More Than a School, It's a Community.
Dear SPSL Parents,
Congratulations to our Feb. Student of the Month, Javier! Javi is doing much better at following instructions in class and in line. He turns his assignments in on time and uses his time wisely in Study Hall and in class. Javi is honest and hardworking. He accepts feedback and participates in class discussions. Javi enjoys helping his teacher and his classmates. Way to go, Javi! Check out his photo below.
Friday, March 6, is our field trip to the Holland Center to play our recorders with the Holland Orchestra. We will be leaving school at 8:30, so please be sure that your student has breakfast and arrives at school by 8:10. We will return to school by 10:45.
Due to the field trip on Friday, our Spelling Test will be on Thursday, March 5. The Spelling Lists will be sent home on Monday, and the words will be posted in Google Classroom on Monday.
On Wednesday, March 4, we will be taking our vocabulary test on our historical fiction stories, “Telephone Mix-Up” and “Moon Over Star”. The words are posted in Google Classroom. We will be reviewing in class, but studying at home really helps.
On Wednesday, March 4, we will also have our Social Studies Test on Natural Resources and Agriculture. A study guide was sent home last week, and there is also a copy of the study guide in Google Classroom. Please review these concepts with your child.
Google Classroom also has information about the upcoming Destination Poster due in April. Students will do the research at school and practice their speeches at home. There is a checklist that shows the information that is required for the poster and presentation. More details coming soon.
Thank you for helping your child with their homework and the labels for the Race for Education!
Sincerely,
Monica
Dear Parents,
Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s been an exciting week in 4th grade. On Wednesday, Brooke, Xavier, and Lucia did a great job being altar servers for Mass. Luke, Louie, Arrow, and Juniper did a wonderful job helping the younger grades sing in the Choir. I was only able to get a photo of our altar servers because the choir singers were a last minute replacement. We are flexible 4th graders, and we are always ready to help out! On Wednesday, we also watched the 5th grade’s Wax Museum, and we learned about important people in our history.
On Thursday, we helped our Preschool Buddies make valentine cards for their parents. We enjoy being good role models for our buddies. Our adorable photos are below.
On Friday, we learned about interdependent relationships in trade and discovered that our tennis shoes are made in Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and a few other countries. We also learned about overcoming barriers in transportation. We made boats to carry goods across a river. Then we tested them to see if they would float. Check out the photos below and see our successes!
Then we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a party! Thank you to the families of Louie, Genesis, Kamila, Javi, and Guba for sending fruit, treats, and party supplies!! Thank you for helping your child with their Valentine boxes and valentines. I was impressed by the creativity and variety. Thank you for all the valentines that you sent to me!! My family loves chocolate, and I love sharing with them.
We are spending some extra time on Mean, Median, Mode, and Range. I pushed the quiz to Monday, Feb. 16. The notes with the definitions are in Google Classroom.
Our next vocabulary quiz will be on Wednesday, Feb. 18 which also is Ash Wednesday. The words and their definitions are in Google Classroom.
We’ll have conferences starting at 1pm on Feb. 19 with a noon dismissal. Please be sure to send a hearty snack with your student on Thursday. Lunch will not be served that day and our normal lunch time is at 11.
We have had a lot of illness in 4C this month. Try to be sure your child gets adequate sleep and healthy foods so we can fight off these viruses. I know very well how this is easier said than done. We will catch up on the missing work later.
Thank you for the many, many things you do every day to help your child succeed at SPSL and in life!
Sincerely,
Monica
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Dear SPSL Parents,
I hope you were able to spend some time outside in the sunshine this weekend. The weather this week will be very nice for February, so we will try to go outside as much as we can. Be sure to watch the forecast and dress your child accordingly.
Congratulations to our January Godfather Student of the Month, Sydney! She has been a good example because Sydney is always quiet in line, and she works quietly during worktime. Sydney follows instructions right away and never argues. Sydney remembers to write her name on her work, and she turns in her homework every day. Sydney is honest, reliable, and responsible. Whenever she does not finish her work during class, Sydney takes it home and finishes it. Sydney uses her time wisely, and she is very hard working. Sydney is kind to her classmates. Way to go, Sydney!
Be sure to look through your child’s Friday Folder before turning it in on Monday. Please sign and return the permission slip for our trip to the Holland Center. Be sure to include the fee for the bus in an envelope with your child’s name on it. Please also return the $5 book order coupon if you are not going to order any books this month. Also, please sign and return the Parent-Teacher Conference slip even if you are not requesting a conference.
