8B - Mrs. Przybojewski

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Henry David Thoreau Resident Author

Congratulations to Mrs. Przybojewski, Junior High English teacher, whose abstract was accepted by the Thoreau Society.  She is invited to speak at the Thoreau Society Gathering in Concord, MA July 5-10.  The focus of the Gathering is Global Thoreau.  Mrs. Przybojewski will present the ways her students identified elements of Henry David Thoreau’s thoughts, actions, and words through global literature.  She will focus on the work students did with the novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Sainte Exupery.  Also, she will discuss connections students made with Thoreau’s use of Greek mythology from Walden and writing their own mythological battle between two insects as Thoreau did.  In addition, selections from German and Jewish writers were read during their Holocaust unit.  Students connected Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” to the violations of social justice that occurred.  Finally, lyrics from some songs by the Irish band U2 were read, discussed and compared with Thoreau’s words relating to social justice.  This will be Mrs. Przybojewski”s fifth time presenting at the Thoreau Society Gathering.

Mrs. Przybojewski Portrays Henry David Thoreau
Join Mrs. Przybojewski at the 26^th annual Medina County Earth Day Festival on April 23, 2022 from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.  She, along with other educators will represent ways to take care of the environment.  Mrs. Przybojewski will display work that the students of St. Benedict Catholic School did with Thoreau.  They include art, projects, compositions, and poems.  She will speak with visitors the ways Thoreau has been used in her sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English classes.
Address:
Buffalo Creek Retreat
8708 Hubbard Valley Road
Seville, OH





Grade 8 News March

In English, the eighth graders have been working on an extensive unit on social justice, which began with the study of the Holocaust.  The students presently have been examining the injustice that took place even in Northern States during the time prior to the Civil War with the Fugitive Slave law.  Students read and discussed Frederick Douglass’ speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”  Next, as a part of Black History month, the students learned about the Civil Rights Movement and viewed two films.  They then wrote reflective responses to each after group discussions.  In addition, the students compared and contrasted Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” with words that the Reverend Martin Luther King wrote in some of his essays and “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.”  Throughout this unit, students were constantly sharing the violations of Catholic Social Justice Principles that had taken place. A formal composition was written on the topic of stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, or scapegoating.  Continuing this unit is a project based assignment that involves the students researching in groups social justice violations that have occurred in various countries with the Olympics throughout the years.  They will examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the Olympic Committee and will cite the Catholic Social Justice Principles that relate to this declaration.  Then, students will examine the 2022 Olympics in China and discuss the violations of human rights that have taken place in that country.  This project will end with the students creating two cartoon panels—one which shows a human rights violation and the other with a correction of that violation.
Shortly, the students will begin the MLA style research paper based on a social justice issue of their choice.  This formal paper will involve the creation of bibliography cards, a title page, outline, paper with citations, and a works cited page.
Students are reviewing grammar and sentence structure as well and have been responding to journal entries.  They are all becoming very proficient writers.
In Religion, the students studied the various parts of the Catholic Liturgy.  They examined the words in the prayers as well as responses.  We discussed the various ways we demonstrate community at Mass through the people present, prayers, gestures, songs, silence, and Eucharist.  Students also learned about the season of Lent and the various symbols that are used during this season of the Church year.  Each of the students created an illustration of Lent that will be hung at St. Monica Church and St. Martin of Tours Church.  Father Haren has also been teaching the Ten Commandments weekly to the students.  They have also been studying the History of the Catholic Church, and had  the opportunity to present to their classmates, a topic of their choosing, important to the history of our Church.
In Science, the eighth graders have been learning and applying the principles of Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motions in everyday life. They are learning about the differences between balanced and unbalanced forces and the role they play in our world. They have also learned about the importance of earth's invisible force, protecting us and keeping our atmosphere in place.  Earth's magnetic field and Geographic poles. They've watched several Bill Nye the Science Guy and Generations Genius episodes to reinforce these concepts and ideas. They will wrap up and test their knowledge gained by taking a unit quiz and then researching and developing a slide show/ power point presentation to the question: What if Earth's Magnetic Field Disappeared?

In Math, the eighth grade finished a section on system of linear equations and now is learning about functions and using algebra tiles. Some students really started to "see" some things they didn't before when they used the hands on algebra tiles. I noticed less confusion and greater accuracy when we do our regular work as well. They seem to understand "zero pairs" and "making equal sized groups." We will be doing the volume of cylinders, cones and spheres eventually. We might work on the Pythagorean Theorem before that to make sure we are ready for end of year testing.
There has been a lot going on in Junior Reading class!  February was a busy month in Reading. We spent time reading about Chinese New Year and Ground Hog Day. The Winter Olympics was a big focus for us in Reading which was exciting since we only have the Winter Olympics happen every four years!   We spent some time looking at important people from Black History and celebrated our past presidents on President's Day. as well.  We are not slowing down in March as we focus on important women during Women's History Month, St. Patrick's Day and March Madness!
In Social Studies our eighth grade students have been hard at work on our Shark Tank Project. Students are designing a business and product from the ground up. After the product has been created students will have the opportunity to pitch their idea for a business to an outside group of individuals.







