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East Catholic Newsletter
Notes from the Principal
March 2018
Volume 6 Issue 6
March Events
OUR LENTEN JOURNEY
TOGETHER
Jesus, As we make this Lenten
journey with You, send us Your Spirit,
help us to give of ourselves, help us to
turn away from selfishness, to fast from
bad habits and to pray more each day, so
that we may know You better. Let us be
renewed through our journey to share
Your grace with the world. AMEN
This is a short prayer but one
that embodies the true spirit of Lent. If
we could all do just one thing with the
right motivation, we truly will get to
know Jesus better.
As you read not long ago, the
regionalization of the schools in the
East will not result in any type of
merger for East Catholic. The
Advisory Board for the East Region is
looking for ways for the schools to
work together to ensure that all can
receive a Catholic education. But we
need your help to recruit for us. If
everyone could talk to one family about
attending East Catholic it would be
helpful.
We also need your help with
the fish fry and other fund raising
efforts. We don’t want to finish the
school year with a deficit so we need
everyone to do his/her part.
Prayer is also important. So
continue to pray that the school will
continue to grow and prosper.
April Events
April 3
School Resumes
April 5
Choral Concert Gr 1-3
April 15
Fashion Show
April 16
Confirmation
April 16-22
4th & 5th Grades Science Fair
April 18-20
Pitt Mobile Lab
April 26
Kennywood Ticket Sale
April 27-28
Shakespeare Play
Stations of the Cross
The students in grades 5-8 will attend stations every Friday during Lent
at 1pm. Students in grades K-4 will attend on March 9th and 23rd at
1:45pm. Please join us in this special prayer of the Church as we
commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus.
The Mission of East Catholic School is to develop
God’s children from pre-K through 8th grade
both academically and spiritually.
Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour on
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
St. Colman Church
7pm
March 2
Early Dismissal at 12:30 pm
March 3
Gala
March 7
Zoo Assembly (Preschool)
March 11
Vera Bradley Bingo
March 12-16
New 4 U Sale
March 13
Career Day
March 18
Preschool Storytime 1:30pm
March 19
Zoo Assembly (K-4)
March 20
Spelling Bee Grades 4-6
March 23
3rd Grade Spelling Bee
March 26
Zoo Assembly (5-8)
March 27
Living Stations (1pm & 7pm)
March 28
School in Session All Day
Snow Make-up Day
March 29-April 2
No School, Easter Break
Fish Fry Information
on last page
Page 2 Volume 6 Issue 6
“A Very Special” March Story
Time for Preschoolers and Open
House
School ticket sale date is Thursday, April 26, 2018
11:15-11:45 AM
$26.00 each *Cash or Money Orders ONLY
(No personal checks accepted)*
East Catholic School Kennywood Picnic Day
will be on Tuesday, June 5, 2018
The East Catholic chess club
tournament was held on
January 20, 2018.
Congratulations to this
year’s winners!
Grades 1-4
1st
Place Carson Manns (4th
grade)
2nd
Place Aiden DeRiggi (4th
grade)
3rd
Place Eli Pittler (2nd
grade)
Grades 5-8
1st
Place Landon Bauer (5th
grade)
2nd
Place Jacob Murray (7th
grade)
3rd
Place Ben Freiwald (5th
grade)
4th
Place Jackson Muntz (5th
grade)
Parents
1st
Place Mr. Chmiel
2nd
Place Mr. Lichius
Sunday, March 18, 2018 from 1:30–
3:00 pm will be the next Story time at
East Catholic School. This is a free
rhyme, song and craft program designed to
entertain and engage young children. The
program is for children 2½ to 5 years old and
should give them a positive introduction to books
and the habit of reading.
We invite all children, along with their parents or
guardian, to come and visit Story time and our
“Open House” with a tour scheduled for
1:30pm at East Catholic School Cafeteria.
Registration is required on or before March 14th
by calling the East Catholic School Office
(412-351-5403) during the hours 8:30 am - 2:00
pm.
The theme of our story time will be
"Easter Parade”. Please join us.
