2008-2009 Issue 1 December 2008
GROWING IN
GOD’S GARDEN
SA
INT
S S
HO
UT
!S
AIN
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SH
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A N
ewsl
ette
r of
St.
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a S
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ol
A
New
slet
ter
of
St.
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-- D
ecem
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2008
Dec
ember
2008
Issue 1 2008 - 2009 School Year December 2008
This year's theme is "Growing in God's Garden" and 5A (pictured below) was honored
to prepare the opening day prayer service. Mrs. Rhonda Houseman made flower pots
for each class. The students prepared the readings and distributed the flower pots. Each
grade level represented a part of the flower with the 8th grade students representing the
finished plant. Wesley Sheker, Cole Zimmerman, Drew DeBastiani, Caroline Hills,
Zach Swidler, and Hannah Deppen prepared the readings. Read below for the
beautiful verbal portrait of the STS garden as presented at the service.
Kindergarten, you are the newly planted seeds in the warm ground of St. Theresa
School. You will be learning many new things. Mrs. Teletovich and Miss Braun will
keep you safe and secure as you start to grow.
First Grade, you know that seeds will only grow if they have water. You are the rain
that waters our new seeds and helps them to grow. Mrs. Lenig and Mrs. Pinamonti will
take you by the hand and show you where you are needed and guide you to God's
Garden.
Second Grade, you are the roots that have sprouted from the seed. You are the
foundation of our school. This year is special for you. There are two sacraments
waiting to help you grow solid in your faith. Mrs. Costello, Mrs. Moser, and Miss Roos
will be there to make sure that you are firmly planted in the ground so you will grow.
Third Grade, you are the shining sun that all plants need to grow. The warmth from
your love will combine with the rain so our newly planted seeds will continue to
grow. This year you will learn about God's nature. Mrs. Wance, Ms. O'Connor, and
Mrs. Shaner will lead you to see the beauty of God's Garden.
Fourth Grade, you are the stems that have sprouted from the seeds. You stand sturdy
and tall and keep an upright stance. Your stem will hold all of us together. Mrs. Foote
and Mrs. Kline will be there to show you how important you are to the growth of all of
us in God's Garden. (continued on page 2)
2008-2009 Issue 1 2 December 2008
(Continued from page 1)
Fifth Grade, you are the leaves of our developing
plants. The leaves of the plant are the food factories that
help the plant to survive. By your actions and words you
feed the plants in our garden and help them to grow. Mrs.
Houseman, Mrs. DeBastiani, and Mrs. Kaufold will be
there to show you how important you are to God's
Garden.
Sixth Grade, you are the flower that grows on the top of
the stem. Your beauty from within shines through the
colorful petals. You add color to our garden. Mrs.
McCarthy and Mrs. Morgan will show you how to use
your talents to make our garden one that God will be
proud of.
Seventh Grade, you are the fruit of our plant. You help
us to see how everything we are learning will help us to
become like you, the fruit in God's Garden. Mrs.
Weltmer, Mrs. Chubb, and Mrs. Castner will help you to
develop your talents. It is your seed that will help St.
Theresa School to grow.
Eighth Grade, you are the entire plant. You were planted
as a seed in kindergarten. The rain of first grade helped
you to grow. The roots that you sprouted in second grade
have helped you to grow in God's love. By third grade, it
was your sunshine that helped the new plants to grow into
what you are today. In fourth grade, you developed the
stem to stand tall and believe in God's goodness. In fifth
grade, you developed your leaves and by using the food
of God's word, fed your faith. In sixth grade, you
blossomed into the beautiful flower that you are today
and, in seventh grade, you produced the fruit that makes
you whole. Now, you are the entire plant. Mrs. Banks,
Mrs. Bosso, and Mrs. Bamberger will be there to prepare
you for your last sacrament at St. Theresa School,
Confirmation. You will truly be the plants that grow in
God's Garden.
Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Barno, Ms. Allen, Mrs. Meagher,
Mrs. Andreoli, Mrs. Beauduy, Mrs. Haser, Mrs. Diehl,
Miss Patton and all of our aides and staff, you complete
God's Garden that is growing in St. Theresa School by
showering us with all of your gifts and encouraging us to
grow into the sturdy plants of God's love.
Every garden needs a gardener to help it nurture and
grow. St. Theresa School has God as our gardener. He
guides the hands of Mr. Tracy and Mrs. McMullin as they
tend to our school with kindness, fairness, and love.
CAPTAIN PATTON MARCHES ON By Mark Sideck and Michael Wilson
At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Sheri Patton,
our wonderful gym teacher, accepted the call of duty
from the U.S. Army to
be stationed in Iraq.
The entire school
community gathered in
the gym one afternoon,
to wish her ―good
luck‖ and to pray for
her safety. There was
shock and awe from all
the local media that
showed up.
