play baseball all summer and I’m going to relax, sleep in, and swim.
Christopher Hagedorn: This summer I will go to Cedar Point and I will swim at my cousin’s house. I will also relax.
Austin Howard: I am going to go look for houses.
Danilo Peric: I would like to go to Santa Cruz.
Syra Restaino: I’m looking forward to going to Cedar Point with Kelly.
Julia Sarwarski: I’m going to visit with people from Oregon and North Carolina.
Isabella Schilling: I would like to go on a cruise like I did before.
Kayla Smith: I am going Up North, to Washington D.C., and to Niagara Falls.
Kelly Solak: I will be going to Cedar Point with my Mom’s friends and their kids.
Aaron Taylor: I will be playing baseball and sleeping in.
We hope you all have a great summer too!
Mrs. Deeter and the fourth graders
Dear Students,
Go now and know that the Spirit of Jesus will be watching over you.
Go now and enjoy God’s summer gifts of warm sun, cooling waters, and long, light days.
Go now with the gift of faith, that you might see God’s hand in all your work and play.
Go now with the gift of hope, that you may know God’s guidance, which is keeping you safe.
Go now with the gift of love, that you might offer kindness and care to all you meet.
Go now with the gift of knowledge, remembering all that you have learned. With God’s help, try to live it.
Go with these words of Jesus in your hearts and minds: "I will not leave you; I am with you always."
Listen to the Whisperings of the Holy Spirit!
Enjoy the blessing of summer,
Anna Maslij
1st Grade News
As our year comes to a close I would like to thank everyone for making my first year here so enjoyable. I felt right at home very quickly. Even though it’s only been a year I will always have a special place in my heart for St. Dunstan. I have had one of the best 1st grade classes and one of my most favorite years of teaching.
We have many fun and exciting things yet to do, so as these last few weeks fly by and our year comes to an end I have to say how proud I am of all my students and for all the hard work and determination they have given this year. I know that they will continue to have many more successful years ahead of them.
Best wishes to all the students of St. Dunstan and their families,
Mrs. Kmet
Hello From Kindergarten!
Spring has finally arrived, and with it, the unpleasant task of spring cleaning. As a self-proclaimed pack rat, sorting is difficult enough for me at home. When my classroom is added to the mix, the job is a monumental one!
Digging into my bookcases, closets, and cubbies at school has unearthed twelve years of memories. Every item I pull out reminds me of all the fun and learning that has taken place over the years. I am reminded of all the children, parents, and staff members who have touched my life.
I’ve always said "I have the best job in the world." I still believe that, perhaps now more than ever! Realizing that I only have three weeks left to live, laugh, and learn with the Saint Dunstan community is heartbreaking. I, like my colleagues, am packing as much as I can into each remaining day.
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the parents, grandparents, and staff (both past and present, who have worked with me, supported me, and lifted me up when I was feeling down. You, along with the children, are the reason I love my job and have always looked forward to coming to work, each and every day!
Thank you for being my extended family, one I often spent more time with than my biological family! I will not, and would not want to forget you.
God Bless,
Ms. McCormick
Hello again from the 8th Grade!
As the school year is coming to a close, the 8th grade is working diligently to make time to fit everything into the last two months of school. As you are aware, they will be taking their class trip to Chicago on May 27-28, and have been holding numerous fundraisers for majority of the school year. With the trip less than a month away, the students (and myself included), are all very excited! While we are in Chicago, we will be making many stops at various tourist attractions, such as: The Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of Natural History, dinner and show at Medieval Times, Shedd’s Aquarium, where we will see the Wild Reef Exhibition, lunch at Ed Debevic’s, shopping on the Magnificent Mile, viewing the Sears Tower Observation Deck, and free time at Navy Pier. It is going to be a very busy, yet enriching, two days! Once we return home from Chicago, the students and I will have Friday, May 29 off of school, giving us some time to rest and regroup before their 8th grade graduation on Monday, June 1.
Speaking of graduation, it’s interesting to see how the students’ attitudes have changed since that first day of school. Back in September, they were all eager to be finished with 8th grade and ready to start high school. Now, majority of the students have come to see just how much they really are going to miss not only their classmates, but the school itself. Once they realized that they were going to be the very last 8th grade class to graduate from St. Dunstan, they have really come together as a class. Although they are a bit sad to leave behind a legacy, they look forward to a bright future. With that said, I am going to leave you with the St. Dunstan class of 2009’s motto:
"In life never stop dreaming, for in dreams, we never stop living."
