March 2017 SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Notre Dame High School

We began with our last Admissions Testing day on Saturday, March 4th hosting about 40 students. On Friday, March 3rd, 9 ND ladies trekked to Nashville to get an inside look at the life of our Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. They got to chat & clean with, pray & play with the sisters in the novitiate, and get a unique first-hand perspective on the joys of religious life.

Foreign Language week was also held during March. This is a week we recognize students and faculty from many different countries and experience their ethnicity through morning and afternoon prayers in other languages. We had a bake sale with a variety of food selections from different cultures and ended the week

with a parade of flags and a speaker, Vivian Lozano from La Paz.

We showed our Irish pride on St. Patrick’s Day at Irish Soles. This was a family event that includes a race or walk. The race was authorized by the City of Chattanooga, had traffic control and a city policeman in each of its intersections. Proceeds from the race go to Notre Dame's Annual Fund.

The Guidance Department held a junior parent night in order to begin the preparation process for the right college search and college process. SPRING BREAK MISSION TRIP: For the past 5 years a group of parents and students have been traveling to Cincinnati to do mission work in the region. This rewarding time is spent in community kitchens, day care for underprivileged children, the local Ronald McDonald house, construction of homes for those who cannot afford them, packaging relief boxes for areas in need, feeding the homeless, and many other very worthwhile forms of service. The mission trip is based out of an organization called Franciscans for the Poor (http://franforthepoor.org/), which is operated out of an old convent called the Tau House where the students and adults stay during the week and live in community, cooking and cleaning together. Each day the mission team divides into smaller groups and spreads out into the area to participate in different types of service. As they worked through the week, great friendships were made while great work was being accomplished.

On March 31st, we were honored to have several alumni and others attend Career Day and share their educational background and experience for their current career choices. The assembly was attended by the sophomore class in preparation for the career day job shadowing which took place April 7th.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

The Chattanooga Symphony who sent us a reader to our 4th and 5th grade music classes for Read Across America Day. Mrs. Naomi read the beautiful non-fiction story of Marian Anderson, a young African-American opera singer in the 1920 and 30's who became known as one of the most celebrated twentieth-century singers. The story tells of her struggles and accomplishments. Our Winter Home and School meeting was an exciting and fun Math Night hosted by Mathnasium of Chattanooga. Kids and adults had the opportunity to rotate through different stations and "play" while learning various Math concepts! They went on a Pi Scavenger Hunt, played Tangoes, Four-way Countdown and more. The students got their "passports" stamped at each of the stations to earn prizes and one lucky family came home with a one-month membership!

Players enjoyed an outstanding evening at the Catholic Football Awards Dinner. It was a fitting conclusion to a spectacular season. Mike Keith, the voice of the the Titans, was an engaging speaker and his appearance much appreciated. The 2016 Catholic Football team played fundamentally sound football with class, sportsmanship, and heart.

In honor of the feast of Saint Joseph on March 19th, OLPH School set up a Saint Joseph altar in the church. Though new to our parish and school, the tradition dates back to a famine many years ago on the island of Sicily. The resident there prayed to their patron, St. Joseph to send rain to ease the drought that had left them with little to eat. When the rains finally came, the residents set up the altar with offerings of food in thanks to St. Joseph for relieving their hunger. After praying to St. Joseph, they distributed the food to the less fortunate. At OLPH, students were asked to bring in at least one canned food item, and the food was donated to our OLPH food pantry.

Sixth Grade student Tori Soutuyo and her father Fran each took first place in their age groups at the Irish Soles 5K road race, benefitting Notre Dame High School!

Our second-grade students worked with their parent or other special adult creating personalized banners that will be displayed during the First Communion celebration the first weekend of May.

OLPH once again hosted a Family Honor session which teaches parents and adolescents to build a better family life by learning to communicate, anticipate and deal with changes. The program is designed for parents with their 7th-8th-grade son or daughter. Topics include: fertility appreciation, learning about appropriate future dating behavior (as in older teens), developing values and responsibilities in the family, the changes in adolescence, and much more. Skits, role play, video clips, small group-breakouts, parent-child focused time, and audience participation make this a fast-paced and interesting program for both parents and adolescents.

St. Jude School

Third Grade student, Katie White, new to St. Jude this year, completed her preparation and received First Communion at a very special Mass that was attended by her family and members of her school class.

Members of the St. Jude parent community, Erik and Cammie Hunt and Craig and Emily Smith, spent an entire day during their spring break cleaning and repairing the window, blinds and light fixtures in the cafeteria/auditorium.

St. Jude students spent the better part of 2 weeks taking the IOWA Test of Basic Skills and COGAT standardized assessments. Results are just in and are being reviewed but there are lots of smiles! In downtime, several unique activities occurred including a camp out in 3rd grade, and an ocean and rain forest appearing in the 1st/2nd grade hallway!

Kindergarten conducted Science Experiments using root beer and ice cream as the materials - results, Root Beer Floats and Happy Kiddos!

Sam Powe, 6th grade, advanced and competed in 8 rounds of the Level II Geography Competition in Nashville.

Knoxville Catholic High School

Congratulations to the members of the Choral Program who competed at the J.B Lyle Choral Festival on March 1 at Pellissippi State. Both groups received all “1’s”, or Superior Ratings.

Congratulations to the Robotics Team for making it to the Semi-Finals at the Palmetto Regionals held March 1-5 in Myrtle Beach, SC, and for bringing home three awards. Laura Daffron won the Pit Safety award. The team won the safety hard hat award, and The Industrial Design award. The Robotichauns also participated at the Smokey Mountain Regionals March 22-24 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Congratulations to Luke Smith for his selection as Finalist for Mr. Basketball in Division AA, and for his runner-up finish.

Congratulations to the members of the Band Program on their Superior ratings at the ETSBOA Concert Band Festival which was held at Farragut High School on March 8.

KCHS was represented by 12 students and 8 chaperones who traveled to Haiti for a Mission trip during Spring Break. The group reported the trip was very enlightening and that they were touched by the people of Haiti.

Congratulations to our Boys Basketball Team on their runner-up finish in the TSSAA State Tournament. This is the highest finish for any basketball team in school history and their record of 31 wins and only 2 losses is also a school record. Congratulations to these boys and Coach Hutchens!

Very special thanks to all of the parents and alums who graciously volunteered to share their career experiences with our students during Career Day on March 24. Approximately 40 folks generously donated their time to the school to share their professional experiences with our students. Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Theory of Relativity on their great performances the weekend of March 31-April 2.The sets and costumes were impressive and the sound and lighting were great. Thanks to Ms. Jessica Magers-Rankin and her volunteers for a wonderful spring play.

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Spring into the Arts! SHCS held their first annual Arts celebration on Sunday April 2nd. They showcased their orchestral, choral, visual, theatrical, and dance artists. The afternoon celebration was widely enjoyed and will become a yearly favorite!

Sacred Heart Cathedral School 8th-graders Madeline

Thompson and Brady Glasgow were selected by judges to

compete in the Optimist International Oratorical Contest at

the Foundry in Knoxville on March 23. Madeline placed

third in the girls' division while Brady placed first among

the boys. He advances to the area competition in April.

Eighth graders were introduced to the pottery wheel in art class!

Students demonstrated their understanding of the structure of DNA by creating a "larger than life" sized model

out of pool noodles that not only included the correct base pairs, but also the sugars and phosphate groups

along the nucleotide. We are proud to display this double-helix in our room!!

Congratulations to the boys’ lacrosse team! They

won the program's first ever game, 9-4, against one

of Farragut's teams.

