Beatitude for the month of September: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
Tomorrow is the memorial of St. Francis of Assisi! St. Madeline's Blessing of the Animals will be on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 12:15. If you belong to another parish, check your parish's website/bulletin - Yours might have one, too! (My parish, St. John Chrysostom, has theirs tomorrow at 1:00. I'll be there with Coach Blaine! 🐶)
If you want to do corrections, this weekend is a good time to get them done since you don't have other homework! Scroll down to Tuesday for details! Email me with any questions!
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 Happy October and happy memorial of St. Therese!
5th grade, see below if you want to do corrections! You *might* have other homework from me tomorrow night, so tonight might be a good night to get it done!
6th grade, you'll get your tests back tomorrow!
FYI for parents/students: If a student skips something on a test, has a "half answer", or has a vague answer (to an open-ended question) that might be correct if they add a little more, I'll usually give them a chance to finish the question if they can. I still have a few more 6th graders to follow up with about test items like these!
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025
5th grade is allowed to do corrections for their tests. Please follow these guidelines:
Write your corrections neatly on a separate piece of paper (preferably lined.)
Write the FULL question/answer out in a sentence! Single words answers out of context won't be accepted. We write because it helps you commit the information to memory!
LOOK UP your answers to make sure your correction is right! Use your book, your notes, and info/notes that I've posted here on the homework page! Finding the answers is part of the learning process, too; don't just ask your parent!
You receive half a point back for each correctly done correction. (Anyone can do corrections; it doesn't matter how many you got wrong!)
After I've checked your corrections, if you really had a hard time with a test and want to do a retest, you can, but corrections come first because I need to know that you're studying the correct information! (Students receive full credit for retests. I recommend using this option for times that the grade is low enough that it'll still be low, even after doing corrections.)
The most important thing to me is that you learn the information, and I hope that all of these options (corrections, retests) help you learn what we need to know! Tests are a learning tool and when you learn the information isn't as important to me as knowing that you're learning it!
(Thanks for your patience, 6th grade! Yours are next!)
5th grade, notes about angels are below!
6th grade learned about their first saint, St. Jerome today!
Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 Happy Feast of the Archangels!
6th grade, if anyone didn't finish their notes today, here is the link! (5th grade will do these tomorrow.) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QsqMJkra2GoJw0l43ORoMV-W5jBbnHCh8ORztEBFQt0/edit?usp=sharing
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025
Both classes: Chapter 1 tests tomorrow! Both classes' tests will also include two feasts of Mary (Nativity BVM and Our Lady of Sorrows), two saints (St. Carlo and Si. Pier Giorgio), and the first beatitude. Scroll down to Monday and Tuesday for more study links and information!
Today, fifth grade did a great job in their review! We didn't get through all of these questions, but we did a lot. Fifth grade, if there were questions any I asked today that you didn't know, make sure you study them!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-9pExhFE-B-Ha5dn-csBgURL7kuXBCv0M5IGDJUFVSQ/edit?usp=sharing
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025
Chapter 1 test Thursday!
If you didn't have a chance to try the quiz and/or study from the study guide, please do it tonight!
Here are some notes on things we learned that are NOT in the book. (Both classes.) At the end of class today, I told the 6th grade to think about what seemed like the most important things to know, and they did a GREAT job coming up with questions for each other! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V3aKkMYHRapII9svsWFT-gQpiYqEfrMbyChQGJd0pSI/edit?usp=sharing
Here's how I would study:
If you did the quiz last night, tonight, read over the notes I posted above and (if you remembered your notebook!), read over the notes we wrote in your notebook. If it's in your notes, it's important. If you forgot your notebook, scroll down and find the link to your grade's chapter 1 study guide, which summarizes each lesson.
Tomorrow, study from your book! Go back and see what we highlighted. Just like notes, if we highlighted it, it's important. If we added any words into the book (like "synagogue" for 6th grade), you should know it. Read over the chapter review pages (including the one with the key words and facts.)
Everyone has been doing a great job! 5th grade and I will do a review game tomorrow. (6th grade will be at Spanish, but here are the questions we used in the review game last year! We had a good review today, but ran out of time to play a game! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PQ3EjHLpgsYJaSj_2CLLB3DUuqobjk6ewMY95wpmL2Y/edit?tab=t.0
Monday, Sept. 22, 2025
Both classes: Chapter 1 test for both classes on Thursday. In addition to what's in the book, both classes should know the first Beatitude (and what it means), and know a little bit about St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio (we'll review both a little this week.)
