Mrs. Maura Grochocinski, Junior High Religion

Thank you to all who attended our Catholic Schools' Week liturgy and Open House this past Sunday.  We have a fun-filled week planned with many activities to help celebrate Catholic Schools' Week at SJF!

Kindness Week-January 27th-31st

To celebrate Catholic Schools’ Week, in lieu of assigning homework to the Jr. High students, the teachers will assign various acts of kindness to be completed throughout the week.  The students will then write a reflection about their actions during the week and the value that was cultivated from spreading kindness among their family, classmates, and community.

The four acts of kindness that the students will need to complete by Friday, January 31st are given below:

• Monday-Thursday (your choice of day):  Help out at home with a job or project that is outside normal daily household duties.  This act must take at least a half-hour and must benefit another family member.  Students will be given a service form that must be filled out and signed by a parent for verification of their act of kindness.
• Tuesday:  Write a thank you note to a policeman noting appreciation for their service to our community.  An outline for this letter will be given to the students.  These letters will be given to the policemen at the “Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast” held here at St. John Fisher on Sunday, February 23rd.
• Wednesday:  Reach out and communicate with an elderly member of our community.  Make a Valentines Day card with a well wish inside the card.  These valentines will be delivered to the residents of Mercy Circle.
• Thursday:  Write a short note to a designated classmate giving him/her a compliment.  Attach a small treat, costing no more than one dollar.

*The specific day for completing each act is noted.  The products of the students’ kind actions are due to the student’s homeroom teacher on Friday, January 31st. 

**At the end of the week, the Jr. High students will be required write a kindness reflection that will be assigned in their ELA class.  They will be given an outline to follow and they will receive a grade on their completed assignment.

***7th Grade Religion**

This week, we will be starting our World Religions unit.  We will be discussing the origin, history, and practices of Buddhism.

***Students should continue to work on their FIVE hours of required service for this second trimester.

***8th Grade Religion***

This week we will be continuing with our Confirmation preparation and will be discussing passages in the Bible that refer to the presence and various forms of the Holy Spirit. 

Our Confirmation Liturgy will be celebrated Sunday, February 9th, at 12:00.  

***Students should continue to work on their EIGHT hours of required service for this second trimester.

All are invited to attend 10:00 mass this Sunday as we begin our celebration of Catholic Schools' Week, followed by Open House 11:00-12:00.

***7th Grade Religion***

After discussing the Eight Beatitudes, our seventh graders will be asked to compose their own beatitudes reflecting the positive outcomes of their admirable actions as a son/daughter, sibling, student, friend, and teammate.

Chapter 8 tests will be returned and reviewed with the students on Wednesday of this week.

***Students should continue to complete their FIVE hours of required service for this second trimester.

***8th Grade Religion***

This week we will continue with our Confirmation preparation discussing the importance of attending mass each week, coming together in community and receiving the Eucharist. The students' Google saint slide presentation is due this Friday, January 25th.

Confirmation will be celebrated Sunday, February 9th, at 12:00 Mass.   Confirmation materials were distributed to the students last week.  Please note the due date for the various forms and fees. If you have not received this information, please ask your son/daughter about these materials.  All Confirmation gown orders are due back to school this week..

***Students should continue to complete their EIGHT hours of required service for this second trimester.

***7th Grade Religion***

This week we will be continuing on with Chapter 8 in our Blest Are We book which discusses the Beatitudes and the Lord's prayer. Students will be working on the their study guides for chapter 8 and will be required to make flashcards noting the meaning of each of the Beatitudes. This assignment will aid the students in preparing for the chapter 8 test which is scheduled for Friday, January 17th.

***Students should continue to work on their FIVE hours of required service for this second trimester.

***8th Grade Religion***

This week we will be continuing on with our Confirmation preparation.  After much discussion in class about the meaning and demonstration of the Cardinal Virtues and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the students will be taking a test on this material Tuesday, January 14th.  

***A Confirmation packet has been emailed to all parents outlining all of the details regarding Confirmation which will be celebrated on Sunday, February 9th. The students will be receiving a paper copy of this packet on Monday, in class.  Please ask your son/daughter to see the packet and note the due dates for returning the necessary forms.  Thank you in advance for your diligence with this.

We will also be discussing the requirement and thoughtful consideration that must be taken in choosing a Confirmation name for the sacrament of Confirmation. The students will be required to make a google slide presentation about their saint and will then present it to their classmates. The students will be given a handout with detailed instructions for this assignment.

***Students should continue to work on their EIGHT hours of required service for this second trimester.

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing break.  As we return to school, this is a good opportunity for all of our Jr. High students to assess accomplishments, efforts, and necessary changes for a strong finish in this second trimester.  Progress report check for the second trimester will be Friday, January 17th.

***7th Grade Religion***

This week, we will begin chapter 8 in our Blest Are We textbook. This chapter discusses the meaning of the Beatitudes and how they can be demonstrated in the life of a seventh grader. The chapter 6 tests that were taken before break, will be returned to the students on Monday.

***All students should continue to work on their FIVE hours of required service for this second trimester.

***8th Grade Religion***

This week, we will be continuing on with our Confirmation preparation. The students' graded sponsor essays will be returned to them this week. The students were informed that the grade received on this essay will be weighted as a test grade since the essay was graded both on content (knowledge of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the cardinal virtues) and grammar. The students will be instructed to revise their corrected essays by making all the noted corrections written on their essays. After celebrating Confirmation, the students will me mailing their revised sponsor essays along with a thank you note to their sponsors.

***All students should continue to work on their EIGHT hours of required service for this second trimester.