 St. Isaac Jogues participated in the statewide Letters about Literature competition. Each year, students submit letters to a favorite author connecting to a character or story which has impacted them. 31 students were recognized in the 2018 competition with Honorable Mention or Semi-Finalist designations. Congratulations to Sophia Y., Kacey H., Megan M., Audrey W., Abigail G., Hayden S., Katie L., Willa G., Emma G., Megan T., Mia Y., Jessica V., Tatum B., Peyton M., Dominic K., Elyssa C., Caroline C., Penelope G., Lindsey D., Tessa G., Elle T., Claire D., Will F., Holden A., Raphael A., Sarah G., Mallory T., Emma G., Jacqueline L., Maddie M. and Jonathan S.
 The Class of 2018 graduated from St. Isaac Jogues on Tuesday, May 29th. This year has been full of great memories, experiences, and talent. The year began and ended with a Faith Rally where all students come together for adoration and praise. In the fall, students began working on Science Fair projects. 10 students represented St. Isaac Jogues at the Illinois State Science Fair. In November, students attended Called By Name Vocation and Discipleship Conference. Over 40 schools from around the diocese met here at St. Isaac's to sing, pray, and learn about the Catholic faith and how God calls all of us to holiness. Also in the fall, students researched a saint in preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation in December. Throughout the year, students participated in a devotional retreat focused on The Most Holy Eucharist. In March, the students visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center to create deeper meaning for their Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum. Alexander H. represented St. Isaac Jogues in the National Geographic Bee State Competition in March, as well. The Spring Musical this year was Aladdin which starred many 8th grade students. This has been quite a talented crew!
On the evening of Thursday, March 8th the Preschool celebrated Donuts with Dad! All preschool dads or other important male figures were invited to join their preschooler for an evening of fun in their classroom. In preparation for the event, the preschoolers answered adorable questionnaires about their dads and made them paper ties. At the event, the students enjoyed donuts and were thrilled to show their dads around their classroom (and favorite centers!) To commemorate the event, the students decorated foam frames and then had their picture taken with their dads as a special keepsake. It was such a special memory for all!
In early April, the preschool celebrated the musical talents of our youngest learners! In Mrs. Brusa’s PreK3 classroom the students made movies of the plays Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Henny Penny, Pete the Cat, and The Three Little Pigs. Families were then invited to attend the red carpet premiere of these films followed by a short reception with their little superstars. On Monday, April 16th Mrs. Lewis and Ms. Quinn’s PreK4 classes performed the musical Three Nanny Goats Gruff in honor of Music Monday as part of Week of the Young Child through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Parent volunteers came in to assist the students in creating their own sets and masks. It was a wonderful morning celebrating our talented young ones and we are so proud of their hard work for this truly adorable annual tradition! In March, students in grades 3-8 traveled by bus to Aurora to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children (a Christian non-profit organization) committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. The student volunteers hand-pack meals specially formulated for malnourished children. Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) sends the meals to partners around the world where they are used to operate orphanages, schools, clinics, and feeding programs to break the cycle of poverty. FMSC food has reached nearly 70 countries.
With the help of teachers and parent volunteers, the students worked alongside their classmates and packed 453 boxes of food. This will feed 268 children for an entire year. Our students enjoyed singing to the music, having fun with their friends, and helping those in need. All the students agreed that it was a wonderful way to practice their faith by doing something for others. This service project has now become a tradition at St. Isaac's! For the first time in the history of the Cadence Show Choir, the group, comprised of 53 members in grades 6, 7, and 8 from St. Isaac Jogues traveled to California to compete at the Los Alamitos Xtravaganza Show Choir Competition on March 15th. Cadence proudly returned home as Grand Champions of the Middle School Mixed Division as well as with an elite recognition for Best Showmanship. As a special bonus while in California, the Cadence Show Choir performed on the Fantasyland Theatre Stage in Disneyland Park through the Disneyland Performing Arts Program.
