St. Ursula School
2008-09 Winter & Spring
Awards, News, & More
Last
update
7/27/2009
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St. Ursula School Awarded Tri-State Petroleum
Corporation Education Grant
Thanks to Mascari Auto Body in Allison Park, St. Ursula
School is the recipient of a $750 grant for their science and math programs. Sam
Covelli of Mascari Auto Body, a St. Ursula parishioner, submitted the school’s
name as part of Tri-State Petroleum Corporation’s participation in the
Educational Alliance Program. The grants are distributed by Tri-State Petroleum
and the participating local retail convenience stores and Exxon and Mobil retail
facilities that successfully submit an application for a school that is served
locally in the community by one of their stores or franchises. “We will use the
money to purchase a new Lego Robotics System for students in our middle school.
Our students can’t wait to participate in this competition. This grant gives
them the opportunity to do so” says Sr. Joanita Fedor, St. Ursula Principal.
Tri- State Petroleum has participated in the grant program for 10 consecutive
years. They awarded 38 grants to area schools this year.
School
Picnic
On the last day of school, St. Ursula School held an end of year
picnic. All families were invited to the school for lunch and games. The crowd
was large and all had a great time. Thank you to everyone who made this a great
way to end another great school year!
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Awards
Ceremony
St. Ursula School held its annual All School Mass and awards ceremony
on the last day of school. Students are recognized for the clubs and the
volunteering in which they participate.
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Spring
Concerts
St. Ursula School held its annual spring concert and art show at the
end of May. The kindergarten classes put on a fabulous production followed by
band concerts by both the beginners and advanced bands. Select students art
projects were displayed for all to see.
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Spring
Musical
The cast of “Seussical, Junior” performed two shows for
full houses in mid-May. The reviews from the performances were fantastic -- all
who attended said it was a great show. The hard work of the cast and all those
who put these annual musical productions on was evident. Thank you especially to
Mrs. Cross who devotes enormous amounts of time and energy to the musical
programs at St. Ursula School.
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May Crowning
St. Ursula School held
its annual May Crowning Ceremony on May 29th. The second grade students, dressed
in their First Communion clothing, along with the eighth grade students
participated in the procession and the crowning of Mary.
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Zoo Field Trip
The lower grades visited the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium last week
for their final field trip of the school year. Click below to see photos of the
4th grade students.
St. Ursula 7th &
8th grades travel to the Washington DC
The 7th & 8th grade classes took their annual trip to Washington DC. While there, they
visited Arlington Cemetery, the Capitol Building, the Library of Congress, the Holocaust Museum and the
monuments. The students and chaperones left school at 6 am and after a full day
of sightseeing returned to the school at 12:30 am. Everyone was tired after a
long day but really enjoyed the trip.
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St. Ursula School
Newsletter is available online
Click here to read the latest edition of the
St. Ursula School Parent NEWSletter
and
click here to read the
Viking Voice Supplement
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to download it.
5th & 6th Grade Field Trip
The 5th and 6th grades traveled to Erie, PA for a day trip. There they visited
the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and the Erie Maritime Museum. What would a
trip to Erie be without a stop at the lake? While at the lake they ate their lunches,
walked on the beach, and skipped some stones!
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Thank you to all who make our school special
The school says thanks to all our volunteers who work all
year long in some capacity making our school the wonderful place it is. Parents
and a few of St. Ursula Parishioners that have a special place in their hearts
(and wallets--supporting the school through purchasing certificates, attending
and donating to our annual POG, and helping with our library) were in attendance
to celebrate Mass on Friday, May 15 with the school children. They heard a
heartfelt thank you poem complete with art from the first grade and a rousing
song of thanks from the Kindergarten class. A poised second grader greeted the
volunteers, introduced the "program" and invited parents to the coffee and
donuts afterward. Door prizes were awarded randomly and amazingly three long
time parents walked away with the goods (Stephanie Lamperski, Behring Family and
Poorbaugh Family). It was a nice close to a busy and successful school year.