*If you are interested in a school tour only, please call the school office to register at 412/351-5403. Registrations for the tour only
Drug Awareness Essay Winners Drug Awareness Poster Winners 1st Place Robby Steiner 6th Grade 1st Place Isabella Lucas 4th Grade
2nd Place Francesca Veoni 6th Grade 3rd Place Peter Ducruet 4th Grade 3rd Place Caitlyn Cooley 6th Grade
New Student Registration 2018-19 School Year Call the school office for registration information today!
We have openings from Preschool (3 & 4yr old) thru 8th grade.
Page 3 Volume 6 Issue 6
Preschool Corner—Miss McMackin—Room 204
So our friendly groundhog saw his shadow.
Only a few students predicted he would.
Most were hopeful he wouldn’t. We can only
hope he got it wrong! Hearts were all around
this month as the children made special
valentines for their grandparents and families. We, in
turn, have received quite a few valentine cards and
notes from our grandparents, along with some
classroom treats. Our thanks to them for thinking of us
in such a special way.
More Letter People friends stopped by this month: Mr.
X, who walks on his hands, Ms. V who wears a
“vegetable vest” and near the end Ms. U blew in
(literally) . The children work to learn the new letter
sound, how to print it, sight words and
about different topics with each letter. Mr.
X had the children think about how they are
alike and different, Ms. V focused on
vegetables and valentines/love while Ms. U had the
class exploring space; particularly our solar system. The
children are always happy to meet a new Letter Person.
We are still counting the days of
kindergarten and have practiced
counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s. Time flies
when you’re having fun and during
February the children learned about
time. They learned that some tasks take more time
than others, that we can use an analog clock (with
hands) or a digital clock to tell time. They
are working on telling time by the hour and
maybe by the half-hour using both types of
clocks. A homework assignment was to
count how many of each type of clock they
have in their home. We found that very few of us have
an analog clock at home.
Lent began on Ash Wednesday and to help
the children understand it better each child
will have a Lenten egg to fill during this time.
Each week they will receive an item to place
into their egg that is a symbol of our faith.
The symbol will be shared and discussed in
class. We also have our own “crown of thorns”. The goal
is to have all the thorns (toothpicks) removed before
Easter break because of loving, good actions and words
that are used each school day by the children.
We celebrated two birthdays this month, Owen
Brown and Joseph Shanahan. Happy Birthday
to both of them! Our Star Students, who
enjoyed a visit with Moonbeam Moose, were
Keagan Tkach and David Sacramento this
month. We’re looking forward to
celebrating St. Patrick ’s Day in March,
finding some lucky gold, meeting more
Letter People friends, learning how to use money,
having more Star Students and welcoming Spring!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
This month we’ve been busy
meeting new Letter People
Friends, who taught us about opposites,
kites, and lions. We have also had some
new visitors this month. Our Letter People Friends
that came to visit us were Mr. O, Ms. K, and Ms. L.
In our Preschool classroom we got to celebrate,
“Valentine’s Day!” We enjoyed stories, games, crafts,
and treats. We got to make our own, “Valentine Bag”
and pass out Valentines to our friends
This month’s bible objective were; “Make
your light shine, so that others will see the
good that you do,” “Jesus loves and cares
about you,” “Treat others as you want them to treat
you,” and “Loves others as much as you love yourself.”
We ended the month of February celebrating Dr.
Seuss’ birthday! These are the list of stories
we got to read; “Green Eggs and Ham,” “The
Lorax,” “Fox in Socks,” “Oh, the Places You’ll
Go,” and “The Cat in the Hat.” Happy
Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
We are excited to see what March will bring!
Classroom Update—Mrs. McDaniel—Kindergarten, Room 201
Page 4 Volume 6 Issue 6
In a recent class, students were
working on an assignment on the
Chrome Books. When asked what a
particular word meant, one student
immediately realized the resource at
hand, looked up the definition, and
shared the information with the class.
This is just one example of how our
students are extremely comfortable
with the use of computers and the
information they are able to gain from
the internet in a very timely way.
