St. Michael’s School
Alumknight News
November
St. Michael’s 2014-15 School Year
Special points of interest:
 Overview of the 2014-15
school year
 Marathon Review
 Pastor’s Corner
Inside this issue:
Kindergarten News
2
1st/2nd Grade News
2
3rd/4th Grade News
3
5th/6th Grade News
3
Preschool News
3
Marathon 2014
4
Pastor’s Corner
8
St. Michael’s 201415 school year is going
great so far. The students
are into their routines and
seem to enjoy being back in
school this year. It is hard
to believe as we write this
newsletter we are also
working on wrapping up
the first quarter of school.
The students are even commenting on how quickly the
time is going by.
A few changes
have occurred in the administration this year. Mrs.
Fischer has completed all
the
requirements
of
MNSAA by acquiring her
Master’s degree and is now
the official principal. Mrs.
Fischer also took on the
principal role at St. Raphael’s School in Springfield.
Therefore, she is considered
half-time at St. Michael’s.
Due to Mrs. Fischer being
half-time, Mrs. Hoffmann
is acting as Lead Teacher.
Mrs. Hoffmann will be
making sure things are going well while Mrs. Fischer
is not in the building. Having a half-time principal is
a big change, but things are
going great so far.
There are three new
staff members at school
this year. Mr. Alex Wannigman is our new fifth and
sixth grade teacher. Alex is
originally from Rice, MN
and attended SMSU where
he graduated in 2013. He
spent last year substitute
teaching and is counting
his blessings with the
opportunity to teach full
time at St. Michael’s.
Rondi Kodet and
Theresa Hacker have
been hired as our new
cooks this year. We were
fortunate enough to have
them help out at the end
of the year last year, and
they decided to continue
to cook this year. Rondi
and Theresa both have
children attending St.
Michael’s and we are
very gracious that they
chose to return.
We are also
thankful to have the following staff members
returning for the 2014-15
school year: Mrs. Jennifer Fischer (Principal),
Ms. Laura Heiling (PreSchool and Kindergarten), Mrs. Karri Hoffmann (First and Second
Grade), Ms. Ashley
Meyer (Third and Fourth
Grade), Ms. Rita Gewerth (Secretary), Mrs.
MaryKate Larsen (PreSchool and Teacher’s
Aide), Bob Gewerth
(Custodian), and Mrs.
Ruth Hacker (Library).
We have a great staff and
feel truly blessed.
We did do a few
things to our building
once again this summer.
First of all, the girls and
boys upstairs bathrooms
had new stalls and sinks put
in. Also, all four bathrooms
had new mirrors put in.
Another big project was our
cafeteria. We replaced the
floor, painted the ceiling,
and purchased new tables.
It looks like a brand new
room and a special thank
you to everyone that helped
make these projects so successful!
We have a new
theme this year, which is
“Jesus is Our Treasure!”
Fr. Johanneck did a great
job of explaining why our
theme is so important during his homily at the opening school Mass. He explained to the students that
we would do anything to
find treasure. Some people
even risk their lives to find
treasure. Jesus is our treasure and we are also willing
to do whatever it takes to be
with Jesus. Jesus is truly
our treasure and we will do
anything we need to in order to be with Him in heaven.
We hope you enjoy
this fall edition of our
Alumknight and we hope to
see many of you at our upcoming events this year.
May God Bless You and
you all have a great rest of
the year!
The Kindergarten classroom has been a
busy place this year! To celebrate the Fall season,
the kindergarteners got to decorate mini pumpkins
and paint a huge pumpkin that they named
“Giant”. In reading, we have been learning color
words and making our own books as a class. They
are fun to read together and we get to see the illustrations drawn by everyone in the class. In math,
we have been learning about different kinds of patterns, how to sort and classify objects, and have
recently started talking about how to read, write,
and make numbers. We have been learning so
Ms. Heiling and the kindergarten stumuch this year and look forward to all the fun
dents. Abby Ruhr, April Hacker, Grace
ahead as Kindergarten continues.
Hamre, and Eli Christensen.
Ms. Heiling
Another fabulous year is happening in first and second grade!
The students have been great listeners, working hard on their school
work, and enriching their faith. I am still using Guided Reading in our
classroom and now the kindergarten students have joined us. This is a
great time for the students to read and comprehend at a level that is a
“good fit”. This year we have had an Estimation Jar in our classroom.
Each week a student brings home the jar and puts something in it for us
to estimate! We have had some delicious candies, rocks, cereal, and
much more! The students have really improved in the concept of estimation. We have been fortunate to have Father Andy come in and visit us.
He has been a great help in preparing our second graders for First Reconciliation and First Communion. The second graders have been focusing
on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are learning about the Ten Commandments. They have enjoyed learning about the different commandments and discussing why each commandment is important. Please pray
for them as they continue preparing for their First Reconciliation and
First Communion. Happy fall to all of you!
