Choices make the world go 'round!

Over the past few years at Saint Mary there has been a lot of talk about Differentiated Instruction (DI). As teachers we can differentiate the delivery of instruction, the content of the lesson and even the way that students respond to a lesson. This week alone I have observed lessons in multiple grade levels where students were given choices regarding how they could best express what they learned. In 8th grade religion class, groups of students were assigned topics, relating to Advent, that they were charged to become experts on. I watched as groups put on plays, translated bible passages, made and presented posters and performed skits, to share their research and knowledge with their classmates. Similarly, our 4th grade science class culminated a unit on animals by choosing how they wanted to share their work and information with their teacher and class: some chose animotos, some built board games, other painted murals and some children responded by writing. In each of these cases, allowing students to decide which vehicle they want to use to display information builds confidence, allows children to start with their strengths, and results in increased learning and student engagement.

So much to be excited about!

In the past two weeks a lot has happened at Saint Mary School! We have had Parent-Teacher conferences, report cards, a Read-In and Mini-Courses, we've celebrated Thanksgiving and featured our band, chorus and 4th grade chimes at a very successful Book Fair. It would seem that things would be settling down now, but as we prepare for Christmas and celebrate the Advent season, there continues to be much to be proud of at Saint Mary School! In the next two weeks our 1st and 2nd graders will share their love of God with us through their Advent musical, our 2nd graders will receive their 1st Reconciliation and our Kindergarteners will teach us about the birth of Jesus with their reenactment of the Nativity. Our 7th graders will showcase their hard work and research at the Science Fair on Thursday, our school will come together for Lessons and Carols and the band will put us in the Christmas spirit and share their talents with us at their concert. We are lucky to be a part of such a diverse and talented community!

Principal for a Day

Jingle Jubilee was amazing last night. Mrs. Orsini, Mrs. Schwabe and all of the volunteers left no stone unturned. All the special details and heartwarming surprises (did you melt when you read the student note that was left on your car?!) made the night unforgettable. The generosity of our school community is overwhelming! I am so excited to have THREE Principals for a Day this year - how cool is that?! Each principal will have their own special day. Each student will start by having a planning meeting with me before Christmas Break. We will talk about some things that they would like to participate in and find out what they want to know about being leading an organization. Over the break I will plan three distinct days - each one perfect for that student principal. After Christmas Break we will schedule one day for each student. I can't wait! I hope the kids are as excited as I am. Thank you to everyone who participated in Jingle Jubilee this year! Whether you attended last night, sold raffle tickets beforehand, got the word out in the community or offered prayers for a successful night, you helped move our school forward toward growth and greatness and I am very grateful.

Junior Achievement

Today volunteers from Discover Financial came to participate with our students in the Junior Achievement "JA for a Day" program. We had 15 volunteers who taught lessons about community, society, commerce, work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The representatives were very impressed with our students, as their questions were thoughtful and they were respectful and engaged in the lessons. One of the JA volunteers was actually a graduate of Saint Mary School in 1985 and was thrilled to be back in our familiar halls (Mrs. Casanover even found his picture in an old yearbook!) He had many great memories to share with the students and mentioned that his SMS education prepared him well for high school and for life. Be on the look-put for a press release about the day!

As Promised!

As the excitement continues to build around Jingle Jubilee, here are descriptions and pictures of our special class treasures. BIG THANKS to the parent volunteers who helped our students turn ideas into priceless works of art! Get excited!!

PREK - Rachel DelVecchio and Suzanne Moser
Enjoy your child's tiny feet forever! In their Project, Small Steps to a Big Bright Future, the pre school classes put their foot prints on a stepstool that is almost too cute to step on. That is OK since there is a storage space in the back of the stool too.

KINDERGARTEN - Patty Antony
A wrap for your tree. This Christmas tree skirt is decorated with the fingerprint art work of our Kindergarteners. Your child's hands will be all over Christmas!

FIRST GRADE - Yvette Wisniewski and Christina Benson
Cookies and Milk for Santa. For years to come, your child will enjoy putting cookies and milk out for Santa on this beautiful keepsake reminder of their first grade year. At the base of the design are the 35 fingerprints of the class of 2019.

SECOND GRADE - Liz Bullock
Your second grader was asked to write a letter to God. In the book Letters to God you will see what our class thanks God for, asks God for and advises God about. It is funny, touching and a must have.

THIRD GRADE - Michelle Hawver
How many times have you said "life would be easier if kids came with an operating manuel"? Mrs. Emery's third grade class has set forth rules to live by. Just follow these rules and... well, at least the third graders would be happy!

FOURTH GRADE - Jill Caffarelli
On a Wing and a Prayer is a beautiful display of the cranes, in flight. Lift the wings gently to see the prayers. Miss Wilczynski shared her origami talents with her class, and made cranes. The class shared their bright smiles and their writing talents and wrote a prayer. The prayer and each child's bright smile is on an ornament. Both the cranes and the ornaments are beautifully displayed on a decorative tree.

FIFTH GRADE - Yolanda Grass, Anne Jensen
Mrs. Casanover and Mr. Smith's classes combine to give us a unique view of the fifth grade. In their book Fifth Grade, Fifth Grade, What Do You See? You will see how the students see themselves AND how their classmates see them. This is a treasure your child will enjoy sharing with THEIR children.