January 2022

The eighth graders have been working very hard in English and are getting ready for the rigors of high school English.  They began reading Walden by American author Henry David Thoreau and were involved with much critical thinking and writing.  Students compared and contrasted Thoreau’s words to the poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas and the song “House on Pooh Corner” by Loggins and Messina, which was read earlier in the year.  Students read the first chapter “Economy” and learned how to respond to short answer questions writing in complete sentences.  They also reviewed their knowledge of Greek mythology by researching Thoreau’s use of the mythological hero Hercules and explained his purpose in doing so.  Students will be involved in a variety of writing of activities throughout the year with this literary work.

Students have also been involved in a variety of writing activities like a narrative about a
run away pig, personal reflection about being an American, and journal responses.  Congratulations to fourteen of our eighth graders, whose poems have been accepted for publication in A Celebration of Poets. The students then related the themes of two poems to Henry David Thoreau’s first chapter of Walden, “Economy”.  Students wrote an original poem based on the themes present in the literary works mentioned.  The theme of the poem was leaving childhood behind. We are very proud of our eighth graders because their poems were chosen from hundreds of schools and only fifty percent of all entries are selected for publication .The students are: Elizabeth Tisza, Aviae LaRocco, Courtney McCray, Hope Sherman, Devin Smith, Mia McCarroll, Sameh Nsour, Tea’Asia Wiley-Harris, Fiona Nestor, Madeline Lewis, Charity Boyd, Camila Soto, Mia McGinnis, and Sara Radosevic.
Also, the eighth graders have been working very hard in reviewing grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation.  They review through Daily Oral Language as well as exercises from their English book.  Students have also been introduced to sentence diagramming.  This is a fun way of learning the parts of a sentence and identifying parts of speech.  Students create a diagram and place the words from the sentence into their correct spot in the diagram--almost like fitting the pieces of a puzzle together. 

Looking forward, students will be learning about the Holocaust and reading literary pieces written by survivors and their relatives in the book Voices of the Holocaust.   They will be involved in much discussion and reflective writing.  In February students will relate what they have learned to the Civil rights Movement and the words of the Reverend Martin Luther King and Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience
.”
The focus in 8th grade Reading has been on applying various reading skills to an assortment of activities and different types of literature.  We have used escape rooms to apply these skills to get through tasks.  The students have read informational texts on the history of Christmas, real vs. artificial Christmas trees, the science behind snowflakes and most recently they explored New Years traditions.  Looking ahead we will be exploring the Winter Olympics, Martin Luther King Jr., Valentine’s Day and more!

In Social Studies, our students are learning about perhaps the most significant legal document ever created, the United States Constitution. This document guarantees citizens our basic rights, and has served as a model for democracy all over the world.
In religion, Father Haren has been teaching every Friday.  He presents the basic catechism of the Catholic Church.  Students look forward to stories he occasionally tells to them at the end of class.  In addition, they learned about the early beginnings of the Catholic Church as well as the many forms of prayer.  Students also learned about the beginnings of the Bible and its parts, explaining why each part is important and the ways in which they can be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Also, students have been using a social-emotional learned platform called BASE that allows students to reflect on issues that affect their everyday life. This introspective platform gives students an outlet for the many pressures that they face.

In Science, our students began their earth science unit on the geologic record and time scale. They began by making a time scale of their own lives, beginning when they were born and continuing through to the present. They highlighted a minimum of ten (10) important events that have already happened in their lives. We then compared them to how scientists document the “history” of life through the fossil record. Noting that instead of using years, months, and days to document events, geologists use eons, eras, and periods. We then began to examine the different types of fossils scientists uncover. We discussed what parts of an organism are most likely to be preserved and which are not, as well as what conditions increase the likelihood that a dead organism will be fossilized. We are planning on making our own fossils by using plaster paris and other materials. Lastly, we will be wrapping up the unit by researching and presenting our findings to a S.O.L.E. question, “What would the world be like, if dinosaurs never became extinct?”

The 8th grade has continued to work with Algebra doing what we call "balanced moves." We will review equations of lines and finish with solving systems of linear equations. We see if two lines cross at one point and where, if they never cross because they are parallel or if they are actually just the same line and not two different ones.

Students and their parents submitted their high school applications and are looking forward to their acceptance letters.  This is an exciting time for our students.  We are keeping them in our prayers as they anticipate this upcoming new journey in their lives.

Eighth Grade Poetry Winners
Congratulations to fourteen of our eighth graders, whose poems have been accepted for publication in  A Celebration of Poets.  In the fall under the direction of English teacher Mrs. Przybojewski, the students read and analyzed the poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas and the song “House on Pooh Corner” by Loggins and Messina.  Both deal with the themes of childhood and childlike qualities.  The students then related the themes of the poems to Henry David Thoreau’s first chapter of Walden, “Economy”.  Students wrote an original poem based on the themes present in the literary works mentioned.  The theme of the poem was leaving childhood behind.
We are very proud of our eighth graders because their poems were chosen from hundreds of schools and only fifty percent of all entries are selected for publication.
The students are:
Elizabeth Tisza
Aviae LaRocco
Courtney McCray
Hope Sherman
Devin Smith
Mia McCarroll
Sameh Nsour
Tea’Asia Wiley-Harris
Fiona Nestor
Madeline Lewis
Charity Boyd
Camila Soto
Mia McGinnis
Sara Radosevic





Grade 8 News October

Grade eighth students have had a wonderful beginning to the new school year.  They are happy to be in the classroom setting with their classmates as well as their teachers.

