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Career Day

By: Paige T., Ava L., and Lucy C. 

Career Day was a very fun experience. A great variety of speakers came to talk to us about many different careers. One career that many enjoyed hearing about was the fireman. Firemen Gallo and Travis talked to us about experiences that they have had being a fireman and also about what to do to help in dangerous situations. Another career we saw was the movie producer, Geno Tazioli. Mr. Tazioli talked to us about all the different movies he has worked on, some of the famous actors and actresses he has met, and what exactly he does on set. It was very interesting to learn about everything that goes into making movies, and a great experience for all. We also had a chef visit from Onwentsia Club. Here is an interview from the chef: 
What is your name? 
Chef James Bondoc. I work as an executive chef at Onwentsia Club 
What is your favorite color? 
Silver 
Why did you want to become a chef? 
It chose me, different foods drew me towards it 
Do you like your job? 
I like to eat, try different foods, it was the only thing I ever wanted to do, and I like to meet new people 
Do you like where you work? 
Yes. I have worked as a chef for more than 30 years. I have worked at Onwentsia Club for 6 years and have worked at 12 restaurants in my lifetime. 
 

8th Grade vs. Teacher Volleyball Game

For the final Catholic Schools Week activity, the teachers battled the eighth graders in an intense volleyball game. In the first set, the teachers dominated. However, towards the end, the eighth graders made a comeback! Unfortunately, they still lost 26-24. The second set started off, and the students held their own, eventually winning the set. The third set, played only to fifteen, was crucial. In order to win the game, this set had to be won. At first, the teachers were in the lead. Then, the eighth graders went on a streak. However, it was not enough to bring home the win. Despite valiant efforts by the eighth graders, the teachers won the game. 
 

Geo Bee

By: Kyle C. and William M.

This year's Geography Bee was hosted on January 31. The Geo Bee is a fun bee where students from grades 4 - 8 compete in naming different places from around the world, competing first against their classmates. If you win against your class, you go up in front of the school to compete against the other people who won against their classes. The winner this year (again) was Anderson P.! He played competitively against his peers and got all the questions correct. Luke N. came in second place to Anderson with an amazing performance. 
 

Spelling Bee

By. Jeffery C. and Joey B. 

On Monday, January 30, 2023, our school hosted our annual school Spelling Bee. This event consisted of 11 contestants from fourth to eighth grade. Each contestant had to first participate in the class Spelling Bee and then the winners of the class bees went on to the all school Spelling Bee. The Spelling Bee lasted 2 days because everyone did so well the first day that we still did not have a clear winner. Finally, a winner emerged on the second day of the contest. The winner of the bee ended up to be Cara K., with the runner-up Vivienne C.. 
 

Religion Bee

By Olivia H. and Marissa S. 

Teams: The Biblers, Team Jesus, The Domination Station, Wild Platypus

February 1st 2023 was Catholic Schools Week! The students of St. Mary's were ready for the exciting things during this special week, especially the Religion Bee. The Religion Bee is when students of all ages are chosen to participate in answering questions about our Catholic faith, in front of the school. Students were organized into groups made up of students from 4th through 8th grade, with a total of five people at each of the four tables. There was Team Jesus, Team The Biblers, Team The Domination Station, and Team Wild Platypus. Each team was asked questions by our knowledgeable judges, including Ms. Baniewicz, Fr. Raley, Mr. Dyer, Mr. Hawkins, and Mrs. Pachecoi. In the beginning, Team Jesus took a strong lead with teams Domination Station, The Biblers, and Wild Platypus in pursuit. The students and staff cheered each team on with excitement from the bleachers. In the end, the winner of the Religion Bee, after a slow start, was The Biblers!!! 
 

Door Decorating Contest

By Alex L. and Alex G. 

Our kick off activity for Catholic Schools Week was to decorate our classroom doors using the theme that our school's mission is faith, excellence, and service. We reviewed all the doors and found it very interesting. 

  • The office's door is very interesting; it tells what our school does and has aliens all over it. 
  • Ms. Scardina's door says "Our Faith Reaches The Stars" and there are stars for all of her students. 
  • Mrs. Witt has a sign that says "Our Journey To Stardom Through Faith, Hope and Excellence with all of her students as stars. 
  • Mr. Byers has a good door Mrs.witts class helped out with it it tells all about steam and robots it tells an amazing story 
  • Ms. Strides class also has an amazing door it has pink all over with her teaching the class that " very mission is passible with service excellence and faith 
  • Ms. Brubaker her class has a very nice solar system view with planets and everything space themed 
  • Mr Schnide's door has a very astro theme it has a nasa rocket with the international space station and metears with the kids face on it 
  • Mrs Tazioli's room has a rocketship with her in it and all of her students and hermit crab as stars. On the top there is a gate to heaven. 
  • Mrs. Hogan's door has a big rocket ship with some of her kids in it. The rest of the door has her students as astronauts, some planets and Mrs. Hogan and Little Lad on the moon. 
  • Doctor Carlini's class door starts with our faces all over t with the planets and even a rocket ship and quotes " Every mission is possible 
  • Mrs. Moulton's class door has astronauts all over it with rockets and planets along with same quote as Dr. Carlini's 
  • Mr. Manges's door has blue skies and green mountains all over along with a message saying "Laudate Dominum Omnis Terra." 

