Slytherin and Ravenclaw tie for House Cup!!!

Miss Loomis' language class finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone this week.  One activity we had was competing for the House Cup.  Each house earned points for good behavior, participation, and turning in homework on time.  Today the winners were announced.  Slytherin and Ravenclaw tied for first place with 122 points.  Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tied with 103 points.  Their reward was a Little Ceasar's Pizza Party.  Congratulations to both groups!

1st Grade Writes Stories!

The first grade students have discovered the power of the written word!  They have started writing and illustrating their own stories.  Once finished they love being able to read them to the other students in the class.  They also get to read them to various teachers in the building.

Inaugural WinterFest is a big success!

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, we opened our doors for the inaugural WinterFest. The event ran from 12:00-6:00 and featured craft booths, Bingo and Loteria, Mexican food dishes (as well as Mr. Ron's pizza and hotwings) music, dancers, and children's games.

It is events such as this which truly showcase the spirit of Annunciation Catholic School. We are blessed to be a strong school and parish community. Special thanks to the members of the Parish council, school faculty, and School Advisory Committee (SAC) who helped make the event a big success.

Thanks to all the parishoners, parents and students who came out on Saturday. We hope you had fun!

Much to be thankful for!

November was a very busy month at Annunciation Catholic School, and we have much to be thankful for! 

Here are two events that we would like to highlight:

 On November 17th, we had close to 90 families represented at our  annual Grandparents' Lunch. Once again, Mr. Ron outdid himself and prepared a delicious Thanksgiving feast for our entire school community to enjoy! We are very appreciative in the role that our grandparents take in helping raise and  care for the students at Annunciation. We have many grandparents that support our school in other ways, through volunteering in the classroom, and driving on field trips.

Additionally, through the help of St. Anne's School, many of our families received a Thanksgiving food basket to enjoy over the holidays. We are always appreciative of the support our school community receives from other local parishes and schools.

Thank you to all those who love and help care for our school community! We are truly blessed and extremely thankful for your kindness.

3rd Grade Multiplication Mathletes!

Third grade begins the fall with the very challenging task of memorizing their multiplication tables.Research shows that the quick and effortless recall of math facts frees up a student's mind for higher levels of mathematics and helps them be successful in their academics. Using a variety of math review games, daily 1 minute drills and partner quizzes we are confident we can master all our facts. Knowing we have an ice cream party in our future as a celebration will help keep us motivated.If you have a third grader in your home or if you happen to see one in the hallway, help them out and ask them to tell you one of their multiplication facts!

Plant cells, leaves, and 5th grade fun!

                The fifth grade delves deeper into life sciences by looking closely at the building blocks of life: CELLS! As always, when we enter a new unit – be it in science or social studies – our examination of the surrounding world hinges on guiding questions. In this case, our investigation of plant cells, leaves, and color change is driven by one question: “How do living, created things relate to each other and the environment?” Through this lens, we are more deeply able to build an understanding of cellular biology without depriving our inquiry of the idea that God plays the most creative role in the relationship between living things. How exciting that we can observe evidence of photosynthesis with scientist minds and joyful, Christ-centered hearts at the same time!  

             

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Holy Family Basketball Skills Camp

Wednesday, October 12th was an exciting day for our female students in grades 3rd-8th. Stephanie Giltner, a member of the Holy Family Varsity Basketball team, came to Annunciation to talk to our girls about the importance of teamwork and also taught them some new skills for the upcoming basketball season.

Stephanie and Susie Powers, former collegiate basketball player and current HF teacher, spent the evening with our girls hosting two sessions for the 3rd-5th grades and the 6th-8th grades.

At the end of each session each girl was presented with a Holy Family t-shirt and encouraged to make this basketball season the best one yet.

Our students had a great time playing basketball with Stephanie and Susie. We are extremely thankful for the support they give to the Annunciation community.

     

  

    

 

Kindergarten and First Grade meet some local firefighters!