This video is but a tiny example of what the kids and parents get from the
catholic school experience. Spread the word and join us and see what we can do!
You can watch a video from the event at
YouTube.
Sports
Banquet
The athletes and their parents celebrated the end of another school
year at the annual Sports Banquet. soccer, cross country and basketball athletes
were recognized and congratulated on their great seasons. The 8th grade athletes
were presented with a gift which was beach towel personalized with their name,
the school name, and their class year. Good luck to our eighth grade students,
we wish you success in all that you do. Thank you to all of the coaches who
volunteered their time and talents to our athletes. Thanks also goes out to all
of the parents, alumni, and students who have volunteered their time to our
sports programs.
Girls Varsity Basketball Team
Wildwood Golf Club provided a TV so that no one would miss the Penguin playoff action! Pens won!
JV Cross Country. Coach Curry was not present, she was at a meeting to schedule next year's meets. Her assistant coaches filled in for her.
The 8th Grade Class of 2009
School
Library News
The St. Ursula School library was recently awarded the “Picturing
America” bookshelf from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the
American Library Association (ALA). This grant included 22 beautiful hardcover
books with a value of over $300. The library committee applied for the grant,
which was awarded to 4,000 public and private libraries across the country.
Books for K-4 include “Walt Whitman: Words for America” by Barbara Kerley and
“The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Grades 5-8
will have access to “American Tall Tales” by Mary Pope Osborne and “The
Birchbark House” by Louise Eldrich. Teachers will be able to use the gorgeous
illustrated book “1776” by David McCullough. This book has physical
reproductions of many Revolutionary War documents. The books will be used by our
students during library time and also for class projects in 2009/2010.
The library committee thanks the many families who donated books through our
Birthday Book program. Dedicated books make wonderful tributes for students
celebrating birthdays and special occasions. Consider making a last tribute to
your child by donating a book in his or her name. Each book has a colorful book
plate with your child’s picture and name, plus a spine label indicating that it
is a birthday book. Many students search our shelves for these special birthday
books to see their pictures or pictures of classmates. Look for the birthday
book envelope during the month of your child’s birthday.
We also thank families for the generous book donations that came in this school
year. We processed over 400 new and gently used books into our collection. This
allowed us to cycle out many old and damaged books from our shelves. Our
non-fiction section was recently revamped through a huge library committee
project. We now have a wonderful collection of non-fiction that is easily
accessible for our younger and older students. Please stop by the library to
have a look!
The library committee is looking for new members for the 2009/2010 school year.
No skills are required other than a willingness to learn and a love for books.
We have spots open in new book processing, planning special programs, helping at
the book fair, securing book donations, and decorating the library each month.
Please contact Susan Michel, Colleen Ruefle, Ginny Szafranski, or Donna Wright
with ideas or your offer to help. It is a great way to give back to the school
and make a difference in your student’s experience at St. Ursula School.
One final note – please consider donating your used books to St. Ursula School.
If you clean off your shelves over the summer, please drop the books off at
school. We won’t take yellow-paged books or books with ripped covers. We also do
not accept soft back picture books. But we will consider any other books,
especially chapter books and hardcover books. Your donations are what keep our
library sprouting!
Second Grade Sacraments
Second grade has prepared all year to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation
and Holy Eucharist. An evening class in March gathered the school and CCD
together to make the altar cloth, learn the hymns, and reinforce the definitions
and meaning of the sacraments. The teachers, Sister Joanita and Mrs. Bossong
have created lasting impressions that will stay with the students all their
lives and have set the foundation of their Christian life and practice. Tommy
and Annie's mom created a beautiful ceramic oval bowl to commemorate the
receiving of the sacrament. The students and Mrs. K placed their thumbprints
around the edge and they were given details to create a unique "person". Please
pray for the second grade as they live what they have been taught by Jesus, St.
Ursula School and their families.
Visit the Second Grade webpage to
see their photos.
