St. Alphonsus Saint Patrick School - 2018-19 School News-网上赌博网站十大排行

2018-19 School News

On Friday, May 24, our eighth graders graduated during a tradition filled Graduation Mass and commencement ceremony at St. Patrick Church. This culminated the activities that allow us to bid a fitting and fond farewell to these students who have spent many years at St. Al/St. Pats. They have evolved into fine young men and women and we are all very proud of them. We are confident that they will continue to succeed in their chosen high schools and that every one of them will continue to live the Celtic Mission. Best wishes to all of our fine graduates!

Final All School Liturgy and Farewell to the Class of 2019

At St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School, we have high regard and much fondness for our eighth grade graduates, some of whom have been with our school community for 10 years! It is hard to say good-bye to these wonderful students that we have known for so long! Yet, we find many ways to bid them farewell and Godspeed as they leave us to go on to high school and eventually to change the world for the better.

On Friday, May 17, our school community bid our first farewell to our graduating class of 2019. During a beautiful liturgy orchestrated by the seventh grade class, the eighth grade students received our blessings and good wishes for their futures.

Kindergarten Mother's Day Tea

On Thursday, May 9, our Kindergarten students hosted a lovely tea for their moms. With the help of their teacher, Mrs. Fleming, they created lovely placemats and gifts, performed specially prepared entertainment, and served their moms treats. This very special tribute to the moms of some of our youngest students is always a lovely highlight of our school’s many May events.

First Holy Communion and May Crowning 2019

On Saturday, April 27, our second grade students from St. Alphonsus parish received their First Holy Communion and then on the following Saturday, May 4, our students from St. Patrick parish came to the table of the Lord for the first time. Having been well prepared for the sacrament by their second grade teacher, Mrs. Teri Lerch, by their parents, and by their participation at our school and parish liturgies, the students approached the table of the Lord with both anticipation and reverence. The children helped to orchestrate the Masses and sang a special song with joy.

Then on May 10, the second graders hosted the May Crowning Mass for our school community. This marked the first time these children were able to receive the Eucharist during school Mass. The liturgy also honored our Mother Mary with flowers and crown to show our constant devotion to the holiest of mothers. The prayerful expressions you will see in the photographs here give witness to how special these days were for our second grade students and their families. It is our prayer as a school community that their faith will continue to grow.

Fun Day and Walk a Thon 2019

The students of St. Alphonsus-St. Patrick School help to raise funds in many ways. One of the time honored traditions in this regard is the annual Walk-a-thon. During the last few years, the walking has been alternated with fun stations in the gym.The children enjoy both events and are happy to participate in this fun fund raising!

Chick Hatch 2019

The dedicated “mother hens” in Mrs. Gottardo’s first grade classroom were thrilled to welcome 18 baby chicks into the world this spring. Beginning on Monday, April 29, the chicks began to peck their way out of the shells that were carefully tended for 21 days.

The children will continue to observe the chick growth and development for another week or so. The whole school gets excited about watching this miracle of life. Science is very thrilling when it happens before your eyes!

Visit to Argonne National Laboratory

Our junior high students were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Argonne National Laboratory on April 30. This fascinating facility gave our students the chance to see science in action in the real world. While there, the students also attended a workshop where they built Lego mindstorm robots and coded them to navigate a track. By the end of the experience our students ended up with the top scores of all schools who have attended this workshop!

First Grade Students Dramatize "Tikki Tikki Tembo"

Earlier this year, the first grade students were treated to a dramatic reading of the story, Tikki Tikki Tembo as retold by Arlene Mosel. The children loved the story Mrs. Alvestad read to them, so for their dramatic presentation this year they acted out the story with action and song and dialogue. You can view the enthusiastic performance via the video below. Mrs. Gottardo, the first grade teacher, indicated that the students came up with all of the motions and actions themselves. We definitely have some budding thespians in our first grade class!

Holy Week and the Last Supper Play 2019

During Holy Week, the students of St. Alphonsus-St. Patrick School are blessed to be able to participate in traditional presentations that help them recall the passion and death of Jesus. This moving reenactment set the tone for entry into the Triduum. On Holy Thursday, the first day of the Triduum, the fifth grade students, with a little help from some seventh grade friends, performed a very thought provoking and moving re-enactment of the Last Supper. Their presentation was inspired by the famous fifteenth century Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci.Their fellow students in Kindergarten through grade 4 came to witness the dramatization/prayer service along with many other guests. Also on Holy Thursday, the students in grades 6 through 8 participated in a Seder Meal prayer service. All of these experiences helped our students live out memories that are central to our Catholic faith. The video and pictures here highlight these prayer-filled Holy Week events.

The Stations of the Cross by the Class of 2019

Each year, the eighth grade class relives the Passion of Christ for the school community by presenting a special reenactment of the Stations of the Cross. Directed by their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Eileen Bruno, and using a scrim, shadow, music and script, the eighth graders present a moving rendition of the Stations of the Cross. This year, the meditations on the scriptural Stations of the Cross helped us recall that Jesus did this for us and was entitled "I did this just for you....". The meditations gave the audience so much to think about and reflect upon, and the pictures painted with shadows give life to this story that is so central to our faith. The dramatization was a reverent way to usher in Holy Week. Relive the performance as you view the videos and pictures.

Confirmation 2019

Our eighth grade students recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Alphonsus Church and at St. Patrick Church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit filled our eighth grade leaders as they participated in this rite of initiation. It is our prayer as a community that the Holy Spirit will forever guide these young people.

During the weeks preceding the ceremony, the students continued many preparation steps and also created a collaborative website to share with the whole school community information about the Saint models they chose for inspiration. You can view their work here: Confirmation Saints by the Class of 2019.

Ribbon Mass 2019

On Friday, February 22, our eighth grade students received their class ribbons during a special Mass and ceremony that was a celebration of friendship, accomplishment, and call to further service. Witnessed by the entire school community as well as their families and friends, the members of the class of 2019 proudly accepted the green and white class ribbons from the faculty members that have been their Confirmation mentors this year. They accepted the ribbons as a symbol of honor, fellowship and leadership. To paraphrase Mrs. Bruno, their homeroom teacher,

…we give each member of the Class of 2018 a special ribbon to …to adorn them, to signify their giftedness, to tie them to memories of loved ones that have helped them reach this point in their lives, to symbolize their courage as disciples of Christ, to show their solidarity with our school, and to honor them for their academic victories…..

Keenly aware of the example that they provide to our younger students, the eighth graders will wear the ribbons with pride as they continue to demonstrate the character, kindness and courage that distinguish our St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School graduates.

Science Fair 2018-19

On Thursday, January 24, many weeks of preparation culminated in the school Science Fair for our seventh and eighth grade students. Under the guidance of St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School junior high science teacher, Mrs. O’Hara, the students develop a hypothesis, design an experiment to test their hypothesis, conduct the experiment and analyze the results. A written report that includes a review of the literature about other similar studies accompanies the displays that are presented by the students at the science fair. Pairs of judges rate the student’s work and the scores are averaged and tallied to determine who will represent our school at the regional science fair. The science experiments were quite varied this year and showed excellent application of the scientific method. There were experiments that involved behavioral science, chemistry, physics, consumer science, botany, material science, food science and more! The critical thinking and problem solving fostered by the science fair are very important skills that students need to have in their toolbox for life.

This year, the Science Fair top honors went to the following projects:

The first place project belonged to seventh graders Drea S. and Sophia F. for their endeavor to find out “What Makes Ice Melt the Fastest”.

Second place was awarded to Madie S. from seventh grade. She studied , “Does the Color of Light Affect Plant’s Growth?”

Third place was a tie! The two projects finishing with exactly the same third place score were done by two other seventh grade students and included: Lia A.’s project entitled, “Does Participating During Class Improve Your Memory Retention?”, and Max S.’s project that asked the question, “Does Music Affect Math?”

Fourth place was awarded to eighth grader Nick B. for his project, “Jittery or Sweet: What Will Make You Think?”

There were also two Honorable Mention awards given to Lucian Z. and Brenden M. for their project that examined, “How Does Temperature Affect a Tennis Ball?” and to Danny D. and Jackson O. for their examination of , “Does Adding Substances to Water Affect Its Freezing Point?”