Don’t forget that next Friday is a free Dress Down Day and our Valentine’s Day Party. If you bring valentines, be sure to bring one for each student. I sent home a roster to help with the spelling of each child’s name. If your child wants to bring to school their Valentine’s Day box from home they can. If they forget, I have white paper bags that they can decorate instead.
I have moved the next vocabulary quiz to Feb. 18. The words and their definitions are in Google Classroom. Our next two stories are narrative nonfiction, and they are both about our system of government. They are more complex, so we will be spending more time on them.
Keep practicing division and multiplication facts. We will be multiplying and dividing fractions soon, and it really helps if students know their facts.
Brianna was an altar server at the Mass at St. Leo for Catholic Schools Week, and Xavier and Carroll were in the choir at St. Leo or St. Pius. They all did a great job! I wasn’t quick enough to grab photos of everyone during the Masses.
We are still in need of chaperones for our trip to Lincoln on May 18. Let me know if you can help us out.
Thank you for all that you do for the students at SPSL!!
Sincerely,
Monica Stromberg
4C Teacher
Dear Parents,
I hope that you and your family are staying warm, and you enjoyed family time together on the Cold Day last Friday when we didn’t have school. This winter, please be sure to send your student to school with coats, gloves, caps, pants, leggings, etc. We will go outside whenever the temperature and/or windchill is above 10 degrees. Students need the fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
I hope that you had time to read the latest school email about all the exciting activities planned for the upcoming Catholic Schools Week. Monday is a Free Dress Down Day, and the Omaha Street Percussion Band will perform for us. Monday is also the day that we will have our Spelling Test that we were going to have last Friday.
Another activity that the students will enjoy this week is a No Desk Day on Thursday, Jan. 29. Students may bring blankets and pillows and work on the floor instead of at their desk. The children earned this incentive by correctly spelling 1000 bonus words on their Spelling Tests. The blanket and pillow must fit in your child’s backpack. We don’t have much extra room in the hallway to put things.
We will have our next vocabulary quiz on Jan. 28. The words and definitions are in Google Classroom.
I have posted a division song and some division games under the Math topic in Classwork in Google Classroom. We are still learning the process and working on our division and multiplication facts. Please try to get in 10 min. of math facts every day that you can. When my children were in grade school, we did math facts in the car on the way to practice or school. We did homework in the car and the gym when one child had practice and the other was waiting. Every minute helps.
Last week, we helped our Preschool Buddies make snowflakes. I think they turned out very well. See the cute photos below. There is also a photo of our altar servers from last week. They did a great job!
For those of you who like to plan ahead, our trip to the Capitol building in Lincoln, Neb. will be May 18. Parents who have been Safe School trained are welcome to chaperone. We will only rent two buses for the students, so the parents who would like to help out must drive/carpool to Lincoln and meet us at the Capitol. Please email me if you have time to help us out. There will be many more details coming soon.
Thank you for everything you do to help your child succeed at SPSL!
Sincerely,
Monica Stromberg
4C Teacher
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Dear Parents,
Happy New Year and welcome to January! I hope that you had a wonderful break. 2025 was a good year in 4th grade at SPSL, and I think 2026 will be awesome!
Congratulations to our December Godfather Student of the Month, Lucia!! She works hard on her assignments and tests, and her work is always turned in on time. Lucia is respectful, quiet in line, and helpful. She participates in class, and Lucia uses her time wisely. She showed great responsibility by taking on one of the lead roles in the Christmas musical and giving a fabulous performance!
Thank you to the families of Lucia, Xavier, Bah Bludoh, Louie, and Emilia for sending supplies for our Christmas party!! We had so much fun! One of the activities we did was to read the play called The Crippled Lamb. We read that God has a plan and a purpose for each of us, and none of us are mistakes. We must always seek Jesus for we are all masterpieces in God’s eyes. I love that play!
Please be sure to check the school calendar often in Jan. There is no school for students on Jan. 16, and 19. We have our standardized achievement tests (STAR) on Jan. 14, and 20. Please try to get your child on a consistent schedule of sleep especially 48 hours before each test date. Nine-year-old children need 9-12 hours of sleep each night. It is also very important to eat a high protein breakfast the morning before the test. Remind your child to do their best and take deep breaths. We can do this!
