South Boston Catholic Academy News Congratulations to our Wonderful 6th Grade Graduation Class of 2022! Congratulations to SBCA's class of 2022! On Thursday, June 9, 2022 students, families and teachers celebrated the end of the year school Mass followed by the 6th Grade Graduation Ceremony. The celebrants at this Mass were, Our Pastor, Father Robert Casey and our Parochial Vicar, Father Christopher Boyle. The 6th graders did a fantastic job with the readings and bringing up the gifts. Following the Mass, we had the Graduation Ceremony for our wonderful 6th graders at which Father Casey, our Principal, Dr. Helenann Civian, and our Vice Principal, Mrs. Denise Moriarty presented the students with their diplomas and other recognitions for their hard work including several scholarships. The Mass and Graduation Ceremony was also Live Streamed from St. Brigid Church so all their families and friends could be a part of this very special school celebration for our 6th graders. A reception was held for the 6th grade students, their families and teachers Ms. Sarah Hoisel and Ms. Faith Smith following their Graduation Ceremony. Thank you to Father Casey, Dr. Civian, Mrs. Moriarty, Ms. Hoisel, and Ms. Smith, all of our wonderful 6th graders, their families and all the teachers and staff at SBCA for making this special event possible. We are very proud of our 6th grade class of 2022 who will be moving on to attend the following schools in September: Boston College High School, Archbishop Williams High School, Catholic Memorial High School, Saint Sebastian High School, Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, The Rivers School, The Elliot School, Fontbonne Academy, Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, Thayer Academy, The Newman School, Ursuline Academy, Xaverian Brothers, Mount Alvernia, Notre Dame Academy, Belmont Hill and the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science. Our School Prayer…Dear God, Thank you for creating us and giving us this day, help us grow in faith and show respect in every way. We welcome all people into our school family with care, work hard in all subjects, have patience, and share. Guide us as we do our best to lead and learn today, and celebrate as proud students of SBCA. From all of us at SBCA, we wish everyone a safe and happy summer! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

South Boston Catholic Academy News The students did a fantastic job performing in this year’s Spring Concert! Spring has truly sprung at South Boston Catholic Academy! On Monday, June 6, 2022 South Boston Catholic Academy had two special Spring Concerts. The weather was beautiful and so were the children’s voices! Some of the great songs the children sang included… Old McDonald, Mr. Golden Sun, He Got the Whole World in His Hands, Jesus Loves me, This little Light of Mine, Here comes the Sun, Do Re Mi, Rockin Robin, My Favorite Things, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Rainbow Connection and I got the Joy. A Special Thank You to our Music Teacher, Mr. Jesus Espinal, and to all the Students, Teachers and Staff at SBCA for making this event possible. As always, we want to Thank all of our wonderful parents, families and friends for their consistent help and support throughout the school year. After the concert, parents and grandparents were welcomed to stop by their child’s classroom for a quick visit. “There is music in every child. The teacher’s job is to find it and nurture it.” –Frances Clark. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about SBCA.

South Boston Catholic Academy News Students are getting to enjoy visiting the library again! “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” —Albert Einstein. The students in Grades 1B and 1C at South Boston Catholic Academy loved their visit to the South Boston Branch Library and to be able to take out books! They couldn’t wait to show us the great books they got. The students in Grade 2B were all smiles for their first field trip to the South Boston Branch Library! We are so lucky to be able to talk with the librarians and learn all about the different types of books, genres, and how to care for them! Best day ever! The students in Grade 4 also had a chance to visit the South Boston Branch Library. The students in this class are avid readers and they and their families are very happy that the library is open again! Quoting the Children’s Librarian, Dani Crickman, “It’s been a delight to welcome SBCA classes back to the South Boston Branch Library! During their April and May visits, Grades 1B, 1C, 2B and 4 were able to pick up library cards, get familiar with the children’s area, and choose books to check out. It was wonderful to have the library full of kids who are enthusiastic about reading. Outside of class visits, I encourage families to visit anytime during current library hours: Monday – Wednesday 10am - 6pm, Thursday 12pm – 8pm, Friday 9am – 5pm, and Saturday 9am – 2pm. The library is offering in-person children’s programs, including