Letter From
the Principal
Dear St. Louis Friends and Families,
This first semester is flying by and has been filled with many great Catholic School experiences. Our days have been complete with prayer, academics, making friendships, Mass, and so much more. Our new Admissions Director, Kim Pesce, gives us glimpses each day into the lives of our students through her posts on Facebook. These posts feature the great things that students and their teachers are doing here at St. Louis Catholic School-from learning about Our Lady of Fatima to our junior high speaking with Bishop Terry Steib about his life before and during his time as our Bishop; from experiments in the classroom to making memories on the playground, your children’s times at St. Louis are centered on helping them grow into wonderful young men and women.
There is much that children learn in their school day beyond the academic curriculum that is also important to their growth. Students learn how to adapt to different authority figures and personalities, to organize and manage their time, to solve problems and to realize the importance of asking for help when needed, to work out conflicts among peers, and yes, even to learn what it feels like to struggle, fail, and then overcome adversity.
Being principal, I have a wonderful vantage point to watch this process unfold, over and over again. I see students come in as precious preschoolers and before I know it, I am calling out their names at kindergarten graduation, watching them find their talents, interests, and gifts as they explore playing sports, singing in choir, performing on stage, or competing in a robotics competition. I get to watch the gifts unfold year after year, until, before you know it, I am calling out their name at 8th grade graduation as they prepare to leave SLS and go confidently on to high school.
With each group of students that moves through the school, Mrs. Shaw and I, along with the support of Msgr. McArthur and the SLS School board, try to make sure that the instruction, technology, facility, and faith formation process is constantly improving year after year. We look for professional development opportunities that keep the fire and passion for learning and teaching ignited among our faculty. This year we have invited consultants to look at our programs and give us objective advice in two different areas: the area of remediation and enrichment and strategies for teaching language arts and reading, especially in the middle school to junior high grades. In most schools, the love of reading starts to falter beginning near the end of 4th grade and continues on this path into high school. We are looking at ways to keep the passion for reading alive, not just for entertainment, but also reading to learn. The skill of reading to learn is very important, not only for high test scores, as many standardized tests that students encounter have more and more informational text comprehension questions, but also for success in other arenas now and in the future.
As we strive to continually get better, we appreciate the times we can give others a glimpse into our day. It was wonderful to see such a great turn out at Open House; we had approximately one hundred SLS families along with about ten visiting families that came to see our school. The children were so excited to show off their work and we hope you enjoyed sharing it with them. Now we begin a new nine week period. That is the great thing about school; you always have a fresh beginning every nine weeks. As we begin anew, we hope you will take advantage of parent/teacher conferences. These meetings are wonderful opportunities to discuss your children’s areas of strength and get ideas of strategies that can help students grow even more. When parents and teachers work together as a team; it is a win-win situation for everyone. Thanks for all your help and support!
Peace & Blessings,
–Mrs. Teddi Niedzwiedz, Principal
Important Dates
Oct. 30
Crazy for our Country Jeans Day
Nov 2
Parent/ Teacher conferences
(No School)
Nov 3
begin winter uniforms
Nov 8
Men’s Club Pig Day
Nov 9
Make Up Picture Day
Nov 11
Veteran’s Day Mass & Assembly
Nov 16
Homeroom Pictures (wear uniforms)
Nov 20
Spelling Bee at 9:30am in the old gym
Nov 23 to 27
Thanksgiving Break no school
Dec 4
Cardinal Christmas Game (bring an unwrapped toy for Catholic Charities)
Dec 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (no school)
Dec 10
Drama, Choir, & Orchestra performance at 6:30pm in the old gym
Dec 12
First Penance at 10am in the church
Dec 18
end of 2nd 9 weeks, beginning of Christmas Break; dismissal at 11:30am
Jan 4
School resumes
Teacher Feature
SLS teachers fared well at the Diocesan In-service at CBHS. Mr. Mullins won the Fine Arts Award, Ms. Wynne won the Good Samaritan Award, Sister Yosefa won the St. John Bosco award, and Mrs. Brownlee won the St. Sebastian Coaching Award. (Not pictured: Mrs. Troy won the St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton award!) We appreciate their hard work and dedication.
St. Louis Feast Day Picnic
Students, teachers, parents, and parishioners enjoyed our 3rd Annual St. Louis Feast Day Picnic on Sunday, August 23. Mass, lunch, rides, balloon animals, face painting, a cake walk, bingo, and Thomas the Train were all a part of the celebration. Special thanks to the Men’s Club and Home & School for your help in making this the best picnic to date.
Beyond the Curriculum
St. Louis School is proud to offer Learning Lab, Enrichment, and School Counseling. These programs allow us to provide individualized achievement and enrichment goals for each and every student. Mrs. Ticer, Mrs. Holliday, and Mrs. Brownlee are our Learning Lab teachers. Mrs. Kreitz and Mrs. Brown (not pictured) are our School Counselors, who assist with student assessments and provide classroom guidance. They also see students based on individual concerns.