St. Ursula Weighty Challenge
The annual Penny Challenge at St. Ursula School was a great success!
$860 was raised for the Chimbote Mission in Peru. Sister Joanita explains,
“The penny challenge was only a part of our Lenten project. Our challenge was to
‘virtually’ walk to Chimbote with our offerings and kind deeds. Each time the
children performed an act of kindness or contributed pennies they placed a
footprint on the road to Chimbote.” The footprints line the perimeter of our
cafeteria.
Kindergarten collected the most money - $163.29
Fifth Grade collected the most pennies - 2,795
In recognition for their efforts Fifth grade will receive a classroom snack in
April, May and June and Kindergarten will receive a classroom snack in May.
Thank you and congratulations to all who participated dug into the couch
cushions and looked under the car seats to round up all that loose change!
There’s a lesson in everything: Get out your calculator, find the total, find
the average, or make an algebra problem. The sky’s the limit. Just another day
at St. Ursula School!
Weight of the 2009 Penny Challenge
Kindergarten --- 44 pounds
First Grade -----25 pounds
Second Grade----41 pounds
Third Grade----42 pounds
Fourth Grade ---31 pounds
Fifth Grade –55 pounds
Sixth Grade—24 pounds
Seventh Grade – 25 pounds
Eighth –8 pounds
Happy Birthday!
The students sang Happy Birthday and presented Father Dorsey with a card signed
by the student body and faculty.
God Bless Father Dorsey!
The Living Stations
The 8th grade class, as an annual tradition, presented the Living Stations for
the students of St. Ursula School. They will present the Living Stations again
for the parish on Good Friday at 7:30pm.
St. Ursula’s “Seussical, Junior” Coverage in the Pine
Creek Journal
St. Ursula's "Seussical, Junior" musical was covered in
the Pine Creek Journal the week of April 9th. Click here to read
the article or click here to
see more pictures.
St. Ursula’s student cast of “Seussical, Junior”
performs at the State Capitol:
St. Ursula School’s student cast of the musical
“Seussical, Junior” was invited to participate in the 14th Annual Arts in
Education Day at the State Capitol. The St. Ursula students in the musical
are in grades four through eight and they have been selected as one of ten
performing arts groups from across the state to participate in the 14th annual
Arts in Education Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol on Wednesday, April 1,
2009. They will perform in the Main Rotunda of the Capitol Building at 1:00P.M.
“Our students have been performing full musical productions for a
number of years, and it is an honor that they are recognized for their
dedication and talent,” states Mrs. Patty Cross who is the teacher that directs
and choreographs the productions.
Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Keith R. McCall (D-Carbon)
declared April 1st, 2009 as the 14th Annual Arts in Education Day, a
celebration aimed at recognizing, encouraging and showcasing the artistic
talents of the Commonwealth’s elementary, middle and high school students. St.
Ursula’s cast of “Seussical Junior” will be joined by groups whose talents
encompass everything from visual arts to music, theatre and dance. The students
will perform selected songs and scenes based on the works of Dr. Seuss from the
musical “Seussical, Junior” with music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn
Ahrens through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. The
talented students will spend a day in the Capitol performing and emphasizing the
importance of arts in education.
“It is a great honor that St. Ursula’s student cast has been
invited and will be participating in this grand celebration of arts in
education. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to represent themselves and
their school,” said Speaker McCall.
St. Ursula School would like to thank those who underwrote this
trip and made this day possible for our students. Thank you to Senator Jane Orie
for taking the students into the Senate Chamber and for spending time with our
group. This was a special day for our students.
All are invited to come see our production of “Seussical Junior”
on May 15th 7:30 and May 16th at 7:30.
Spring Soccer
The Spring soccer season is underway. Visit the
Sports page to see
the game schedules. Come cheer on the Vikings!
