Just before we left for Christmas vacation, the 6th Grade students at South Boston Catholic Academy did a marvelous job in the Nativity Play. The word nativity comes from the Latin word “nativus” which means “arisen by birth” which is fitting since the nativity sets reflect the true meaning of Christmas and are fashioned after the accounts of Christ’s birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year, From all of us at SBCA. New Families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacaedmy.org to learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.

South Boston Catholic Academy News On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! & We Welcomed Mr. & Mrs. Claus On Saturday, December 3, 2022 we held our Annual South Boston Catholic Academy Jingle Bell Run. Many came and were ready to run. Thank you to our wonderful parents who did such a great job organizing this fun event, our families and friends, volunteers and to all those, young and old, who participated in this year’s SBCA Jingle Bell 5K Run! On Sunday, December 11, 2022, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus stopped by SBCA to have some Cocoa and Cookies with the children that came to say hello. The children had a chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and have a photo taken with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Thank you to our wonderful parents who did such a great job organizing this special event, our families and friends that come to say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Claus. We Wish Everyone a Blessed and Merry Christmas, from all of us at SBCA! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Thursday, December 8, 2022 was the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception and the 5th & some of the 6th graders participated at this Mass as Greeters, Readers and Brought the Gifts up to the Altar. They all did a great job! Our South Boston Catholic Academy Children’s Choir sounded wonderful especially as they sang “God is a Part of My Life, I rejoice, I rejoice, I rejoice! Father Christopher Boyle, our Parochial Vicar, was the celebrant at this Mass. All were welcome to come to this Mass. At this Mass, Father Chris, spoke about how this Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception is the day we honor the conception of Mary in her mother’s, St. Elizabeth’s, womb without original sin, in view of her future role as the Mother of Jesus. Father Chris, also spoke about the meaning of the four candles on the Advent Wreath and how last Sunday was the Third Sunday of Advent and we lit the pink/rose candle for Joy as we are getting closer to Christmas. As Catholics we are called in a special way to be JOYFUL anticipating the coming of Jesus at Christmas. This coming Sunday we will light the Fourth Advent candle and then the following Sunday we will light the Christmas Candle. “Jesus is the reason for the season”. Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap., visited South Boston Catholic Academy and Blessed the new Early Childhood Education Center and Playground at the former St. Brigid Convent, and then he visited the upper grades at SBCA. The children greeted Cardinal Sean O’Malley and Mr. Peter Lynch, of the Lynch Foundation. Thank you, Cardinal O’Malley, Peter Lynch, and all those who made this Early Childhood Education Center possible! Then at SBCA, the Choir sang beautiful songs for them and the entire school greeted them in the gym. We are very fortunate and blessed to have Cardinal O’Malley visit SBCA and give us a very special blessing, too. It was a great day! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, our Student Council members led all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy in our Annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service before we left for our Thanksgiving Break. The President of the Student Council spoke over the school’s intercom system and welcomed everyone to this year’s Thanksgiving Prayer Service. The Opening Prayer was read by the Vice President… “O Heavenly Father: We thank Thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank Thee for health and remember the sick. We thank Thee for friends and remember the friendless. We thank Thee for Freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service. That Thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.” Followed by the other Student Council Members who read passages from the Bible and took turns sharing what we are Thankful to God for followed by all of us responding… “Thank you, Lord.” We are thankful to our newly elected Student Council Members for doing such a wonderful job with this year’s SBCA Thanksgiving Prayer Service. The SBCA Student Council is made up of students from grades 2 to 6 dedicated to making our SBCA Community the best it can be. They are the leaders of the school representing their classmates’ suggestions, interests, and goals. They are role models showing respect, kindness, and enthusiasm for all in our school community and for everyone they meet. Through their ideas and hard work, they help to make our school fundraisers and special events possible for their classmates and our community. The student council has also been busy working on keeping our school beautiful. We are very thankful for our student council members for raking the leaves out in the front making our school look even more beautiful and it’s all thanks to our class reps and council members! We are so lucky to have such a great student support team! We would also like to thank Ms. Stephanie Olsen, the 3A teacher, for all her help, support, and guidance with this year’s Student Council members. We hope and pray everyone had a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. This past Sunday marked the First Sunday of Advent and we are getting ready for the Advent season which is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. The word Advent originates from the Latin word “Adventus” which means “coming” or “arrival.” “It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.” - Pope Benedict XVI. The Advent Season is focused on preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ in all ways, from His birth in the past to His Second Coming in the future as the Messiah. The four Advent candles that we light on each of the following Sundays leading up to Christmas and celebrating Jesus’ Birthday, readily demonstrate the strong contrast between darkness and light, which is an important biblical image. Jesus referred to himself as the "Light of the World" that dispels the darkness of sin: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

