News - February 2023

South Boston Catholic Academy officially kicked off Catholic Schools Week on 1/29 through to 2/3/2023.This Annual Celebration of National Catholic Schools Week is a fun, exciting and meaningful week promoting the importance of having faith, being kind to one another, caring for one another all the while getting an excellent education. Teachers and students focused on this year’s theme Faith. Excellence. Service. We celebrated our wonderful school and community in a number of ways including the following: School Spirit: Students decorated their classroom doors for a 'Door Decorating' competition using CSW related theme or another of their choice. Judges will observe the doors and pick a First, Second and Third Place Winner. Students had a chance to write how they feel about being a student at SBCA and what they Love about SBCA… A student wrote, I am so lucky and blessed to go to SBCA because… “I have so many friends that go here. SBCA has the best teachers. I learn to read and do math so well. We get to have specials.” Another student wrote, What I Love about SBCA is…“My friends and my teachers.” Our Catholic School Week officially initiated the return to our 'Mystery Guest Reader'. This activity provides parents with the opportunity to select a date/time to come into the classroom and read to their child and their classmates. Monday 30th was Parent Appreciation Day. The Students made cards/crafts/letters of thanks to parents/guardians for making the sacrifice to send their children to Catholic school, and especially SBCA. Tuesday 31st was Teacher Appreciation; we had a much appreciated delicious Faculty Luncheon hosted by Home and School. Thank you to the wonderful and supportive members of our Home and School Committee. Father Casey, our Pastor, our SBCA Children’s Choir and our school community celebrated a Mass for the Feast Day of Saint Brigid of Kildare and everyone had a chance to view this Mass on the Catholic TV station. Thursday February 2nd we welcomed new families to come for a visit to SBCA and tour the Open House from 9 – 11AM at both SBCA and the Early Childhood Center. The Student Council and other ambassadors made everyone feel welcomed, and directed families through both school buildings. Thursday February 2nd was Student Appreciation Day. The students, teachers and staff were treated to pizza for lunch provided by Mike and Tony from the East Broadway Market. Thank you both again for your kindness and generosity to SBCA. Friday 3rd was Crazy Hat, Hair or Sock Day! It was a Free Tag Day for all! What a fun way to end a very special week at SBCA. A Special Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s Catholic Schools Week extra special for all the students and families at SBCA! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Music consists of several elements such as melody, rhythm, pitch, and harmony. While these are commonly known, the best way to learn music is by experiencing it. As you can see from the photos the students at South Boston Catholic Academy and at the Early Childhood Center are enthusiastic about Music Class as their Music Teacher, Mr. Carlo Bunyi, shares his love and knowledge of music with them. In music class, the students learn music through body movement, song study, basic theory, history, language, and instrument playing. To supplement music class, students who are in the SBCA Choir learn about vocal technique and expand their song repertoire. Regular singing engagements include the students' Mass and the Christmas and Spring Concerts. It is wonderful to see many of our students who are enjoying being in the SBCA Children’s Choir. In Music Class they have been incorporating movement into the music piece entitled "Syncopated Clock". In this activity, the use of scarves parallel the beat and melodic contour of the piece. Students also immerse in music literacy by learning the rudiments which include note reading. To apply music literacy, the students get to play on different instruments either individually or as a group. This gives them the opportunity to be a performer/collaborator and build their confidence on stage. In celebration of MLK Day, the students learned about Freedom Songs which were used during the Civil Rights movement. These songs reflect the social struggles at the time and the fight for equal rights. “Music is life itself.” — Louis Armstrong. “Where words fail, music speaks” - Hans Christian Andersen New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Thank you to our Book Buddies in Ms. Guildford’s and Mrs. Coleman’s 4th Grade classes! The students in Ms. Brook’s K0B class and Ms. Sullivan’s K0D class in the SBCA Early Childhood Program were so happy to see their Book Buddies in grades 4A and 4B from South Boston Catholic Academy who came to visit them in their classroom. They sat down with their 4th Grade Book Buddies and had fun reading some of the great books from their classroom Library. They are hoping to spend more time reading with their book buddies throughout the rest of the school year. Reading is essential and serves as a basic building block for learning. Reading with children is a powerful tool for early literacy. The first 5 years of reading to a child matters. It also creates an important bond and can play an essential role in brain development. By reading to children, you provide them with a deep understanding about their world and fill their brains with background knowledge. Background knowledge is essential for reading comprehension. “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!” – Dr. Seuss. “There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all.”– Jacqueline Kennedy. The 4th Graders, as well as all the SBCA students, had a chance to buy some great new books at our Scholastic Book Fair. The students and teachers were excited to get new books to read at home, in the classroom and with their Book Buddies. Thank you to all the SBCA parents who helped to make this book fair a big success and encourage the joy of reading for all the children! Also, as you can see from the pictures, the 4th Grade students had a fun day assembling and decorating their Gingerbread Houses. In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., famous “I Had a Dream” speech, the 4th Graders wrote about how they can make the world a better place. One of the 4th grader students wrote… “My Dream for myself: To go to college and be a Vet.” “My Dream for the world: To find a cure for Cancer.” “My Dream for my community: I would like to work very hard to stop world hunger.” Some of Dr. King, Jr’s famous quotes…“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” “Love is the most durable power in the world. This creative force, so beautifully exemplified in the life of our Christ, is the most potent instrument available in mankind’s quest for peace and security.” New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy