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Saint Pius X School
PANTHER PEN
Happy February!
I heard on the news the other night that the beginning of February will be very cold and very snowy!
As I write this message, we have already had three school days cancelled due to the weather and
the upcoming forecast does not look too promising. I know Spring is a long way away…but I am
ready!
The decision to delay or close school for weather reasons follows that of Reynoldsburg City
Schools. As soon as I receive a call from the district, I will notify all three local TV stations as well
as have the information posted to our website. Saint Pius X School will be listed specifically. Other
reasons for a possible delay or cancellation such as power issues, heating, etc. will be made
separate of Reynoldsburg City. Please keep in mind, in the event of a two hour delay the school
building will not open for students until 9:30AM.
The month of February will be a busy one! We begin the month with our second opportunity for
Parent Teacher Conferences next Thursday and Friday. There is no school for students on Friday,
February 6 due to the morning conferences.
Over the last eighteen months I have shared with our families details regarding our re-accreditation
process through the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association. This process will culminate with
the visit of the External Validation Team on February 19 and 20. This team includes a chair from
outside the Diocese of Columbus and four Diocesan principals. Over these two days, the team will
review our school self study and improvement plan and meet with all teachers and administrators.
A few “floating” substitutes will be in the building to assist with the team’s interviews of staff. This
visit will also include a review of compliance with all standards as required by the Ohio Department
of Education and the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association.
February
2015
Special points
of interest:
 Update from the
Principal
 Registration and
tuition assistance
 Pizza with the Pastor
 Teacher attachments
 Calendar
 Children’s Center
registration
 And more!...
Following the visit, the team will submit suggestions on how to improve our submitted plan. Any adjustments will be made and
the plan will be put to a vote for approval by the Superintendents of each Catholic Diocese in Ohio. We look forward to the
team’s visit and their willingness to take time out of their busy schedule to assist our school to continue to move forward. I will
be sure to provide updates as we move forward.
This month of February will mark the beginning of the season of Lent. As has been the case for the last several years, our
students will attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 18 at 1:15PM. Students in grades 1-8 will attend Stations of the Cross
on Fridays in Lent at 1:45. Please join us as we walk with Jesus,
Finally, I want to thank everyone for their kindness and prayers following the birth of my son, Tyler. Tyler was born on January
17, weighing in at 8lbs, 6oz. and 21 inches long. We are all doing very well!
In the month ahead, I look forward to seeing everyone at Parent Conferences, Valentine’s Day parties, Ash Wednesday Mass
and all the activities that make our school so special! May God continue to shower his blessings on our SPX community.
Jonathan Cuniak
Page 2
Saint Pius X School
2015-16 Registration reminders…
Re-registration forms for the 2015-16 school year were sent home with the students in late January
and are due back in February. Please return the forms with the $100.00 re-registration fee which
will be deducted from your 2015-16 tuition.
We are accepting registrations for Kindergarten as well as new students in grades 1-8 for the 201516 school year. Please share the good news of our school to your family and friends who may be
looking for a Catholic School Education.
The application for tuition assistance from the Diocese of Columbus can be found at
www.factstuitionaid.com. In order to complete the application, 2014 taxes must be filed. The application
must be completed and verified by March 16, 2015. Please contact Mr. Cuniak with any questions. Any
family who received aid directly from the school must apply for Diocesan assistance to be considered for
assistance from SPX.
Pizza with the Pastor
Congratulations to the following students who earned “Pizza with the Pastor” for the month
of January. These students enjoyed a pizza lunch with Monsignor Funk on January 28.
4-211:
4-212:
5-207:
5-209:
6-205:
6-206:
Sheridan H., Alex P., Lola V.,
Michael S., Justin V., Cece W
Travis L., Ethan R., Aidan T.,
Tayler F., Jake L., Ola O.
Kanda K., Megan L., Izzy R.,
Sam G., Jessica M., Ryan S.
Students from grades 1, 2 and 3 will be selected by their homeroom teachers for “Pizza
with the Pastor” for February.
A Look Into:
Kindergarten Lions, Tigers, and Bears
“Oh, My”
January has been a short month for us with break, snow days, and a special day
off to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we read a book, watched a short
video on his life and completed a min-book. Scholastic also had a Let’s Find Out
magazine we read and discussed. The kindergartners were able to learn about an
impactful part of history.
In Math, we have been learning subtraction. We have learned new
vocabulary such as: minus and take away. We are also practicing our addition
facts daily.
In our Integrated Studies we have focused on our “cold weather.” We have
discussed Polar Animals, freezing & melting, and of course snow. We read a book
called The Mitten By. Jan Brett. The story features several polar animals all trying
to fit in a small woolen mitten. Along with studying the animals of the story we
were able to complete sequencing, subtraction, addition, and graphing activities.
It is such a fun story with lots of academics to coincide with it. We have had a lot
of fun completing these activities to go with this story!!
We have been studying the 7 Sacraments and how to share the Gospel stories
with others and spread the Good News of Jesus.
In math we are working on mastering addition and subtraction facts while
learning about related facts and using addition to check subtraction. Students
are utilizing the new school iPads to work on math facts—they love this!
In Language Arts we are doing an author study on Kevin Henkes. Students are
really enjoying reading his many books! We are using these wonderful stories to
learn about character traits and story elements.
In Social Studies we learned about MLK Jr. and the important work he did in his
lifetime. We are also learning about symbols that represent the United States. In
Science, we learned about states of matter and how temperature can change
matter. In Health we discussed staying healthy and proper hand washing
techniques.
