Week 4/13-4/17

Dear Fourth Grade Families,

Happy Sunday!  I hope you and your family had a joyful and restful Easter break filled with peace, celebration, and special moments together. As we return to school, we are excited to continue our learning journey and finish the year strong!
I pray this email finds you well. Here's a look at what's coming up for the week of 4/13-4/17. Please make sure to read all important information to avoid questions that are clearly stated on all emails/ reminders. I would greatly appreciate it! If you missed my last  email, you can check out my school blog; http://www.stanthonygardena.org/fourth-grade/

Deadline 
May 7: Genius Hours Project due
May 25: 3rd Trimester Mass Reflection (10 reflections required) ( distributed Friday 3/6)
May 27: 100 %AR goal (85% accuracy)
May 27: 100% ST Math (both puzzles and journey)


Genius Hours 

We are excited to begin Genius Hour this trimester! During this special time, students explore topics they are passionate about by asking questions, researching, and creating a project to share their learning. Genius Hour encourages curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking while helping students take ownership of their learning. We can’t wait to see the amazing ideas our students discover! ✨

Grade Updates & Late Work Policy

By Wednesday of this week, all graded assignments will be updated in Gradelink. Thank you for your patience as I have been balancing my responsibilities as both a teacher and a student.

I kindly ask that parents take time to review both the grades and the accompanying comments, as they provide important feedback on your child’s progress.

Moving forward, students will have up to one week from the date a grade is posted to submit any makeup work. After that time, late submissions will no longer be accepted. This policy helps ensure fairness for all students as they work diligently to meet expectations.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support .

Focus of the Week:

Math: Relative Sizes of Customary Measurement Units Test 4/22
Reading :Understanding characters, plot, setting of a story (Story map)
Grammar: Preposition and Prepositional Phrases 
Writing : Persuasive Essay 
Religion: Finding God Lesson 22
Social Studies:  We found Gold
Science: Earthquake Engineering  
Tests


Thursday
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane ch1-6
Spelling 
Friday
Religion 
Science 
Social Studies 
Vocabulary

 * Please note that test dates may change.
  
Looking Ahead!

Genius Hours : This project is for the 3rd trimester and the students will learn more about it.
Opinion Essay Unit: After Easter break, we will begin working on our final writing piece of the year—our opinion essay. This unit will take approximately 4–5 weeks to complete. I am excited to see the students develop their ideas, express their opinions, and grow as writers throughout this process.


Items Needed

White Copy Paper (not recyclable)

St. Anthony of Padua Carnival 05/15- 05/17
Our school campus will be set up with Rides, Games, Food and Fun for the entire family.

ALL SAP School families are required to serve 8 hours during the Fiesta. (8 hours per family on tuition contract) $200 fine for non-participation will be billed if your hours are not fulfilled. 

Important Reminder:
If your family has multiple children at the school, only one donation per family is required (not per student).

To keep costs down, St. Anthony of Padua School Students are asked to contribute the following
goods:

Each class has been assigned to bring the following items:
Kinder (2) Las Palmas 6 lb. can sauce and (3) Hominy 6lb can
Grade 1 (2) Round Corn Tortilla Chips 64oz and (1) 6lb. Nacho Cheese Can
Grade 2 (2) Heavy-duty 3-compartment plates 10 1⁄4” and (1) 500-count napkins
Grade 3 (1) Food Tray 2lb 250 count pack and (2) 1lb Food Tray 250 count pak
Grade 4 (2) Heavy-duty fork 500 count (1) 500 count napkins
Grade 5 (2) Las Palmas 6 lb. can and (3) Hominy 6lb can
Grade 6 (1) Chocolate syrup (1) Strawberry syrup (2) Parkway Butter
Grade 7 (2) summer packet (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise) sold at Sam's
Grade 8 Pozole to go container with lid and spoons for the pozole

Suggestions: Where to purchase and images: Smart & Final, Costco, and Sam’s Club
Please bring your food donations to the School Office or drop off at the carnival table outside the church on
Sundays. All donations must be in by May 8, 2026

Amazon Wishlist
As we gear up for an exciting school year filled with learning and growth, I wanted to share a wonderful opportunity to further enhance our classroom experience. I created an Amazon Wishlist with carefully selected items that will greatly benefit our students’ education journey. You may check out the link below.  Add your favorite items!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3OUPUHM2XB902?ref_=wl_share


Upcoming Events
You can find the school calendar here. https://stanthonygardena.org/school-calendar


March 23-May 8 – ARK testing starts
April 13 – School Resumes

April 13-April 17 – Washington DC Trip 7th and 8th grade (Ms. Genesis Garcia, Mr. Aguilar, and Veronica Patel out)

April 24 – Mass with Mother Figures in church 

April 30 – 3rd Grade Field trip Discovery Cube

May 8 – May Crowning, led by 8th grade, Adoremus in church with Fr. Paolo as guest speaker

May 11-14 – Whispering Winds 8th grade Retreat in Julian, CA (Mr. Aguilar leads retreat)

May 15-17 – Parish Carnival (NOON dismissal May 11-13, NO SCHOOL May 14, 15, 18)

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. 

Blessings,

Florence Ekindi 
4th grade Homeroom Teacher 
B.S in Chemistry/Master in Education 
St Anthony of Padua School
Tel. 310-329-7170 
 Fax 310-329-9843
1003 W 163rd St. Gardena, CA 90247
www.stanthonygardena.org