The Kindergarten and First Grade enjoyed seeing the firefighters and their truck.  They learned to get out of the house fast, and not to go back for any pets.  They were also reminded to "Stop, Drop and Roll" if their clothing catches fire.  The firefighters also explained the difference between a firetruck and a fire engine. We are very appreciative that the Denver Fire Department took time out of their day to teach our students!

Exploring Life Science

During the 1st Grade Life Science unit, the students are going to watch a tadpole develop into a frog.  They also took a mini-field trip to the7th grade room to see the many animals that live there.  The students enjoyed touching the turtle, watching the bearded dragon eat crickets and observing the various fish in their tanks.  However, the students thought the best part by far was seeing and touching the snake!

Social and Emotional Progress Through Collaboration

           In the midst of all the math, science, reading, and writing, the 5^th grade also takes time to ensure we know what it means to collaborate. As we learned in social studies, the most successful people in life know how to work well with others. Hence, as part of developing our social and emotional well being, we went outside and practiced principles of collaboration while trying to untie a human knot. As you can see from the pictures, we did it!

                         


 

         

Check out the unique program we offer for parents!

The first session of parenting classes at Annunciation have started! Throughout the year the school offers a variety of classes to assist parents in the important role of raising their child(ren). From conflict-management, to nutrition classes, we hope to offer something for everyone.

The first session, Second Step,  is a program that has the unique feature of informing parents how their children are being taught to get along with others. 

The curriculum for both students and parents includes three major components:  

1.    Empathy means identifying and understanding others’ feelings in order to be a more caring person.  The skills include listening, acknowledging others’ feelings and using “I feel” messages.

2.    Impulse Control.  Most children benefit by learning to slow down and think through options when faced with difficult situations or problems.  Impulse Control means using problem-solving skills.

3.    Anger Management.  In most families anger and conflict are a normal part of family life.  The point is how anger is dealt with.  Anger in itself is not bad.  The Anger Management steps can help all of us recognize, understand and control anger.

This family program allows parents to reinforce the skills their children are learning at school. 

All classes are taught in both English and Spanish.  Sheila Karpan, LCSW,

Annunciation’s school social worker will be facilitating the English segment and Juana Becerril, parent and trainer will facilitate the Spanish class.  Parents also share their wisdom and learn from each other.  We are all looking forward to five weeks of animated discussions, input and exchanges. 

Please contact the school office if you would like more information on this program. 

Studying the seasons by creating an apple tree book.

The first grade has started making an apple tree book.  Once a month they will go outside and observe how the school's apple tree has changed, and will write about the changes.  They will also illustrate their book with drawings of how the tree looks during each season. This project is multi-discipline and will give the first graders a clear understanding of the changes that occur to living things in different seasons.

Towers of Self-Control

The 6th graders built "Towers of Self-Control" in Religion class earlier this month. The students have been discussing this Fruit of the Holy Spirit in Religion class for a number of days, and this was one of the activities that they completed to both "test" their self-control and to create a visual representation of their self-control.

It was fun to watch each student create their own unique towers. The students were required to build a stable tower that could withstand pressure, and were asked to build high. Each student created their own tower, which added well to the lesson that we are each working on self-control in different parts of our lives, and it requires different personal skills to reach our goals.

At the end of the lesson, it was fun when our self-control paid off and we had some treats to munch on at the very end of the day!

First Grade has fun working on the calendar

Every morning the 1st grade starts the day with calendar activities.  We recite the days of the week, and continue a pattern for the month, as well as talk about yesterday, today and tomorrow.  However, the most fun is counting the days of school.  When we get to 100 we will have a special celebration.

Engineering sketches with 3rd & 5th grades.

3rd and 5th grade art students worked on engineering sketches. Without the ability to communicate well, engineers cannot function in a team and are of limited value to industry. Technical drawing and sketching are essential communication tools for engineers. Using established sketching conventions (orthographic projections and isometric sketches), students learned how to quickly convey their design ideas to others.