JOY TO THE WORLD

                               

Dear Saint John’s Families,

Today’s Friday Student Mass just couldn’t have been more “JOYFUL”.  What a beautiful ending to the year of 2012, here at Saint John’s Parish/School!  Such a celebration it was!

Father Sam’s homily touched everyone’s heart.  Our students from Preschool through Middle School were fully engaged as Father quizzed them on the true meaning of Christmas.  He gave all of us 2 assignments.  His first request was to follow the tradition that he has done since childhood that is to write a very private letter to Jesus thanking him for all of the blessings received since last Christmas.  This should be a secret letter (in writing) that is hidden away each year.  In addition to thanking Jesus, children are encouraged to express appreciation for every gift from anyone.

The second request was for us all to be JOYFUL and take every opportunity to spread our joy by song.  No doubt all of our students took that message to heart as our entire student body, staff, parents and parishioners gave praise to the Lord in song. 

Music and song is very definitely an ingredient that makes Saint John’s so special. Father Frank’s was given a beautiful, strong voice that he so often shares with us. Not only does he share that gift in Mass or maybe at our Gala, but last Friday evening he lead us in Christmas caroling through the streets of Centerra Mall.  Children, staff and parents didn’t mind the cold at all as we left Barnes and Noble and strolled to the ice rink and bonfire to spread Saint John’s joy.

JOYFUL wishes and a very Merry Christmas to each of you.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

WHAT IS GOING ON AT SAINT JOHN’S SCHOOL?

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

What is going on at Saint John’s School?  Perhaps the better question is, “What isn’t going on here at school?  What a hustle/bustle environment we live in here at Saint Johns!   How blessed we all are to enjoy such richness in our lives. 

Would you believe that Saint Nicholas did not disappoint us. He made his visit on his feast day, Thursday of last week.  Every student had “one shoe off and one shoe on” until after his visit when a candy cane was found in the shoe left outside their classroom. 

Thank you everyone who attended the Christmas Carol Play last Friday or Saturday evening. Mrs. Brown and our students did a remarkable job.  Of course, the annual “ Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday morning truly put all attending in the spirit of Christmas. One could hear Santa’s “ho, ho, ho”  laughter as he and his Mrs. had their pictures taken over and over again. 

Monday afternoon our boys’ basketball season came to a close.  The away game was played against Saint Mary’s team in Greeley.  Great season, boys, Mr. Sgourdos and Mr. Sobraske.   

Our 3^rd and 4^th grade “Battle of the Books” teams came back with smiles on their faces Tuesday after having battled in competition with two different Thompson School District Schools. Yes, both teams won!  Mrs. Monet, thank you and your coaches, Sarah Smith, Pam Coke, Lexy Donnelly, and Rachel Sundheim

 Oh, yes, the Christmas Store!  Really, do our students actually get to go shopping while in school?  Mathematics skills must be practiced as our little ones count out their nickels, dimes, and quarters to buy Christmas presents for Mom and Dad.  Thanks so much to our storekeepers, especially Bethany Anderson, who chaired this event.

On Wednesday, morning Saint John’s students and staff had a surprise visit from a real author. Lee Ann Thieman, a nationally renowned speaker and author of Chicken Soup of the Soul, spoke to us about how she became a writer and speaker.  Her faith in God led her to participate in Operation Baby Lift during the Vietnam War. 

Wow!!   What a Christmas concert all of our students put on Thursday evening!  Mr. Bradberry, you have what it takes to bring the best out of our students.  What a delightful evening!  Our students truly “sang their hearts out”.  Our preschoolers and our band opened the evening and nearly brought tears to the eyes of  those in the audience.

Next comes our Christmas Caroling out at Centerra along with our Barnes and Nobel Book Fair. What a week it has been! 

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

PROBLEMS, HYPOTHESIS, CONCLUSIONS

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

The Philosophy Statement in our Saint John’s School Handbook states that Saint John’s School strives to: Help each child develop critical thinking and independent learning skills.  Our middle school SCIENCE FAIR is an excellent example of the showcasing of each students’ project which culminates one specific experience of learning how to think and problem solve.  

These critical lifelong skills each one of us needs to use each day of our lives.  Sometimes these skills are needed on simple day to day matters, other times our life challenges can be most complicated. 