Storytime for ages 2-5 on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 10:30 and a new Lego club for ages 5-11 that meets the last Thursday of the month at 6pm. The library will also host six sessions of music and movement with Little Groove on Wednesdays at 10:30. You can register for all library programs at bpl.org/events. Please feel free to contact me at dcrickman@bpl.org or 617-268-0180. I look forward to seeing you! – Librarian Dani Crickman, South Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library.” A Big Thank You to Children’s Librarian, Dani Crickman, Branch Librarian, Jane Bickford and Programs and Community Outreach Librarian, Kathleen Clifford and to everyone at the South Boston Branch Library for welcoming us back to the library. New families are welcome to email Mr. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

The Student Council visited the State House for a tour with Representative David Biele. Students toured the building, learned about its history and were recognized on the House floor. Thank you to Representative David Biele and to everyone at the State House for making this special visit possible for our Student Council members at South Boston Catholic Academy. The 3rd Graders had a chance to visit a very important historical landmark in our Massachusetts history, the Plimoth Pawtuxet Museum. Plymouth Plantation changed its name to “Plimoth Patuxet,” founded in 1947 the museum replicates the settlement of the Plymouth Colony, established in the 17th century in honor of the Wampanoag name for the region. The 3rd Graders got to have a small glimpse of what life was like for the Wampanoag before the Europeans came to North America. The students loved boarding the Mayflower ship. They learned that the Pilgrims had originally hoped to reach America by early October using two ships, but delays and complications meant they could use only one ship. The Mayflower is one of the most important ships in American history. This cargo ship brought the pilgrims to Massachusetts during the Great Puritan Migration in the 17th century. These pilgrims were some of the first settlers to America after they established the Plymouth Colony. On December 18 they docked at Plymouth Rock, on the western side of Cape Cod Bay. Against great odds, they made the famous 1620 voyage aboard the ship Mayflower and founded the Plymouth Colony. The students, also, had a chance to see the Plymouth Village and learned how the pilgrims adjusted to life in Massachusetts. Thank you to all members of the Plimoth Pawtuxet Museum for making this such a memorable experience for our 3rd Graders. The students in K2 had a fun and exciting day visiting the Franklin Park Zoo where they had a chance to see and learn all about the many different and amazing animals that live there. Some of the children’s favorite animals were the Tropical Forest Animals, Lions, Red Pandas, Bird’s World, Gorillas, Wallabies, Ball Pythons, Crocodiles, Kangaroos, Baby Hippos, and Baby Ducks. Thank you to all of the staff at the Franklin Park Zoo for helping our K2 students see and learn about the various animals the zoo has from all over the world. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

All the students at South Boston Catholic Academy had a chance to show how much they love, care for and are grateful to their mothers and grandparents by making them special cards and letters. The students in Grade 1B made badges in honor of Grandparent’s Day! Some of the children wrote- Thank you for taking me to the park. You are Super, Mimi! You are #1, Grandpa! I love you, Nanny and Pa-you are the Best! The children also worked on their paper for Mother's Day-"How well do you know you’re MOM?" They answered questions pertaining to- her favorite food and flowers, what to wear, works at, and what to drink. Their teacher, Ms. Peggy Byrne enjoyed reading their responses!!! As you can also see from the photos, the students in K0E, K1A, 2B, and 5, as well as all the other students at SBCA made beautiful cards for their moms and grandparents. Friday, May 6, 2022 was a very special day that SBCA set aside to honor and celebrate our grandparents. We started the day off with a school Mass at St. Brigid Church which many of our grandparents, families and friends attended. The students did a wonderful job as greeters, readers and bringing up the gifts. Father Robert Casey, our Pastor, was the celebrant at this Mass. At the end of Mass, Dr. Helenann Civian, our Principal, had a chance to say a Special Thank You to all the families and especially the grandparents for all their continued support. Then they were able to come to school for refreshments and to visit with their grandchildren, to check out the new Early Childhood Center, attend the Art Show at SBCA where they had a chance to see all the terrific art work the children did. A BIG Thank You to, Ms. Valerie Szmurlo, our Art Teacher, for doing such an amazing job teaching the students the many different and beautiful types of art form. She, also, coordinated the Art Show and set up all the great art work the children did for this special Art Show. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Saturday morning, May 7, 2022 the Second Grade students at South Boston Catholic Academy and in the Parish Religious Education Program received their First Holy Communion at Gate of Heaven Church. The Celebrants at this Mass were, our Pastor, Father Robert Casey; our Parochial Vicar, Father Christopher Boyle and Monsignor Liam Bergin. Thank you to Father Casey, Father Boyle, Monsignor Bergin, our Principal, Dr. Helenann Civian; Vice Principal, Mrs. Denise Moriarty; our Second Grade Teachers, Ms. Stephanie Olsen and Ms. Meghan Leslie and to all the families and staff at South Boston Catholic Academy and to our Parish Religious Education Director, Mr. Chance Hebert; our Second Grade Rel. Ed. Teacher, Mrs. Joan Dixon and all the families in the Parish Religious Education Program and to all who helped to make this First Holy Communion extra special. Congratulations and God Bless all these wonderful children and their families! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Grade 2B…What’s The Scoop you ask? It’s a very important concept when reading and also a delicious summer snack! The “SCOOP” helps students pull out the important topics in books that they read. As they go down the line they are Able to find the S. setting C. characters O. oh no! The problem O. order of events and P. problem solved. This was a fun activity that allowed the students to really visualize the importance of details within a story and how to pull those details together! “Grade 3A celebrated Women’s History Month by conducting interviews of remarkable women that were in each student’s life. Students interviewed former teachers, family members, god parents, and others and created posters to share what they found with the whole school.” Grade 4 at South Boston Catholic Academy worked and collaborated on a poster for Earth Day. Each student made a square that tells their commitment to help the environment. Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. The week of April 18 we had Spring Camp 2022. Here are some of the activities the kids did at Spring Camp. They had a fun filled week doing outdoor activities with a walk and playing at M Street Park, walks to the beach to collect shells, going to Story Hour at the library, and indoors activities, such as, coloring, painting, making Sand Art, Snow Globes, Lego challenges and Fitness Fun. On April 25, 2022 we were excited that our newly renovated SBCA-Early Childhood Center was able to open its doors to our current K0 (A, B, C, D) classes. We were so happy to be able to welcome our K0 students, families and faculty to the new building! (YAMA) Young Audiences of MA came to school on April 28 and we were totally amazed with the wonderfully talented Acrobatic Performance they did at SBCA. The students thoroughly enjoyed watching the acrobatic performance. The students not only got a chance to actually participate in this program, and they also had a chance to learn a little about some of the Chinese Customs, Traditions and Language. We are so proud of our SBCA acrobats, too! Thank you so much, Li and YAMA for such a wonderful performance! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org to learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On April 4, 2022, the 6th Graders at South Boston Catholic Academy participated in the April School Mass at St. Brigid Church. Father Christopher Boyle, our Parochial Vicar, was the celebrant at this Mass. The 6th Graders did a wonderful job with the Readings and in leading us with the Prayer of the Faithful. On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, the 6th Graders did an amazing job with their drawings depicting each of The 14 Stations of the Cross. They also took part in leading the students in K2 to 5 in praying The Stations of the Cross at St. Brigid Church. The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. “We Adore You, O Christ, And Bless You. Because By Your Holy Cross You Have Redeemed The World.” New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Psalm 118 The students in Grade 1A at South Boston Catholic Academy did a marvelous job drawing, coloring, cutting, pasting, and writing the captions for their storyboards depicting Holy Week. Holy Week marks the last week of Jesus’ life here on earth beginning on Palm Sunday and leading up to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and then to Jesus’ glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. As you can see from the pictures of some of the students in Grades K0, K2A, 2nd, and 4th, they had fun getting ready to celebrate the Easter season just before they left for their spring vacation. All of us at South Boston Catholic Academy wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Easter season! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org to learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.