―I hope she comes back
soon,‖ and, ―We‘ve
known her for so long, so it‘s hard to see her go, but I
know she‘ll come back with new ideas for gym class,‖
were some reactions from 8th graders Nick Rudolph and
Tori Mooney when asked about Ms. Patton after the
ceremony.
After some initial training at Fort Indiantown Gap,
Captain Patton is currently stationed at Camp Shelby,
Mississippi, for additional training. If all goes well, she
will be back at STS in time for a farewell at Christmas
before being shipped out to Iraq.
BACK TO SCHOOL By Peter Lazzara
Students got a wake-up call on August 29th for the
beginning of the 2008-09 school year, but their parents
got a wake-up call at the Back-to-School Nights. Student
Council Officers Jack Shelly, Mark Sideck, Colleen
Laubach, Alex Failla, and Emily Spishock along with
Class Representatives greeted the parents warmly, as they
started on their way to explore the lives of their sons and
daughters, one classroom at a time. The parents were
guided to their children‘s classrooms, they sat down in
the same chairs as the students do and the various
teachers ―teach‖ the parents about the curriculum plan for
the school year.
Back-to-School Night is an
important night for the parents of
STS because they will be ready for
what their children will be doing the
rest of the school year, and it is
especially good for the parents of
students that are new to STS, so that
they get a feel for what their child
will do here. It won‘t take long for everyone to realize
that this is the World‘s Best Catholic School.
2008-2009 Issue 1 3 December 2008
KINDERGARTEN HIGHLIGHTS THE
SEASONS By Mrs. Kathy Telatovich
Grandparents‘ Day was celebrated in Kindergarten on
October 10th. The children sang songs and had a great
time showing their Grandparents around their classrooms.
Then everyone enjoyed refreshments and worked together
on a Family Tree project. It was a fun day for all.
The New Cumberland Fire Department paid us a visit
during Fire Safety Week. In our classrooms, we had been
learning important fire safety information. It was a
meaningful learning experience to see a real fire fighter
with all of his gear and equipment. The children had the
opportunity to ask questions and even sit in a fire truck.
As the Kindergarteners learned about the very first
Thanksgiving, they looked forward to celebrating with
their Fifth Grade Buddies. The fifth graders represented
Native Americans and the Kindergarteners were the
Pilgrims. The Kindergarteners are so very thankful for
their Buddies for all of the help that they give to them as
they work on projects throughout the year.
As the November days turn colder
and colder and we all look toward
the Christmas Season, the children
in Kindergarten are getting ready
for Joy Craft Day. They will be very
busy making gifts to give to loved
ones at Christmas.
KA1 and KA2 are also looking
forward to another fun day when
they will be working with their
Buddies and all of the children will
be making gingerbread houses. The
creations are always creative and
delicious!
CELEBRITIES READ During National Young Readers Week, in November,
New Cumberland Mayor DJ Landis read a story to all
the first grade students. Mr. Mick O'Hearn from ABC-
TV 27 read, and another
day that week Mr. Mike
Tracy, STS Principal, read
too. Students in Mrs.
Terry Pinamonti’s class
participated in this
celebration by sharing
book reports of a favorite
book and making a puppet
of a character from the story. Students presented their
book reports and puppets to the class.
By Mrs. Tina Zimmerman
This is the 16th year for STS preschool. There are 40 4-
year old students and 25 3-year old students enrolled.
Mrs. Cindi Petrillo and Miss Sara Braun are the
teacher aides. The 4‘s have school on Monday, Wednes-
day and Friday at either 8:30 – 11:00 or 12:30 to 3:00.
The 3‘s meet Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 – 10:30
(11:00 starting in January) or 12:30 – 2:30 (3:00 in Janu-
ary).
The Preschool celebrated Grandparents Day. The grand-
parents and special friends truly appreciated being able to
spend quality time with their little ones. The children
were just as excited and proud to share their special gifts
with them by coloring a prayer together, making flowers,
sharing a snack, touring the preschool and playing.
As part of Fire Safety/Prevention Week, the preschool
classes visited the New Cumberland Fire Department to
explore a fire truck and ambulance and to ask questions
about this community service. Students also practiced a
fire drill, talked about Stop, Drop and Roll and learned
two fire safety songs.
In September, there was lots of fun learning about apples
on Johnny Appleseed Day. The children planted apple
seeds, made an apple tree by tracing their arm and hand,
strung Apple Jack cereal on yarn—eating the necklaces
as fast as they made them, strengthened hand muscles
with a clothespin exercise, and had an apple tasting buffet
for snack that included apple butter, apple jelly, apple-
sauce, and apple juice. Students are learning the letters
of the alphabet and the months of the year. As part of the
letter ―C‖ for community helpers, the 4‘s wrote letters to
their parents, put a stamp on the envelope
and walked the letters to the blue mail box.
When they got to the box, a mail carrier was
emptying it. The lucky students were able to
look inside the box and handed each letter to
the mail carrier. Awesome!
