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Comedy at Mater Christi BURLINGTON—On Saturday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m., Mater Christi School teachers and staff will present ‘‘The Boardinghouse,’’ a comedy. Tickets are adults $10, family $25 to benefit the MCS Drama Program. Mater Christi School is located at 50 Mansfield Ave. For more information call 658-3992 or visit www.mcschool.org.
St. Francis Xavier School teacher selected for Space Academy WINOOSKI—Thanks to a scholarship by the Honeywell Hometown Solutions program, St. Francis Xavier School teacher Alyssa Gagne will be able to experience the excitement of space exploration when she attends the 2011 Honeywell Educators @Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., in June.
Gagne is a 2009 graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in elementary education. She teaches middle school students at St. Francis Xavier. Honeywell Educators @Space Academy is a professional development program for teachers to learn new and innovative techniques to educate their students about science and math. Gagne is one of only 220 teachers from 47 states, 22 countries and one U.S. territory who have been chosen to participate this year. All costs associated with travel, room and board and tuition are underwritten by Honeywell Hometown Solutions and the contributions of its employees. The five-day program is sponsored by Honeywell and is for middle school math and science teachers from throughout the world to participate in 45 hours of intensive classroom, laboratory and training time focusing on space science and space exploration. Teachers also take part in astronaut-style training and simulations as well as activities designed to promote life-long learning in a classroom setting. All lessons and activities link to National Science and Math Standards and are ready to use in the classroom. Gagne is excited about this opportunity. ‘‘I will be able to participate in a simulation of walking on the moon and working in a frictionless environment of space on astronaut simulators,’’ she said. ‘‘We will also be experiencing what it would be like to land in the water with a parachute or be rescued from the water by a helicopter. I am pleased I will be able to pass this knowledge on to my students next fall.’’
Veteran Rice teachers receive national recognition SOUTH BURLINGTON—Rice Memorial High School Associate Principal for Student Life Lloyd Hulburd of Shelburne and history teacher Sarah Smith Conroy of South Burlington have been recognized as Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars. This award, established in honor of the NSHSS founder Claes Nobel, identifies teacher role models who have made a lasting difference in their classroom and a significant contribution to the nominating student’s academic career. Emeline Gaujac of the Class of 2010 nominated Hulburd; Senior Greta Zarro nominated Conroy. Hulburd has been a fixture at Rice for 33 years as both a teacher of history and as an administrator. Conroy has been teaching at Rice for 13 years and coaches Rice’s Scholar Bowl team as well as the girls tennis team. Currently, 370 students from 42 towns across Vermont and 19 countries are enrolled at Rice. The school boasts a 13:1 student/teacher ratio and offers an aggressive college preparatory curriculum. Ninety percent of graduating seniors are accepted and attend four-year colleges and universities. Founded in 1959, Rice Memorial High School’s mission is to guide its students to discover their God-given potential by learning how to recognize and develop their gifts, love learning, serve others and seek God.
School retreat BURLINGTON—Last month the Mater Christi school seventh graders made a day-long retreat at St. Michael’s College in Colchester. Coordinators of the retreat were Jason Moore, co-director of campus ministry at St. Michael’s College, Sister of Mercy Joanne La Freniere and Jennifer Coulter, staff members at Mater Christi School, and Mary Beatty, campus ministry director at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington. Students from St. Michael’s College and from Rice gave witness talks. The seventh graders had opportunities for sharing and reflection and attended Mass celebrated by Edmundite Father Raymond Doherty. A number of their teachers from Mater Christi joined the students for all or part of the day.
Palm Sunday breakfast MILTON—Daughters of Isabella St. Ann Circle will host a Palm Sunday breakfast April 17, at St. Ann Parish following the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Masses in St. Ann Hall. The menu will include French toast, eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, muffins, Vermont maple syrup, juice and coffee. Donations will be accepted.
‘Golgotha’ BURLINGTON—The University of Vermont Catholic Center is hosting a special event on Good Friday, April 22, when students from The Catholic Center will be performing ‘‘Golgotha,’’ a meditation on Christ’s Passion presented through prayerful reflections and theatrical scenes. The event begins at 8:30 p.m. at the Catholic Center Chapel. Admission is free of charge, but donations will be accepted.