Integrated as part of the science and mathematics curriculums, the science fair has assisted our students in developing these important skills.  Learning first to identify and state the question or problem to be solved, learning just what is a hypothesis, followed by the procedure, analysis and background information, conclusion and gathering all of this in his/her Project Data Book  were  requirements for this assignment.  Hopefully, these skills will transfer and may assist a child to some degree in approaching any problem that she/he might encounter. 

What an excellent display of Science Fair Project is found in our gym hallways! The questions and problems truly pertain to real life encounters and needs.  Could it be that science fair experiences such as these spawn future inventions and an improved way of life for us all?  The Science Fair was visited by all of our Saint John’s Students this week.  The projects will continue to be displayed throughout this weekend.    While coming to this weekend’s Ebenezer’s Christmas Carol play this weekend, please do take time to view the projects.  You will be delighted.

A special “thank you” to Mr. Estergard and Mrs. Rottinghaus, parents and judges for your guidance and investment in teaching our young people to problem solve.

Shalom,

Lois Schmitt

             

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A DEDICATED MAN

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

I would like to dedicate this week’s Chronicle to a very special staff member, Roberto Lopez. Since today is his birthday, all of us here at Saint John’s School decided to celebrate and honor this important man. 

This morning after Mass, more than 200 Saint John’s students and staff gathered in the gym and surprised Mr. Lopez. Mr. Bradberry led us in singing “Happy Birthday”.  He was presented with his birthday cake with many candles, some which he had a difficult time blowing out. All of the students and staff enjoyed his birthday cake as their luncheon treat. 

Who is Roberto Lopez?  What does he do at Saint John’s School and Parish?  What doesn’t he do for us?  He is the humble, quiet man who always wears a smile and never, ever complains.  Just what is his title?  Maintenance?  Surely the school and parish could not “maintain” without him.  He wears so many hats. 

You might not recognize him, as could be the man wearing the big straw hat repairing a broken sprinkler or riding the lawn mower during 100 degree weather.   Or, he could be the Eskimo looking man shoveling snow from our walks when the thermometer reads  –minus 3 degrees. Perhaps he looks like a doctor wearing blue examining gloves as cleans up a body spill after a sick child.  Sometimes, he is a carpenter with a hammer and an electric drill.  What?  Who is the man on the roof fixing a leak or is he working on our air conditioning system.  Did you know he also is our plumber we call when the sewer backs up?  He has been our key man when we have had problems with bats, mice or an occasional raccoon.  Roberto also can be found on the computer which controls our gym temperatures. 

Roberto was born in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, and grew up in Juarez.  He has three brothers and two sisters.  He is so happy when he can travel back home to visit his mother.  Twenty-seven years ago he married his lovely wife. Irma.   Irma says, he is a wonderful husband and father.  “Dulce”, you were a lucky child, to be adopted by Roberto and Irma when you were just a newborn baby. 

Please join me in thanking Roberto for all he does for us here at Saint John’s parish/school.

Shalom,   Mrs. Schmitt

 Watch Roberto surprised by the SCHOOL!

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

Psalm 136.1 Give thanks to the LORD for he is good. His love endures forever.

Thanksgiving is a day when we reflect on God’s blessings in our lives.  1621, in Plymouth , Massachusetts the Plymouth Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated the first Thanksgiving,  to give thanks for their blessings..  Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1863.  President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national observance during the Civil War.  In the United States Thanksgiving Day is always the fourth Thursday of November. 

 Today it sometimes seems like turkey and football are the major ingredients of the traditional American Thanksgiving .  Yet , the spirit of the holiday calls for something much more.  Although it is not a Holy Day many of us Catholics will attend Mass. 

Since  Thanksgiving Day is next Thursday , I would like to take this Chronicle opportunity to use this most appropriate time of the year to send my most sincere appreciation to each of you for making Saint John’s  Parish/School the special community it is. First of all, the staff/faculty join me in thanking you parents for sending your child(ren) to us each day.  How grateful we are to have the parent/school team to work for the success of each child! 

I would also ask you to join me in thanking Father Frank and Father Sam for their support and involvement in our school.  They are such a blessing.  Our children love them. 

Enjoy your weekend and have a very special Thanksgiving holiday.