CONSIDER ST. THERESA SCHOOL Our mission at St. Theresa School is to recognize each child as
a unique individual. As Catholic
educators, we strive to provide each of our
students a God-centered educational
experience in harmony with their spiritual,
emotional, physical, mental and social
development. By integrating spiritual
values with academic excellence, an
education at St. Theresa School empowers
the mind, enhances the spirit and enriches
our children‘s lives. We strive not only to
educate but to nurture a Christ-centered
way of life.
2008-2009 Issue 1 4 December 2008
AROUND THE SCHOOL By Kaitlyn Andersen
The students of St. Theresa have been very busy right
from the start of the school year. In September, 1st
graders had a pot luck party. Each student brought a food
that began with the first letter of either their first or last
name. Parents were invited and Father James Lease,
Parochial Vicar of St. Theresa Parish, came and read the
Pot Luck Party Classbooks that the students wrote and
illustrated. The food was delicious; they ate almost
everything from A to Z. What a great start to the year!
Pre-school, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades celebrated
Grandparents Day in mid-October. Students in 1st and 2nd
grades presented a Music Program, shared activities and
refreshments with their special guests.
Mrs. Terry Pinamonti’s students participated in an
online project called ―That‘s the Way the Cookie
Tumbles.‖ The Students stacked Oreo cookies and
counted how many each child stacked before they
tumbled. The class average was sent in and compared to
the averages all over the US and in other countries.
Ms. Angela Roos’ 2nd graders did reports on their favorite
President and did a variety of Halloween activities.
Students in 3rd grade finished their very first book report.
They read a book and then presented it in the form of a
diorama. They enjoyed doing these book reports. They
also had Grandparent‘s Day. The students enjoyed
singing and eating with their grandparents for the
afternoon. ―I remember Grandparents Day; it was so
much fun,‖ said one STS student.
GINGERBREAD FRIENDS 2008 TOUR By Mrs. Terry Pinamonti
In early November, I had the opportunity to meet Jan
Brett when I attended her book signing event at Weg-
man's. She is one of my favorite authors/illustrators. Her
stories are great and her illustrations are beautiful! I use
her books with my class every year and have more than
30 Jan Brett books in my collection. Jan Brett shared the
story of her new book, Gingerbread Friends, and then did
a 15-minute drawing demonstration. Her presentation was
wonderful! It was followed by the book signing and pho-
tographs with her. Jan Brett's Gingerbread Friends 2008
Tour bus was outside and available for more photos. It
was a pleasure to meet her and an exciting day that I will
always remember!
GRANDPARENTS ARE
SPECIAL BECAUSE . . .
they visit us
they take us to the park
they help us with homework
they let us watch TV
they take us to the beach
they buy us Lego cars
they take us to fun places
they help us get dressed for Halloween
they play games with us
they take us to school
they help us build Legos
they take us swimming
they are nice
they take us to the store
they play chess with us
they take us for walks
they help us to feel better when we get hurt
they take us to the library
they take care of us
they love us and we love them!
dedicated to the best Grandparents in the world!
By 1B
AUTHOR TO VISIT On December 18, STS is happy to welcome Mrs.
Harriet Cameron, a children‘s author, who has written
several books dealing with Christian themes. Mrs.
Cameron will visit individual classes to read her book,
Nomad’s Joyous Christmas. She will be accompanied by
her husband who will display the colorful illustrations on
a projector while Harriet is reading. After she has
finished reading to the children, Mrs. Cameron will be
happy to remain and answer any questions that they may
have about her books or the writing process.
2008-2009 Issue 1 5 December 2008
BING, SCRATCH, BUZZ If you passed by Mrs. Karen Shaner’s 3rd grade science
class and heard strange sounds coming from the room,
you heard the sound lab. Students explored sound at
different stations around the room. Students used
stethoscopes to hear snapping fingers held under water.
At one station, students hit a tuning fork with a hammer
and touched it to a ping-pong ball. Then they struck the
tuning fork and placed it in a bowl of water. A cup had
an attached string with a nail at the end; the student struck
the nail with a ruler and the sound traveled up the string.
Of course, everyone wore goggles for safety. What fun!
WHAT’S NEW? By Victoria Mooney
Whether you smell it, use it, or waste it (we wish you
wouldn‘t), it‘s now hands free. That‘s right--hand
sanitizer now requires no hands! During the summer, an
automatic hand sanitizer was
brought to the school cafeteria
and given a position right at the
end of the lunch line. Now,
anytime you walk by, just stick
your hand under and you instantly
receive a perfect amount of hand
sanitizer to rub while you‘re ―on-
the-go.‖
HCA MISSIONS UPDATE By Peter Lazzara
STS students contributed a total of $586.41 to the
missions in October. The collection is sent to the Holy
Childhood Association (www.hcakids.org), a Catholic
mission society for children in kindergarten through 8th
grade. HCA asks Catholic children around the world to
be missionaries by sharing their love and their faith in
Jesus with children all over the world. The collection is
given to missionaries who use the money to spread the
Good News of Jesus and to provide children with food,
clean water, clothes, books, medicine and desks for
school. The STS classroom with the highest amount of
money raised was Pre-school with $86.51. Good job,
Preschool! Other winning classes are 5B with $73.08 and
7C with $75.24. Next month, YOU can be the winner!