The Learning Lab provides academic assistance in reading, language arts, and/ or math. The Learning Lab teachers assist in the regular classrooms and also work with students individually and in small groups. Enrichment is offered to children in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. Our enrichment program is the S.O.A.R.ing program, led by Mrs. Payne, our school librarian, and Mrs. Ticer. In junior high, honors and accelerated math and language arts classes offer enrichment to 7th & 8th grade students.
If you think your child would benefit from any of these resources, please contact Ashley Kreitz or Debbie Brown in the school office at 901-255-1900.
Beta Club Cooks Up Another Big Donation
Beta Club President, Jackson Lyons, and Vice President, Carson Kane, presented a $500 check to Go Jim Go, benefitting LeBonheur! The Beta Club cookout, organized to raise money for this project, was a huge success and they appreciate all who came to support their cause. When Jim Jaggers rode up on his bike, a camera crew videoed him accepting the check from our Beta Club students. He spoke with them about LeBonheur and thanked them for their donation. We especially appreciate Mrs. Wallis & Mrs. Hellen, our Beta Club sponsors, for their work organizing the first successful Beta Club fundraiser of the year
Bishop Steib Visits Junior High
Our Junior High students had a rare opportunity to meet with Bishop Steib in September. They each came up with questions to ask the Bishop, ranging from “What’s your favorite sport?” to “What was your Catholic life like when you were 14?” We appreciate Bishop Steib taking the time to let our students get to know him better as they prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation. Special thanks to Mrs. Kreitz for scheduling this special event.
First Quarter Field Trips
SLS students had many educational field trips during the first quarter of school. Fourth graders went to the Chucalissa Indian Village while they were studying Native American Cultural Regions. Happy Times Farm came to the Early Childhood Center during farm week in preschool. kindergarten went to Cedar Hill Farms to learn about animals, farm living, and the fall season. Going to the farm is an SLS tradition that kindergarten students and their parents have enjoyed for many years. Sixth graders used the Distance Learning Center to visit the NASA Space Center in Houston, TX while they were studying space in science and kindergarten– third grade students utilized the DLC to visit Longwood Gardens in Kenneth Square, PA while studying the life cycles of plants.
Open House at SLS
St. Louis hosted two separate open houses this year, one for grades 1– 8 in the “big school” and one for grades PK– Kindergarten in our Early Childhood Center. Both events allowed parents, grandparents, and prospective parents to see what students have learned during the first quarter of school. We had a scavenger hunt at the big school open house which was fun for the kids, (especially since they were able to earn a homework pass.) We appreciate all the families and teachers who attended both events and we look forward to parent teacher conferences next month.
Save the Date!
SLS Home & School announced the date and theme of the 2016 auction. Mark your calendars and save the date for Saturday, February 27! This year’s theme, Boas & Bowties, is sure to be fun for all who attend. Thanks to all who participated in the October Auction Item Drive! The mini online auction will go live on November 9 at www.stlouisauction.org.
Summer Reading Projects
Fifth and sixth grade students impressed us with their summer reading projects during the first 9 weeks of school. Students were able to choose from a list of projects to complete including: writing a song, creating a Powerpoint, writing a comic book, making a portrait of a character, interviewing a main character, and designing a tshirt. The creativity and talent displayed was noteworthy and Mrs. Kirk was excited to share their work!
Special Guests Visit SLS
Our 5th- 8th grade students met Lisa McMann, author of The Unwanteds series, and Kevin Sands, author of The Blackthorn Key. The authors, popular with this age group, spoke to our students about writing and developing plots. The children were able to hear what inspires these two authors to write. Like many other events on campus, this visit was scheduled to further inspire our children to find and nurture their own unique talents.
SLS Students Qualify for Duke TIP Program
Several of our 7th grade students qualified to participate in the Duke Tip Program by scoring at or above the 95th percentile in at least one of the subtests of the spring administration of the ITBS.
Congratulations to the following students: Zach Beck, Hayden Meadows, Matthew Durden, Sean Mullen, Ean Fagan, Brendan Phelan, Benjamin Floyd, Nicholas Quarles, Grace Goughnour, Jack Scherson, Richard Hauser, Caroline Senter, Clay Kirkland, Celia Watson, & Lydia Koch!
A Tribute to Mrs. Townsend
When parent, Betsy Grusin, learned that Mrs. Townsend would be retiring after 44 years of teaching, she decided to organize a project that would pay tribute to the 2nd grade teacher who shared her love of reading with so many students. The goal was to raise enough money to purchase 44 books for the school library, but our wonderful SLS parents exceeded that goal and purchased 52 books in honor of Mrs. Townsend. In August, Mrs. Payne and Mrs. Grusin invited Mrs. Townsend to come and see the new books.
