Conn-Area Catholic School

V o l um e 1 8 , I s s ue 1
“Ce n t e r e d i n Ch ri s t ”
2015-2016
Conn-Area Catholic School
L O O K I N G T O E X PA N D
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Message from Fr. Bob
2
Principal’s Reflection
2
Fab Lab
3
STREAM
3
4-7
Thank you
Classroom Stories
7-10
The Arts
Sponsoring Parishes
• Immaculate Conception
• St. Aloysius
• St. John the Evangelist
• St. Rita
11
Conn-Area Catholic School is
proud to announce its official
doubling of the enrollment
from its lowest number of
ninety-two just six years ago.
The school now services 186
students and has added an
additional kindergarten teacher and a second sixth grade
teacher. With this wonderful
growth, the school is looking
into the possibility of expanding the building. As more and
more families, both Catholic
and non-Catholic, are discovering the benefits of a Catholic education, we must prepare to provide that same
great quality education to our
growing school population far
into the future.
To help us make this vision a
reality, we look forward to
your continued support for the
funding needed to provide an
expanded facility as well as to
increase the tuition assistance that will be necessary
to meet the needs of the everincreasing student popula-
tion. What an exciting challenge lies ahead! We know
the people of Connellsville
and the surrounding communities have great ties to ConnArea Catholic School. Our
success is due to their faithful
commitment to keeping a
Catholic, faith-based option
available for all families.
Please keep our vision in your
prayers. Our growth over
these past six years holds a
greater message much deeper than a quality, Christcentered education. It is
about building community
focused around a relationship
with Jesus; a value from
which we all benefit. Together, we can make this happen.
M I DDLE STATES R EAC CR EDITATIO N
On December 1, 2015, ConnArea Catholic School received
its Certificate of Accreditation
from the Middle States Association of Colleges and
Schools Commissions on
Elementary and Secondary
Schools. This recognizes the
school as “effectively advancing the quality of educational
experiences it offers its students and meets its responsi-
bilities to the public and the
profession of education, and
complies with standards for
accreditation that are established by the Middle States
Association”. This is a great
honor and prestigious
acknowledgement of the services Conn-Area Catholic
School provides for its members. We will continue to uphold the standards and sur-
pass them, as is the mission
of Conn-Area Catholic School.
P age 2
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A F E W W O R D S F RO M F R . B O B
Another Catholic School’s
Week is upon us, and judging
from the weather up until the
time of writing this just may
be the FIRST Catholic
School’s week in living
memory that will NOT be torn
asunder by delays and cancellations! (I hope I haven’t
jinxed the celebrations!)
Last year I mentioned that the
“future’s so bright I gotta
wear shades”. If anything, the
future has become even
BRIGHTER in the past twelve
months. The good news
keeps on a-coming! Maybe
that is because we are rooted
in THE Good News, JESUS
CHRIST! Good news, however, like a coin, often has a flip
side. OUR good news is no
exception. We are struggling
with the fact that space-wise
we are BURSTING AT THE
SEAMS. A good problem to
have, but a serious problem
nonetheless. We have been
in discussion with the Diocese
for months on how to address
this “problem”. And you know
as well as I that whatever the
solution it will require $$$$.
Which means we need YOUR
help. I thank you for your past
generosity and trust that GOD
will inspire in his people the
generosity we NEED to ensure
an ever-brighter future!
In Christ Jesus,
Fr. Bob Lubic
P R I N C I PA L ’ S R E F L E C T I O N
More than ever in my lifetime
I am seeing a greater need to
pray for Peace on Earth, as
the world seems to be more
and more threatened by a
negativity of Christianity. How
fitting that Pope Francis declares this the Year of Mercy.
God’s mercy has great power
to relieve us from the heartache we experience from sin
and unhappiness in our
hearts. But God also asks us
to show mercy to one another
in an effort to find the peace
on Earth we so desperately
need. The children at ConnArea Catholic School are challenged with the thought of
acting on this request from
God to show mercy to one
another. They know to con-
sider whether their actions
are promoting peace on Earth
or not. As a school centered
in Christ, we are blessed to
encourage our Christian beliefs. We have all heard these
words: Let there be peace on
Earth and let it begin with me.