Just donate money to the missions; it‘s as simple as a few
cents a day.
SPANISH CLUB By Mrs. Christie Morgan
The article below is purposely written in Spanish. I
thought it would be a fun challenge to see if anyone (adult
or student) who is reading this is able to translate all/part
of it to English. Good luck and have fun!
¿Habla usted español? ¡Esto es una pregunta que la Sra.
Morgan espera que por el fin del año escolar, por lo
menos 50 estudiantes podrán responder, "Sí hago"! ¡El
segundo Club español anual es en plena actividad y la
Sra. Morgan y Señorita Roos disfrutan de ello tanto! Una
vez al mes los estudiantes se juntan y aprenden acerca de
vocabulario español básico como los colores, los
números, las temporadas, los saludos, etc. Ellos también
tienen la oportunidad de aprender alguna diversión y
canciones emocionantes.
Hacia el fin del año escolar en mayo, el club tendrá su
"final espectacular" con un Cinco de mayo fiesta. ¡Esto
fue definitivamente un punto culminante del año pasado
que los estudiantes, los maestros, y los padres tuvieron un
fabuloso tiempo que toma parte en! En STS, entre la
introducción que los estudiantes reciben a latín, a francés,
y a español, los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de ser
quadralingual. ¿Cuán magnífico es eso? ¡Las
felicitaciones a los que han traducido esta exitosamente y
Acción de gracias Feliz a todo!
SHARE YOUR NEWS Saints Shout! would love to hear from you!
Students, parents and teachers are welcome to
submit articles. Next issue deadline is January 6.
The issue will be distributed during Catholic
Schools Week. Send to school office or
2008-2009 Issue 1 6 December 2008
AMERICAN HERITAGE In October, 5th grade celebrated their annual Native
American Day. Mrs. Rhonda Houseman, Mrs. Vikki
DeBastiani, and Mrs. Lynn Kaufold worked together to
provide the classes with an exciting learning
experience. The students were divided into clans. Each
clan chose a name and spent the day together going from
station to station. At each station, the students were told
about the craft and learned the Native American Culture
that used it. The students made teepees, whistles,
headdresses, Aztec masks, maracas, wampum bracelets,
and buffalo skin writings. Each class then did a
scavenger hunt on famous Native Americans. The
students looked up the Native Americans in various
books and then matched them to what they did. Last, but
not least, each class made the sticks to play Native
American Basket Dice. The classes enjoyed tacos, corn,
corn muffins, chocolate, and, of course, the delicious
dessert, pumpkin pie. This day was the culmination of
the Native American unit in Social Studies.
STUDENT AUTHORS Mrs. Rhonda Houseman is very proud of the students
who submitted essays to the Creative Communication
What's Important to Me competition. Mrs. Houseman
had each student pick a topic of interest. The class then
went through step-by-step lessons to learn how to set up
an essay, determine the audience, and write an essay that
will grab the reader‘s attention. Congratulations to the
following students whose works will be published in the
Fall edition of the Creative Communications book. Morgan Beatty- American Girl Dolls
Noah Diorio- Baseball
Nick Fanning- Sponge-Bob Square Pants
Derek Ford- Football
Caroline Hills- IPods
Erin Meagher- My Pets
Kaitlyn Railer- Maggy
Anna Smith- Snowball
Zach Sowa- Which Video Game Console
Zach Swidler- Penn State Football
Cole Zimmerman- Sylvester
AN ELECTION PREDICTION By Matthew Gregoire, 7A and A.J. Sowa, 7A
Mrs. Chubb organized a mock election on October 30.
Between Barack Obama and John McCain, you chose a
winner. Our prediction was that it would be a close race,
but Barack would edge out John by a few votes. You
decided! Our prediction was not correct; John McCain
triumphed over Barack Obama!
By Kaitlyn Anderson and Kaitlin Laman
As part of the presidential election, Mrs. Vikki
Debastiani’s 5B class studied ―Newspapers in
Education‖ during Language Arts class. They are
learning--What is voting? Who can vote? Why should we
vote? The fifth grade class can now fill us in on these
questions, and they were ready for the presidential
election. The students used the daily Patriot-News to test
their skills with a fun election scavenger hunt, and they
created cool ads to persuade people to vote. That sounds
like fun! The 1st and 2nd graders wrote reports on their
favorite president, doesn‘t that sound awesome? STS has
been very involved in these elections, and we were
anxious for election day to come along. On October 28,
STS participated in a mock election. Mrs. Lucy Chubb’s
classroom was the polling place, and it looked the part
thanks to Mrs. Deb Foote and her 4th graders who
covered it with red, white, and blue
decorations. The ballots included
both local and national candidates.
