Letter From
the Principal
Dear St. Louis Friends and Families,
Fall is such a beautiful time of year, as the leaves begin to die, they turn beautiful, vibrant colors before fluttering to the earth to decompose and bring forth new life, fertilizing the soil, preparing for new life in the spring. This season always reminds me of God’s promise of salvation and everlasting life. It makes me so proud to work in a school where teachers can share that promise daily with their students.
In October, the first nine weeks draws to a close. Our theme this year has been “An Ethic of Excellence” and that ethic is what the teachers strive to instill in our students daily. From keeping lockers organized, papers in the correct binder, creating a beautiful masterpiece in art class, or preparing a magnificent video in social studies it is so important to take pride in everything one does. One area that the faculty has been working on with the students is peer editing and critiquing writing assignments and projects. Teachers are introducing procedures for peers to critique and give constructive feedback. Peer editing is being used in language arts more and more. Students value so much more what their peers think and say. It only stands to reason that if their peers encourage them to make corrections and take pride in their creations, such collaboration is bound to produce a higher quality product. Writing portfolios are kept starting in third grade and are maintained through 8th grade. These portfolios provide a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to see the progression of students writing ability throughout their elementary and Junior High years.
Teachers are sharing and collaborating as well to increase their own level of excellence. In October a team of teachers
will be attending the STEMM Ed Workshop that will be held at Christian Brothers University. They will return with new ideas on how to weave science, technology, engineering, and math throughout the school day and ignite more interest among our students in those fields of study.Many of our teachers attended the Martin Institute this last summer and other classes held in September. They are already putting into action the ideas that they gleaned from the workshops. Our Junior High students are working on video projects that can be accessed using a QR Reader app. in Social Studies. The Pre- School classes have also recorded their work that can be accessed using a QR Reader as well. There are so many new and innovative ways for students to create and share their accomplishments!
Not only are we striving for academic excellence but also we want students to take pride in living strong Christian lives. We appreciate all the support we receive from parents when we hold our students accountable for their actions. Loving God and loving thy neighbor are commandments that are reinforced daily from Prk3 to 8th grade. Our teachers stress the importance of making time for God each day and attending Mass regularly on Sundays. We pray every morning, say the Angelus at noon, and many times in between. On October 23, 2014 we will join with the rest of the Catholic Diocese to pray the Rosary for Peace at 10:00. We would love for any parents who would like to come join us.
I enjoyed seeing so many parents at Open House this weekend. The students were so proud to show off their projects and quality work! May God bless all of the families and friends of St. Louis and please always keep the faculty and administration in your daily prayers as we walk hand in hand with our students to God’s kingdom.
Peace and Blessings,
–Mrs. Teddi Niedzwiedz, Principal
Important Dates
Oct. 24
Parent/Teacher Conferences-No School
Oct. 25
Parent Mtg for First Penance-10am
Oct. 26
Trunk or Treat 3:00pm
Oct. 27-31
Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 29
Chic fil A Biscuit Sale 7:30am
Oct. 31
Crazy for Our Country Day
Nov. 2
Men’s Club Pig Day 11am-8pm
Nov. 3
Begin Winter PE and School Uniform
Nov. 7
All School Mass
Nov. 7
Junior High Lock In
Nov. 13
Chic fil A Spirit Night
Nov. 14
Jeans Day for Boxtops
Nov. 15
First Penance Retreat 9-12
Nov. 22
CYO Crafts Fair
Nov. 25
Spelling Bee 9:30 am
Nov. 26-30
Thanksgiving Break
Mikala Decker
Angel of the Arts Award
The Mikala Decker Angel of the Arts Award has been created to honor the memory of our own, Mikala Decker. Mikala touched so many of us in her short time at St. Louis. A true inspiration to us all, her bright smile helped everyone feel upbeat and happy. Mikala came to St. Louis in the third grade and immediately became an active member of her class. In just three short years she became a leader in the choir and her artistic abilities became well known. Mikala was known for her vivacious smile and kindness to all. Her endearing spirit will long be remembered through this award.