Let us all do our part to promote peace through our actions.
Mrs. Cecilia C. Solan
B U SI NESSES SU PPORT I NG EDU C ATIO N
In 2001, Pennsylvania legislatures passed the EITC program which provides Pennsylvania companies with tax
credit for contributions to
non-profit scholarship or educational improvement organizations. Thirty-nine of our
students, PK through 6th
grade are the recipients of
these funds distributed from
the Scholarship Partners
Foundation of the Diocese of
Greensburg, totaling
$28,955. this year. The more
funds we receive, the more
students that we can bring
into the school. The EITC
program enables companies
to provide scholarships for
students at Conn-Area Catholic, instead of sending their
tax dollars to Harrisburg. It is
that simple! If you have a
business that pays the following Pennsylvania taxes: Corporate Net Income Tax, Capital Stock and Franchise Tax,
Bank and Trust Company
Shares Tax, Title Insurance
Companies Share Tax, Insurance Premiums Tax and Mu-
tual Thrift Institutions Tax you
would qualify to participate in
this program. Please call the
school today at 724-6285090 to learn more about this
great opportunity to provide a
Catholic education for many
children of the Connellsville
and surrounding communities.
The additional following foundations facilitated EITC and
OSTC scholarships to our
students for 2015-2016. We
thank these foundations for
their generosity. Bridge Edu-
cation, Inc. K-6: 4 students/$1500; Community
Foundation of Fayette County
PK: 5 students/$3000 and K-6:
6 students/$2,760; Family
Choice Scholarship of Pennsylvania-Pennsylvania Family Institute K-6: 6 students/$3000;
Best of the Batch Foundation
PK: 1 student/$1,975; AAA
Scholarship Foundation K-6: 3
students/$12,000.
Thank you to the businesses
that support these scholarships.
C o nn - A r e a C a th o l i c S c h o o l
P age 3
W E L C O M E T O O U R N E W T E AC H E R S
With the retirement of some
faculty and staff, and the
growth of our enrollment,
Conn-Area Catholic School
added eight new faces and
talents to our school family.
You will find Mrs. Amy Zimmermann greeting you when
you enter the office. Mrs.
Zimmermann has done a
remarkable job handling the
duties of secretary at the
school. Mrs. Lori Sagosky and
Mrs. Megan Gretz are addressing the needs of our
large sixth grade class quite
well. The split of students for
both sixth grade and kindergarten has truly benefited
their educational experience.
Taking the role of the excel-
lent second kindergarten
teacher is Mrs. Wendy Hoffer.
She also handles the Spanish
for our upper grades. Mrs.
Nola Lonigro is temporarily
helping out with the music
program. Although she has
been with us as our wonderful
instrumental instructor, she
has done a great job with the
music classes, as well. Mrs.
Ann Gravelle joined our staff
as the art teacher. Mrs. Gravelle comes with a great deal
of artistic abilities. Our new
physical education teacher is
Miss Mandy Onder. Her enthusiasm for movement still
makes gym class a favorite
among the students. Miss
Marney Hillen has taken on
the job of handling our Extended Care Program, along
with Mrs. Judy Forsythe. The
children enjoy the program,
as the two of them continued
a great system that is appealing to the children, as well as
the parents.
This increase in staff was
made with the children’s best
interest in mind. We are
blessed to have been able to
split our two largest classes
into smaller, more manageable groups. We will always
consider what is best for the
education of our students.
THE FAB LAB IS COMING TO CONN-AREA
The students in grades third
through six will have the opportunity to experience the
Intermediate Unit 1 Mobile
Fab Lab. This lab will be
brought to the campus the
week of April 11th providing
the children with the
knowledge of engineering
design process. This STEM
program will have each child
move from their specially
designed drawing to an actual
three-dimensional product.
Students will work with routers, 3D mill and scanners,
vinyl cutter, laser engravers,
3D printers, computers and
software, and much more.
The program aims to motivate
students into engaging into
the world of technology and
engineering. We are sure the
students will find this a rewarding and engaging learning activity. Fab Lab stands
for Fabrication Laboratory.
Makes you want to go back to
school!