The Cat in the Hat visited our students on Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

St. John Neumann School

Regional Science Fair – The Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair (SASEF) took place March 27-30 at Thompson Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. SASEF is the premier science and engineering competition for students in middle and high school in the 23-county service area of East Tennessee. There are two divisions of competition: Junior Division for middle school students, grades 6-8, and Senior Division for high school students, grades 9-12. St. John Neumann Catholic School in Farragut was represented extremely well this year! The students are directed by middle school science teacher, Brett Shaffer. This year’s Junior Division Grand Champion (1st place overall) is SJNCS 6th grader, Tina Fanelli. She was awarded with a trophy and $200 prize. Her environmental science project was titled: Helping the Earth: Do-It-Yourself Bioplastics. This year’s Junior Division Reserve Champion (2nd place overall) is SJNCS 6th grader, Dmitri Kalinin. Dmitri was awarded with a trophy and $100 prize. His cellular and molecular biology project was titled: Salty, Sour, and Soapy Cells: Separately and Simultaneously. In addition to winning the first and second place overall prizes, five SJNCS 6th graders were awarded Certificates of Excellence (1st place in their category) which includes a certificate and $25 prize. The students that received this achievement are Tina Fanelli (Environmental Science); Dmitri Kalinin (Cellular & Molecular Biology); Ellen Falvey (Earth & Planetary Science); Kate Pettinger (Engineering: Materials & Bioengineering); and Audrey Weaver (Microbiology). Dmitri Kalinin also received the Naval Science Award which included a certificate, medal and $25

prize from the U.S. Department of the Navy. Three SJNCS 6th graders received Honorable Mentions. They are Abbey Arnold, Mason Burkhardt, and Adriana Zablah.

East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association Concert Festival – For the 2nd year in a row, the SJNCS Concert Band has received a Superior rating at the ETSBOA Middle Area Concert Festival held at Farragut High School! This is the highest rating possible and qualifies them to move on to the STATE level. Also, ours was the only middle school band that included 5th graders. They will now travel to perform at Austin Peay State University on April 27th. Congratulations to Director Jonathan Leichman, with assistance from Jay & RoAnn Romines, and our incredible group of musicians!

Pray for the Sanctity of Life – Each month our school children participate in First Friday Adoration. They spend time in the Church with Jesus who is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Some students read the Bible, some say the Rosary or other prayers, and others sit quietly and reflect. Parents are always welcome to join us and receive the special blessings given during Adoration and Benediction. This Friday we have dedicated our prayers for the unborn and the sanctity of life. Springtime Beautification Day – We'd also like to thank the handful of parents and students who spent the afternoon last Friday digging, weeding, planting, and sprucing up our grounds in front of the school. It looks fantastic! What a wonderful gift of time given so that all can enjoy God's beauty. Quarter 3 Academic Achievement – A Peer Recognition Assembly was held recently for middle school students. In each subject area, students with outstanding performance were recognized by their teachers and peers. Outstanding performance is based on academic achievement, participation, and effort. Students who achieved First Honors (All As) and Second Honors (All As & Bs) for the third quarter also received recognition. You can find their names posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway of the school building. These students will receive an Honors ribbon in their Friday Folders. Finally, special recognition was given to the students who achieved the Principal's Award, one of the most prestigious awards given each quarter. This award is given to students who have attained the highest grade point averages for the quarter. Each student on the Principal's List received a special certificate signed by Mr. Derbyshire. Congratulations to all! Grades 5/6 Principal's Award - Reagan Cozart, Ellen Falvey, Flynn Harrigan, Eliza Noell, Sophie Noell, Ella Perry, Kate Pettinger, William Pinzon, Audrey Stapleton and Adriana Zablah. Grades 7/8 Principal's Award - Bella Flask, Chase Fuller, Ben Kozemko, Emily Latham, Raylee McKenzie, Ella Myers, Adam Osborn, Ella Renfree, Lila Satterfield and Alonso Vela.