South Boston Catholic Academy News Third Grade News What am I looking at? - Grade 3A students, at South Boston Catholic Academy, participated in the survey project. Students were told to create a survey question with 3-5 options to answer. They were asked to survey at least 15 people. Then they created data tables and bar graphs to visually represent their data. Finally they included at least 3 findings that they learned from their data. The students put a lot of thought, time and effort and did a fantastic job on their surveys and thoroughly enjoyed working on this class project! All of the third graders at SBCA completed a survey project as their culminating activity for their math unit on graphing and data. Students in 3B were tasked with creating a question to ask of others along with options for the people surveyed to choose from. For example, a few questions students asked were “What is your favorite type of dog?” or “What is your favorite subject in school?” Students asked fifteen people to choose a response and then created a data table and bar graph based on the results. Finally, students were asked to report three findings from their survey. Students were then able to share their projects with their classmates and hang them in the school hallways. This was such a fun way for the third graders to apply what they have learned in math class to a real life context! The projects turned out great, and the teachers are so proud! In grade 3C, the survey project was a great way to have our students use what they were learning about collecting and representing data. We wanted them to show their understanding in a fun and interactive way. Students were asked to pick a topic that was interesting and important to them to see how their opinions compared to those of their classmates. They came up with some amazing ideas! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On March 17, the 2nd graders did a special writing activity in class. The prompt was "If you came across a leprechaun's pot of gold what would you do?" All the students did a terrific job with their writing activity. One student, Hayden DeGroen, wrote: "I would count how many coins are in the pot. After that I would split it in half and give half to the homeless and the other half to a food bank. I would donate the money because I want the homeless people to have a roof to live under and food to eat. We should all be grateful that we have a school to go to, a house to live at, and food to eat. I would also give them the money so they could buy their kids presents for Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Hanukkah. I care for the homeless. We should all donate to care and care about the homeless." Quoting her teacher, Ms. Olsen… “I was not only blown away by the organization of her writing and details, but obviously her kindness! This was 100% thought up on her own. It reminded me exactly of what our Principal, Dr. Civian, discusses during our morning meetings in the gym. She was demonstrating exactly what our school is all about!” Congratulations to South Boston Catholic Academy’s 6th graders Liam Long and Alana McNamara for writing SBCA’s winning essays for the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum. Each student in grade 6 wrote essays on “Courage in My Life.” The Max Courage Curriculum and essay contest are inspired by the legacy of Max Warburg, a 6th grader who showed courage and determination in the face of his battle with leukemia. The students’ essays were entered along with hundreds of others from local, national, and international schools, both public and private. The winning essays will be published in a bound book, The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond, Volume 31. The books are given to every sixth grader, and to all school libraries. Each student who participates in the Courage Curriculum also receives a Certificate of Participation. The essay contest winners and their teachers will be honored at the annual spring Awards Luncheon, where the students receive the Warburg Fellows Award. This year’s award luncheon was held on May 25, 2022 at Venezia Boston. Shout out to our students in grade 6A for writing letters to pair with a care package for a school in Ukraine. The student’s letters were so heartfelt and kind. We are so proud of all our thoughtful students! “Everyone has a Story: From Idea to Book”…On March 24, we welcomed Author and Storyteller Norah Dooley to SBCA. She taught the students in grades K2 to 6 all about the Art of Writing and Storytelling. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

From March 14 through to the 18, all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy Celebrated Spring Spirit Week. This busy week started off with a week long Penny War! Each grade had their own bucket for collecting the funds. Students brought in coins all week. A penny in a grades bucket is a point for that grade. Penny Wars help generate funds for many school activities planned by the Student Council for the entire school. Our Student Council did a phenomenal job counting all the coins with guidance from our Physical Educational Director, Ms. Erin Brogan. The winning grade received a Pizza Party and 10% of the Penny Wars Fund was donated to Ukrainian support efforts. Monday was Flannel Day and Pi Day… We came dressed in our favorite flannel outfit and enjoyed some fun math activities to acknowledge Pi Day. Each year, Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. Pi Day gives math enthusiasts the opportunity to celebrate their love for numbers and the enigma that is the infinite Pi. Our 6th graders did a fantastic job going to the different classrooms to teach about the meaning of Pi Day! A Big Thank you to our Vice Principal, Mrs. Denise Moriarty, a true math enthusiast, for coordinating this activity for the students at SBCA and to our wonderful 6th graders who took part in this fun and educational project! Tuesday was Mismatch/Wacky Wardrobe Clothing Day… As you can see from the photos, everyone loved this day and Wednesday was Neon Day, when everyone got to shine! Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day and we wore green to celebrate our Irish friends. Parents, families and friends were welcome to come to the school yard to watch many of our very talented students give a superb performance of their Irish Step Dancing. A pesky messy leprechaun visited some of the classrooms and was able to avoid being caught in the leprechaun traps the children had made. We hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Friday was Sports Day and we had a chance to represent our favorite sports, sports team or athlete… We all had a great time watching a fun and exciting basketball game between our 6th Graders and our Teachers. It was a great way to end a great school week and welcome the beginning of Spring! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Colonel Henry Knox visited the students at South Boston Catholic Academy. Knox told the students, many of whom had written essays for the South Boston Citizens Association Poster & Essay Contest, about dragging cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in the winter, and using them to force the British evacuation on March 17, 1776. Knox, portrayed by Archer O'Reilly, was joined by Professor Robert Allison of the South Boston Historical Society. The students at South Boston Catholic Academy had great questions about Evacuation Day, and learned from Colonel Knox about why their neighborhood has a National Park at its center. A Big Thank you to Mr. Archer O’Reilly, Professor Robert and Mrs. Phyllis Allison and Mr. John Allison for coming to our school and teaching us about this important event in South Boston history. Congratulations to our students in 6B who won the Evacuation Day Essay Contest. Our First Place winner was Anshul Kesireddy, our Second Place Winner was Audrey Bahsen and our Third Place Winner was Kim Patel. Everyone who participated in this contest did a great job! On March 17, 1776, the British military evacuated the city of Boston, Massachusetts and never returned. The city of Boston annually celebrates this day as an official holiday called Boston Evacuation Day. On Thursday, March 17, 2022 our 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders had a chance to attend the Evacuation Day Ceremony at Dorchester Heights. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Cheers rang out from the 3B classroom as students watched their ZOOMED-in classmate, Alexandra Eissing, clinch the school’s top speller spot in the 9th round. The next step for our winner is competing in the 2022 Boston Citywide BCYF Spelling Bee that will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square Branch. Congratulations to Audrey Bahnsen, our 2nd Place winner and Jack Hughes, our 3rd place winner and to all our superb SBCA spellers for their diligence, determination, and school spirit! A Special Thank you to Mrs. Theresa Evans, our Upper Elementary Literacy Coach, for organizing this Annual School Spelling Bee. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Wednesday, March 2, our Pastor and celebrant, Father Casey, South Boston Catholic Academy students, families, and parishioners attended the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Brigid Church. Grade 4 wonderfully participated in the Mass as greeters, did the readings, and led the Prayers of the Faithful, while our new 5th grade Altar Servers did a fantastic job assisting at Mass. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Holy season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter. This year, Lent began on Wednesday, March 2, and ends on Saturday evening, April 16, 2022. Lent is an old English word meaning 'lengthen'. Lent is observed in spring when the days begin to get longer. It is a period of waiting and preparation for the big day-Easter when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. In church, we are reminded to focus on forgiveness and how we can be better Christians. The traditional Lenten practices are: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Pope Francis has referred to Lent as a time for renewing faith, hope, and love, all things greatly needed during these challenging times. On Monday, March 7, Sister Evelyn Hurley celebrated her 107th Birthday! The 4th Graders made beautiful birthday cards to celebrate her 107th Birthday and sent them to her. Sister Evelyn Hurley says she “…has loved every minute of her 60 years as a classroom teacher, and that God has Blessed her in many, many, many ways.” She tells us that we have all been in her Prayers daily! We in turn love and pray for her and are very grateful to her. We Thank God for her and her many years as an amazing teacher and friend to generations of students, families, and Parishioners here in South Boston. Dear Sister Evelyn, all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy hope and pray that you had a Wonderful 107th Birthday and wish you all the very best! Thank you and God Love and Bless you always, Sister Evelyn! New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Black History Month (February 1 to March 1) is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society. Students at South Boston Catholic Academy have learned about these contributions via many hands-on projects and activities across grade levels and curricula. Students in Grade 4 researched and wrote biographies about leaders and role models such as Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela. Their class theme for this project, “Black History is American History”. Students in Grade 6A worked on graphing coordinate points which, when completed, produced the image of Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his "I Have a Dream" speech. Grade 6A is also working on a Black History project that reflects their choice of researching the life and contributions of significant and influential Back people who make our story so special! Grade 6B students started off Black History Month with a novel study of “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis as well as learning about the struggles and victories of poet Maya Angelou. Here are famous quotes from some of our inspirational leaders and role models…“Each person must live their life as a model for others.”- Rosa Parks; “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world.”― Harriet Tubman; “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”- Nelson Mandela; “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”- Maya Angelou, and “Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

On Thursday, February 17, 2022, the students and teachers at South Boston Catholic Academy had a great day Celebrating our 100 Day of School, especially the students in K2, 1st, and 2nd Grades, as you can see from the photos! "1A had an exciting 100th day of school. We came to school wearing a hat or shirt decorated with 100 items. Wow, what creative ideas everyone had! We pulled together our daily activities such as; tallying 100 days of school, putting 100 days of weather on bar graphs, grouping our tens and ones finally into a group of 100, making different combinations of 100 cents, as well as some writing activities. What a fun day of learning!" “The children in 1B class did a 100th Day project using M&M's. They used hundreds of M&Ms. But they couldn't eat them!! They had to sort the M&Ms by color and then count them using tally marks. Some people counted by fives and some people counted by tens. They had to check to make sure everyone agreed with the sums so they could answer questions. When the project was done, those M&M's were thrown away. Subsequently, each child got a small bag of M&M's to take home!!” “The students in 1C also had a fun, exciting, and creative day of learning and celebrating their 100th day of school. They put a ton of thought and effort into designing their hats/shirts, just as all the other students did on their class projects! Happy 100th Day Everyone! Families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about SBCA.