All of these Science Fair winners will go on to represent St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School at the Regional Science Fair on March 9th at North Central College. Note: Four of our young scientists received Outstanding ratings at the regional competition and will be headed downstate to the State of Illinois Science Fair at Southern Illinois University. Another pair also received an outstanding and are alternates for that competition.

In addition to the awards for the Science experiments themselves, Mrs. Bruno also evaluated the display boards as effective communication tools. She applied the Illinois State standard goals and objectives for “Communicating”. The standards explain how students are to “express and interpret information and ideas.” Based upon elements of the goals and standards, the Science Fair boards are considered a valid and vital piece of communication. They were assessed as to their effectiveness in communicating scientific findings in an appealing and conventional manner. One pair of students was chosen to receive a special certificate for the excellence in this endeavor this year: seventh graders Ella M. and Izzy C. for their outstanding display entitled “Is Black Ink Really Black?”.

Celebrating Catholic Education

Each year in late January, we take time to highlight some of the wonderful features of Catholic Schools in general and to celebrate the extraordinary qualities of St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School specifically. The theme of Catholic Schools Week expressed the mantra that Catholic Schools are committed to helping students Learn, Serve, Lead and Succeed. It is always our goal here at St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School to hold our students and teachers to the highest standards of academic excellence. While academics are the key essential, we also find ways to practice our Faith and to be of service every day. Added into that mix are ways to make learning fun.

The week’s festivities began with Open House on Sunday. Our classrooms and all of our extracurricular activities and athletic teams were on display along with a Book Fair, a spectacular Art Fair and an amazing array of Science Fair projects by our seventh and eighth grade students.

Our commitment to service was clearly evident as our National Junior Honor Society members sponsored the Souper Bowl of Caring and our Student Council encouraged everyone to be a hero and support the Pennies for Patients drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Other activities during the week included a Panel of Professionals who came to speak to our students about their discernment in following God's plans for their lives, the power of prayer and how it has guided them to their current professions. The speakers also highlighted the ways that they live out the works of mercy. On the day we featured hope for our Nation the whole school participated in a My Country Quiz of Thee quiz game. During the celebration we find time to appreciate our students and our teachers, we celebrate a special Catholic Schools Week Liturgy and end the week with a fun afternoon of bingo. We celebrate our school and the Catholic faith that sustains us.

Catholic Schools Week Open House

Catholic Schools Week Panel of Professionals

My Country Quiz of Thee Game Fun

Friday Afternoon Bingo!

Eighth Grade Masterpiece Paintings

Each year, Mrs. Parry, our Fine Arts teacher, guides the eighth grade students on a journey that culminates in a piece of artwork. Like the masterpieces that these student creations emulate, the paintings require several stages and take quite some time to reach their framed display state during Catholic Schools Week. As the students work on the art, they are also journaling and writing a poem inspired by their painting in their language arts classes with Mrs. Bruno, and applying math skills as they maintain the proportions of their painting on their canvas. Along the way they also employ technology to help with research and to communicate about their overall experience. This amazing learning experience teaches the students about art, about perseverance, about what it really takes to create a masterpiece on canvas that lives on long after the artist, and finally, about themselves and what they are capable of doing.

Pictured below are the finished masterpiece paintings. If you click on a painting, you will be taken to a technology application that the students used to record some information about the original painting and its artist and a bit about the journey that it took for them to recreate the painting.

Masterpiece Paintings with Links to Student Recordings about the Creation Journey

Spelling Bee 2019

In preparation for the South Cook Regional Spelling Competition, twenty four of the best spellers of St. Alphonsus-St. Patrick School participated in our school spelling bee on Wednesday, January 23. Cheered on by their classmates, the students from grades 4-8 who won their classroom competitions did their best to spell some very challenging words in the all school Spelling Bee! Participants from Grade 4 included Ethan Nathan M., Sophia, Ana, and Haley. The fifth grade spellers were Olivia, Talia, Josie, Nina and Gabrielle. From sixth grade, the challengers were Claire, Cianna, Lance, Jacob, and Aidan. The seventh grade super spellers included Drea, Tess, Maia, Max, and Matthew. Eighth grade competitors were Michael, Sophia, Jackie and Eileen.

