It is almost impossible to fathom, but it is the last week of school that is on the horizon. It has been a very special year. A school year that I have immensely enjoyed from day one. Luckily I get to teach 8th grade US History for this group of 7th graders, soon to be 8th graders next school year. Speaking of 8th graders, I would like to give a hearty congratulations to the graduating class of 2025. I will miss this group a lot and I would like to wish them good luck in high school and beyond. Please come back and visit when you can. I also need to say a special good-bye to more than a few families that have had their youngest or only just graduate. Some of these families have been here for 20+ years with children enrolled at our school. In my case a couple of families that had a child of theirs in my first class at SPSL 12 years ago.

Our mod schedule will be finished this Wednesday. This will be the last day of mods. For Thursday, May 22nd, the 7th graders will have a room clean-out and their fun day. For our fun day, it will happen in the afternoon. Please make sure to bring bottled water and sunscreen as it looks like a beautiful sunny day. If you child would like to bring any sporting equipment, then that would be appreciated. We will be at the soccer fields this year as there is construction at the Bowling Green Park. This day will be a dress down day.

For the room clean out, please bring any extra grocery store bags for extra material that may not fit in a backpack, for instance an art box. If anyone would like to donate a bucket and/or cleaning rags, that would be great. We will be cleaning the entire room, so the more the better.

The last day of school will be Friday. There will be Mass and a special popsicle party with our first grade buddies after Mass. Dismissal will be at 11:00.

Have a great summer. Enjoy every minute.

Mr. Carreon

Hello everyone

The month of May is here. It is an exciting time for the 7th graders.

Last Thursday, our school had our annual Mission Day. The 7th graders had a wonderful time spending the majority of the day with their 1st grade buddies. The 1st-7th graders created art made out of recycled material, plant a flower, and watched a presentation on plastics. The pictures below are some of the fun the group had for the day.

An email was sent out on Friday about Spirit Week. Please review the email and remember to review the school’s Dress Down Day dress code policy. The Race for Education is Friday, May 9th. We will be running in the afternoon. It is looking like a very nice day on that Friday. I will remind students to bring a water bottle for the day. I will send an email out as well before we run.

This week also is a special week for our 7th graders when it comes to faith. The Living Rosary will be this Tuesday. The 7th graders will be the leaders of this rosary that the whole school will attend. Each student will be part of the rosary and say a prayer. All five decades will be said during the living rosary. It is a great holy moment, but also a tremendous moment for our future leaders of the school. If any parents wish to come to the presentation, then please know that space will be very limited due to the whole student body being present. I will do my best to take pictures before and after as well.

Later this week, a field trip form should be going out. The Field Trip will be to the Holy Family Shrine in Ashland, NE. For those who are not sure where it is at, it is the glass church off the Interstate around exit 426 I believe. The Field Trip will be Friday, May 16th. It is an A.M. only field trip. In the afternoon we have to be back for the Author’s Visit.

Later this month I will send out information via email and newsletter about the last week of school. For a sneak peak, Thursday, May 22nd will be the room clean out and our fun day.

We are in the last month of academics for 7th and 8th Grade. The 7th grade Geography classes will be concluding our unit on Asia this week when we learn about the Himalaya. Next week will be review for the academic year, with a review quiz scheduled for Monday, May 19th.

The 8th grade has a Washington D.C. week to look forward to. We will watch a video about D.C. and Congress, plus a small mini fun project about the nation’s capital.

Thank you all very much

Jerry Carreon

Mission Day Photos:

Welcome to April. For students it is the second to last month of the school year.

First here are a couple of important dates to remember:

Monday, April 7th – Book Fair. Please bring money to buy books at the book fair

April 17th – April 22nd – Easter Break

Some students are participating in Speech team this quarter. There will be some competitions that will happen during the school day, typically Fridays. On those days that have a competition, students are to talk to their teachers, whose mods they will miss, and get notes and homework for those teachers. Teachers will remind the students as well.

I also want to give a major congratulatory message to our students, Sophia Adolvo and Joel Taylor for their tremendous work for SPSL’s Show Choir. Our class was a helpful support for them as well. 7C showed very mature behavior during Show Choir’s performance.

7th Grade World Geography has completed the unit on Africa. We are currently working on an Endangered Species project. The project covers important aspects like habitats and what is in each habitat like animals, plants, and climate. The students also explain why an animal species become endangered through habitat loss or other reasons. To conclude the project the students research and describe how individuals and groups are saving endangered animals. There will be a map of Asia quiz towards the end of the month and going into May. Plus we will learn about specific regions like China and India.

8th Grade US History is near the end of the Civil War unit. A test will be next Tuesday, April 8th. After the test, the 8th graders will begin their Archdiocese Assessment called the History Hall of Fame. The final product is a written 2-3 page paper and a presentation. The students will select one individual to nominate for a fictional Hall of Fame. Within their paper the students will research and explain why the person should be in the History Hall of Fame. Achievements, impact on society, and how religion played a role in their lives are a few of the topics that each student will research and write about in their paper. The research assessment will take a few weeks to finish.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Please email.

