News - December 2020

From our 3r Grade Teacher, Mr. Cole Stautberg…Recently, in 3rd grade, students have been learning about the indigenous populations that lived in this region prior to Europeans arriving in the early 17th century. They have specifically studied the Wampanoag tribe and their way of life. Students have explored the culture, the survival skills, and the crafting skills that the Wampanoags needed in order to prosper in the region. The class thoroughly enjoyed molding pinch pots and painting them with patterns and petroglyphs--a small glimpse of what one chore might have been for a citizen of the Wampanoag tribe. They have also learned some of the games that Wampanoag children would play not only to have fun, but to also practice necessary life skills, such as hunting. The 3rd grade class has also been observing the Advent season. Each week, students have "lit a new flame" in their Advent Wreath. As each week begins, students have been discussing what Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy mean to them. They are critically thinking about how they already do employ those values into their lives, and how they can allow them to have a stronger presence in their everyday actions. Students have seemed to enjoy expanding their worldview and learning about spreading light to all those who may find themselves in darkness during this difficult time in our world. On Wednesday, December 10, 2020, we had a school Mass and the 3rd grade class did a great job participating at this Mass. While the 3rd graders and their teacher were at church, the rest of the students and faculty were able to watch this Mass livestreamed on the Parish Website in their own individual classrooms.

SBCA will be closed on 12/17/20 due to the pending Snow Storm. Be Safe

From our Music Teacher, Ms. Eleanor Tynan…This year we are focusing on the fundamentals of music, and emphasizing the "fun"! During this year of challenges, the students are exceeding expectations and showing great resilience in the face of so much change. As the older students study music history and famous composers, fourth grade works on building their ukulele skills and creating their own books of chords, with which they will write songs later in the year. K1 is working on developing our sense of pitch by playing with various silly songs, folk songs, and sliding scales. Our lovely Kindergarten students are studying American and international folk songs, while learning to play simple songs on the xylophone, and identify high and low pitches within a song! They love playing the high low game, where they get to jump up and fall to the ground to demonstrate low noises and high sounds. In first and second grade we are working on learning our rhythms! They impress with their ability to internalize a beat, and write their own rhythmic patterns. For a fun change of pace they used their musical notes to create silly pumpkin faces, as seen here. Overall, the children of South Boston Catholic Academy are showing me every day that music and joy cannot be thwarted by quarantines, or pandemics. Their sense of play abounds, and I am blessed to help guide them in their musical journey.

South Boston Catholic Academy recently held their Student Council Elections. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Student Council Elections! We are excited to see what our class representatives achieve in this 2020-2021 school year. One of the first projects our new Student Council members, led by our Student Council President, Vice President and Secretary in the 6th Grade, was on this month’s Annual Food Drive to Benefit St. Vincent de Paul Food Drive. Our Student Council members helped organize this food collection drive with guidance from Ms. Tynan, our Music Teacher, along with help from their classmates, families and friends at South Boston Catholic Academy in hopes that this drive will provide food that will help families and neighbors have a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who helped make this food drive possible. From all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy, we wish Everyone a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!