S.U.N. - St. Ursula School

www.stursulaschool.org
The S.U.N.
St.Ursula Newsletter
3937 Kirk Avenue • Allison Park • PA 15101
412 486-5511
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Honk! Jr.
15th Annual Spring Musical
Our WOG brought the community
together collecting dollars for St. U & shoes
for the needy.
Our Purpose
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St. Ursula School cultivates the growth
and development of the whole student.
In addition to a challenging academic and
catechetical curriculum, students have opportunities at St. Ursula unlike those at any
other school. It is the goal of this publication to capture the spirit of the school by
gathering information from the various
groups and activities to promote St. Ursula
School.
The School Advisory Council follows
Diocesan Guidelines and is comprised of
Student Life, Finance, Enrollment Management, Funding and Opportunities,
Public Relations, Athletic Association and
Fundraising.
Together, and with the assistance of many
parent volunteers, the goal is to have a
viable and growing school fostering quality education and firm Catholic faith since
1911.
St. Ursula School is a special place because
of the special people who teach, attend,
nurture and support the school.
This newsletter will be a source of information
and reference about the SAC, school fund raising, parent-powered volunteer groups and St.
Ursula Athletics. It will be published in October,
February and May.
St. U Newsletter, originally, St. Ursula School
Parent NEWSletter, was established in 2001.
Dana Crano & Stephanie Lamperski, editors
Sister Joanita, teachers, staff and coaches, we’d
like to thank this issue’s contributors: Stephen
Norman, Ralph Saldamarco, Lisa Scholl, Dave
Sharick, Helen Simmons, Ginny Szafranski, Amy
Valenty, Lale Virostek, Jennifer Walko
©Copyright St. Ursula School 2015
“Hold Your Head Up High” was beautifully sung by the character Ida, played
by Melina W., to her son Ugly, played by Joseph V., as one of the heart-felt
messages of hope and perseverance in this year’s spring musical “Honk! Jr."
A cast made up of students in grades 4 through 8 performed in this Broadway
Junior musical from Music Theatre International on May 7th and May 8th for
large audiences at the Parkwood Presbyterian Church stage.
This show is a contemporary retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story
of "The Ugly Duckling" and featured enjoyable music sung by a lively cast. The
book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and music is by George Stiles.
The story featured Ugly who discovered his inner beauty after finding out that
it is OK to be different. Ugly’s sweet but feisty mother Ida was very protective of
Ugly and all of her children or “ducklings” (played by fifth graders Faith B., Alaina
F., Abby T., Adam L. and seventh grader Lily B.).
Drake (Luke S.) was Ida’s husband who’d rather “duck” his fatherly responsibilities.
Ida’s best friend Maureen (Nora M.) couldn’t resist good gossip, and sang beautifully with Ida about “The Joy of Motherhood”.
The queen of the duck yard, Grace, was beautifully played by Emma F.
Evie H. humorously played the Turkey who was afraid of Thanksgiving.
Continued on page 5
Classroom News
Ready Kindergarten
It is so hard to believe our school year is almost over. We had a great year filled with laughter, smiles, friendships, learning,
and love. It is amazing to see how much each child has grown and to see how much they have learned. It has been a
pleasure to teach these wonderful children this year.
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We took our End of the Year Field Trip to Reilly’s Farm on Thursday, May 14th. We had a fun hayride to the blooming
strawberry fields and learn what it is like to live on a farm. We learned about strawberries, visited the farm animals, and
listened to a terrific story about Suzy Strawberry. The children ended the day with a picnic lunch on the farm.
The children worked so hard practicing for our End of the Year Performance. They memorized their lines and recited a
special poem to end the school year. They were really happy to see their friends and family there.
The children are ready for Kindergarten. The children have worked so hard throughout the school year and have learned
so many new and exciting things. They have grown academically, socially, and spiritually. They are excited about moving
on to Kindergarten and continuing their love of learning.
As we close our final newsletter, please allow us to thank all of our parents for their help and support throughout the
school year. It has been such a pleasure to teach the children and we will really miss them! May God bless you and your
family with a safe and happy summer! - Mrs. Evans & Mrs. Patricca
Kindergarten Metamorphosis
Spring is a magnificent time everywhere, and kindergarten is no exception. The children prepared throughout Lent for
Easter. They followed Jesus on His way to the cross with the story Benjamin’s Box and the Stations. They celebrated His
new life through the Resurrection at Easter. With the joy of Easter in their hearts, they returned to school to study many
signs of new life. Through hard work, the kindergarten lined the halls with flowers, butterflies and birds. Daily the children
kept journals as they observed the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies. Through designing personalized cards,
they shared in the celebrations of Administrative Assistants Day, Father Ernie’s Golden Anniversary as a priest, and the
First Communion of the second graders. Then came another very special celebration: the celebration of Mom. Each child
compiled his /her own personal story of mom. Hand drawn illustrations made these stories even more precious. The children
recorded the things they enjoyed doing most with mom.