STREAM
The idea of STEM education
at Conn-Area Catholic School
continues to grow. In our
second year with STREAM
(science, technology, religion,
engineering, art, and math)
our teachers are getting the
hang of this quickly. The faculty are all involved in an online course known as STEM
for ALL, continuing to find
ways of engaging the students of Conn-Area Catholic
School into critical thinking
skills, that have
them collaborating and communicating with
each other.
The children
love their
STREAM days,
as they design
and build such
things as catapults, rockets,
model cars, and
much more. Everyone from
kindergarten through the
sixth grade have their
hands in this exciting
learning. The children
also continue to become
experts at coding on the
computer; programming
that develops their
thought processes to a
higher level. It has been a
great experience.
Design, create, build,
test, tweak - all makes
for great engineering and
a whole lot of fun!
Dear Friends of Conn-Area Catholic School,
Each year, when we send out our Annual Appeal newsletter, I find myself completely humbled by the goodness
of your generosity. I think back to the few years when I sat with Mrs. Baker, the school’s business manager and wondered how we were going to satisfy payroll for the end of the year, so as to keep our budget balanced. We did a lot of
praying and the teachers and staff made great sacrifices, receiving no raises for a number of years. It was because of
you that we were able to get through those difficult times.
It means a great deal to our school families to have their children in a Catholic school. They feel a sense of
safety and community spirit at the school. They love hearing their children share stories of Jesus. They are excited to
know their tuition dollars are being spent on programming that is unique to our school, such as our STREAM program,
the Robotics Program, upgrades to our technology (licensing, latest software, all new desktops, new iPads), classroom
improvements, and special programs such as the Fab Lab and the Ag Bus. Their involvement in these opportunities
greatly enhances their education.
A great number of our families could not experience this were it not for your generosity and interest in ConnArea Catholic School. Once again, we ask you to continue your financial and spiritual support in order that we may continue to bring more children into a learning environment that is centered in Christ. As we see Christianity under greater attack, we need to build the faith for a brighter future. The decisions of our country will someday be in the hands of
our current young children. We need to prepare them with a knowledge of God’s goodness and love.
Thank you for your great support. Please continue to keep Conn-Area Catholic School and its members in your
prayers. I invite you to stop in for a tour of the school, whether you have a student or not. I would love to show you
what your support means to our families.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Cecilia C. Solan
Principal
Sincere Appreciation to our Annual Appeal Donors as of December 31, 2015
$5,000 and above
Amerikohl Mining, Inc.
Anonymous
Mr. & Mrs. J.D. Ewing & Family/COE Distributing
$2,000 to $4,999
Colebrook Chocolate Company /
Mr. & Mrs. John Coleman & Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Brooks
Intermec - Seattle Foundation
Trixie Puff Foundation
$1,000 to $1,999
Anonymous
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bailey *In Honor of the Faculty & Staff of Conn-Area Catholic
Mr. & Mrs. George Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. William Colvin
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Delmar & Family
Janney, Montgomery, Scott, LLC
Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Solan— Gerard Photography
St. Vincent College
$400 to $999
Anonymous (3)
Ms. Mary Kay Dunaway *In Memory of Frank & Marie Dunaway
Dr. & Mrs. Francis Jacobyansky
Mr. & Mrs. John Kaylor
Knights of Columbus - Council #948
Mr. & Mrs. James Mongell *In Memory of Margaret Jane Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Duane Plummer *In Honor of Sr. Mary Agnes Kirsch
Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Ruper
Mr. & Mrs. Todd Sebek
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Shafer— Regency Horse Ranch
Mr. Ron Welling
Mr. & Mrs. Mike Zetwo
$100 to $399
Mr. & Mrs. Rob Anderson
Mr. & Mrs. H.B. Duggan
Mrs. Shirley Eckman *In Memory of Richard P. Malone, Sr. &
Dr. Richard P. Malone, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. William Erneste *In Memory of William T. & Catherine E. Erneste
Ms. Jackie Gambone * In Memory of Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Gambone
Mr. Van Humbert *In Memory of Kathleen Galik & Joseph Beucher
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Kislan *In Memory of Wilbur & Ellen Lizza
Mr. & Mrs. David Kosslow *In Memory of Joseph Scarry
Ms. Mary K. Kubitza
Ms. Alice Milliman
Mr. Arthur Mohall
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Oppermann
Peoples Gas
Mrs. Stefanie Ranker
Mr. Dennis Rendine *In Honor of IC Alumni 1942 &
In Memory of Raphael Rendine
Dr. Kara Sepp & Dr. Robert Sepp *In Memory of Joyce Sepp
Dr. Kara Sepp, Mr. John Lypson & Eva *In Memory of Louis Ferenchua & Jeanie Humbert
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Sholtis *In Memory of Newell & Mary Hughes
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Soisson *In Memory of Cara Marie Soisson, Jacqueline C.