In English, students have been perfecting their writing skills by reviewing grammar and punctuation on a daily basis as well as writing responses to thought provoking journal questions.  They read and discussed the lyrics to “House on Pooh Corner” by Loggins and Messina, as well as the poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas.  Students then wrote an original poem expressing their sentiments about leaving childhood behind. This was done as preliminary work to the reading of Thoreau’s Walden.
  Students also researched the 188 Thoreau artifacts posted in the Collections of the Concord Museum web page.  They chose the one artifact that intrigued them and drew it.  Next, they wrote a narrative from the artifact’s point of view, expressing its experience of being in the Thoreau household.

A very spiritual day was spent on September 29 when the students went to Camp Christopher for an all day retreat sponsored by the Got Prayer team of Trinity High School.  Students enjoyed being outside in the beautiful setting and listened to witnesses by the high school students, engaged in a nature hike, and did various activities.  They experienced various types of prayer and were quite enthusiastic with song and dance.  Father Haren culminated the retreat with the celebration of Mass.
In Religion, the eighth graders learned about the characteristics of being Catholic.  They have also discussed beliefs mas found in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.  Father Haren teaches Religion classes once a week and is explaining the basic tenets of our faith. Also, students have spent time researching a saint of their choice and will present their findings in a power point to the entire class.

Students in Reading have also been very busy.  Does technology improve or control our lives?  That question is the current focus in Reading.  We have read the short science fiction story "A Brave Little Toaster".  A short story includes all the basic elements of fiction, such as setting, characters, plot, conflict, and theme, but the text is limited in length. Science fiction is a genre of fiction that combines real scientific information with imaginary elements. Science fiction often raises questions about issues facing the world today by describing potential outcomes in the future. In this lesson, students analyzed the elements of plot in “The Brave Little Toaster” to draw conclusions about the author’s message about technology.  We have also looked at an informational text piece titled  “Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon?”  The purpose of informational text is to present factual information. The article may use text patterns like main-idea-and-details or question-and-call-to-action. Features, such as headings and captions, also point to main ideas and details. In this lesson, students used text organization to explore the article “Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon?”

It has been an exciting start to the school year in Science. Our eight graders were introduced to the earth's interior by reading excerpts from the Jules Verne class,  " Journey to the Center of the World." They traveled and explored the various layers of the earth. They used a loaf of bread, a hard boiled egg, and play doh to demonstrate all four layers of the earth. Next, they wrapped up the unit by researching, compiling, and presenting a slide show presentation, answering the SOLE question, "  What would happen if earth's core cooled down?" This is an area where the eighth graders s excel! They are beginning a new unit on Pangea, plate tectonics, and continental drift.

In Social Studies, the eighth grade students have been exploring the settlement of the Americas, and the various groups responsible including the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British. They have learned about the different colonies and the governments and economies that developed.

In Math, the students are working on a chapter that talked about rigid transformations such as translations (slides), reflections (flips), and rotations (turns). They also discussed the angles in triangles and with parallel lines. They decided one day to find out how to finger out the measure of the insides of any polygon if the class knew how many sides it has. Instead of just learning a formula they figured out how to do it by drawing triangles inside. Soon,  the eighth graders will work on dilations, similarity and slope. The first two relate more to geometry and the last one will relate more to algebra eventually.


Henry David Thoreau Resident Author News
During the 2019-2021 school year, Mrs. Donna Przybojewski, junior high Language Arts teacher, utilized her book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice.  She focused on the seven Catholic Social Justice Principles, using the book to illustrate Henry’s adherence to those principles through his actions and words even though he was neither Catholic nor Christian. These principles transcend denomination and faith but are universal truths for living a just life.

Her goal was to make students aware of what they could do at their young age to promote justice in their lives.  Mrs. Przybojewski also wanted students to identify situations in the world where justice is not present in order to make them socially aware.

It is not unusual that Thoreau has made such an impact in a Catholic school.  His life did embody Christian principles and continues to give example to our youth how to develop into individuals of integrity and moral decency.

In July, Mrs. Przybojewski spoke about her lessons at St. Benedict School via zoom at the Thoreau Society Gathering in Concord, Massachusetts. During her presentation, she focused on the numerous lessons and writing activities that were used to teach social justice through Henry David Thoreau to her junior high students.  The use of the book has been pivotal in making students more aware of the injustices that occur in our world today as well as in their personal lives.  It served as a springboard to relate Henry’s struggles and his actions and words to their own.