Second Grade News
Second graders are practicing addition and subtraction using 2 and 3 digit
numbers with regrouping. We will celebrate Hundred’s Day on Feb. 2nd with fun
activities in the classroom to extend our understanding of place value.
Students are busy reading independently for Book-it and taking AR quizzes to
help them develop comprehension skills. This month children will read biographies of
famous people and create a costumed paper doll to represent their character. They will
also wrote interesting facts about their individual and share it with their classmates.
In Health we are learning about the systems of the human body, nutrition and
dental health. Students will continue exploring earth science through observation of
rocks and minerals, a soil erosion and volcano experiment.
Introduction of cursive letter writing proves that handwriting is not dead!
Students will continue to print their written work, but are very excited to learn more
about the cursive alphabet.
We are in the process of completing Reconciliation preparation and students are
receiving the Sacrament of Penance with their families at their own parishes.
Congratulations to second graders as they receive God’s peace and forgiveness. We
will begin our in-depth study of the Mass and the Sacrament of Eucharist.
Social Studies:
We are learning about what it is to be a
good citizen. We have learned about
different people who have stood up for
causes that they believe in. Coming up,
we have a Biography/Autobiography and
Timeline that the students are working on.
Stay tunes outside our classrooms to view
these projects…..
Science:
Students have been learning
about matter and its properties. They have
seen how physical changes and chemical
changes have affected matter.
Science:
Religion:
This month students have been learning
about The Church Year, the different
seasons that make up the liturgical year.
Social Studies: We have been learning
about our Government: local state and
national governments and its 3 branches.
Language Arts:
This month students have been working
on rotating through different stations
during The Daily 5. We are so grateful for
those Ipads so that the students can really
enjoy listening to reading. Remember
they also have access to RazKids available
for them to access at home too.
4th Grade January News
*Mrs. Mangan’s Class*
Religion: The students have learned that their lives are better knowing that the
Holy Spirit gives them wisdom and the strength to follow Jesus.
Math: How many things can you learn about “parts” of a whole? Fraction,
numerator, denominator, equivalent, proper, improper, mixed number, reduce
and lowest terms. Isn’t Math grand?
Language Arts: The story Stone Fox showed the students how to have
compassion for others. They learned to have respect for grandparents, friends,
animals and new people they meet.
Social Studies: It takes all kinds of people to make life interesting. Ohio drew all
kinds of people to it’s cities to make the state a booming success. People and
business made the economy grow and Ohio to become the place to be.
*Miss Amnah’s Class*
Religion: This month in religion, the students and I have been investigating God’s
attributes. We have been discussing God’s sovereignty in our lives as he is allpowerful, all-loving, perfectly holy, and merciful. We’ve been exploring how
everything that God is, inspires us to become the best version of ourselves.
Math: Current math vocabulary words we’ve been studying include multiple,
factor, and divisibility. After studying various methods of division, we’ve moved
on to listing factors and multiples of given numbers.
Language Arts: The students and I have continued our Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory unit from December. Students are taking responsibility for their own
learning by teaching their classmates about concepts from each chapter in
literature circle groups.
Science: Students have been learning about ecosystems and biomes this month.
They’ve created pop-out ecosystems and biomes mobiles. We’re moving forward
to discussing the upcoming science fair!
5th Grade News
Our study in Science continues to be space. Students are busy with
various projects that allow them to show what they’ve learned about planets, stars,
space scientists, space travel and other topics.
Math class has 5th graders working with decimals…adding, subtracting, multiplying,
dividing, all things decimal!
Students will be drawing safety outdoors cartoons in Health class. They
will show what they have learned about being a safe pedestrian, a safe rider in a car or
bus, and a safe user of bikes and skateboards. They are also learning about various
weather conditions and how to be safe in them as well as safety in water.
In Religion class we are learning about the Holy Spirit. We will soon move into
a section on our roles and responsibilities to continue the work of Christ.
In Language Arts we are studying the genre of historical fiction. We are reading
as a class The Watsons go to Birmingham. We will be discussing the time period of the
1960’s and the hardships during the civil rights movement. We are also continuing to
add to our writing portfolio.
In Social Studies we are discussing the United States East of the Mississippi
River. Students will be identifying the industries and agriculture in each region. We
will also explain how the United States government‘s actions have affected the land
and people of the Unites States.
In Science we are working on speed and velocity. We will then
start to discuss what makes living things “living”. In Math A & B,
the students finished Chapter 2, multiplying and dividing fractions
and will move onto Chapter 3, ratios and rates. In Religion, we
will be talking about being God’s servant, the Holy Spirit and the
Mystery of the Church. In Health, we are discussing the dangers
of tobacco. The students will have a project at the end of the
lesson. After we finish the lesson on tobacco, we will discuss the
dangers of alcohol.
For Language Arts, we will be writing a response to literature
piece about our mystery novels. The students will be giving
their opinions and citing from the text to back their opinions!
We also start reading “The Year of Impossible Goodbyes” by
Sook Nyui Choi to align with Social Studies.
In Social Studies we will start learning about Asia, including its
geography, religions and governments. We will start with Ancient
Cultures and move through history!
Junior High Journal
Jr. High News
The entire Jr. High will travel to the Columbus Performing Arts Theatre in Columbus to see the
Bishop Hartley production of Godspell on Thursday, Feb. 19. Covering standards in Religion,
Language Arts, and Music, students will learn about musical theater in general and Godspell
specifically. The musical based on the Gospel of Matthew is a perfect way to bring to life (and
song) the teachings of Jesus. Permission slips will be sent home prior to the trip.