FUND RAISING UPDATE
|
Certificate Sales |
$ 14,656 |
|
Pot O' Gold Dinner & Auction |
$ 31,400 |
|
Golf Outing (held in 8/08) |
$ 6,047 |
|
Entertainment Books |
$ 990 |
|
Enjoy Books |
$ 1,080 |
|
Kidstuff Books |
$ 113 |
|
Original Artwork |
$ 1,155 |
|
Market Day |
$ 775 |
|
Lottery Calendars |
$ 3,549*
* This is an estimate until all payouts
to winners have been made. |
|
Gold Party |
$ 868 |
|
Sarris Christmas Candy |
$ 2,014 |
|
Sarris Easter Candy |
$ 2,093 |
|
Boxtops |
$ 1,168 |
|
Benefits Nights |
$ 335 |
|
Bingo |
$ 11,000 |
|
GOAL $107,000 |
TOTAL $ 77,243 |
* Vendor Fair -
April 24, 2009 from 7-10pm.
This a fun evening
out for ladies complete with hors d'oeuvres and wine. Vendor booths are $35 or
$20 for school/parish families. Each vendor also needs to donate a $20 item for
our raffle. Vendors range from Tupperware to photographers to upscale crafters.
*Market Day, SCRIP Certificates, Lottery Calendars, and Bingo continue through
the year.
A Musical Field Trip to Carnegie Music Hall
Professor Coury and St. Ursula’s 4th grade class participated in the LinkUp
Program at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on Friday, March 27th. The program was
sponsored by the Music Department at Duquesne University and Carnegie Hall in
New York City. Each participating student received a recorder and all the music
necessary to perform along during the program. The 4th grade students have been
practicing the music for months, under the direction of Professor Coury.
The program began with a musical rendition of Peter and the Wolf. An orchestra
performed the music while a narrator told the story. The students were then
invited to participate with the orchestra in several songs, such as America and
A Simple Melody, by either singing or playing their recorders.
It was a great experience for all the students and chaperones who attended. The
students experienced a lovely performance by the orchestra and were able to play
along with thousands of other area students in beautiful Carnegie Music Hall!
A Good Time Had by All!
On St. Joseph’s Day the children came together in the
early morning, before school started with their Dads or “special” men in their
lives. They celebrated the head of the Holy Family & their loved one/ones,
sharing Donuts with Dad!
A new event sponsored by Student Life, one that looks as though it
might become a tradition. All in attendance appeared to have an enjoyable time;
while reflecting through a craft why it is their “someone special” is just that.
When asked, fathers and kids alike had the same positive feedback……
“It was special because I was with my Dad”; Annessa D shared as she walked to
her classroom. While Mark D feels “the morning was fun for both kids and adults;
a tradition St. Ursula’s should start.”
Thank you to all who shared in the morning, volunteered, attended &
made Donuts with Dad a huge success!
Sincerely,
Student Life~
Colleen R, Amy V & Jada D
Some Current Art Projects
The seventh and eighth grade are working on the art of Ukrainian
Eggs. There are many steps involved in the process: planning, designing, color
choice and the careful use of the tools. This project will take about three
weeks to complete. Look for the finished eggs in the display case in the lobby
before Easter.
The eighth grade students created self portraits using a stamp and
reverse negative color block design. They are on display in the hall next to the
art room.
Pot O' Gold Wraps Up Another Great Event
The wrap up meeting and celebration at Max & Erma's gathered most of
the committee members together. Visit the
Pot O' Gold page for more information about this
event. This year was another huge success.
The 8th Grade Class
The 8th grade received the sacrament of Confirmation and they created
banners in remembrance of the event. The banners were in the church for a few
weeks and are now on display in the school cafeteria.
Students' Art Entered in Art Show
Four 7th and 8th grade students will have their artwork
(charcoal drawing and pottery) entered in the North Hills Art Center Art
“Celebrate the Arts” student show on March 21. It is a joint fundraiser with
Animal Friends. Everyone is welcome to the opening reception on March 21 from
6-9 pm at the North Hills Art Center on Babcock Blvd.
Bill S., Megan A.,
Tina S., Sarah R.