Shalom

Mrs. Schmitt

THE YEAR OF FAITH

Dear Saint John’s School Families,
As we continue to celebrate the YEAR OF FAITH which began on October 11,
and will close on November 24, 2013, there are countless opportunities to
become involved in ways to grow in our faith.  As Catholics, the word faith is
seen and heard everywhere, especially, since October.   Perhaps it would be
good to truly focus on just that word, and the meaning it has for each of us.
Just a simple word, but so complicated, so rich, and worthy of our spending
time and energy searching for our own understanding and appreciation of how
faith touches our lives.  Just what is faith?
Webster’s dictionary defines faith as firm belief in something for which there is
no proof, without doubt or question, belief in the traditional doctrines of a
religion , belief and trust in and loyalty to God, BELIEF, without doubt or
question.
The CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH is an excellent source to seek
help in attempting to understand faith.   143 by faith man completely submits
his intellect and his will to God.  146 Abraham thus fulfills the definition of faith
in Hebrews 11: 1 “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen”. Because he was “strong in his faith,” Abraham became the
“father of all who believe.”  Faith is a grace…….  Believing is possible only by
grace and the interior helps of the Holy Spirit.  148 The Virgin Mary most
perfectly embodies the obedience of faith.  Christian faith differs from our
faith in any human person.
160 To be human, “man’s response to God by faith must be free, and…
therefore nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will.  The act
of faith is of its very nature a free act.”  “God calls men to serve him in spirit
and in truth. Consequently they are bound to him in conscience, but not
coerced.”  Faith is a personal act.
What a challenge it is to continue to understand and grow in this YEAR OF
FAITH.
Shalom
Mrs. Schmitt

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

The two special Catholic Holy Days this week provided the opportunity for our students to learn more about their class adopted saint and also the meaning of All Souls Day.  Teachers included in their weekly lesson plans specific activities and assignments focused on their saint.  How special were the Junior Kindergarten’s Mother Theresa’s puppets the children made to decorate the Preschool door!  I was amazed how much the Saint Francis of Assisi’s class (Kindergarten) knew about Saint Francis.  When I visited their classroom, each child had information to share with me, and of course, about Father Sam and how he blessed them and their animals.

Father Sam’s homily this morning continued their lessons on Saints and Souls.  He had an excellent question and answer dialogue with our students.  What a teacher he is!  He challenged all of us attending today’s Mass to become saints.  His explanation of “HOW TO BECOME SAINTS’’ led directly to the topic of purgatory. 

His description of purgatory was excellent.  He told a story of one walking in a very muddy field.  And, after arriving home found that his mother had just shampooed and cleaned the carpets.  It would be so necessary for their shoes (souls) to be cleaned before they would be welcome to enter their home. Purgatory he explained was where after dying, our souls go to be cleaned before entering the perfect place in heaven.   He then requested that children pray for someone special who had died, in order to help that person get ready for heaven. 

Hopefully, these two Holy Days were meaningful for our children, and that is why we attended and celebrated Masses together.  Perhaps, your child will ask you to join them tonight to pray for grandma or grandpa or for a special someone.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt 

p.s. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend.  We will see you Monday, at 7:45 a.m. Standard daylight time. 

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

Our book fair last week was very definitely a success.  A big “thank you’ to Jen Metzler and Cindy Castaneda for cochairing this event.  We appreciate each of you volunteers who “manned the store” during the school day and during parent/teacher conferences.  Thank you also to all of our young/student customers for making their wise purchases.

How blessed we are here at Saint John’s School to have such dedication to and understanding of the importance of reading!  This is a value that we all share.  In addition to each of our classroom teachers, two very special staff members have developed two separate programs to enhance and support the daily instruction of reading.  Donna Monet and Sarah Smith are to be commended for all they have given to make reading a priority at Saint John’s. 

Donna Monet, our school’s librarian, was hired just at the right time to open our beautiful school library a few years ago.  With her experience and expertise, our library has become a most important center in our school.  Childrens’  “love of reading” can only grow with the opportunity to enjoy a library such as we have here. 

Please read on to learn the specifics of the Battle of the Books that our library  coordinates.   This is the fourth year that this voluntary reading incentive program is offered  for students in grades 3 and 4.  The purpose is to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers from other schools.  The library hosted an engraved traveling trophy for the school year 2011-2012, as a result of our fourth grade team winning the competition. 