Language Arts
Eighth grade students are reading along to the audio version of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery And
Then There Were None. Students enjoy guessing who the next victim will be and who the murderer is.
(Don’t tell them if you know.) This novel builds their comprehension and vocabulary skills. (Who knows
the definitions, synonyms, and antonyms for indignant, guinea, and furtive?) They are also practicing
their context clue skills on the words used in the novel.
Remember to read – for fun – every night!!!
The 7th graders are working on a dystopian fiction unit. We are all reading The Giver together as a
class. Once we have read this together students will be put into lit circles and looking for
characteristics of genre. At the end of the unit, the students will be asked to apply the themes
presented in their novels to real-world issues and create their own ‘utopian society’. This is an
exciting unit for both them and me. It’s an excellent learning opportunity, and the students really
enjoy the literature. It has been AWEsome to watch the enthusiastic participation of this unit.
Seventh grade has also begun an English/grammar unit. They are focusing on the parts of a sentence that
will improve their ability to vary sentence length and structure. Upon completion of the unit, the 7th grade will
begin a small writing assignment in which they are assessed on their abilities to apply the learned skills from
the grammar unit.
Mathematics
Math 7A and 7B
Math 7A and 7B students are currently learning how find unit rates, rates, ratios, proportions,
scale drawings, and similar figures. Following this unit, students will work with percents. They
will find percent of a number, estimate percent of a number, use the percent proportion and
percent equation, they will explore percent of change, find discount, find sales tax, and find
simple interest. Students will go “shopping” using advertisements to determine discounted
prices and tax in a math lab.
Math 8B Pre-Algebra
Students in Math 8B Pre-Algebra just finished up a review of proportional reasoning and will be
studying linear functions. They will be learning how to find rate of change, constant of
variation, slope, write and graph linear equations. Following this unit, students will apply their
knowledge of writing linear equations when they explore sets of real world data to find lines of
best fit.
Math 8C Algebra 1
In Math 8C Algebra 1, students are finishing up a unit that covered solving systems of equations
and inequalities. In the next few weeks, students will be learning all about exponents and
exponential functions. They will learn how to multiply and divide monomials with exponents, how
to use rational exponents, multiplying and dividing with scientific notation, graphing exponential
functions, finding exponential growth and decay, and applying geometric sequences.
Religion
Several important Confirmation dates are coming up!
• The Retreat is Saturday/Sunday March 29-30 at St. Peter & Paul Retreat Center. The SPX
Youth Group will be in our classroom with information and registration forms on Friday,
February 13.
• The Sponsor & Candidate reflection is Sunday, April 12 after 5:00 Mass.
• MANDATORY rehearsal is Sunday, May 18 at 1:30pm.
• Confirmation Mass is Monday, May 19 at 7:00pm. Confirmandi & sponsors should meet in the
gym at 6:15.
Each eighth-grade students completed a Saint report at the end of January. Students who are being
confirmed then used this information to complete the required form that was due February 2. During
January, we also explored Church teaching on marriage and sexuality. We will move on to the ideas
of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, and Social Justice this spring. Formal Confirmation Preparation will
begin in early March alongside our regular lessons, and then April/May will be a focused preparation.
Seventh Grade
How many books are in the Bible? What’s the difference between the Catholic and Protestant
Canons of the Bible? How do you use the footnotes on each page? What is the connection
between the Old and New Testaments? Seventh graders are reading the ultimate Religion
textbook, the Bible. They will use the Bible to identify God’s messages to his people and how
those apply to our lives.
Science
When you scrape your elbow, new elbow skin grows to repair the wound. How does that happen?
Eighth-graders spent January studying genetics, including mitosis and meiosis. We discussed human
migration from Africa to the rest of the world, and how adaptations help living things to be
successful. February will bring a change from Life Science to Physical Science as we begin a study of
force and motion.
Seventh-grade wrapped up our study of Ecology at the end of January. This basically concludes our
Life Science standard. What’s next? Which element does Plankton mention in the FUN song? Which
element has atomic number 6? Why is the Periodic Table organized that way? Seventh-graders will
be able to answer these questions and more as we work our way through chemistry and the Periodic
Table of elements over the next month or so.
Social Studies
Seventh Grade Social Studies
Currently in Seventh Grade Social Studies we are wrapping up the beginnings of the Roman
Empire unit. Following this unit, students will explore the culture of the Roman Empire, they will
see what caused the Roman Empire fall apart, and the rise of the Byzantine Empire.
The basis of our government is the Constitution. It is the “supreme law of the land”. The 8th graders
are studying and discussing the branches of government, the Articles, and Amendments. Ask them
who our Senators and Representative are. Next, we will discuss what our civic responsibilities are and
how we can put those to practice.
Health
During February, eighth-graders will compare communicable and non-communicable diseases. This
study will include causes, prevention, and treatments. Since Mrs. Berger covers this so well in
seventh-grade, students should be prepared to move quickly through this material and on to the next
thing, which will be consumer science.
Seventh-graders experienced what it is like to button a shirt for a person with arthritis or the difficulty
in breathing for a person with asthma. After studying non-communicable diseases, students are
knowledgeable about diseases we may be born with or develop over time and how we can manage
those diseases or at least try to reduce our risks for getting them. Next, they will focus on making
healthy choices in nutrition and physical activity.
This time of year always comes fast for me here at SPX,
but all the work is up and ready for you to enjoy. If you
missed the Art Show, there’s still time to see the work, but
for how long?...that’s up to the teacher. Every year we
have a wonderful turnout and the performances from the
choirs was spectacular. We have a lot of interesting things
planned between now and the end of the year, so don’t
wait too long.