SLS Cardinal Sports News
The SLS Cross Country teams have been on a roll this year! The 7th & 8th grade girls AND the 5th and 6th grade girls won 1st place in the PAA Championship Meet. The 7th & 8th grade boys took 3rd place and the 5th & 6th grade boys took 2nd place in their divisions. Also, our boys and girls golf teams took 2nd place in the PAA Golf Championship at Plantation Golf Club. We are proud of all of our student athletes. Our volleyball, soccer, and football teams had a great season. We’re looking forward to basketball season!
1st Quarter Honor Roll
Highest Honors
4th Grade: Thomas Cassat, Campbell Gossett, Sofie Herbstrith, Mark Koch, Will Perrone, Abby Wood.
5th Grade: William Brownlee, Lindsey Crossnine, Anne Grimes, McKenzie Patterson, Matthew Shi, Ward Simmons, Kaitlin Smith, Mia Soefker, Anna Kate Wade, Ava Wendt, Ben Wills, Ava Witmer, Audrey Zweig.
6th Grade: Caroline Baker, Fontana Cary, Anthony Cestaro, Michael Ross, Sophie Spencer, Branic Swain, Ginny Tavoleti, Andrew Wade, Thomas Wilson, Maggie Wood.
7th Grade: Embry Bird, Matthew Durden, Ean Fagan, Hayden Meadows, Nicholas Quarles, Collin Roberts, Jack Scherson, Caroline Senter, Celia Watson.
8th Grade: Ethan Cary, Alexis Connor, Cecilia DiMeglio, Cole Emanuel, Katie Emery, Jackson Lyons, Marc Anthony Marconi, Ellie Navarre, Sarah Grace Price, Brittain Ross, Zachary White.
Honors
4th Grade: Lillian Baker, Emma Berry, Grady Booth, Matthew Botto, Cullen Brummer, Hill Canale, Elizabeth Chism, Ayden Coon, Chase Evangelisti, Jack Gaia, Ivy Gates, Luke Hecht, Griffin Herring, Russell Hossenlop, Stephen Hudson, William Johnson, Mark Koch, Matthew Lucchesi, Joseph Maichrowicz, Abby Martin, Hayden Moody, Christian Novarese, Lila Outlan, Nicholas Pesce, Hunter Reeb, Robert Senter, Peter Shi, Nicholas Sparkes, Lauren Watson, Peter Weirich, Peter Wilson.
5th Grade: Chase Andreini, Natalie Bryant, Madeline Duffee, Jacob Goughnour, Mary Grimes, Lindi Hathaway, Alex Johnston, McKinley Kee, Lilly Lee, Trenton Lyons, William Moore, Melissa O’Neill, Emma Pratt, Ellie Reynolds, Hana Roberts, Katie Skinner, Walker Steinriede, Ava Trainor, Ava Wendt, Luke Wendt.
6th Grade: Grace Barksdale, Tyler Brimm, William Brooks, Auden Brummer, Hudson Carr, Ben Caviness, Anna Grace Cervetti, Grace Cestaro, Hadley Donaldson, Caroline Dorian, John Drouillard, Ben Evangelisti, Jane Fracchia, Madeleine Gaia, Alex Grusin, Anna Hooper, Rob Hubbard, Katie Lamm, Kendyl Lockhart, Katherine McClusky, Michael Novarese, Will Polzin, Hunter Pratt, Ethan Soefker, Mary Ryan Sweeney, Madeline Tonole, Sam Wallace, Jacob Wildman.
7th Grade: Mary Hunter Adair, Ella Almand, Aidan Cardosi, Mia Cervetti, Maria Cremerius, Cade Fick, Benjamin Floyd, Grace Goughnour, Richard Hauser, Kirk Hecht, Grant Herring, Willie Huffman, Ben Jones, Josh Jones, Clay Kirkland, Lily McCrary, Mary Jewel McCullough, Sean Mullen, Brendan Phelan, Trey Price, Olivia Rouse, Dylan Smarra, Rachel Ward.
8th Grade: Michael Baker, Phillip Benedict, Tayler Brenner, Tyler Brooks, Kaitlyn Broughton, Katie Cunningham, Jackson Deneka, Caroline Evangelisti, Ethan Fitschen, Sam Goodman, Harvey Gower, Joseph Heinz, Amelia Hinton, Aidan Johnson, Carson Kane, Ashton Kane, Tom Lamm, Autumn Lee, Jackson Lyons, Andrew Martin, Maddie McGee, Charlie Moore, Sarah Moran, Hughes Raiford, Sarah Reno, Emma Soefker, Spencer Stalnaker, James Strickland, Hunter Stroud, Mary Hellen Weirich, Shelbie Wilkinson.