As the end of the year approached, it was the teachers’ turn to celebrate the wonderful children that worked so hard this
year. Many treasured moments of learning led to the building of strong foundations in math, reading and religion. The
same treasured moments became treasured memories of yet another delightful hard working St. Ursula kindergarten class.
Editors’ note: Mrs. Hofbauer is retiring this year- her caring and preparing of her Kindergarten classes over the years has reaped
abundant blessings to the kids as well as the parents she has lovingly taught. God Bless Mrs. Hofbauer!
Active First Grade
For over 45 years, April 22nd has been celebrated as Earth Day. The First Graders
joined in with lots of fun and educational activities about planet Earth. First, they
made a blue sun catcher craft of the planet and colored in the land. They learned
about animal habitats and how dwindling population has made some animals
in danger of going extinct. By teaching them how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
they learned how they can make an impact in keeping the Earth healthy.
The children got first-hand knowledge about the life cycle of plants by growing
their own. They learned how a plant draws nutrients from the soil with its roots
and gathers energy from sunlight. They were even able to combine this with art
class by painting pots for their plants to grow in, which turned into a beautiful
gift for Mother's Day! Even in Math class the first graders learned about the Earth by playing "Around The World," a game to
help them practice their math facts. The students like the game so much that one of them, John, even made flags for the
class to use: Germany, France, USA, Cameroon, Ghana and many others!
In the end, the first graders worked on a pledge to respect the Earth and to remember the message of Earth Day throughout
the year.
Continued on next page
Super Second Graders
On May 9th we celebrated our First Holy Communion in a
beautiful Mass with our families. The children’s choir sang
wonderfully to add to the day.
The children took part in the May Crowning with the 8th
grade students at church on Ascension after Mass.
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We cannot believe that another year of school is almost
completed! Where did the time go? The second graders have
grown so much in all ways that are important; physically,
spiritually, academically, and socially.
Courtesy, Portraits by Sharon
A project highlight: The children had a great time designing
and building a Leprechaun catcher with their families. Once
again, no luck catching any of those tricky Leprechauns, just some bits of fabric and chocolate gold. The children wrote
wonderful stories about what they would have done if they had caught a leprechaun. The children have become wonderful
story tellers in their writing.
HAVE A SAFE, FUN, and FAITH filled summer!
Third Grade Explores the World
Third grade is getting ready for summer.
We are going to be dissecting owl pellets and learning about the depths of space. We are also going to discuss economics
and supply and demand. We will be excitedly creating our own products and commercials for that product.
We also got to witness Chip lay an egg. She has laid about a dozen this season so far. We are sometimes asking ourselves,
“Do we have a turtle or a chicken?”
We will also walk in the steps of the Disciples and learn about Jesus' miracles and discuss the stories of the Apostles and
their mission. If there is time we will be traveling to Egypt to ask Pharaoh to set God's people free.
Stop by our hallway and check out our work and have a great summer!
Novel Students
Fourth graders met author Donna Gephart, author of Olivia Bean Trivia Queen,
at the annual English Festival on May 15. For students in grades 4 through 6, it
was held by The Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE) at
Seton LaSalle High School.
Students prepared by reading four novels in class and on their own. They
competed in three categories: “Insights” which requires an oral presentation of
a thoughtful question on one of the novels, “Card Match” which required the
readers to match important facts, characters and details with its definition, and
the “Trivia” Round which involved answering many questions quickly as a team.
Our fourth grade teams were competing with other fourth graders and fifth and
sixth graders from other schools throughout the Pittsburgh area. All of the fourth
grade teams did well in the competition with one of our fourth grade teams (Noah S., Mia W., Kaitlyn T., and Emi D.) winning
a first place prize.
Mrs. Cross helped prepare the students by incorporating two of the novels in her Reading curriculum and Mrs. Ranallo
assisted by writing questions to help the students study.
Read more about the English Festival on page 10, "Bulletin Board."
Continued on next page
Classroom News
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Middle School Merits
The 5th grade students honored Saint Louise de Marillac on her feast day by learning about her life and her contribution to people in need. The class continued their service to the community this Lenten Season by donating their gently
worn clothes to Saint Vincent de Paul Society. They also collected their used children’s books and donated them to our
school library. Each student completed an individual service project to help a friend, neighbor, or family member in
various ways. From Saint Louise, they learned the importance of loving and serving others.