Currently, Mrs. Przybojewski is writing and illustrating her eighth children’s book on Henry David Thoreau.  It is called Henry and the Runaway Pig and is based on one of his journal entries.  Publication will be the summer of 2022, and it will be sold at the Shop at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.  Mrs. Przybojewski was also asked to write an article on the teaching of Thoreau to junior high students by the Thoreau Farm: Birthplace of Henry David Thoreau for a book that they are publishing called What Would Henry Do?  It will be published also in the summer of 2022.



My junior high students reviewed the characteristics of a narrative and point of view. Their assignment was to search the 188 Thoreau artifacts displayed in the collections website of the Concord Museum. Students needed to read the descriptions and choose one artifact that appealed to them the most. Then they needed to draw and color it. Students are writing a narrative from the artifact's point of view as it recalls its role in the Thoreau family. I already have some interesting observations from the green desk and the pitcher. Some are hilarious as well as serious. Much creativity is being show. The students were really engaged in this assignment and asked many questions. The illustrations are great, and I am posting a few.






















On September 29, the eighth graders attended an all day retreat at Camp Christopher sponsored by the Trinity High School  Got Prayer Retreat team.  The students spent a wonderful day in nature growing in their relationship with God and each other.















          

"Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience."“


Henry are excited about sauntering the 2021-2022 school year with you.  It will be a year filled with great writing! I am looking forward to working with each of you and reading your wonderful writing.
























Students in my 6th grade English class read If You Spent the Day with Henry Thoreau at Walden Pond by Robert Burleigh.  Then then had to write their own narrative of what they would do if henry visited them today and what they would do together. Then they had to craw an illustration of their day together.

I just had to share some excerpts from one of my sixth grade homerooms at St. Benedict Catholic school.. Students had to write how they would spend the day with Henry if he visited them today. There were so many excepts from their narratives to choose from. I can see the development in their writing as they continue to write. Their progress does a teacher's heart good.

Madelynn wrote in part:
“When I think of going on a walk with Henry I think of it being soothing and peaceful. He would call the birds that chirp, and we would watch the mother build the nest for her babies. We would look at the trees and all the squirrels climbing up carrying their acorns. We would probably see a creek, and when we came to a stop, we would to listen to the water rushing on the rocks. We keep walking, but then he would tell me to stop and be still, so the animals would feel safe coming up to us. Henry and I would sit outside and watch the clouds and see what shapes they would make. We would eat our lunch and pick flowers when we were done. We would have leftover bread that we would feed the birds by hand. Then we would visit Tinker’s Creek and look at all the fish. We would skip rocks and walk on the bridge. Henry and I would have a lot of fun together and end our day drinking hot chocolate by my fireplace because I know he loves everything that is sweet.”

Chloe wrote in part:
“Henry and I would sit outside and watch the clouds and see what shapes they would make. We would eat our lunches and pick flowers when we were done. We would have leftover bread that we would feed the birds by hand. Then we would go to the beach in Geneva, Ohio. When I walked into the lake, I felt a mixture of rocks and sand rubbing against my feet. The water moved slowly as a family of yellow fish swam up to me. The fish tickled my feet as they swam around me.
I laughed, “Haha! That tickles.”
Henry replied, “I know and love that feeling. Look, they're coming towards me!”

Noah's touched my heart. He wrote in part:
“I always wanted to walk around in the woods, but I was never able to because I was scared to go in the woods by myself. This time though, I was able to go into the woods because Henry David Thoreau was with me. Therefore, I was not as scared as I was before. The animals came out and let me watch them when Henry was there. I was no longer scared in the woods."

Ryland wrote in part:
“When we were at the park, Henry would walk and look at plants. I would take some photos of them as Henry would sketch in his notebook. We would hear the birds and crunching of fallen leaves with each step. When we walked, we saw leaves floating slowly to the ground. The walk would be calming and quiet other than the sounds of animals and us crunching the leaves. The air felt crisp and cool as it blew against our faces and carried the scent of wood burning.”

Gabriel wrote in part and gave a beautiful ending:
“Henry and I would discover new places and see new things from a different perspective. I would say to Henry, “Hey look over there at that bird in the tree.”
He would say, “That’s the most beautiful bird I have ever seen”. Then we would discuss for hours all the colors, shapes, sizes, and types of different birds. We would walkfor hours checking out the valleys and the streams. Nature is God’s gift to us, and Henry and I embraced it. This day was a little bit of heaven for Henry and me. Best of all, I had my friend Henry to share it with.”

I am so blessed to be a part of these students' lives. It is a gift to see them grow and develop in so many ways and to be open to what I teach them.

 Journal: August 8, 1856--The Runaway Pig
As resident author of St. Benedict Catholic School, Henry visited his display on the first floor of the school before he substituted in Mrs. Przybojewski's English classes. He taught both the virtual and in persaon students and wore a mask with his signature as a part of Covid protection. Henry was happy to read and discuss his journal entry about chasing his father's runaway pig. He even brought the pig so it would not escape again. The students laughed and enjoyed Henry's frustration in experiencing a ruined they. They also had experiences of ruined days and knew exactly what that look from his father meant. When Mrs. Przybojewski returns tomorrow, students will rewrite Henry's journal entry from the pig;'s perspective and will illustrate their narratives.