I had each student pick one of their favorites works .
Every project that was put up was a lesson we did this
year. For the second year, I tried to show the variety of
the projects we do
to this point.
It’s tougher for some of the younger grades because I hate
keeping pieces I know they’re excited to show off at
home.
I had the students put their names in the art work, just like
any other artist would do. I have never been a fan of labels and, when put together in their grade level and similar
works, seemed repetitive. Just hope your student didn’t
hide it, if that’s the case, enjoy the artwork together and
they’ll show
ing...check.
you
it
themselves...Family
Bond-
I will be going around and selecting 18 pieces of artwork amongst everyone’s submissions. This comes out
to roughly 2 per grade level, which is not a task I enjoy.
There’s so many great works to choose from and whittling down is tough. I look for a lot of things, not just
the best aesthetic artwork, but individual accomplishment, hitting the correct standards and objectives, and
going above and beyond in ability, creativity, and risk
taking.
It’s been a fun year so far with nothing but good times
and fun exploration ahead. I know I don’t have to say
this (you are, of course reading this), but keep encouraging your students and thanks for your support!!!
Bus Loop Reminders
Just to be fair with those who are patient and wait their turn in
line, please do not skip to the middle unloading zone immediately when entering the parking lot. The MIDDLE area is
for BUSSES ONLY, with the exception below. Please be
courteous to those who have WAITED in line.



For the safety of your students, please have them exit
your vehicle from the PASSENGER SIDE.
THE BUS LANE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE
RIGHT OF WAY. Please wait a minute or two for the
loop to stop on it’s own, then cross.
You should only be using the center of the parking lot
when your student(s) need assistance (like a project or
injury) or if you have business with the school.
In February, the Kindergarten through second grade are being
introduced to a variety of stories, including Valentine’s Day and
Chinese New Year themes.
We are covering “Digital Citizenship” in all the Media Skills
Classes, grades 3 to 6. Third grade lessons will involve
topics such as being good digital citizens, protecting oneself
by thinking carefully about shared information, and being an
“Upstander” when it comes to cyberbullying.
Fourth through sixth grade lessons include how to create
strong passwords in order to keep private information and
accounts safe, expectations of our digital citizenship community,
and a Citizens Pledge.
The junior high will continue to use their time in the
Library Media Center as a resource time for Accelerated
Math, Accelerated Reading, research, and other class work.
Music Notes
Kindergarten is working hard on comparative music skills like fast/slow, loud/soft and high/low. They will
work on keeping a steady beat by singing songs and listening to music from various composers while keeping
beat motions. They will continue to practice singing in their head voice and matching pitch.
1st and 2nd graders are working on quarter note and eighth note rhythms using ta and ti-ti, as well as writing solmi on the lines and spaces of the staff. We will be learning about and listening to music from our Composer of
the Month: Beethoven.
3rd, 4th and 5th graders have begun reviewing and/or learning how to play the recorder. We will begin with
simple folk songs learned in class and work our way up to harder concept songs. We will use a Recorder Karate
system to keep track of their progression on the recorder. Each time they correctly play a recorder karate song
on their own, they will receive the corresponding colored belt to tie onto their recorder to show off their
accomplishments.
6th, 7th and 8th graders are learning about all the different components of musical theatre in preparation for
Hartley’s production of Godspell as well as the SPX production of The Sound of Music.
Both the Blue and Gold choirs did a great job singing at the Open House and Art Show! Blue Choir is hard at
work learning their songs for the Honor Choir Concert on March 25th at St. Matthew. Gold Choir will begin
learning some fun new songs for Spring!
Rehearsals for the spring musical, Roger and Hammerstein’s G2K The Sound of Music, have started! I am
looking forward to the performances on April 17th at 7pm and April 18th at 1pm in the SPX gym.
I am very excited for the second half of the school year full of singing and music making!
Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at [email protected]
Mrs. Karen Smith
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are thrilled to be supporting the American Heart Association to help teach our
students and families how to take care of their hearts through the Jump Rope For
Heart and Hoops For Heart program. What does your child get out of participating?
YOUR CHILD learns about the importance of the heart—how it
works, and how to take care of it: With the educational programs
from the American Heart Association, our students learn how the
heart works, how exercise affects their hearts and how to stay FIT
FOR LIFE! Approximately 80 percent of the funds raised go directly
to the mission, funding extensive research efforts, heart education
and programs to help us all live healthier lives.
YOUR CHILD reaches out to friends and family: The safe online
tool makes it easy for your child to set up a web page and send
emails to support their fundraising efforts and to share life-saving
information. The new app for smartphones also makes it easy for
your student to text friends and family to join their campaign to be a
heart hero. When your kids talk about their reasons for participating
(such as a lost loved one or a family history of heart disease), it
helps them connect the dots to a healthier life (and might even
inspire a few other family members).
YOUR CHILD feels good for making a difference in people’s
lives! Funds raised support the heart association’s research and
education initiatives that save lives in our community. Heart
disease is the No. 1 killer of all Americans and more people die of
heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. The American
Heart Association is second only to the U.S. government in funding
research in heart disease and stroke. Additionally, the school earns
money for PE equipment so we can keep our kids MOVING!
It Takes Heart to be
a Hero!
Want to make
fundraising easier?
You can send emails, texts and
donation requests from your phone.
Search “Jump/Hoops” to download the
app and you can help raise
money that can fund life-saving
research while you are away
from your computer!