Thank you

Jerry Carreon

Welcome to the great month of March. For the students, Spring Break is around the corner and the students are very excited for their week off school. My family and I are going to visit my older brother in Scottsdale, AZ. I don’t get to see him often, so it should be a great visit.

The Race for Education labels contest has begun for our school. Students can bring back labels for our class. 14 labels brought back means a dress down day. If students bring back any labels, then I will supply a treat for the students as well. If the whole school can bring back 6500 labels, then the entire school gets a bonus day off school. Our class currently has 75 labels. I know from previous years that 7C can get over 250 labels with ease. On Monday, the class and I can talk about a classroom goal and prize if we can top that 250 labels mark. Please bring those labels.

The 3rd quarter will be concluding the first week of March. Please check Blackbaud. Email any questions or concerns to your child’s teacher(s) about grades.

For 7th grade Geography, the classes have just completed their Arab World Map Quiz. We are currently completing part of our world religion unit with learning about the Islamic faith. After Spring Break, the class will have a major map quiz over Africa. This map quiz will be the toughest map quiz of the year, so please help your child study. We will also learn about important geographically regions of Africa including the Nile River, Sahara, The Great Rift Valley, and many more.

The 8th graders for US History will be completing their causes of the Civil War unit this first week of March. The 8th graders will soon jump into the actually Civil War unit. The Civil War unit will the only focus for the first few weeks of the 4th quarter.

Have a nice week and Spring Break

Jerry Carreon

Happy February

I hope everyone has gotten off to a fine start for the month of February. January was a cold month, but also a good time with Catholic Schools Week. The retreat was a ton of fun with every student enjoying their experience. It also was very nice to see many of you at the St. Leo’s mass on Tuesday. My 6-yr old son behaved very well, which I greatly appreciated.

Conferences… Conferences… Conferences… Conferences are one of the highlights of February. If your child hasn’t turned in their conference form, then please do so as soon as possible. Even if a teacher didn’t request a conference with your child and you don’t wish to request as well, we will still like the signed form back. Thank you

Conferences are on February 13th between 1:00 – 6:30. Please indicate which time you like to meet with the teachers during that afternoon. If February 13th doesn’t work, then please let us know another day and time we can meet.

Also on February 13th is the 7th Grade Valentine’s Party. If you like, then please bring a treat for each student in the class. There are 26 students in the class. If your child would like to bring treats for students in the other classes, then that is fine as well. There is no expectation that your child has to bring a treat for every 7th grader. We will also have a Valentine’s Box contest. If your child would like, then they can decorate a Valentine’s Box and bring it to school. Please be aware of peanut allergies.

This month in 7th Grade Geography has a primary focus on Europe. The test over Western-Central Europe will take place before conference break. When we get back we will switch continental regions and take a learning expedition to the Arab world of North Africa and the Middle East. A map quiz will be included, but just on that specific region, not a whole continent. Also we will learn about the cultural aspects of the region.

8th grade history is going along very nicely. A quiz over the movement to end slavery and women’s rights will be happening before conference break as well. The quiz covers important individuals like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. After conferences, US History will continue to learn about more caused of the Civil War with the Divided Nation unit. This is the last unit before the Civil War. This specific unit covers more of the abolitionist movement, Harpers Ferry, Bleeding Kansas, and the election of Abe Lincoln over Stephen A. Douglas.

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and great New Years.

The 7th/8th graders are getting back to the swing of things here in the first full week of 2025.

Later this month, the last week of January, will be Catholic Schools Week. I will provide an update later this month on the schedule for that week, but please check this newsletter and school emails about the events during that week.

For 7th Grade Geography, we have begun the new semester learning about Southern Europe. The countries in focus are Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. A test will be given during the middle of the month of January. Please check Google Classroom for updates on the date of the test and study guides. The next unit to follow is the Western and Central Europe.

In 8th Grade U.S. History, we have started our unit on the Era of Good Feelings. The topics that will be covered are the Monroe Doctrine, Jacksonian Democracy, the Industrial Revolution, and Sectionalism. A test will happen in the middle of the month. Please keep a eye out on Google Classroom for study guides and testing dates.

Please email me if anyone has questions or concerns.

Thank you

Jerry Carreon

Happy December and Happy Advent

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

First thing first:

Hello everyone

We are in the midst of the second quarter of the school year. We just completed a few important units in both Geography and US History. Also last month, the 7th and 8th graders had their first field trip of the school year.

First, I would like to thank all the parents who came to conferences this past Thursday. I really enjoyed having conversations about your children’s education. If you were unavailable to attend conferences, then please let your child’s teachers know if you would like to talk or exchange emails about the progression of your child’s education this school year.

Secondly, another field trip has been scheduled for November 14th. The field trip will be another morning field trip like the previous field trip. The location will be Saint Wenceslaus. The field trip is labeled as a Chastity Talk. The speaker for the Chastity Talk will be Jason Evert. It will be sponsored by the Archdiocese of Omaha. This means many schools around the archdiocese will be attending as well. The field trip is free of charge. An email will be sent home tomorrow, November 4th, with more information about the scope of the event. A permission form will be sent home tomorrow as well. Please bring back the form as soon as possible.

