Dear Parents,
December is almost here--the last month of 2018! Even though we’re near the end of the year, this Sunday marks the beginning of a church season—ADVENT. Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus’ birth.
The teachers and I will be teaching the students about Advent, and how our preparations could include special acts—such as saying extra prayers, reading the bible, attending an additional Mass, giving to the school’s weekly Missions collection, or doing extra good deeds—because doing those special acts will make more room in our hearts for Jesus. Some classes are following an Advent calendar or constructing Advent wreaths, yet some classes might also be planning special service projects to help those in need. Whatever your child and your family do during Advent, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. The children have heard this at school, but continue this lesson at home. Let’s all be examples of open hearts and open minds, and know that we wouldn’t be celebrating if it wasn’t for our savior, Jesus Christ.
--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez
CHRISTMAS SHOP
St. Peter’s School will be hosting a Christmas Shop for students on December 11-12! This will be a safe Christmas shopping experience for children, right here at school. Please see the attached flyer for more details!
ST. PETER’S FOOD DRIVE
The 8th graders are leading the school in a service project of collecting dry or canned foods and cash donations for the SF Marin Food Bank to help feed the thousands of hungry families who live in the Bay Area. Last year, we collected over 1,200 pounds of food. Let’s match or beat that goal! The homeroom that collects the most donations will win a special prize.
BVCC WINTER CAMP
If you would like your child to participate in the BVCC Winter Camp, open from December 26-28 and January 2-4, you can fill out and return the registration form which was sent home. Forms are also available in the school office and in the Parish Hall with the BVCC After School Program.
UNIFORM CHECK-IN
As the weather gets colder and you bundle up your child, please ensure that he/she follows uniform policy as posted by the school office and stated in the school handbook. All undershirts, including long-sleeve undershirts, should be white. If your daughter wears tights, they should be solid black or white and extend to the ankle. Socks must be black or white. Boots may not be worn.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
We depend on parent volunteer support throughout the school year! We experienced wonderful school events—the Halloween festival, Family Movie Night, and 140th Anniversary—and those would not have been possible without our loving parent volunteers! Some upcoming events include our Christmas prayer service and reception, Family Lotería Night, and the Family Dance. If you would like to help plan future events and fundraisers, or would like to join one of our parent groups, please contact Mrs. Jimenez at sjimenez@sanpedro.org or leave your name and number at the office.
NOVEMBER STUDENTS OF THE MONTH!
Homeroom teachers identify Students of the Month at the end of each month. We celebrate these students because they have exemplified living the St. Peter’s KEYS:
Knowledge feeds GROWTH.
Every ACCOMPLISHMENT needs courage.
You are LOVE.
SERVICE UNITES.
Kinder - Alexander Quiroz Galdamez demonstrates a positive attitude towards school and is a hard-working student. He is also respectful and kind to his peers. Alexander follows the classroom rules, helps students when needed and comes in everyday with a smile on his face. Keep up the good work Alexander!
1A - Rio Rangel is an excellent example of a student who lives out St. Peter's KEYS. Rio is loving and kind to all those around her. She comes to school ready to learn and faces new challenges with an open heart and open mind. She works together with her classmates to achieve goals and help those in need.
2A - Christopher Chirino-Sandoval always tries his best and likes to challenge himself to grow. He is thoughtful, caring, and honest.
3A – Yazmin Montes is a hard worker who stays focused on her classwork, turns her homework in on time, and is very organized. She is consistently willing to help other students or her teacher. Yazmin exemplifies the St. Peter's KEYS by serving others, showing courage through her perseverance and study habits.
4A - Jaykob Offril comes to school each day ready to learn and with a smile on his face. He is a hard worker who is very diligent and inquisitive! He demonstrates persistence in every aspect of his school work and he focuses on his high-quality work as a way he can grow as a student! He treats his classmates with respect and encourages others to try their best. He believes in the "Power of Yet" and is a true bucket filler. Congratulations, Jaykob!
5A – Damaris Ceron Ramos works so hard in everything she does and lives out St. Peter's Keys every single day. She has already GROWn so much in math and reading this year. Her high scores in ST Math and RAZ Kids show how much she is able to ACCOMPLISH because of this hard work. Her LOVE for her classmates and willingness to SERVE her peers and teachers help UNITE our class. Congratulations Damaris!
6A - Alaysha Flores has been a joy to have in 6th grade and she always comes to school ready to learn. Alaysha has the KEYS to be successful in middle school and she has great intellectual curiosity, always asking questions to learn more! Alaysha is a wonderful support to her peers and her teachers and we are lucky to have her in 6th grade! Thank you Alaysha!
7A - Achella Ramirez works extremely hard and in the First Quarter was recognized as an Honors student at St. Peter School. As one of our Classroom Ambassadors, she welcomes everyone with an open mind and heart. She is a wonderful friend, classmate, and teammate. Keep up the good work, Achella!
8A - Bianca Langlois has demonstrated what it means to embrace new experiences with an open heart and open mind. She constantly tackles everything that has been thrown at her, from high school applications, Student Council duties as Vice President and serving as a tour guide for prospective families, ALL with a smile on her face. Bianca has also shown growth and curiosity in her academics by asking questions, putting forth effort and producing a final product to be proud of! Keep up the GREAT work Bianca!
