News for the week of 1-9-13

Our celebration of Catholic Schools' Month continues!

Friday, 1-11-3, is Student Appreciation Day. The Home & School Association will provide a free ice pop dessert to all students. Ms. Stacy Dekeyser, author of The Brixen Witch, will visit with students at 9am in the Parish Center and sign copies of her book. Click here for a book order form.

On Monday, 1-14-13, there will be a School Board Meeting at 7pm in the Lower Church.

Wednesday, 1-16-13, is our annual Family Pizza Lunch.  This year, all pizza lunches had to be preordered.  If you did not order a pizza lunch but would like to join your favorite student(s) for lunch, please bring a brown bag lunch and come and join the fun!

School Security Review Continues- We are pleased to share that Mr. Patrick Chagnon has agreed to work with us to review our facility and existing security procedures and offer us advice.  Father of Cici in grade 4, Mr. Chagnon founded BLUELINE Risk Mitigation Group, LLC in 2009 with the intent of providing quality professional security solutions to clients seeking customized services to fit their needs. With over 30 years of combined military, law enforcement, and security related experience; Mr. Chagnon has developed a trustworthy reputation and worldwide contacts. He is a retired law enforcement professional serving over 22 years within the Connecticut State Police Department, his last six years was with the Office of Counter Terrorism. Initially working with the Statewide Anti-Terrorism Task Force, he then became the Department of Public Safety Counter Terrorism Training Coordinator, working with State Homeland Security (DEMHS), Police Officers Standards and Training Council, Connecticut State Police Academy and Private Sector organizations. In addition to that, he often assisted with the State Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit in the Risk Management Assessment process within the State of Connecticut. For more information about Mr. Chagnon's experience and expertise, you may visit the BLUELINE Risk Mitigation Group website.  Click here.  Over the next several weeks, Mr. Chagnon will make periodic visits to school to observe our daily routines and procedures.  He is also reviewing our school's crisis plan.  Once his observations and review are complete, he will provide us with a report outlining his recommendations.  We are grateful for his assistance.

Sharing the Good News about Catholic Education -  Several of our students participated in the recording of a radio ad for the Archdiocesan Office of Radio and Television sharing what they love about our school.  This recording was made at the Office of Radio and Television on Monday, 1-7-13. Thanks to Ally and Lindsay Voelker and Mikayla and Madelyn Zordan for participating.  Be listening for this ad on WJMJ beginning on Friday, 1-11-13.

Tickets to the Home & School Association Auction on 2-9-13 are now available.  To purchase using a credit card, click here.  If you prefer to pay by cash or check, click here for a printable order form that can be sent to the school office.

Donations for silent & live auction are still being accepted.  Click here for more information.

Box Tops for Education - Send in your Box Tops now! Have you sent in any Box Tops lately? Don’t forget to keep clipping. The next contest deadline is Friday, February 15th. The class with the most Box Tops will win the privilege of enjoying extra recess time with their classmates. Additionally, the winning class's teacher will receive a gift certificate to purchase something for their classroom. Please mark your envelope "Box Tops Grade ____". Contact Amy Lillis at amylillis73@gmail.com with any questions.

Experiential Learning - Applying concepts to increase understanding -

As part of a simulation in Algebra 1, students pretended  that our school was contacted to help people living in a remote area of the Amazon who are in need of malaria medicine. Students needed to design a low-cost, insulated structure that was rugged enough to support transport of medicine (simulated by an egg).  This enrichment program is from the Boston Museum of Science and reinforces concepts from Algebra 1, engineering design, and Catholic social teachings. 

Students in Pre-algebra Honors learned about the Engineering Design Process when they participated in a simulation where they were stranded on an island and needed to build shelter with materials found on the island. Concepts such as ratios and scale modeling were reinforced through the use of this enrichment program from the Museum of Science in Boston.