In April, the 6th grade students celebrated national poetry month. They wrote preposition poems and submitted them
to the American Library of Poetry Contest. The student poetry contest is nationwide, with four divisions for students
in grades 3-12. Poems are judged based on originality, creativity, and artistic quality. Each year the contest receives
several thousand submissions. The winning poems will be announced in September 2015, and will be published in the
American Library Student Collection Book.
Our Special Class of 2015: Enter to Grow, Exit to Serve
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Adding to their year of impressive accomplishments,
the entire eighth grade was involved in the spring
musical. Thanks to Mrs. Cross for theater leadership and
working with many of the students since third grade.
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This exemplary class continued to demonstrate leadership qualities when they assisted Mrs. Coup by
facilitating the games and activities for the younger
students for the annual Field Day held on May 21.
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They have been the leading team for Math 24 in the
school for the entire year with over 109,000 points.
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Their organizing skills and gathering of ideas, materials
and photos resulted in the best yearbook St. Ursula
School has ever had.
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Each student has developed into a young adult with respect for school and teachers and a sincere
determination to succeed and to help others.
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Service projects from the daily student aids, to the Red Door, to concessions at the Christian Mothers Rummage
sale, to Thanksgiving Weekend Pancake Breakfast, to Cookies with Santa, to the Kids’ Bingo in honor of
Mr. Carney…and all the small acts in between, are gifts they gave and received along with a great academic
education.
We wish our Class of 2015 the best as they go forward to learn more and do more great things…As the last
page of the year book states: “We entered to grow. We exit to serve. And we will take St. Ursula with us wherever we go”.
Spring Musical
Honk! Jr. continued
There was a gaggle of comical geese led by a military type lead by Greylag (Tommy S.) and his sweet wife Dot (Peyton
W.). The sly Cat (Aletta F.) wanted to befriend Ugly in order to turn him into dinner and was the villain of the show.
A wisecracking Bullfrog (Rose B.) was a comedian who reminded everyone in a show stopping number, “Out There
Someone’s Gonna Love Ya”. Annie S. played Penny, a swan who befriends Ugly in a special way. Morgan S. as Mother
Swan and Jacob B.as Father Swan were majestic in their portrayal of the swans. Kate S. played Henrietta and helped
with make-up backstage. Seventh graders, Anna N. and Annessa D., were TV News Anchors Jaybird and Juniebird and
Hannah V. as Bewick the swan reminded us, “What do we have if we don’t have hope?” Kiera M. showed her gymnastic
skills and played the funny Barnacles and singing a solo with Hannah V. in the Blizzard. The rest of the cast played other
fun barnyard characters who sang a great many "fowl" puns.
All of the eighth graders were involved with the show with many having started performing in the St. Ursula musicals in
the third grade. Joey L. helped backstage as prop master and Nora M. was student assistant director.
Mrs. Cross, Director and Choreographer, volunteered her time to practice with the student cast after school three days
a week from February to May to get the cast ready for performances. Professor Coury was the Music Director. Mrs. Heyl
worked with the students to make set and prop pieces including the “hatchable” eggs. Mr. Rick Romanelli provided the
sound for the Parkwood Stage, and Mrs. Diann Ranallo ran the music and sound effects.
Through the creative efforts of Mrs. Sue Brannigan and the parents, the cast performed in outstanding costumes.
Mrs. Brannigan created the Ducklings’ costumes, the Geese’s Aviator Hats and Froglets’ Hats and Frogs’ costumes. Mrs.
Brannigan also created the beautiful duck yard backdrop. Mrs. Jennifer Walko assisted the director in many ways. Mrs.
Walko acquired the stage at Parkwood and the performance at the Legacy Theatre. Students performed at the Legacy
Theatre, a professional theatre space, on May 14th as a service project for the residents at Cumberland Woods Village.
Mrs. Ginny Szafranski created the program, secured sponsors and was an assistant to Mrs. Cross. Mrs. Lamperski helped
in publicity for the show.
Look for a feature article on the show in the InHampton News Magazine in June. Once again St. Ursula School was honored as a Broadway Junior School of Excellence for their production of Honk! Jr. with a certificate signed by the authors
Anthony Drewe and George Stiles. It states: “We applaud your outstanding production and celebrate your commitment
to educational Theatre.” The production of “Honk! Jr. certainly proves that the many ways we are different can come
together in a wonderful way.
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The Arts
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PMEA, Honors Band & All Star Symphonic Band Concerts
We send a “note” of thanks to Mrs.
