January, 2021
Happy New Year Prayers & Blessings to All

We have a full month ahead of us.
January 15th's School Mass is dedicated to Smiley Hernandez, the beloved husband of our wonderful Miss Virginia. He was a dedicated volunteer at St. Adelaide Academy, always sharing a ready smile and a handy tool. We miss you, Smiley. 

We are collecting new or gently-used jackets and blankets for Mary's Table.
STAR testing is next week. We are always thrilled to see the scores rise.
Yay! We'll have a virtual Book Fair during Catholic Schools Week.
On January 21 our middle school students will participate by Zoom in our school's 



This will be a first for them, as they will present their "science boards"
as a slide show to the judges and me.
With God beside us, our students are up to the challenge.
We will be working on our prayer assembly for January 27.
The students enjoy organizing this and writing some of what we say. 
 In Literature, we finished a creative study of Pompeii.
We continue our analysis of news events, realizing that our opinions are worthwhile. We are made in God's image and we model our actions accordingly.
May God bless each of you.
Mary Pettitt      MPettitt@sbdiocese.org

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Christmas, 2020

The 6th grade wishes all of you the blessings of this holy season.
We have learned about Jesus's ancestors through our work on the Jesse Tree.
This appears on the school's Christmas program.
All middle school science classes have been working on their STEM Fair slide shows. They are embracing this new method of digital science fair boards (as they have been during the Covid-19 restrictions) with enthusiasm and lots of questions. 
St. Adelaide Academy's STEM Fair will be held on-line on Thursday, Jan. 21.
We will be showing how much we've learned on the second trimester STAR test which will be taken in January. Students are competing for the number of points received through Reading Renaissance. We have some voracious readers in our class. I'm proud of everyone as they finish books they've enjoyed. I enjoy hearing about the books, too. Read on, students! We are Effective, Lifelong Learners.
Mary Pettitt, homeroom teacher

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20 November 2020
The sixth grade is

 The week we come back, sixth grade will be busy practicing for our Assembly leadership on December 2. This is available live on our Facebook site. We are also putting together our Christmas program Jesse Tree live display. There will be art work and  explanations of the process. This will be a Zoom event with the other classes and their presentations. 

Plus, middle school is working on their STEM projects as well as keeping up with their studies. Sciences will have active labs this trimester, too. 
Always busy, always learning, always sharing our faith.
________

6 November 2020

All school learned about the dangers of drug use during Red Ribbon Week. Sixth graders wrote poems about this.

I’m happy to be me,
But I’m happier to be drug free.
I know I can be brave,
And I’ll work hard to behave.
Being drug free
Is important to me.      R.J.

How do you be drug free?
Just be like me. Don’t do drugs.
Smoking can badly affect your lungs.
If users don’t stop doing drugs quick,
People will start to get really sick.
Don’t damage your lungs:
Be brave, say NO, and be drug free.    Jaelyn

Drug free is the way to be.
It really is not too hard to see.
A healthy mind and a happy heart will set you free.
Family and friends everywhere,
Surround yourself with people who care.
Show kindness to those who battle addictions,
Drugs, alcohol or even prescriptions.
Become educated and educate others,
So that we can help people recover.
This will make our country a better place,
And we owe it all to God’s amazing grace.   David

Drugs are crude;
They will put you in a bad mood.
Don’t turn bad.
Drugs will make you sad.
Care for yourself and others around you.
Be happy and be a good person.
Don’t take drugs.
Be brave and stand up to drugs and people who use and sell them.
DON’T TAKE DRUGS.    Ryan

Drugs are not healthy.
They rob your mind of concentration.
You must make a choice:
Your health is your priority.
Don’t take drugs; it’s for your own good.
Make a good choice.   Nathaniel

Be brave, be happy
To live a very happy life.
Don’t do drugs or smoke
And live a happy and nice life.    Jacob

Be happy in your life, stay healthy
And don’t do drugs.
When you explore and discover this world
You want to be healthy.
Expand your life and be drug free.
Be strong and be brave.
DON’T DO DRUGS.   Nathan

The best part of me is drug free. 
I do not let drugs control my life. 
They do not decide who I am 
Why? Because I am strong and free 
Drugs do not belong to me 
I can choose my own fate 
You can too, it’s no too late 
To make it right 
You are not alone in this fight 
You got your friends; your family 
And one life to live 
So do yourself a favor and don’t do drugs 
And when you see a loved one 
Give them a hug 
Let them know your love 
Is worth more than drugs.   Graison

There you have it! Wisdom from the Sixth Grade.

7 October 2020

We are learning so much. Each sixth grader produced individual slide show research presentations on a Federal quarter of the recent commemmorative issues. This was a first-time project for them, and they excelled, even in the source citations. Now they are ready to tackle the background research report for their STEM Fair project.

Yes, we will have our annual STEM Fair in January. This year we will present using slide shows that the students develop. They have already completed a few scientific method science labs, so they should be well-versed in this one.

We are discussing components of Fire Safety Week now and will discuss Earthquake Safety next week, in time for the Great Shakeout on 10-15 at 10:15. Since student safety is a primary concern of ours, we stress mask wearing when we leave our homes. Our daily CNN-10 viewing often has tips for safety, too. I find our students are very attentive during this brief 10 minute addition to our teaching day.

