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WHAT’S NEW
April 2015
Issue 7
St. Bernard’s Elementary School News
Inspired by the motto,
“Deeds not Words,”
St. Bernard’s Elementary School
is committed to providing a
quality Catholic education
by teaching the Gospel values
of charity, responsibility,
dignity and respect in a
faith-centered community.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS
Pre-Kindergarten
2nd Grade
6th Grade
April brings showers and so much to do
in Pre-K. Our youngest Bernardians
are busy learning about Easter and the
promise of New Life. They are busy
planting seeds as they learn more about
plants and taking care of the Earth.
Learning about clocks and money is also
on their Pre-K agenda this month!
Second graders are learning about
our country’s government and how our
leaders are elected. Our 2nd graders are
also talking about how we work together
to solve problems in our community.
The love of great novels continues…
our 6th graders have embarked on
another beloved young adult novel,
“The Bridge to Terabithia.” Students
are also beginning their journey to
ancient Rome. Ask a 6th grader why
the phrase “Beware the Ides of March”
(March 15) was an important warning
for Julius Caesar.
Kindergarten
The kindergartners finally reached their
100th day of school! What a fun-filled day
for all… its amazing all that can be done
with “100.” Along with all this fun and
excitement, the children learned about
The Stations of the Cross. Our children
pray the Stations once a week during
Lent. We will continue to can keep the
balance between “fun & play” and
“learning & living.”
1st Grade
First grade has Spring Fever! In Science,
we are learning about weather and
seasons, and we’re having fun with some
projects and experiments that are helping
us explore the changes happening
outside. In Math, we are learning how
to tell time and we’re practicing on our
“mini” analog clocks. Time is definitely
“flying by” in our busy classroom!
3rd Grade
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Grade 3
finally has the mystery solved! What
does mealworm larva turn into? Our
third graders were careful and patient
observers from November 17 until
February 26. And what did our young
naturalists learn? They learned that
they are the proud conservators of…
beetles!! Now, they are busy writing
about their experience. As well, our 3 rd
graders are fully “into” multiplication in
Math.
4th Grade
Our 4th graders are becoming poets.
They are busy with Haiku poems in
preparation for writing their own books
of poetry in May.
5th Grade
Some very famous people have visited
Grade 5 recently. Each of our 5th graders
read about a notable person and then
presented what was learned. They were
educated by Ben Franklin, Tom Brady,
Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein—
just to name a few!
7th Grade
April is Poetry Month in seventh grade
English! 7th graders are diving into the
expressive art of poetry. We will be
creating Haiku, Limericks, Cinquains,
Quatrains, Tankas, Concrete and
Negative Poems. Look for some
selections in May!
8th Grade
The effect of the Presidencies of John
Adams and Thomas Jefferson on the
development of the United States has
been the subject of study in
U.S. History. 8th grade
Bernardian physicists
have been learning
the differences
between
acceleration,
velocity,
speed,
and
free fall.
Fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
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STB School News
April 2015
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS CONTINUED…
Art
“Butterfly,” by Shaylee Wells, was chosen as the Grade 2 work of art to be displayed
on the Massachusetts Youth Art Month Board at the National Art Education
Association’s Convention in New Orleans, LA from March 26–28.
The work of five STB artists is currently on display in the Transportation Building
in Boston until April 24th in celebration of Massachusetts Youth Art Month.
Our Federal Junior Duck Stamps entries are “winging” their way to Westboro, MA.
Thirteen students from Grades 2–8 were chosen to submit their work at the state level.
Window Adoptions
Playground News
STB parents—and a donor who made up
the difference—have adopted the
windows in Grades 1, 2 & 3. The windows
have been measured and shades are on
the way. Installation should be complete
in mid-April… just before the warm
weather begins! Did you miss out on
adopting a window? More windows will be
available next year!
Our Playground Fund is currently very
close to $10,000—we are halfway to our
goal of $20,000! Many thanks to our
friends in the parish who have been so
generous to our children at STB! Look for
updates! There’s more to come!
SPORTS, CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
Basketball
Congratulations to the STB
7th & 8th grade girls’ basketball
team! The girls competed in the
2015 Worcester Diocese CYO
Tournament and went
undefeated— winning the
tournament for the first time in
5 years! Their win earned them
a spot in the New England CYO,
hosted by St. Leo’s of
Leominster, on March 27th &
28th. During which, they
advanced to the semi-final game
where they lost by six points in a hard-fought battle against St. James from
Connecticut. The girls finished the CYO tournaments with five wins and one loss.
An outstanding accomplishment for our Bernardian athletes!
Student Council
The Student Council—busy as always—sponsored the “Wearing of the Green”
drive on St. Patrick’s Day. Students from K–8 donated a pair of new socks and
a can of soup for the privilege of being out of uniform and into green! Donations
supported the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Council also held a
St. Patrick’s themed raffle at lunch with proceeds going to support the Drama
Club’s new stage. It was a great day, and all did a great job!
Mission Assembly
On March 20, our 6th, 7th and 8th graders attended a Mission Assembly hosted at
STB HS. Sr. Pauline Chirchrillo, Director of the Office of the Propagation of the
Faith for the Archdiocese of New York, and two Sisters of the Presentation from
India spoke to our students and underclassmen at the high school about their work
in the missions in the 21st century.
COMING EVENTS!
Wine & Beer Tasting
Saturday, April 11
7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Wachusett Mountain Ski Lodge
Tastings from Wente Family Estates,
Wachusett Brewery, and Berkshire
Brewery, as well as several local
restaurants. Gather with friends to
enjoy live music, tastings, and
door prizes. Proceeds benefit
St. Bernard’s Elementary
and High School.
Tickets at the door are $30 single,
$45 per couple.
Disney’s High School
Musical Junior
Saturday, April 11
2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
The Drama Club will be performing
this year’s musical on stage at
St. Bernard’s Elementary School.
Tickets are $6.00 for adults and $4.00
for senior citizens. Students are free.
Science Fair has returned
to STB!
Wednesday, April 15
6:00 PM
The 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be
presenting their science fair projects.
Color-A-Thon
Friday, April 17
9:30 AM
Come cheer on our students’ during
this fun-filled and colorful run/walk at
the Bernardian Bowl.
SAVE THE DATE!
Steve Wronkers’ Funny Business
Hypnotist Show
Saturday, May 16
7:00 PM
Monty Tech
This exciting show with magic, music,
comedy, sight gags and lots of
audience participation is for all ages,
kids and adults alike!
Come join the fun!
Be sure to look for the next WHAT’S NEW monthly insert on the first Sunday of every month!