St. Mary’s School
January Newsletter
Talk about shades of last winter! After a very restful two-week
Christmas break, both teachers and students returned to school ready to
go full force. That Monday had to be one of the smoothest and most
productive teaching days I have ever had. Then winter in Ohio struck!
Over the next two weeks, we had three snow days and three two-hour
delays. So much for smoothness and productivity! In case you wonder how
we teachers feel about snow days and delays, I have to say we have
mixed emotions. I won’t lie to you. There are few things nicer than
getting “the call”, switching off the alarm and snuggling back into a
warm bed. However on my return to school, I find myself turning into
Wonder Woman as I wonder how in the world I am going to salvage my
lessons!
On January 14, the fourth through eighth graders participated in the
National Geographic geography bee. The top three finalists were Jaida
Kelly, first place, Koller Winterrowd, second place, and coming in
third, Logan Witwer. As the first place contestant, Jaida will take a
test next Friday and if she does well enough, will go on to the state
competition. We wish her the best of luck.
The yearbook pictures were taken on January 15. The photographer took
candid shots in the classroom and pictures of the students who were
involved in sports, clubs and service groups. Judging by the long list
of groups on the picture schedule, we have a highly involved group of
students. One of the featured groups was the Yoga Club. Eileen Stegall
teaches a yoga class once a month after school for interested students.
My very few experiences with yoga were very quiet and calm. One day,
because of a room scheduling conflict, Eileen taught her class in the
hall. I had the opportunity of seeing yoga with children. I found out
that yoga with young children isn’t very quiet. For one pose, the
children grunted like gorillas. It looked like so much fun, that I was
tempted to join in. I knew that I might be able to get down on the mat
and assume the pose, but I wasn’t really sure that I could get out of
the pose and stand up when we were finished, so I opted to be a
spectator. Eileen is one of the many volunteers who generously give of
their time, in order to enrich the curriculum at St. Mary’s. We are so
blessed to have them share their time and talents with the students.
Mrs. Pierri’s fifth through eighth grade classes have been working on
their research reports. Each year every student researches a country
and prepares a formal research paper. After the paper is completed, the
classes host Culture Day. The students prepare exhibits featuring the
culture and foods of the various countries. Visitors are invited to
view the exhibits and sample the food.
The third and fourth graders will begin studying ecosystems in science
class. As part of their studies, they will write reports and make
dioramas featuring various ecosystems. When completed, the students
will present their reports and dioramas to the younger grades, and the
dioramas will be displayed in the upper hall.
The first and second graders have been working on their second writing
sample for this year. The assignment was to write an opinion, and then
give facts to justify it. My class has opinions on everything from
fruit to school. I can hardly wait to read the finished essays.
The kindergarteners are just fourteen school days from celebrating 100
Day, which is as you may have guessed, the hundredth day of school. The
children have lots of fun activities that day. They make special 100
Day snacks, which I understand involves a lot of counting out groups of
100. Last year 100 Day, which is one of the biggies in kindergarten,
fell during Catholic Schools Week. This year, 100 Day falls the week
after Catholic Schools Week, much to the relief of Mrs. Henry, the
kindergarten teacher.
Catholic Schools Week is the final week in January. The opening of the
week is celebrated at all the weekend Masses on January 24/25. The
Kindergarten through fourth grade choir will lead the music at the
10:30 Mass, and students will be participating in all the Liturgies
that weekend.
I am sure some of you are ready for spring. However take a minute to
look out the window and appreciate the beauty of this season. I
particularly love the way the snow sparkles in the sun or on a moonlit
night. Isn’t amazing how God packs beauty in all of creation? All we
need do is take a moment to look for it. Keep warm!
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