A SMILE
A SMILE costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who give it. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he cannot be made richer by it. A SMILE creates happiness in the home, promotes good will in business and is the cornerstone of friendship. It can perk up the weary, bring cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. When people are too tired to give you a smile, give them one of yours. No one needs to smile so much as he who has none to give. (Note: A smile uses fewer facial muscles than a frown or scowl and exercises certain facial muscles to make the face more attractive.
CONTESTS
Participating in contests is an excellent means of enrichment and of relating education to the real world. In addition, students improve their thinking, writing, and design skills, and enjoy being recognized for their talents. Congratulations to Tyler Skelton of Grade 7 who was a winner in the essay contest sponsored by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. Tyler received Honorable Mention and $50 for his essay “How do we use chemistry in our daily lives.” Great job! We are proud of our winners in the 2nd annual Earth Week essay contest sponsored by Brevillier Village. Their essays were on the topic “Why should we celebrate Earth Day?” Students won gift cards to Best Buy.
7th-8th grade division:
1st place – Meghan McCurdy – Gr. 7
2nd place – Ian Brady – Gr. 8A
3rd place – Isabella Pacinelli – Gr. 7
Honorable Mention:
Sara Szczesny – Gr. 8
Jacob VanSlyke – Gr. 8
5th – 6th grade division:
1st place – Tanner Schau – Gr. 5
Honorable Mention:
Ellie Born – Gr. 5
Ketara Hinman – Gr. 5
Sr. Mary, CDS
TOO BUSY TO PRAY?
“If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy.” From morning till night our hours are filled with meals, meetings, driving places, phone calls, shopping, and on and on. Once in a while we stop, sit back, and catch our breath. We think about the bigger picture and our basic life direction. We think of Our Lord, and His place in our activity. Too many people are discouraged and guilt-ridden when they cannot spend longer stretches in prayer, but the pressures and duties of our lives do not allow for many times like that. Our Lord wants our hearts and spirits. “Meditation in motion,” or praying at odd moments that fit into our busy lives, can suffice to give Him what He wants, which is for us to speak our hearts to Him. This involves getting “prayer space” while driving to work, pausing for a cup of coffee, looking out a favorite window, etc., and talking to Our Lord about the day, your plans, problems, hopes, and worries. Talk to Him as to an intimate friend. Look to Him, stay upbeat in spirit, and give Him a chance to whisper something in reply. Remember: “He is at our side always until the end of time.”
CALENDAR:
5/7 - Grade 8 retreat
5/11 - Grade 8 class trip
5/15 - May Crowning – everyone is invited.
CLASSROOM NEWS
Miss Kim Lytle of our Catholic Schools Office came to St. James on April 17 to present a Jr. Achievement workshop to Gr. 7 students. Her focus for the day was to help young people understand the impact business and economics have had on the development of the U.S. She began by teaching the students her favorite word “entrepreneur”. Then followed a host of activities related to immigrants and the contributions they made to the U.S. especially in the 1800’s. The students were put into groups that represented these peoples: Chinese, Irish, Germans, Scandinavians, and Italians. Working together the students learned about some of the more famous entrepreneurs such as Levi Strauss and Leland Stanford. The students enjoyed playing the Strike – It – Rich Game that tested their knowledge of mining and the California Gold Rush. Who won the most money? It was determined by the luck of the draw, very similar to the experiences of the Forty-niners. Our Junior Achievement Day ended all too soon, but Miss Lytle assured us that she will be back next year with another workshop to help us understand how our economy works. Thank you, Miss Lytle, and God Bless you from your future entrepreneurs.
Sr. Martha, CDS
Can you believe this weather? That’s the question the first grade meteorologists are asking themselves. During the month of April, they will be learning all about the weather. They will learn about temperature and how to read a thermometer. They will also learn about the Water Cycle and the processes of evaporation and condensation. They will create a Weather Booklet listing important information regarding our daily weather – the daily high temperature, the times of the sunrise and sunset, and what the overall daily weather was. Watch out, Tom Atkins, there are some new meteorologists in town!
Mrs. Norton
The students of Grade 4 have started learning how to play a new game. The game is called “Set”, and is a visual perception game based on attributes. The object is to find a “set” of three cards which satisfies the four attributes of Color, Shape, Number, and Shading on all three cards. Each of the four attributes must be all the same or all different on each card when looked at individually. The students did very well and were extremely excited learning how to play this game. Interested students and parents are encouraged to visit the following website where they can log in for a daily puzzle; there is also a “Set” board game called “Set Cubed”.
(www.setgame.com)
Mrs. Brennan
Grade 3 finished a special program designed for this age level called Life Skills Training. The topics we discussed were: self-esteem, decision-making, smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, stress, communication skills, social skills, and assertiveness using refusal skills. Through games, projects, and acting things out, the students learned skills that made them stronger people. Being a good friend and finding a good friend are hard if they don’t communicate their feelings. Now we also learned two ways to reduce stress with relaxation techniques. So when you see our classroom traffic light, remember to daily STOP-THINK-GO! The goal was to show them how to feel good about themselves in order to make healthy decisions for the rest of their lives.
Mrs. Case