Tonight, take the book chapter quiz (links below) and email me your result! (tcunnane@stjamesregional.com). If you have time, you can start to study from the book study guide, too.
Grade 5 quiz: https://isr.loyolapress.com/col_g5_s1
Grade 5 book study guide: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/lpress-craft/files/col2016-files/Christourlife2016-study-gd-g5-ch1.pdf
If any 5th graders didn't get your notes copied, look here! (Scroll down to the 9/22 section). Remember, if something is in your notes, it's important!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bJGMKp11UHnTHcoAffrPk_tyPqkdwysySuoDf7OSqVA/edit?usp=sharing
Grade 6 quiz: https://isr.loyolapress.com/col_g6_s1
Grade 6 book study guide: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/lpress-craft/files/col2016-files/Christourlife2016-study-gd-g6-ch1.pdf
If any 6th graders ran out of time to get your notes copied, this is what we did today: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y-JeThHGqKB2WH665cVjb1y1Wn_tZdQG9WsWcddE60Q/edit?usp=sharing
*Remember! The Loyola Press links can always be found on the "Resource" section of my website if I ever forget to post it here!)
Friday, Sept. 19, 2025
Looking ahead: I plan to give both classes their first test next Thursday! (Pushing grade 5 back a day, too.) I'll revise last year's study guides over the weekend - There are some things that I skipped this year due to starting the year learning about our new saints and the Beatitudes before we delved into our usual lessons.
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025
5th Grade: Prayer survey! We started this in school. Ask family members who live with you, ask a neighbor or call a family member or two on the phone! Complete the chart.
Looking towards next Wed. to have a test on Chapter 1 and the two feasts of Mary that we learned about so far (The Nativity of Mary and Our Lady of Sorrows.)
6th Grade: We will probably have a test next Thursday! Scheduling tests for 6th grade is tricky due to having Spanish on Wednesdays.
It will be on chapter 1 (which we're still finishing) and the two feasts of Mary that we learned about so far (The Nativity of Mary and Our Lady of Sorrows.)
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025
5th Grade: If anyone either didn't finish copying your notes or wants to review what we did today, here is a link to your notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bJGMKp11UHnTHcoAffrPk_tyPqkdwysySuoDf7OSqVA/edit?usp=sharing
In this chapter, we're learning about praising and worshipping God. (Why we praise Him, ways we worship Him, etc.) Don't forget to pray to God each day at home to thank and praise him for all the blessings in your life! If you want to pray by listening to the song we reflected on for our prayer in class today, here is the link: https://youtu.be/NIPEGrwPABY?si=yywh39dEpLpIjreV
(6th grade goes to Spanish on Wednesday afternoons during their religion time, so the only time they should have Wednesday night religion homework is if it was assigned on Tuesday and due on Thursday.)
Monday, Sept. 15, 2025
Both classes:
You have a little homework tonight. I know that all the days to honor Mary can be a lot to remember, so we're going to review the first couple to make sure you have them down.
If you forgot to bring your notebook home, please write this on another piece of paper (lined looseleaf if you have it), and you can glue or tape it into your notebook tomorrow.
Please write down both the sentences and the answers! See if you can remember the answers first, but if you get stuck, you're allowed to look them up.
On September 8, we celebrate the ________________ of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This feast day occurs 9 months after the Solemnity of the ________________ ________________, a holy day of obligation that falls on ______________ 8.
On September 15, we celebrated the Memorial of Our Lady of ___________________.
We recall the prophet ______________, who told Mary that her heart would be _________________________________.
Mary is a model of always being faithful to _________, even in difficult times.
Friday, Sept. 12, 2025 Happy Friday! Have a good weekend!
Were you planning on doing the extra credit on St. Carlo and/or St. Pier Giorgio? Wrap it up this weekend so you can turn it in!
Here's the document in case you lost your copy or left it in school. (This is my last reminder!) https://docs.google.com/document/d/14B_D6-FZn0cFxgIXo7B_3W_fHVpprNVzDqFapbzv0N8/edit?usp=sharing
Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025
We always start our religion class with a prayer. Many times, our prayer is related to our lesson for the day. Sometimes they're traditional prayers from our curriculum, and sometimes its something pertinent to the calendar date. Here's our 9/11 prayer for anyone who also wanted to pray it at home: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1acj-Y0-WojideV_zppimhZgvcwftuQzIm4cFVr0GLSY/edit?usp=sharing
Extra credit due on Monday for anyone who was interested!