Here’s to a fabulous finish to the year,
Ms. Dempsey and the 8th grade class
Greetings from 7th grade
Recently, 7th grade visited Sacred Heart Major Seminary for a Jr. High Vocations Day. It was both an educational and spiritual experience. We learned some history and toured the building. We were reminded that baptism is the source and root of our vocation. Inspiring vocation stories were shared and viewed. When asked what aspects of the vocation day were most memorable, the 7th grade students responded by saying:
"The chapel was extraordinary, and the vocation video was exciting. The story that affected me the most was when a priest ran to a car accident victim and gave him last rites. A young boy who watched it all happen later became a priest."________ Ethan Talabo
" I enjoyed all the activities during Vocations Day. I would recommend that all 7th grade students attend."_________ Brett Kates
"Father Birney shared that a high school research paper about priests helped him to know his call to the priesthood. He made Vocation Day exciting and fun."__________ Sheldon Varhol
"Although we were unable to have mass in the chapel because of a fire, mass was still special because it was at the seminary. The food was good too!"__________ Ian Taylor
Peace be with you,
7th grade and Mrs. Hayes
Hello from Miss Tarrant and the Sixth Grade!
It’s amazing to think about how far we have come since the beginning of school! Spring has sprung and our middle school-ers are as busy as ever!
Thank you so much to all who made the Science Fair another wonderful success! Each middle school student not only participated in our school science fair, but then our 6th – 8th grade entered the Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit at COBO Hall. I am so proud of each and every one of them! We had three students take first place in different categories out of more than 2,000 total entries—what an amazing achievement!!
In sixth grade religion, we have been doing a lot of talking about Easter as a time of renewal and rejoicing… and that is exactly what we have been doing! The students and I have decorated the room with all things spring and we have discussed how proud we are of our keeping our difficult Lenten promises! Even if they did not give anything up, we celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation together recently, which gave each one of them a "clean slate" like we have been talking about.
Now, the students and staff are looking forward to a wonderfully relaxing and much deserved Easter Break this week! We will resume our classes Monday, April 20th ready to finish off the school year just as strong as we began! Wishing you a very Happy Easter!
Sincerely,
Miss Tarrant and the Sixth Grade
Hello from Grade Five!!
Happy Spring! Fifth graders are excited to see spring arrive just as many of us are. It is evident that “Spring Fever” has arrived in our classroom. The warmer weather brings more “Can we go outside for recess?” every day. Although I can’t blame them after such a harsh winter.
We must however continue on with our studies even though the weather outside might be drawing us away from doing our work. Recently, the fifth graders completed their report on early explorers. They did a great job and many of them commented that they learned a lot from doing them. I asked my students to write two facts about their explorer that they found interesting. I thought I would share them with you.
Joey wrote “I did my report on Henry Hudson and I learned that in his last voyage he got caught on an iceberg, got lost at sea and died there.”
Adam wrote “My report was on Hernando Cortez and learned that he went to a university when he was 14 and he also introduced the horse to America.”
Justin wrote “One thing I learned about Chief Powhatan is that he had several wives, 20 sons and 10 daughters . One of his daughters was Pocahontas.”
Connor wrote “I learned that Christopher Columbus had four voyages and he discovered not only America but also the Bahamas.”
Owen wrote “I had John White and I learned that he was an early Virginian settler and he was the governor of the newly established Roanoke Colony.”
I hope you have learned a little history from these fine “historians” and we wish you a Happy Spring.
Mrs. Sophiea and Grade Five
Fourth Grade says Hello!
What a great third quarter we are having.
I read a couple of chapter books orally to the class this year. Our favorite book so far was called "No Talking" Andrew Clements. It is about a class of fifth graders that compete (boys against girls) to see who can talk the least for two days. Our class really wanted to try that. It lasted about 15 minutes!
In February, we participated in the Detroit Young Author’s conference by writing and illustrating our own children’s fiction stories. This fourth grade class is so creative! The results of the contest won’t be known for several weeks now, but I was so impressed with their stories that they all received an "A" from me.
It was very exciting for us to take part in "World Math Day 09". This was done on the internet in real time playing Math games against other students around the world. The goal was for students around the world to correctly answer 182,445,169 math problems in 48 hours. The goal was surpassed and 452,681,681 problems were actually answered correctly. Thank goodness for our computer lab so we could all play at the same time and help reach the goal!
We are looking forward to Easter. Alleluia!
Mrs. Deeter
Hello Again from Third Grade!
Another quarter has flown by since the last time we visited! The third marking period comes to an end right before Easter break. We have moved through two themes in our reading series! We are currently on Voyagers, in which we are finding that all our characters have one thing in common: courage.
In Science, we have moved on to life cycles and habitats. It has been really interesting finding out that organisms have special adaptations to live in their environments. Ask us about the adaptations of a red wood tree or giraffe.
Multiplication and division are our new friends in math. We are exploring how multiplication and division are opposites of each other. Since we know a good majority of our multiplication facts, we already know so many division ones!