Soisson & Gerald Scarry
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Solomon
Dr. & Mrs. Edward Spotts *In Memory of Louise Maczko, Jeanie Humbert
& Josephine Garsteck
St. Rita’s Christian Mothers *In Memory of the Deceased Members of St. Rita’s
Christian Mothers
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Stephenson
Mr. Edward Wallace & Family *In Memory of Shirley Wallace
Mr. & Mrs. John Wisilosky—
*In Memory of Michael Mariotti, Juanita Stasia,
& Charles Hartz
In Honor of Fr. Bob Lubic’s 50th Birthday
Mr. Frank Zadell *In Memory of Richard L. Carpinelli
Gifts in Memory of Donna Gambone
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Frick
Mrs. Sandra Lincoln
Gifts in Memory of Jeanie Humbert
Laura & Terry Cavaness
Chesterfield Rebels Baseball Team
Chris & Mary Fette
Mr. & Mrs. William Herman
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Smith & Madison
Mr. & Mrs. Sturge Hughes
Immaculate Conception School– Class of 1959
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lohr
P age 6
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Gifts in Memory of Louise Maczko
Mr. & Mrs. George McDermott
Ms. Rosemary Lippert & Ms. Melnyk
Searights Maintenance
Mr. & Mrs. Berton Swartzwelder
$50 to $99
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Ackerman *In Honor of Sr. Beatrice Ann Parenti
Mr. Jim Downey *In Memory of William Downey
Ms. Linda Galiardi *In Memory of Mary Susan, Eugene & Vivian Galiardi
Mrs Elizabeth Haggerty *In Memory of James R. Haggerty, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Hunter
Ms. Sherryn L. Keefer—
*In Memory of Gaya Means
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Masciarelli
Carmine V. Molinaro, Jr. *In Memory of Louise Maczko & Jeanie Humbert
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Mongell *In Memory of Gerald Scarry & Jeanie Humbert
Gifts in Memory of Donna Gambone
Pat Hockenberry, Judy Second & Mandy Kost
Mr. & Mrs. John Bell
Mrs. Kitty Kline
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Laurion
Gifts in Memory of Jeanie Humbert
Chris, Sharon, Bill, & Sue Baer
Dr. & Mrs. Joe Chomiak
I.C. School Class of 1959
The Coffee Club
Ms. Jeanine Forsythe
Mr. & Mrs. Albert Herman
Mr. & Mrs. John Maczko
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Mahokey
Martha Mathews & Family
Miriam Brooks & Family
Tom & Nina Nickelson
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Oglevee
Mrs. Toni Schiavoni
Gifts in Memory of Louise Maczko
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Bruening
Connellsville Senior Ctr.- Silver Sneakers Fitness Class
The Cunningham Family
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Gasbarro
Mr. & Mrs. Flay Goodwin
Ross, John & Mary Prestia
Up to $49
Mrs. Kathleen Andyjohn
Mr. & Mrs. Terry Baker *In Memory of Louise Maczko & Jeanie Humbert
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Conko
Mrs. Mary Downey
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Forsythe *In Memory of Brian Ranker
Mrs. Theresa Foley *In Memory of Bill Foley & Family
Mr. Andrew Kruczkiewicz
Rose Mariotti *In Memory of Juanita Stasia
Mr. & Mrs. John McGough *In Memory of Michael Mariotti
Mrs. Magaret Molinaro *In Memory of Anthony Molinaro & Jeanie Humbert
Mrs. Philomena Patrick * In Memory of Frances (Mikey) Connell &
Jeanie Patrick
Ms. Paula J. Rendine
Mrs. Kathleen Schott *In Memory of Edward T. Schott, Sr.
