THE
S A I N T J OSE P H
I N SIDER Letter
from
the
Volume 3 December 2016
Editors
Thank you for picking up and reading the fall edition, volume three, of the Saint Joseph Insider. Within this modest issue, you will find some of our top student writers reporting on stories as close to home as The Pumpkin Play and as farreaching as Kinango, Kenya. Ms. Weinberg, even away on maternity leave, maintained her instrumental role in advising these young writers. A big thank you to her, Kara Connally, and to our dedicated reporters, who took time out of their respective busy schedules to make this edition a reality. Happy reading! Andrew LeTellier & Emily Weinberg
sports Co-Champions for the Win?: t h e 7 t h G r a d e G i r l s C YO t e a m an d T h e i r P a t h t o S u cc e s s By: Autumn Henson, ‘18 & Sally Swanson, ‘18 On the dark and rainy fall morning of November 5th, the 7th Grade Girls CYO Soccer team played for the Championship in a fierce match against their opposing team, Holy Rosary. By half-time, St. Joseph was down by 1 goal. In an interview that followed the championship game, we asked forward Hannah Gray about her initial reaction after Holy Rosary scored their first goal. She responded, “I knew if I let them get in my head that I would let the team down, so I tried to keep the score off my mind.” Hannah continued to explain that earlier that season during their first game against Holy Rosary they had won, and she believed that this was a disadvantage. She thought of winning this way because although “there is no problem with beating a team, the next time you play them you have to act as if you lost, so you don’t go into the game too confident.” At the beginning of the championship game Head Coach Scott Campbell reminded the girls of the same sentiment.
had had numerous shots on Holy Rosary’s goal, almost escaping the grasp of the goalie. The goal that tied the game was only successful through the contribution of each individual player. When the match had ended with a final of score of 1-1, the referees decided to take it into overtime, but neither team scored a goal. At this, both teams were now titled the Co-Champions of the 7th Grade Girls CYO Division. As a supportive and caring community, both teams felt that it was a win. Defender Esme Campbell proclaimed that the game was a success “and was nice, because there were no tears on either team, we could celebrate together.”
After a phenomenal save from Mariah Evans, the goalie, punted the ball halfway down the field and Hannah Gray Overall, the season and the co-championship game was a received it. Hannah juked her defender, pushing the ball to the side and brought her foot down to make a clean shot triumph, and the girls had a wonderful time bonding and working together to achieve a goal. in the goal. Previously in the game, the St. Joseph players
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s ta f f
spotlight
Favorite Book: The Nightingale
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird
Favorite holiday tradition: Decorating the Christmas tree
Favorite holiday tradition: My dad and
Looking forward to in 2017: Visiting my brother in Italy What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: The community has been so warm and welcoming!
brother-in-law deliver Christmas trees to our families and celebrating my nephew’s birthday on New Year’s Eve.
Looking forward to in 2017: I look
forward to getting to know the St. Joe’s community more and seeing which teams will go the Superbowl.
What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: Favorite Book: The Light Between Two Oceans Favorite Holiday Tradition: Spending time with my brothers, sisters, and their families on Whidbey Island.
Getting to know the community and sharing laughs with my students and colleagues.
Favorite book: The Great Gatsby Favorite holiday tradition: Drinking lots of egg nog.
Looking forward to in 2017: Learning the names of all St. Joseph students in the new year.
Looking forward to in 2017: Getting a fresh start and getting better at teaching and making music.
What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: Students’ enthusiasm for reading and books!
What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: The staff have all been really welcoming to me in my first year here. Everyone is super helpful and friendly and I am glad to be a part of the team.
Favorite Book: All The Light We Cannot See Favorite Holiday Tradition: Making gingerbread houses with my kids at Christmastime. Looking forward to in 2017: Starting Yoga! What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: Feeling like part of a bigger catholic community, a family.
Favorite Book: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Favorite Book: The Boys in the Boat & Your Fantastic Elastic Brain Favorite holiday tradition: Visiting family in California and opening one Christmas present on Christmas Eve. Looking forward to in 2017: The chance of snow in Seattle?! What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: The welcoming staff and the hard-working students Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Visiting family and giving gifts!
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Decorating the Christmas Tree as a family while listening (and in my case singing along) to Christmas Music.
Looking forward to in 2017: Hopefully getting a dog!
Looking forward to in 2017: Getting a chance to sing with the Seattle Opera as a member of their Opera Chorus.
What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: Working with kind and knowledgeable people, getting to know the awesome students.
What I’ve enjoyed about SJS so far: The sense of community. Every day I walk the halls and I feel such love and warmth from the students and staff.
