Edition 2012 #9 - 2nd Grade Trivia Test

by Dejah W

Sister Sheena and the second grade held a trivia contest. Their questions were mostly about math. It was definitely an exciting competition. It was amazing to see the quickness and eagerness of the kids. They work very well as a team. The second graders are so smart and ready for third grade.

Sister Sheena's 2nd grade class

Being in the classroom and seeing the excitement in the kids made me want to get in the circle and answer questions too. In the end the girls won, of course. Girls rule!

I asked Sr. Sheena about her competition. She said, "I do the trivia to increase their knowledge. By doing this they become better on their subjects. Besides they were so excited to do this."

I would like to give a big thanks to second grade and Sr. Sheena . You guys are awesome.

Edition 2012 #7 - 1st Grade Learning Centers

by William K.

Below is a picture of Sister Mary and her first grade class.
This is a wonderful, fun group of young students!

On many school days, Sister Mary organizes Learning Center times for her class. This is something new this year for 1st grade. The Learning Centers are educational, and the kids love them. Here's a clever example... math fishing:

Most learning centers support focused activities for 3-4 students. Examples are:

• The Math Fish (above) - Students fish out a math problem from the table and then solve it.

• SuperKids reading - Students read stories on the computer, and the SuperKids website tracks their progress.

• Microscope - Students look at magnified versions of bugs and sticks and, well, everything.

• Book reading - Students read from their favorite books.

• Shapes building - Student build designs or structures using foam/plastic shapes.

• And more! Including: Word search puzzles, Magnet games, puzzles, and rubber band shapes.

Here's an accomplished SuperKids reader:

This is Sister Mary's 5th year teaching 1st grade at St. Ethelreda. She does a wonderful job and her students love her.

Thank you to our first grade student and to Sister Mary for the wonderful story and visit! We learned a lot.

There are many more fun photos of 1st grade students at work in the complete photo set from our Eagle Way visit:

www.flickr.com/photos/stethelreda/sets/72157629553714079/

Edition 2011, #16 - 5th Grade Hero Award

5th Grade Hero Award
By: Dejah W and Brandice W 

With their book reports, 5th graders are sharing what their story is all about. Now don't think it's the old, ordinary book report. Mrs. Rex added her own little twist.

The format for the book report is way different. The students had to pick out items they thought would illustrate the story to their classmates. Also they put their items in a brown paper bag so their classmates couldn't see it. The students had to make up an award called "The Hero" to give to the person in their book they thought deserved it.

We got the privilege of sitting in the classroom, and the students were eager to share what their book was about. Here is what Mrs. Rex thought:

"I am always looking for new ways to engage my students in the learning process. I thought that my students would enjoy telling about their books using items from a bag. It also was a fun way to present book reports. My favorite part was when the students awarded "The Hero" award to a character."

Edition 2011, #14 - Vocabulary Challenge

Sixth Grade Vocabulary Challenge
By: Brandice W.

When the sixth graders aren’t taking a test, eating lunch, or switching classes, they’re normally doing something in vocabulary. Vocabulary seems to improve a child’s speech. The more they use the word and see the word, the more familiar the word is to them.

We asked Sr. Bruno why every time we walk in the classroom the sixth graders are always doing vocabulary? This is how she responded:

“Vocabulary is very important. Because when you build up your vocabulary, you can improve your speech. If you want to study a specific subject in school, knowing how to spell a word, how to say it, and what it means helps you. Using new vocabulary words helps you express yourself more. You can use different adjectives instead of the general sad, mad, happy, or upset.”
- Sr. Bruno

We asked the sixth graders if they could use five vocabulary words in a sentence correctly. We call it the Challenge:

• Kayla S: "This hypocrite is so disinterested that she will manipulate the serene assailant."
• Kinta J: "Zachary is a martial, jovial, crotchety, pathetic, and gullible person."

Thank you to Sister Bruno and the whole 6th grade class. It was very captivating.

By: Rayan B

Edition 2011, #13 - Dr. Seuss and the Kindergarteners

Dr. Seuss and the Kindergartners
by Terrance R

On March 15, the kindergartners spent Dr. Seuss Day doing a lot of creative and fun activities. They watched a movie called “Sneetchers” which was about a group that wouldn’t accept another group because they didn’t have a blue star on their stomachs.