Other highlights of the group’s 2017-18 season include winning Grand Champions, Best Vocals, and Best Choreography at the Crete-Monee Show Choir Spectacular and winning First Runner Up at the John Hersey Chicagoland Showcase. Several St. Isaac Jogues students received special awards at these competitions. Gavin D. won Best Male Vocalist at both Crete-Monee and Chicagoland competitions. Best performer awards went to Shannon S. at Chicagoland Showcase and Lily D. at Los Alamitos Xtravaganza. Congratulations to all the Cadence members! The Cadence Show Choir also performed a Christmas concert at Hinsdale South High School, and a Spring concert at Hinsdale Central High School. The Cadence Show Choir is honored to represent and have the support of the community at St. Isaac Jogues School.  Mrs. Boyle would like to thank everyone involved in making it possible for St. Isaac’s students to achieve another extremely successful year of academic and personal growth through the vehicle of science fair! A special thanks to the parents who served as judges at both the State and at Regional Science Fairs. The 7th and 8th grade students once again represented SIJ with poise, eloquence, and excellence. We are extremely proud of all our students. We are grateful for their diligence, perseverance, and commitment to working to their God given potential. The results were as follows:
Students earning Silver: Dominic K., Jack J., Lindsey D., Jackie L., Sarah G., Gabija S., Mallory T., and Michaela M. Students earning Gold: Raphael A., Viktoria S., Grace R., Mia Y., Caroline C., Emma G., Baileigh R., Elyssa C., Kelly N., Madelyn P., Elle T., Shannon S., Penelope G., Caroline K., and Heather W. Special Awards: (Rare- only 9 went to our whole region, we earned 6!) Top Ten of Papers: Penelope G., Grace R., and Viktoria S. Scientific Excellence: Gabija S. and Mallory T. Jay & Jeremy Hoffman Memorial Award: Penelope G. and Mia Y. Naval Science Award: Madelyn P. SIJ's production of Aladdin Jr. was a success with four performances at Nazareth Academy the weekend of February 23rd! The students took the audience on an adventure through Agrabah with classic numbers such as "One Jump Ahead," "Friend Like Me," and "A Whole New World." The student crew designed and painted the set pieces and the props under the guidance of Mrs. Govostis. The crew students ran stage crew and even the light board! Overall, this musical was a great experience for SIJ fifth through eighth grade students, and the message from the musical, "to always be yourself," was at the heart of the production.  Along with SIJ 8th graders, approximately 500 area students participated in the You Be the Chemist competition for High School & Junior High students. They took the written test in class before Christmas. SIJ has been notified that three students who scored in the top 40 placements have been invited to advance to the next level of competition on March 13th at Downers Grove North High School. We are very proud of our winning students, Sarah G., Alexander H., and Grace R. These students have demonstrated excellence in areas of chemistry that they learned in their first semester of 8th grade physical science. Congratulations to our young scientists!
 Alexander H. (Gr. 8) won the school level competition of St. Isaac Jogues' National Geographic Bee. Alexander took a qualifying test from the National Geographic Society, and will now be advancing to the 30th Illinois State Geographic Bee. This event will take place on April 12th at Illinois State University. Approximately 3 million students in almost 10,000 schools across the country took the qualifying test. In Illinois, only about 100 students were selected, and Alexander was one of them! If Alexander wins at the state level competition, the National Geographic Society will provide him with an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national championship in May. The first-place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands! Congratulations to Alexander! We wish him the best of luck in the State Competition!
Last fall, SIJ students in grades 4-8 competed in a classroom level competition, from which 10 finalists were selected to advance to the all-school competition. The 10 finalists were: Alexander H. (Gr. 8), Grace R. (Gr. 8), Caroline K. (Gr. 7), Jack R. (Gr. 7), Brennan W. (Gr. 6), John H. (Gr. 6), Finn R. (Gr. 5), John G. (Gr. 5), Caroline S. (Gr. 4), and Allie G. (Gr. 4). St. Isaac's students beat the winter blues by participating in fun after school Enrichment classes. Class offerings include: Painting on Canvas, Clay Creations, The Exciting World of Science, Baking and Cooking, Fun Fitness, Edible Art, American Girl Gala, Fleece Blanket Design and Creation, Readers Theater, Creative Writing, Legos and Robots, and Keyboarding. |