& IC High School Class of 1946
Gifts in Memory of Donna Gambone
Mrs. Jacquelyn Baker
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Bell
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Bosetti
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kurcina
George & Mary Stefanis
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Uhazie
Gifts in Memory of Jeanie Humbert
Mr. & Mrs. John Andursky
Mr. & Mrs. William Baer
Mrs. Sandy Beucher
Mr. & Mrs. James Bielecki
Mrs. Marie Blasey
Eugene Carbonara
Susan DeLara
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Kissinger
Mr. & Mrs. John Konieczny
Karen Merriam
Mr. Tony Natale
Mr. & Mrs. David Petrum
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Sarko
C o nn - A r e a C a th o l i c S c h o o l
P age 7
Mrs. Marlene Scarry
Mr. & Mrs. Dwyer Sheehan
Marc & Audrey Snyderman & Family
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Patrick Trimbath
Mr. & Mrs. John Zimmermann & Zander
Gifts in Memory of John Kaylor
Mr. & Mrs. Pat Kozel
Mr. & Mrs. Vito Martucci
Mr. & Mrs. John McGinnis
Betty Zur
Gifts in Memory of Louise Maczko
Ms. Joanna Ball
Mr. & Mrs. David Bogden
Ms. Patricia Brothers
Ms. Florence Cirilli
Brian & Sondra Depue
Mr. Richard Kasunic, II
Mr. Andrew Kruczkiewicz
Ms. Veronica Lesniowski
David & Kathy Puff
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph J. Sages & Family
Tony Sapanara
Mr. & Mrs. Greg Skowronek
PRESCHOOL
One of the highlighted activities that occur within the
Conn-Area preschool is the
opening of a wrapped ‘gift’.
Colorful packages stored in a
standing closet within the
classroom pique the students’
interest long before they are
opened.
The teacher selects one box
to open in the classroom
‘circle’, where all the students
gather, wide-eyed with excitement and anticipation. Each
child takes his or her turn at
handling and shaking the
package and offers a guess
as to the surprise within.
Finally, after minutes of spec-
ulation and analysis, the special helper student has the
honor of removing the colorful
ribbon and wrapping paper to
reveal the contents to the
classmates. The leader disperses them to the children
as they try to determine the
usefulness of the items.
A multitude of sensory and
motor skills are intended to
be associated with the ‘gift’.
The students eagerly engage
in a new and fun-filled educational challenge that will be
added to the learning activity
shelves.
In addition to using these
items for their intended pur-
poses, the children often opt
to create their own personal
variation of the activity and its
materials.
Although the students view
these wrapped materials as
toys, the items are primarily
intended to be educational in
nature.
—- Mrs. Jan Spotts
- Seneca
KINDERGARTEN
Years ago, I made the comment that CAC would have the
“top” kindergarten in the area. Having taught with some
of the best kindergarten
teachers in the early 70s, I
knew I had my work cut out
for me. Yes, teaching reading, math, and social skills are
the main focus for all kindergarten teachers. I knew
something here had to be
different. Would it be the
bond we have with the CAC
families? Would it be the
students who learn here, generation after generation?
Would it be the years of experience our teachers accrue?
Would it be the requests parents make for teachers to
hang in there so their child
will have them, too? Just the
other day, I ran into one of
those kindergarten teachers
from “back in the day”. And
the first thing she wanted to
tell me was that her grandbaby would be attending kindergarten next year at ConnArea Catholic. Had I reached
my goal? Is CAC the “top”
kindergarten in the area? I
think so! However, all of the
above may have contributed
to my success; the real reason is that this is a Christ
Centered class room in a
Christ Centered School.
About a week ago in the cafeteria a little boy was upset
about his lunch. When I
asked him what was wrong,
he said that he forgot to get
his milk. When I looked up, I
Wherever there is a
human being, there is an
opportunity for
kindness.
noticed that the milk cooler
was closed. So we started to
walk there to see if we could
get him milk. On the way, we
passed his brother’s table,
who immediately jumped up
to see what was wrong. His
little brother said it was not
his milk that he forgot but his
fruit. Upon hearing that, the
older brother took his own
fruit off his tray, plopped it in
his brother’s hand, put his
arm around his shoulder, and
walked him back to his table.
