Happy New Year!
I hope that all of you were able to rest and relax with your families during break. This week we not only celebrated two important saints for Catholic school education, we are also ending the Christmas season with the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord.
This week, we remembered and celebrated St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neuman who both helped to change and form the Catholic school education system in the United States.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
We celebrated her feast day on January 4th. She founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. When she moved to Emmitsburg, she opened the first Catholic school for girls in America. She was the first American to be canonized as a saint in 1975. Her shrine is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
St. John Neumann
We celebrated his feast day on January 5th. He immigrated to the United States in 1836 where he worked as a missionary with other European immigrants. He became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia (1852–1860). While Bishop of Philadelphia, Neumann founded the first Catholic diocesan school system in the United States. He is the first United States bishop (and to date the only male U.S. citizen) to be canonized. His shrine is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and John Neumann…pray for us.
Sermon on the Plain
For the month of January, the Catholic Social Teaching we will be focusing on is Preferential Option for the Poor (Luke 4:16-21 – Mission of Jesus; Luke 6:20-23 – Sermon on the Plain). We will continue teaching students that we are all called to care for people who are poor and vulnerable.
First Friday Mass
We had a lovely first Friday Mass. Thank you to Father Sleeva for celebrating our First Friday Mass with us! And thank you to Mr. Limmina for planning and arranging the students who participated by processing and reading during Mass. I would also like to thank Mr. Colligan and the Antonians for the lovely music they provided us with during our Mass. Today is Epiphany, also known as Little Christmas. It marks the final celebratory day of the Christmas season.
Salesianum Seniors Internship
Thank you to my friend, Father Brian Zumbrum, for visiting us yesterday and stopping by classrooms to observe the Salesian gentlemen in action. Father Brian was impressed with how our students answered some of his religion questions. I heard from Ms. Cripps that he came in as 5th Grade was discussing the Christmas season and Father Zumbrum was very impressed with their answers to his trivia questions about the Christmas stories in the Bible. One piece of trivia he passed on to the students was that the number of the Magi are not mentioned in the Bible, but it is assumed it was three because of the three gifts brought to the Baby Jesus. Students enjoyed Father Zumbrum’s surprise visit as much as the teachers and myself did.
Our Salesian friends are finishing up their first week with us and our students are especially enjoying these new friends in the classroom. They are reading stories, working in small groups, helping individual students, working on crafts, and seeing what teachers do on a day to day basis. Our students love asking them questions and playing with them at recess and gym. We will miss them when they leave and hope they come back to visit again after they leave us.
Congratulations to our December students of the month! These students were recognized by their teachers for showing cooperation with both fellow students and teachers. Congratulations to Maisy Emel (PK3), Andrew Jakotowicz (PK4), Na’Rye Giles (K), Mateo Garcia (1st), Stephen Beals (2nd), Liam Teasdale (3rd), Aryanna Rivera (4th), Yancelis Rivera (5th), Desmond Denny (6th), Rocco Priest (7th), and Silas Krajewski (8th). Way to go!
Reminder
Next Friday, January 13th, is a NOON DISMISSAL with NO AFTERCARE. School will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Spirit Night at Little Vinnie’
On Wednesday, January 18th, we will be having a Spirit Night at Little Vinnie’s located in Chestnut Run Shopping Center. More information will be coming home as we move closer to the day.
Diocesan Visit
We will be welcoming the Catholic Schools Office Staff to our building for the entire school day on Wednesday, January 25th. Our Superintendent, Dr. Louis DeAngelo, and Assistant Superintendent, Carol Ripken, will be accompanied by all members of the Catholic Schools Office. Members of the Religious Education office and Diocesan Development office will also visit for the day. During this visit, all classrooms will be observed. Several meetings will take place with administration, students, teachers, and our Pastor. We will discuss topics including faith formation, school culture, academic rigor, professional development, personnel, and school advancement. We look forward to showing all of the great things happening in our school.
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week is coming up quickly! We will be celebrating from Sunday, January 29th to Saturday, February 4th. There will be fun activities and treats for students and staff throughout the week. A schedule will be sent home soon.
Class Notes
Preschool 3
Preschool 3 is working on the letter “O” and celebrated the New Year by making hats, exciting brain break videos, and a fun handprint craft to hang out in the hallway. Their special helper from Salesianum has been excellent at assisting during centers and reading a story during circle time.
Preschool 4
Preschool 4 is enjoying their time with their Sallies friend. He is helping them use their fine motor skills with their new scissors. In the new year, they are learning sight words and practicing new math!
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is working on getting back into their routine by going over rules and expectations as well as reviewing what they did before break. They also made a little booklet of New Year’s Resolution for home, school, and a personal one.
First Grade
1st Grade has enjoyed learning about how holidays are celebrated around the world in Social Studies. In Religion, students have been learning about the Law of Love and sharing ways we can love and care for others.
Second Grade
2nd Grade has been learning phonics chants to help them remember tricky vowel spelling patterns.
Third Grade
3rd Grade is continuing to work on memorizing their multiplication facts in Math. In Social Studies, they are learning about wants and needs and making good economic choices.
Fourth Grade
4th Grade has begun multiplying 2 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers. They have also been working on learning about adjectives and had fun this week acting out different comparing adjectives.
Fifth Grade
5th Grade is starting their Social Studies unit on the American Revolution and is taking part in the Great American Mail Race. The Great American Mail Race involves writing and sending letters and questionnaires to Catholic schools in the other 49 states. They have already received letters from Florida, Rhode Island, and Indiana, asking the class to fill out questionnaires and mail them back.
Sixth Grade
6th Grade is starting the new year learning about adjectives to prepare them for their upcoming descriptive essays
Seventh Grade
7th Grade is studying the Beatitudes and the Lord‘s Prayer. They are exploring the Beatitudes as a guide to the values of the Kingdom of God and the Lord‘s Prayer as a series of petitions.
Eighth Grade
8th Grade is learning about World War I, including trench warfare, the modernization of war, and the U.S. involvement. They are watching War Horse to see visuals about what they are learning.
Spanish
In 4th and 5th Grade Spanish, students finished learning about Las Posadas (the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey that is done in Mexico) and are talking about El Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Next, they will start the unit on Weather.
In Middle School, students are learning pronouns, ser (to be), and adjective agreement in Spanish and are starting to form descriptive sentences. 7th Grade just completed a project on Christmas customs in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain. (These are on view in the lobby.)
Financial Assistance for Tuition
Applications and all required documentation for the 2023-2024 school year must be received by FACTS no later than January 31,2023. Tuition assistance through the Diocese of Wilmington is provided to children attending grades K-12. Families currently receiving tuition assistance through the Diocese of Wilmington must reapply. Assistance is not automatically renewed from year to year.
Blessings,
Mrs. Judith J. White, Principal
“God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, . . . for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us.”
~ St. John Neumann