We hope you are as excited as we are to support our students in this important
experience. If you have any questions or can help the day of the event please
contact me at [email protected].
EVENT DATE: February 25, 26, 27 during Physical Education Class
Envelope Due Date: February 25, 26, 27 during Physical Education Class
HEART HERO
Ariana, age 9
My name is Ariana and when I found out my sister was going to be born with a heart
defect, I was very worried. Briella spent her first 77 days in the hospital and came
home with a beautiful scar we all call her “special zipper.” My sister needs a few more
surgeries. She has many conditions: tetralogy of fallot, double outlet right ventricle,
pulmonary stenosis, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect and anomalous
pulmonary venous return. At first all those things were very confusing to me, but my mom showed me lots of
diagrams to understand my sister’s special heart.
When my school handed out papers for our event, I knew this was something I had to do to honor my little
sister. I want to help raise awareness and funds for other babies like her. I am proud of my sister and proud I
get to help make a difference.
REGISTER ONLINE today! Here’s how…
Step 1: Go to www.heart.org/jump or www.heart.org/hoops and click on Register Today.
Step 2: Enter your School Name and State and click Submit to find your school’s event. When you
find your team, click the Join Team hyperlink.
Step 3: Create your own Username and Password and answer a security question. Click Continue.
(Be sure your Username and Password are easy to remember.
Step 4: Fill out the registration form. Review the Online Waiver and click the box to accept it. Once
you are done, click the Continue button.
Step 5: A Share With Your Friends screen will pop up. Enter a message that you would like to
share via social media and click on the program/s that you would like to use. Once you are
done, click the Publish button. You’ll see a confirmation screen and a button you can click to
enter your HeadQuarters and set up your web page. Or, click the “X” in the upper right hand
corner of the pop up box to skip this step.
Step 6: Download the mobile app by searching for Jump/Hoops.
Please make checks payable to American Heart Association.
For the safety of our children, we ask that your child NOT go door-to-door or ask strangers for donations.
Hola SPX families! We continue to work hard in Spanish. Here is a preview of
what we will be working on this month:
We are working on identifying numbers 1-12 out of order in every class. We
have finished classroom vocabulary and are moving on to the Familia unit!
We recently finished parts of the body vocabulary and are going to start
classroom vocabulary now. There are many games and manipulative activities to
help us practice!
The students are continuing with the Calendar unit. We have practiced forming
the date and saying our birthdays in many ways! Ask the 4 th graders about the
app “Autorap!”
After working on separate units, all of the 6-8 graders will begin forming higher
numbers! From 0-999,999! The process is fun and they will see that it is very
similar to English.
February 2015
(Trainer)
The 1st Grade students use computer time as an
extension of their regular class work. The students
have taken Accelerated Reading, and they have
been working on their addition and subtraction facts
using Math Facts in a Flash. In addition, they have
just completed an assignment on verbs using Word.
They typed sentences and added a picture
demonstrating their chosen action. They turned out great!
(Trainer)
The 2nd Grade students use computer time as an
extension of their regular class work. The students
have taken Accelerated Reading tests and
Accelerated Math practices and tests during their
class period. The students have been working on
their Ten Commandments books using Microsoft Publisher.
(Adzima)
The 3rd Grade students have moved from the in-class program,
“All the Right Type” to the online program keyboarding program,
Keyboarding for Kids by Ellsworth Publishing
(http://login.keyboardingonline.com/epco/ ).
Because this program can be accessed from
the Internet, the student is now able to practice
at home. Students will have daily
keyboarding homework starting at the end of
January or beginning of February.
Keyboarding is a skill that requires regular and
frequent “good practices.” This program can be used on iPads that
has a standard keyboard attached to it as well as any PC or MAC
computers. Please supervise your child’s practice as much as
possible. Make certain that they practice with their hands
covered. If you have any problem accessing the program, please
call the number located on the login page. This company is
more than happy to answer any of your questions.
(Adzima)
The 5th Grade students use computer time as an
extension of their regular class work. The
students have been taking Accelerated Math tests
and using Spelling City during their technology
classes. Next month, the students will investigate
File Maintenance. Students will learn how to organize their files,
create folders, copy and move files and folders, and learn how to
use their jump drives.
Please remember that your student should continue to regularly
practice their keyboarding. All 5th grade students must be able
to type two pages of text in a thirty to thirty-five minute period
by the end of the school year.
(Adzima)
th
The 6 Grade students use computer time as an extension of their
regular class work. The students have been taking Accelerated
Math tests in order to improve their Mathematics skills during their
technology classes. Every week students use the Internet program,
Spelling City, to improve their spelling skills. The 6th grade
students have used the iPads in their Language Arts classes to do
Internet research.
Please remember that your student should continue to regularly
practice their keyboarding. All 6th grade students must be able
to type three pages of text in a thirty minute period by the end
of the school year.
(Adzima)
The 7th Grade students use computer time as an extension of their
regular class work. The students have continued to work on
Accelerated Math practices and tests in order to improve their
Mathematics skills. Currently students working on their grammar
skills using the website NoRedInk.com. Next month the students
will start to learn Publisher by creating a Time magazine cover and
article for their Social Studies class.
(Adzima)
(Adzima)
The 4th Grade students use computer time as an extension of their
regular class work. The students have been practicing their
keyboarding skills using the online keyboarding program as well as
taking Accelerated Math tests during their class period. The class
has just started to explore MS-Word and will learn the features of
word processing in February.
