“Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on.”
Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs
Dear Parents,
Sweet May has come at last! The earth is brimming with color and everything is good. May is the month we dedicate to our Blessed Mother. Therefore, we will be praying to her each day for her love and protection. Please have your child bring in his/her rosary beads to keep in school for the month.
It is nice to have the state testing behind us so that we may resume our usual routine. I wish to thank all the families who provided snacks on the testing days which really helped to ease the children’s anxieties.
How quietly April slipped away and, although it was a short school month, we accomplished a great deal. Our planetary journey is complete, and now we will be focusing our attention back on Earth. We have begun to learn about the different types of rocks and so we have our noses to the ground looking for some unusual treasures. We are still very much enraptured about China, and continue to learn more about this fascinating land. We are putting the finishing touches on our beautiful pagoda which Mrs. McSwieney so beautifully crafted for our door. In the coming weeks, our classroom will take on a more Asian appearance as our study of China continues. April is typically designated as poetry month, but because of our spring vacation, coupled with the New York State Tests, we have only just begun our lessons on writing poetry. In the weeks ahead, we will be reading, reciting, and writing lots of poetry.
In math, we spent time reviewing for the state test, and now we will move full force with memorization of the multiplication facts so it would help to once again review and practice the facts from 1-12. We will continue to learn more about fractions, and then on to long division.
In science, as mentioned above, we have been investigating the different properties of rocks and the ways in which rocks are formed and used. We have some “rock hounds” right in our classroom who have brought in some very interesting and unusual specimens to share with everyone. You might say we are really rocking!
The month of May is jam packed with activities. On Friday, May 4, the play Around the World in Eighty Days will be presented at 7 p.m. Tristan and John Henry have been faithfully practicing for this big affair. Hope you will be able to come out to support our students in 3F.
On Sunday, May 6, after the 11:15 Mass, our third grade classes are hosting a reception for all students receiving their First Holy Communion. Then again on Wednesday, May 30, our third grade parents will be hosting the ever elegant First Eucharist Brunch scheduled after the 9:30 a.m. May Crowning ceremony. I wish to thank Mrs. LaRow and Mrs. Koppi for their help with the many preparations needed for theses scheduled events. They will be contacting you for help because they will need the assistance of many people. I hope you will be able to lend a helping hand for one or both of the planned activities. I will be sending out a memo explaining the tasks needed for the brunch. Please return the bottom portion in to me as soon as possible, and I will forward it on to Mrs. La Row and Mrs. Koppi.
On Tuesday, May 22, we will be outdoors skipping, hopping, walking and running around the track for our school. Please come out to run or walk along with us or cheer us on for the annual Race for Education.
Now we are down to the last stretch of the school year, and we still have lots of learning to do and, hopefully, lots of fun along the way. Many interesting insect projects have come in and they are amazing! They will be bugging us for awhile and will be around for the Bravo Expo in June. Our insect study will culminate with our end of the year field trip to Five Rivers in Delmar scheduled for Monday, June 4. More information about the trip will be coming home shortly.
I also wish to take this opportunity to wish all mothers a Mother’s Day filled with fun and laughter and many loving memories. May God bless you always.
Mrs. Faustini