St. Joseph School

Remember You Are Dust... Ash Wednesday, March 1 Father Ron Franco, CSP presided at Mass as we called to mind our sin and began again our road to Calvary. Behold, I make all things new. Rev 21:5. While the dust on our foreheads reminds us of our own mortality as a result from sin, the shape of the cross helps us remember that Jesus has saved us. May this season of Lent bring about true repentance in each of our hearts so that we might rise with our Lord at Easter. Operation Rice Bowl – Lenten Almsgiving Our students took home Rice Bowls as part of Catholic Relief Services' annual Lenten efforts to help the most vulnerable in our world and in our local community. Visit crsricebowl.org / crsplatodearroz.org for more information. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! – Thu, Mar 2 We celebrated the birthday of children's author Theodore Giesel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Our primary wing made it even more fun by dressing up as their favorite characters from Dr. Seuss books. What a fun day! First Friday – Mar 3 We gathered as we do each first Friday of the month to worship our Lord in the Mass and throughout the day in Adoration. Father Tim Sullivan, CSP of Immaculate Conception presided over our morning worship and Deacon Scott Maentz of Holy Ghost led our Benediction in the afternoon. For more information on Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the First Friday devotion, please visit: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/prayers/devotions/to-our-lord-jesus-christ/first-friday-devotion/ 8th Grade Pancake Breakfast - Sat, Mar 4 Come, have breakfast. John 21:12. The Class of 2017 hosted a delicious Pancake Breakfast from 8:00-10:00 am at Aubrey's in Powell. All proceeds benefit the class trip to Camp Greenville and graduation expenses.

Sister Jolita Irish Supper & Sing-Along – Sat, Mar 11 Irish Dancing, Hearty Irish Food, Loud Laughs, Silent Auction, Family Fun, and best of all, a Great Cause! The Sister Jolita Fund provides much needed help for SJS students in particular need. Speech therapy, field trip money, special needs testing, help with school uniforms, etc. Sister Jolita, RSM always had room in her heart and something in her hands for students in need. Thank you for your help in continuing her legacy for the children of Saint Joseph School!

"You Be the Chemist" Challenge Qualifiers Science excellence from our Middle School students! 8th Graders Kate Landen, Meredith Thomas, Levi Waxmonsky, and Sami McLean and 6th Graders Braden Allen and Bryson Harris have qualified to participate in the "You Be the Chemist" Challenge on April 29th. Congrats to our qualifiers and their teacher, Mrs. Rosemary Calvert! Paulist Novice Geno Flores Speaks with 8th Grade – Wed, Mar 22 Father Ron Franco and Paulist Novice Geno Flores spoke with our 8th Grade about the founder of the Paulist Fathers: Servant of God, Isaac Hecker and the upcoming Hecker Essay Contest. Geno, a former Marine and Naval employee at the Pentagon, shared his personal conversion story. After growing up amidst violence in his Chicago neighborhood, Geno lost his faith. Years later, Geno was struck by the message of Jesus in the Gospel to Love God and Neighbor after having accepted a friend's invitation to Mass. Now he desires to become a priest and bring that message of truth, love, and healing to others.

Bishop Stika Visits SJS – Wed, Mar 22 We celebrated Mass with Bishop Stika last Wednesday. Afterwards, Bishop visited students in their classrooms. He even took a quick look at what is now a grassy rectangle in our courtyard, but what will someday be a Middle School wing (the other half of our Media Center). Thank you Bishop for your support!

Rosary for Life at Sacred Heart Cathedral – Wed, Mar 22 Our 7th and 8th Graders joined with Bishop Stika and Middle School students from Sacred Heart Cathedral School to pray for the protection of all people from conception to natural death in the Rosary for Life. Students reflected on the dignity of life in the womb, of those around us every day, of immigrants and refugees, of the elderly and the sick, and people in prison or on death row. We prayed for hearts to be converted to the truth, for healing for those whose lives have been destroyed by choosing abortion, and for the legal protection of life at all stages. Special thanks to Mr. Paul Simoneau for organizing the event. Living Stations of the Cross – Fri, Mar 24 Our 8th Grade leaders gave us a beautiful witness to Jesus' passion as they enacted the Living Stations of the Cross. Our entire school gathered in prayer and followed the Way of the Cross around our campus, from Jesus'

condemnation to His burial. Many, many thanks to our 8th Graders for their reverence and for the gift of prayer they gave to the rest of us.