The voting was close but at STS,
John McCain won the day.
MAPPING POLITICAL
OPINION POLLS Who doesn't remember our recent
historic election? Mrs. Rhonda Houseman's 5A class
was interested in this election. Each student was given a
map two weeks before the election. Together they filled
in the number of Electoral College votes for each
state. Using a recent poll map, students colored in each
state as to which candidates were supported, leaned to, or
in a toss-up. After the student mock election, the
students were given a second map. This time they
colored in the states according to the student vote. The
two maps were compared to see how close the polls and
the students were. They were not even close! On the
Wednesday after Election Day, the students were given a
third map. This was colored based upon who won each
state and then compared to the other two. What did they
find? The poll map from two weeks prior was almost
identical to the actual election map. This surprised many
of the students.
2008-2009 Issue 1 7 December 2008
STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATE By Jack Shelly and Colin Laubach
The school year has begun and Student Council is
helping to make STS the WBCS. Already, we have held
Back-to-School and Halloween Socials for the 7th and 8th
grades, presented a school liturgy during which the
officers and class representatives were inducted,
improved the school‘s recycling program by adding one
large dumpster, and helped out at Back-to-School Nights
and the Social for New Families.
A very successful drug and alcohol abuse awareness
campaign was held at STS in October. Student Council
sponsors Red Ribbon Week each year. There was a
poster/bumper sticker contest. Students submitted
posters and bumper stickers for judging. The winning
submissions were hung in the hallways. Students wore
―Drug Free‖ wristbands and pledged to be drug free. The
week was capped off with a wear red day and a treat,
compliments of Student Council, to remind the students
how sweet it is to be drug free. ―Great job‖ to the
students who participated in Red Ribbon Week!
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, talk to a
member of Student Council; the member will be glad to
help. You can find them by the gold pins on their vests. Student Council Officers
President – Jack Shelly
Vice President – Mark Sideck
Secretary – Colleen Laubach
Treasurer – Alex Failla
Sergeant at Arms – Emily Spishock
Representatives
8A – Rachael Barbush, Jordan Bour
8B – Gino Gwyn, Colin Laubach
8C – Molly Brennan, Vincent Ruminski
7A – Kylee Harner, Isaac Zimmerman
7B – John Ford, Kyle Scott
7C – Will Alford, Elizabeth Mueller
WHO GOES “AHOY, MATEY”? Of course, it's a pirate! Mrs. Rhonda Houseman's 5A-2
reading group is working on the book Mystery at Black-
beard's Cove. It's an exciting story about four children
who get into trouble when they try to keep a promise to
an old friend and embark on a treasure hunt. After each
chapter study, the students were given an assignment to,
first, choose a pirate name, second, name the ship, third,
design their own pirate flag, and, from then on, build
characters and events. By the end of the book, each stu-
dent will have written their own pirate story. You can't
have a pirate story without a pirate, so each student is
developing their own pirate character. These can be seen
in the hallway next to the 5A classroom.
SCHOOL COMMUNITY RAISES $14,000 School families sold Wolfgang Candy and Sally Foster
Wrapping Paper during September to raise money for the
PTO. These funds support numerous projects for teach-
ers and students throughout the year. Third grade was the
highest selling grade. Mrs. Danielle Oakes and Mrs.
Laurie Abiuso coordinated this successful fundraiser and
were very proud of all of the students who participated. Overall sales:
1st Place: Ian Myers, 3B
2nd Place: Kathryn Bernick, 2C
3rd Place: Nicole Slabonik, 3A
Wolfgang Candy sales:
1st Place: AnnaRose Smith, 5A
2nd Place: Kayla Ramos, 6C
3rd Place: Kenneth Stetler, KA1
Sally Foster sales:
1st Place: Quincy Loss, 5C
2nd Place: Samantha Bohl, KA1
3rd Place: Chelsea Reneker, 7A
On-line sales:
Madeline Ortenzio, 6A
The coordinators said that they couldn‘t have done it
without the volunteerism of Mrs. Roxane Cudahy, Mrs.
Shonna Ramos, Mrs. Michele Stager, Mrs. Beth
Brennan, Mrs. Kathy Leisenring, Mrs. Kathy Grogan,
Gabrielle Oakes, Isabella Abiuso, Kaitlyn Anderson,
Jordan Bour, Emily Spishock, Molly Brennan, Alonna
Ramos, and Alexa Ramos.
CALLING ALL MATH LOVERS By Victoria Mooney
Interested in math? Do we have the solu-
tion for you! Mrs. Vickie Bosso, the
middle school math teacher, is holding
an after school Math Club, exclusively for the 7th and 8th
graders. C‘mon in and learn a whole different kind of
math. A math that you won‘t learn during the school
year! Ever hear of Challenge 24? Or the Mathcounts
Competition? Well, if you join, you will gain new knowl-
edge about it, that‘s for sure. Interested now? Well,
come and check it out for yourself at the next meeting.
