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St. Mary’s School
Mix
the gooey stuff… with your hands!
By Kathy Ayette
I am not sure to which authorities I report this, but someone has made
off with the majority of November. I am positive I was making
jack-o-lanterns with my class just last week. According to my calendar,
next week is Thanksgiving! However looking over the calendar I see that
November has just been a very eventful month.
Catholics celebrate the Feast of All Saints on November 1. This day we
honor not only those saints on the Church’s calendar, but all those
grandmas and grandpas and our loved ones in Heaven who do not have a
special day. We began the day with Mass and there were some special
saintly guests present. As is our tradition, the junior high students
dressed up as saints and told a bit about their saints. I found St.
Michael most impressive. He was about six feet tall, with an impressive
wing span. Hard to believe, he was once one of my little cherubs. After
Mass, everyone enjoyed donuts and beverages.
On November 2, the junior high students went to Memorial Hall to enjoy
a performance by the Acapella Singers. The next day the kindergarten
through fourth grades traveled to the Victoria Theater to see a
performance of “How I Became a Pirate”. I know the children as well as
the teachers and chaperones thoroughly enjoyed the play. Our school was
seated in the balcony. If you have never sat in the balcony at Victoria
Theater, let me tell you it is definitely not for anyone who suffers
from acrophobia. Talk about being close to Heaven!
Parent teacher conferences were held on November 9. This was a first
for me. Every one of my students had a least one parent come to the
conferences. The funny part was I hadn’t asked for any conferences on
the report car because being unfamiliar with the new gradebook program,
I overlooked it. Good thing my students’ parents are on the ball!
Our students not only go to performances, they also give performances.
On November 11 students sang Christmas carols at the Rosary Altar
Society Bazaar. The group consisted of kindergarteners through fourth
graders plus one very nice fifth grader. Along with some of our
standard favorites the children sang “Dona Nobis Pacem” and “You’re a
Mean One, Mr. Grinch”. I was very proud of the group especially since
they only had two practices, three if you count the warm-up before the
performance. If you are wondering why we had only two practices, the
reason was two weeks ago we were singing Halloween songs at some of the
local nursing homes.
On November 16 was Muffins with Mom. Mothers and their children enjoyed
muffins before school. This was the second year for the gathering. What
is nicer than eating muffins before school with Mom? Well I don’t know
if it is nicer, but after Christmas we will have our second Donuts with
Dad. I wonder if we could have Tacos with Teachers sometime. I may need
to mention that to someone.
On November 17 Senator Matt Huffman came to visit our school. He spent
time with the seventh and eighth graders talking about our government
and answering their questions. Perhaps some of those students are our
future government leaders.
Loaves of bread and canned goods are appearing in my room. That can
only mean one thing. It is time for the St. Mary’s School Annual
Thanksgiving Luncheon. And what would that luncheon be without the
first graders’ extra special homemade, handmade stuffing? Or for that
matter, it wouldn’t be the same without the second graders’ fruit
salad. Monday is “bread tearing” day. Yup, it is just what it sounds
like. Sixteen children, ten loaves of bread and mayhem. Well, really
not too much mayhem. This year I have a medical procedure scheduled
that day and will miss bread tearing day, and thus begins a tale of
revenge! About twenty years ago, I was a substitute teacher and the
teacher who taught second grade that year became ill during
Thanksgiving week. So I got to make fruit salad with a class of second
graders. Guess who is a sub now and will be taking my class on Monday.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but in this case it is
frozen solid! Bwa-ha-ha! I will be back for the gooey part on Tuesday.
The children get to add the soup, broth and eggs to the bread and mix
thoroughly...with their hands. I always enjoy the reaction of the kids.
Some years I have kids who really get into it. In fact we have the most
highly processed stuffing those years. Other years I have children who
look at me as if I have lost my mind. “You want me to put my hands in
THERE!”
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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