Many people voted for their favorite door decorations online - 8th grade won and they were treated to a pizza party. 
 

Interview with Mrs. Thompson

By William M., Joey B., and Jeffery C. 

Most of you know that we have a new principal this year -Mrs. Thompson. Here are a few questions and things you might not have known about her. 

  1. Why did you want to be principal? 
    I never wanted to be a principal because I liked when I taught the second grade and I could experience the Sacraments with them. 
  2. So far, how has your experience with school been? 
    Wonderful, I love seeing all the kids in their classes learning. 
  3. How is working as a principal different from working as a teacher? 
    I think it is really the same thing but instead of teaching children, I am teaching teachers how to do their best. 
  4. What's your favorite subject and why? 
    I love history because I think we can learn from the past and make the future better. 
  5. Who is your favorite celebrity and why? 
    I'm not sure I have a favorite celebrity. 
  6. What kind of pets do you have and what is your favorite? 
    I have had a dog all my life and my favorite is my black labrador named Lucy.
  7. What's your favorite food and why? 
    Chocolate, no doubt. I also love meat and potatoes. 
  8. What did you want to be when you were a kid? 
    I wanted to be a store owner and I also wanted to be a teacher. 
  9. What are your hobbies? 
    Needlepoint, because of the relaxing feeling you get doing needlepoint 
  10. What is on your Bucket List? 
    I think my bucket list is filled. I have had a good life and think that I have done all that I wanted to do. 
     

Interview with Mr. Schnide

By Ava L. 

Mr. Schnide is a new science teacher here at SOSM. I was recently given the opportunity to interview him. 

  • Did you have a previous job before you became a science teacher? 
    Yes. I have worked in business. I changed to become a teacher about 7 years ago.
  • What college did you attend? 
    The State University of New York. In New Paltz 
  • Why did you want to become a teacher? 
    I volunteered an hour a week at my children's school, and it was the best hour of my life. 
  • What is your job at St. Marys? 
    I am a middle school science teacher. 
  • How do you like the School of St. Mary so far? 
    This is my favorite school of all time. 
  • What do you like about your job? 
    I really like my students even when I'm upset. I also like my coworkers and bosses too. 
  • How do you feel the first trimester went? 
    I thought it went pretty well. There are changes I would like to make to make it even better. I'd 
    like to create more hands-on activities for better understanding and they are more fun. 
  • What is your favorite color or colors? 
    Blue 
  • What do you like to do in your freetime? 
    Hang out with my wife, see friends, read, and write. 
  • Do you have any kids? 
    I have two. 
  • Do you have any pets? 
    I have two. They are beagles. 

Interview with Mr. Byers

By Marissa S. 

During this trimester, we were fortunate enough to have an amazing STEAM teacher hired. Although Mr. Byers hasn't been teaching for long, he has been a huge influence to us students with all he is teaching us. Below are the questions and answers that were a part of this interview. 

  1. What is your job at St. Mary's? 
    The new teacher in STEAM 
  2. What did you do before St. Mary's? 
    Media and marketing consultant, prior digital media agency holding business 
  3. What is your favorite part about St. Mary's 
    Watching students learn and understand it 
  4. What is your favorite part of the faculty of St. Mary's? 
    Overwhelmed with how much they love the students as well as shocked 
  5. What University did you go to? 
    St. Vincent College 
  6. If you have one, what is your Confirmation Saint? 
    St. Patrick 
  7. How many kids do you have? 
    Two 
  8. Do your kids go to St. Mary's? 
    Yes 
  9. What is your favorite color? 
    Blue
  10. What is a motto you always abide by? 
    Men and women for others - motto of my Jesuit high school 
     

 

 

 

 

Social Emotional Learning

By Marissa S. 

