It is with some degree of difficulty that I announce I will not be returning to teach at Our Lady of Victory School next year.  I have very much enjoyed the time I have spent sharing my love of God, Latin, and learning in general with your children. However, a variety of personal and professional concerns make it impossible for me to return next fall.

As my alma mater, OLV will always will have a special place in my heart, and I will continue to pray for all of the students and teachers.  May God bless you!

We Love OLV!

Between the Christmas break with its celebrations and the aftermath of the unexpected announcement from Sr. Mary Paul about the possible future of our school, I have be every bad about updating my blog.  I am sorry about that.

It has been great to see so many families and members of the OLV community rallying and working together to fund the future of our school.  Keep up the prayers, and keep spreading the word.  We still have work to do if we are going to keep OLV open for another 104 years!

All of our recycling and fundraising efforts continue.  Check the Friday Flame for details about the contests and our progress toward our Box Tops goal.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for this Friday, November 22.  Though I am happy to meet or have a phone conversation with anyone who has questions about their students' performance in Latin or Computers classes, I will be attending a technology workshop for Latin teachers.  If you feel the need to speak directly to me regarding your child's class work, please e-mail me so that we can schedule a time to speak.

Thank you!

November brings peacocks

November has Americans thinking of Thanksgiving and turkey.  The Romans did not know about turkeys, as they are a North American bird.  They did, however, enjoy peacock as a special entree for fine dining.  Our 3rd and 4th graders will be working on a "Thanksgiving peacock" and the myth about the metamorphosis the peacock underwent to gain the spots in its tail feathers.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of more wintery weather, as it will bring with Christmas and the chance to sing songs and carols in Latin!

It's almost Halloween

Just in time for Halloween and dress-up time, the pre-K and K students are learning about the clothing that the ancient Romans wore.  Some students had a chance to try on nn toga this week, and others will have an opportunity next week.

Our lessons on the Trojan horse in first and second grades has given way to the travels of Odysseus.  We are meeting many strange and wonderful creatures as we follow the route of the Odyssey.

Minimus readers are exploring the ways in which verbs change to make different meanings, and we are continuing to have fun tracking the activities of the Flavian family.

Caecilius has ventured out of his Pompeiian villa, and we are now exploring the Forum and all of the jobs and other aspects of first century Roman life.

During the week of Oct. 14 we will begin to explore a variety of new topics with in Latin.  We will build on our counting by adding colors.  Students will not only identify numbers of animals but also colors.  First and second graders will continue with the story of the Trojan War, following Odysseus and Aeneas on their respective journeys.  Aeneas will carry his customs to Italy, and his descendants, Romulus and Remus, will establish the great city we now call Rome.

Minimus followers will see grammar concepts expanding and will begin composing sentences of their own. We will also explore food and dining customs of the ancient Romans.

Our Cambridge readers will be following Caecilius and his family as they welcome a dinner guest.

Typing, typing, typing!  Students in grades 2 through 8 learned (or were reminded) how to log in to the  typing tutorial program we are utilizing.  This web-based service is free, and students can log in anywhere they have internet access.  We will utilize the program in class several times throughout the year, but I would also love to see students practicing on their own time as well.  Please encourage your child(ren) to sit up properly in their chairs and to practice proper hand position.  The tutorial program also reminds them each time they log in to work on exercises.  You can access the program at www.typingweb.com.  Please e-mail me if you have questions about usernames or passwords.

In Latin classes we have covered a variety of topics.  Children in pre-K and K learned about Pegasus and the Chimera as well as how to count to 10 in Latin.  First and second grades have begun to study Hercules and his 12 Labors, while the Flavius family and their interactions in Roman Britain continue to guide grades three and four.  Middle and Junior High students had a lot of practice this week in listening to and testing their comprehension spoken Latin.

Computers classes were quiet this week with the holiday on Monday, but Latin is roaring ahead at full steam.