The Mikala Decker Angel of the Arts Award will be presented for the first time in the spring of 2016 to a student who maintains a high GPA and is involved in the arts program at St. Louis. It is our hope that we will be able to award a scholarship with this award. Donations for this scholarship may be made through the church or school. Please make checks payable to St. Louis Catholic School and write the Mikala Decker Angel of the Arts Award in the memo line.
Go Jim Go!!
The Beta Club took the leadership role along with the Student Council in sponsoring this year’s Go Jim Go fundraising at St. Louis. Jim Jaggers, the News Channel 3 weatherman is in his ninth year of the event which raises money for LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. Jim rides 333 miles visiting schools along the way. St. Louis raised monies for this charity through Chic fil A biscuit sales. This year St. Louis students donated $500.00 to LeBonheur. Beta Club President Gerard Tavoleti and Student Council President Perry Gates presented the check to Mr. Jaggers as news crews filmed a segment for the 4:30PM news show. Both the Beta Club and Student Council will focus on many other community service projects throughout the year.
St. Louis Teachers Shine at Diocesan Professional Day
While the students were enjoying the first day of fall break the faculty gathered for our annual diocesan professional day at CBHS. Teachers from every school in the diocese came together for workshops, seminars, and professional sharing. St. Louis teachers were spotlighted as Mrs. Kendall and Mrs. Tracy led the workshop "Maximizing Morning Message" which enlightened teachers in preschool through first grade on different ways to incorporate teaching objectives in the classroom. Mr. Mullins led the session on "Tried and True Engaging Musical Activities" with Linzie Mullins. This workshop focused on teaching interactive ways to motivate students in any classroom to become involved with the class activities.
Several teachers were also recognized for both service and special awards within the diocese. Mrs. Shelly Carter received her twenty year service award and Mrs. Sue Wynne received her twenty-five year award for service to our Catholic Schools. The St. John Neumann Outstanding Service Award was presented to Mrs. Allison Seaton for her outstanding organizational skills and mission in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to the school community. Mrs. Kendall Lucchesi received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for designing and successfully implementing teaching techniques in the classroom. The St. John Bosco Award for the Total Christian Formation of Students was awarded to Mrs. Tracy Price for consistently exhibiting the Salesian charism-the ability to interconnect the spiritual, academic, physical, and social education of students. Mrs. Vickie Shaw received the Immaculate Heart of Mary Award for dedication, commitment, self-sacrifice, and kindness to everyone representing the heart of Catholic education. The St. Maria Goretti Counseling Award was presented to Mrs. Ashley Kreitz for her outstanding counseling skills and applied Gospel values in dealing with difficult situations.. Congratulations to all of these educators.
Why Wear a Helmet?
Are helmets necessary to wear in a football game or while riding a bike? The 6th grade S.O.A.R.ing class has been studying the brain, the functions of the brain, and the importance of protecting the brain. One way the students looked at brain safety was by wearing helmets. The Brain Safety Challenge was a fun hands-on activity that showed to a degree helmets can protect the brain. The students were given an egg as a model for the brain. The shell represented the skull, the yolk represented the brain, and the white of the egg represented the fluid surrounding the brain. They had to work in groups to create a blueprint of a helmet to put on their egg, build and test their helmets, evaluate, modify/retest their helmets, and do a final analysis of their work. In the end, it showed helmets are important in protecting the brain, but still may not completely shield the brain from injury . During the event of a fall or collision, football players and bike riders may still receive some sort of trauma to the brain while wearing a helmet, but think about the effect it would have on a person if they did not wear a helmet.
Thank you for supporting the book fair and helping us raise $1559.21 for our library!
Tis the Season…Let's Start Giving
St. Louis School and the St. Louis chapter of St. Vincent de Paul Society are partnering to help families in need. Each year, St. Vincent de Paul identifies less fortunate families in our community; many have no way to provide Christmas for their families. Last year, two of the families were given gifts and food for their holiday. What a joy to see a family so grateful to have strangers come by to share the love of Christmas! The real joy was in delivering the messages of gratefulness to our own children for the many blessings we have and just how fortunate we are.
Unfortunately, there were many on the list we could not help. We hope that this partnership between the school and church will enable us to reach more families this year. If you would like more information on how you can help a local family with Christmas this year please call Haden Kane (598-6900) or Melyne Strickland (581-4122).
Civil War Battles Make the News
The eighth grade students are studying all about The Civil War. Recently, they have been focusing on the major battles of the war and how they may have ultimately impacted the outcome. In order to develop a broader understanding of the war’s battles, the students were challenged with creating a newscast and analysis about one major Civil War battle. The students utilized video editing software on their chrome books to create their segments. They worked diligently over the course of two weeks researching facts, writing scripts, filming, and editing.
Scan the QR codes above to view two final samples of their work. Mrs. Troy would like to personally congratulate the eighth graders on a job well done!
Please send in names and addresses of veterans you would like invited to our Veterans Day Assembly and Mass to Mrs. Kreitz or Mrs. Troy. We would especially like to invite our parents who are veterans to attend!
Congratulations to our fall sports teams!!
- Junior football placed first in the league
- PeeWee football placed first in the league
- Elle Navarre placed third in the PAA Girls’Golf league and her team placed first in the team competition
- Boys 5th/6th grade cross country team placed first in the PAA; individually Ethan Soefker placed 2nd, Brendan Phelan placed 5th, and Ben Evangelisti placed 9th
- Girls 5th/6th grade cross country team placed first in the PAA; individually Nora Burton placed 1st and Chloe Webster placed 4th
- 7th/8th Girls also won their division of the PAA; Maddie McGee placed 1st; Emma Soefker placed 4th, Brittain Ross placed 5th; and Sarah Grace Price placed 7th
- 7th/8th grade boys placed second in the PAA; individually Christian Ward placed 3rd and Kells Hecht placed 6th.
- 7th grade girls volleyball placed 2nd in the PAA championship tournament
AR Recognition for the First Nine Weeks
The following classes were awarded the AR trophies for their achievements the first nine weeks:
6A, Mrs. Carter’s class - Most Points Earned by a Class for earning 701 points!
3B, Mrs. Hansom’s class - Highest Class Average for Percentage Correct with a 93.1%!
3B, Mrs. Hansom’s class - Class with the Highest Percentage of Students Achieving Their Goals with 100% of the students meeting all three of their goals (accuracy, points, and reading level)!
The following students were the top classroom readers for the first nine weeks. (All three AR goals must be met before any student may be considered for this award.)
2A George Booth
3A Grady Booth
4A Alex Johnston
5A Thomas Wilson
6A Lydia Koch
2B Caroline Cassatt
3B Ayden Coon
4B Audrey Zweig
5B Michael Novarese
6B Cade Fick
Congratulations to all the award winners!
Remember that the top three classroom readers from each homeroom along with the most improved reader from each homeroom will be invited to an AR party at the end of the year. So, get out those books and read!
Students Elect Officers
One of the highlights of the fall semester is the election of student council officers. Students in fifth through eighth grade elect student council officers and homeroom representatives to lead the student body in many activities throughout the year. Election week is a jam packed week of campaigning, stickers, and posters. The week is culminated with the campaign speeches in which the candidates take the information they have learned from their peers and prioritize their election platform. The end results are the objectives for the upcoming council. Congratulations to our 2014-2015 officers and all who ran.
2014-2015 Officers
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant at Arms
Chaplain
Perry Gates
Jackson Lyons
Hughes Raiford
Allison Bryant
Kara Kane
Cecilia DiMeglio
Congratulations to the members of our SLS class of 2011 who were inducted into the St. Agnes Academy chapter of the National Honor Society:
Lena Baioni
Mary Fortney
Lillie Weirich
Emory Wills
Baylor Bush
Maggie Kaiser
Mary Langley Montegut
Megan Wilson