2008-2009 Issue 1 8 December 2008
7TH GRADE LIFE By A.J. Sowa, 7A
The 7th grade students have been busy learning new things
in all their subjects. Here is a sample:
In math, we are learning about integers. We are
multiplying, dividing, subtracting, and adding them.
In science, we are learning about pollution and working
on our science fair projects.
In social studies, we are learning about Australia and
New Zealand.
In religion, we are preparing for confirmation, starting a
saint project, and learning about early church history.
In language arts, we are reading The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer. We are also expanding our vocabulary and
writing skills.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN RESPECT LIFE? By Gino Gwyn
Immediately after school on November 7, the Respect
Life members went to Mallard Run to visit the residents
there. Students brought board games to play and snacks
to eat. The Club is coordinated by Mrs. Lucy Chubb.
Club Officers are: President: Gino Gwyn
Vice President: Kelsey Pianka
Sergeant in Arms: Madison Castelli
Secretary: Molly Dupin
Treasurer: Claire McCarthy
Helper: Abby Butala
By Molly Dupin Did you know that …
Your body grows 40 yards of hair every day?
Every person has somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000
taste buds? Girls usually have more than boys do!
Your lungs are the only organs in your body that can
float on water?
There are 1 million ants for every person in the world?
You share your birthday with at least 9 million other
people in the world?
The most dangerous animal in the world is the common
housefly? They are known to transmit more diseases than
any other animal!
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump?
In your lifetime, you'll shed over 40 pounds of skin?
SUMMER READING PROGRAM By Nick Rudolph
This year‘s Summer Reading
Program involved nearly 125 STS
students. This program was created
to encourage reading and to help
students keep their reading skills
over the summer break. Once
applying for this great program, each student kept a
record of the books they read over the summer, and
returned it to Mrs. Pam Beauduy at the library. Each
student who participated received a Reading
Accomplishment Certificate, a new book and a bookmark.
The 2008 participants: Preschool--Ethan Pfeffer, Anna Arensdorf, Emily Ford,
Zach Giles, Gina Ledermann
Kindergarten--Matthew Emery
1A--Alec Diehl, Connor Fry, Helaena Holjes, Daniel
Johnston, Emma LaPenta, Emily Long, Emma Posavec,
Michael Soule, Amanda Smith
1B--Paige Barlick, Michael Berrigan, Ian Dice, Jocelyn
Francis, Jacob Kreiser, Joshua Reid, Laura Zemba
2A--Mark Centurione, Christopher Dare, Daniel Emery,
Willian Ewan, Joseph Francis, Madison Poladian, Bennett
Sheker, Wilson Sheker, Ryan Stager, Brianna Wisman
2B--Avery Arnold, Delaney Cutter, Leah Deppen, Anthony
Eisenhower, Ellen Frantz, Hannah Kline, Alana LaPenta,
Patrick Levin, Steve Mitrzyk, Thomas Reilly, Christian
Selan, Kevin Stager
2C--Jonathan Holjes, Maggie Killmeyer, Campbell Moss,
Tristan Gill, Chase Diehl, Marisa Kowalski, Houston Tyree,
Ryan Stepp, Ayva Lacoco
3A--Elizabeth Binder, Sarah Eby, Catherine Noble, Kanyon
Reichard
3B--Derek Borza, Hannah Brenkacs, Sara Cooney, Jared
Eby, Rachel Emery, Matthew Marone, Rachael Reilly,
Andrea Repetz
3C--Noelle Chavey, Patrick Connolly, Joel Eby, Makenzie
Mettler, Laura Mueller
4A--Ava Arnold, Katie Hogg, Julianna Kreiser, Erin
Pfeffer, Nicole Stepp, Kelsey Young, Matthew Zemba
4C--Alexandra Borza, Kelly Brittingham, Deborah Manasi,
Catherine Gregoire, Victor Piscioneri, Payton Whyne
5A--Hannah Deppen, Derek Ford, Caroline Hills, Wesley
Sheker, Cole Zimmerman, Zachary Sowa
5B--Colleen Connolly, Joshua Eby, Veronica Repetz
5C--Joe Binder, Rebecca Reilly, Bella Ricci, Brendan Borne
6A--Nick Centurione, Katherine Killmeyer, Hannah
Tedesco
6C--Philip Deppen
7A--Matthew Gregiore, AJ Sowa, Isaac Zimmerman,
2008-2009 Issue 1 9 December 2008
UNDEFEATED! By Matthew Gregoire, 7A
For the first time ever, the STS
JV soccer team has gone
undefeated, with a record of 5-0-
1. They won their first three
games, with scores of 8-2 (vs. St.
Patrick), 6-3 (vs. St. Joseph), and
10-2 (vs. Prince of Peace). Then
they tied Holy Name of Jesus, who also went 5-0-1, in a
hard fought battle that went down to the final whistle.
