Unit 1 Math Test - Patterns and Relations

With our first math test just around the corner, (Monday, October 5) I thought I would send our a reminder about the "Extra Practice" sheets available through the link at the bottom of this page.  There is a review sheet for all eight lessons in unit 1.  It is not necessary to do all sheets, or ANY if all skills are mastered.  We will be doing review in class, which may be adequate for many students, and should also highlight to others the areas that may require additional review.

Room Parent

Would you be interested in being our class's Room Parent?

Duties are pretty limited in grade 7...

We have a hot lunch scheduled for November, and near the end of June, we are responsible for the coffee/squares portion of the Grade 8 Farewell.

Please let me know if you are inclined to help out!

Message from Matthew, Parish Life Director

In this week’s gospel (Mark 10:2-16) we hear Jesus being questioned about the married state. Jesus responds by reiterating the importance and indissolubility of marriage. 

Whenever I read this passage I always ask myself the question, what makes a strong marriage? Every marriage has difficulties. Two people living together and balancing life is difficult enough. Throw in a few rambunctious children and you have a recipe for disaster. Tension is inevitable. But how do you strengthen your relationship and navigate rocky patches before real trouble strikes?

(1) Create a budget together. Statistically, money is the number one cause of fights among couples. A fruitful marriage is one where couples manage their money wisely. Jesus says, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11). Your spouse is your greatest treasure. Include him or her in your financial plans and avoid the conflict in the first place. (2) Remember why you fell in love. What qualities attracted you to your spouse? Focus on the good things. (3) Repent and ask for forgiveness. The word repent in Greek means to take a different perspective on the situation. Saying “I’m sorry” goes a long way. (4) Invest in your relationship. Make an effort to show your spouse you love him or her. Marriage is hard work and love is often a choice. The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it. Work on staying in love. (5) Play together and have fun. Don’t let your marriage become monotonous. That’s part of the reason Jesus likens the kingdom of God to children. Children have fun, they play together and play relieves stress. Give it try. Invest in your relationship by doing something fun with your mate. (6) Pray together. When you aren’t right with God you won’t be right with your spouse. Put God first and take time to grow spiritually as a couple.

Marriage can be difficult at times. That is why God wants husbands and wives to work together in order to build a loving marriage. He desires that couples have healthy and fruitful marriages. That was his plan “from the beginning”. 

Discipleship Challenge: This week, take your spouse on a date or spend quality time with a friend. 

Welcome to a new school year!

Just a note to keep you up to date with what is going on in our 7 class…

Math:

We have recently started the “Patterns and Relations” unit. There will be a test on the first unit’s material near the beginning of October.  (Check the calendar for the exact date, as it approaches.)  In preparation for the test, students are encouraged to review the lessons, particularly the Assessment Focus questions.  This should give them insight as to their areas of strength and weakness.  Additional review materials can be found on CD-ROM available for loan from the school.  I would also recommend signing up for the materials available through our division (I will try to link the info here when I have it.)

            There are links to various math sites linked to this blog and the St. Dominic website if you are looking for additional resources.  Many of them are actually fun!  Also, among these links is the Math Makes Sense website that includes "Extra Practice," a review sheet for every lesson that we do in grade 7.  A very useful tool for test preparation (or just practice when the textbook doesn't provide enough.)

Language Arts:          

We are currently working on a unit called “Fears and Phobias”.  Students are reading from the Nelson Literacy anthology.  Two of the important ideas in this unit include summarizing and word choice.

Social Studies:

            We have begun the “Living Together” unit.  We will focus on the questions “How do interactions with our neighbours lead to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence?” and “How does globalization affect people and the environment?”

            We will also be working on monthly current events, with the information going out in the first week of the month, the assignment due in the third, and the quiz in the last week.

Science:          

We have started the “Interactions Within Ecosystems” unit.  We will be incorporating our learning into a landfill design at the end of the unit.

Health:

            We will be starting the Fully Alive program.  Please see the separate blog post for parent letters and other information.

Religion:

Unit 1 “I…We” is our current unit.  We are exploring the themes

                                                Who am I?

                                                Am I normal?

                                                Do I belong?

Finally…

It is probably wise to subscribe to this blog.  Subscribing through the RSS link seems to send updates immediately, the email subscription has been known to be a little delayed...

I don't send home notes on paper very often.  If I need a signature for something... but that's about it.

Please take a minute to email me with your name and your child’s name, so that I can add you to my contact list.  This is probably the most efficient method of communication for most things, though phone calls will work better for some things too…

Dan Gallays

dgallays@scs.sk.ca

(306) 659-8451(voicemail)

Fully Alive information

We will be starting the Fully Alive program this week.  There are a few things that, as parents, you might be interested in.

Letters are to be sent home in anticipation of each unit.  I won’t be wasting the paper, but the letters can be found here.

With the recently renewed program, there are no longer Family Edition books.  All resources are available online.  If this is a problem, please let me know.  It is available in its entirety here.