The weekend of April 17th, six members of the SIJ Student Council along with their advisors, Mrs. Feltz and Mrs. Pacholek, attended the 56th Annual State Convention of the Illinois Association of Junior High Student Councils (IAJHSC). The Convention was held in Springfield, Illinois. Representatives from 65 schools attended for a total of 1,084 delegates. Our Student Council brought close to 60 lbs. of pop tabs that were collected during the school year, to be recycled. Our contribution, added to the total contribution from all of the other schools totaled over $2,000, which was donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Also, the total IAJHSC contribution to “Camps Count for Kids,” totaled $18, 842. In addition to our cash contribution of $500, our school donated 24 handmade fleece blankets that were made during Catholic Schools Week, directly to Royal Family Kids Camp. This camp is a network of camps, children's clubs, and child mentoring for abused, abandoned and neglected children in the foster care system in Illinois.
At the convention, the delegates attended caucus sessions to elect the Northeast regional representative and shared various activity ideas to use in our schools and communities. The keynote speakers were Bob Tryanski and Carl Olson. Both speakers delivered inspiring presentations that conveyed a motivational message about the value of student leadership. The convention was a great opportunity for the students to improve their leadership skills, meet new friends and bring new ideas back to our Student Council. Four eighth graders from SIJ have served as student leaders for the Diocese of Joliet Devotional Project for the 2014 - 2015 school year. The title of the project is Immersed in His Saving Grace. It explores the devotional life in the Catholic Church that leads us to the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. Caroline Bourjaily, Callum Burke, Avery Ferguson and Gavin Wilson participated in a Mass for student leaders, teachers and families from around the diocese at the Divine Mercy Polish Mission and Shrine. This beautiful church displays a special devotion to Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Faustina. In the year 2000, at the Canonization of St. Faustina, Pope John Paul II declared that the second Sunday of Easter (the Easter Octave) would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Church would recognize the infinite gift of God’s Mercy toward his people and the obligation to, in turn, let that Divine Mercy flow from God through us to others.
As a means to further explore the devotional practice of Pilgrimage, the leaders of the Devotional Project selected a shrine in the diocese to travel to and participate in the Mass and reception of the Holy Eucharist. Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Joliet, was the celebrant of the Mass and spoke to everyone about the infinite Mercy of God. He used mathematical terms to show that no matter what number you subtract from infinity ~ infinity can never be diminished ~ it will always be infinite and so is God’s Mercy! On Monday, March 31st, the Eighth grade students took a field trip to Cantigny in Wheaton. The students experienced a World War I trench and a World War II induction center. They learned about the areas in which the Big Red One distinguished itself. They were treated to a tour of the Medill/McCormick mansion, and given a short account of the influence of Colonel Robert R. McCormick and his family had on Chicago history. It was a beautiful day and an early Spring gift from God!
On Monday, March 16th, five students from Seventh grade traveled to Nazareth Academy to participate in the 6th Annual Nazareth Math Contest. The SIJ Math team of Jenna Collignon, Katie Drumm, Callahan Malchow, Vytautas Staniskis and Gabrielle Sullivan placed first in the large school division. Three SIJ students placed individually as follows: Vytautus Staniskis - 1st Place; Callahan Malchow - 4th Place; and Jenna Collignon - 5th Place. Thank you to all the students who participated and proudly represented St. Isaac's. Congratulations on a job well done!
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