For World Geography class, the 7th graders are close to finishing the unit on Central America and the Caribbean. The final part of the unit will be a lesson on the Central America’s greatest wonder, the Panama Canal. When that lesson is completed, the next unit will be South America. A map quiz over the continent will accompany the unit. We will also be reading and comprehending from the textbook as well. There also will be a project that will be included with the unit. The project’s scope will focus on a country in South America of the student’s choosing. The students will add facts about the country’s economy, geography, culture, and other important themes/features of the country.

8th Grade US History has just completed their Bill of Rights unit. The unit was very fun for the students and myself. We will take a sort break from the textbook. The break will be very important as we will be learning about the electoral collage and the upcoming election this Tuesday. Then later during the first week of November is a dedication to Veterans Day. The annual mini unit is important to the students as they pay respect to the proud members of our nation’s military. This mini project can include a student interviewing a family member who was part of the armed forces. Later this month of November, the class will dive into the very first presidential administration. The blueprint to what many presidents follow today was created by Gen. Washington’s administration. This unit will also include the ideals of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton’s beliefs about government. A test will be given as well.

Please let me know if any of you have questions or concerns.

Thank you

Happy October

The most wonderful season of the year, Fall, has beckon. It is fantastic to see the leaves transformation to the bright colors of the season.

A couple of important notes. The High School visits are October 7th, 8th, and 9th. The area Catholic High Schools will be visiting our 7th and 8th graders to share information about their respected schools. For the 7th graders this may be the first time they are hearing from some of these schools if not all these schools. It is a great opportunity for the students to listen to the information and ask questions to the representatives about each school. Each school always brings current students along with recruiting directors to help share and listen to the students’ questions. This is a great time to sit down with your child and discuss the pros and cons of each high school your child is considering. It is a great time to start these conversations, plus schedule visits to shadow at these high schools. Scheduling the visits always works well when we have a day off school like this upcoming Friday, October 4th.

Here is the schedule for next week:

Hello to crisp, fall mornings and mild afternoons.

It was unfortunate that our 7th/8th Grade Parent Meeting was canceled last Thursday. Please keep in mind that each teacher is always available during the school day for questions, concerns, and feedback.

Last week for 7th Grade Geography, we had our first quiz. The quiz was over the 5 Themes of Geography. Many students excelled and received a A or B grade. For students who received less than a 80% on the quiz, they will have a chance to take a retake for that quiz this upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday during recess. Students who complete the retake correctly will receive an 80% on their quiz as their highest grade. For the upcoming month of September, the 7th Graders will be practicing and then completing their first quarter Current Event. The due dates will be told to each 7th grader on Tuesday. There will be a five point extra credit given to students who turn in their Current Event early. Later this month, the 7th grade will begin to learn about climate regions around the world. Latitudes is also part of this unit as well. Towards the end of the month, the unit will be on culture. Culture is a major unit because it helps students with skills like comparing and contrasting cultures.

8th grade History is in the midst of our first unit which is the formation of our government. As of now the 8th graders are focusing on the failures of the Articles of Confederation. The next few days in class we will discuss how the country was reacting to the failures of the government and economy. As the weeks continue on in September, the unit will spread to the new government formation of the country with the Constitutional Convention developing our current government. There will be a few more quizzes and test at the end of the unit.

Please review your child’s grades on Blackbaud. There are a small number of grades that are posted already.

Important dates to remember:

Tuesday, September 10th – Picture Day (Dress Up Day. Please review the handbook for Dress Up days)

Wednesday, September 11th – SmartGen Presentation

Friday, September 13th – Staff Development Day (No school for students)

Thank you

Jerry Carreon

Happy April

I want to first wish everyone a blessed Easter. It is a very sacred holiday to all Christians around the world. It is wonderful to be part of a great community that celebrates that greatness of Jesus’s resurrection.

The 4th quarter has begun. Both the 7th and 8th graders have a lot to look forward to. In the 7th grade, over the last month we have been focusing on the continent of Africa. The students mastered all the locations of every African country during this time, plus being introduced to important cultural and geographic elements of Africa. Right now, the students are working on their endangered species project. The project covers important topics like location, place, and human environment themes. The theme of human environment is particular important because the students will describe why certain species become endangered, but also how groups are helping many species with various conservation efforts. After the project, we will begin our Asia unit. Part of the Asia unit will be a map quiz. Certain regions like the Indian Subcontinent and Eastern Asia.

The 8th graders are currently learning about the Civil War. The Civil War is one of the highlights to the academic year. A major lesson that students will come out of this unit is how the world’s greatest democracy (republic) was able to overcome turmoil and med the bridges between North and South to become one great nation again. The 8th graders will have an assessment over the Civil War. The test will cover important strategies, important battles, and the lasting legacy.