I was so moved! WWJD—
”What would Jesus Do?” or
“He’s not heavy, he’s my
brother!” come to mind. Yes!
I know what the difference is.
We ARE Christ Centered!
—- Mrs. Judy Colvin
P age 8
V o l um e 1 8 , I s s ue 1
FIRST
GRADE
The First Grade students are
really enjoying the addition of
Conn-Area Catholic School’s
Facebook page. The students
have been in many videos
that showcase activities and
lessons they have learned in
class. They’ve recited a story,
sung a song for Johnny Appleseed Day, acted out the story
of “Little Red Hen” from their
reader, showed their dance
for a Thanksgiving Celebra-
tion, played instruments
that they made while singing the song “Jingle Bells”,
and many other school
happenings. You can see
many activities the students are involved in by
going to Conn-Area
Catholic’s web site and
clicking on the icon for
Facebook. We welcome
you into our experiences.
—- Mrs. Connie Sholtis
SECOND GRADE
“Check out how this
mealworm is reacting to
the stimulus.”
“That’s so cool!”
Second grade is an exciting
year of growing academically
and spiritually. This is the year
that the children receive the
sacraments of Reconciliation
and Eucharist. They learn
handwriting (cursive) at the
start of the 2016 new year.
During the year we do a lot of
extra activities. We do three
STREAM projects throughout
the year. Our first project is
making a fence and gate
model for Farmer McDonald.
He needs to decide which one
he wants to purchase for his
farm.
The children have a wonderful
time making vests, headbands, and shakers so they
can dress up like the Native
Americans for their Thanksgiving get-together with the first
grade and for the Thanksgiving prayer service.
The children enjoy putting
together puzzles. We have a
beautiful solar system puzzle
donated to us by one of our
former second graders. There
are dinosaur puzzles and
some one hundred piece puzzles. They are learning and
having fun at the same time.
The second graders have
many fun activities that go
along with their academic
and spiritual lessons. They
are well rounded children.
—- Mrs. Goldie Lohr
THIRD GRADE
This year, the children will
grow and develop academically, socially, and spiritually.
The children participate in
many activities that serve the
under privileged in our community. They bring in food for
the local food bank, collect
baby items for the needy,
make and send cards to shutins and always include all
those in need during our daily
prayers.
Each student has the opportunity to become “the student
of the week”. During this
week, they get to showcase
their talents and classwork.
The children are always finding ways to be peacemakers
and earn a special peace
person to be displayed on the
wall in our classroom.
The students participate in a
creative writing unit each
month. Many genres are explored including personal
narrative, expository, persuasive, fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction writing. In the spring of
each year the children have
the opportunity to create and
publish their own hardback
book.
The third grade uses the computer lab three to four times a
week as well as using iPads in
the classroom for various educational activities and lessons.
The children work on math,
language, and computer skills.
They also view live lessons on
various topics being covered in
class.
They enjoy exploring the scientific method through hands on
experiments in the science lab.
They all love STREAM day when
they are given an activity to
design and build. The excitement never ends.
- Mrs. Robin Hlebechuk
C o nn - A r e a C a th o l i c S c h o o l
P age 9
FOURTH GRADE
The fourth grade students
have been very busy this year
and are growing academically,
spiritually, and socially. Incorporating writing into the curriculum is essential, as this
skill is needed throughout
their lifetime. They have been
working on poetry, narrative,
and descriptive writing. In
addition, their most recent
writing activities let them embark on creative writing. The
five steps of the Writing Process are essential and they
are focused on with each type
of writing. Once the children
published their stories, they
then share them with their
classmates. In science class,
the children have used microscopes on several occasions.
They look at and compare
plant and animal cells, as well
as the leaves and stems of a
flower and also mosses,
which come from spores. The
fourth graders continue to
grow spiritually each and every day and reach out to the
community with service projects. They recently made
Thanksgiving and Christmas
cards for the shut-ins and
brought in baby items
throughout Advent Season.
What an amazing year of
growth, all with Jesus by their
side!