Sciences

Sixth grade science has just finished determining the properties of Hydrogen (pH) of varous household liquids. Exploring pH on Zoom was qute interesting.

Seventh grade science has been exploring genetics. Today was the Variation in Species lab. Students who didn't have a handful of beans or sunflower seeds to explore viewed the red beans I was showing using our Elmo apparatus on Zoom. The students were able to discuss findings with each other and me.

Eighth graders are researching assigned telescopes and are preparing slide shows for oral reports this week. I find they learn a great deal from each other's information and all the visuals they prepare to share with their classmates.

I am proud of our students. We offer so many ways for them to learn. Teaching a full curriculum is benefitting all our students. Gob bless you, every one.

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13 September 2020

Time is flying. Students are used to a full day's school and many come around to my tutoring after hours. St. Adelaide's teachers are always happy to help.
This week we are administering the STAR Reading and Math tests. Students are already used to taking these tests on electronic devices, so we don't forsee any problems. Academics are going very well. Students are becoming very organized and wait for the next assignment to show up on Google Classroom. 
We have begun reading "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo. The story is told from the horse's viewpoint. I am able to explain the horse terms that are found throughout the book. I've even set up a group of photos to show students what a horse's collar is, what a bridle is, etc. I shared on Zoom my dad's crop, which he used in 1941 in the US Cavalry, before we entered the war. If we were on campus, I would have let them handle this treasure of mine.

SCIENCES

6th GRADE dissected their cookies and learned how to plot coordinate pairs. Now they ae measuring various things using SI, the metric system.

7th GRADE has learned how to mount a slide with spirogyra and cheek cells. First they learned about microscope powers and how to fucus. I'm proud of how careful they are being with the 'scopes they took home. Next we will learn about cell functions.

8th GRADE is studying atoms, half lives and the periodic table. This week's lab is related to the toxicity of heavy metals and the Superfund program. There wll be a lot of research and sharing of findings on slide presentations.

Our students are learning a lot of new things, and for the most part, are enjoying school on line. I am proud of them all.

M.Pettitt


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26 August 2020

I am Mary Pettitt, the sixth grade and middle school science teacher. I was educated in the Catholic school system from first through 12th grades, and my style of teaching reflects what worked so well for me. My Catholic faith is strong and prayer is a fundamental part of my life. My husband and I are in our 46th year of marriage. We are blessed with a son and daughter and two wonderful grandchildren.  Science is an interest that has stayed with me for all my life. My first profession was nursing, and I am still actively registered. Then I raised my children and researched and wrote an 800 page family history that is in the Library of Congress. School teaching began about 26 years ago, with 20+ years in the Diocese, first at St. Anne then at St. Adelaide. I feel so blessed to be able to help students grow in their faith and academics. Many of you know that I have Type I diabetes. I hope one thing my students learn from me is that by doing their best and believing in God, they can deal with whatever life brings to them. We'll have a good year. Kids are great!
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17 August 2020

Welcome new 6th grade students. We will have a terrific, faith-filled year of learning with God and our family beside us. I'm working hard on putting together learning packets that include a lot of hands-on science labs that we'll do together on Zoom. Be sure to pick up your packet bag and texts this Wednesday-Friday. You'll want to be ready the first day of school, 24 August. God bless you!
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28 May 2020

     As our school year draws to a close, I look back on our surprise third trimester at home. We've been doing very well with our Distance Learning.  Our students are more than prepared for their next grade in school. I am particularly proud of my sixers. They learned the electronics programs early and had no trouble turning in assignments for all their classes. We used Google Classroom for assignments and Zoom for our classroom. We even went on virtual field trips and had some science labs at home, on Zoom. Seeing my students' faces each day was wonderful. We kept our mics open so we could share ideas and talk back & forth, just like school on campus. Students were able to help each other as they would have in person. God was with us, as always. We learned to work independently and to value contact with our friends.
     I am so thankful for all our caring parents who worked tirelessly to ensure their students were able to learn. You all rock!
     As this year draws to a close, I am confident that our students will continue learning over the summer. Since we follow the CNN-10 news every day, they are well-versed with the reasons for keeping themselves medically safe. They like keeping up with current events.
     I wish all of you a happy, healthy summer. Go with God and make every day a spiritual one. God be with you!
 

1. 1 – (12ct) #2 pencils
2. 1 – (12 ct) blue pens
3. 1 – (12 ct) black pens
4. 1 – highlighter
5. 1 – (12”) flexible ruler
6. 1 – (8-24 ct) long colored pencils
7.        1 – (8ct) broad washable markers
8.        1 – (200 pg) college lined filler paper (buy extra & keep at home)
9.        6 – folders pocket only, one folder with 3-prong
10.        1 – pair of student scissors
11.        1 – small pack of 4×4 graph paper
12.        2 – boxes Kleenex (large boxes)
13.        4 – large containers of Lysol-type disinfecting wipes & two 16 oz hand sanitizers
14.        8 – (70 pg) 1 subject spiral notebooks (wide) (buy extras & keep at home)
15.        1 – white board pen
16.        1 – composition books
17.        1 – pocket dictionary
18.   Simple calculator
19.   Binder with dividers
20.   Flash drive, low capacity
21.   Pencil box, small
22.   Backpack – wheeled ones are handy

Please ensure that your child replenishes his/her supplies throughout the school year.

Please be sure your child’s name is on all of the supplies.

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