Volume 20 No. 22 - April 15, 2016
Transcription
Volume 20 No. 22 - April 15, 2016
VOLUME 20 NUMBER 22 APRIL 15, 2016 CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. LOUIS Living the Corporal Works of Mercy CONTACT INFORMATION Sue Brown Director of Marketing and Community Relations E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 314.792.7304 Fax: 314.792.7315 Cell: 314.479.1283 Twitter: @CatholicEdSTL To subscribe to The e-Vangelizer, Write [email protected] Catholic school students do not perform Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy to win awards and be recognized. In this week’s St. Louis Review… Let’s cheer on Sister Sarah Heger, Principal of Marian Middle School at the Boston Marathon Monday, April 18! In Catholic schools, service is an integral component of the educational program. From the very youngest grades, students learn that we are all called to be people of service—every day, in small ways and large—and with practice, service becomes a way of life, a second nature. This issue of The e-Vangelizer highlights just a few of the many Christian service activities students have been working on this month. Read more in the following pages. Above, Anna W. (student at St. Simon the Apostle Catholic School and granddaughter of ND teacher) and Julia R. (junior at Notre Dame High School) clean wheelchair wheels for residents at the St. Louis Altenheim senior living center. THE TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL Archbishop John L. May SERVICE AWARDS The Archbishop John L. May Service Award recognizes outstanding leadership and community service in Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Awardees received this recognition from Bishop Edward Rice and Dr. Kurt Nelson, Superintendent of Catholic Education at a special cer emony on the campus of Saint Louis University on Apr il 13, 2016. Their names and schools appear below. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic School teachers Mrs. Wallace and Mrs. Myers used the grant they won to pay for most of a recent eighth-grade field trip to the Challenger Learning Center. Without leaving earth, students assumed the identities of astronauts at the space station and technicians in the control center as they executed authentic mission tasks to bring astronauts back to earth and assess damage caused by a Coronal Mass Ejection! Students also participated in a Wind Turbine Design wor kshop, creating the most efficient blade to generate electricity from the wind. Pictured above, Jenna and Victoria monitor climate changes and solar flares. Barat Academy Mackenzie Hale Bishop DuBourg High School Melissa Dierkes Cardinal Ritter College Prep Adrienne Cook Chaminade College Preparatory School J.P. Winkler Christian Brothers College High School William Kraatz Cor Jesu Academy Natalie Sinak DeSmet Jesuit High School Connor Larson Duchesne High School Nicholas Thiele Incarnate Word Academy Anna Salmo Kennedy Catholic High School Haley Robison Nerinx Hall High School Abigail Carey Notre Dame High School Gillian McManemin Rosati-Kain High School Amber Reyes St. Dominic High School Erin Prendergast St. Francis Borgia Regional High School Ian Aubuchon St. John Vianney High School Ryan Clavin St. Joseph's Academy Lizzie Hayes St. Louis Priory School George W. Ahlering St. Louis University High School Jerome John Dugan St. Mary's High School Adam Michael Magee St. Pius X High School Caroline Wilson St. Vincent High School Levi Krauss Trinity Catholic High School Katie Leonard Ursuline Academy Rachel Fleischut Valle Catholic High School Matthew Skaggs Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School Nina Kaiser Visitation Academy Caroline Baylis Christian Service at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dardenne Prairie took the for m of Baskets for Easter Joy this year . The school’s Reach Out Club (ROC) for fifth through eighth graders made Easter eggs-tra special for over 75 children in Ellington, MO. In collaboration with Whole Kids Outreach (WKO). Karen Mesler, libr ar ian at All Saints Catholic School, coordinates a ministry called “Alleluia Baskets.” A volunteer describes ROC’s experience, "You have people making donations, and people putting the baskets together. Such thought and care goes into each basket. It's infectious, and has pulled everyone together to work on it." This year ICD’s fifth and sixth graders built the Alleluia baskets, and four seventh grade boys (along with Mrs. Craig, Mrs. Pohl, and Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald) deliver ed the baskets to WKO at their Easter celebration. At left, student basket makers pose after loading the car for delivery. Valle Catholic School students participated 2016 Operation Rice Bowl, a Lenten tradition at the school in Ste. Genevieve. Congratulations to St. Joan of Arc Catholic School sixth grader Joseph B., who represented his school at the state level of the National Geography Bee! St. Joseph’s Academy upperclassmen spent their spring break in “service to the dear neighbor.” After being commissioned by Fr. Oscar Vasquez at Mass, one group