Quarter 1

  It is difficult to believe that quarter one is completed.  I want to give a round of applause to my students for really doing their best during this strange beginning to the school year.  The students in my sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classes in ELA spent time reviewing grammar and sentence structure.  They worked on nouns and subject complements also.  In addition, students concentrated on the personal narrative and the narrative.  Henry David Thoreau, the American author, naturalist, and philosopher came and substituted for Mrs. Przybojewski for a day.  He read the students Mrs. Przybojewski's book about his childhood called A Life of Joy, Childhood Memories of Henry David Thoreau.  Students then reviewed the writing process to write about their own childhood memories.  Students also wrote many responses to quoytes or questions in their journal entries.  This has helped them improve writing skills as well as think critically.
Looking forward to Quarter 2, students will continue writing various typoes of writing.  The eighth grade will begin reading and writing responses to varous chapters in Thoreau's Walden, and they will get an introduction to the Holocaust.  This will be part of their writing on social justice. I look forward to working the next quarter with my students and see their wonderful progression in writing.

SEPTEMBER NEWS
 

In English, students have reviewed the format for writing a paragraph and have begun writing journal entries.  The eighth grade journal entries are based on the words of the American author Henry david Thoreau.  Students explain his words and relate them to their own lives.This enhances their critical thinking ability.They are also reviewing nouns and the usage of nouns.Students are also reviewing grammar and punctuation through Daily Oral Language.

In Religion, the eighth graders are learning what the characteristics of being Catholic are.  Included in this review will be the seven Sacrements, the Apostles Creed, and the Catholic Social Justice Principles.  Mr. K. and I will be co-teaching Religion, and we are happy that Father Haren will be teaching the students periodically.
 

It is great being back in school with the students even though we see each other only through Zoom.  Students are getting acclimated to this new form of education and are being patient with us as we try to become adept with the new technology. Even though we see our students every day through distance learning, it is not the same as having them physically in class.  We miss each of them and look forward to when they can safely return physically to class.

The junior high teachers have devoted the first two weeks of school getting the students used to Google Classroom for their particular subjects.  Students needed to practice writing on word documents, pulling up documents to read, as well as finding where their classwork and homework would be located. Students have been doing an excellent job with this and are fully ready to delve into the learning process across disciplines.

Students were also introduced to group work.  Believe it or not, students can actually be broken into smaller groups, just as they were in the classroom, and work together on an assignment.  The teacher is able to visit each of the groups and answer questions or discuss what the students’ responses were to the activity at hand.  Such an activity creates a sense of normalcy and allows students to communicate one on one with each other.

By the middle of the second week of online learning, teachers introduced students to the material that would be covered in class.  They began working on bell work, short writing assignments, responding to questions that were based on reading material that was given, watch videos that enhanced a certain topic that was being covered, and view power points that introduced the topic of a particular subject.

Over all, distance learning for St. Benedict’s junior high has been successful. Our administration and teachers have supported each other in learning the new technology.   Online learning is improving every day because we work together as a community.  So, as we venture into the weeks ahead, there is no doubt that our junior high students will be receiving the same quality education as they received in the past due to the support and collaboration of our administration, junior high team, parents, and students. 

St. Benedict Catholic School 2020-2021

Henry is back as resident author at St. Benedict Catholic School. His place in the display cases is done and he appropriately is wearing his autumn Walden Pond face mask as a reminder that we need to take precautions to keep ourselves and everyone safe. Henry is also ready to sub for me in my classes this year because my students will continue to learn about him and focus on many of his writings to help them critically think in their written work. He will also be the focus as we continue learning about social justice especially during this difficult time in our world. The beginning of the year will seem strange because the students will be virtually with me in the classroom. The desks are empty but will be ready to greet the students once it is safe to return to school in person.


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Henry David Thoreau Resident Author
Also, students are using the book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice to journal about issues concerning the Catholic Social Justice Principles. They identify through the paragraphs read how Thoreau reflected the principle in his actions and words.  Students then discuss the page orally and journal about it relating the action and words to their own lives.  We have been strongly focusing on the Dignity of All Life from Conception to Natural Death.
Congratulations to Junior High Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Donna Przybojewski, who received her official invitation to speak at the Thoreau Society Gathering in Concord, MA in July.  She will be focusing on the ways in which her book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice was utilized to focus on the Catholic Social Justice Principles in the classroom.  She will share much student writing and explain how Thoreau provides an avenue for students to express themselves and discuss difficult topics such as discrimination and prejudice.  Mrs. Przybojewski will share how she has seen her students’ writing develop through Thoreau.
Also. Mrs. Donna Przybojewski’s seventh book on Thoreau A Life of Joy…Childhood Memories of Henry David Thoreau will be published in early April.  Mrs. Przybojewski, places Henry at Walden.  As he goes through his daily activities, each activity brings back a childhood memory that Henry recorded in his journal.  Henry’s mother, Cynthia, told him this memories of his boyhood, and Henry treasured them often writing about this special time in his life.  One page illustrates Henry at twenty-eight, and the opposite page illustrates Henry as a child.  It will be used as a story walk At Walden Pond Reservation in Concord, MA in the summer.