Mrs. Hoffmann
Mrs. Hoffmann and her first and second
graders. Hank Heiling, Ian Green, Savannah Guza, Ryder Kodet, Wyatt Gewerth,
Jaylyn Welter, Sophie Kodet, Blake
Schueller, Noah Christensen, and Ben Rossow.
Hello from 5th and 6th grade! My name is Mr. Wannigman and I am the new teacher here at St.
Michaels. We have been having such a fantastic year while we have been learning and getting to know each other better. I am excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for us and the many adventures we will go on
together.
This year we have been focusing on learning new math concepts such as tackling algebra and overall,
trying to embrace each day to make sure it is a meaningful one. In religion and reading, we have been discussing the topic of courage both in stories and our everyday lives. Our goal for this year is to develop a stronger
feeling of faith in our relationship through Christ and to be proud to call ourselves Catholic so we can use that
skill later in life when our faith will/may be challenged.
Ms. Meyer with the third and fourth graders. Shantell
Bennett, Skylar Meyer, Kenadi Heiling, Tyler Johanneck,
Aubrey Ruhr, Abbie Hacker, Teresa Larsen, Lauren Welter, and Jakob Kodet.
Mr. Wannigman with the fifth and sixth graders. Laura
Rossow, Blake Arnold, Kailee Larsen, Aaron Johanneck,
Matthew Zeug, Maryanne Larsen, Madison Heiling, Macie
Kodet, and Michael Tauer.
The 3rd and 4th grade have been working on different ways to apply our skills. They have been creating their own
large maps using a variety of methods. They also have been learning how to separate animals into vertebrates and
invertebrates. The kids are learning new techniques to add, subtract, and multiply. They are getting crafty in Religion
while learning about the Mysteries of the Rosary, in particular the Last Supper. All are excited to learn Halloween
songs to sing to those at Gil-Mor and beginning their Christmas concert. It’s nonstop energy in 3rd and 4th grade and
we love it!
This year in preschool we have been having lots of fun! There
are eight students in our preschool class this year. We have
been working on learning the beginning letters of the alphabet. We have been making them in paint bags, in shaving
cream, and with clay and play dough. We have also been
making art projects to go with each letter. While working on
the letter Aa we also peeled apples and made homemade applesauce with the K-2nd grade students. Another thing we
have been learning is the names of different shapes. In religion, we have learned about how God made each of us special
and gave us ears to hear, eyes to see, mouths to taste, noses
to smell, and hands to touch. It has been a fun year so far and Mrs. Heiling and Mrs. Larsen with the preschoolers.
we are looking forward to all that we are going to learn in the Audra Hoffmann, Isaac Christensen, Jack Scharfencamp, Stan Heiling, Macie Green, Jayce Gewerth,
months to come!
Clayton Dauer, and Eli Hoffmann.
St. Michael’s School is proud to be a part of
comprehensive education from preschool to sixth g
Quality Education
St. Michael’s School challenges students to develop
knowledge, skills and work habits to excel.
†
Fully accredited by the Minnesota
Nonpublic School Association
It was another great year for our Marathon! We
set a goal of $10,000 and we exceeded that goal! We ended with a total of $11,950.34. We are very proud of how
great the students did.
To help keep the excitement of Marathon going
we had a special gathering each week. On Thursdays we
would gather and watch one grade perform some sort of
skit or cheer. After the performance was over the top
three pledge earners of the week participated in a challenge. They were able to challenge the teachers in different games. They had a blast going against the teachers
and the spectators were just as excited as the participants. We also had dress up days the week leading to
Marathon, which are always popular. Pajama day was
definitely the favorite.
To finish Marathon, the top six students with the
most pledge money were involved in an activity. They
picked a teacher and a number. The number had an activity and the teacher had to do that activity. The students and activities were:
- April chose Ms. Meyer to eat Jell-O like a chicken
- Lauren and Mrs. Larsen did a blind-folded cup
stacking challenge with Mrs. Larsen only able
to use her left hand
- Madison was able to smear a shaving cream pie
in Mr. Wannigman's face
- Abbie received one minute to do Mrs. Fischer's
makeup and hair
- Kenadi made a mixture of noodles, jello, and
mayo for Ms. Heiling to do the mystery hand
dunk
- Wyatt made Mrs. Hoffmann a peanut butter,
cheese, mustard, and pickle relish sandwich
that she had to eat
The actual Marathon event was held on Saturday, October 4th. It was a bit chilly, but we had a great
turnout. The KC’s were kind enough to lead the first lap
and provide snacks. We are thankful to everyone that
made this year’s Marathon a great success. Your support
is greatly appreciated!
†
Low student to teacher ratio
†
Parents as partners in education
†
All teachers pursuing continuing
education
†
Continually updating curriculum
†
New computer lab
†
Computer curriculum for K-6
†
3 and 4 year old full day preschool program
†
All-day kindergarten
†
Band for 3rd—6th grade
†
Educational field trips
†
Recess, health, and physical education curriculum to increase fitness, improve attitude, and
improve learning.
†
Little Knights Program for our toddlers.
f the tradition of Catholic Education that has served the Morgan Community for over 100 years. St. Michael’s offers a
grade addressing the intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, and creative needs of each child.