Susan Chambers for her many years
of teaching and support for all band
students all year long and particularly
again this spring securing spots at the
annual PMEA concert and the Honors
Band Concert held at CWNC.
Congratulations to Melina W. who represented St. Ursula and participated in
the All Star Symphonic Band
Concert on April 26. The All Star
Band is comprised of the first chair
players from the North, South &
Central District Honors Bands from
the Pittsburgh and surrounding area
Catholic grade schools. The students audition to determine chair placement. Melina placed First Flute, sixth chair.
The concert was held at Central Catholic High School Auditorium and conducted by Sister Serafina and guest
conductor, Allan Pontiere.
Scouting
7th Grade Cadettes Leaders in the Making
Troop 50225 hosted the annual Hampton Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance - the Winter Wonderland Ball. Over 275
attended! Planned by the girls all went smoothly from ticket sales to decorating to dancing to snacks to photos. A
great night for dads and daughters alike.
Dancing through spring, they attended the annual Sock Hop ~with
an '80's twist this year. What fun to dress as a valley girl.
Passing along what they have learned, a 4th grade Brownie troop
was hosted to learn about air and our environment. Mixed in were
songs, games, and lots of fun.
Over the summer they will make the call at camp. July will bring
a CORE camping trip at Camp Singing Hills outside of Oil City.
Different this year the troop will custom design the activities they
would like to participate in. Look for them canoeing down the river.
As leaders we are so very proud of the Cadettes and all they have
accomplished. They have grown into wonderful leaders who are
happy and interested in passing along what they have learned to younger scouts. Eligible for the first time, several of
the girls will be Unit Aides this summer at Day Camp - we are proud of them all. ~ Jada Donato, Amy Valenty
Athletics
The Varsity soccer team that took the field this Spring was drastically different than the team that left Seton LaSalle
with a loss in the first round of the Fall Playoffs. The roster was almost identical but the players that took the field
against St. James at the start of the season this Spring were significantly better and more mature soccer players than
those that left the field last November.
We started this season in a gym and we met there a few times before we finally made it out onto the field. We ran
suicides on the basketball court and rather than catch a breath between rounds we did pushups and sit-ups. We
continued to improve our strength and conditioning once we made it outside.
We took the field at La Roche against a St. James team almost twice our size but because of our rigorous training, we
left the field with a win. As coaches it is easy to ask the students to come to practice and consistently perform at a
high level each day but it’s something much more impressive to have a team of players who answer that call day in
and day out. There were plenty of complaints at practice when it was decided that even the winners of a drill were
going to do pushups with the rest of the team. More still when one last lap happened three or four times before
much anticipated water break. However, despite the rigor of practice the players showed up to every practice with a
smile, ready to play and get better.
It’s certainly been a tough season, St. Ursula moved up from Division 4 to Division 3 and we are playing some teams
that were in Division 2 last season. It was no easy task that faced the Vikings as we moved toward the end of the
season but we have worked hard all season, and every pushup we’ve done, every warm up lap run, and every relay
we’ve sprinted has been done in the name of becoming better and stronger soccer players. The members of the
Varsity team have been working hard all season and I’m sure that they will leave it all on the field.
It’s been a pleasure working with this team all season, a lot has been asked of them and even more has been delivered. They are a remarkable and impressive bunch, certainly in skill but more importantly in work ethic. It’s easy to
coach a team that wants to be coached, and this team listened to feedback from the coaches, and worked hard to
use it to grow. I’m proud of this team and their accomplishments this season. To the eighth graders departing for
high school next year, it doesn’t have to be soccer, but you’ll never be more proud of an accomplishment than one
that you devoted yourself to and worked hard for and finally achieved. We’ve worked hard this year and everyone
should be proud of the season.
Let’s Go Vikings! ~ Stephen Norman (St. U class of 2006)
Editor’s note: Coach Norman is a prime example of the benefits of Catholic grade school education. He is product of a loving family, following in his parents’ spirit of service and eagerly volunteers as coach “to give back to a school that gave me
so much”.
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Committees
Come Celebrate with Student Life
At St. Ursula’s School there is always someone or something to celebrate and Student Life is there to throw a party!
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We are blessed with the opportunity to honor such special people in our school and personal lives. One early spring
morning, a festive Mother’s Day Tea was enjoyed by the students with the special women who have influenced their
lives. Not to be left out, the virtuous men were thanked for their contributions on St. Joseph’s Day, with an assortment of yummy morning treats and conversations.
The great religious leaders of St. Ursula, enjoyed individual recognition of their many efforts and accomplishments.
