Happy Thursday!

Today we started the day off with some fun Spirit Week house games in the gym.

After that we started our Pioneer Day! All the grade threes went back to class where we reviewed all the rules students and teachers must obey at school. Next we used slate board to complete a test in arithmetic, handwriting and even a pioneer themed spelling test. Students also enjoyed their pioneer styled lunches (I have to tip my hat to all the parents who creatively put those lunches together!). We had a chance to hear from four great presenters for our summative also today. The presentations I’ve heard so far have been interesting, insightful and very well done.

In the afternoon we split into groups and had a chance to complete four interesting activities.  The children had a chance to explore aboriginal games that honed their hand eye coordination, which is a skill necessary for hunting. Students also learned how to weave tapestry, a skill essential for pioneers. Hemming their older siblings clothes to become their own was just a fact of life. Students were also exposed to some interesting pioneer games, the favourites were the Cudgel Game and Pitch, No Smiling. The students also had a chance to make their own butter and learn discuss the process that the pioneers used to create butter. As an end to a great day we all went to the kitchen to enjoy the student’s homemade butter on some freshly baked bread.

March reading logs will be distributed tomorrow so in the meantime please just keep track of all the great reading your children have been doing at home! Sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused!

Homework: Read for 20 minutes and record in the reading log and Math review for test (which will be on March 7th), practice for your inquiry presentation (held on Friday) and Spelling test tomorrow!

Important Information: 

It is Spirit Week! Here is the breakdown of events:

March 7: St. Patrick's Day

St. Jude's Academy has recently acquired ownership of The Maples Academy. A letter about this has gone home in your child's backpack. The grade three class will be staying at school to have pioneer day and will not attend the trip to The Maples Academy on March 6th.

Math test for unit 7 test Friday, March 7^th, 2014.

Registration has now been opened up to the public.  If you have not yet returned your re-registration package for next year please do that quickly so that your child doesn't miss a spot!

St. Jude’s is starting their very first Soccer Club. Try outs are the third week of March. The team will be made up of students 10 and under.

Hot lunch order forms for April are due Mach 7^th.

March Break runs from March 10th - 21st.

We are excited to announce the commencement of our recorder program as part of the SJA Arts Curriculum for grades 1 through 6. Recorders will be used as a means to explore, practice and showcase the musicality of the students at St. Jude’s.  The recorder program will begin in Term 3, and will be a large part of the Term 3 Art assessments.

Students may choose to bring in their own recorders from home if they are already in possession of the instrument in the soprano range. Families also have the option of buying a recorder directly from St. Jude’s for $10.00.  These recorders will become the possession of the student to be used throughout Term 3 and will be taken home with them to keep at the end of the program.

We look forward to the enjoyment and education that is sure to follow this exciting musical program!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson and Ms. Barber