Due to the STAR test dates and the days when we don’t have school in Jan., the next Social Studies test will be Monday, Jan. 12. I have posted the study guide for Chap. 2 in Google Classroom. Your student will also be given a paper copy on Wednesday. We will review in class, but your student will need to study over the weekend too. There are many ways to be an active student. Your child can highlight important words, make flashcards, read out loud in the car, study in 20 min. intervals with breaks, write questions, make a quiz, teach a sibling, or make a game.
There will not be a Spelling test the week of Jan. 5-9. We have to adjust to the school schedule and prepare for STAR tests. We learned a lot the first semester, and we need to review so that we can remember everything. Students can also practice for the STAR Math and Reading tests with the online games in Freckle and Prodigy. They also have access to ReadWorks in Google Classroom to help them with their reading comprehension.
In Math, 4th graders are working on long division. Please practice their multiplication and division flashcards with them for 10 min. each night when you can. These algorithms are very challenging if students can’t remember their multiplication and division facts. There are many math games online that can help with this including 99Math.
Please continue to read for 20 minutes each day. This really does add up, and practice helps with their reading comprehension. Their next reading vocabulary quiz will be on Jan. 14. The vocabulary words and their definitions are posted in Google Classroom. Again, we will review at school, but studying at home really helps.
Thank you for the many ways that you support your student!! It really makes a big difference.
Sincerely,
Monica
Dear SPSL Families,
Wow! What an exciting week we have had in 4th grade! On Monday, the 4C students were the Mass Ministers and Altar Servers for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Thank you for helping them practice the music to lead Mass. It was so lovely!
Then on Wednesday and Thursday, we gave three performances of “Sheep in Heavenly Peace” our Christmas musical. The 4th graders and 2nd graders did a fantastic job!! Thank you for practicing their lines and music with them this semester! Congratulations to Mrs. Fleming and Mrs. Parker, our music teachers, for a job very well done!!
On Thursday, 4C also met with their Preschool Buddies and helped them make Christmas cards. We always enjoy helping our younger friends.
Next Friday, we will have our Christmas party and celebrate Jesus’ birthday. The birth of our Messiah was God’s gift to us so that we could have peace with God. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
Be sure to check out all of the photos below. My hope for you all is that you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas with friends and family!!
Sincerely,
Monica
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Dear SPSL Families,
Happy Thanksgiving!! I am very thankful for how the 4C class celebrates and supports each and every student. Last Friday, I was able to award three gift certificates to Raising Cane’s and one to Godfather’s Pizza. The whole class cheered loudly for each winner. I think 5th grade heard us upstairs. 🙂 Congratulations to each of our winners!! Their photos are posted at the bottom of this page.
The Raising Cane certificates went to Xavier (neatest desk and floor), Sydney (quietest in line), and Javier (neatest handwriting on work submitted on time). The Godfather Student of the Month was awarded to Juniper. She has been quick to follow instructions, participate in class, turn neat work in on time, and be respectful. Juniper is gentle when she helps her classmates with their work and reminds them to follow instructions. She is quiet in line, and Juniper uses her time wisely. Juniper is a good example for her peers. Way to go everyone!! Keep up the good work!!
Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving break, there will not be any Spelling words or tests this week. We will have a Vocabulary Quiz on Tuesday, Nov. 25, over the Buffalo story words posted in Google Classroom. That will be our last quiz for Nov.
On Nov. 12, 4C did a great job being Mass Ministers!! I’ve posted a photo of the altar servers below. I couldn’t take any other photos of the readers, song leaders, etc., because I didn’t want to interrupt the service. I was really proud of them for being so respectful and focused. Way to go , 4C!!
Last week, 4C helped our Preschool Buddies with their Thankful Turkeys project. The photos are posted below. The students really enjoyed working together.
The 4C students have been diligently working on their Book Report posters, their Accelerated Reader Quizzes, and their ReadWorks Quizzes here at school. Their posters are quite creative. They do enjoy arts and crafts. Keep encouraging them to read at home too. I predict a substantial jump in their STAR Reading Test scores next Jan.
I do wish everyone a safe and blessed Thanksgiving break!! I know that I am so very thankful for the many ways that the SPSL family has shown their encouragement and support. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Sincerely,
Monica
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November News
Dear SPSL Families,
Thank you to the families of Blessing, Xavier, Lucia, Emilia, Misael, Louie, Luke, Brianna, Bah Bludoh, Arrow, and Kamila who supplied the 4C classroom with food, party supplies, and decorations!! The Halloween Party was a blast!
