“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” Isaiah
Merry Christmas!! The fifth graders have prepared their hearts for Jesus by studying,
composing poems, and receiving the sacrament of Penance in the season of Advent. Students
studied how God prepared His people for Jesus’s coming and the meaning of the symbols of the Advent wreath and the Jesse Tree. They united their love of poetry with the important meanings of Christmas. These experiences were deepened by receiving the Sacrament of Penance with Father Marc.
The Academy of Saint James shared the holiday spirit with the Christmas Extravaganza.
A wonderful performance was given by all the students. My fifth grader enjoyed singing and
dancing to ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and later in the performance they sang the beautiful hymn
‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks’. At the end, everyone was smiling as they prepared
their hearts for the birth of Jesus.
Relative to academics/Language Arts, students worked on extending the roles of the
types of sentences as simple, compound, complex and nouns as subject complements, direct and indirect object. They have added seventy new vocabulary words from our Sadlier Vocabulary book and are using them in their writing. In this manner students grow in their understanding and mastery of reading skills and literary elements. In my perspective, students develop the important goal of a love for reading.
From the Academy of Saint James students and families to the parishioners of Saint
James, May the gifts of love, happiness, and peace be with you during this blessed season of
Christmas.
Mrs. Shire - Fifth Grade Teacher