Grammar is always a fun subject, especially now that we are studying a unit on mechanics. Proper capitalization and punctuation has been our main focus thus far.
Religion has also been very exciting in third grade. We have been exploring the Liturgical Year, and most recently taking a deeper look at the sacraments. We are preparing to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation once again next week.
God Bless!
Ms. D'Amico
Hi From Grade 2
Dear Families and Friends,
I hope this powerful Lenten season finds you feasting on joy and the positive! Each morning during this Lenten season, grade two counts the number of days of Lent, reads a daily Lenten prayer, and studies Jesus’ life during Holy Week and the Easter season.
Since the month of March is National Reading Month, we are all excited about "Blast Off Into The Reading Stratosphere!". We are focusing on reading at home which includes our reading textbooks, phonics books, library books, and science books. Also, we are asking our parents to read to us. We are striving for the school goal of reading 7500 pages!
Furthermore, God is blessing grade two, and we are looking forward to Saturday morning, May 2, 2009, when we will receive First Holy Communion together with the community’s children. We have been sharing the experience of "breaking bread" and are hungry to receive Jesus. We are preparing by singing, praying, and talking about this special event. We are looking forward to tasting and seeing that the Lord is always good! Please remember to keep us in your prayers…and you’ll be blessed, too!
In His Peace,
A. Maslij and Grade 2
Hello from Kindergarten!
The last time I wrote to you, we were in Advent, preparing for one of the most special times of year for the Church – Christmas! At this writing, we are in the middle of Lent, preparing for another special time – Easter!
The Kindergarten students are looking forward to the arrival of Easter. We learned it’s a very special day because Easter Sunday is the day Jesus conquered death. Of course, they also want baskets full of treats and a break from school. Most of all, however, the students in Kindergarten (and throughout Saint Dunstan School) are looking forward to the reinstatement of candy in the Kindergarten classroom!
Ever since Ash Wednesday, there have been no candy rewards distributed from Kindergarten, only stickers. The children are excitedly counting down the days until Easter, when candy will return to our classroom. We will be extremely happy when we return to school from Easter Break and our sweet tooth's can be satiated.
Speaking of counting, the little ones are doing very well with Math concepts! Most Kindergarten students can count forwards to 100 and backwards from 20. We can also count objects (up to 20) and write how many. The numbers "5" and "6" are the most difficult for us to write; but, we are practicing and getting progressively better!
We have met all of the Letter People, from Ms. A to Mr. R, through their books and songs. We can also identify items that begin with each letter! If you look in the hallway outside our classroom, you can see some of our alphabet work. The Kindergarten students are also now able to read the following color words: "purple, blue, white, green, red, yellow, brown, orange, black, and pink." We use these descriptive words to form sentences like "I have a big red dog." Our favorite big, red dog is, of course, Clifford. We have read many books about him in our classroom.
We love books and reading because, as we discovered at a recent assembly, "Real Heroes Read!" Mr. Lipinski found, and invited, two Michigan authors, Charles David and David Anthony, to Saint Dunstan! They were very funny and entertaining! We are looking forward to reading their book "Heroes A-Z." The stories in this book are set in Michigan and feature children as the heroes.
Spring is getting ever closer (March 20th!!) and, as you can tell, we are definitely growing in Kinder"garden!"
Love and warm wishes,
Ms. McCormick and the Kindergarteners
First Grade News,
Happy birthday Dr. Seuss! First grade celebrated his birthday on Monday, March 2. We read the story Green Eggs and Ham, and to prove we weren’t like that Sam I am, we ate green eggs and ham and we liked them.
This is a special month for first grade, not only is it "Reading Month" but by this time of year we are all capable of reading books on our own. We have started off strong with the reading challenge partly because of the great reward at the end involving throwing a pie at someone wearing his least favorite color. Can you guess who it is? Just ask a first grader and they will be happy to tell you.
We are taking a field trip to the Westland Library for the "Fabulous First Readers" program. We will tour the library, hear a story and check out books.
Last month 1st grade was the winner of the school wide "Penny Wars". All the proceeds went to the Leukemia-Lymphoma society. So we get to have a pizza lunch provided by Hungry Howie’s Pizza.
Well March is proving to be a great month with lots of fun and exciting things happening. Feel free to stop by and catch us reading, writing and learning a lot. If you enjoy reading stop by and share with us one of your favorite books from your childhood.
Our door is always open.
Mrs. Kmet
Hello again from the 8th grade!
It is hard to believe the school year is more than half over and that it is Valentine’s Day weekend! It feels like just yesterday that it was sunny and September, and the students were walking into the building, excited about conquering another school year. However, here we are, and time is flying by!
