The Chieftain Chatter

January/February Newsletter

Holy Family School17 N. Convent Ave. Nazareth, PA 18064www.holyfamilynazareth.com 610-759-5642

Dear Holy Family Families,

This is our monthly newsletter. You will find information about classes, important dates, and other information. The first edition was sent home hard copy. Going forward, the monthly newsletter will be on the e-news and Mrs. Bruce’s website.

Principal’s post—Mrs. Bruce

Dear Holy Family Families,

February is already upon us. As we celebrate this month, there are a few items I need to go over with you.

I will be going into classrooms this month and having intruder safety instructions and discussions with the homeroom teachers and the students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at brucec@holyfamily-edu.org.

Please remember, if your child is a car rider that there needs to be a car tag hanging from the rear view mirror. Students will not be able to be picked up without a proper car tag. If you need a replacement car tag, please let the office know and one will be issued. This procedure is for the safety of all students. Thank you for your understanding.

If your child/ren ordered a hot lunch on one of the inclement weather days, the student will be given a credit for lunch on the upcoming month.

o When taking the credit, simply state that you are taking a credit from the snow day, list the date, and deduct the amount of one lunch for each day you are claiming.

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Upcoming Events

February 17—President’s Day—--School closed

February 18----School re-opens--SubStation fundraiser Febraary 19----Spirit Wear Day

February 21-- --Sundaes with the Principal

February 25----Fiesta Day --Please make sure that you return the slip from the nurse about Fiesta Day.

February 26----Ash Wednesday--Mass—Grades K-8 at 9:00 am

March 6----Winter Wonderland Dance--6:00 pm in the HFS gym

Announcements

Don’t forget to order your tickets for the Tricky Tray. Information has been sent home. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to call the office.

Thank you.

o The cafeteria will not issue refunds. The cafeteria will issue credit for missed lunches.o The cafeteria will not automatically issue credits. If you feel you get a credit, simply claim it on the

March or April menu as described above. Any questions, feel free to contact the office or the cafeteria staff. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please see the attached letter about inclement weather and school closings or delays. We have been very fortunate this year so far.

As always, please feel free to contact me if there are any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support of Catholic education and HFS.

Blessings,

Mrs. Bruce

Classroom ConnectionsYou can read about what the children are doing in the different classes each month.

Preschool passagePreschool—Mrs. Talarico, Mrs. McMullan, Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Christ, Mrs. Herron

The children are back on their routines in the preschool classrooms. For Spanish, the full day class and 4 year old class did family projects. They loved presenting and sharing with the class. The 3 year old class had a fun day bringing their stuffed bears into preschool. They made bear necklaces that day. The 4 year old class and full day class are continuing to learn the alphabet letters and sounds. They are half way through the alphabet. February will be a fun, loving month with Valentine’s Day and a friendship theme.

Primary Focus—What’s going on in the primary grades

Kindergarten—Mrs. LipskyJanuary :

Religion: In unit 2 Family- we will discuss Mary’s role in God’s plan, learn how God the Father showed his love by sending Jesus, and the components of Holy Family. 

 Phonics- This month we will begin our guided reading groups! This is an exciting time as students will begin to apply their knowledge of letter sounds and start decoding words.  We are also currently working on AD and AG word families.

 Sight Words: me, he, she, with, for. See if your children can locate these words on things around your homes!

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 Writer’s Workshop- In writers’ workshop, we are working on creating 3 page stories using our picture dictionaries.  We are currently focusing on the skill of using “meatball” spaces to separate each word. 

February:

Kindergarten was on a mission!  Our class has set a goal to try and collect 100 cans of tomatoes to donate to our local food bank.  The kindergarteners greatly appreciated all the help they received to achieve this wonderful goal.  The kindergarteners collected 200 cans to double their goal. Thank you so much for all your help!

Religion: We are going to begin preparing for the season of Lent.

Math: Chapter 4- Numbers 1-20.

Phonics- Word families: AG, IT, OG.  Sight Words: Unit 3

First Grade—Mrs. BussmanThis month went by in the blink of an eye! As soon as we came back from Christmas

break we started to work on identifying long vowel sounds. In math, we just finished a chapter all about numbers. We are so excited because the end of January means Catholic Schools Week! We enjoyed so many fun activities, and we were so honored to have Bishop Schlert celebrate Mass with us on the last day. Since, we haven’t had any snow days yet, we had a snow day in school. We have been learning about matter in science. At the end the unit, we looked at snowflakes, worked on snowflake themed centers, and we made very tasty snowflakes. It has been a wonderful month!

Second Grade—Mrs. LiberatoreContinuing our Kindness Journey into the Second Trimester!

Second Graders have met Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and our enjoying the feeling of peace, love, and joy we have received through his forgiveness. We will carry this spirit of love and happiness into the season of his birth.

We have shared our caring and kindness with others by donating to the missions, bringing in toys for children in hospitals, donating food to the residents of the Oliver Border House, and participating in the fourth grade mission challenge.

January led us on an exciting adventure in second grade!