A huge thank you to Addy’s family who sent 4C some Soft Seats from Lakeshore and some fidgets!! The Soft Seats are seat cushions that help keep students warm and comfortable on the metal chairs. We have been using some Wobble Seats too, but as winter sets in, the Wobble Seats become harder and less comfortable. We need 5 more Soft Seats to have a complete classroom set. The 4C parents are the most generous parents I have ever worked with. I have never had so many items from my Wish List granted before Christmas. Thank you!!
Congratulations to October’s Student of the Month, Brianna!! Brianna participates in class, listens, is helpful and kind to all of the 4th graders, and returns her homework on time. Brianna’s work is neat and complete. She follows directions, uses her time wisely, and never argues. Brianna is a great example for her classmates! Way to go, Brianna!!
With Winter coming soon, please remember to check the forecast. We go outside every day when it is not raining and the wind chill is over 10 degrees. Be sure that your child has their coat, jacket, sweatshirt, leggings, etc., for the weather. Remember that shorts are not a uniform option after Nov. 1 until April 1, 2026.
Mrs. Preston is looking for help with Junior Achievement. We are looking for Junior Achievement Volunteers for each kindergarten through fifth grade classroom. JA’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. (Junior Achievement Facts)
The lessons and materials are all provided for you, as is online training, so everyone is welcome! The time commitment would be five, 20-45 minute sessions in the classroom during the school day in the second semester of the school year. If you’re interested, please contact Mrs. Preston, assistant principal and SPSL JA coordinator, at [email protected].
Please also remember that all volunteers must be Safe School Certified. It takes 2-3 weeks after the class before the certification is complete. So before you can help at a school party, chaperone a field trip, or be a Junior Achievement Volunteer, you must be Safe School certified.
Below this newsletter, you will see photos of this month’s altar servers and our latest Preschool Buddy visit. Ministering at Mass and being mentors for our Preschool friends brings out the best in us. We prayed with our younger friends, read books to them, and colored a picture together. The 4C students are so adorable!
Thank you to all of the parents who made time to come in for Parent-Teacher Conferences. It was nice to chat face to face and talk about all the ways that the 4C students can be supported. Thank you for making such a difference in your child’s life.
Sincerely,
Monica
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Dear SPSL Families,
Congratulations to our Godfather Student of the Month for September, Arrow Sutton!! Arrow has been quick to follow instructions, eager to help others, and quiet in line. She does neat work, follows directions, and turns her work in on time. Arrow uses her time wisely, is always respectful, is a good listener, and she is a great example for her classmates. She has earned a coupon for Godfather’s pizza, a refrigerator magnet, and our thanks. Way to go, Arrow!!
A huge thank you to all the moms who came in to help with our project for the SPSL Fundraiser BOLD 25! We could not have done it without you! I think the photo cubes turned out really well. I hope that you will be able to join us on October 25, at Creighton Prep to see them all.
The class has enjoyed being altar servers at Mass. Our 4C students take turns serving about once a month. Each students serves a couple times a year. See the photos posted below. They have learned quickly, and I am very proud of the respectful way that the students have been serving at Mass.
If you have an Instagram account, check out the short clips of 4C singing and learning. We have two songs under the Music and Learning section on the SPSL Instagram account. We sang part of our Beautiful Nebraska song and our Subordinating Conjunctions song. Subordinating conjunctions help us find the dependent clauses in complex sentences. They help us to be better writers and readers. I think we sounded great!!
The class also did a great job being mentors to our Preschool Buddies this week. They read their Summer Stories to them along with a picture book. They drew pictures together and really enjoyed being together as you can see in the photos below. I was really proud of them for being such good examples.
Thank you for your help studying for the Neb. Symbols Test!! We had awesome scores!! I think those symbol names are in our long term memory now.
Thank you for all of your support!!
Sincerely,
Monica
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Dear SPSL Family,
I hope you are enjoying the lovely fall weather. It was the perfect time to go outside last week for the extra recess that 4C earned with their bonus word points on their Spelling Tests. We are already looking forward to our next class reward.
Be sure to check out our class photo from Grandpanthers’ Day and our altar server photos at the bottom of this newsletter. 4C students serve once or twice a month as altar servers. Our entire class will serve as Mass ministers on Nov. 12. Our next batch of altar servers will help with Mass on Oct. 1. We love having our friends and family celebrate Mass with us!!