Every one of these students showed poise and spelling prowess as they stepped up to the microphone to spell a number of very difficult words.

The third place finishers were Drea S. and Max S. from the seventh grade. Seventh grader Maia S. came in second place after some fast paced rounds with the final bee champion, Tess O. also from grade seven. Tess came in second place in last year’s school spelling bee so she was ready to take the championship this year and won with the final word “cologne”. Tess will represent our school at the regional spelling bee on February 11. Our wishes for her success go with her to that competition.

Christmas Band Concert

Our school community was happy to have the opportunity to hear a lively Christmas Band Concert performed by St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School band members in concert with students from St. Cyril and Methodius and from St. Germaine School. The tri-school band is directed by Mr. Patrick Mooney.

Christmas Choral Concert 2018

On Wednesday, December 12, the children in Kindergarten through the fourth grade and the Liturgical Choir presented a Christmas choral concert for their parents and friends. Under the direction of Mr. Joe Martorano, the students sang a program of Advent and Christmas music designed to highlight the true meaning of the Christmas season and also treated their audience to many lighthearted familiar Christmas songs. The lovely melodies and significant lyrics helped add meaning to our Advent of waiting for the Christ child. The musical talents of our students helped to spread joy and the Christmas spirit.

The video included here showcases some photos from the concert and includes a videotape of the entire concert itself. It is downloadable from the Vimeo site should you wish to have copy of it…just click on the Vimeo link at the bottom of the video window.

Patriot's Pen Essay Contest Winners

Six of our St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School junior high students received the Patriot's Pen Award from the Lemont VFW Post #5819. The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay. This year the students expressed their views based on the theme "Why I Honor the American Flag."

Individual award recipients included sixth graders Claire and Jacob, seventh graders Lia and Madie, and eighth graders Nick B., and Jacquelyn. Each of these students received a certificate and a $100 gift. Jacquelyn's essay was selected to move on to the Regional competition. Mr. Priest also accepted an award for our school in appreciation of our support of the Patriots Pen essay contest.

Fifth Grade Biography PhotoStory Documentaries

One of the fall book reports in the fifth grade was a collaborative journey between technology class and English/Language Arts. The students selected a historical figure that has made a positive difference in our world. They read a book about their subject, did digital research in the computer lab, took notes, and then wrote a script to facilitate their culminating project.....a video documentary composed with the PhotoStory program. Their work and their reflections about it have been gathered onto a website for sharing to a wider audience. The presentations can be accessed here: http://sites.google.com/esr990.com/historicalfiguresgr5-2018/home.

#CelticsExcel! The St. Al/St. Pat Fall Academic Team

The St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick Academic Team, under the direction of Ms. Burke, had a very successful Fall academic competition season! The team brought home so many team and individual awards and honors from competitions, we had to install new shelves to hold all the trophies and plaques! Among the many adulations were two first place team honors at both Providence and Benet Academy. These hard working students consistently bring honor to themselves and to our school.

Providence Catholic Academic Bowl

Montini Math Competition

Nazareth Scholastic Bowl

Benet Academy Academic Competition

Drama Club 2018 Presentation: Flapper!

On Friday, November 2, the St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School Drama Club and Stage Crew, along with Lucky Star Productions, performed to a packed house. They presented a wonderful musical play that transported their audience back to the Roaring 20’s and the Flapper era. The student performers and their director, Mrs. Margie Novotny, along with many helpful parent volunteers and Mrs. Terri Riordan, worked very hard to hone their thespian skills and musical song and dance routines. Mr. Mike Bruno also worked with the stage crew to create the sets and backdrops for the play’s action. All of that hard work culminated in an outstanding performance filled with lively song and dance routines, lots of plot action, and plenty of humorous twists and turns. The play received rave reviews from those in attendance. Everyone enjoyed seeing the play on a real stage, the thanks to the School Sisters of St Francis of Christ the King for allowing us to use their facility.