Author visit BURLINGTON—Local, award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone from South Burlington visited with Christ the King Middle School students on in March. She is the author of many books, several of which examine the important role women have played in the history of the nation. She focused on her books Almost Astronauts, the story of Mercury 13 and the pioneering role they played in opening space travel to women, and on Elizabeth Leads the Way about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her life and fight to win the right to vote for women. Stone walked the students through the process of how a book is written from coming up with an idea, to accurate research, to working with publishers and illustrators. She explained that figures from history need not be ‘‘famous’’ names, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to have had a huge impact on our world. Her visit coincided with Women’s History Month and was made possible through the work of the Enrichment Committee and a grant from The Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith Project.
Genealogy program COLCHESTER—The Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society presents a class to help with research for ancestors. Scott Tower will give a presentation on the different resources he uses to research a Civil War soldier's records and personal history. He will also do a slide show on the different battlefields and historic sites he has recently toured. The event takes place on Saturday, May 7, from 10:30 a.m.-noon. The public is welcome at the presentation at the society’s library on Hegeman Avenue in Fort Ethan Allen across from Vermont State Police building. Donations are appreciated. The library is open for research from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and on Tuesdays from 3-9:30 p.m. For more information visit Http://www.vt-fcgs.org or call 802-238-5934.
Essay contest winners BURLINGTON—Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 782 participated in an all-school assembly recently at Mater Christi School. The eighth grade class, with the guidance of English teacher Patrick Welsch, had written essays for the VFW Patriot’s Pen Essay contest. Four of the eighth graders received special prizes of trophies and U.S. savings bonds, and these were presented by VFW leaders, Susan and Bob Brannon, during the assembly. There were two first prize winners: Anna Darrow and Paige Hauke. Second place winner was Margaux von Buren, and third place winner was Miranda Orcutt. Each student in the class received a certificate from the VFW for participation in the essay contest. Paul Jette, principal, and Welsch expressed their gratitude to the members of the VFW for encouraging students to write on topics that deal with patriotism and for providing the eighth graders with the medium necessary for reflecting on their roles as citizens of the United States. The Patriot’s Pen program is designed to foster patriotism by allowing students the opportunity to express their opinions on democracy based on an annual theme. This year's was ‘‘Does Patriotism Still Matter?’’ A total of 140,000 students participated in this year’s competition.
CPR and the Heimlich maneuver taught to students BURLINGTON—Eighth grade students at Mater Christi School recently learned how to perform CPR and how to use the Heimlich maneuver thanks to the generosity of Tamara McLaughlin, owner and trainer at Vermont SafetyNet. She accepted an invitation from Donna Quinlan, physical education instructor at Mater Christi, to join her in a training session with the eighth graders at the school. Robot-type dummies were used to learn the CPR technique. For the Heimlich maneuver, McLaughlin demonstrated with the help of Quinlan and then had the young people gently go through the motions as partners. The session began with a Power Point which gave background information on life-saving techniques and the science of anatomy behind these activities. The eighth graders demonstrated a great deal of interest in, and appreciation for, this opportunity—the outcome of which might be the saving of a life some day.
Odyssey of the Mind Competition BURLINGTON—Mater Christi School had six teams participate in the 2011 Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament on last month in Hinesburg. Grades 3-5 and grade 6 Division II, Problem II teams placed first, and the seventh grade Division II, Problem II team placed second in the state. These three teams received trophies and qualified to advance to world finals in Maryland in May. Mater Christi School also had a Primary team made up of second graders, and these participants received a trophy for their performance. The eighth grade, Division II, Problem III team received a third-place state trophy. Mater Christi has the highest number of teams participate in the competition. Vermont's Odyssey of the Mind is offered by Vermont Creativity Quest, a member of the Odyssey New England network. The purpose of the competition is to promote creativity, divergent thinking, team-work skills and self-confidence in the youth of Vermont by providing them the opportunity to participate in creative-problem solving through the Odyssey of the Mind Program. With three teams qualifying to go to the finals, members of the MCS community are now looking for creative ways in which to raise the money needed to get to finals in Maryland.