The 8th grade has continued preparing more for their Confirmation, which is Monday, March 30. A couple weeks ago they attended their Confirmation Retreat at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center in Detroit. While they were there the students were able to strengthen their faith by working in groups with the St. Dunstan Religious Education Confirmation students. Students were able to put their faith into action by performing skits that demonstrated numerous ways to show discipleship. They also reflected on the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and were asked to think about which ones were the most difficult for them to utilize. At the end of the day, the students had the opportunity to take part in Reconciliation with Father Ron (from St. Paul.)
Aside from Confirmation, the 8th grade is still working towards another exciting event this year…raising money for their class trip to Chicago, which is May 27-28. Many students raised over $50 each for their trip by selling various candles and accessories, and they will soon be selling coupon cards, which will be good for several restaurants throughout the Westland/Canton area. Feel free to contact any 8th grader if you’d be interested in purchasing one! They are $10 each and are a terrific value. Plus, the students get to keep $5 for each card that is sold! We will also begin selling Saint Dunstan car decals after masses next month, so keep that in mind. We appreciate all your support!
Not only has the 8th grade been working diligently to raise money, but so has the Student Council. On January 29, they held a talent show in the church community room, at which over 100 parents and students attended. We saw many acts, ranging from singing, to dancing, to playing the piano and telling jokes! Furthermore, through selling tickets at the door and having a bake sale, the student council raised over $200.00 to go towards the 7th and 8th grade dance that they’d like to have in the Spring. Thanks to all who attended and made it such a worthwhile event!
Lastly, keeping with the Valentine’s theme, remember:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:38-39)
Have a wonderful week, and for those of you who attend St. Dunstan-enjoy your mid-winter break this week!
Ms. Dempsey and the 8th graders
Hello, Hello from the 7th grade Fab Four
The lads have made it through another "Hard Days Night" during the 2nd card marking. Their exuberance and charm have helped them to reach the halfway mark in the school year journey. They’ve toured Germany and the Netherlands while reading about Anne Frank and the Holocaust. In America, they’ve toured Money, Mississippi and Maple Street-a typical USA town. What they’ve seen and heard has been intolerance and hatred. They say why? I say I don’t know, but there are many possibilities. However, this I know. God has called us to be instruments of peace. Following meditation and reflection, the Fab four in concert sing hymns of faith. Of course, one can tell I’m an adoring fan! In March, the Fab Four will tour Sacred Heart Seminary. This will surely be a memorable and awe-inspiring field trip.
Until next time,
Goodbye, Goodbye
Peace
Mrs. Hayes
Hello from 6th grade and the middle school Science Classes!!
It is a busy, busy time for sixth graders as well as all of the science classes! We have just finished Catholic Schools Week which was really exciting at Saint Dunstan!!
We are now getting ready for our annual Saint Dunstan School Science Fair! The students in grades 5-8 are in full gear getting their projects and experiments completed as well as putting the finishing touches on their display boards. They have all worked VERY hard and I am so proud of each and every one of them.
The Science Fair will be set up in the school and is open to the parish February 28th after the 5 PM mass through March 1st after the 8 AM 10 AM and 12 PM masses. Please feel free to come in and see our young scientists amazing work and find out who our winners will be!
As well as the Science Fair, the middle school-ers have been hard at work in the classroom. In fifth grade, they have started using microscopes to discover the wonderful microscopic world around us. They are also busy learning about all the different systems that make up the insides of animals!! In sixth grade, we are working on plate tectonics using clay models to recreate the earth’s movement. Seventh grade is exploring ocean movement and how climates are affected by the currents of the ocean. Eighth grade has just completed their K’nex amusement park with working roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, a scrambler and a pirate ship! We talked about energy and the use of simple machines that are all around us. We hope that you will join us for our science fair at the end of February! The students would love to have you there!!
Have a great week,
Miss Tarrant and the Sixth Grade
Hello and Happy New Year from Grade 5. We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and hopefully 2009 is treating you well so far.
The fifth graders have been very busy and it is hard to believe that half of the school year is behind us now! It seems like just yesterday I welcomed my students into my classroom. They were excited and a little unsure of what to expect in fifth grade. There were new challenges to face, switching classes and having four teachers, learning to remember locker combinations, remembering schedules and what books to have for morning and afternoon and remembering homework assignments. These things seemed like such huge obstacles back in the beginning of the school year but now they are a distant memory . The students have now mastered all these problems and have a new outlook on being in middle school.
As we begin a new year I though it would be interesting to see what hopes, wishes and goals my class had for the new year. I thought I would share their views with you.
"My goals for 2009 are that I make the honor roll all four quarters"
by: Justin
"My hopes for 2009 are that I get straight A’s for at least one quarter and that my baseball team wins 3 baseball tournaments"
by: Joseph
"My goals for 2009 are to get a Ipod, a new snowboard and to keep my room clean. I hope to beat my brother at Airsoft war(which will never happen) and to get better at my Ripstick"
by: Connor
"My goals for 2009 are to be captain of my hockey team for the rest of the year, to get better grades and to make a travel team in hockey "
by: Owen
"I hope for good luck everywhere and a safe trip to Cleveland in May and to make the Honor Roll."