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We have learned through God’s creation how much He loves us. Jesus was God’s best gift to us. He has given us many gifts and asks that we take care of our gifts and share them with others.

Reading taught us that we can solve our problems through kindness in the story of sharing in “Mr. Tanen’s Tie Trouble”.

Learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has shown us that through love and peace, we can change the world and make it a better place to live!

We can’t wait to continue our journey to see where God leads us next!

Third Grade—Mrs. KocsisIn third grade, we just finished our graphing and probability.  We are learning how to recycle, reuse, and reduce thanks to Judy Moody.  In science, we are learning about the planets.  3A is just wild about learning!

Intermediate interpretations—What’s going on in the intermediate grades

Fourth Grade—Mrs. Cummings In January 4th grade worked on Geometry. Not as easy as it looks. But everyone did a great job.

In February we are working on a kindness book to be published. Stayed tuned

Fifth Grade—Mrs. ScheirerThe fifth grade class has been working very hard in 2020!In religion, the fifth graders completed an in-school project on the parts of the Mass. They are now learning about the importance of the Sacraments of Healing, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick.Both math groups are working with fractions. They are learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions and putting their answers in

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simplest form. They also enjoy working on the challenging problems of the day! The class is reading the novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The children continue to learn new vocabulary words and review critical comprehension skills as they read and discuss this novel. The children also enjoy completing daily journal writing activities. In science, the fifth graders are completing a project on weather using the website www.wunderground.com. They are also working in two groups preparing for an in-school debate on global climate change.

Middle School Messages—What’s going on in the middle School Grades

Sixth Grade Mrs. Guarino – 6AThe students’ 3D molecular models were amazing, and we learned pertinent information about each element. We are now learning about valence electrons, covalent bonding, and ionic bonding.

In math, the 6B students are solving equations by using the properties of equality. The 6G students are adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers.

We begin some of our literature stories by working cooperatively when we complete our journal entries. The students have written about their most memorable or intense encounter with nature.

The pre-algebra class is learning how to solve Let x = the number equations. These equations can be difficult at times, and the students are doing a great job. Once they complete this chapter, they will be solving and graphing inequalities.

In Fundamentals of Algebra we are using backward division to find the GCF and LCM. When this chapter is completed, they will be learning about rational and irrational numbers.

Seventh Grade—Mrs. HeavilonMrs. Heavilon (7A homeroom): 

The Chrome Books have arrived!  7th grade was trained and has been using them ever since (in English and Social Studies)!  

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7th grade Religion: We will continue to explore the Sacraments and prepare for Confirmation.  We also enjoy Matthew Kelly’s Decision Point Video series.  Recently, we learned how to pray in a way that initiates a conversation with God. 

6th and 7th grade Grammar: We are completing our study of pronouns and then explore the mechanics of writing: punctuation and capitalization. 

6th and 7th grade writing:

7th grade completed summaries on Holy Family School, and 6th grade completed limericks about Holy Family School. We then published our work for the hallway display. 

7th grade literature:  We are currently reading Daniel’s Story, a historical fiction novel about the holocaust. Our field trip this year will be to visit the Jewish/American History Museum in Philadelphia. 

Eighth Grade—Miss DeNardoThe 8th grade has been moving along in their regular religion books. They studied the four marks of the church that we pray in the Nicene Creed every Sunday. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Now they understand what these marks of the church mean. We have just started the history of the church which was started on Pentecost. They will follow the lives of Peter and Paul through their journeys found in the Acts of the Apostles.

The algebra students have been working with percent problems. These included making charts to solve mixture and investment problems. They finished up chapter 7 by learning how to solve work problems using the formula: rate times time equals work done. The pre-algebra students just finished up solving and graphing inequalities. Now they are working on perimeter and area of polygons and complex figures made with polygons.

Eighth grade has completed their study of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Their project for the second trimester was to make a poster on either the two types of weathering or on the different agents of erosion and deposition. Their posters will be hanging in the hall. Stop by and take a look during the Open House. They just started their study of tectonic plates and did a class room demonstration of seafloor spreading.

Seventh grade has been studying about heredity, genetics, and DNA. They learned about Gregor Mendel and his pea plant experiments. They have become accomplished using Punnett Squares to show the possible outcomes of different traits when they are crossed. They also modeled DNA replication using paper nucleotides to build a chain of DNA. Their second trimester project is to make a model of DNA or a poster comparing mitosis and meiosis.

The student council is excited to sponsor a father/daughter and mother/son dinner dance on Friday, March 6th. Please think about supporting this Winter Wonderland Dance.

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Extra SpecialThis section highlights the teachers who teach Special subjects, or do not have homerooms.

Social Studies Grades 5-8—Mrs. ZellerJanuary – 8th graders recently finished presenting their Google Slides projects on the Constitutional Amendments. Students were randomly assigned an amendment to research and present to their class. Now they are starting to learn about our federal government, starting with Congress. Students can play games from iCivics.org on their Chromebooks to help them learn the Bill of Rights, the lawmaking process, the Presidential election process, and the process to get cases heard in front of the Supreme Court. All of these topics help turn our 8th graders into future responsible citizens. (P.S. – Go Pablo!)