Honors Bands
Mrs. Chambers with this year's participants in the North
District Honors Band which will perform March 29, 3:00 pm at North Catholic High
School...Jaime B., Jane P., Rachel D., Catherine C., Dan Z., Joel N., Claire C.
The PMEA band - Eric H., Matthew M. , Erica D. performs May 2, at
2:00 at Edgeworth Elementary School in the Fest West Concert.
Jane P. was selected to perform in the District's All Star Band
Honors Band, missing from photo is Claire C.
Honors Band member, Claire C.
Selected for All Star Band, Jane P.
Honors Band, missing from photo is Claire C.
Band Is Preparing for the Spring Concert
Spring is in the air and at St. Ursula it is accompanied by beautiful music!
Students warm up before class by playing together, and enjoy special friendships
that go hand in hand with making music.
With every lesson and class, students improve and learn to
appreciate the sound of music.
Pancakes = TVs
Each fall the students from the eighth grade class hold
a pancake breakfast. Proceeds from the last three breakfasts have now been used
to purchase 5 new flat screen TVs. Thank you to the 8th grade classes of 2007,
2008, and 2009 and their parents for helping to make this possible.
Sixth grade students stand under a newly installed flat screen TV
in Mrs. Angelucci's classroom. Grades 5-8 and Mrs. Heyl's room have the new 32"
wall mounted flat screens with DVD players. Some TVs will also have a VCR for
education tapes. Teachers will use them for educational purposes and the
students will be using them to broadcast news programs that they have created.
JV Boys Basketball
The JV Boys basketball team season has come to an end. The team learned a lot
about basketball and had a lot of fun. Thank you to their coaches, Lisa and
Chuck, for all the time that they spent and for all that they taught the boys.
Students Prepare Art for the Pot O' Gold
St. Ursula students have been busy preparing for the Pot O' Gold Dinner and
Auction which will be held on March 7 at LaRoche College. For more details about
the art being auctioned, visit the Pot O' Gold
webpage.
All School Mass
St. Ursula School Students Celebrate Mass with Fr. Kris Stubna, Secretary for
Education in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Father Dorsey and Father Stubna
con-celebrated the student weekly mass with the students serving as cantors,
altar servers, gift bearers and readers. Father Stubna quizzed the students on
the importance of catholic education and St. Ursula School in particular. There
were many hands up and enthusiastic and thoughtful answers. Father Stubna also
acknowledged the teachers and Sister Joanita and they received a round of
applause. Before the concluding hymn, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" as it was
Father Stubna's birthday and the school presented him with an Edible Arrangement
Gift Basket.
St. Ursula School
Newsletter is available online
Click here to read the latest edition of the
St. Ursula School Parent NEWSletter,
Spring 2009.
You will need Acrobat Reader to open it.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, click on Acrobat Reader icon
to download it.
Student Life Update
The Student Life committee continues to be busy enriching the lives
of our students. During a whirlwind of activities in December they planned the
ever popular Cookies with Santa, Santa Workshop, and the teacher appreciation
Christmas Party.
Thanks so much to Jennifer Walko for coordinating all
the effort in the Cookies with Santa—and especially for getting Santa Claus to
come to St. Ursula during such a busy time for him. Thanks also to Ann Miller
and Sharon Gullo for coordinating the Santa Workshop. The children had so much
fun choosing those perfect gifts—and of course one can never have too many “#1
Dad key chains”! Both events were great opportunities for our children to enjoy
one another’s company and to appreciate the benefits of the extra experiences
they have. Each Christmas season also allows the parents to appreciate the
education their children receive at St. Ursula. Student Life hosted the teachers
and the staff to a Christmas party to thank them for their dedication to St.
Ursula School. “The Christmas party is such a special event because it’s really
a great opportunity to host the teachers and all those great people who work at
St. Ursula and show them how much I appreciate them,” said Amy Valenty one of
the coordinators of the annual holiday party.