We celebrated Fr. Dorsey’s birthday and Fr. Ernie’s 50th anniversary!
The awesome teachers in our school enjoyed a much deserved week of appreciation with treats, praise and a sumptuous lunch.
The school year will end and the summer begin; our families staffed the parish festival dinner and booths during a
busy fair weather week.
New this year is a tailgate before St. Ursula Day Color Guard participation at PNC Park Pirates vs Brewers on June 8.
The students will proudly represent the school and their families with their lovely voices as the color guard for the
game. Then watch the game from our reserved seats in the stands. WOW! We are blessed.
Enrollment Management News
We are excited to announce that our Ready-K program for 2015-16 is
officially full at 24 students!
Families who are still interested in this program will be placed on a wait
list and notified if a spot becomes available. We have always known that
our Ready-K program is unique and that our teachers are wonderful and
it seems that the word has reached the masses!
St. Ursula School has so much to offer at all grade levels. Our standardized test scores speak volumes about our academic program. We offer a variety of sports so that every student can find something that appeals to them--cross
country, soccer, basketball, cheer-leading and football (with the Glenshaw Gladiators). This year, every student in
the middle school participated in at least one sport during the school year. Groups and clubs like robotics, forensics,
yearbook and student government keep students in the middle school busy all year long! We have an advanced and
beginner’s band. Students are offered lessons and perform two concerts a year at school as well as lead the Blessing of the Creche in Downtown Pittsburgh every November. Our school has an exceptional appreciation for The
Arts! Over half of students in grades 4-8 participate in band, and 32 students participated in this year's production
of Honk! Jr. Don't think for a minute that all elementary musicals are the same! Mrs. Cross puts her many years of
experience into directing and choreographing the musical each year, so that our students have the opportunity to
participate in a full musical production! Don't forget that in 2nd and 8th grade, students get a full year of sacrament
preparation and that students participate fully in mass every week! With all of these wonderful opportunities for
our students, it is hard to believe that we do not have a waiting list for every grade!
Fundraising
Fundraising Update
Fundraiser
Market Day*
Coupon Books
KidStuff
Box Tops
Paper Recycling*
Bingo (1 of 2)*
Innisbrook
Benefit Nights
Sarris Candy Sale
Lottery Calendars*
Night at the Races
Scrip*
Pierogi (frozen and truck)
Pot O' Gold
Funny Fundraiser
Ladies Night Out
Day of Giving
Other Fundraisers
Week of Giving
Golf Outing, June 2015
Total
Total
$1,564.75
$1,540.00
$1,142.00
$1,150.70
$700.00
$5,000.00
$763.62
$1,194.41
$6,889.75
$8,745.22
$9,196.32
$25,017.10
$1,292.10
$35,000.00
$2,226.10
$320.00
$8,600.00
$1,528.35
$2,600.00
TBA
$104,720.02
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Education
Volunteerism
Fundraising
Faith
*These fundraisers are ongoing through June 30. Many fundraisers, including SCRIP sales and bingo, continue throughout
the summer. Credit earned after April 30, 2015, will be applied to your 2015-2016 fundraising assessment. Final profit for
the 2014-2015 school year will be reported to families and posted on our website.
St. Ursula School fund raising is flourishing because of you!
We appreciate the efforts of everyone who participated in fundraising this year at St. Ursula. Many school families
have exceeded the $500 assessment and will receive 50% of the overage toward their tuition for next year! The
School counts on fundraising dollars to sustain operations – fundraising dollars stretch further than regular dollars.
Ask Helen Simmons at [email protected] to find out how!
**Parish Finance Council Member Dave Sharick gives some insight: “Fundraising is a critical component of the
revenue structure for the school. The school is to be funded in a way that is fair to both parents (keep tuition reasonable) and the parish (keep parish subsidies reasonable). The diocese of Pittsburgh has set a guideline for fundraising
as a percent of school revenues of at least 10%. For the last two fiscal years, 2014 and 2013, fundraising represented
22% and 15%, respectively. The budget for the current fiscal year is 23%. Clearly fundraising is doing well and exceeding the minimum guideline.”
A very special thank you to the chairpersons and their committees who ran our fundraisers this year: Jeryl Benson,
Eve Bianco, Christine Larson, Beth Norman, Greg Norman, Lynda Fischer, Sherri Fitzgerald, Laura Hauser, Pat Joseph,
Susan Shick, Helen Simmons, Linda Tonin, Ginny Szafranski, Amy Valenty, and Heather Weir.
Chairing a fundraiser is an excellent way to give back to the school and sets a wonderful example for your child of
the Catholic way. Please consider volunteering to chair (or co-chair) a fundraiser for the 2015-2016 school year.