The use of technology has become a
necessity in Mrs. Ward’s 6th, 7th, and 8th grade language arts
classes. Writing assignments are often completed on
Criterion, an online writing program that helps the students
correct their spelling and grammar mistakes before submitting
their final assignment to Mrs. Ward. Google docs and Google
slides make sharing information easy when the students are
working in groups on specific projects.
Students are tested on reading
comprehension and vocabulary using
the Accelerated Reading Program after
completing a novel in class or for a
book report. The addition of Google
Classroom allows students to combine
the use of the other Google programs
on an assignment posted on this site.
Most of these programs are accessible
from home, as well as school, to allow
students to continue working on them
to meet deadlines.
The students enjoy using the Chrome Books and have become
very familiar with the programs they are using on them. We
continue to add worthwhile programs and materials to
enhance the education of the students in our school.
Mark your calendars…..
The Living Stations of the Cross
The Fine Arts Club will present The
“Living Stations” on Tuesday, March 27,
2018 at 1pm & 7pm in St. Maurice
Church.
“Once Upon a Dream”
The Fine Arts Club will be performing this
musical about Cinderella on Thursday,
May 17, 2018 at 7pm in Keane Hall.
Band Concert
Under the direction of Mrs. Sherry
Traugh, the concert will be held on
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 7pm in
Keane Hall.
Musical Concert
Under the direction of Ms. Koontz,
grades 1-3 will have a musical
performance on Thursday, April 5, 2018
at 7pm in Keane Hall.
Everyone is encouraged and welcome to attend and support the students as
they share their talents with all of you!
What are “The Living Stations of the Cross”?
Are you looking for a way to deepen your Lenten experience this year? Under the direction of Ms. Koontz,
members of the Fine Arts Club in grades 4-8 will be presenting our annual The Living Stations of the Cross. Living
Stations is a musically guided performance and reflection of the scripture of Christ’s Passion. This spiritual journey
is propelled by music, under the direction of Mr. Norm Chapman and members of the St. Maurice Parish Choir, and
will draw us into the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior in preparation for Holy Week.
Mark your calendar and join us to make The Living Stations of the Cross a part of your Lenten journey!
March 27, 2018 1pm and 7pm in St. Maurice Church
Technology Use
in Language Arts
Page 5 Volume 6 Issue 6
Congratulations to Mr. Lamanti and several of our 7th and 8th grade students who participated in the 84th Annual Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Fair Regional Meeting held at Duquesne University on Saturday,
February 3, 2018. East Catholic had two first place
award winners and six second place award winners.
1st place Botany 8th
Tomas Nelson “GMO: Better Than Your Average Seed?”
1st place Zoology 7th
Benjamin Gaunt “The “V” an Integral part of a Goose’s Life”
2nd place Behavioral 8th
Sofia Porco “Are Sibling Stereotypes True?”
2nd place Behavioral 8th
Carly Reitter “Memory Mnemonics”
2nd place Microbiology 8th
Rosalie Van Deusen “The Five Second Rule: True or False?”
2nd Place Biology 7th
Matthew Best “The Gas Fruits Pass”
2nd Place Behavioral 7th
William Courtright III “Kids vs. Adults: Who’s More Wired?” 2nd Place Microbiology 7th
Myka Lichius “Yeast in Different Environments”
PJAS
East Catholic School Science Fair Winners 8A - 106 1st Tomas Nelson “GMO: Better Than Your Average Seed?” 2nd Aaron Muschar “Dangers of Distracted Driving”
2nd Jordan Premozic “Measuring the Speed of Light Gelatin” 3rd Jake Benedum “I Saw It With My Own Eyes . . . Or Did I?” 3rd Trent Hammer “Lowering the Freezing Point of Water” 3rd Bailey Muntz “Sight vs. Sound”
8B - 303 1st Blake Hammer “How Do Fears Change With Age?” 1st Rosalie VanDeusen “The Five Second Rule: Fact or Fiction?”
2nd James Fitzpatrick “Does Astrology Predict Our Personalities?” 3rd Olivia Nieser “How to Solve a Rubick’s Cube?” 3rd Harrison Parr “Colorfully Memorable” 8C - 212
1st Havana Gomez “You Be the Judge” 1st Sofia Porco “Are Sibling Stereotypes True?” 2nd Emily Golightly “Which Filtration Material leads to the Best Drinking Water?”