They also made booklets about Dr. Seuss. I was able to look at one titled “Green Eggs and Ham.” The student made a booklet with rhyming words describing the actual story. The theme of the booklet was, “If you try it, you might like it.” They also colored some Dr. Seuss coloring sheets. All of the coloring sheets looked so creative and colorful.

The class had a “Mark Your Vote” board outside their room where all students could use stickers to vote for their favorite Dr. Seuss story. I think “Green Eggs and Ham” won. From my experience with the kindergartners, I can tell that they had a lot of fun that day. Dr. Seuss shall never be FORGOTTEN!!!

I notice the Dr. Seuss spirit in Ms. Boatman and Ms. Griffin. Ms. Boatman was a Cat in the Hat, and Ms. Griffin was Thing 1. Their costumes and joy really caught their students and everyone else's attention. They spread the Dr. Seuss spirit to the whole school. Even the kindergartners wore a Dr. Seuss hat to express their passion for Dr. Seuss.

It was exciting for me to write this story. The creativity from the students and teachers really got my attention. Who knew such young students had limitless creativity inside of them. I expect more stories to come from Kindergarten. They make a great addition to St. Ethelreda School.

Edition 2011, #12 - Can you spell "celery"?

2nd Grade Spelling Bee

by Chanel B and Mr. Bill

The 2nd graders had a spelling bee on Friday, March 18, 2011. They had outstanding and challenging words to spell. There were nine spellers and within 4 minutes there were only four. Sr. Sheena and Mrs. Davis have taught those little ones some very complex words. When I listened to those 2nd graders spell I said “Wow these children can spell. They must have studied and studied all day long until they got tired”.

I talked to some of the students and here are their feelings:

• Linda H – "I like spelling bees and I am very into them."
• Kendall W – "I wanted to be in the spelling bee, but I didn’t make it."
• Nekira W - "I like vocabulary."
• Briana L - "The spelling bee was fun, and I liked the challenging words."
• Mrs. Davis – "It was awesome. They had challenging words, and they were successful."
• Sr. Sheena - "I wanted them to have a spelling bee because they are very good spellers and one day they will be in a real spelling bee."
• Noadiyah J – "When I started out I was not good at spelling, but through studying, studying, studying I got good, and I always wanted to be a speller."

Celery was the final and winning word. Congrats to Noadiyah J on winning the 2nd grade spelling bee.

Thank you to Sr. Sheena, Mrs. Davis, and the whole 2nd grade class for your outstanding job.

The entire photo set of the 2nd grade spelling bee is available here:

Photo set - 2nd grade spelling bee

Edition 2011, #11 - 3rd Grade and Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley
by Dejah W and Chanel B

"Flat Stanley" is a book written by Jeff Brown. It's about a boy that is flat because a bulletin board fell on him while he was in bed.

3rd grade and Mrs. Leonard came up with a brilliant project idea to send out their own Flat Stanley's all over the world. This project started in the beginning of October 2010. The students followed the adventures of their Flat Stanleys and their travels.

3rd grade students sent out 22 Flat Stanleys with each student’s picture. They decorated and colored each to make it their own. Flat Stanleys were sent to over 15 states in the United States. They also went to 3 countries: Canada, Australia, and England.

Each Flat Stanley went out with a letter asking their friends to let him learn about their community. They sent all of them out and got 18 back.

Here is a recap of where some of the letters went:

• In a helicopter above Oklahoma
• To Ohio state to see the Buckeyes football game
• To Minnesota to visit a university
• To Niceville, Florida air force space went in a fighter plane
• To a local McDonalds
• To the White House

The kids were so excited about some of the really cool things they got back:

• Donald and Trey: "Our Flat Stanley went to the White House. We got a picture of the White House dog."
• Kentrall: "Mine went to Ohio State. I got a jacket, CD, magazines, and photos of the campus."

And Mrs. Leonard said, "Flat Stanley was a great opportunity for our students to interact with people all over the world. We enjoyed reading all about each adventure and the pictures and souvenirs that were sent back to us. It will be a project that we all remember!"

Wow, sounds like Flat Stanley had a lot of fun and even made new friends. I wonder what it would be like to become flat.