SIXTH GRADE - Sally Joyce
The Sixth graders show off their big hearts with Britto style hearts painted on ceramic. The night stand display on which they have been placed shows off the class' Beautiful Hearts and Cross.

SEVENTH GRADE - Judy Metzger, Bill Kron
Have the entire class over for a sleepover... the easy way. The Seventh grade class has transformed their self portraits into a blanket. As a wall hanging or a blanket this Class Sleepover is a treasure you will treasure.

EIGHTH GRADE – Kathleen Byrd
After all this time, our eighth grade class shares their favorite memories on the Travels Through Saint Mary Steamer Trunk.

Jingle is coming!

I'm so excited about Jingle Jubilee this year - and I think most of that excitement has been built by the school children! I have been surprised by how much they know about Jingle Jubilee and how invested they are in the event. They have been really happy to come down to the office to pick up their Jingle Bucks and have mentioned that grandma or grandpa or a neighbor bought raffle tickets from them - so sweet. I think the parts of Jubilee that have the student body most "amped-up" are the class treasures and teacher treasures. Discussions about these special outings with their teachers and the keepsake collaborations that they worked on with their friends have put an excited buzz in the air at school - your children can't wait for you to see what they have created (and I think they ALL want you to win THEIR special items)! The excitement of the children has really made the anticipation of Jingle Jubilee FUN and even more special than usual. I'm looking forward to a wonderful night on Saturday! (More pictures to come tomorrow!)

Red Ribbon Week

Today marks the end of Red Ribbon Week at Saint Mary School. Yesterday we had a performance called The Power of One that exposed us to different types of bullying (verbal, physical, cyber) and taught us how to stop the cycle of bullying. Today, as a school, we "Chalked the Walk" with anti-drug and anti-bullying messages. We participated in several other activities, including wearing red, wearing ribbons and Minute-to-Win-it games during the lunch periods, that allowed us to stop and think about all the great things we have in our lives BECAUSE of the safe and healthy choices that we make. HUGE THANKS to our student council officers Alycia, Natalie, John and Claire, and the classroom representatives, for decorating our school and organizing and running the games at lunch time. You helped deliver a very successful Red Ribbon Week!

CALLING ALL DESIGNERS!

The Kindergarten Garden that we planted last year has been the source of much learning over the past 5 months. Over the summer, Kindergarteners signed up for watering duty and journaled about their experiences. This year our new Kindergarteners have learned about things that plants need to grow and how to harvest. Now we have the opportunity to expand our garden and Mrs. Olsen is calling on 5-8th graders to design our new garden space. Tomorrow teachers will pass out a Garden Design Challenge. Students will be able to work independently or in small groups to use critical thinking, geometry and math application skills, to help our Kindergarteners design our new garden space. I hope that many of you will participate in this challenge! There will be prizes awarded and I am really excited by the prospect of our SMS "big kids" using their talents to help our SMS "little kids". I can't wait to see your designs!!

Congratulations Peacekeepers!

After Mass on Friday we honored 12 students with the September Peacekeeper Award. This award recognizes behaviors and actions that are in Christ's image. Congratulations to Will M., Charlie D., Emily Y., Theresa T., Ryan L., Linsey B., Andrew L., George Y., John A., Ryan F., Max K., and John I. The way that you treat your classmates and the special effort that you put forth to make sure our school community is strong, welcoming and inclusive, is truly something to be proud of!

Camp Edwards

September 9, 2011
I was so happy to be able to participate in part of our 7th graders' trip to Camp Edwards! The growth, both academically and spiritually, that happened in the context of God's beautiful landscape was nothing short of amazing. In addition to the teaching and learning that took place, there was also time for a lot of FUN! How about that zipline?! (Thanks for taking this video, Wyatt!) The very best part for me was getting to know more about the seventh graders, as people and thinkers. What an impressive group! Seventh graders - I hope that the kindness and support that I witnessed from you at Camp Edwards is transferred to our school as you model Christian behavior for our younger students. Your junior high years are certainly off to a great start!

BEST STUDENTS IN THE WORLD

September 2, 2011

Just a message for the BEST students in the world:  What a week!  We've had many "firsts" together this week ... our first All School Mass, our first Special Foods Day, many of you had your first test or quiz of the year, there is certainly a lot to be thankful for. I want to thank you for being such great kids!  It was hot these last couple days - really hot - and you were amazing. There was no complaining or begrudging the grades that have A/C. I saw students (and teachers!) making the best of their time together, being creative and flexible (it's amazing how many types of lessons can be taught from the air-conditioned writing lab or lunchroom!) and using instructional minutes in very meaningful ways. I've said it before and it really is true: There is absolutely NO LIMIT to what we can achieve together!

WELCOME GREETING FROM MRS. RAFTERY

August 22, 2011

Good morning teachers, boys and girls.  Welcome back to Saint Mary on our first day of school!

This is a special day for us - we are starting a new journey together.  Over the next 10 months we will think, wonder, discover, learn and grow ... together.  We will explore new ideas, make mistakes, try again, and have huge successes ... together.  I am so happy to be here with all of you!  Your teachers have worked so hard to make this year a great one for you, so be good to them, and make sure you thank your parents because they have prepared you so well for today.

 

This year I want all of us to try our best everyday.  I want us to enjoy the year together and be proud  of our accomplishments.  The year starts today!  So put on your thinking caps and get ready to work hard - there is no limit to what we can achieve together!  We ask for God's blessings on our journey in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.