All the students at South Boston Catholic Academy have been busy focusing on learning, enjoying the great outdoors with the marvelous weather and getting ready for the holidays. Mrs. Susan Connolly’s K2A students have been busy learning the importance of Voting, Honoring our Veterans and getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday with their families. The K2A students held their very own Voting Poll in their classroom to get an idea of what voting is about. They voted on what their favorite pet is and dogs received the winning vote! One of the student’s dad is in the Army and in honor of Veteran’s Day they made special cards thanking him for his service to our country. In their classroom they have a special place with photos of Very Important People (VIP) that are a part of our everyday life, in addition to our families and friends. K2A is, also, getting in the Thanksgiving mood by sharing what they are most thankful to God for…some said they are thankful for… family, mom and dad, school, my teachers and classmates, pets, nature, colors and trees. Mrs. Connolly and her K2A Assistant, Mrs. Ellen O’ Callaghan, are thankful for their wonderful students in K2A. The children in K2A, as well as some of the other SBCA students, did a classroom project inspired by reading the book, “Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano. The goal was to draw a turkey and disguise it for Thanksgiving. The students worked with their families to come up with the perfect disguise. The students, also, made colorful decorations to bring home for their Thanksgiving celebration with their families. A BIG Thank you to our very kind and generous 3rd grade parents for arranging to have a delicious lunch brought to the school on Friday afternoon, November 18, 2022. Thank you, also, to the parents that covered their child’s classroom so the teachers and staff at SBCA could enjoy this special Thank You lunch. We are thankful to all our wonderful parents/families for all their help and support throughout the school year. "We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." -John F. Kennedy On behalf of our Principal, Dr. Helenann Civian and all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy, we wish everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. All Saints’ Day recognizes all those who are known to God as Saints-not only those canonized by the Catholic Church. Therefore, All Saints’ Day celebrates all the faithful followers of Jesus Christ throughout church history. It’s a feast day remembering those who have gone before us, honoring their lives and their faithfulness to God. On the morning of All Saints’ Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2022 the students at South Boston Catholic Academy were able to watch their classmates in grades 4A and 4B, who were dressed up as their favorite Saint in the All Saints’ Day Mass that was televised on the Catholic TV Channel. In the afternoon, the grade 4A and 4B students, also, participated in the school Mass honoring All Saints’ Day at St. Brigid Church. They did a marvelous job dressing up again as their favorite saint and telling us a little about the saint they were representing. They also did a fantastic job as Greeter, Readers and Gift Bearers. Our Children’s Choir did an awesome job singing…God Is A Part Of My Life and the grade 4 students sang an inspiring version of…Oh, When The Saints Go Marching In, Oh, when the saints go marching in, O Lord, I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in…The SBCA students, families, faculty and staff attended this Mass, also and Father Robert Casey, Our Pastor, was the celebrant at both these Masses. “Let us shine with the light of Jesus and become like saints.” – Unknown. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