February News Article
Grade 8
 
Students in Grade 8 English are working very hard on their MLA style research paper.  They are researching people, who have contributed greatly to the development of our society in the greater Cleveland area.  Students are focusing on the fact that communities are created by the hard work and sacrifice of others, no matter how great or small.  They are also learning that many different ethnicities contributed to our city’s development.  This project falls in line with our work on social justice in that every single person has worth and dignity and plays a vital part in the society he or she lives in.  They have completed their bibliography cards and works cited page and are now working on notecards.
Also, students are using the book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice to journal about issues concerning the Catholic Social Justice Principles. They identify through the paragraphs read how Thoreau reflected the principle in his actions and words.  Students then discuss the page orally and journal about it relating the action and words to their own lives.  We have been strongly focusing on the Dignity of All Life from Conception to Natural Death. 
Students examined the poem by African American poet Langston Hughes “Theme for English B.”  They discussed the meaning and inferences of the and the way in which it related to the culture of the time during the Harlem Renaissance.
Father Haren continues to teach Religion weekly.  He is focusing on the Ten Commandments and explaining to the students the significance of each.  Also, students are being instructed in Church History.  Students are looking forward to the Choose Life program that will be taught once weekly till May.  Students will be taught by an instructor from Life Works.
In Science, our eight graders are learning about and conducting experiments using Sir Isaac Newton's Three Laws of Motion.
While in the Science lab, students built racing tracks and adjusted them at various levels. They then raced their match box cars down the various incline tracks, calculating the distance the car traveled at each level.  They then added mass to their vehicles in an attempt to get them to accelerate faster and travel longer distances. We conducted other experiments to test Newton's Laws of Motion using flour, marbles, paper, playing cards, coins, and cups. 
 
The eighth grade in Reading has been working on various informational texts on current events or holidays such as the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day and President's Day.  We have also been working on a class quilt for Black History month.  We have also been talking about things we cherish or hold dear.  For example, a photograph of a favorite friend or relative wouldn't be worth much money, but the memories it holds are more important.  In "The Treasure of Lemon Brown," a boy's encounter with an old blues musician helps him discover what he treasures most.
 
In Social Studies our eighth grade students have been hard at work on two major projects. The have been creating a business, with real products ranging from t-shirts, jewelry, and back packs. They have learned some essential business knowledge along the way including supply and demand, unit cost, and start-up costs. We are looking forward to our students presenting to our judges in a mock Shark-Tank style competition. They have also continued their investigation into the founding documents of the United States, including the Articles of Confederation, The United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
 
In Math grade eight is in the middle of working with solving systems of linear equations. We have been looking at ways that some equations have one, infinite, or no solutions and how to identify them. While we do this we have been reviewing many skills of previous years including the distributive property, combining like terms, finding the GCF (greatest common factor), reciprocals, and many other terms and skills.


Henry David Thoreau Resident Author
 
Students in grades six, seven, and eight are continuing their study of social justice through the book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice.  Each grade level is beginning a MLA style research paper that stems from Thoreau’s advocacy for social justice.  The sixth graders are researching an African Americans such as Frederick Douglass, Anthony Burns, Reverend Martin Luther King, among others.  Thoreau, as an abolitionist, had direct contact in his life with some of these individuals and others, he directly influenced.  Martin Luther King was influenced by Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” essay, which inspired Dr. King’s nonviolent resistance during the Civil Rights days.  This corresponds with the social justice principles of Respect and Dignity of Life as well as Community and Participation.
The seventh graders are focusing on the Catholic Social Justice Principle of Respect for Creation.  Throughout the past three years, students have been learning about Thoreau’s love and respect for nature, so students are working on a MLA research paper that focuses on a problem that affects our global environment.  This is an interdisciplinary project that not only involves the writing of the research paper but also other assignments from other teachers.  Some topics include how the loss of birds can affect the wetland environment, global warming and its effects, oil spills and their effect on oceans, reforestation, wildfires and their effect on woodland communities, and the use of DDT and pesticides. This is part of project based learning, which also relates to our STREAM classes.  Students will create a final project, which will involve discovering the amount of money it would take to rectify the problem they researched in the environment.
The eighth grade students created little houses in STREAM.  They designed one room houses and decided the essentials to place into those houses.  This project was in connection with the reading of Walden by Henry David Thoreau, who built his own one room house at Walden Pond.  Students then wrote a compare and contrast paper comparing their little houses with Henry’s and giving the advantages and disadvantages of each.