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week started a little early
this year with a Family Night Pajama Party on Friday Jan. 23rd. Gathered in the
cafeteria, they listened as books were read by students and parents before
watching Horton Hears a Who. The evening was complete with refreshments.
Sunday’s 1:00 mass was beautiful and well attended. From singing to serving to
reading the petitions to everything in between all did a fantastic job. What a
great tribute to our Catholic faith. Greeted by smiling faces of current
students & alumni, 17 new families interested in our school were welcomed at the
Open House that followed. Monday brought many characters of sport or literary
fame with Hat Day. Steelers, Dr. Seuss, pirates, time travelers, puppies and
even a mouse named Mickey walked the halls.
With so many who do so much for our school & in our
community, Tuesday morning’s service project was a way to show our appreciation.
From our country’s Veterans to the bus drivers to those that volunteer at Bingo
each week, a great big Thank You in the form of cards or a sweet treat was
prepared. The afternoon was a bit chillier with an Ice Cream Social. Several ice
cream choices and many toppings made for fun with a cherry on top!
Round & round they go…………… What fun at
Romp & Roll Thursday! Many students, teachers, and parents all went round &
round. Whether great skaters or a little shaky it was a great day out, including
Limbo on skates.
With clear skies, Officer Vulakovich was able to present parents with many tips
on how to keep kids safe on the internet that evening.
The cafeteria was filled with black & gold, as well as,
many relatives and friends for lunch on Friday. What a special way to ‘show off’
a favorite person to classmates by inviting them to lunch. Thank you to all that
came and helped make it a special day for the students. Lunch was very well
attended.
Ongoing programs which ran throughout the week included
the successful Souper Bowl Food Drive. The North Hills Community Food Bank
appreciates the canned good donations and will distribute to those in need.
Students needed to stay on their toes because they
never knew when they might be caught. Caught You Being Good also ran the entire
week to recognize the kindness and service of students to others. Students
nominated each other when a good deed was done. How wonderful there were so many
entries ~ what great students we have here at St. Ursula.
Thank you Sister Joanita and all who participated in or supported the activities
of Catholic Schools Week.
“Lights, Camera, Bookfair!” was a Big Hit
Catholic Schools Week started a little early this
year with a Family Night Pajama Party on Friday Jan. 23rd. Gathered in the
cafeteria, they listened as books were read by students and parents before
watching Horton Hears a Who.
St. Ursula School warmed up for Catholic Schools Week
with a celebration of reading at our Scholastic Bookfair. The festivities
started with a Teacher Preview, featuring a raffle for all teachers who filled
out a “wish list.” Ms. Leskovec was the grand prize winner, receiving a $30 gift
certificate for the Fair. Student shopping continued through the week with
candid critiques and debates about the book offerings. Most popular titles
included “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “World Record” collections, and quiz books such
as, “Coke vs. Pepsi.”
The Book Fair concluded on Sunday with a parish event hosting St.
Ursula CCD students and their families for cookies, crafts, and interactive
stories. Clifford visited once again, showing off his favorite book titles and
posing for celebrity photos! We are very grateful for the support from the
parishioners who visited.
From a fundraising perspective, this year’s BookFair was our most
successful to date! We exceeded our sales target and earned from Scholastic
nearly $300 in books and instructional resources AND $1000 cash for our
fundraising account. A huge thank-you goes out to the many volunteers who made
the BookFair possible and to all of our supporters for putting books into the
hands of happy kids!
Girls
Basketball Season is Wrapping Up
The girls basketball season is nearing its end. Both the JV
girls and Varsity girls teams have shown great improvement as the season has
progressed. Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped with admissions,
concessions, scheduling games and practices, and to the thank you to the
coaches.
Eighth grade basketball players were recognized at their last home game of the season.
Follow this link to see the 2008-09 Fall News
To see more news, follow these
links...
2008-09
Fall News, 2007-08
Spring News, 2007-08
Winter News, 2007-08
Fall News, 2007
Spring & Summer News,
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