By: Adam
We hope that whatever you wish for will come true for you in this new year.
God Bless!
Mrs. Sophiea and Grade 5
A Big Fourth Grade Hello!
Let it snow! Fourth graders love to look out the window while it is snowing, but they also miss their outdoor recess during the cold weather. While we are stuck indoors, we spend our time wisely.
This class loves to learn through fun and games. Whenever possible, we make a game out of learning by singing, chanting, drawing, experimenting, and playing games (memory games, game show type games, computer games, etc.). We are up and out of our seats quite often!
We are getting so good at multiplication facts that we have started dividing and solving algebraic equations. Writing those multiplication facts has really helped out.
We have also spent a lot of time on the writing process. We write in our composition books every week. We have written to the president-elect and written about our holiday break. We have learned the trick to good writing is to write, edit, revise, type, edit, and revise again. Then our writing might be good enough to display. If not, we go through the process again.
We are looking forward to Catholic Schools Week and all the special activities that go along with it.
Mrs. Deeter
Hello Again Saint Dunstan Community!
We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. It has been a relaxing break for us, but it is time to get back down to business! This year continues to be an exciting one. It is hard to believe that the second marking period is almost done! The children will be receiving their report cards at the end of this month. We are continuing to move forward, learning and discovering more each day.
We are now on our third unit in literature which is on Amazing Stories. Our old favorite story, Lost and Found, was replaced by a new one, Dogzilla. Dogzilla is about a huge dog that lives in a volcano, and his adventure terrifying a city of mice. He almost destroys the whole city before the mice realize they need to think like a dog to figure out what can stop him: a bath!
This quarter in Science has been a very busy one. We investigated forms of energy, how to heat matter, how light travels, electricity, as well as sound. Do you know how sound travels through your ear? Ask a third grader and they will be happy to tell you.
In Math, we returned back to our old friends, addition and subtraction. We reviewed how to add large numbers, carrying when necessary. We also looked at borrowing while subtracting. We even borrowed over two numbers!
The hungry caterpillar ate the ripe peach quickly.
Do you know how to label those words? We do! We have been learning all about nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, and adverbs. (The=article, hungry=adjective, caterpillar=noun, ate=verb, ripe=adjective, peach=noun, quickly=adverb…just in case you were wondering!)
Most importantly, we continue to grow in our faith. We are wrapping up Unit 1 in Religion. Most recently, we discovered how the Holy Spirit is our Advocate, Helper, and Guide. We discussed the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. It is important for us to remember to ask for help when those are lacking in our lives.
Wishing you a joyous new year!
Ms. D'Amico
Dear Friends,
Christmas is a time to think of the special people in our lives…family, friends, and co-workers with whom we share our lives.
We thank Father Ron, the staff, and faculty for all you do for Saint Dunstan Catholic School. Your commitment and zeal manifest God’s presence to us. Thank you for imbuing an attitude of gratitude, wonder, and reverence in our students.
We appreciate all of our parents. Your willingness to give without asking in return, your dependability and heartfelt concern, the many kind things you do and say, make your gift of time beyond compare.
Thanks for our parish! A school cannot survive without the support of the entire congregation. We thank you and wish you love and God’s blessing during this time of Christmas and always.
Thanks for our children. What a special blessing each brings to our school. On Saturday morning, December 6, 2008, the second grade children of our parish celebrated First Reconciliation. Each child placed their forgiveness heart on the Forgiveness Tree. We thank God for forgiving us! Please pray for us as we prepare to receive the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
May peace and love be yours at Christmas. May these holidays also be a time of recreation and relaxation with family and friends, so important as we prepare to face the challenges and opportunities that come again in January.
In His Peace,
A. Maslij and Grade Two
‘Twas the weeks before Christmas, when all through first grade,
Not a student was idle, not here in our grade.
The desks in our classroom all neat in their rows,
Waiting for a visit from St. Nicholas dressed in his Christmas robes.
The children are busy working hard with their studies,
Doing math, writing sentences and reading with buddies.
But remember the most important part of this season,
God’s only Son who was born for this reason.
Just ask the students they will be happy to share,
All their knowledge, compassion and care.
As we keep up with our work , adding, subtracting, and spelling,
Reading, writing and telling (about our ancestors).
We keep getting better and better just come by some day and you’ll see
How smart first graders can be.
We wish everyone and blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Mrs. Kmet and the first graders.
The black cats, pumpkins, and witches (from my last article) have been replaced by snowmen, reindeer, and Christmas trees on people’s lawns. As the holiday decorations have changed, so have my students. Two months ago I reported that the Kindergarten students didn’t even know what a line was (and you could forget about them standing in one)!