We are getting much better at writing all of our assignments in our planners. Keep checking our assignment notebooks for deadlines and other important information. Each student’s username and password for Xtra Math and Prodigy is written in their planner. Using Google Classroom will be the easiest way to get to these websites to help practice math facts and math concepts. We are working on Place Value and Rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. You will also notice that the website for 99Math is in 4C’s Google Classroom. 99Math does not require a username or password. It is set up to jump right to multiplication for our class so that students can practice their math facts. Please limit your student’s total screen time to 60 minutes a day. To facilitate deeper sleep, avoid screen time two hours before bedtime.
Thank you to Carroll’s family for the Bouncy Bands for our desks!! These bands help us focus by giving us a quiet outlet for our energy. Our feet can bounce and help our brains focus. It has made a huge difference in our concentration.
Thank you for the many, many ways that you support the fantastic 4th graders!!
Sincerely,
Monica
Dear SPSL Families,
Welcome to September! A special thank you to all the parents who were able to attend Parent Night last Tuesday. I hope I was able to answer many of your questions. Remember that email is the best way to contact me. Please try to check assignment notebooks and expandable files daily to help keep your student on track. We are making progress.
It’s been so nice to see so many of my former students when they stop by to say hello. They are so tall now!
Thank you to Lucia’s family and Addy’s family for bringing donations for the Classroom Store and for our classroom. We use the ROAR tickets that we earn for following ROAR Expectations to buy items from the store during Friday’s Study Hall.
I sent home the login information for Xtra Math last Friday so that students could practice their facts at home. Our emphasis this week is on multiplication facts. Just 20 minutes a day makes a difference.
Here is a summary of what we are working on this week.
In Spelling, we are working on long ‘e’ words. The test will be on Friday. The class did a great job on last week’s test!
In Reading, we have been reading about natural disasters and how we can prepare for them. We are using text features and learning new vocabulary words. I’m very glad that Nebraska doesn’t usually have earthquakes.
In Math, we are learning about place value. We will be working with numbers up to a billion. Paper money is fun!
In Writing, we are making a picture book about our summer vacation using similes and metaphors. We are using our senses to describe our memories. We will read it to our preschool buddies when they come for a visit in October. The books are going to be amazing!
In English, we are working on writing complete sentences with compound subjects and predicates. This will help us be better writers.
In Science, we will be learning about how waves function.
In Religion, we are studying God’s creation story and learning about saints. In January, we will pick a favorite saint and draw their portrait. These will be beautiful!
In Social Studies, we have been learning about Nebraska symbols and the Nebraska state seal. We are making a booklet with all the Nebraska symbols and learning fun facts about our state. Did you know that Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska? I’ll send home a study guide when we are ready for our test.
Classroom Wish List
Several parents have asked for an updated Wish List for our classroom. Our classroom Wish List is for those who can bless our room with some additional helpful items. I am searching for Bouncy Bands to attach to the desk legs to help with focus. I haven’t found the right size yet, but I will post an Amazon Wish List as soon as I do.
Here are some other items that are not so specific:
I have enjoyed getting to know this year’s fourth graders, and I am looking forward to a great year! Here’s a photo of the class with their Library books. We were so glad that we could check out books today!
Sincerely,
Monica Stromberg
Hello,
I wanted to share a few photos from Christmas. The 4th graders performed a wonderful musical. This class can sing!!! We also had a special visit from Santa.
Hello,
I just wanted to share a few photos of our Godfather students of the month. Each student was selected for being a good listener who is great at following directions. They are good examples for their peers. Thanks for being such excellent role models Maddie, Rosie, Dan, and Ava!!
Hello,
We’ve had a great week in 4th grade. I have enjoyed getting to know all the different personalities in 4C. We had a dress down day to collect funds for the Jimmy Moran scholarship. 4th graders love dress down days!
4C did a Book Tasting this week. We talked about the different genres, and then we sampled several books from each category. The 4th graders then wrote book reviews for each book that they read. Several students found books that they liked, and they want to check them out of the library next week.
Friday, the students took their first spelling test. They will come home next Friday. I am really proud of my students who studied this week and did their very best.
We have starting writing our picture books to read to our preschool buddies. The 4th graders picked a special memory from their summer and described the memory with all of their senses. Then they illustrated their books. They look really nice. We can’t wait to share them.
Sincerely,
Monica Stromberg
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