CLASSROOM UPDATES
Primary Class
The Primary classroom has been working on alphabet recognition, letter recognition, name recognition and walking in a straight line. We also learn a letter each week and talk about the different animals and other objects that start with that letter. We are also working on fine and gross motor skills.
Intermediate Class
The Intermediate Class enjoyed a bowling field trip followed by a visit to Pizza Hut for lunch with the Secondary class.
We have changed our morning routine to include a "Meeting Time" which is part of our new math program, Saxon Math. Every day following prayer, we follow a schedule which includes a more detailed calendar, weather, graphing, patterns and counting.
We are looking forward to a trip to LaSalle Academy to see "Beauty and the Beast" performed by the LSA 6th Grade. We will also be participating in a Pysanky Workshop with the 6th Grade from LSA. Mrs. Diane Rollins will conduct the workshop for us and the Secondary class. Each student will have the opportunity to create their own special egg.
We had a great week of Catholic Schools Week celebrations. We thank all those who make every day special for us, and we thank our families for loving us so much to let us be part of the JPII Family!
Secondary Class
On February 28th our Embryology Unit begins. A new 4-H Club teacher, Mrs. Smith, will be teaching this year with support by Mrs. Berkhammer and Mrs. Bashore. This allows for all students to benefit from the lessons.
We will be touring the Reading Museum in early March, and visiting the new exhibit, "Treasures of the Sea." In mid March we will be eating lunch at Pizza Hut, and will be using our Book-It rewards to pay for our trip.
Our last big Hoagie Sale of the year is March 31st. Proceeds from this sale and our fall Hoagie Sale will allow us to go on our trip to Harrisburg and Hershey, where we will tour the capitol building and State museum, and Hershey Chocolate World - this trip is in early May. Some of the proceeds will also be donated to KeyStoneSoldiers.com. During Catholic Schools Week the students collected items for care packages to be sent to our troops by KeyStoneSoldiers.
April 27th is Special Olympics at Kutztown University. We have started training already! Students will also be invited to attend a Reading Phillies Game in April for Newspapers in Education.
We will celebrate the school year with the Prom, on May 6th.
Multi-Disabilities Class
The Multi-disabilities classroom uses sensory activities as a way to have every student participate in the learning process. Our classroom has experienced the winter season. We took bowls of snow from outside to make small individual snowmen. Using different art mediums, we made faces on the snowmen, and we created polar bears on icebergs using cotton balls.
We are reading to "think Spring." Fine motor skills and many other IEP goals can be worked on during ssensory activities. We have started making sunflowers by painting paper plates yellow and black and glueing real sunflower seeds on the dried black paint. We use specially adapted scissors to cut the leaves and stems. Our spring theme will be complete when we make kites with strips of fabric for the tails.
Cub Scout Pack 222
Boys at John Paul II Center are encouraged to join our Cub Scout Pack, which meets twice each month on Monday’s at noon. Our scouts enjoy a variety of activities centered around advancements, including learning about and participating in an outside cookout, engineering, and of course, the annual Pinewood Derby, held on April 27th. The scouts designed their cars, and transformed a block of wood into a sleek racing car.
The Pack is chartered to John Paul II Center. The Cubmaster is Jim Kaucher, and he is assisted by Shelly Kreska, George Shiels, and Elaine Strick.
