Four years ago St. Louis embarked on a technology initiative that included exposing our students to increased STEM education. STEM education- science, technology, engineering, and math are at the forefront of academia. It is important for our students to be enriched in all of these subject areas and thus they may be better able to make a decision toward their future careers.

Students in fifth through eighth grade spend time each year working with the robots and learning elementary programming. This introduction to the Lego robots has piqued the interest of many of our students and the robotics club is flourishing. The robotics club began three years ago with a goal of competing in the First Lego League competition in West Tennessee. The original six member team of 2013 has blossomed into two competition teams with additional members ready to begin training for next year by being part of the robotics club that will meet in the spring. This year the teams competed against 43 teams from throughout the region. The competition is divided in four facets core values, project, robot design, and robot games. One team earned the first place trophy in mechanical design. The two teams are coached by Megan Scherson and Mitzi Donato.

We have also instituted a robotics program for students in second and third grade. Students meet each Tuesday after school to learn the core values of the program. This year our young group participated in the West Tennessee Junior Lego League research presentation division and presented their project on levers and design. Thank you very much to Mrs. Pamela Mendel for leading this group.

Catholic Schools Week is held each year during the last week of January. This special week is a time for us to celebrate our Catholic identity and emphasize the importance of our Catholic schools. This year, St. Louis added an important component to the week. On Monday and Wednesday we began the school day with an all school assembly. Speakers related to the students the importance of a Catholic education in their lives.

Thanks to Mr. Jonathan Lyons, an alumnus of St. Paul School and Christian Brothers High School for speaking to the students on what he feels are the key components of the school experience-community, knowledge, and faith. Mr. Lyons shared his experiences growing up in a Catholic school and how the ability to share his faith has enriched his life and guided him.

Mr. Jarvis Greer, an alumnus of St. Louis and CBHS spoke to the students on Wednesday. Mr. Greer spoke about the importance of each student being an active participant in creating a positive change in our society. He related to them about the lessons he learned here at St. Louis and how these lessons have helped him in his personal and professional life.

Also addressing the students on Wednesday were Sister Yosefa and Father Dexter. Both of them shared their stories about their calling into religious life. Sister told the students that at first her mother did not want her to join the convent but asked her to complete her education. After finishing her degree at the university in Indonesia and receiving her mother’s blessing she joined the Sisters of Charity of Charles Borromeo. She has served the church in Belgium, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the United States. Father Dexter first felt called to the priesthood when he was a young boy. He did continue his education through high school and into college. After college he pursued his career and even dated. He continued to feel called by God and joined the seminary. His desire to be a missionary and leave his home in the Philippines is how we are fortunate to have him at St. Louis. We are so blessed to have both Sister Yosefa and Father Dexter along with Father Saji and Monsignor McArthur as a part of St. Louis School.

The students also competed in Catholic trivia. Each day students in different grades competed against each other during rounds of Catholic trivia. The questions ranged from Catholic symbols and theology to recognizing baby pictures and school day pictures of current faculty. All of the students enjoyed the friendly competition.

The highlight of Catholic Schools Week is always Grandparents Day. Thursday was Grandparents Day for grades 5-8 and Friday was Grandparents Day for grades K-4. Each day begins with a Mass so that the students may share this experience with their grandparents. The grandparents and students alike then enjoy the special time together sharing in the student’s work and seeing the classrooms. A choral performance is also the highlight of the K-4 grandparents day. This year the children impressed their grandparents with the themed performance “Our Souls are Full” and sang many Motown hits that the audience could join in singing. Thank you to our parent volunteers who hosted a fabulous reception each day. Also, a special thank you to all of the grandparents who attended. It is such an honor for the faculty and staff to meet these special people in the lives of our students.

The National Geographic Geography Bee was held amidst fierce competition between contestants on January 9, 2015. Twelve students in grades four through eight advanced from the classroom competition to the school finals. These twelve answered questions ranging from United States geography to world geography. After several rounds of questions Jack Scherson was named Geography Bee champion and Maddie Tonole placed second. Jack will compete in the written portion of the competition to determine if he qualifies for the state finals held in Nashville.

4th Grade: Will Brownlee, Mary Grimes, Kaitlin Smith, Anna Kate Wade.

5th Grade: Fontana Cary, Anthony Cestaro, Jane Fracchia, Alex Grusin, Michael Ross, Branic Swain, Ginny Tavoleti, Thomas Wilson.

6th Grade: Maria Cremerius, Matthew Durden, Brendan Phelan, Nicholas Quarles, Jack Scherson, Rachel Ward, Celia Watson, Chloe Webster.

7th Grade: Ethan Cary, Ellie Navarre, Sarah Grace Price, Sarah Reno, Brittain Ross, Zachary White.

8th Grade: McKenzie Barnett, Karen Benedict, Anna K. Cremerius, Alyssa Donato, Bridgette Groben, Claire John, Christian Ward, Robert Ward, Emily Wilson.

4th Grade: Lindsey Crossnine, Madeline Duffee, Huey Ferguson, Anne Grimes, Baylor Hill, Alex Johnston, McKinley Kee, Lilly Lee, Gracie Leo, Trenton Lyons, Melissa O'Neill, McKenzie Patterson, Ellie Reynolds, John Riley, Hana Roberts, Ward Simmons, Katie Skinner, Mia Soefker, Walker Steinriede, Ava Trainor, Ava Wendt, Luke Wendt, Cooper Williams, Ben Wills, Audrey Zweig.

5th Grade: Carrio Anthony, Caroline Baker, Tyler Brimm, Auden Brummer, Anna Grace Cervetti, Hadley Donaldson, Johnny Drouillard, Ben Evangelisti, Madeleine Gaia, Michael Novarese, Ethan Soefker, Sofie Spencer, Madeline Tonole, Andrew Wade, Connor Whittingon, Maggie Wood.

6th Grade: Mary Hunter Adair, Emily Arangino, Embry Bird, Cade Fick, Grace Goughnour, Richard Hauser, Kirk Hecht, Grant Herring, Ben Jones, Josh Jones, Clay Kirkland, Lydia Koch, Amelia Madden, Hayden Meadows, Trey Price, Collin Roberts, Olivia Rouse, Caroline Senter.

7th Grade: Phillip Benedict, Alexis Connor, Zoie Couch, Katie Cunningham, Jackson Deneka, Cecilia DiMeglio, Katie Emery, Caroline Evangelisti, Sam Goodman, Amelia Hinton, Carson Kane, Tom Lamm, Jackson Lyons, Marc A. Marconi, Andrew Martin, Maddie McGee, Charlie Moore, Hughes Raiford, Spencer Stalnaker, James Strickland, Shelbie Wilkinson.

8th Grade: Ivy Almand, Rachel Baioni, Anna Grace Barnett, Samuel Barnett, Allison Bryant, Michael Buchholz, Sophie Cervetti, Raymond Fracchia, Perry Gates, John Michael Gates, Catie Grusin, Mason Hall, Kells Hecht, Kara Kane, Gracie Kitchens, Garrett Knott, Patrick Koch, Zach Lucchesi, Madelyn McCrary, Anna Riley Pieroni, Connor Saig, Layton Scarbrough, Gerard Tavoleti, Reid Voss.