I am pleased to announce that my students have learned, grown, and changed immensely since October! For starters, we have covered the letters Aa through Kk in the alphabet and can phonetically identify words beginning with any of these letters—just ask!
In religion, we have read about: Adam and Eve, Noah, Joseph, Moses, David and Goliath, and Jonah. We are currently in the process of discovering the exciting details surrounding the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ! Not only that, but we’re finally ready to begin attending Mass with the “big” kids ~ see you next week!
As if all that wasn’t enough, in Math we can now count forwards to 50, backwards from 10, identify nine different shapes (including an octagon!), finish patterns, and write the numbers 1 through 5. In Social Studies, we: made family trees, created timelines of our lives, and are learning to vote to settle differences that arise. The most exciting vote we were able to cast was the vote for President in our school-wide election! (McCain won the Kindergarten-only election, but Obama swept the school.) Finally, in science we have explored living vs. nonliving things, creatures that come out of eggs (including our favorite, snakes!), and read about pigs and cats at length (perhaps because they’re Ms. McCormick’s favorite animals) !
Not all of our learning has occurred in the classroom, however. We went to Cherry Hill Lanes to learn how to bowl, visited the Plymouth Orchard to experience how apples are grown, sampled international cuisine at the middle—school Taste Fest, and saw how floats are made at the Parade Company in Detroit!
With everything that has taken place in Kindergarten thus far, I almost forgot to tell you about the most exciting development that has taken place over the past two months! We have mastered the art of standing in (a straight) line!
Warm Holiday Wishes,
Ms. McCormick & the Kindergartners
It is so hard to believe that we are almost 4 months into the school year; time is flying by! The 8th grade has been especially busy thus far. After much studying and preparation, the students took the high school placement test on November 15. They are all very excited about being in high school this time next year. Please keep them in your prayers!
They’ve also been working intensely on raising money for their class trip to Chicago, which is at the end of May. Just recently they worked at the vendor show here at St. Dunstan, which raised over $1,000.00 for their trip! Thanks to all who helped! They have also had bake sales and are currently in the process of putting together a candle fundraiser. A comedy club night and coupon card sale is soon to come. Moreover, Confirmation is just around the corner, so the students have been delving deeper into their faith and taking part in Christian service opportunities. Like I said, they have been busy!
As for academics, the 5th –8th grades have all been exploring new math topics and concepts. The 5th grade just finished a chapter on dividing by one-digit numbers while using estimation and zeros in the quotient. They are especially excited to solve word problems and to work on their individual white boards.
The 6th graders just finished a test on material having to do with adding and subtracting decimals. In addition to that, they explored decimal models, compared, ordered, rounded, and estimated decimals. This grade is very competitive, which keeps everyone motivated to do well!
As for 7th grade, a big part of the first quarter was learning the order of operations, (PEMDAS), which the students like to refer to as "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally." The students are very eager to learning new ideas, as we begin to enter pre-algebra concepts.
Lastly, 8th grade has been working vigorously on decimals and equations. They are beginning to focus on more specific algebraic concepts, such as solving one- and two-step equations. The work is getting more difficult as the months go on, and they are taking it head on!
We all hope that you and your families had a fulfilling Thanksgiving, and are looking forward to the Christmas season!
Peace,
Ms. Dempsey and the 8th graders
Long ago I bought a fantastic book that was both entertaining and enlightening for my twin sons. The book, Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, became one of their frequent favorites delighting them each time we read it together. The beloved story full of adventure and action became worn and held together by an assortment of tape. This was exactly the desire of the author, Richard Scarry, who was one of my children’s first “funny” teachers. This author taught me some life lessons as well.
For me, the story Cars and Trucks and Things That Go is a reminder that the ho-hum of everyday life is combined with the opportunity of seeing things in an exciting way. Animated pencils, pickles, pumpkins, apples, worms, and bugs activate the imagination and illustrate positive characteristics. The characters are portrayed working, helping, reading, playing, and joking. As the Language Arts teacher for grades 5-8, I try to keep this perspective in mind in my teaching practices. That is recognizing that all of these activities enhance active learning.
During the first quarter, we have been like a Busy, Busy Town. The seventh grade is bright, energetic, surprising (sometimes silly), and imaginative. The novels we have read examine the interconnection between differences and sameness which has led to God’s reign of the principles of peace and justice.
5th and 6th grade are hardworking and cheery. They have displayed their talents in many ways. 5th grade has studied the genre of Tall Tales, and each student has written an original super hero tall tale. 6th grade has studied literary devices and composed a sensory poem.