Iowa Assessments – Mon-Fri, Mar 27-31 Students in Grades 1-8 begin the Iowa Assessments this week. We use the results of these tests to determine the needs of our students and inform instruction, curriculum and staffing. It is essential that students show up on time, after having eaten a good breakfast, and after a good night's sleep. So that students are not interrupted after testing has begun, tardy students will remain in the office until there is a break between individual tests. We look forward to sharing results with you in the future. SASEF - SJS Students Participate in Science Fair at UT – Tue, Mar 28 Mrs. Rosemary Calvert took 14 of our Middle School students to the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair at Thompson-Boling Arena. Congratulations to all our participants and to the following students whose projects were awarded or received honorable mention: Drake Light, Gigi Sompayrac, Keeley Wade, Lola Boehman, and Meredith Thomas.

Sunday Best Service Project – Mar 20-31 The Saint Joseph School National Junior Honor Society collected gently used Sunday, Easter, and Dress clothing for Boys, Girls, Junior, and Adult Sizes. As many of our students prepare for Confirmation and First Holy Communion, this project helps families celebrate in style and focus on the more important thing – clothing ourselves with Christ!

St. Mary School – Oak Ridge

St. Mary’s School 6th grade students recently completed a novel study on Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. The setting of the book takes place at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. As a culmination of the study, the students took a field trip to the Biltmore Estate.

Students enjoyed celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday with great activities, special guest readers and lots of whimsical moments!

St. Mary’s students celebrated Arbor Day in grand fashion on Friday, March 3, 2017. Cub Scout Pack 329 presented the flag to begin the gathering in the school library. Mr. Kevin Hoyt, Director, UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center served as Master of Ceremonies. Sister Marie Blanchette, O.P., Principal and the mayor of Oak Ridge, Mayor Warren Gooch welcomed the guests and students. The presentation included the announcement of the Tree City USA Award and the Tree Line USA Award, both presented to Mayor Gooch. The city of Oak Ridge was recognized as being one of 44 cities out of 351 in the state of Tennessee designated as a Tree City. In order to qualify as Tree City USA, four standards must be met. The city must have 1) a Tree Board or Department, 2) a Tree Care Ordinance, 3) a community Forestry Program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and 4) an Arbor Day Celebration and Proclamation. Oak Ridge is proud to continue its 29th year as a Tree City USA award recipient. After the presentation of awards, the group gathered outside on the campus of St. Mary’s School to plant a Southern Red Oak tree. All of the students in 4th grade received a Horn Beam seedling to celebrate Arbor Day!

On March 3rd, Tennessee State Representative, John Ragan, along with several members of VFW Post 12051 came to St. Mary’s School to make a special presentation to 7th grader, Genevieve Robinson. Jim Irving, VFW District 2 Commander, shared opening remarks and presented Genevieve with a $1,000 check and a plaque for winning the Department of Tennessee’s Patriot’s Pen competition as part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Essay Competition. As a result of winning at the state level, she was entered as one of 54 finalists in the national competition where she was recognized with the $500 VFW Southern Conference Award. The finalists came from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Pacific Areas and Panama Canal. Conducted nationwide, the Patriot's Pen is a VFW-sponsored youth essay competition that gives sixth, seventh, and eight grade students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. Over 100,000 students submitted essays from around the country and around the world. This year's Patriot's Pen essay asked students to describe “The America I Believe In….” Students were asked to think hard about the America they believe in and, in 300 - 400 words, articulate what makes our nation unique and great. In her essay, Genevieve wrote, “We have a country in which our differences are celebrated instead of discouraged. Our different talents can be utilized to build a better, stronger nation.” We are so proud of Genevieve for achieving such a distinguished recognition.

Anna Kasemir, an 8th grader at St. Mary’s School, recently participated in the American Choral Directors Association 2017 National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir. Over 4,400 singers auditioned to participate in the three conference honor choirs. Of the 298 singers selected to sing in the JH/MS choir, Anna was the only singer from the state of Tennessee. The ACDA National Conference was hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 8th – 11th. The event involved over 5,000 attendees in which all fifty states were represented, as well as, thirty foreign countries. The JH/MS Honor Choir performed in two concerts on Saturday, March 11th.