This charming musical drama was hugely successful thanks to the dedicated sponsors, the hardworking student performers, and the many supporting parents and staff members who helped with arranging all of the other necessary components of the play. The entire school community took delight in watching “our kids” work musical magic on stage as the story unfolded. Everyone, actors and audience alike, look forward to future performances by our drama club members!

Fourth Grade Biography Studies

During the month of October, the monthly book report that the students do for Mrs. Cunningham is very special. The students each research a famous personality that has had an impact upon our world. They read a book about their person and created a "Bottle Buddy" replica of their subject. The students also did digital research with Mrs. Yakes in the Computer Lab, and then they produced a PowerPoint to support their oral presentation about their famous personality. On Halloween, the students came dressed up like the historical figure they were reporting about and shared their information with their classmates. This English Language Arts / STREAM* project is a favorite in the school as everyone tries to figure out who is who! Can you figure out who these students represent as you look at these pictures?

STREAM= Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics

Saints Among Us

On Friday, October 26, the gymnasium underwent a miraculous transformation and became a reverent worship space just as it does for our all school liturgies. This time, however, it became a hallowed hall of holy saints.

Under the direction of Mrs. Bruno, the eighth grade teacher, each eighth grader dressed up to represent their chosen Confirmation Saint and posed beside a stained glass window backdrop that they had created. The “stained glass windows” were filled with rich symbolism important to their Saint’s story. Complete with candle light and hushed voices, the setting became a very holy place and a spectacular way to honor the upcoming All Saints Day. The younger grades and other visitors were welcomed in, and, after an introductory Litany of the Saints, they gathered in small groups at each Saint to hear the story of their life. Young children and visiting adults alike listened with rapt attention as the eighth grade Saints revealed details about the faith and life of the inspiring person they represented. As the young students left the museum, they were able to choose a prayer card that the eighth graders had made to remind others of their Saint.

This experience really helped make the Saints come alive not only for the eighth grade Confirmandi, but for our whole school community. We are so fortunate to be able to provide these experiences both for those creating them and for those praying with them. Later this year, the students will create webpages about their Saint that they will also be able to share. When our faith life is woven in such a beautiful way with our other learning, we recognize and feel our Catholic identity deeply. Great job eighth grade leaders!

Grandparent and Special Person Day 2018

On Friday, October 19, the halls of St. Alphonsus / St. Patrick School were filled with love and caring as many grandparents and persons special to our students came to visit and share the morning. The day began with a beautiful liturgy officiated by Father Kurt with the help of our sixth grade students. The 6th graders set the tone for the day with heartfelt words that expressed how special a grandparent’s love is to us. Other readings and pertinent comments by Mr. Tom Culcasi, also known as Papa Tom to the children, added to the ceremony. Mr. Culcasi shared a special perspective since he has been associated with our school for many years, first as a parent himself and now as a member of our school board and frequent volunteer here. All of our special guests had the opportunity to visit the classrooms with their grandchildren and to enjoy a reception in their honor. It is apparent that our students are very much loved and supported by their families and extended families. Enjoy viewing a video montage and some photos from the day……

National Junior Honor Society Induction 2018

On Friday, September 21, the St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society inducted three new members. Our Principal, Mr. Priest and the NJHS advisors, Mrs. Teri Lerch and Mrs. Denise Cunningham, along with the current members, welcomed the new inductees in a formal ceremony that celebrated the qualities that are the hallmarks of the society. Student members resolved to carry out the five pillars of Character, Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Citizenship. The new inductees included seventh graders Lia A., Jeremy D., Sophia F., Grace G., Tess O., Jackson O., Matthew O., and Anne P. They were ushered into the NJHS by our existing eighth grade members Caleb B. and Jacquelyn Kroll. We are very proud of these hard-working students and know that they will accept the responsibilities that come with having talents.

True to the mandate given to these young people during their induction, our NJHS students strive to be "servant leaders". NJHS members work throughout the year to foster the touchstones of NJHS by sponsoring projects that benefit the community, our parishes, and St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School. The keynote speaker during the ceremony was Mrs. Terri O’Neill-Borders from the Lemont Hope & Friendship Foundation. She related the mandate of the National Junior Honor Society to the directive from Jesus that we provide help and kindness to other human beings. Ms. O’Neill-Borders concluded her address with an assignment to the NJHS members……she had been given 10 beautiful handmade quilts with a request that they be given to persons who would benefit from them as a sign of care and love. The NJHS students are charged with helping to find those ten individuals. We are confident that these exemplary students will take this and other tributes to the pillars of NJHS seriously.