8th grade is speeding boisterously through the school. This is their best year ever. New learning challenges and discoveries about themselves and others are a recurring literary theme. Sometimes the challenges require digging like a bugdozer while others require greater courage to express ideas and opinions to the class community. It’s not always a smooth ride along the thinking road to meaningful learning, but the bumps in the road add excitement, action, and inspiration to the ride.
Yes, we have the SPIRIT! Saint Dunstan SPIRIT!
Mrs. Hayes
Sixth grade is an exciting and busy time for our students! We have had a wonderful first quarter and the sixth graders have done so much already.
Perhaps the most exciting thing for Saint Dunstan sixth graders is going to YMCA Storer Outdoor Education Camp for a whole week in the beginning of October. It was a truly amazing experience and the students had the time of their life! At camp, students stayed together in lodges, ate together and had their “classes” outdoors. This year some of the activities our sixth graders participated in were horseback riding, learning about predators, prey and mammals of Michigan, canoeing, learning how to survive in the wilderness by building shelters and fire and so much more! The students met children from other schools, learned to work together and depend on each other. These incredible team-building activities foster positive self-esteem, growing in spirituality, problem solving strategies and critical thinking. It is the perfect week for the beginning of a school year as the skills the students learn are applied at school and in their everyday lives.
Back in the classroom, the sixth graders exchange for all of their core academic classes-- math, language arts, social studies and science. This is their first year following the demanding schedule and they are doing an outstanding job. We are looking forward to a successful second quarter and the exciting activities ahead!
God Bless you and your families!
Ms. Tarrant and the Sixth Graders
It’s hard to believe how time can fly when you are studying about our country’s past. This is true about my 5th through 8th grade History classes. The fifth graders have been studying about the early settlers of America. We have talked about the Navajo, Hopi and the Apache tribes just to name a few. They seemed most interested in the type of homes these tribes lived in, the favorites being the Longhouses and the Teepee’s. I think these students can now appreciate the homes of today.
The sixth graders have been studying about Cultures in History. They have learned how important culture is in our lives. We have shared stories about the many different cultures that make up our country. We have also learned that culture has changed a lot over the years due in part to advances in technologies.
The seventh graders just finished their study on European countries. They especially enjoyed learning about Poland, France, Italy and Germany. They not only read about these countries but were also able to have tasty treats from these countries. We must thank Ms. Maslij for sharing information about the Ukraine and supplying us with some tasty food as well. These four countries that the student enjoyed the most will be the center of our European Taste Fest which will be held in Grades 5-8 on November 14, from 1:45-2:45. We hope everyone will be able to stop by to try some of the cuisine from Italy, France, Poland and Germany. We thank the parents of our school in advance for their help in our taste fest.
The eighth grade students have been preparing for the Presidential Election on November 4th. We held a mock election in our school on this day, but unfortunately this article was due on election day so I can’t give you the results. But please stop by the school if you would like to know. The eighth graders did have the opportunity to watch one of the debates and we had quite an interesting discussion afterwards about many of the issues. It was interesting to hear what they thought at their age. I believe these students have gained an important understanding of the problems facing our country. Who knows maybe one day these fine men and women may run for President themselves.
As the holidays approach, I wish each and everyone of you peace, love and happiness!!
God Bless!!
Mrs. Sophiea
It has been a fantastic first quarter for the fourth graders. I asked them what some of their favorite things to do at school have been so far, and I was surprised at their answers. Some of you might be too!
They enjoyed reading the story called Superfudge by Judy Blume. It is the story of a family of five and the middle child, Fudge, is always getting into mischief. Fourth graders can relate to that! Another thing this class really enjoys is using our classroom computer to practice multiplication facts and spelling words. A great website is called freerice.com and we use it mostly for vocabulary words. For every word we get correct, the website donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger. So far our class has donated more than 23,000 grains of rice! One other thing the students said they enjoy doing is a math warm-up activity using a deck of cards. They play each other in multiplication "war".
Father Ron came to visit with us recently. The children each had a question prepared that they wanted to ask him. We learned some things that we didn’t already know about him plus some things about our faith.
Lastly, our science and social studies textbooks have been enhanced by science experiments we have done and our discussions and illustrations of the core democratic values our country holds dear. We are looking forward to the upcoming election as we discuss these values.
Have a great week,
Mrs. Deeter and the Fourth Graders
Third Grade is such an exciting grade! We have already done so much. Just a few weeks ago we finished our IOWA testing. It was challenging. However, we tried our best, which is the most important thing!!
We already finished a unit in our new reading series, which was an adventure! Our favorite adventure story was "Lost and Found" by Mark Teague. In the story, three children go on a wild adventure into the depths of their school's lost and found. Our current unit is on Traditions. Just like in the last unit, we are using many different reading strategies to help us become better readers.
In Math, we have already begun Multiplication and are doing well with 0,1, 2, 5 and 10 facts.
