Our class patron is St. John Bosco, the patron saint of schoolchildren. He stressed a system of education based on reason, religion, and kindness. Through his inspiration, many people became saints, including St. Dominic Savio and St. Maria Mazzarello. His life was filled with works of love and miracles from God.
Here are the quizzes and tests for the upcoming week:
Monday: Science. Pages 6-9 Introducing matter. Quiz
Tuesday: Math: 18A Cumulative Review Exercise. History: Review Pages 444-447 on Civil War. Video and film quiz to follow.
Wednesday: Math: 18B Cumulative Review Test. Science: Observing & Measuring properties of Matter. Pages 10-13. Quiz
Thursday: History. Reconstruction after Civil War. Pages 448--449. Quiz. Grammar quiz over adjectives.
Friday: Ch. 31 Spelling/Reading test. Ch. 5 Religion Test. Science: Conductors & Insulators Pages 12-13. Exercise to follow.
Important Dates
Monday, April 12---Classes Resume
Monday, April 12--May 14---MAP Testing
Friday, May 14---End of 4th Quarter
Poem of the Week: "Friends" by Breanna Maino
Thought of the week: “Love endures everything, love is stronger than death, love fears nothing.” St. Faustina Kowalska
Saints of the Week:
April 12: St. Teresa of Los Andes
April 13: St. Martin I
April 14: St. Peter Gonzalez
April 15: Bl. Caesar De Bus
April 16: St. Bernadette of Lourdes * 5th Grade Super Saint!
April 17: St. Benedict Joseph Labre, mendicant.
April 18: Bl. James Oldo
The Month of April in the Catholic Church:
After our solemn commemoration of the last days and death of Our Lord we will spend the month of April celebrating. As Spring breaks forth even nature will join us as buds and blooms begin to surface and we spend this month basking in the joy of the Resurrection. We continue throughout the entire month our cry, "Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen." The Feast of Divine Mercy offers us the opportunity to begin again as though we were newly baptized. The unfathomable mercy of God is made manifest today if we but accept His most gracious offer. Easter is the feast of feasts, the unalloyed joy and gladness of all Christians. This truly is "the day that the Lord has made." From Sunday to Sunday, from year to year, the Easters of this earth will lead us to that blessed day on which Christ has promised that He will come again with glory to take us with Him into the kingdom of His Father.
The saints that we will focus on this month — those who have already shared in the rewards of the Resurrection — are St. Martin I (April 13), St. Bernadette (April 16), St. Anselm (April 21), St. George and St. Adalbert (April 23), St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (April 24), Our Lady of Good Counsel (April 26), St. Louis Mary de Montfort and St. Peter Chanel (April 28), St. Catherine of Siena (April 29) and St. Pius V (April 30).
The feast of St. Mark (April 25) falls on Sunday and are superseded the Sunday liturgy. The feasts of St. Francis of Paola (April 2), St. Isidore (April 4), St. Vincent Ferrer (April 5), St. John Baptist de la Salle (April 7) are superseded by the Holy Week and Easter Week Liturgies.
Each day, go to Franciscan Meditation of the Day to read about and view a video about the main saint of that day. The link is:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/source/saint-of-the-day/
At TCA, we believe that no person can be considered educated if they are ignorant or neglectful of their duties toward God. "For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul?" Mark 8:36 We attend Holy Mass weekly and learn about basic Catholic Doctrine, the Sacraments, the 10 Commandments, Bible History, the Holy Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet along with other Catholic beliefs and practices. We ask that parents model and encourage regular prayer, Mass attendance, and the reception of the sacraments by their children.
Our school provides solid, orthodox teaching and practice of the Catholic faith as well as rigorous coverage of all the other academic disciplines. New students that are up to the challenge are always welcome to apply at TCA.
Coursework Information:
Spelling: Each week we study 25 new spelling words as well as phonics and word attack skills in the Journeys Notebook Workbook. Please make sure your child is studying their words and properly completing the workbook pages. There is a test over the words every Friday.
Reading: A new story and vocabulary words are introduced each week along with relevant skills. We utilize comprehension drills along with ample silent reading at each student's proper level each day.Please encourage your child to read books at their reading level as often as possible at home. We have a reading test every Friday.
Religion: Each week new concepts are introduced from our series and from supplementary doctrinal sources that should be reviewed at home. In addition, we practice and test the ability to recite a growing list of prayers and relevant Catholic information. Please encourage your child to study, master, and use these prayers daily. We also practice locating and interpreting scripture passages daily. Bible reading at home is to be encouraged. Please be sure to have an official Catholic Bible in your home. There is a religion test each Friday.
Handwriting: Cursive handwriting is continued in 5th grade. We use the Zaner-Blosser Handwriting series and have quarterly contests based on the standards of the National Handwriting Contest, which we enter each year. Students are required to use cursive in all work that is a sentence or longer. Please encourage your child to practice their handwriting and to truly take pride in it.
Math: Math instruction is progressive. We have regular quizzes, so please encourage your child to regularly review their skills. Tests are given at the completion of every five (5) lessons. Mastery of the times tables through 12s should be accomplished as soon as possible if students don't already possess this ability.
English: We study grammar regularly as we work on compositions, poetry, and fluid writing. Please encourage free writing at home when time allows.
Science & History: Our class studies various topics in these subjects as well as taking notes over relevant information. Quizzes are given regularly to encourage and assess learning mastery. Encourage your student to regularly review their lessons and take additional notes from the text.
Study: Children often do not take textbooks home unless they have written work to complete. Please encourage your child to bring their books home to study the current content. Studying should be considered part of students' usual homework and not something to be done only the night before exams.
Note: Any missing homework assignments or "D" or "F" grades on tests will result in you receiving a sheet to sign in order to ensure that you are kept aware of your child's progress and academic needs. Please be sure to check your monthly calendar for important information, menus, etc. If something specific for our class is upcoming, you will receive a note via your child. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need to discuss anything regarding your son or daughter's academic progress.
We encourage love of God and Country through teaching respect for our Holy Father and all the teachings of Christ's One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as well as the high ideals of morality, freedom, patriotism, and civic responsibility that our country was founded upon.
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
The Church encourages us to be devoted to Joseph because he was a model in the heroic practice of all the virtues. The example of virtuous living that he gave in the exact fulfillment of the duties of his state of life is worthy of our reflection. Read the gospel and you will see his faith, hope and charity practiced under trying circumstances. He was prudent in caring for his wife and the child; he showed great leadership in protecting them and assisting them. He was religious in every sense, with that delicacy and sincerity of conscience that is proper to the saints of God. He was just in his dealings with God and man. He was conspicuous for his fortitude and courage. He was truly outstanding in the practice of virginal chastity. More: he protected and defended Mary's virtue in the time of courtship and all during their life together. They had made a promise of chastity, and because they were resolved to live it for God they were blessed above all others. While Mary inspired him to practice this virtue perfectly, he, as a real man, understood the profound meaning of her inspiration and how it came from a heart that was steeped in the love of God. Time and again the Church has made it clear that Joseph is not a saint for only a certain number of souls, but that he can help all men. Excepted from St. Joseph: a Theological Introduction by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D.