3rd Grade and Flat Stanley (photo set)

Edition 2011, #10 - 8th Grade Questionnaire

8th Grade Questionnaire

by Asia W and Mr. Bill

The 8th graders are our student leaders at St. Ethelreda School. So, we at The Eagle Way were interested in getting the opinions of our 8th graders on a variety of subjects. So, after the long Terranova test, we crafted a questionnaire and asked the 8th to take one more test.

You can see the full questionnaire here: 8th Grade questionnaire.

The 8th graders completed our questionnaire on Tuesday Mar 8, 2011, and results of the questionnaire are given below.

We wish to thank Mrs. Pass and the 8th grade students for the help and cooperation. We took a number of fun photos during and after the test that you can find here: 8th Grade Questionnaire photo set

Enjoy!

St. Ethelreda School - 8th Grade

8th Grade Questionnaire Results

The results of the questionnaire taken by 15 8th graders on Tuesday Mar 8, 2011.

Q1: In 25 years, which of these technology companies will be the most important?
Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Myspace, Twitter

Top 3 results:

• Twitter - 6 votes
• Facebook - 4
• Apple - 3

...

Q2: In 25 years, which of these breakthroughs will happen first?
Man land on Jupiter, Computers smarter than humans, New energy source to replace fossil fuels, Cure for cancer, None of these will happen

Top 2 results:

• Cure cancer - 7 votes
• Computers smarter - 6

...

Q3: What is your favorite movie?

Results: Only 1 movie got more than 1 response, "Big Mama's House 3", with 2 students choosing it as their favorite.
Other movie favorites included: Friday, Titanic, I Robot, Medea goes to jail, Twilight movies, Race to Witch Mountain, Kiki's Delivery Service, I Am Number 4, John Tucker Must Die, Love and Basketball, Scary Movie 2, Coraline.

...

Q4: What is your favorite TV show?

Top 3 results:

• Shake It Up - 2 votes
• The Game - 2
• Bad Girls Club - 2

...

Q5: What is your favorite book?

Top 2 results:

• Twilight series - 3 votes
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid - 2

Other books included: School of Fear, Impulse,The Wise Old Man, Matilda, Ghost Huntress, The Giver, The Ghost in Tokaido Inn, The Outsiders, Dead is a State of Mind, Blue Ford High series.

...

Q6: Who is your favorite musician?

Top result was Chris Brown with 3 votes. Other musicians receiving votes were: Mindless Behavior, Justin Beiber, Michael Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Beethoven, Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, Blink 182, Pink.

...

Q7: Who is your favorite athlete?

Top 3 results:

• D-Rose - 6
• LeBron - 3
• "Me" - 2

...

Q8: Who in 8th grade is most likely to be rich and famous?

Top 2 results:

• Terrance - 4
• Anthony - 2

...

Q9: Who in 8th grade is most likely to be the President of the United States?

Top 3 results:

• Robert G - 8
• Kierra - 3
• Virginia W - 2

...

Q10: Who in 8th grade is most likely to return to St. Ethelreda and teach?

Top 3 results:

• Rayan B - 7
• Deja - 3
• Brandice - 2
• Virginia - 2

...

Q11: What is your favorite Chicago sports team?

Top 3 results:

• Bulls - 9 votes
• Don't care about sports - 3
• Bears - 2

...

Q12: After school, how do you usually communicate with your friends?
Email, Facebook/myspace, In person, Talk on the phone, Text message

Top 2 results:

• Text message - 12 votes
• Facebook - 2

...

Q13: Who is your favorite famous role model?

Top 2 results:

• Tyra Banks - 3 votes
• Oprah - 2

Other votes were for: Raven Symone, Lauren London, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Michael Jordan, Hayao Miyazaki, Malcolm X, LeBron James, Rajan Rondo, Monica Parales

...

Q14: Who is your favorite personal role model?

Top 2 results:

• Mom - 10 votes
• Brother - 2

...

Q15: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Top 2 results:

• Entertainer - 3 votes
• Doctor - 2
• NBA/NFL player - 2

Other answers included: model, teacher, novelist or comic book artist, cosmetologist, tech person, journalist, author, art director, dentist

Edition 2011, #9- First grade Bible stories

First grade Bible stories
By Mr. Bill

Last week, Sister Mary and her first grade class hosted parents and students for a Bible stories performance. The stories were done as a part of Catholic Schools Week at St. Ethelreda School. Each 1st grader got up in front of the audience and told a Bible story.