Many fundraisers require minimal time commitment and can even be done from home or on your lunch break.
Bulletin Board
ST. URSULA SCHOOL
ENGLISH FESTIVAL WINNING TEAMS
10 On May 15, all the students from 4th, 5th & 6th grade competed in the annual English Festival at Seton-LaSalle
High School against 22 Catholic and public schools. Each year’s competition is sponsored by Western Pennsylvania
Teachers of English. First on the agenda was meeting the author of one of the required readings, “Oliva Bean, Trivia
Queen”, Donna Gephart. The students then answered questions on insights and trivia from all four of the books. Top
teams from every classroom won prizes of books. St. Ursula School had 4 teams that won first place. An article in the
Hampton Journal and Shaler Journal shared our accomplishments with the community. CONGRATULATIONS, GREAT
READERS & TEACHERS, MRS. CROSS & MRS. DUFFY!
4th Grade
Noah S.
Mia W.
Kaitlyn T.
Emi D.
5th Grade
Joseph C.
David D.
Caden S.
Teagan M.
5th Grade
Faith B.
Alaina F.
Matt S.
Abby T.
6th Grade
Mathias B.
Joe G.
Cole S.
Jacob S.
EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL, APRIL 25
News from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth of which Sr. Joanita is a member
Communications Director Malini Manjoly, SCN, traveled from Patna, India to Nepal to provide firsthand accounts of
recovery efforts of the earthquake and aftershocks that occurred on April 25. Among the sites Sister Malini is visiting
is Jmamire Village. She shares the following report.
“Thirty-six houses were destroyed in Jhamire Village on April 25, 2015. The people have begun to pick up the pieces
together to begin anew. SCNs have distributed rice, lentils, salt, and tarpaulins for the people. Pregnant women
have received Horlicks, (nutritional drink) grams (grain) and oil. SCNs and their staff are staying in this village to give
presence, counseling, and psychosocial support. The nearby school is lending them a room to keep supplies and
tarpaulin, and a room for child friendly classes. Because of incessant aftershocks together with some strong tremors,
parents are afraid to send their children to the child center. Tuesday’s (May 12) strong tremor once again brought back
the terrible memories of April 25, and the parents came immediately to collect their wards. They said, ‘If we die, we
would like to die together.’
Starting tomorrow, the staff will visit the families and try to once again gather the children for classes (15,100
classrooms, of around 6,000 schools, in 45 districts were destroyed). Before the schools open on May 29, 2015, these
will have to be rebuilt.People live in fear with the continuous aftershocks, some mild and some strong. Most of them
are living in make shift tents. Today, on our way to and forth to Jhamire, we experienced two tremors. We saw people
running out of the buildings. In the villages, the menace of wild animals, like tigers, also keep the people awake at
night. Recently, a tiger carried one of the ladies away. The people are resilient to what is happening in their lives and
are grateful that they are alive. Most of them work together in erecting tents and live in groups for safety.”
Sister Malini will be giving ongoing reports as she travels throughout Nepal accompanying her Sisters who are
involved in disaster relief efforts.
Atrium
Faith Formation - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
"Listening to God with Children"
Wonder. Movement. Order. Naming. Building blocks in the language of children
ages 3-6. Children of this age are especially open to encountering God's love in the
person of Jesus the Good Shepherd. CGS responds to the child's silent plea to "Help
me come closer to God...all by myself."
CGS uses Montessori teaching principles to present simple yet essential realities of
the Catholic faith. The children come to know God better in a special room prepared
just for them called the Atrium. It is a place where their work becomes conversation
with God. Here the children fall in love with God and with the Mass. The Atrium is a
quiet time to practice concentration and contemplation.
The Atrium has specially designed precious materials that the children choose to
use themselves. Using these, the children continue to think about a presentation
given by an adult, to help them explore the areas appropriate to their developmental age:
* The Life of Christ
*The Kingdom of God
* Sacraments
*Parables
*The Holy Bible
The adult and the child listen to God together as the child uses the materials. We hear God with love and humility in the responses the child gives as
he or she reflects on a parable. God speaks through them as they express
gratitude for their work in the Atrium or as they pray themselves. Recently
we presented Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles. We
asked, “What did you hear (Acts 2:1-4)?” Maddy said,“The wind was strong.”
We asked, “How did they know the wind was there?” Julius said, “They
heared it.” Maddy: “It got cold.” Cameron: “They felt it.”
Parents, too, hear in a new way the call of the Good Shepherd through their
child’s experience in the Atrium, of being called by name in prayer and
song. The child leads parents to enjoyment of the Bible and participation in
Mass.