of students headed back to New Orleans to continue work with Habitat for Humanity in building houses for the poor who are still waiting for homes since Hurricane Katrina. Officially, Catholic Relief Services-Operation Rice Bowl, the organization is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The six-week program supports more than 100 million lives around the world. During Lent, all Catholics are encouraged to pray, fast and contribute to our global community. This year Valle Catholic Grade School collected over $1,070.00, which will be added to the donations from Ste. Genevieve parishioners. Fourth graders "cashed in” their collection at the local US Bank with the help of the US Bank employees. Above, pre-kindergartners sort silver coins from the pennies. At right, Marian Middle School student CarlyRae demonstrates her Makerfaire prototype bed for people who are homeless. Plan to attend the beOne Resource Fair, April 30, 8:30-11:30, Cardinal Rigali Center. A new destination for another group (pictured above) was Costa Rica, wher e senior s helped build a house for a man who is disabled, and small sewers near streams that overflow, allowing people to get to work when floods occur. Juniors worked on a beach project for the National Park Systems, building plastic trash cans for refuse, and cleaning the beaches to make them environmentally safe and sound. In her own words...happy parent at St. Mary’s Preschool North… Ms Albirda, PK, teacher at St. Mary’s Preschool North r eceived a r ecent heartfelt letter of thanks from Masyn’s mom... “I am Masyn’s Mom and I noticed that the kids were singing a Christian tune when I was dropping my child off. I thought that was awesome. These types of positive attributes have been what I have been looking for in my child’s daycare. Awesome kids, awesome staff. I myself would like to let the teachers know that they are recognized in a special way. Thank You!” On this particular day the class was singing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Ms. Albirda welcomed them by including them in the song. As they entered the classroom , she joyfully shouted, “He’s got Maysn and his Mom in his hands; he’s got Masyn and his Mom in his hands!” There are, after all, no better hands to be in. At St. Mary’s Preschool we know that God has the teachers, children, and parents in His hands at all times. Around the Archdiocese... Paul McClain, sixth gr ade student at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, received a perfect score in the second of three meets for this year’s WordMasters Challenge—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 150,000 students annually. Paul and his classmates wer e coached by Mrs. Laura Craig, fifth and sixth grade literature and writing teacher, beingONE in EDUCATION! We pray for those in our families, school and parish communities who have passed away, and this week, especially for… The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of challenging new words and to use them to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships. John Brokaw, father of John and Benjamin Brokaw, students at St. Bridget of Kildare Parish School of Religion, ***** The Serra Club encourages Catholic youth to consider a vocation to religious life by offering an annual vocation awareness essay contest. Five of the six winning essays came from students of St. Joseph Catholic School in Cottleville! Congratulations to: Fir st Place ($250)—Emilee and Kyle; Second Place ($100)—Eden; Third Place ($5)—Maxwell and Caroline The eighth grade at St. Joseph Catholic School in Cottleville presented "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown!" to the student body, faculty, staff and parents this month under the direction of Mr. Brad Benne and Sister Maria Francesca, music instruction of Ms. Allison Stuhler, technical support of Mr. Larry Johnson, set construction and costume design by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff David, the support of the eighth grade parents, and of Principal, Sister Maria Christi. And... St. Joseph’s jazz ensemble participated in the annual Catholic Radiothon, per for ming Louis Armstrong-style selections "live" on the air! Sr. Maria Christi and some of the students spoke in interviews about their Confirmation names and favorite saints, and answered questions about their school. The one-hour segment raised almost $3,000 for the Catholic Radio, beingONE in DISCIPLESHIP! St. Monica Catholic School seventh graders, spearheaded by Wesley P., planned a r ecent special assembly to honor and thank the school maintenance personnel, Miss Betty, Mr. Archie, Mr. Fred and Mr. Jerry. Each wer e awar ded cer tificates of appr eciation and car ds of thanks from each of the grade levels. And...seventh and eighth grade students gave of their time and labor to clean the gym and cafeteria, giving the maintenance workers a lighter work load for the day! At left, back row, left to right, Mr. Jerry, Mr. Archie, Miss Betty, Mr. Fred; front row, left to right, Andy V., Ben D., Emma C., Wesley P., Meg W. and Marisa C., beingONE in LEADERSHIP!