After the tie, St. Theresa won their last two games with
scores of 6-4 (vs. St. Joseph), and 14-2 (vs. St. Catherine).
Leading the scoring rampage with eighteen goals was
Ryan Grogan. Coming in a close second was Brett
Becker and Matthew Gregoire. Will Alford, Ramone
Gwyn, Jacquelyn Barbush, Regan Devine, Kevin Hills,
Alex Lund, Maddie Ortenzio, and Logan Shettle all
contributed scores. Not everyone scored, but everyone on
the team leant a helping hand in all of our victories.
The roster for the 2008 STS JV soccer team:
For 6th grade: Jacquelyn Barbush, Patrick Brennan,
Kevin Hills, Ann Margaret Kennedy, Katherine
Kilmeyer, Nicco Lazzaro, Alex Lund, Ryan
Musselman, and Maddie Ortenzio.
For 7th grade: Will Alford, Brett Becker, Regan Devine,
Shannon Fagan, Matthew Gregoire, Ryan Grogan,
Ramone Gwyn, Rachel Hepp, Logan McNally,
Brennan Resetar, Logan Shettle, Alexander Sowa,
Alexis Verdini, and Isaac Zimmerman.
A huge thank you for all her support, leadership, and
encouragement goes out to coach Mrs. Paula Verdini!
Also, a round of applause for all of the parents and friends
who supported us throughout the season. Great job,
everyone.
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Oh God, as we listen to the
Christmas music tonight,
We thank you for the message of
peace that Christmas brings to our
distracted world.
Give peace among nations,
Peace in our land,
Peace in our homes,
And peace in our hearts,
As we remember the birth at
Bethlehem of the Prince of Peace,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
THE BEGINNING OF THE END By Sam Magaro
Summer has been long over and school is going by so
fast. Eighth grade is really hard to get used to with the
harder lessons and stricter teachers, and it‘s only the first
marking period! A lot is going on; so much has already
happened. We‘ve had our first luncheon and field trip.
Mr. Ted Laubach, Mr. Sam Magaro, and Mr. Dan
Bates coordinated our two car washes which raised
nearly $2,000 towards the dues for 8th grade activities.
Upcoming is science fair, Confirmation preparation,
other work, and National History Day. So far, we have
had a good start to what is going to be a great last year
for us at STS!
8TH GRADE FIELD TRIP TO MESSIAH By Gino Gwyn
Mrs. Michelle Banks arranged the 8th grade science class
field trip to Messiah College. Nick Rudolph said this
about the field trip, ―It was a lot of fun and educational. I
learned a lot about creek health and nature.‖ Students
went into the museum where they learned about animals
that live in Africa and the United States. Students also
went into the creek; the water was freezing but you got
used to it after a while. ―The creek study was a lot of
fun,‖ said Peter Lazzara. ―We were looking to see
macro-invertebrates. They told us, if the creek was
healthy, we would see them.‖ One group found a water
snake. Students hiked around the campus to look at
nature and learn about many kinds of trees and how to
identify trees by their leaves. The field trip was a lot of
fun and this writer wouldn‘t mind going back again.
STS STUDENTS GROOMED FOR
VOLLEYBALL Congratultions to Isabella Abiuso and Gabrielle Oakes,
8th graders, who were selected
in mid-November to play for
a Triad Volleyball travel team
under the direction of Mr.
Uros Davidovic, Trinity High
School‘s Varsity Coach. We
know you will go for the dig,
make the set, and put it away
with a kill!
2008-2009 Issue 1 10 December 2008
STS STUDENTS “ROCK” AT CROSS
COUNTRY By Nate Repetz
This year, Jack Shelly, Brett Becker, Matt Bernick, and
I ran Cross Country for the Trinity Junior High ‗Rocks.
Our meets, or races as they are known, were filled with
ups and downs, literally. The hills were the hardest part.
Though it is a team sport, you run mostly for yourself.
Every meet, you try to beat your personal best time. The
meets take place on a two-mile course, filled with up
hills, side hills, and if you‘re lucky, a long downhill. You
run on all sorts of surfaces: grass, asphalt, woodland
trails, gravel, and more. The best part for me, is making
new friends. The team is open to students from STS, St.
Patrick, Good Shepherd, and St. Joseph. All the kids on
our team got along very well. I‘ve met many life-long
friends.
I highly encourage 6th and 7th graders to try out for next
year‘s team. Here is a little secret: YOU DON‘T HAVE
TO BE A GOOD RUNNER TO TRY CROSS-
COUNTRY! My coach will dig deep to find the runner in
you! I guarantee you will love it. For more information,
see Jack, Brett, Matt, or myself for more information. We
will be glad to talk with you. Cross Country can be tough
at times. But it can be fun and very rewarding. I love this
life-long sport, and I hope you will too.
Thank You to Our Sponsor ! Diocesan Publications
Harrisburg - Regional Office 698 Limekiln Rd.