Next week, look for your Pre-K and Kindergarten students to be talking about days of the week and about Hercules and his 12 labors.  First and second grade students will begin to discuss the founding of Rome and its roots in ancient Troy.  While third graders will continue to get to know the family of Flavius and their life in Roman Britain, fourth grade will explore sentence structure and the Roman household.  Fifth through eighth grades will continue exploring types of Roman housing and will focus on the roles of the pater familias and his wife.

Week one of Latin and Computers classes has come and gone.  I had a great time getting to meet the new additions to the OLV family, and the returning students seemed to pick up right where we left off last year.

All of your students should have come home and said, "Salve!" (Hello!).  If they did not, ask them what they learned in Latin class this week.

Salvete!

Welcome back to what I know will be another great year at OLV!  I hope that you enjoyed your summer.  Mine was filled with family, fun, and plenty of opportunities to attend professional conferences.  I relaxed and refreshed, but I also learned many new ways to enhance my classes and made connections with colleagues from across the country.

This year the computers classes will see the students with plenty of opportunities to sharpen their skills, and I hope to make more frequent use of the iPad lab.

Latin classes will continue studies of ancient Rome and its people, language, and traditions.  Grades 3 through 8 will notice new textbooks to introduce a more solid structure of the course work, and many grades will also have an opportunity to learn a little bit of ancient Greek.  I will also be starting a local chapter of the National Junior Classical League.  More information will come home soon.

I hope that you are as excited as I am to begin this next year of studies!

The Latin classes have spent most of April investigating the geography, art, and architecture of the Roman Empire.  The arch, columns and capitals, and the engineering feats of the aqueducts were highlights of many courses while fourth grade has begun to study the organization of the military.  Preschool students also explored mosaics, and they even made some of their own.

As the year draws to a close we will study Roman entertainment such as chariot racing and Ceres, the goddess of grain and agriculture.  We will continue to study and pray the Ave, Maria (Hail, Mary) during the month of May, devoted to the Mother of God.

Computers classes are continuing to utilize both the iPad and PC labs.  Younger students continue to learn basic skills of mouse and stylus manipulation while middle grades practice typing skills, word processing, and internet searches and browser settings.  Fifth through eighth grades have begun to explore HTML, website design, and are evaluating effective versus ineffective sites.

Earth Hour

OLV EARTH HOUR

This Saturday night, March 23 between 8:30 and 9:30, people all around the world will celebrate Earth Hour. We would like as many OLV Families as possible to take place in this SEVENTH annual event. On Saturday join millions of people around the world in making a statement about excess consumption by turning off your lights and unplugging your electronics for Earth Hour.

An OLV Earth Hour Pledge is on the back of this page. Have your family sign a pledge to help reduce greenhouse gases and reduce your impact on the Earth.

In school on Friday all classes will be participating in Earth Hour between 1:00 and 2:00 P. M. We will be turning off all unnecessary lights & electronics for this hour to show our dedication taking care of God’s creation.

What to do during Earth Hour

• Turn off all lights

• Unplug all electronics

• Light some candles

• Spend some time with the family

• Play some board games

• Read aloud a story

• Talk about how to conserve energy

• Make a recycling bin to sort and recycle your waste

 

CHECK IT OUT

http://www.earthhour.org

Earth Hour is a simple idea that quickly turned into a global phenomenon. Hundreds of millions of people around the world turn off their lights for one hour on the same night, to focus on the one thing that unites us all—our planet.

Earth Hour aims to encourage an interconnected global community to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world. There is no doubt about it: the world is facing some of the most critical environmental challenges in its history. That may make the journey to a sustainable future seem difficult to imagine, but it is far from impossible.

Change this big needs you. It needs every one of us. Together our individual actions add up to make a difference collectively. In fact, change is already underway. Earth Hour asks everyone to take personal accountability for their impact on the planet and make behavioral changes to facilitate a sustainable lifestyle. Taking the first step is as easy as turning off your lights. By switching off your lights for Earth Hour you are acknowledging and celebrating your commitment to do something more for the planet that goes beyond the hour.