The 8th Grade students use computer time as an extension of their
regular class work. The students have been working on
Accelerated Math practices and tests in order to improve their
Mathematics skills. During this month, students have been
completing numerous writing assignments for both Language Arts
and Religion during lab time. The students have also been
producing their documents using Google docs.
Mrs. Signoracci’s Classroom
7
+ 3
st
h te
Ma t
GRADES 2-4 ENRICHMENT
Second-grade PEP students listened to Grandfather Tang’s Story, a Tale Told with
Tangrams by Ann Tompert. They used tangrams to form animal characters that are
in the tale, and are now completing a packet of tangram activities designed to extend
their study of shapes.
The third-grade students in PEP created fabric tangram quilt squares and
completed some quilt activity papers. They also listened to The Quilt Maker’s Gift by
author Jeff Brumbeau, and discussed the theme of the story, that it is better to give
than to receive.
The last Grade 4 group finished PEP in January by playing Math Bingo. In
February, the newly formed fourth-grade PEP class will be completing several
extensive problems that will be solved using logic and reasoning.
ADVANCED MATH AND 8A MATH
In January, the fifth-grade students completed their study of decimal division. The
use of compatible numbers and estimation helped them in this process, as did
understanding the process of dividing by powers of ten. Modeling problems using
base-ten blocks and drawing quick pictures enabled students to make sense of
procedures and persevere in solving decimal problems. This month the students will
study fraction operations.
The students in sixth grade finished a unit on percents, and in doing so learned how
to find the percent of a number, the percent of change, sales tax and tips, discounts,
and simple interest, all applicable to real life situations.
Last month members of the seventh-grade class encountered challenging concepts
in a unit on linear functions and graphing. They studied rate of change, direct
variation, slope, and systems of equations. In addition, they wrote linear equations
using the slope and y-intercept, a graph, a table, or two points. Lines of best fit were
used to make predictions about data. February will be devoted to learning about
powers, scientific notation and non-linear functions.
After completing a unit on equations and inequalities, students in 8A Math
reviewed rates, ratios and proportions before studying scale drawings and models,
similar figures, and dilations in the coordinate plane.
Grades 2-4 Enrichment
Advanced Math and
8A Math
Math League
MATHCOUNTS
Summer Programs for
Gifted Students
MRS. JUDY SIGNORACCI
Pius Enrichment Program (PEP)
[email protected]
Advanced Math students in Grades
6-8 will participate in the Ohio
Mathematics League Contest on
Tuesday, February 17, during normal
class time. The contests include
straightforward to challenging questions
in a timed format. The top 5 scores in
each grade are forwarded to the regional
level. The contest date for Grade 4
PEP students and Grade 5 is Thursday,
April 23.
All the students participating in
MATHCOUNTS have become better
problem solvers through their
involvement in this program. The
MATHCOUNTS team, consisting of 4
students in Grades 6-8, as well as 6
individuals, will represent St. Pius X
School at the local Chapter competition
to be held at Columbus State
Community College on Saturday,
February 21. The students have been
meeting once a week after school since
October to prepare for the school
competition, which was held at the end
of January. Results of the school
competition will be posted next month.
Information about the Young Women’s Summer Institute (YWSI), designed to promote computer, math and science skills as well
as provide hands-on experiences, can be found at: http://www.osc.edu/ywsi. This program is designed for current 6th and 7th grade
girls.
Mrs. Rogich’s Reading Room
Building Confidence
•
•
Is your child having a difficult time reading? Will he/she only read a word unless he/she is sure that
he/she knows it? Here are a few ways to help him/her become a more confident reader.
o One of the most important things that your child needs to learn is a sense of self-esteem and
confidence. Maintain a positive attitude towards your child's reading habits. It can be important
to praise your child when progress is made, both in school and at home. The more faith your
child has in his/her own abilities, the more he/she will be motivated to read. In this way, you
can help your child get into a positive mindset.
o Encourage reading at home. Creating a calm, uncluttered reading area in your home can often
be helpful. Set a good example by reading in this area yourself. Help your child choose books
that are written at an appropriate reading level. If your child tries to read books that are too
hard, he/she will struggle with the text and may lose confidence. You can help your child find
appropriate books from AR grade-level reading lists found on my website. (AR Book Search)
o Discuss the book your child's reading with him/her on a regular basis. Always be positive and
maintain a sense of fun while you ask your child questions. Ask him/her about the various
characters and encourage him/her to make predictions. If your child struggles to read on
his/her own, sit down and read the book with him/her.
Learning something new, like reading, usually means taking risks. The way you react to your son or
daughter’s mistakes can help him/her feel more confident. If he/she tries to read a word and guess
wrong, try to find something that he/she did right when leading them to discover what the word really
is. For instance, if he/she says “house” instead of “home,” you might say, “you’re right- that word
starts with h and it makes sense in the sentence. Can you think of another h word that would make
sense here?
Fluency: The magic link
o A fluent reader recognizes words easily, knows or can figure out their meaning, and
comprehends what he/she reads. Think of fluency as the link between reading individual words
and understanding a book and use these suggestions to help your child become a more fluent
reader.
o Book Preview- Set your child up for success by helping him/her get to know a book before
he/she reads it. Have him/her flip through the pages and look for words that might trip
him/her up. Ask him/her to try sounding them out and guess what they mean. If he/she
struggles, help him/her look them up in a dictionary so he/she won’t get stuck and disrupt the
flow of the book.
o Punctuation Play- Commas, periods, and other punctuation marks give clues about how a
sentence should sound. Let your child write down a paragraph from a book and use differentcolored markers to highlight the marks. He/ She might use yellow for commas (slow down), red
for periods (stop), green for exclamation points (sound excited), and blue for question marks
(make his/her voice go up). Then, have him/her read the paragraph aloud, using the colors to
remind her of the punctuation.
o Repeated Readings- A new or struggling reader can become more fluent by rereading familiar
books. With reach read-through, your child will recognize more words instantly- a key to
fluency. Tip: Books that repeat phrases are great for building fluency. Try Are You My Mother?