Throughout the year, we have had a program almost every second Wednesday of the month. This program is called Social Emotional Learning, or as we know it, SEL. In SEL, we meet once a month to talk about the topic of that month using the acronym RESPECT. R is Respect, E is Empathy, S is for Service, P is for Patience, E is for Equity and Equality, C is for Caring, and T is for Trust. Mrs. Homan started this program with the help of the SEL committee. Below is the interview that I was fortunate to have: 

  1. What gave you the idea to start SEL? 
    A: The question was How do we connect with all of our students........SEL. The school of St. Mary is educating the whole person and Social Emotional Learning and health is a big part of the whole system. It is a great opportunity for students and staff to connect and grow together. 
  2. How long did it take to put this program together? 
    A: We, as a team, began creating this program in the spring of 2022. Many hours were spent over the summer and throughout the school year thus far. This is a unique program that focuses on RESPECT and how it applies to all of us. Social and emotional learning is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which young people acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. 
  3. Did you have any help putting this program together? 
    A: There is an SEL Committee. Mrs. Tazioli, Mrs. Hogan, Miss Stride, Mrs. Moulton and myself have collaborated to create our program. 
  4. What have you personally gotten out of doing this program? 
    A: I am constantly reminded of how exceptional our staff and students are here at SOSM. I love working with everyone on the committee! Teamwork is everything! Life is better when we feel connected and part of a community. 
  5. Do you lead a group, and if so, what grade? 
    A: I lead an 8th grade group. I really look forward to each month's get together. My group is thoughtful, kind, and engaged! I learn so much from them and love their enthusiasm! We have a wonderful crew! 
  6. What are you hoping to accomplish with this program for the students? 
    A: Developmental research shows that having one or more caring adults in a child's life increases the likelihood that they will flourish and become positive members of our society. Having our students feel connected is a positive accomplishment to our pilot year. 
  7. How were the groups picked? 
    A: We carefully and thoughtfully crafted who would work well together. We focused on each student and each leader. 
  8. Do you think the goals of this program are being reached? 
    A: Yes! Absolutely! Everyone's participation and enthusiasm has been the key to our success. RESPECT has been a positive addition to our year and curriculum. 
     

8th Grade News

By Tony W. 

The 8th graders have completed their saint icons and are starting to prepare for their next project which involves choosing a picture that was painted by a famous artist, and changing it to make it their own unique version. In STEAM, the class is discussing investing, financing, and ways to manage money. In Religion we are preparing for the Living Cross and preparing for the Confirmation retreat. We are learning about WWI in Social Studies, and in music we are preparing for the 8th grade play. Something else we are doing is parts of speech in Language Arts. 

7th Grade News

By Alex G. and Alex L. 

Right now in science all the classes are learning about the cell cycle with Mr. Schnide. In steam all the students are learning to code and are creating companies together. The three reading classes are all doing something separate; for Mrs. Hogan's class is creating The Outsiders newspaper articles. in Dr. Carlini's reading class we are working on plot and plot maps along with reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Currently, in accelerated reading we are doing book reports on fiction books and we will present our reports. Right now in Ms. Baniewicz's math class we are learning about terms and algebraic expressions, in Dr. Carlini's math class we are learning about making linear expressions, in Dr. Carlini's honor math class we are learning Algebra 1 along with writing equations in slope-intercept form, point-intercept form, and parallel and perpendicular lines. Currently in P.E. we are playing basketball and practicing with games. In music Mr.Mangus is teaching us the history of certain composers along with singing Christmas songs. Currently in Mrs. Hogan's social studies we are learning about the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution, In Mrs. Baniewitz's social studies class has started studying for the constitution test. Right now in Mrs. Zavala's Spanish class we are creating pinatas. 

6th Grade News

By: Lucy C., Ava L., and Paige T. 

The 6th grade has had an amazing start this year. In social studies, we are studying different explorers.We will research the explorer and see if they deserve to go on the wall of fame, or wall of shame. In science we are working on the layers of the earth and tectonic plates. We have also been learning about how earthquakes are created. In honors 6th grade reading, students are reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. In regular reading class, students are reading A Wrinkle in Time. In S.T.E.A.M, the 6th graders have been learning to code on google sheets with the new S.T.E.A.M teacher, Mr. Byers. In religion, we are learning about why people turn away from God and ways to be sure we stay faithful. In Spanish class, earlier on in the year, we worked on paper mache pinatas which have 7 spikes on it which symbolize the 7 seven deadly sins. In English, we are learning about comparative and superlative nouns. We've had a great vear so far! 

5th Grade News

By Jeffery C. and Joey B. 

The fifth grade keeps getting smarter! Right now in math, they are learning to divide decimals by a two-digit whole number. Because everyone loves reading, the 5th graders are learning about the genre of expository text. For social studies, the fifth graders and learning about the great kingdom of ancient Egypt. As the fifth grade is currently continuing on their journey learning about parts of speech by learning on adjectives and their different forms. 

4th Grade News

By Paige T. 

In Social Studies, the 4th graders embarked on a train tour of the Northeast Region of the United States. They had to locate the states and capitals on a map. In Math, they are learning long division and partial quotients. In language arts, they were tested on verb tenses and agreements. For Science, students have been studying Energy Conversions. During Reading class, students were tested on the unit theme "What can I do for my community?" Finally, in Religion, the fourth graders are making their own rosaries. Father will bless the student's rosaries prior to the start of the Living Rosary, which is Monday January 30th.

Welcome!