3rd Jack Parr “The Voice Choice”
7A – 301 1st Leyu Belachew “The Musically Way” 2nd Elena Peiffer “What Do You Remember?”
3rd Myka Lichius “Yeast in Different Environments” 3rd Jackson Manns “Do You See What I See?” 7B – 304 1st David Hall “How Does Temperature Affect Crystal Growth?”
1st Aidan Liddy “Exploring Endothermic and Exothermic Chemical Reactions” 2nd Benjamin Gaunt “The ‘V’ an Integral Part of a Goose’s Life” 3rd William Courtright III “Kids vs. Adults: Who’s More Wired?”
3rd Alaina Delio “Are Your Eyes Playing Tricks on You?”
6A—207 1st Tia Kaschauer “Selective Attention: What You’re Missing”
2nd Jack Kaczmarski “The Stain Game” 2nd Gretchen Van Deusen “What Stains Teeth More?” 3rd Erik Matthews “How Low Can You Go?” 3rd Baylie Shropshire “What Brand is Better?”
6B—211 1st William Nelson “Potting Soil vs. Planting Soil” 2nd Ryan Lavery “How Far Will a Balloon Powered Car Go?” 2nd Francesca Veoni “The Solar-Powered Robot”
3rd Ava Delio “Magnificent Marshmallows!” 3rd Alannah Enfield “Making the Perfect Marshmallow”
Book Club Magic Tree House Book Club
2nd Grade
Our next American Girl meeting will be Monday, March 5,
2018 at lunchtime in the After School Room. The girls chose
to read “Meet Caroline ”. There will be a fun project for us to
do during the meeting. Girls may bring their dolls to the
meeting.
3rd 4th and 5th Grades
Our next American Girl meeting will be, Tuesday, March 6,
2018 at lunchtime in the After School Room. The girls chose
to read “Meet Melody ”. There will be a fun project for us to
do during the meeting. Girls may bring their dolls to the
meeting.
2nd Grade
Our next Magic Tree House meeting will be Monday, March
12, 2018 during lunch period in the After School Room.
Please remember to have your child read the book prior to
bringing it with them to the meeting. The book they chose to
read is “Hour of the Olympics”. There will be a fun project
for us to do during the meeting.
3rd 4th and 5thGrades
Our next Magic Tree House meeting will be Tuesday, March
13, 2018 during lunch period in the After School Room.
Please remember to have your child read the book prior to
taking it with them to the meeting. They chose to read “A
Big Day for Baseball”. There will be a fun project for us to
do during the meeting.
Page 6 Volume 6 Issue 6
Book Club 4th and 5th Grade Many of the 4th and 5th Graders have been accepted into the Harry Potter Book Club. The term begins on March
20, 2018 at 11:40 am. Bring something that is Harry Potter related and a lunch. Don’t forget your sorting
wristbands, quail pens and your ticket.
Reading of the “Sorcerer’s Stone” is mandatory.
In January, students in Grades 4-8 participated in the National Geographic Geography Bee. Mrs. Koszka, Mrs. Zannikos, and Miss Breitkreutz conducted the contests in each Social Studies class. The students answered questions concerning United States and world geography. The highest scorers in each class were:
4th Grade 6th Grade
Aiden DeRiggi Jack Flaherty Jack Kaczmarski 5th Grade 7th Grade
William Palko Ben Gaunt Matthew Polinsky
8th Grade
Rosalie Van Deusen
Elsie Winters
Jonathan Zagorski
The class winners each took a 50 point question test to determine who would be the school winner. The
school winner was Rosalie Van Deusen. Rosalie then took the National Geography Bee’s online test in
hopes of advancing to the state competition in Harrisburg. Congratulations and good luck to Rosalie!
Page 7 Volume 6 Issue 6
Library News
Groundhog’s Day – lots of snow!
Valentine’s Day and winds that blow!
Black History Month and Presidents Day.
Snowy fun though skies are gray!
Catholic Schools Week---lots of fun!