By P.D. Eastman or The Napping House by Audrey Wood.
Mrs. Rogich 
Here is a recap of my guidance lessons in January:
Kindergarten – We discussed our fourth “I Care Rule” – caring about each other’s feelings. We read,
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr, and discussed when the students feel mad, sad, scared and happy.
Be sure to ask your child about the fun “feelings 4 corners” game we played! The students realized
that people have different feelings at different times and it’s ok to show them to others.
1st grade – Using the book, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, we discussed how our words can hurt
others. I used a paper heart to show that when we say mean things to others, it creates wrinkles, or
hurts, in our heart. No matter how hard we try, we cannot remove the wrinkles. Be sure to ask
about the wrinkled heart!
2nd grade – Second graders learned how to be free fish! Using the book, Simon’s Hook by Karen
Burnett, along with a short video, the students learned several strategies to deal with teasing and
hurtful words, rather than “biting the bait” like fish. Be sure to ask your child about one (or more) of
the strategies they learned (ignore, stay away, change the subject, use humor and agree with them)
3rd grade – We continued reading The Weird Series – this month we read Dare! by Erin Frankel. The
students were able to put themselves in the shoes of the bystander. Jayla, the character in the book
taught the students to be brave and prepared rather than scared, so we brainstormed what to say or
do to help the situation instead of remaining silent.
4th/5th grades – We continued our discussions on conflict resolution, specifically talking about conflict
starters and what behaviors and words cause conflicts to escalate. Next month, we will learn
strategies to de-escalate conflicts.
6th/7th/8th grades – In 6th grade, we continued to have discussions centered around the book, 7
Habits for Highly Effective Teens. Habit 2 focused on beginning with the end in mind in order help us
set goals and plan for the future. Jr. High students learned how to set SMART goals that are specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. All students had the opportunity to set a personal
or academic goal for themselves, so be sure to ask them about it!
Mrs. Sullivan 
[email protected]
614-866-6050, ext 416
Intervention Intersection
By Shelley Shoemaker, Intervention Specialist
“Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you
can clearly see the colors.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich
We live in a culture of great abundance. We are fortunate that many children in our lives
have never known real want, hunger, or need. For that, we are so thankful. However, there are
many others, children and adults alike, who struggle just to survive day-to-day due to the lack of
basic needs. As Catholic Christians, it is our duty to do what we can to ease the hardship of those
in need.
It’s so easy to take the plenty in our lives for granted. The least wealthy of us lives like a
king compared to a large percentage of the world’s population. In addition to helping as we are
able, it is another of our duties to teach our children to be grateful and appreciative of all they have.
Fostering an attitude of gratitude is vital to the development of a well-rounded human being.
Listed below are some important steps to consider when working to instill the qualities exemplified
by a grateful individual who finds happiness, beauty, and joy in his life.
1. Model and teach gratitude
Our children want to be like us. We provide the blueprint for what to say and what to do and in what contexts. Expressing
gratitude through words, writing, and small gifts or acts of reciprocity are all ways to teach children how to become
grateful. Showing your children that blessings abound and that being thankful is a valued attitude can help them to
recognize and appropriately respond to their good fortune.
2. Spend time with your children and be mindful when with them
Another way to spell love is T-I-M-E. Believe it or not, children and, yes, even adolescents, like being with their parents.
Giving a child a lot of quality time with you teaches them the language of love—life’s greatest gift. Savor every moment
together, big and small, and rid yourself of distractions at such times, including your smartphone. Being mindful helps
you maintain empathy toward a child, and this provides important modeling of empathy, the most important emotion for
developing gratitude and moral behavior. It will also give you and your child a heightened sense of appreciation for the
things both of you love and for your relationship.
3. Support your child’s autonomy
Using an authoritative or democratic parenting style, which is firm, yet flexible, supports children’s autonomy. This will
enhance family relationships, improve the atmosphere at home, and help bring out their strengths and talents, all good
for making grateful kids. By taking ownership over their skills and talents and being responsible for developing them,
children gain things to appreciate in life and make it easier to attract support from others, thus inviting gratitude into
their daily life. Also, limiting children’s media consumption and guiding them to use media in prosocial ways protects
them from commercial influences that discourage the development of the authenticity, self-development, and social
interaction necessary to grow into positive, purposeful, grateful individuals.
4. Use kids’ strengths to fuel gratitude
After you’ve identified your children’s top strengths and you know their unique strengths profile, you should encourage
and help them to use those strengths whenever possible. Not only does this open up opportunities for others to contribute
to the things your children love, but it also enables your children to strengthen their ability to be helpful and cooperative
toward others, which will make them more grateful. To directly promote gratitude, encourage and help your children to
use their strengths to thank and be kind to others.
5. Help focus and support kids to achieve intrinsic goals
It’s very easy for people, especially youth, to pursue extrinsic—or materialistic—goals such as desiring or having
possessions that show wealth, status, or convey a certain image. This usually leads to less fulfilling social relationships
and limits prospects for developing deep connections with others and genuine gratitude. It’s our job to steer them away
from pursuing extrinsic goals and toward pursuing intrinsic goals, such as engaging in activities that provide community,
affiliation, and growth. Not only will successfully achieving these goals fulfill children’s fundamental human needs of
competency, belongingness, and autonomy, but their personal development, happiness, success, and gratitude depend
on it. To amplify their gratitude even more, remember to savor their accomplishments with them along the way, and
encourage them to thank those who’ve helped them meet their goals.