New Cumberland, PA 17070 800.233.8200
VARSITY SOCCER Due to what appears to be a record turnout of 8th graders,
this year‘s varsity soccer team fielded 20 players, all in
8th grade. Commissioner Neil Gregoire and Coach
Paula Verdini were pleased with the mix of seasoned
players. The players extend a sincere thank you to the
coach and commissioner who made this season great fun,
a unique sports experience, and a genuine pleasure to
play. To the fans who watched every nail-biting, heart-
pumping, thrilling game, the Varsity players appreciated
your unflagging support and superior snacks!
The Roster: Isabella Abiuso
Rachel Barbush
Jordan Bour
Jake Diorio
Alex Failla
Gino Gwyn
Casey Ives
Bailey King
Colin Laubach
Colleen Laubach
Peter Lazzara
Kelly Leisenring
Samantha Magaro
Josh Musselman
Kelsey Pianka
Vince Ruminski
Jack Shelly
Mark Sideck
Emily Spishock
Jackie Winieski
Giant food stores offer the
A+ School Rewards
program for schools to earn
cash each time you shop at
any Giant store using your
Bonuscard. Visit the
website www.giantaplus.com to designate your
Bonuscard to benefit STS. Then, each time you shop at
Giant using your Bonuscard between October 5, 2008
and March 14, 2009, STS will earn credit for 1% of your
total purchases. At the end of the program, STS will be
awarded a check for the total amount earned through
participation in the program. As of early December, STS
ranked 4th among local schools with a year-to-date award
of $4,032.
2008-2009 Issue 1 11 December 2008
2008 - 2009 Calendar
December 23 11:30 Dismissal
December 23 —
January 2 Christmas Vacation
January 5 Return to School
January 9 School Christmas Liturgy
@ 8:45 am, Church
January 16 11:30 Dismissal,
Teacher In-service, pm
January 18 PTO Bingo Bash
January 19 Martin Luther King Day
No School
January 23 The Spoon Man,
Christian Themed Assembly
January 24
First Penance for STS
Harrisburg Diocese Night @
Giant Center, Hershey Bears
January 25
Catholic Schools Week
Opening Liturgy @ 10:30 am, Church
PTO Family Movie Day
January 26 Information Night
January 30
Closing Liturgy for Catholic Schools Week @ 8:45 am, Church
PTO Sundae Social, pm
February 13 No School
February 20 11:30 Dismissal,
Teacher In-service, pm
February 25 Ash Wednesday Liturgy
@ 8:45 am, Church
February 27
Confirmation Retreat
Stations of the Cross
@ 2:00, Church
All Other Fridays in
Lent
Liturgy @ 8:45 am, Church, followed by Stations, except March 13
March 11 Liturgy @ 8:45 am, Church
March 13 11:30 Dismissal,
Teacher In-service, pm
March 20 Confirmation
@ 7:00 pm, Church
March 21 PTO Craft Fair
April 8 11:30 Dismissal
April 9 — 13 Easter Break, No School
PTO NEWS YOU CAN USE By Ms. Danielle Tedesco, PTO President
Parents have expressed an interest in learning how the
monies from PTO fundraising are spent. In an effort to
educate folks, we wanted to share some of the current
expenditures. So far, the PTO has spent $2,500 in enrich-
ment items. This includes $730 in playground mulch and
the purchase of music room supplies, AV equipment, and
furniture. We have also contributed $4,000 towards the
purchase of the classroom supplies formerly supplied by
students. Each teacher receives $300 for teaching sup-
plies; the exception is pre-school who receives more be-
cause of multiple classes. We have reimbursed teachers
$4,000 so far this year.
Non-academic expenditures have included the initial
costs of the Family Bingo Event and Apple Festival
Pumpkin Painting Booth; note that these costs were re-
covered with additional modest profits. The PTO paid
$200 for the sundae party enjoyed after a week of ITBS
testing in October. We also spent $335 to cover the costs
of the Family Pool Party in November. The final cost for
the Muffins with Moms event will be reported out soon.
All fundraising efforts have seen a significant drop in
profits including our largest event, the Fall Wolfgang
Candy/Sally Foster Paper sale. With the economic condi-
tions observed locally and nationwide, we expected at
least a partial decrease in our profits. Know that your
participation in our fundraising activities does matter.
The PTO survives solely on the monies developed
through fundraising and we appreciate your support dur-
ing these difficult times.
The PTO is in the process of developing a survey for
families. It will include questions about the community
events, fundraising, budget items, and family events.
When it arrives via your child‘s book bag, please take the
time to complete it. The feedback we receive will be
heavily incorporated into our decision making for next
year‘s calendar. Specifically, in order to hold any fund-
raisers, we have to offer our fundraising calendar to the
Parish for approval by Spring 2009.
We encourage folks to come to the PTO meetings to ex-
press their thoughts and opinions on our activities. The
next decision-making meeting will be held on January 20,
in the Art Room at 6:30. Happy Holidays and God bless.