8B - Amaya Hernandez continues to show that she IS Love. Her positive and generous spirit demonstrates her gratitude for all that God has given her. She shares her time to help all those who need it, from our youngest students, to her peers, and her teachers. She encourages and supports others to strengthen her community. Amaya is a shining example of our KEYS.
IN THE CLASSROOM
KINDER - Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. This week, Kinder will begin Unit 4 and explore different tools that people use to do their jobs. For instance, a baker uses a spatula, measuring cup, bowl, blender, etc. As a whole class, we will talk about the many jobs that we see in our neighborhood (mailman, police officer, fire-man, doctor). In Math, we will continue to add and subtract to find the total amount.
1A - This week in first grade we are reading, writing, and learning about how people help out in the community. In religion, we are continuing to learn about God's Creation. In math, we are completing our subtraction unit and beginning our data and graphing unit. In science, we are experimenting with how air moves objects by constructing rockets. In social studies, we are talking about the important places in our community.
2A - Students will be reading “Biblioburro” and telling time (hide your digital clocks!). We will talk about preparing for Advent season. The First Communion meeting is tonight at 5:45 in St. Peter's Church.
3A – Welcome back after Thanksgiving vacation. This week in Language Arts, 3A is beginning their first chapter book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Parents - the students will be bringing home comprehension worksheets every other night to be completed. They will be bringing the chapter book home to help recall facts. PLEASE be sure that they bring the book back each day as we will continue reading in class. During math class, we will continue our rotational model using tablets to increase our knowledge of third grade math skills and improve our STAR test scores. Also, we'll continue to study basic math facts. We have six students that have mastered the addition/subtraction facts through the 12's and are on to the multiplication facts. 3A is working hard and continuing to excel in their studies. This class believes that accomplishments need courage and they are courageous.
4A - We have an excitng week ahead in 4A! We will be focusing on the season of Advent during Religion. We will learn the importance and meanings of the different Advent symbols. We will begin to prepare our hearts for Jesus' birth. In Reading, we will focus on our book report. Students will analyze characters, discuss problems in the story, and write their own review! In Math, we will focus on larger digit multiplication leading up to two-digit by two-digit multiplication. We will also focus on multiplication word problems. In Social Studies, we will build on our knowledge of regions and discuss the early history of California. In Science, we will begin our focus on landforms.
5A - Welcome back from Thanksgiving! 5th graders will be wrapping up our study of the Mayflower and the first Thanksgiving in social studies this week. In Language Arts, students will work to distinguish between important and interesting details so we can create better summaries of what we read. In math, we're officially kicking off our study of fractions! As always, check Class Dojo for daily updates from our classroom.
6A Religion – Students will be continuing with the stories of Exodus and will be visited by Paula Pardini for Building Bridges. Language Arts – We will begin our first novel unit, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, a riveting story about a family struggling to make it through the Great Depression, as they face racism, poverty, and violence. Students will be practicing citing textual evidence as they analyze the text. Math - Students will continue to divide decimals by decimals and begin to multiply fractions. Social Studies - Students will begin preparing for an Egypt Quest: Studying Vocabulary terms and Egypt Essay Questions.
7A Religion - I hope all families enjoyed their time together during the Thanksgiving holiday. We are blessed and have lots to be thankful for. Language Arts - Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and filling Thanksgiving! Students are beginning to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. They are participating in small and whole group Reader's Theater to incorporate the element of drama. They are also taking a deeper look into the play's content with a variety of lesson extensions, starting with "Marley's Ghost." Math - Students will continue to multiply fractions and begin dividing fractions. Social Studies – Students will begin their research on a West African Civilization. Science - Welcome back students! It's time to make these last few weeks of the year count. We will wrap up our time looking at cells, cell parts, and microscopes!
8A/8B Religion – This week in religion, students will be wrapping up Unit 2 on the Eastern Church. Language Arts - Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing and delicious Thanksgiving! Students are beginning to read Night by Elie Wiesel. They are also preparing Cornell Style Notes to record the novel's content and personal observations. They are continuing their HSPT preparation with a presentation of strategies, general hints, tips and advice to ensure success in January. Math – Students will continue to solve multi-step equations and practice using the distributive property to help solve them. Social Studies – Students will be studying the main principles of the US Constitution. Science - It's time to get serious about our rocket project. This week we continue on our measurement skills and look to start building our rockets by the end of the week.
REMINDERS
Nov. 28 5:45 PM First Communion Parent Meeting in Church
Dec. 4 8:30 AM Advent Reconciliation, Grades 3-4
Dec. 5 Free Dress for No Tardies in November
Dec. 5-7 8th Grade Retreat in Occidental
Dec. 6 8:30 AM Advent Reconciliation, Grades 5-6
Dec. 7 9:30 AM School Mass – Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec. 11 8:30 AM Advent Reconciliation, 7A
Dec. 11-12 St. Peter’s Christmas Shop
Dec. 12 9:30 AM School Mass – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec. 13 8:30 AM Advent Reconciliation, 8th Grade