Back to School Family Barbeque Party!

Our beautiful campus allows us to host many special events. On Friday, September 21, our teachers and staff hosted a Family BBQ Night. Guests were able to enjoy an open gym, a bouncy house, face painting, our terrific playground, and a movie in our new outdoor classroom. The teachers prepared bratwurst and hotdogs for all of our families. It seemed like both hosts and guests all had a wonderful time!

Faith to Move Mountains.....Sixth Grade Mass September 14, 2018

Each month our school will be highlighting a Catholic Virtue. The month of September's virtue focus is FAITH. Our sixth grade class got us started with thinking more deeply about this virtue with the Mass they hosted on September 14. The worship space was enhanced with some beautiful work from the Worship commission and the entire Mass focused on the virtue of Faith.

Our New Outdoor Classroom

One of our newest unique learning spaces is our Outdoor Classroom. Located on the beautiful wooded backlot of our school, this new learning space offers a lovely environment for outdoor and nature learning when the weather is nice! Pictured here is our second grade enjoying some outdoor learning time.

STEM at St. Als /St. Pats: Eighth Grade Airplane Design

The eighth-graders have been learning about the scientific method. Their task in a recent experiment was to design two paper airplanes, one with flaps and one without. When creating their plane, they needed to include each step of the scientific method, carry out the actual experiment, collect their data and form their overall conclusion based on their data.

STEM at St. Als /St. Pats: Kindergarten Chicka Chicka Boom Trees

Recently, our Kindergarten students participated in a great STEM activity. They listened to the story Chicka Chicka Boom and then built trees inspired by the story. They used wooden blocks and large craft sticks to construct their trees. Then their challenge was to test the strength of their tree by balancing as many plastic letters as they could on their tree branches. All of the students met the goal of balancing at least ten letters on their tree!

The Eighth Grade Leadership Mass 2018-19

We can tell that we are officially back to school when our eighth grade class accepts the mantle of leadership during our traditional Leadership Mass.

All week, the eighth grade students developed and led our morning prayers---helping to prove that they are ready to be the leaders of the school. They took the time to interview younger students in the school to find out what they expected from the student leaders of the school. The eighth graders took what they heard to heart.

During the Liturgy on Friday, September 14, the Class of 2019 pledged to use their gifts and talents to lead and to carry out the Celtic Mission. They prepared for this commitment by reading and listening to speeches by prominent Americans and leaders of our Church; they examined the characteristics of effective leaders. Although they know that they are still learning, they pledged to do their best to be leaders for the school and for their younger classmates.

Throughout the year, our eighth grade leaders will help us understand the virtues we try to live by as Catholics. They will help us live our theme: Faith to Move Mountains. They will help us work together to make our school community and our world a better place. Our school community welcomes their leadership.

Buddies Meet

One of the highlights of our school is the buddy system that we have between our very young students and our older students. Pictured here are our eighth grade leaders getting to know their little kindergarten buddies as they read to them in our Collaborative Learning Center. This was only the first of many activities the eighth grade hopes to share with their little buddies!

The Opening Liturgy of School Year 2018-19: Faith to Move Mountains

Our opening mass on Friday, August 31, highlighted this year's school theme of "Faith to Move Mountains." Each class presented a "mountain" representing a promise to live out the virtues of our faith: faith, hope, charity, temperance, justice, prudence, fortitude, compassion, and gratitude.

Our school theme mirrors the Archdiocese of Chicago theme for its schools this year. In the words of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Dr. Jim Rigg, PhD: "The chosen theme for the 2018/2019 school year is “Faith to Move Mountains.” As Christ tells us in the 17th Chapter of Matthew, God’s faith can help us to do great things. Even faith as small as a “mustard seed” can enable us to move mountains! As we look to the future of our schools with confidence, we know we have some mountains to move. Momentum is building in spite of all challenges, and our faith provides us with constant strength and comfort."