February’s short but there’s lots to do!
1st Grade- Jan Brett Project and The Jolly Postman
Who doesn’t love Jan Brett? She is one of my
favorite authors! In the past months the 1st grade
read several of her books, and to extend the fun
from “The Mitten”, they have been working on a
mini “The Mitten” research book. They are
finishing their research on one of the animals in the
story.
They are ready to begin reading “The Jolly
Postman”.
The Library Shelves and Fairytales were features
this month. We also discussed how to address an
envelope, so a mailperson can deliver a letter to the
right place. Then we shared the book “The Jolly
Postman”. In a similar way, librarians also act
like a mailperson when getting books to the right
place. Instead of an address, librarians use the Call
Number on the spine label. We know that the
address of a house is on the front of the envelope,
so the mailperson knows where to take the mail.
Likewise the call number needs to tell where it
belongs, so that the librarian knows where to put
the book. To demonstrate this process, we
constructed a special mailbox in the library. The
students become the mail carriers and deliver the
mail that is in the mailbox. They have letters with
addresses on it and have to find the book address to
deliver the book.
Summary of “The Jolly Postman” or Other
People’s Letters:
The Jolly Postman comes one day with letters for
the residents of fairy tale countryside. As the
postman rides through the countryside, he delivers
letters, postcards, and catalogues to characters such
as Red Riding Hood, B.B. Wolf, Esq., and
Goldilocks. Each envelope holds a special
surprise. This started the journey of fairytales. We
learned the recipe for what makes it a fairytale, as
we read Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and
Little Red Riding Hood.
2nd Grade-Black History Month
To celebrate “Black History Month” in February,
the 2nd graders continued to explore the book
“George Crum and the Saratoga Chip” and did
activities. So the next time you eat a potato chip,
think of George Crum and thank him for this
delicious snack.
3rd Grade-Genre Historical Fiction and Biographies
The 3rd grade has completed reading the
historical fiction book “Riding to Washington”.
They also learned how to locate and identify
biographies and autobiographies. We read “Abe
Lincoln’s Hat” by Martha Brenner and made a
Stovepipe Hat Biography. What’s inside Lincoln’s
hat? – it could be his biography! As postmaster of
New Salem, Illinois, Lincoln was known to put
letters inside his tall, black hat so he would not
misplace them.
4th Grade-Black History Month
African-American History Month was established
in 1926 as Negro History Week. The
commemoration took place in February because
the birthday of Frederick Douglas (1817 or 1818)
and Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809), both
instrumental in the abolition of slavery, fall in
February. Expanded in duration and scope,
African-American History Month provides an
opportunity to examine the contributions of
African-Americans, to remind all Americans of
their roots, and to promote mutual respect among
races.
As part of the African-American Month the 4th
Grade will research the life of an African-
American of their choice. The students will create
a poster board with 7 creative activities for students
to go beyond the facts and think deeply about the
famous African-Americans they are learning about
during Black History Month. The unique and fun
activities require students to think deeply about
their research. Students will apply the information
they learn to demonstrate understanding of the
traits of each person and how he/she overcame
obstacles and demonstrated persistence to
accomplish great things. Looking forward to
seeing their completed projects.
Page 8 Volume 6 Issue 6
Library News (continued)
5th Grade-Hail to the Chief!
The 5th graders continue to research a
president of their choice, and they
are working on writing a report about
their president. As we celebrated
President’s Day, the 5th grade
enriched their knowledge of the 45 men who
have been called “Mr. President.”
6th Grade-Research and Novel
The 6th grade continues to read the novel “Lily’s
Crossing” by Patricia Reilly Giff. In this unit
students are learning how to do research. The
students divided up into groups of 3 or 4. Each
group picked from several topics pertaining to
World War II. Some of the topics included:
rationing, Victory Gardens, D-Day, how
airplanes, tanks, guns, and other needed war
equipment were built during WWII, in addition
to constellations, barnacles, enlarged hearts,
popular music of WWII or drawing a map of
Europe tracing the route Albert and Ruth took to
freedom. Working together as a group, the
students brainstormed resources available to help
them gather information for their story. They are
also discovering how to use the Dewey Decimal
System.