Catholic Identity
We strive to realize the fourfold purpose of a Catholic education—message, worship, community and service.
Nurturing Environment
†
Caring faculty and staff
†
Celebrate weekly Masses
†
Family-oriented atmosphere
†
Daily Religion instruction
†
Clean and well maintained facilities
†
Visits and instruction by the priest
†
Excellent communication with parents
†
Confessions and Adoration
†
Strong community involvement
†
A weekly Advent Prayer Service
†
Welcoming atmosphere
†
Stations of the Cross and weekly skits during Lent
†
Celebration of First Reconciliation and First Communion for the 2nd grade
†
Class and school service projects
†
Daily prayer including a special Friday “Our Father”
for special intentions
†
Bishop LeVoir celebrating Mass and visiting our
classrooms during CSW
†
Being of service by singing at the nursing home and
the Senior Citizen Center
†
Jump Rope for Heart, Pennies for Patience, and donating items to We Care.
St. Michael’s kindergarten through sixth grade students
with Bishop LeVoir.
This year we had four winners during our Marathon. Abbie and April Hacker tied for most money.
Michael Tauer is the winner of the most laps done
on the day of Marathon. Madison Heiling is the winner for most pledges. Congratulations!
Right: During Marathon, each class
takes turns performing a skit for the
school. The fifth and sixth graders did a
skit about a treasure hunt. Here they
are performing a scene from their skit.
As part of their reward, the top pledge earners had the opportunity to do an activity with a teacher. Here, Ms. Heiling had to put her hand in a mixture of items while blindfolded. Kenadi Heiling was able to choose what items to go
in there. By the look on Ms. Heiling’s face, it was an interesting feeling.
This summer we had a float in the Catfish
Day’s Parade. Ms. Meyer organized the
float and we had St. Michael’s students ride
and throw out candy. They really enjoyed
being in the parade!
For Johnny Appleseed’s birthday, the preschool through
second graders made homemade applesauce and Johnny
Appleseed hats. The above
photo is peeling the apples
and the picture to the side is
the students making their
hats.
Each week of Marathon, the top three pledge earners challenged a
teacher in the activity of the week. In this activity, the student and
teacher are “walking the plank.” The students were excellent at the
challenges and often defeated the teachers. Great job!
Bus Safety!
The kindergarten class decorated small pumpkins this
fall. They really enjoyed themselves.
For Fire Safety Week the PreK-2 went to the
fire hall. While there they posed for this picture with a few of the Morgan Firemen.
ST. MICHAEL’S SCHOOL
612 W 3rd St.
PO Box 459
Morgan MN 56266
Phone: 507-249-3192
Fax: 507-249-2557
e-mail: [email protected]
The Mission of St. Michael’s School is to
pass on the Catholic faith in the context of
a quality education and a nurturing
environment.
We’re on the web!
stmichaelsmorgan.com
Pastor’s Corner
Greetings Alumni and Friends of St.
Michael’s,
It’s hard to believe that we are
already nearly two months into the
school year! It seems like it wasn’t all
that long ago that we were all wrapping up our summer vacations and
activities and buying school supplies.
But here we are!
The school year is off to a good
start. We have a new teacher this
year. Alex Wannigman was hired to
teach fifth and sixth grade. He’s a
great addition to our faculty. Welcome, Alex!
The students did a great job with
the marathon, exceeding their goal
once again! We’re very grateful to the
students and to their families for all
they did to make the marathon a success.
We’re very blessed at our Catholic
school to be able to have our faith be
at the center of all we do. Academics
and extracurricular activities are all
very important. But what a gift it is
that we are also able to pray together
and to talk about our love for Jesus
Christ.
We’re also blessed to be able to
celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass as a school every Thursday.
The Church tells us that the Mass
and the celebration of the Eucharist is
the source and summit of our lives as
Catholics. Worshipping God on Sundays and holy days during the Holy
Mass is the most important thing that
any of us does during the week. At
the Mass we offer all of our joys and
sorrows; our works and prayers to
God the Father in union with His Son,
Jesus Christ, who gave everything for
us on the Cross. His sacrifice on the
Cross on Calvary 2,000 years ago is
perpetuated and truly made present
at every celebration of the Mass. If
Catholics really understood what happens at Mass and Who we receive, we
wouldn’t be able to keep people away!
As individuals and as families we
need to continue to make Mass a priority. This year’s theme is “Jesus is
our treasure.” This is taken from the
parable of the treasure buried in the
field found in Matthew 13:44. The
parable reads, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that
he has and buys that field.” We show
Jesus that He is truly our treasure by
setting aside the Lord’s Day as a day
of rest, prayer, and worship.
Everything we have is a gift from
God. Only God can satisfy us and
make us happy. I pray that this
school year will be one in which the
students, faculty, staff, families,
alumni and friends of St. Michael’s
put Jesus ever more at the center of
their lives and more and more make
Him their one, true treasure.
May God bless you!
Fr. Aaron Johanneck