—- Mrs. Krissy Garsteck
FIFTH GRADE
Students are challenged each
year to participate in the
PRIDE IN CONNELLSVILLE
AREA POETRY AND POSTER
CONTEST sponsored by the
Connellsvlle Area Historical
Society. This is an excellent
opportunity to research local
history and then to stretch our
creativity to illustrate one
aspect of our area's impressive history either in poetry or
as a poster. Some students
are more talented with words
while others are more talented with artistic media.
The contest is available to
grades 4-6 on the elementary
level with monetary prizes for
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable
Mention categories. Pictures
are taken by The Daily Courier
reporter and are displayed in
our local newspaper. All the
winners are showcased in the
Winter Issue of Connellsville
Crossroads magazine.
The fifth graders did an outstanding job on this assignment The topics that they
explored included: Crawford's
Cabin (both inside and outside), coke ovens, railroads,
the P&LE Train Station, The
Porter Theater, Native Americans, Johnny Lujack, Bob
Bailor and Yough Park. That
list certainly represented a
wide aspect of Connellsville
Area History.
Although some students won
awards, everyone won because each student learned
something new about Connellsville that they had not
known before. After all, that is
the purpose of the PRIDE IN
CONNELLSVILLE CONTEST.
—-- Mrs. Debby Mullaney
FIFTH GRADE MATH
We have all heard the song,
“The Twelve Days of Christmas”. As a fun learning
Christmas project, the fifth
grade math class learned a
little history about the meaning behind the song and what
it would cost to buy their ‘true
love’ all those Christmas gifts.
They began researching the
song and were surprised to
learn that each gift had a
religious meaning behind it.
Next, they researched the
price of
each individual gift,
the price
for the gifts
each day,
and then
the total
cost for all
twelve
days. Every time a gift was
mentioned, they had to add it
to the total cost. The last
requirement for the project
was for each student to cre-
ate his or her own
gift to give at Christmas. The gift had
to keep in the context of the song.
Overall the class
learned a little history and did a great
deal of calculating .
The next time they
hear this song, they will know
the meaning behind it, and just
how costly a ‘true love’ can be.
—- Mrs. Wendy Hoffer
Learning is fun!
P age 10
V o l um e 1 8 , I s s ue 1
SIXTH GRADE
“”All people will know
that you are my followers
if you love each other.”
- John 13:35
Conn-Area Catholic’s sixth
grade class is making our
community and world a better
place by learning about our
community and our families.
Their pride in our community
was certainly shown through
the projects submitted for the
Pride in Connellsville contest
where they showcased many
of the community’s local
treasures and the importance
each has for this community.
They are also touching the
lives of our shut-ins and prayer partners who we remember
every day in our prayers and
with whom we correspond.
This outreach goes far beyond
the borders of Connellsville
and extends into our surrounding counties. They are
able to bring joy into someone
else’s day. Also, the students
have learned about one of
their own family members
who has passed away. By
celebrating Dia de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican
celebration honoring the deceased, the students were
able to gain an insight, not
only into another culture, but
into a family member who has
SIXTH GRADE
Sixth grade students have
been working hard to complete a classroom STREAM
project. While learning about
genetics in science class, they
made connections to social
studies, religion, math, art,
and technology. They made a
pedigree showing how traits
are inherited from parents
and grandparents. Also, the
students learned about their
heritage and where their families came from. Using this
information, they mapped out
all of the places their ancestors came from. The students
learned that Punnett Squares
can help us predict the probability of a trait showing up,
and they calculated the percentage of acquiring certain
traits. They even used the
basic rules of heredity to draw
a portrait of an individual with
certain traits that were determined by a coin toss. Learning about our heredity and
how special we are made us
feel closer to our families and
more thankful to God for making each of us unique!
—- Mrs. Megan Gretz
S E RV I N G O U R P A R E N T S
One of the great blessings
that Conn-Area Catholic
School provides for our parents and guardians is our
Extended Care Program and
our Early Morning Drop Off
services. For our working
parents it is often difficult to
find a dedicated adult to get
their children on the bus in
the morning or be there at the
end of the day when they get
off the bus. We are thrilled to
be able to assist them by
providing a safe place where
they can gather with school
mates and engage in crafts,
games, socializing, or working
on homework. Even on days
of two-hour delays, the school
will provide the Drop-Off service starting at 8:00. Even
more comforting is the children’s desire to be there. It is
a ‘play date’ of great fun.
died. The students researched the sacrifices and
accomplishments that person
made to his/her family and
made an altar and papermache skull and wrote an
essay that each student
shared in class.
