St. John Fisher School Technology Center

Preschool: Students will use the “Learn to Read” and “It’s Fun to Read” sections of the Starfall website.  I’m very impressed with the youngsters’ navigating abilities at this site. It’s great to see the students so excited about computers!

Kindergarten:   April has come and gone and we had so many exciting activities to work on in computers.  With the Lenten season, our students expressed what Lent meant to them using our Kid Pix program and ended the season with a beautiful Easter Basket filled with colorful eggs.  We celebrated Earth Day by discussing and drawing what we can do to help save the Earth.   During the month of May, we will do a couple fun projects for Mother’s Day and a lesson on Butterflies.

First Grade:   During the month of April, our topics in computers were the Lenten Season, Easter, Earth Day and Dinosaurs.  We will complete our school year with lessons on the Solar System and Mother’s Day.

Second Grade:   Our students continue to build their skills on Microsoft Word, learning how to include a border and pictures on their documents.  Some of them are quite the typists also.  We will continue working on Microsoft Word throughout the month of May.  One week typing a paper on what was there most memorable moment of their Communion Day. 

Third Grade: Students will continue using Typing Instructor Deluxe, but as a challenge they will be using keyboard covers. This will encourage students to focus on accuracy and proper finger placement on the keyboard.  Check out the SJF website (3^rd grade) to see the new typing website your child is using in class, Dance Mat Typing. We will also begin our Chicago Unit in computers; starting with Chicago history, highlighting the World’s Fair and infamous fire.

Fourth Grade: Besides earth day activities, we’ll begin our research and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations on NASA’s historic space missions throughout the years. Students are also busy working on their second drafts of the letters to President Obama. Many are excited to ask questions or tell the President things they’d like to see changed in our country. We are also busy working on the “Faces in the Crowd” activity using Microsoft Word.   

Fifth Grade: Students have been preparing for their trip to Springfield by researching many important facts about our State Government.  They have visited the Lincoln Museum on line to see what they have to look forward to.  We will move into the month of May to celebrate Mother’s Day.  And towards the end of the month Microsoft Excel will be introduced to the group.

Sixth Grade: All month, students will be using the Environmental Protection Agency’s website www.epa.gov/earthday  for various research activities and games. Students will research water conservation, the water cycle, recycling, garbage, history of earth day, etc. After research is completed, students will design an Earth Day poster in Microsoft Publisher and we’ll post them throughout the school. 

Seventh Grade:  We are wrapping up our study of the holocaust by creating a “wiki.”  This is a shared body of 7^th grade knowledge about the holocaust, within a private place on the web, where everyone has something unique to contribute.  We will wrap up the year with some creative activities including cartoon design, fun with words, and academic challenges.

Eighth Grade:  Eighth graders are demonstrating their well-developed skills in writing a well-organized research paper on the holocaust.  This group will leave St. John Fisher well-prepared for research and writing in high school thanks to an excellent junior high language arts curriculum.  Like the 7^th grade, 8^th graders will have an opportunity to express themselves creatively using technology during their final weeks at St. John Fisher. 

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