We hope everyone had a wonderful St. Valentine’s Day! The students at South Boston Catholic Academy thoroughly enjoyed their St. Valentine’s Day by making a variety of colorful artwork, crafts and decorations. They, also, handed out Valentine’s Day cards to their classmates and friends during their Valentine parties in their classrooms. One of many accounts/stories about St. Valentine is that…Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love. Believers say God worked through his life to perform miracles and teach people how to recognize and experience true love. This famous saint, an Italian doctor who later became a priest, inspired the creation of the holiday of Valentine's Day. He was sent to jail for performing weddings for couples during a time when new marriages were outlawed in ancient Rome. Before he was killed for refusing to renounce his faith, he sent a loving note to a child he had been helping to teach, the daughter of his jailer, and that note eventually led to the tradition of sending Valentine's cards. Prayer: Dear Jesus, Help me to love You in the same selfless way in which St. Valentine did, and by my example may others know that You love them. Amen. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller, Author. Families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about SBCA.

January 30, 2022, marked the beginning of our annual celebration of National Catholic Schools Week, The theme — “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”— During this school-wide celebration, we were able to focus on faith development, academic excellence, and dedication to community service. We are so very proud of each and every one of our wonderful students and very thankful to all our families, teachers, and staff for their dedication, hard work, and support. Each day of this week had activities planned around a special theme/acknowledgment such as … Our Community, Our Students, Our Nation, Our Vocations, Our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers, and Our Families. Thursday was Student Appreciation Day and everyone got to enjoy pizza for lunch. Grades 3-6: had a Classroom Spelling Bee. Thank you to Mr. Chance Hebert, the Coordinator of Catholic Identity, for organizing these themes, to the students, families, teachers, and to all who helped to make this past week a very special, faith inspiring and fun week for all! “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 In 1A - Students did a fanatic job writing about why they love attending our Catholic School. Some said, “At SBCA I learn about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” And “At SBCA I learn about Jesus and pray to God and learn the Bible.” In 1B - One of the songs we sing in the morning to start our day is- "Thank You God For Giving Us SBCA!" The children in Grade 1B were engaged in a brainstorming session to share ideas of what makes our school, " A Special Catholic School!" Then, they got a picture that was close to their idea to color. In 1C- We wrote about why we LOVE SBCA. The students were so excited to share the many reasons they love going to this school, specifically for the teachers, being with their friends every day, and learning in math, reading, writing, and religion. We are so thankful to be a part of a great school and community! A little about SBCA… We are inspired by the traditions of our Catholic faith, family spirit, and academic excellence, we are committed to meeting the spiritual, academic, physical, and social needs of individual students within a learning environment that is both stimulating and supportive. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

In the winter season we can cozy up with a good book; draw and color a snowman or wintery scene; play in the snow and make a snowman; enjoy a warm bowl of soup and a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows; cut out and make decorative snowflakes; go for walks, sledding, ice skating and skiing in the great outdoors and so much more… As you can see from the pictures, the students of South Boston Catholic Academy are enjoying this winter season. The Kindergarten students read the book, A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats during story time in their classrooms and had fun making a picture based on this story. Some students made pictures of a colorful snowman and a big cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows out of construction paper, crayons, glue and shaving cream and some cut out beautiful snowflakes. The older students have gone for walks to the park to play while enjoying the cool crisp fresh air and winter scenery. Here are some other popular Winter Books the children in the Early Childhood Program like to have read to them during story time... The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll; The Mitten by Jan Brett; The Hat by Jan Brett; Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright; The Itsy Bitsy Snowman by Jeffery Burton; Ten on a Sled by Kim Norman and Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak. Happy Winter Everyone! “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”― Percy Bysshe Shelley “You can’t get too much winter in the winter.”– Robert Frost. New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.orgto learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.