Grade 5 Knightly News.

     It is hard to believe that it is already the fourth quarter.  We have continued to "Let Our Light Shine" at school and on our field trips.  The 4th and 5th graders had a great time exploring our capital city of Frankfort.    We visited the Capitol, the Governor's Mansion, Daniel Boone's Grave, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  We had a picnic lunch at the Salato Wildlife Preserve.  We toured the Old Capitol and the Kentucky History Museum.  Our tour guide from Travel America pointed out many other places of interests on our trip.  We also enjoyed our trip to the Children's Theater when we saw "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  The 5th graders paid a visit to the Passionist Sisters.  Mother Margaret Mary and the other sisters shared their video with us.  We learned how they make the hosts that are used for Holy Communion.  The sisters also answered many questions that the students asked about their vocations and their daily lives.  The children were delighted to meet Feathers, their cat.  The children sang a song for the sisters before they left.  We sent thank you cards to let the sisters know how much we enjoyed spending the afternoon with them.

     In addition to learning about the Passionist Sisters, we also have been studying about the sacrament of Holy Orders.  We will also learn about the other sacrament of service, Matrimony.  During the month of May, we will pray for the second graders as they make their First Holy Communion and for the eighth graders as they receive the sacrament of Confirmation.  We will also honor our Blessed Mother by praying decades of the rosary and by participating in May Crowning.

     The students have just finished reading The Cricket in Times Square and The Best, Bad Thing.  We have begun to read The Secret Garden.  The students look forward to it each day to see what new adventure awaits Mary Lennox, the main character.  The students have had some good discussions about the many themes in the book.  

     We have been studying the colonial period in American history.  The students have been working on powerpoint presentations about the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.  They have just completed reports about some of the famous colonists.  They also worked very hard on their colonial projects.  Some made hornbooks and primers. Others wrote journals about living in a particular colony.  Some made dioramas and displays of New England villages or Southern plantations.  One group even made a movie complete with costumes and scenes that could have happened in colonial times.  I am always amazed at the creativity and effort that the students put into their projects.

     In Math class, we just completed a unit on Geometry.  The students did very well with that.  Now we are tackling multiplication and division of fractions.  This is a good way to learn new concepts while reviewing many of the things we've already learned about fractions.  In English class, we are finishing up our study of adjectives and moving on to adverbs. We will have covered all of the eight parts of speech by the end of the year.  We are beginning a new section in Science.  We will be learning about the solar system and earth science.  The students will be bringing in their rock, mineral, and fossil collections to share.  Science really rocks!

     The children are looking forward to Olympic Day, which is our last day of school.  They always enjoy participating in the fun activities and spending time together before leaving for the summer.  It's a great way to let their light shine as they try their best in the athletic games and cooperate with one another displaying good sportsmanship and fair play.