February – 7th graders are gearing up for their annual service project, Fiesta Day! Fiesta Day is a carnival-style event held in the gym on the day before Ash Wednesday. The 7th-graders learn how to run a small business and have a friendly competition to see who makes the most money. Students (guided by Mrs. Zeller and their parents) come up with their own ideas, obtain their own supplies, and set up and run their Fiesta Day booths. Most groups solicit donations from local businesses and ask to borrow items from family or friends. Students then vote to donate the money to charity. Fiesta Day is always a fun time for a great cause!

Art--Miss Soltysiak In February the fifth grade will be studying American Gothic by Grant Wood. We will talk about the history and the meaning behind this painting. American Gothic is often parodied, so we will discuss what a parody is and why they think this painting is so frequently turned into one. Students will then create their own parody of American Gothic. They will be able to reference their favorite books, shows or even athletes. First they will sketch out ideas before drawing their final copy. When the drawing is done, students will paint their parody using tempera paint.

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February Fun FactsDid you know?

February 7, 1940 - The second full-length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio,

premiered.

The Boy Scouts of America were founded on February 8, 1910.

1998 - The first female hockey game in Olympic history took place. Finland defeated Sweden 6-0.

Music—Mr. KishbauchThe Christmas show was a success. Thank you to everyone for all of the support. The students did an amazing job. I look forward to teaching the students music instruction for the rest of the school year.

Band—Mrs. VinovskisIt is never too late to sign up for band or orchestra. If the student is in grades 3-8 and is interested in playing an instrument, then have your child see Mrs. Vinovskis on Thursdays, and she will instruct the student on how to sign up for band or orchestra. All are welcome in grades 3-8. The band and orchestra will be going on a field trip on Thursday, February 20, 2020 to Miller Symphony Hall to see and hear the wonderful sounds of the symphony.

English 5 & 8/Spanish PreK-8—Mrs. Vosseller

For February: 

Spanish: Grade 6-8: Students are learning how to structure complete sentences by conjugating verbs according to the pronoun.  Grades 3-5: Students are learning about “la casa”. K-2nd grade students are learning the parts of the body.      8th Grade Literature and English students are finishing the novel Night by Elie Wiesel.  Also, students have completed the 8th Grade Author Research Project. They are presenting their 10-minute presentation on their selected author.  5th Grade English students are learning how to use prepositions.  They are expanding their understanding of sentence structures and applying it to their writing assignments.  

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Library Media/Computer—Mr. McMaster There is much to look forward to in the upcoming months. I am currently working on setting up Chromebooks for the 5th Graders so they can have 1 to 1 devices like the 6th-8th Graders now have. Students continue to enjoy the 3D printer and coding robots in the library media center. The 12 finalists for the S.T.E.M. teams have been chosen and are working hard to do their best to represent HFS at the competition in March!

Physical Ed/Health—Miss DeVivo

I am very excited to be a part of Holy Family School. I am excited to teach the children health and physical education. The first few weeks at HFS were great, as I am getting to know the children. Wacky Olympics was a lot of fun, and I think that the children had a great time. I cannot wait to work with your children the rest of this school year.

A note from the office:Thank you to all of the families who have re-enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year. If you have not re-enrolled yet, it’s not too late. Please go online and re-enroll for next school year. If there are any questions, please contact Lauri Catena, Advancement Director at catenal@holyfamily-edu.org.

Please do not forget to keep up to date with your cash cards and volunteer angel points for the school year. If you need your clearances, please contact the office, and we will send you a clearance packet. All clearances are required in order to volunteer at a school function.

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Nurse’s nook

Health NewsDuring the school year, grades K through 8th will all have a vision test done by the NASD school nurse.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is a fancy word for nearsightedness. A nearsighted person can see clearly up close, but distant objects seem blurry. Myopia is the most common eye problem of the teen years according to Dr. Harold P. Koller. The eye ball may grow too long from front to back during the growth spurt. The image converges just short of the retina making things far away seem blurry. Some symptoms that may suggest a visit to the eye doctor is needed include:

Recurrent headaches

Frequent eye rubbing

Squinting

Unexplained drop in school performance

Let us know if your child develops any of these symptoms during the school year. We would be happy to do a vision screening as needed.

Everyone knows that carrots are good for our vision, but other foods also help protect us from vision problems such cataracts, glaucoma and dry eyes. Eating foods with vitamins A,C,D,E and Zinc, as well as omega 3 fatty acids and flavonoids are great for your eyes. Not sure what foods to eat? Check out the chart below and enjoy!

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If you need to reach Mrs. Banghart, the school nurse, she can be reached 2 different ways:By phone:610-759-5642 and follow the prompts,By email:hfsnurse@holyfamily-edu.org.

Did you know? Nurses walk, on average, 4 miles a day. Walking is great exercise.