Communities have been our main focus in Social Studies so far. We have learned what people do in communities, the three different types, and also the geography of them.
We are exploring physical science through experiments and our text book. Just this week,we had a test on force, magnets and simple machines. Can you name six machines?
Most importantly, we are growing in our faith everyday. We are trying to live each day as God would want us to, being kind and helpful. At 9:00AM Mass on Friday, Oct 31, we will be celebrating All Saint's Day. The saints of Second and Third Grades will be processing into Mass and greeting parishioners after. We would love for you to join us!!
God Bless!
Ms. D'Amico
Dear Friends,
Second grade is growing—spiritually, academically, physically, socially, and emotionally! We have begun this school year with confidence, enthusiasm, and joy! Each morning, we set up our white prayer cloth, Holy Bibles, and Religion books. It is our goal that we read through the entire Beginners Bible by the end of the school year. Since words are our friends, how appropriate to begin each morning with the Word of God…the most important words of any language.
As we read, we grow academically. In spelling, we have mastered fifty Dolch words. This year, we have acquired a new reading series which is most challenging and exciting. We are working with short and long vowels, blends and digraphs, and many comprehension skills. Every Wednesday and Friday, we have the opportunity to earn Accelerated Reader points when we test and pass the Accelerated Reader tests. Our Saint Dunstan School Library is full of wonderful books. Mrs. McGuire has worked tirelessly to make sure the library has books which are at our reading level. With the awesome connection between home, classroom, and library, we are blossoming into independent readers!
In mathematics, we are blooming into budding mathematicians. We are using a new math series and are mastering the basic addition and subtraction facts. Also, we are investigating the fact families. Finally, we are learning how to take a test and pass it!
In social studies, we have received new textbooks! We are striving to become good citizens!
It is quite evident that second grade is a year of growth and challenge! For our final declaration, we the students of grade two, humbly thank the parishioners, the parents, the Administration, and the staff of Saint Dunstan Church and School for the opportunity to attend Saint Dunstan Catholic School in Garden City, Michigan…we are the future…we will carry on the tradition of our beliefs and values…you can depend on us!
In His Peace,
Anna Maslij and Grade Two
We are off to a great start! We have fun getting to know each other and our classroom's daily routine. We are enjoying all the special classes we get to take like: Spanish, Gym, Music, Art and Computers! Some of the subjects we have worked on in class are our country's symbols, communities, home, city, state, country and our world. We have begun ADDING, and have worked on concepts like Greater than-Less than and Equal to, and Number order.
We have completed a unit on plants and did experiments with Lima Beans. We have started a unit on animals, where they live and what they need. On October 24th we will be going to Plymouth Orchards with classes K-4th and the 7th Grade buddies. On this trip we will learn about apples and we will go on a hay ride to pick an apple and a pumpkin! How exciting!!
I can't forget to mention all the great readers we have here in the First Grade! We have been reading about cats and some of the silly things they can do. We also read about pet cats and big ( WILD) cats, how they are alike and how they are different. We are so excited about reading! Stop by and see us sometime!! You will be AMAZED!!
Lastly but certainly not least, we are learning proper behavior when attending Mass each week, with the help of our 6th and 7th Grade Buddies. We enjoy listening to Father Ron and learning so much about God and how great He is and the wonderful lessons He teaches us. We are learning in class about the Holy Family, sharing God's love with others, along with many great bible stories.
God Bless!
Mrs. Kmet - First Grade Teacher
Black cats, pumpkins, witches and ghosts are beginning to pop up on lawns &peer out of windows. That's a sure sign October is here and Halloween is rapidly approaching! Halloween is a time want to be scared. They flock to tour "HAUNTED" houses and jump on "HAUNTED HAY-RIDES" for a dose of adrenaline charged fear!!
I know something that would scare even the calmest , most level headed of individuals!! You know how much trouble your child , or children can cause at home. Now imagine being sequestered for seven hours a day, in one room, with four or five times more children than you have at home!! And on top of all that, these children are not just any children, they are HIGH-ENERGY four and five your olds!! SCARY!! To me, though, it is just another day on the job that I love- teaching Kindergarten!
Every day the little ones start out not even knowing what a line is ( forget about standing in one!) They can"t read or write very well and it takes Super-Human skills to sit still and keep their hands off the other children. But, I know in my heart all of this will pass much too quickly. In the blink of an eye, they will have mastered all the skills necessary to move on to the first grade.
Each Fall, I feel heart pangs for the new First Graders, wanting my little ones back. As the year progresses, however. I grow to know and love the new group of children in my care. As the seasons change, so do my students. And I love each and every one of them as if they were my own!
Here's hoping you a happy October, a safe and "SCARY" Halloween!!
Ms. McCormick - Kindergarten Teacher