This is an ongoing process that will take them
through the entire research process.
8th Grade
Students in Language Arts 8 L-1
continue to read the book
“Summer of My German Soldier”.
This book is an emotional, thought-
provoking book from the multi-award-winning
author Bette Greene.
This is a National Book Award Finalist, an ALA
Notable Book, and a New York Times
Outstanding Book of the Year.
Socratic Seminar
A Socratic seminar is a way of
teaching founded by the Greek
philosopher Socrates. Socrates believed
that:
Students learn best by asking questions.
It is the teacher’s job to moderate the
discussion instead of leading of the
discussion.
While reading the novel “Summer of My
German Soldier” each week the class will focus
on a selection from the novel. Some of that text
will be read in class, some is read independently.
The students complete a Socratic Prep Packet.
The packet prepares the students for the Socratic
Seminar with important questions and quota-
tions.
Guidelines for the Seminar are:
*Students will listen and look at each
other when they speak.
*One person speaks at time.
*Each person will have a chance to ask a
question.
*Respond to the person who asks the
question.
*Use evidence from the text to support
themselves.
*Always treat each other with mutual
respect.
*Show up for seminar prepared with
materials and reading completed.
Spelling Bee
Once again the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students will
participate in the Diocese of Pittsburgh Spelling
Bee. The Spelling Bee winner will represent our
school in the final bee at St. Louise de Marillac
School on Wednesday May 16, 2018.
The East Catholic School Spelling Bee finals will
be held on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 9:00 am
in the School Cafeteria.
East Catholic School
2001 Ardmore Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
East Catholic School
Phone: 412/351-5403
Fax: 412/273-9114
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.eastcatholicschool.org
United as a Faith Community
We’re on the web at
www.eastcatholicschool.org
This year 100% of the profits will be going to East Catholic School. As in previous years, the Fish Fry will not be a success without everyone helping. Many hands make light work for everyone! We are asking each family to sign up for at least one shift PER child, as well as provide baked goods during the season. New this year, we are offering one "lunch duty" credit if you sign up for a shift as an order taker, line server, or adult take-out worker.
Baked goods can be dropped off on Thursday evenings, sent in with your student on the morning of the fish fry, or dropped off by 2:30 that afternoon.
Please contact Claudia Depner at [email protected] or call/text (412) 904-8599 with any questions or if you are having
trouble signing up for a shift.
The fish fry operates every Friday during lent up to and including Good Friday (March 20, 2018). We are also in need of people who can help with pierogi pinching on Thursdays (or Tuesday during Holy Week) anytime from 4:00 to 9:00 pm. For more information on pierogi pinching, please contact Margie Aronckes at [email protected] or (412) 953-1348.
Support Our School
Sarris Easter Candy & Pittsburgh Popcorn pick
up is on March 15, 2108.
St. Fidelis Christmas Raffle
We sold 1,581 raffle tickets and
earned $12,648.00 for our school!
Magazines—
To renew subscriptions on line www. gaschool.com,
click “Register Now” and enter account number:
2500213. For any questions about on-line
purchases or to place an order over the phone,
please call customer service Toll-Free at 1-800-
251-1542 [Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
CST]. Great American Customer Service
Representatives are always happy to assist you! BoxTops for Education
We receive $.10 for each box top that is
submitted so be sure to send them in to school
with your child.
Register your Giant Eagle Advantage Card at
gianteagle.com/AFTS. East Catholic’s school ID is
1135. Each time your Advantage Card is scanned
through mid-March, your purchases automatically
earn funds for our school.
Register your Shop ‘n Save Card at http://
www.shopnsavefood.com/Education/SEEDProgram/
SEEDRegistration.aspx, designate East Catholic
School as the recipient of the points. They will
automatically be added to our account. So be sure
to register and to ask your friends and relatives to
do the same so that we are able to continue to
receive the free assemblies.
March 7—”Furry Friends” for Preschool
March 19—”Rainforest Rhythms” for grades K-4
March 26—”One Degree of Change” for grades 5-8
Receipts are no longer being accepted.