January News Grade 8
 
Ms. Ruth Rachel Przybojewski, Gas Operations Supervisor, Northeast from Dominion Energy, came to speak to the eighth graders.  She holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration and a Masters of Business Administration from John Carroll University.  Ms. Przybojewski gave students pointers on how to prepare for their Shark Tank project, which included the steps in beginning the project.  She also gave them pointers on how to prepare a pitch for the judges.  The students also learned proper etiquette when dealing with the business world. In addition, she brought gift bags from Dominion Energy that had a charger cord, pen, highlighter, among other things.  Students then, in English class, learned the format of the business and friendly letter.  They wrote and printed their letters of appreciation to Dominion Energy and Ms. Przybojewski.
Students also created little houses in STREAM.  They designed one room houses and decided the essentials to place into those houses.  This project was in connection with the reading of Walden by Henry David Thoreau, who built his own one room house at Walden Pond.  Students then wrote a compare and contrast paper comparing their little houses with Henry’s and giving the advantages and disadvantages of each.
In Religion, Father Haren is continuing to teach class on Thursdays.  Students are required to take notes.  Father Haren stated that the students’ notes are the best he has ever seen.  In addition, students are beginning to study the Marks of the Church and will be in the initial stages of learning about Catholic Church history.
Did you know that our current Constitution is not the original United States Constitution? Our eighth grade students have been investigating the original version, the Articles of Confederation and have discovered that this flawed document demonstrated all that America did not want in a founding document. They have also been hard at work on their "Shark Tank" project where they will create their own business to pitch to our own pane of sharks next month!
Eighth grade is finishing a chapter on linear relationships and will continuing with linear equations and solving systems of linear equations.
Even under the best of circumstances, leaving someone or something behind can be difficult.  Familiar people and places often provide us with a sense of security.  In the memoir "My First Free Summer" that the eighth grade read, Julia Alvarez faces the pain of leaving her homeland, even as she realizes the dangers of staying.
 
In eight grade science, the students are beginning a physical unit science lesson on  the laws of motion, and the role they play in everyday life.
The children engaged in several demonstrations involving each of the laws to begin the unit.







Henry David Thoreau Resident Author

“It’s not what you look at that matters, but what you see.” (H.D.T.)

Students in eighth grade English have been working on an essay for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.  It is based on their annual Martin Luther King essay contest.  This year’s theme focuses on social justice, which works very well with our study of the Holocaust and the use of the book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice. Students have been and will continue to pursue the study of injustice in the past and present.  They had to focus on what they could do to promote justice in our world and why it is important to do so in their essays. 
In addition, students have begun to read Thoreau’s Walden, which will serve as the springboard for a variety of writing activities—expository, creative, compare and contrast, as well as writing short answer responses to questions throughout the year.  We have also been working on grammar and punctuation skills consistently to improve writing.
In Religion, students chose an African canonized saint and answered questions about that saint.  They also drew an illustration of the saint.  The focus for the next few weeks will be prayer and the Mass.  Students will learn the various parts of the Mass as well as learn the meaning behind the symbolic actions during the liturgy.
In Science, our eighth graders are learning about the evidence scientists use to determine Earth's past. They've learned about and examined insect fossils that got stuck in sticky tree sap, fell to the ground, and where they were buried by mud and sand. Over time, millions of years go the sap turned into amber, and the insects were preserved as fossils. They have also learned how scientists use the age of the rock in which the fossils have been found in to determine the age of the fossil and what conditions contribute to the likelihood that a dead organism will be fossilized. 
Lastly, they researched and reported back to the class by using a power point presentation on the best locations on Earth to locate dinosaur bones and fossils.
 
Students in Math are finishing up a chapter on dilation, similarity, and slope. They will be working with the equations of lines soon.
 
In Social Studies, the eighth grade has just begun a unit on the American Revolution. In this unit we will be investigating the causes of the Revolution, as well as early founding documents like the Declaration of Independence. Students will begin the process of doing a re-write of the Declaration in modern day language to ensure maximum comprehension. Additionally in social studies the eighth grade is beginning a 3 month project based on the television show Shark Tank. Students will ultimately design a business idea and pitch their idea to a panel of judges. The winner of our in-house competition will move on to a regional competition at Saint Ignatius High School in March.
 
The eighth grade wishes everyone a blessed Thanksgiving.






Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 have been utilizing the book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice as a way to learn about the social justice activities of this American author as well as reflect on the issues of injustice in our world today.  They have been involved with a number of writing activities, which included compositions, short answer reflections in journals, as well as power point presentations.
Also, sixth grade students imagined that Henry visited them and wrote a compositions describing three things that they would do with him and evaluate if he would have liked those activities. Walden is the focus with eighth grade and will provide a variety of writing activities that will exercise their critical thinking skills and help them evaluate their own use of time.
Students continue to improve description and observation skills through their observation journals.





The eighth grade students had a spiritually moving retreat at Camp Christopher.  They prayed, listened to Trinity High School students’ witness talks about their relationship with God, and went on a prayer hike in the beautiful natural setting.  Liturgy was celebrated in the evening in an outdoor setting by the lake with Father Miola as presider.
Studying the roots of our faith through the Scriptures is the focus of our chapter in Religion.  Students participated in a prayer service with pita and honey to symbolically show how God’s word is as sweet as honey to the lips.  Father Miola has been teaching the students once a week as well.
Language Arts classes is reinforcing grammar with the diagramming of subject complements as well as direct and indirect objects.  Students completed writing an original poem about their feelings of leaving childhood behind.  The students are being introduced to the Holocaust in preparation for a number of writing assignments.  Observation skills are growing with the students observation journals, which are done every two weeks.
In social studies the 8th grade has been learning about the original 13 British colonies. They have observed the differences between the three regions. This will become important later on as these differences magnified over 150 years of American history will eventually lead to the American Civil War.
In math, students have been finalizing their study of rigid transformations by looking at congruence. They will be looking at dilations and similarity of shapes after that. The eighth graders will look at more kinds of grids in the near future.