6. Encourage helping others and nurturing relationships
Helping others and being generous are two key ingredients for making grateful kids. When children lend a hand,
especially while using their strengths, they feel more connected to those they’re helping, which helps them to develop
and nurture friendships and social relationships. A great way to do this is by teaching them through your actions that
other people matter and that tending to relationships should be a priority. To help children strengthen their relationships,
you should encourage them to be thoughtful of others, to thank others regularly, and to be cooperative, helpful, and
giving.
7. Help kids find what matters to them
Having a sense of purpose in life gives youth a compass for creating a meaningful life. As adults, it’s our job to help kids
discover their passions and to find a path to purpose that resonates with them— with their values, interests, and dreams.
This starts with feeding their interests in the social issues they care about and pushing them to learn as much as they can
about those issues and discover ways they can make a difference. The deepest sense of gratitude in life comes from
connecting to a bigger picture, to an issue that matters to others and doing things that contribute to society down the
road.
to make grateful kids isn’t just an issue for families; it’s an issue for society as well. Society desperately needs to harness
the power of gratitude. As our world becomes more culturally diverse and digitally connected, and as complex
societal problems mount, gratitude may help catalyze the motivation and skills youth need to succeed not just
academically but in the “life test” too. We must all do our part to help kids develop into moral adults, who will contribute
to a world of compassion and care. But, while there’s no quick fix for cultivating gratitude in young people, the more we
remain committed to it, the more rewards we’ll reap. Indeed, by bringing out the best in our kids, we can only
imagine what blessings this next generation could bring. Anything worthwhile takes a lot of time and effort. It’s up to all
of us to make it happen.
Excerpted from: Seven Ways to Foster Gratitude in Kids
By Jeffrey Froh, Giacomo Bono | March 5, 2014 |
You might ask why the Intervention Specialist is covering such a topic. As we all know, human
beings are complex and complicated. In my field, it’s important to consider all aspects of
development as they might influence learning and academic success. Research suggests that
grateful young adolescents (ages 11-13), compared to their less grateful counterparts, are happier
and more optimistic, have better social support, are more satisfied with their school, family,
community, friends, and themselves, and give more emotional support to others. It has also
found that grateful teens (ages 14-19) are more satisfied with their lives, use their strengths to
better their community, are more engaged in their schoolwork and hobbies, have higher grades,
and are less envious, depressed, and materialistic. How’s that for tying it all together! : )
February 2015
Sun
1
Mon
Tue
2
Wed
3
4
Thu
5
PSR 5-6:30
Fri
6
Sat
7
Parent Teacher
Conferences
7AM to 10:30 AM
Parent Teacher
Conferences
4PM to 7:30PM
NO SCHOOL
8
9
PSR 1:30-2:30
10
16
No PSR
12
13
A C T S
17
President’s Day
O F
K I N D N E S S
18
Math League
6th, 7th & 8th
W E E K
19
20
Interims Sent Home
Ash Wednesday
Mass 1:15PM
SCAAP
NO SCHOOL
22
23
14
13
Valentine’s Day
Parties
Home & School
meeting 6:30 PM
5th Grade Job Fair
R A N D O M
15
11
Stations 1:45PM
24
25
26
27
28
Leap Day
PSR 5-6:30
Pizza with the Pastor
Stations 1:45PM
S P X
P A R I S H
21
SPX Reconciliation
Workshop
3:15-4:45
Cafeteria
M I S S I O N
J U M P
R O P E
F O R
T H E
H E A R T
St. Pius X Children’s Center
REGISTRATION for 2015-16
Preschool and Pre-K
Monday, February 16th
SPX School Cafeteria
Current or Previous Children Center Families along with babysitters and transportation helpers may
register in the “Big School” Cafeteria
8:15 a.m.
SPX and Parishioners from any Catholic Church in the Diocese who’ve never been with the Children’s
Center may register in the cafeteria
9:00 a.m.
Open to All
9:45 a.m.
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We have many classes from which to choose.
We are Licensed by the Ohio Department of Education
We Follow ( “Exceed”  ) The ODE Early Learning Content Standards
For Information and Fees Call Mary or Sharon (614) 577-0826
$100 Non-Refundable Registration/Supply Fee Due at Registration
Paperwork is now available in the Children’s Center office and the SPX Elementary web site
to make registration day easier!
St. Pius X Children’s Center
614-577-0826
Schedule of Classes and Fees for 2014-15
$100 Non-Refundable Registration--Supply Fee
Two Day Preschool
Child must be 3 yrs. by September 30, 2014
Monday/Wednesday
8:30-11:00
Wednesday/Friday
12:00-2:30
Tuesday/Thursday
9:00-11:30
Three Day Pre-K
Child must be 4 yrs. by September 30, 2014
Monday/Wednesday/Friday (3 hour class)
8:15-11:15
$120 per month
$165 per month
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Pre-K
9:00-11:30
12:00-2:30
$150 per month
Two Day-- All Day Pre-K
Tuesday/Thursday
8:15-2:15
$185 per month
Four Day Pre-K
Monday-Thursday
8:30-11:00
12:00-2:30
$173 per month
Children must be daytime toilet trained.
Pull-Ups are permitted only with a doctor’s note.