Sister Mary was very happy with the participation as "more than 15 parents were here." The students enjoyed the performance as well.

Here is each student and the story that he or she performed:

• Damien - Jonah
• Jeremiah - Noah
• Kelli - Jesus in the marketplace
• Jordan - God also loved the world
• Davon - Joseph
• Mikayla - Adam & Eve
• Sirr - The blind man
• Christopher - Jonah & the whale
• Doria - Love your neighbors
• Eriana - 10 girls
• Datiara - The lost sheep
• Terrance - David & Goliath
• Imonie - Jesus & the wise man
• Alexya - The tax collector
• Joslyn - God made everything

I asked the 1st grade students whether 1st grade was the best class in all of St. Ethelreda School. They all replied, "Yes!" These students are a fun and enthusiastic group.


The 1st Grade photo set is at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stethelreda/sets/72157626069578086/

Thanks to Sister Mary and the 1st graders for this fine story.

Edition 2011, #7 - David Cain RIP

by Terrance R

David Cain!!!!!! This was a man of honor and generosity. He was a machine because he knew how to fix problems. He had a big heart, and he would always show it . David Cain was honest, caring, generous, and fun to be around. He always had fun with the all the kids. He really brought out the kids’ joy.

Here are a few statements Principal Spells made at my interview:

Terrance R (TR): How did David Cain affect your life?
Principal Spells (PS): “ He taught me to give until you couldn’t give anymore. David Cain was always over my expectations.”

TR: What qualities would you use to describe David Cain?
PS: “Big heart, love for children, concern for everyone, fun-loving, never complains even when he was experiencing back problems, never says no, and always makes a way to get the job done.”

TR: How has David Cain made an impact on St.Ethelreda School?
PS: “ He always made sure the students had school supplies for the year. He gave computers to the Library. He donated furniture to Sr. Caroline’s and my office. He would collect toys from neighbors, family members, and friends. He always made sure that everyone had at least one toy for Christmas, and if there were 200 kids, than he’ll have 200 plus toys to make sure everyone got one. He was also able to spread joy by playing and dressing up as Santa. He always looked forward to playing the role of Santa, and he made sure the kids continued to believe in Santa.”

What an interview! So many kind words from Principal Spells. As you can see, David Cain was a man of his word. He will be deeply miss for his unfortunate death. He will forever be in our hearts. Principal Spells came up with a great idea and that is to name a scholarship or a room in his memory. So I know he’s in a better place now, and may he rest in peace.

Edition 2011 #6 - 4th Grade Recycling Project

4th Grade Recycling Project
by Chanel B and Dejah W 

You are now tuning in to EWB news. Hi I'm Dejah W, and hello I'm Chanel B. For today's news we are talking to the 4th graders and Mr.Cooper from St. Ethelreda school on recycling, reducing, and reusing.

The students documented items that they are able to recycle at home. They are trying to get parents to reuse things instead of throwing them out. Mr. Cooper said "If we reuse we will start to reduce the garbage each family produces."

Students are trying to get parents to buy items that come in recyclable packages.  The 4th graders are bringing newspaper to recycle in St.Ethelreda's recycling bin. So, by Earth Day they will have a very successful project. Make sure you keep an eye out for 4th grade on their continuous project on recycling.

More photos for Mr. Cooper's 4th grade class can be seen here:

Photo set: Mr. Cooper's 4th Grade Recycling Project

Here are some comments that 4th graders sent us. Check them out:

• Janae C: "I learned a lot about recycling and by us recycling we can save the earth."
• Tre'Linique H: "I learned when you recycle you can reuse it."
• James J: "I learn more things about recycling, reducing, and reusing that I didn't know before."
• Mariah L: "I learned that I am able to reuse things."

See you next time on EWB news.

