Peace be with you. I am Sister Paul Mary Dreger, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist currently living at our Motherhouse in Meriden, CT. For 14 years, I have been teaching in Connecticut, Michigan and Idaho. This year, I am very happy to be part of St. Peter/St. Francis School. I teach the sixth grade class religion, English, math, literature and health.
In religion, the students will be learning what it means to be a Catholic Christian. This will include a study of the Old Testament stories and how those lessons are applied in everyday life. The students will learn a better appreciation for the Mass as well as other daily prayers. In addition, the students will come to the understanding that we are responsible not only for ourselves, but for each other.
In math, the sixth grade student begins to incorporate basic computation skills in higher-level critical thinking math problems. The students will begin to understand basic algebraic expressions, geometry, decimals, fractions, ratios, and percents.
The literature program consists of an anthology of short stories, non-fiction, drama, poetry and folk literature arranged in themes and literary genre. Within these themes, the students will be able to discuss and learn about topics such as conflict resolution, foreshadowing, intended audience, figurative language, poetic devices, climax, plot setting and character development.
There is a supplemental vocabulary text for sixth grade with 20 words per unit. Students will learn the definitions, do the exercises over a two-week period, and be tested every other week. They will learn the pronunciation, definitions, parts of speech and spelling of each word. They will also learn synonyms, antonyms, and literal as well as figurative usage of many of the words.
In order for students to become good communicators in the English language, the English program focuses on the knowledge of the parts of speech and grammar usage. These skills will be applied throughout the year in many different formats including personal narratives, how-to-articles, descriptive, persuasive, expository and creative writing. They will also learn how to write research reports.
In order for your child to become a better reader, he or she must read every day. I have required reading at least 20 minutes every night. This will be a graded assignment because it is extremely important.
I want to thank the staff, students and parents for their warm welcome. I look forward to a great year!
Sister Paul Mary