How does a student participate? A student participates by reading from the book list provided for that years’ America’s Battle of the Books.  The books are 50% on, 25% above, and 25% below grade level of the participants.

What is the “Battle?”  A typical “Battle” is a tournament or game, like the College Bowl, in which students’ teams earn points by answering questions about the books on the book list.  They play several rounds, each against a different team.  At the end, points are totaled and the top teams are invited to a “Grand Battle”. 

Among the many contributions that Sarah Smith is responsible for bringing to Saint John’s School is the Accelerated Reading Program.  You may have noticed the Angry Birds bulletin board as you walk down the hall of the Elementary School.  This is our Accelerated Reader (AR) board  which tracks each student’s progress toward their trimester goals (grades 1-5).  AR helps motivate students to read and complements classroom teachings.  It is a great way to work with students at their own individual reading level set by their teacher.  They enjoy tracking their own progress on the bulletin board.  When students meet their AR goals by the end of the trimester and also have achieved an average of 85% or better on their quizzes (which means they get a sticker on their bird), they are treated to a special lunch that Sarah arranges with Mrs. Schmitt. 

Why AR?  1. Makes essential reading practice more effective for every student. 2. Personalizes reading practice to each student’s current level.  3.  Manages all reading activities including read to, read with and read independently. 4.  Builds a lifelong love of reading and learning. 

How does it work?  Student reads a book. Visit Arbookfind.com to see all available titles.  Student takes a quiz. Accelerated Reader Enterprise offers more than 140,000 quizzes to help motivate and monitor students’ reading performance. Student accumulates points. Depending on the level of the book and the performance of the student on the quiz, students earn points toward their goals set by their teacher. 

Thank you Donna and Sarah and all of you parents for making reading a top priority here at Saint John’s School.

Shalom, Lois Schmitt

RED RIBBON WEEK AHEAD

                                             

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

One week every year, students and staff at Saint John’s School celebrate a special week that is dedicated to drug and alcohol awareness.  Next week is our week to make RED important to us.  Why RED?  The National Family Partnership organized the first RED RIBBON Campaign in 1988.  Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U. S. children.

Enrique “Kiki” Camarena grew up in a dirt-floored house with hopes and dreams of making a difference.  Camarena worked his way through college, served in the marines and became a police officer.    

When he decided to join the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it.  “I can’t NOT do this, “ he told her.  “I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference.”   The DEA sent Camarena  to work undercover in Mexico investigating a major drug cartel believed to include officers in the Mexican army, police and government. On February 7, l985, the 37-year-old Camarena left his office to meet his wife for lunch.  Five men appeared at the agent’s side and shoved him in a car.  One month later, Camarena’s body was found in a shallow grave.  He had been tortured to death. 

In honor of Camarena’ s memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin.  Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions.  Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference.  These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena’s memory, the RED RIBBON. 

Thank You Ella Kaiser, our PTO president, and Cheryl Brown for planning this RED RIBBON WEEK for us.  Something special will happen each day.  RED candy for Monday, stickers on Tuesday, on Wednesday Officer Marchio will talk to our students and they will then receive a bookmark with commitment to sign it.  Middle school students will decorate and wear white shirts that they will decorate with Red markers.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

Announcements & Reminders for week of October 15

"The Church, although made up of persons who have diverse languages, cultures, and rites, nonetheless professes with a united voice the one faith that was received from the one Lord and that was passed on by the one Apostolic Tradition. She confesses one God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and points to one way of salvation. Therefore we believe with one heart and one soul all that is contained in the Word of God, handed down or written, and which is proposed by the Church as divinely revealed."  www.annusfidei.va

Announcements

• ·         The BOOK FAIR has BEGUN!  Students are completing their wish list items and will bringing them home over the next few days. We are still looking for just a couple more volunteers, if you can work one of the following shifts please go online and sign up or just email back. Shifts we are looking to fill are: Wednesday from 6-8pm (during RE), Friday 11-1 and Friday 12:30-2:30
• ·         We are looking for a few volunteers that can help serve lunch during the week. We especially need help Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays. The benefits are awesome: Fantastic people, great kids and a free lunch! If you can help please sign up online or contact Cindy Heesemann at cindy.hesseman@saintjohns.net