Children from age 3 to 6 are invited to our own Atrium at St. Ursula School. Ready K students from St. Ursula School
attend one session per week. Other children attend Atrium sessions on Sunday morning from 10:00am -11:20am.
We use many materials and look for additional tools to enhance the children’s experience. A need we have is for a
volunteer to serve as an aide each week at the school session or on Sunday. This person would be trained in Atrium
ways, help prepare materials to use, and keep the Atrium supplied with sharpened pencils, paper, and other activities’ needs. A few furnishings we need are a lightweight wash bowl and pitcher for hand washing, a set of small cruets w/ lid on a tray, a small hand chime and tracing paper. One of our favorite websites is www.forsmallhands.com.
We welcome your questions and comments.
To learn more, email [email protected] or call Lale Virostek 412-486-3374.
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Milestones
St. Ursula School Loves Our Priests
Father Ernie's 50th Jubilee
Eighth grader, Aletta F., joined with her sister Alaina, cousin Martina, and other students and alumni at the dinner reception to honor Fr. Ernie on his 50th Jubilee in the priesthood. While presenting a golden framed photo of
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the entire school on the church steps with a banner marking the occasion Aletta said: “On behalf of Sr. Joanita, our
teachers and staff, and the entire student body…congratulations on your 50th Anniversary! Fr. Ernie, thank you for
all that you have done for us, for the hundreds of school Masses that you have presided over for us, the hundreds of
Reconciliations that you helped guide us through, and for the devotion to God that you have shown us.”
Mr. Ralph Saldamarco served as the emcee of the reception, greeted everyone and started the program with the
words, “We have had several priests come from within our parish family and celebrate their First Mass with us, such
as Fr. John Skirtich and Fr. Sean Francis. But we have also had the privilege in sharing in the celebrations of the 50th
Anniversary of several priests: Pastor Fr. Harry Petrie, Pastor Fr. Garret Dorsey, and the regular visiting priest, the late,
Fr. Ed Laurent OFM Cap. And today, Fr. Ernest Strelinski."
There were many of Fr. Ernie’s relatives in attendance and his nephew Jack Ferko gave the toast relaying the
influence and guidance his uncle Ernie has had in his entire family’s life. Father Ernie’s older brother Edward was also
a priest and two of his sisters became nuns. Sister Dorothy, who has been a sister for 80 years, led the prayer before
the meal. She talked lovingly about her baby brother Ernie and their older brother Edward and how they stuck
together as children with Ernie always giving dimes to his brothers and sisters for candy.
In preparing for this presentation, Ralph asked Fr. Ernie why he decided to become a Priest – was there some revelation or epiphany that God was calling him? Fr. Ernie replied, “No.” He had always considered the priesthood – even
as early as grade school… and seeing the contentment of his older sisters and his brother, he knew he would
eventually follow in their footsteps. He said he did not go on to Rome or elsewhere for post-seminary studies
because he “simply wanted to be a Parish Priest.” He wanted to interact with the families in the parish. He said that
each time he was transferred to a new parish - God gave him the grace to get to know his new parishioners – their
personalities, their problems – their hopes and their dreams. His philosophy as a Priest “is to be close to God in the
daily sacrifice of the Mass”. By this quiet example, people have come to know him and trust him. “As a Priest, people
open up their hearts to you,” and during his ministry as a Parish Priest, Fr. Ernie has touched the lives of thousands
during his fifty years.
Read Father Ernie’s bio and see congratulatory ads from parishes he served in the Pittsburgh Catholic May 1, 2015
Supplement.
Father Garrett Dorsey Retires - 20 Years at St. Ursula
Big or small, our memories say it all!
“When I was in middle school at St. Ursula I had a reading at a Friday mass. At that point in my life I spoke very
quickly, and occasionally those listening to me would have trouble hearing exactly what I was trying to say. Father
Dorsey told me to "imagine that I was a turtle talking to another turtle." I did as he said and got through the reading
with no trouble and I think that those gathered for mass that morning understood the reading as well. Years later,
when I was in college, I had a phone interview for an internship. I remembered what Father Dorsey had told me all
those years ago and I printed off a picture of turtle and hung in across from me in the study room that I had reserved
in the library for the interview. When answering questions from the interviewer I imagined I was talking to the turtle
hanging on the wall. I later heard back that I had been offered the position and I'm sure the fact that I spoke slowly
had something to do with it.”