—-Mrs. Lori Sagosky
C o nn - A r e a C a th o l i c S c h o o l
P age 1 1
THE ARTS
On February 28 and March 1,
2015, Conn-Area Catholic
Performing Arts (PA) Club
celebrated its 10th anniversary with its annual musical
theater production of Willy
Wonka, Jr. The show was
performed at The Edwin S.
Porter Theatre in the Connellsville Community Center.
Fifty-three students in grades
3-6 participated in the production. The show was directed by Susan Uhazie
Camele and choreographed
by Jennifer Soisson. It was
seen by approximately 750
audience members with a
standing room only Opening
Night!
Our club originated with the
artistic vision of then 8th
grade student Ashley Runyan
and the support of then Principal Sister Catherine Meinert.
At its inception, the two decided the musical production
would be our school’s gift to
the community. Admission
was free of charge with a
requested canned good donation to benefit the St. Vincent
de Paul Society food pantries
in Connellsville and Dunbar.
Through the generosity of the
Conn-Area Catholic extended
family, that spirit
and tradition remains. Veterans
Jeff and Janet
Hutchinson returned for their
10th year. The
program said
goodbye to choreographer Jen Soisson and to Linda
and Sylvia Sitko
who managed publicity and in
-house meals during Tech
Week. Thanks to all of them
for their hard work and commitment to our school.
— Mrs. Susan Uhazie Camele
MUSIC
Music is very important in a
child’s life. At Conn-Area
Catholic School, we provide
music class to our students
twice a week. Mrs. Nola Lonigro is currently standing in
as our school’s music teacher. She is doing a wonderful
job teaching the children
church songs, folk songs, and
reading music. Playing the
bells is a favorite among our
upper grades. The program
was enhanced by the addition
of our music stands which
were built and donated by the
Mr. James Black family. Mrs.
Lonigro put together all that
was needed to make
this a great learning
opportunity for the
children.
Besides their regular
music classes the children have the option of
taking instrument lessons. This program is
offered to our second
through sixth grade
students. Currently we have
thirty-five students involved in
the program. The children will
showcase their talents at our
annual Spring Concert. They
are doing a wonderful job!
- Sydney Gurewitz Clemens
ART CLASS
Mrs. Ann Gravelle joined the
Conn-Area Catholic School
faculty this year as its art
teacher. Mrs. Gravelle is a
true artist with a wealth of
experience. She is also an
expert in pottery. This summer, we received a donation
of a kiln and potter’s wheel
from a dear friend, Mrs. Pam
Bablow. Right now it is in
storage, but we hope to have
it up and running in the near
future. In the meantime, Mrs.
“Art has the role in
education of helping
children become like
themselves instead of
more like everyone else.”
Gravelle plans on doing some
pottery pieces with a few of our
upper grades. As our mission
statement states, we want to
provide opportunities of every
kind to help our students identify the talents God gave them to
carry out the plan He has for
them. We look forward to all
the great possibilities the children will be creating in their art
classes.
Conn-Area Catholic School
613 East Crawford Avenue
Connellsville, PA 14525
Conn-Area Catholic School
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Located on the Geibel Catholic Campus
Outstanding Education
Faith-Filled Atmosphere - “Centered in Christ”
Safe & Secure Learning Environment
STREAM Classroom
Preschool Through Sixth Grade
Excellent Technology Program Beginning in Kindergarten
Spanish Beginning in Preschool
Performing Arts Club
Sports Programs
Child Care Program—Before and After School
Family Atmosphere
613 East Crawford Avenue
Connellsville, PA 15425
Phone: 724-628-5090
Fax: 724-628-1745
E-mail:
[email protected]
We’re on the web!
Call for an appointment to see the school and to learn more about our great program.
Registration for the 2016 - 2017 school year has begun.
www.connareacatholic.org
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