February 2024

         

 

Welcome to February in 3L! We kicked off the month with a bit of a cold start, but it is nice and toasty as we get ready to kick off the month with some exciting new stories in our reading books, a fun chapter in Math, and an exciting new chapter on the Early Explorers in Social Studies. Plus, we are discovering new ways to connect with God in our fifteenth(!) chapter in Religion. It is hard to believe that we are approaching the 100th day of school this month and almost half way through the third marking period. Time certainly does fly when you are having fun! 

         In Religion, we start off the month with a chapter on the Seven Sacraments and how they help us understand our call to Holines. We are exploring how we, through our Baptism, are called to serve God and fulfill Jesus' mission of peace and service. We are also learning more fully the Rites of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) are the welcoming sacraments, and how the Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony are ways we can serve God through serving others. We are discovering also how our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls can be healed through the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Penance and Reconciliation  as it shows us how special each one of us is in God's eyes, and how He is always there to forgive us. . 

        We are fast approaching the last leg of multiplication and division (well, at least for the time being) in Math and we are starting a fun unit on Charts and Graphs. A personal favorite, we will be learning how to build bar and pie charts, pictographs and tally sheets line plots and graphs,  and compile data. Later on this month, we will dive into probability and predictions. Fun to think about and fun to learn! 

              In Reading, we continue our study of Historical Fiction. As a tie in to Black History Month, we are reading Grandaddy's Turn: A Trip to the Ballot Box, as we see that reality that in our recent history, all men were not treated equal. Next will be a favorite author (Laura Ingalls Wilder), and find out the difference between Historical Fiction and Biography as we visit the Little House on the Prairie and the Shores of Silver Lake, discovering the promise and the power of the American Hero. Our Essential Question: How do challenges turn ordinary people into heroes? We will see how two ordinary girls are put into extraordinary situations and how they grow and learn in both. 

                Language Arts brings us a full month of new sounds, words and conventions. we are starting the month learning about abbreviations. Why do some have periods in between the letters? Why are some without periods? What do these abbreviations stand for? Can some stand for more than one thing? Puzzling questions. Our focus is still on subject-verb agreement, but using the "to be" verb as the verb. We will also be tackling the suffixes -ful, -y, and -ness. We will continue to grow our writing skills on journal entries and even start a paper on who our own personal hero/inspiration is.

         Lastly, Social Studies brings us to Chapter Three, an exciting chapter as we learn about the indigenous peoples of North America, and the early explorers to our country and continent. The children have been eagerly awaiting this chapter, as they each have a personal favorite explorer. A fascinating read for sure! 

              Much like we will celebrate the end of Catholic Schools Week at the beginning of February, we will celebrate mid-month with Ash Wednesday and Stations of the Cross to begin our Lenten Journey on February 14 (yes, Valentine's Day). It is a short month, but as the days get longer and just a little warmer, we are reminded of God's love embracing us in the sunlight. My blessings to you and yours as you begin this ever so holy and prayerful season. Know that I feel so very humbled to guide your children through this reverent season, and I am ever grateful for the love and support of such a wonderful, wonderfilled community. God bless.