Reminders

• ·         Friday is parent teacher conferences! There will not be school, but parents are highly encouraged to bring their students to conferences. IF you have not signed up there are still openings. To sign up please go online to www.school.saintjohns.net
• ·         School Pictures for 4-year old preschool, sports teams and retakes are scheduled for October 25^th at 8:30 am
• ·         Teachers will be attending a teacher development day on October 26^th, there will not be school that day
• ·         The Halloween Carnival will be on October 27th, from 4-8pm in the School Gym.  Please bring: Preschool- 3rd grade-large bag of candy, 4th & 5th -3 cans of Pringles, 6th, 7th & 8th –(3) 2-liters of pop. All families please bring a baked item for the cake walk
• *To learn more about the YEAR OF FAITH, go to the website http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Or “like” on Facebook www.facebook.com/YearofFaith.va

DROP OFF/PICK UP LOOP PROCEDURES

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

One of the items on the S A C (School Advisory Council) agenda last evening was the arrival and dismissal times here on Saint John’s campus, the dropping off and picking up of our students.  On evaluating and discussing our LOOP PROCEDURES,   it was felt necessary to ask everyone to review the plan to insure the safety of our children and make these busy times here on campus flow more smoothly. 

One serious concern that was addressed was during the morning loop drop-off, some drivers choose to pass up the vehicle in front of them in favor of exiting the loop more quickly.  Near accidents have been observed, and it is feared that a child getting out of the front car could easily be hit.  PATIENCE is the answer.  It is understood that everyone, especially in the morning, is on a tight schedule.  The last goodbyes, hugs and kisses, backpacks and projects are so important, and our children are encouraged to exit as quickly as possible.  Keeping a happy attitude during stressful times when everyone is striving to be punctual is a virtue.  Cars entering the loop from the North side of the parking lot may find that those already in the loop may not yield to their entering. 

In the afternoon Loop Pick-Up there seems there is some confusion as to where parents should place their cars while waiting for their children to be dismissed.  Parishioners are sometimes confused also, as to why school parents are in the parking lot blocking the entry and exits to the church as well as blocking parking places.  School vehicles, please accommodate parishioners and others needing to make their way to/from the church by making space for cars to enter or exit.   Father will be meeting with parishioners and those who come to church for Adoration explaining the whys and hows of LOOP.

Attached is a schematic of the loop for our school.   Thank you everyone for your cooperation

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

SAINT JOHN’S SCHOOL CELEBRATES THE YEAR OF FAITH

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

Next Thursday, October 11, to begin the celebration of THE YEAR OF FAITH, students and staff will attend Mass at 8:30 a.m.  Students are asked to wear their uniforms on Thursday and Friday.  We will attend Mass both days.

In an earlier Chronicle letter, I shared with you that each classroom has already adopted a saint who will become very special to them. This saint’s name will identify the students, parents, teachers, and will be used in a variety of ways.  This is just one of many, many special experiences that will be happening this year here at school. I will attempt to keep you informed of the activities, happenings and lessons that will challenge all of us to strengthen our faith. 

Please be sure to post the HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL FLIER on your refrigerator.  Again, to make this carnival extra special, it will have the flavor of our YEAR OF FAITH.  Adults and children alike, everyone, should “press their creative juices” and try to attend wearing a costume that might win a prize that supports our Catholic Faith.       

                                                                                                                       

Ideas??????   Father Frank shared some thoughts…..Saints, i.e. Saint Lucy,  Blessed Mother Theresa, Saint John the Evangelist, or the Baptist, Fishermen, Apostles, Candles, Bibles, Nuns, Priests (It is not fair, his and Father Sam are already prepared!!), Angels, Samsun, Cardinals, Alter Servers,  Blessed Virgin Mary,  Archbishop,  a Catechism, etc.  Other costumes, too, will be o.k. and fun, as long as they are appropriate and are in taste, with the use of good judgment.   Please, no blood, gore and only “sweet” little witches and ghosts of that style.