Edition 2011, #4 - Bathrooms with pants

Bathroom, bathrooms, bathrooms

By Terrance R

Bathrooms, bathrooms, bathrooms!!! You have to keep them clean, both girls and boys. When people walk in, they may expect the bathrooms to not look so good. But if we all come together to keep it clean, they will know that we care about our school. Plus, you should keep it clean at all times by doing some of the following:

• not wasting soap all on the ground,
• not scraping the clean floor, and
• putting all paper towels, tissue, and other trash in the garbage.

There are many more ways to keep the bathroom clean. If you care about your school, if you want to live a clean life, if you want to be known for your cleanliness, then join me, and together, we will keep our bathrooms clean.
I want each and everyone of you to think for a moment. Ask yourself this question, “ Do I want somebody to judge me on my cleanliness, or do I want somebody to acknowledge my character and say that he/she really cares about his/her surroundings.” I want everyone to join me in keeping our bathrooms clean, our surroundings clean, and, more importantly, our school clean.
This is Terrance R, and I'm encouraging you to stand up for St. Ethelreda School.

Girls With Pants 2

by Chanel B

I wanted to get Principal Spells' opinion on my Girls With Pants story.
Do you read the blog?
Yes, I read the student blog whenever there is a new posting. I have thought about putting this in the monthly newsletter to make the parents more aware of the student blog. This will give them the opportunity to read about the school from the students' point of view and also see their child's writing. They will also find out more of what's happening in school on a day-to-day basis as well. Then they can share this with co-workers, family and friends and get others interested in coming to St. Ethelreda School. What do you think about this idea?
Do you like the blog?
I absolutely enjoy reading the student blog. It gives me the opportunity to hear and to read what the students are thinking about our school. Reading stories and poems written by the younger students is enjoyable. I don't always see the good things going on in the classrooms all the time even though I try hard to visit each classroom every day. The blog helps to keep me aware of everything, especially the good that takes place in our school. It also highlights the great work that our students are accomplishing.
What do you think about girl wearing pants?
The school uniforms for the girls are a jumper/skirt with navy knee socks. On cold days, all girls are encouraged to wear pants under their skirt/jumper, navy tights or navy leggings under the uniform. On Tuesdays and Thursdays everyone wears jogging suits to school. I try hard to keep the building at a comfortable temperature so no one will be cold. With all of these options to keep your legs warm, I don't see us changing the uniform in the near future. If it is exceptionally cold in the building, I will quickly tell the girls to keep their pants on. In the meantime, wearing your skirts makes you carry yourselves in such a refined way and you are in uniform. Remember, girls, wear those tights or leggings (navy blue).

Edition 2011, #3- The last edition before Thanksgiving

The season that keeps on giving
by: Dejah W

Falling leaves bare trees
Raking leaves from the ground
Messing up the pile
Now it’s time to do it again


THE ST.ETHELREDA LADY EAGLES VOLLEYBALL TEAM
By: Chanel B

Our volleyball team had a good season. We won 3 games and lost 5 games, I think. The volleyball members were:

• 8th graders: Brandice W, Courtney J, Virgina W, and Deja S
• 7th graders: Chanel B and Jazmine W
• 5th graders: Kaylin M, Ronena T, Kendyl M, and Therasa D

We moved on to the playoffs at St. Francis De Sales High School. We won the first game, but we lost our second game. The score was 8 to 25.

Volleyball was a lot of fun this year. We got to work with a lot of people. We would like to say a special thank you to Mrs. Spells and Coach Moore. Thanks to Mrs. Spells for letting us have volleyball and thanks to Coach Moore for coaching us. Thank you all so much.


We love to READ!
by: Brandice W

National Literacy Day happens every year on November 1st. This November 1st, St. Ethelreda observed National Literacy Day by reading stories, poems, and quotes (etc.) to our students, parents, and faculty. They read stories such as “O the Places You’ll Go”, “Pocket Poems”, “African Tales”, “Henry’s Freedom Box” and so much more.

Here is a quote from a teacher who attended St. Ethelreda’s national literacy night.

“I enjoyed it. I thought it was a great sight to see the parents reading to the students instead of the teachers reading to the students. It showed me how much the parents really care.”
- Mrs. L Pass

I attended literacy night as well. I had fun even though I came late. They had fun games to play on the wall, including hangman and a word unscramble game.

So if you love to read and show your support for a great school,
next year come on up to St. Ethelreda
and read a book to “tomorrow’s leaders”.