The students, families, faculty and staff at South Boston Catholic Academy and in the Early Childhood Program had a fun time celebrating Halloween with Halloween Dances and Halloween parties in their classrooms and everyone was especially excited to show off their marvelous costumes to their families and friends during the Annual Halloween Parade in front of school. Thank you to all our wonderful parents, the members of the Home and School Association, teachers and staff for helping to make this year’s Halloween so much fun for all the children at SBCA. We hope that everyone had a Safe and Happy Halloween! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Mr. Evan Bourque is a new and excited member of the South Boston Catholic Academy family. He received his BA in Early Education and Care In Inclusive settings from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Mr. Bourque is a welcoming and accepting teacher who will provide a safe and fun environment. He along with his Assistant, Mrs. Lois Picard, are a wonderful team! In his free time you can find Mr. Bourque hanging out with family and friends and working at Fenway Park for the Kids crew. From Mr. Bourque…“My experience in K2C has been wonderful. Every day the students make me more and more happy with being a part of this wonderful school and community. The students in K2C are so creative, positive, and special! “I look forward to the rest of this year to learn and grow with the students in K2C.” New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Ms. MaryKate Bourdon is excited to begin her 5th year at South Boston Catholic Academy, starting in a new role as Director of the Early Childhood Program. She attended Loyola University Maryland for her undergraduate degree and received her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Gordon College. Prior to her new role, MaryKate taught K2 at SBCA for three years. MaryKate loves watching the students grow socially, emotionally, and intellectually. In her free time, MaryKate enjoys spending time with her family, catching up with friends, cooking and baking, and cheering on the Red Sox! MaryKate looks forward to partnering with the SBCA parents, students, faculty and staff to make the 2022-2023 school year a strong, successful and wonderful year. One of Ms. Bourdon’s favorite quotes…“Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning" by Robert John Meehan. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

You will notice a new playground at the former St. Brigid Convent lawn on East 4th Street. In Cooperation with Colin’s Joy Project this playground will be a welcome addition to our new Early Childhood Center at South Boston Catholic Academy. Colin was enrolled in our Early Childhood Program before his unexpected death in the summer of 2018. In his memory, this playground will keep Colin’s spirit of joy and laughter alive in the lives of the children at our Early Childhood Center. On October 4, 2022 the McGrath family along with the Toddler and K0 students, families, faculty and staff and Ms. MaryKate Bourdon, the Director of our Early Childhood Center celebrated the opening of the new playground. Dr. Helenann Civian, our Principal, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the McGrath family on behalf of all us at SBCA, and Father Robert Casey, our Pastor, lead us all in a special prayer and Blessed the playground, then the McGrath Family officially dedicated and opened the playground in the memory of their son, Colin, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Not only do the Toddlers and K0 students love playing in this new playground, the K1 students also enjoy playing in this fantastic and wonderful new playground! All of us at South Boston Catholic Academy are so thankful to the McGrath Family and the Colin’s Joy Project for giving us this amazing new playground - we will forever be thankful! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Ms. Jessica Genovese, our new K0-K1 STEM Lab Teacher. She has been with South Boston Catholic Academy for the last 6 years as a K0 Teacher. Ms. Jessica is a graduate of Bridgewater State College where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, she obtained her Infant, Toddler, Preschool Teacher EEC Certification through the state of MA. She completed her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education through the Lynch Foundation at Cambridge College. This year she has switched gears to teach early childhood STEM classes for our K0 and K1 classes, helping them explore science, technology, engineering, and math concepts! In her spare time, Ms. Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Ms. Lauren Monaghan, is our new K2 to 6th Grade STEM Lab Teacher at South Boston Catholic Academy. While this is her first year with us, she cannot wait to be a part of the SBCA family and grow, learn, and thrive right alongside her students. She is a graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Educational Technology. Ms. Monaghan was born and raised in Pennsylvania and relocated to Boston about a year and a half ago. For almost a decade, Ms. Monaghan has worked with children of various ages in a multitude of settings, cherishing the importance of being a positive influence and helping to guide students to success both within the four walls of the classroom as well as the community. In her spare time, Ms. Monaghan enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and being outdoors. This coming school year, she is hoping to bring the STEM Lab to life as well as cultivate meaningful memories, magic, and instruction. STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines- science, technology, engineering and mathematics- in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate subjects, here in our lab, we are going to integrate them into a cohesive learning program based on real-world applications. With that being said, throughout the academic year, we will be focusing on hands-on instruction which gets students involved in their own learning. We look forward to giving you a look at all of the magic that we will be creating in the STEM room this upcoming school year! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Filipino baritone Carlo Miguel C. Bunyi is a Boston-based soloist and teacher whose dedication to his craft and stylistic versatility has led him to explore a diversified range of musical activities both domestically and internationally. Carlo is a founding member of Filipino vocal ensemble PASIPO with whom he performed as a featured soloist in the Philippine premiere of Bach’s Cantata BWV 131, Aus der tiefen ruf ich Herr zu dir. A versatile artist, Mr. Carlo has essayed the roles of Timur in Puccini's "Turandot" (Opera51) , Baron de Pictordu in Viardot’s "Cendrillon" (Longy School of Music), and Simone in Puccini’s "Gianni Schicchi" (Lyric Opera of the Philippines). He was also featured in Philippine Opera Company’s Young Artist Series. He took part in the first reading of Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s new opera “We the Innumerable” held at Opera America and he also performed at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA as part of the Longy Student Showcase. Mr. Carlo finished his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education at the Longy School of Music of Bard College under the tutelage of Metropolitan Opera artist Jeff Mattsey. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from the University of Santo Tomas. Carlo is a member-artist of the Lyric Opera of the Philippines and is currently a cantor at the Divine Mercy Parish in Quincy, MA. Quoting Mr. Carol Bunyi… “In music class, we are learning about different musical elements such as, beat, rhythm, melody, harmony and dynamics, as well as, song study and body movements. I’m, also, happy to have the SBCA Children’s Choir up and running again! In choir we are learning about the fundamentals of singing and musical expression. We are so happy to have Mr. Carlo as our Music Teacher and to have him share his love and gift of music with the students at SBCA! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