After wonderful week of rehearsals and concerts, Anna and her music teacher, Mrs. Carol Villaverde, celebrated by visiting a unique downtown Minneapolis landmark, The Schmitt Music Wall. It is a five-story mural on the side of a building near 10th and Marquette featuring over-sized musical notes. The music is from a piano piece written by French composer Maurice Ravel called “Gaspard de la Nuit.” The section depicted on the building comes from the third movement, called “Scarbo.” Many musicians say it is arguably the most difficult piece to play for a solo pianist. What an amazing way to end a wonderful week of music making!

Our 8th grade students recently participated in a beautiful and prayerful presentation of the Living Stations of the Cross. What a powerful reminder of God’s incomprehensible love for each of us! Thank you, Sister Joanna, O.P. for guiding our students!

St. Mary’s students shared their gifts and talents at our Talent Show. The singing, dancing, drumming, storytelling and everything else were delightful!

Students were busy with after school activities: Scenes from the pottery club, garden club, track team and golf team.

Eighteen of the St. Mary’s Science Fair winners participated in this year’s Southern Appalachian Science &

Engineering Fair (SASEF) at the University of Tennessee on March 28-30, 2017.

St. Mary’s is proud to announce that our students received the following overall awards, certificates of

excellence, special awards and honorable mentions:

Overall Awards:

4th place– Amelia Van Berkel- “Did that Get the Lead Out?” 5th place– Sarah Tackett- “Milk: The Next Generation”

Certificates of Excellence: Parker Sorah-“Healthy Hydration Outdoors”, Sarah Tackett-“Milk: The Next Generation”, Amelia Van Berkel-“Did that Get the Lead Out?” Special Awards: Elizabeth Brands-“Rubber vs. Cotton”: ASM Materials Education Foundation: Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science, TN Chapter of the International Society of Automation (ISA): Best Use of Instrumentation or Controls in a Junior Project, Smoky Mountain Section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE): Applying Engineering Practices, Mateo Gorrondona –“Fight Drought with Solar Panels”: American Meteorolgical Society Certificate of Outstanding Achievement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA): 2017 Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award, NOAA: Atmospheric Turbulence & Diffusion Division, Oak Ridge, TN, Amelia Van Berkel-“Did that Get the Lead Out?”, American Institue of Chemical Engineers, East Tennessee Chapter of the American Chemical Society, BroadcomMasters Eligible, Sarah Tackett-“Milk: The Next Generation”: BroadcomMasters Eligible, Anna Kasemir-“Can You See Me Now?”: US Air Force Award, Sydney Mesmer-“Don’t Give Mosquitoes a Biting Chance”: SASEF Directors Award, Parker Sorah-“Healthy Hydration Outdoors”: BroadcomMasters Eligible Honorable Mentions: Jacqueline Audet-“O-Pine Wood Derby”, Marissa Dalton- “A Clay Array of Amazing Glazing”, Mateo Gorrondona –“Fight Drought with Solar Panels”, Sydney Mesmer-“Don’t Give Mosquitoes a Biting Chance”, Ethan Sherlock- “Battle of the Genres”

St. Dominic School

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

SDCS 4th and 5th graders spent the day at

Rocky Mount Historical Site getting a hands-

on look at living in the Southwest Territory.

They were able to see and experience for

themselves the daily life of a frontier family.

Fifth grade students recreate the

wharf area of Colonial Boston.

Annual SDCS Science Fair

We are certainly proud of all our students who took part in the science fair. Participants were able to

share their enthusiasm for science with fellow students, friends and family.

Artic animal dioramas

made by our Kindergarten

students.

Third grade students learn about wildlife and

animal life cycles from

Bays Mountain Naturalist, Rhonda.

“Word surgery” in Ms. Strohm’s first grade class to teach contractions.

Cultural Diversity Parade

Dr. Carr’s third grade class project came to life as her students presented their chosen

country during a parade through the SDCS hallways. Students and families were treated

to music, food and a brief narration from each country.

St. Mary School – Johnson City

On Friday March 10th, St. Mary’s School, Johnson City had their annual Talent Show. We had many talented students perform for our audience of students, faculty/staff, parent and friends. On Thursday, March 23rd at our Home and School Meeting we had Camp Night. We had different camps for the summer join us to show off their camp and what they have to offer our students.