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!)