The K1 students all love spending time in the Idea Lab area where they can imagine, discover, explore and achieve. As you can see by the photos of Ms. Courtney’s K1 students, they are having a fun time exploring and learning. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Thursday morning, September 22, 2022 the students at South Boston Catholic Academy attended and took part in the Opening School Mass at St. Brigid Church at 9AM. At this Mass we prayed for a successful Academic Year for our students, families, faculty and staff. All Parents and Parishioners were invited to attend. Fr. Robert E. Casey, our Pastor and Fr. Christopher J. Boyle, our Parochial Vicar were the celebrants at this Mass with our special guest and celebrant at this Mass was Bishop Thomas A. Daly, Bishop of Spokane, WA. Bishop Daly is the current chairman of the United States Bishop Committee on Catholic Education. All were welcome to attend this Mass. Several students from grade 1 to 6 took part in this Mass and did a wonderful job as Greeters, Readers and Bringing the Gifts up to the Altar. Several comments were made after Mass as to how wonderful all the students did at this Mass and how great it was to hear the beautiful voices of the SBCA Children’s Choir singing again at Mass. The choir was led by Mr. Carol Bunyi, our new Music Teacher. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

“Welcome Back! I hope you had a wonderful summer. I also hope you are relaxed, recharged and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children. We are so thankful that we are starting the school year with such an amazing staff. We opened our new STEM class including our music and art wing with amazing and talented staff. We are excited to be able to offer extended learning opportunities for our students. Thank you for entrusting us with your child /children. We are honored to ensure they are learning and receive the highest quality of support and love. The student's at SBCA are amazing! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.” From Our Principal, Dr. Helenann Civian Our First Graders had fun with their First Day of School Classroom Project…The children shared how they felt returning to school on their first day. Ms. McCarthy, Ms. Byrne and Ms. Gannon enjoyed reading a story called-"First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg because the children are surprised by the ending! (Author's message- even teachers can be nervous on the first day.) Then, they had the chance to drink some "Jitter Juice" in case there were still some "jitters" lingering! It was a fantastic start for all our students, families, faculty and staff and we are all looking forward to another fantastic new school year at South Boston Catholic Academy and at our Early Childhood Center.