Henry David Thoreau Resident Author
 
Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 have been really trying to perfect their observation and descriptive writing skills as they observe nature at least three times a week.  They then record their observations using the five senses.  Modeling Henry, they doodle a sketch of something they observed.
Here are a few samplings of their awesome writing:
 
"I hear the rustle the leaves of the small bush that sways its leaves back and forth. I stand and let the wind surround me touching my skin. A calmness comes over me and I feel peace."
 
"Most trees still have their leaves, but some of them are beginning to change their hue. They are now a golden yellow and resemble sunflowers in an open field."
 
"The woods near my house is bright today, not shadowed because the sun is so bright and it's beams penetrate though the trees. As I look, it seems mystical to me."
 
"The clouds are so close together, they begin to look like mashed potatoes that have been spread on my plate."
 
The raindrops hit my face making it wet. It seems as if my face is covered with tears that roll down it and fall upon my chest."
 
"I heard a bird that looked like a chicadee on a branch. It made a sound like, ' see-dur-dur-dur-du."


 
Henry David Thoreau Book Walk
Junior High teacher Mrs. Donna Przybnojewski joined Cleveland Metroparks naturalist Jake Kudrna join us for a family-friendly fall hike don the newly completed Towpath Trail (Centennial Lake Link Trail). She read her book "Henry David Thoreau Loved the Seasons of the Year linking Thoreau’s writings about the change in season at Walden Pond with the natural experience along the newly reclaimed Cuyahoga riverbank.  This was in connection with Visible Books, where a book signing followed the event.



September News Grade 8 2019
The eighth graders are off to a great start as they enter their last year of elementary school at St. Benedict.  There are many wonderful experiences awaiting them this year.  On Oct. 1, students will attend the Got Prayer Retreat sponsored by Trinity High School at Camp Christopher.  Also, on October 9, students will shadow Trinity High School or another Catholic high school of their choice.
In Language Arts, students are reviewing the parts of speech as well as discussing and analyzing the lyrics to the song “House on Pooh Corner” by Loggins and Messina and the poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas.  This is to prepare them for the writing activities that will be based on Thoreau’s Walden.  The themes found in both the song and the poem relate to the many themes in Thoreau’s work.  Students are also developing their observation and descriptive skills by writing an observation journal that is grtaded every two weeks.
Father Lou Miola is teaching the students once a week in their Religion classes.  They are learning about the characteristics of being Catholic, learning the Creed, and reviewing the Catholic Social Justice Principles at present in their classes.
In social studies the eighth graders have been looking at America before America. Together with small groups they completed a web quest that allowed them to see just how advanced civilizations like the Inca, Maya, and Aztec were. 
In Math the eighth grade is learning about rigid transformations which include translations, reflections, and rotations. These are the correct terms. However, many people know these as a slide, flip, and turn. The shape stays the same but position and orientation might change.
 
We started the year in Reading by solving a mystery! Students heard a read aloud to them. They then worked with partners reading clues to and worked on solving the case together. This was a great tool for critical thinking and team building skills. We also took a look at  "The History of Roller Coasters" reading comprehension passage.
The questions students answered were carefully crafted to move readers from basic, recall questions to higher-level questions where students must cite evidence from the text to support their answers. There were 5 tasks/activities for the passage, moving from easier tasks to more challenging activities. 
Our eight graders started off the new school year learning about the subject of plate tectonics and the theory of continental drift. How a very long time ago, the world was comprised up of one huge supercontinent  known as Pangaea. And how over time that one great supercontinents broke up into two supercontinents and then eventually broke apart into the seven existing continents they we know of today. We reinforced this theory by using an orange peeled into seven separate pieces and how once pieced back together how well they fit together, just like the continents would.  They will then begin exploring about the Earth and its layers by creating their own world by using play do. 

                             HENRY DAVID THOREAU RESIDENT AUTHOR

IDuring July of 2019, junior high teacher, Mrs. Donna Przybojewski, attended the Thoreau Society gathering in Concord, MA.  She gave a  presentation explaining the continuing study of Henry David Thoreau in junior high language arts classes.  The title of the presentation was Engineering through Junior High Language Arts with Henry David Thoreau.  Everyone was amazed that St. Benedict School displayed such high academic standards by encouraging students to write, critically think, and celebrate their own unique qualities.  St. Benedict Catholic School and Mrs. Przybojewski received a standing ovation for the work done in promoting the legacy of Thoreau through language arts.
Also, Mrs. Przybojewski had an art display of her oil paintings based on selected journal entries of Thoreau at the Thoreau Farm in the very room where the author was born.
 
Another highlight for Mrs. Przybojewski occurred at Walden Pond State Reservation where her new book book Henry David Thoreau Bell Ringer for Justice was used as a story walk throughout the summer.   This book is based on Thoreau's work for social justice during his lifetime and will also be used across grade levels at St. Benedict Catholic School for social justice lessons.