If your parent filled out a survey, don't forget to turn it in for them.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025
Thank you for all who came to back to school night! If you missed it, here's the info I passed out. (I have plenty of printed copies left. Just send me an email or ask your child to get one for you if you need one: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ts-2TZCMBvLVc9BavN-xZEBCdmzTalK_niIMsSprnSg/edit?usp=sharing )
Here's the parent survey I passed out for anyone who missed it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ar14-Gmhr_xKh3NsDF8e2MeWy3UKi52zlImkSHLzNo/edit?usp=sharing
Our first school Mass will be tomorrow at 9:15.
Extra credit for anyone who is interested is due by this coming Monday!
This week we talked about the Beatitude we're working on for the month of September: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This means:
God is great and we are small!
We recognize that we rely on God for everything!
We are obedient and humble: We recognize that we don't know everything.
We are accountable: We recognize our faults and admit our mistakes.
We are servants: We live and love like Jesus when we act as a servant to all.
We practice spiritual detachment: Trying to put what God wants over what we want. "Your will be done."
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 Back to School Night tonight! Hope to see you there! 🙂
We went to the sacrament of Reconciliation today. Here are some prayers for after Confession for anyone who is interested! https://www.ctkwichita.org/multimedia/parish-1/bulletin-1/113-guide-to-confession-middle-school-youth-1/file
Keep working on the extra credit if you are interested! (Due next Monday. See Friday 9/5 for more info.)
Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
You can do the extra credit any day this week if you want! Deadline next Monday 9/15. See last Friday for the link to the GoogleDoc if you lost yours.
Tomorrow, we'll have school confessions in the afternoon. If anyone wanted to look over these examination of conscience questions and/or review the from of confession, you can use this link: https://www.ctkwichita.org/multimedia/parish-1/bulletin-1/113-guide-to-confession-middle-school-youth-1/file
Here's a nice prayer for a good confession that we said together today:
Come, Holy Spirit, into my soul. Show me my sins, both the wrong that I did and the good I failed to do. Give me the grace to be sorry for my sins out of love for God, so that through confession my soul might be healed and strengthened to do good. Amen.
In class, we talked about today's feast day (Nativity of Mary) and its relationship to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8. (9 months before we celebrate her birthday!!). 6th grade reviewed the vocabulary solemnity, feast, and memorial. (We ran out of time in 5th, but they'll learn the distinction, too, as the year goes on!)
I hope to see you all at Back to School Night tomorrow! :)
Sept. 5, 2025 Happy Friday! Today is the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta. 💙 "Let us love one another as God loves each one of us. And where does this love begin? In our own home. How does it begin? By praying together." - Mother Teresa 💙
Start your year with (optional) extra credit! I'll be talking about this opportunity in class today, and will provide the students with hard copies of the document that's linked here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/14B_D6-FZn0cFxgIXo7B_3W_fHVpprNVzDqFapbzv0N8/edit?usp=sharing
If anyone (students or parents!) wants to learn even more about these new saints, here are all the links I saved for class. (We used some of these in school, but definitely not all!):
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12g0uOK-rmfd2q5nj1RqOtyHtKfavf3ZFtbezyef-YNQ/edit?usp=sharing
Blessed Carlo Acutis: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pudi6imqzXrPpbV94hVHMUfd4Pr2cwXRbT4ICzHTLvk/edit?usp=sharing
Sept. 4, 2025
Books covered! (I ran out of time to check the books today! Tomorrow! 😅)
Sept. 3, 2025
Today, both classes reviewed our classroom rules. Can you remember what they are to tell your parents? (Hint: They should be the top rules in your household, too! And the top rules in LIFE! 😇) Find them on my home page! https://sites.google.com/view/mrscunnane/home
Don't forget to have your books covered! Allergy-safe candy treat tomorrow for everyone who got it done! 🙃
Tomorrow and Friday, we'll be learning about the two saints who will be canonized by Pope Leo this Sunday: Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio.
Sept. 2, 2025
Welcome back to school!!
I'm looking forward to teaching you all! Check back here frequently for homework, study info, links to notes, etc.
Your first item of homework this year will be to have your book covered in clear contact paper! Sorry, parents, I know it's a pain. But the books get pretty beat up being carried around in the switch bags all year. The ones that were covered lasted the year. Some of the ones that were not lost their covers by the end of the year... 🤪 (And there are prayers in the insides of the front and back covers, so we use them!)