December 2016 2
school Friends Across By: Rasa Audejaitis, ‘17
the
spotlight
World
P u m p k i n P lay By: Jaisen Abner, ‘19
Every year during the fall, there is a special tradition that started over 20 years ago in the first grade. It is called the Pumpkin Play. Since this is my second year at St. Joseph, I had never heard of the Pumpkin Play, so I was curious to learn what this event was all about. I interviewed two current 1st graders, Siena and Stella. Siena played the the little pumpkin, and she told me how Everyone has wandered the halls of our school, but have you “being in the play helps me with my fluency. It helps me ever paused in front of Mr. Fennessy’s office to look at the wall remember lines, and it also helps me with expression and covered with pictures of kids from across the world? St. Joseph patience. Overall it helps me be a better reader.” Siena has a sister school in Kinango, Kenya and over the summer says that everyone gets to participate, which makes her Mr. LaCasse, Mr. Woletz and his son Ben, Mrs. Castens, Ms. happy to see her friends on the stage. Siena’s favorite Connally, and Mr. Fennessy traveled to the school. Throughline, which she remembers, even 2 months later, is “I’m out their time there they learned a lot about the children, the glad to be a pumpkin face and not a pumpkin pie!” culture and education system in Kenya. Stella played the farmer in the play, who takes care of the While visiting St. Joseph Kinango, the teachers lived in a pumpkins. Stella is also the one who buys and plants the convent. A convent is a place where a community of people live pumpkins to grow the biggest ones, but, as the story goes, who are devoted to religious life. The group learned a lot from there is a little pumpkin that nobody wants. Stella shared the experience including to value what they have at home and that while she is on stage she feels good but also nervous to live simply. Mr. LaCasse mentioned how “people around at the same time. At the end of the interview, she gave me the world are a lot alike. We all have the same values at heart, a little advice which was not to be afraid. despite having different living accommodations.” Their hosts I also spoke with Mrs. Ross, 1C teacher. She told me that were very welcoming and made sure they had the best stay the first grade team has been “doing the play for as long possible. as she can remember.” Mrs. Ross loves working with her As the group visited each class of students, the kids were students on the pumpkin play “because it is a great way excited to learn and were eager to participate. However, it was for the students to practice reading fluency and public hard to teach everyone individually because there were up to speaking. It is also great to see their personalities show 100 kids per class! Imagine your classroom filled with that during the performance.” many people. Somehow the teachers were able to teach the Mrs. Ross and the other teachers support the students kids so many great things, like poetry and science. They even as they memorize their lines. They read through the play showed the kids snow for the first time. many times to practice. The students are so proud of Even though the teachers taught the kids, the visiting group memorizing their parts. learned more from the students. The children didn’t stop As a student who came to St. Joseph in 5th grade, I singing, laughing, creating new games, and sharing so much of their lives with them. The teachers loved every minute of it. learned a lot from the first grade classes, most especially how much fun they have preparing and Mr. Woletz’s son Ben stated, “I have never seen such a happy cohort of people. I found it heartening that children who walk performing the annual Pumpkin Play for their families and friends. Maybe next fall I can go by and see miles to school in shoddy shoes, use rainwater for drinking the performance live! Who knows, one of the pumpkin and cleaning, and have very few toys to play with can be so joyous and aspirational. My big takeaway from this experience play actors may end up on broadway someday! is that a great source of happiness is consistent participation in an uplifting community.” Everyone was so welcoming and loving and wanted to share their stories with them. Maybe we will have some people visit from Kinango so we can share our stories with them. Everyone learned a lot from the experience and can’t wait to see the kids again. So next time when you walk down the halls, stop and look at the mural about our friends from across the world.
December 2016 3
G r e e n T e a m U p dat e By:Tomas Audejaitis, ‘19
The St. Joseph School Green team is back this year. It all started as an idea from Mrs. Weinberg when a group of 3rd grade ALO students researched what it meant to recycle and compost during the spring of 2016. After researching, they observed what was happening in the St. Joseph cafeteria. When observing, the students figured out that our school needed help with sorting three different kinds of garbage. So the Green Team decided to check out what items in the cafeteria were compostable and recyclable. As the final project of the 15-16 school year, the Green Team made presentations to the primary classrooms educating them on what they had learned about recycling and composting.
Plans for Expansion: This year, groups of students from the Green Team have presented to students in the lower school about items found in many children’s lunches. Items like paper napkins and paper plates without a shiny coating are compostable. Some recyclable items include plastic bottles with the lid screwed on and plastic containers. Chip bags and plastic silverware go in the garbage can. What the Green Team is Currently Working On: The Green Team is currently working on making a film with the assistance of Ms. Connally to show to the older grades. The format of the video will allow older kids to learn about how to dispose of waste that is commonly found in the cafeteria. In the Future: In the future it would be great if the entire student body put forth an extra effort to make the school even more environmentally friendly by using less items that go in the landfill and by using reusable or biodegradable items instead of plastic silverware and plastic water bottles. A future goal of the Green Team is to keep track of how much waste the school is making in the hopes of motivating members of the community to be more responsible with our natural resources. This is all part of our School-Wide Learning Expectation of being a contributing member of our global community. We hope you join the effort.
Virtue
of
the
M o n t h : P a t i e nc e
Written by Charles Gwynn, ‘17
Patience is one of the virtues we celebrate at St. Joseph this season. Patience is the ability to wait for something without complaint and is a valuable skill many hope to possess. During Advent, our patience will be tested as we wait for Christmas and the coming of Jesus. Often times, the Christmas season is filled with activities and busyness, constantly testing our patience. As we prepare for Christmas, remembering to be patience is an important skill. Over the years my patience has been tested in different ways during this season. In my younger years, my biggest test of patience was on Christmas morning when I woke up and I had to wait for my parents to come downstairs to open presents. Now, my patience is tested after a big exam and wanting to know how I did, or when I’m waiting in line at the chair lift on the ski mountain. Although our patience is tested all the time, especially during Christmas, the satisfaction of the end result is greater than having to wait in line, wait for your parents or wait for your exam score. This holiday season St. Joseph reminds us, as students and even our parents, to stay patient, to be present to each other and enjoy the waiting.
St. Joseph is . . . .
COMMUNITY
December 2016 4