The students at South Boston Catholic Academy had another great summer in the SBCA Summer Camp Program. Each week focused on a different theme. The children learned about camping, the ocean, space, community helpers, and animals to just name a few. The children had a great time spending time together playing outdoor games, making arts and crafts projects with their friends, taking part in our special Science Summer Camp Program, visiting the library and exploring the local beaches and parks. A Special Thank you to those who came to our summer camp this year…Scientist Dr. Genial Sklute, Dr. G along with her assistant who are with the Science Made Fun Program. The children loved taking part in some of their fun and educational science projects. Dani Crickman, the Children’s Librarian from the South Boston Branch Library. Dani came to read some fantastic stories to the children. We had a representative from the Curious Creatures Program come with some of her friends. The Firefighters from the K St. Station Engine 2 Ladder 19 came and the children loved being able to sit in an actual firetruck and to the Police Officers who brought the ice cream truck sponsored by the Boston Police Foundation. The children loved talking with the police officers and eating the delicious ice cream. Thank you to all our wonderful families, lead teachers, camp counselors and to everyone who helped to make this year’s SBCA Summer Camp possible. We are all looking forward to another wonderful new school year here at SBCA and at our Early Childhood Center. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Opening Day for the 2022-2023 School Year was a huge success. We are excited to be offering additional academic programs for our students.

Summer is here and the students at South Boston Catholic Academy have started to enjoy some summertime fun. The students in the K0 and K1 Camp have been enjoying spending time together playing outdoor games, making arts and crafts projects, and taking part in our Science Summer Camp Program in which they are learning about the amazon life under the sea with its many different types of fish, especially sharks, as well as all about how plants grow. They are also learning how much fun going camping can be. We are all looking forward to more fun-filled weekly summertime themed activities to come. The students in Grades K2 and Up Camp have been busy visiting and exploring the beaches and parks, and of course have enjoyed going on picnics to Castle Island. They too are taking part in our Science Summer Camp Program and have worked on many science experiments and activities, and they love making different arts and crafts projects, also. They just finished making their one of a kind tie dye shirts and are looking forward to working on more crafts, experiments and going on more fun adventures this summer. We are all looking forward to this coming 4th of July weekend and wish everyone a Safe and Happy 4th of July! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

The students of SBCA have had quite a year filled with exceptional learning from their teachers and doing a great job on their classroom projects and activities. The 6th Graders did an outstanding job making their 3D Utopian World. This class project gave the students a chance to use their math skills, as well as their creativity and imagination. Students also participated in the school Masses, making cards acknowledging those in our community and so much more. This year we, also, welcomed the opening of our new Early Childhood Center. The children loved having their parents and grandparents come to visit their classrooms, as well as, participating in The Art and Spring Shows, going to the Public Library and school Book Fairs, welcoming Mr. John, from the Expanding Horizons Through Music Program, going on special field trips to the Zoo and Aquarium, participating in our field days, the kickball tournament and having classroom pizza parties. The K1 and K2 students had a chance to release their butterflies into the world, the 6th Graders had a fun time at the Tree Top Adventures in Canton and the weather was just beautiful for the 1st Graders to enjoy their Teddy Bear Picnic. A Special Thank You to our Principal, Dr. Civian, our Pastor Father Casey and our Vice Principal, Mrs. Moriarty. A BIG THANK to all our wonderful students, parents, families, friends, teachers and staff at SBCA and to everyone who helped to make this another outstanding school year possible! Here are some photos highlighting the end of another amazing school year here at South Boston Catholic Academy. We are marking the end of the 2021-2022 school year and looking forward to the new 2022-2023 school year starting in September! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.