Together let’s make the days and months from October 11, 2012, -November 24, 2013 a time of growth as we continue on our spiritual journey.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

SUMMER READING 2012

St. John’s 2012 Summer Reading List

The following books are required reading for students going into the following grades:

Kindergarten Summer Reading List

These can be read to the child

Required:

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

The Night before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing

Optional:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Astronauts Are Sleeping  by Natalie Standiford

The Chicken Sisters by Laura Joffe Numeroff

The Leaf Men by William Joyce

Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Prairie Primer A to Z by Caroline Stutson

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss,

Visiting the Art Museum by Laurene Krasny Brown

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

Prairie Primer A to Z by Caroline Stutson

1st Grade Reading List

Required:

Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Optional:

Lily’s Plastic Purple Purse by Kevin Henkes

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst,

The Bears' Picnic by Stan Berenstain

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business
by Esphyr Slobodkina

Franklin Rides a Bike by Paulette Bourgeois

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

2nd Grade Reading List

Required:

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster and Chris Raschka

Optional:

The Secret Knowledge of Grown Ups by David Wisniewski

Flat Stanley (any in the series) by Jeff Brown

Summer Bridge Workbook 1-2 to keep up skills through the summer)

Detective LaRue:  Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague

The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra Barracca

The Great Kapok Tree A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

Martha Blah Blah by Susan Meddaugh

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Any Magic Treehouse Books.

Zelda and Ivy by Laura McGee Kvasnosky

3rd Grade Reading List

Required:

Charlottes Web by E.B. White

The Magic School Bus: Space Explorers by Joanna Cole

Optional:

Stone Soup by Jon Muth

The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, A Message from Chief Seattle by Susan Jeffers

Go Free or Die, A Story About Harriet Tubman by Jeri Ferris

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

Poppy by Avi

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Walking the Road to Freedom by Jeri Ferris

4th Grade Summer Reading List

Required:

FICTION: choose one

Stone Fox- Gardiner

Follow My Leader- James B. Garfield

NON-FICTION: choose one

Naya Nuki (Shoshoni girl who ran) - Kenneth Thomasma

Ameenah  (Zuni boy runs the race of his life)- Kenneth Thomasma

Optional:

Matt Christopher – any of his sports books  (non-fiction)

Dennis – NUBS: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle (non-fiction)

Gregory – Cabin Creek Mysteries: Clue at the Botton of the Lake  or Blizzard on Blue Mountain

Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman (Historical Fiction)

Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

 Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

5th Grade Summer Reading List

Required:

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Optional:

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munzo Ryan

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Warm Place by Nancy Farmer

The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

My Daniel by Pam Conrad

Matilda by Roald Dahl

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

6th Grade Summer Reading List

Required:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Special Directions:

You will need the study guide posted on the website AND the novel for the first two to three weeks of class.  If you are using a library book, please make arrangements to have the book in class for at least the first three weeks of school. school.saintjohns.net

Pick two, no report due:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Whittingtin by Armstrong, Alan

The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton

The Shakespeare Stealer by Blackwood

Nory Ryan’s Song  by Giff

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

The Complete Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

7th Grade Summer Reading List

Required:

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Special Directions:

You will need the study guide posted on the website AND the novel for the first two to three weeks of class.  If you are using a library book, please make arrangements to have the book in class for at least the first three weeks of school. school.saintjohns.net

Pick two, no report due:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Beyond the Burning Time by Kathryn Lasky

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt

The Man Who Was Poe by Avi

Night by Elie Wiesel

Nothing but the Truth, A Documentary Novel by Avi

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera Cleaver

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Continued on next page…………………

Tracker by Gary Paulsen

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho

House of Dries Drear by Virginia Hamilton

8th Grade Summer Reading List

Required:

The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers

Special Directions:

You will need the study guide posted on the website AND the novel for the first two to three weeks of class.  If you are using a library book, please make arrangements to have the book in class for at least the first three weeks of school. school.saintjohns.net

Pick two, no report due:

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter D. Myers

War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas                                                

The Fantastic Voyage by Asimov

The Friendly Persuasion by West

Memory by Mahy

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Gaines

Summer of My German Soldier by Greene

Watership Down by Adams

Summer of the Monkeys by Rawls

Born Free by Adamson

Go Up for Glory by Russell

All Creatures Great and Small by Herriot

The Mousetrap by Christie

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Peck

The Once and Future King by White

Waiting for Rain by Gordon                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Ellen Foster by Gibbons