K of C host Palm Sunday Breakfast WINOOSKI—The Daughters of Isabella and the Winooski Knights of Columbus will be hosting a Palm Sunday breakfast on Sunday, April 17 featuring pancakes, French toast, Vermont maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, pan potatoes, coffee and juice. The breakfast will take place from 8 a.m.-noon at the Winooski Senior Center. The cost will be $5 for adults and $4 for children 6-12; children under six will be free. For more information call 893-4998.
Shroud of Turin exhibit RICHFORD—The Holy Shroud of Turin Exhibit will make a return visit to All Saints Church from Friday, May 13, to Sunday, May 15. The Holy Shroud provides a visual history of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The presenter, Don Messier of Jericho, will give a presentation on Sunday, May 15, from 1-3 p.m. The presentation will include a dramatic exhibition of three full-size photographs of the actual shroud with accompanying slides and a film entitled ‘‘Jesus and the Shroud of Turin.’’ There will be an opportunity for discussion after the presentation. This program is free and open to the public.
Math-A-Thon Adds up to Success
Vermont author William Jaspersohn WINOOSKI—Young writers and readers at St. Francis Xavier School were treated to a visit from Vermont author William Jaspersohn, author of more than 25 books for elementary school students.
Jaspersohn's book, The Scrimshaw Ring, was the springboard for a narrative writing project undertaken by grades 3-8 called ‘‘The Great Heirloom Writing Adventure.’’ The Scrimshaw Ring is a true story based on a family heirloom and published by the Vermont Folklife Center. In preparation for Jaspersohn’s visit, students asked their families about an heirloom treasured by and handed down through generations of their own relatives, and each student then interviewed a relative about the heirloom. Some heirlooms included photographs, furniture, jewelry, hats, clothing, holiday ornaments, family recipes and a dance. Student drawings of these heirlooms were made into a giant collage and displayed in the library. Jaspersohn spoke to the students about how he approached the task of writing a true family story inspired by an heirloom and why he thinks these stories are so critically important to tell. Utilizing the advice from a professional writer, St. Francis Xavier students are now polishing their family heirloom stories.
BURLINGTON—The ‘‘Spring Challenge’’ fun run at Christ the King School will take place in June and be the capstone of the school's spring wellness program. Six athletes from the University of Vermont’s women’s athletic programs visited the Catholic elementary school April 6 to kick off the event and talk about wellness. Student athletes from the women's hockey, swimming, diving and field hockey teams as well as UVM swimming coach and CKS parent Jen Cournoyer talked with students about the importance of hard work, time management and healthy living. Over the course of the spring, all students will set goals for the fun run, hear daily healthy living tips and learn about the importance of staying active. Also, each CKS student will write to friends and family to ask them to sponsor their fun run.
Christ the King School Odyssey of the Mind BURLINGTON—Three teams from Christ the King School in Burlington participated in this year's Odyssey of the Mind regional tournament. Odyssey of the Mind is a nationwide competition that challenges students to think creatively to solve an open-ended problem that involves teamwork and cooperation. Dozens of schools from throughout Vermont participate each year to celebrate creative thinking and teamwork. The primary team presented an entertaining performance of their solution to ‘‘Money Maker.’’ The ‘‘Gold as Goldberg‘‘ team demonstrated exceptional technical skill in creating a Rube Goldberg Machine. The huge, complex machine had the simple task of pumping a bicycle pump but performed it in a very roundabout way. Their solution won third place. The ‘‘Unhinged Structure’’ team designed a balsa structure that had to fit into a 6-inch cube and then unfolded to at least eight inches and hold weight. The structure held 217 pounds – the highest weight at state competition. The team also had to design or create three folded items that changed appearance during their presentation. They were awarded first place and an invitation to compete at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at the University of Maryland in May. All three teams exhibited outstanding creativity, imagination, and teamwork. |
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