-Stephen Norman
“Fr. Dorsey has guided our parish as Pastor and Administrator for over 20 years. He has been a staunch supporter
of our school – believing that the future of our parish and indeed the church itself is dependent upon the religious
education of these young children. He has overseen not only the repairs and re-construction to this school (caused
by flooding from broken pipes seven years ago), but was also the catalyst for the construction of a new entrance,
parking area and the entire overall renovation of our beautiful church, as you see it today. His untiring devotion to the
parish and his steady guidance has earned him the admiration and respect of our entire congregation. He will truly
leave a legacy as he retires from St. Ursula. On behalf of our Parish family, the congregation, school, and their staffs –
thank you Father for taking care of St. Ursula for the past 20 years. We will miss you when you retire.”
-Ralph Saldamarco
Our St. Ursula –Allison Park Facebook page has many great photos of the activities of the parish. A recent photo
shared was from the top of the festival Ferris wheel. Within the swarm of people, one calm and watchful presence can
be observed. Comments and “likes” rolled in. “This shot brings back some serious memories! Both of going to school
there and the festival! There is something special about St. Ursula.”
- Lisa Brazeau Siftar
Thank you Father Dorsey for many years of guidance, leadership and love that has transformed lives of young and old
persons. You will be in our thoughts and prayers as you embark upon the next phase of your life.
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Terra Nova Test Scores
14
2014-2015 Terra Nova Test Scores
Grade Norm Reading
KDG
0.8
1.5
1
1.8
2.6
2
2.8
4.6
3
3.8
7.0
4
4.8
7.4
5
5.8
6.8
6
6.8
8.3
7
7.8
11.7
8
8.8
12.9
Language
6.6
6.2
5.7
10.3
10.7
12.9
Math
1.2
2.8
3.7
5.5
6.0
6.6
9.1
10.8
12.9
Science
2.1
3.7
7.0
6.7
6.2
8.3
9.0
11.7
Social Studies Composite
1.4
2.4
2.7
6.5
3.8
5.8
6.0
7.2
6.4
6.0
6.4
9.0
9.7
10.7
10.8
11.6
12.9
Academic Excellence
Academic excellence is a priority at St. Ursula School. Yearly, students in grades Kindergarten through eight take the
Terra Nova Tests in academic subjects. Our students consistently score above the national norms on standardized
tests. And the longer a child stays at St. Ursula, the higher above the national average each student scores. The small
class size enables dedicated teachers to work closely with students to challenge, support and reinforce learning.
How do I interpret these scores?
Tests for this school year were administered in April. The expected norm for each class is the grade number followed
by the month. Therefore a score of 2.7 equates to 2nd grade in the 7th month. Overall, scores for the 2014-2015 as
well as previous years, St. Ursula class averages usually exceed their grade norm especially in the upper grades.
NCEA IFG: ACRE edition
The Assessment of Children/ Youth Religious Education, commonly referred to as ACRE, is an integrated assessment
tool providing faith knowledge questions (cognitive domain) and questions related to religious
beliefs, attitudes, practices and perceptions (affective domain).
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NCEA IFG: ACRE edition
AREA OF FAITH
GRADE 5 AVERAGE
Knowledge of Faith
Liturgical Life
Moral Formation
Prayer
Communal Life
Missionary Spirit
63%
68%
80%
61%
75%
52%
PLACEMENT
58.5% of Grade 5 reached PROFICIENT OR ADVANCED Placement
85% of Grade 8 reached PROFICIENT OR ADVANCED Placement
GRADE 8 AVERAGE
81%
88%
87%
78%
62%
86%
In March 2015, Grades 5 and 8 took the ACRE tests developed the National Catholic Education Association to measure student knowledge of several aspects of our Faith.
The report summaries are prepared at the Computerized Assessments and Learning, LLC (CAL)
in cooperation with the Department of Religious Education at the NCEA.
This tool helps educators know where the strengths and
weaknesses are in their catechetical programs. Levels 2 and 3
are aligned to the U. S. bishops’ framework for high schools.
All levels are aligned to the six tasks of catechesis outlined in
General Directory for Catechesis:
* knowledge of the faith
* liturgical life
* moral formation
* prayer
* communal life
* missionary spirit
Each of the categories is assessed, helping educators know which areas students know well and what areas need
extra attention for program development.
A Word From Our Sponsors
Michael J. Saldamarco, Attorney at Law
Estate Planning & Administration • Business Law
& Incorporations • Real Estate Law
412-367-0446
[email protected]
ST. URSULA FAMILY SPECIAL REFERRAL
10% of fees charged will be donated to St. Ursula
School towards your fundraising assessment!
Refer friends/family and tell them to mention your name.
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Primary Business Address
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412 496-1006
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E-mail: [email protected]
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