 

Find Out More

Go to www.earthhour.org or http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=EarthHourPledge_2013_Individual

to get more information and to sign up to pledge your commitment.

 

The month of February had students in Latin classes learning about St. Valentinus and about Cupid and Venus.  We also studied the Latin names for parts of the body and learned many of the English words which are derived from the Latin terms.

Computers classes returned to typingweb.com for practice in typing format and continuing to train the hand and wrist muscles, and the upper grades have begun to work with Power Point and presentation software.

Wow!  I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post.  The recycling contest consumed a lot of my free time, and then I had a few family issues that took me away from school last week.

At any rate, I am happy to announce that 4th Grade won the recycling challenge by bringing in an average of over 80 pieces of waste per student.  1st Grade brought in the greatest total number of pieces, but their class is larger and had fewer items per student.  Both classes will receive a special breakfast treat to reward their efforts.

The recycling continues.  Watch the Friday Flame for details about the next set of recycling and Box Tops/Campbells Labels incentives!

In Latin classes, we have concluded our unit on the calendar and are beginning to work on classroom commands and parts of the body.

Computers classes continue with a variety of skills, including taking screen shots and typing skills.

In Computers we have spent the last couple of classes talking about the difficult but important issues of personal and internet safety.  You should have seen papers coming home with your children.  One paper has a letter from me and safety tips for parents.  The other has safety tips for kids and a pledge for safe internet usage. 

I encourage all families to discuss the safety information and to sign the pledge.  Post the pledge near the computer, and make it clear to your children that they can always come talk to you if they ever experience anything online which makes them feel sad, scared, confused, or uncomfortable.  Remind them that anything they post online or send in a text or e-mail goes out into the electronic world and can be spread to anyone anywhere.

If you wish to watch the presentations that the children have seen, follow the links below.  Netsmartzkids.org also has plenty of other activities, resources, and tips for kids and parents.

Kindergarten though 3rd grade viewed and discussed Router's Birthday Surprise

For the middle and upper grades, follow this link and download the Encourage Tweens and Teens link. 
4th though 6th grades viewed and discussed the Tweens Presentation
7th and 8th viewed and discussed the Teens Presentation

In more ways than ever before, this year I am thankful for my family and for the community of Our Lady of Victory.

The Romans didn't have turkeys, but they did have peacocks (a very expensive delicacy, in fact)!  Ask your 1st, 3rd, 5th, or 6th grader about Io, Argos, and the etiology of the peacock.

Computers this short week will consist of Thanksgiving-themed games for the younger students and continuation of Microsoft Excel for 4th through 8th grades.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy about many things

All classes are abuzz in Latin and Computers at OLV.  After a couple of weeks missed due to scheduling conflicts and illnesses, Microsoft Excel is back on the monitors of the 4th through 8th graders.  Younger students have had a chance to "dissect" a computer tower and examine its internal structure.

Latin students are learning more about the geography and history of Rome and the Roman Empire, and we are beginning to explore more aspects of daily life - including meals, housing, and mythology.

October is upon us!

In computers we continue to practice proper typing techniques, and we will delve into the world of spreadsheets via Microsoft Excel.  Pre-K and Kindergarten may enjoy additional educational games at abcya.com.

In Latin, we are examining daily life in ancient Rome, especially dress and childhood customs.  Grammar in the upper levels continues to grow as we begin to to explore present system verbs and the second declension.

Many students have expressed interest in continuing to use the educational games practiced in our computers classes.  The accounts for typing have not yet been created, but I will have those for all students very soon.

In the mean time, students can practice at www.typingweb.com without an account.  Everything works the same with the exception that results will not be saved.

Also, students in Pre-K through 3rd grade have been utilizing learning games at www.sheppardsoftware.com and have asked if they can continue at home.  The answer is a definite yes!  Please continue to practice these internet skills and the educational practices behind them (math, reading, science, reasoning, etc.).