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Our PK3 students have been busy turning their dramatic play area into a post office. They learned about what is needed to mail letters and actually mailed a letter to their parents! They have also been busy in the classroom making snow, pretending to be groundhogs, creating mixed coloring paintings with a friend, and playing the What's Missing Alphabet and Disappearing Letters games. Our PK4 students learned about the different food groups and healthy eating habits. They also studied the difference between human and animal teeth. They learned the importance of brushing and flossing their own teeth. These concepts carried over to the songs they sang, math & language art games they played, and the crafts they made. They ended the unit with a visit from Brush Pediatric Dentistry! SIJ's production of Beauty and the Beast Jr. was a success with four performances at Nazareth Academy the weekend of February 22nd! The students brought the story to life with classic numbers such as "Gaston," "Be Our Guest," and "Human Again." The student crew created the props, painted the set pieces, and ran stage crew and lights under the guidance of Ms. Martin, Mrs. Nora Lewis, Mr. Jeff Nowicki (set designer), and Mr. Patrick Heffernan (lighting designer). Overall, the musical was a great experience for SIJ fifth through eighth grade students, and the message that "true beauty is found within" was at the heart of the production. The Rotary Club of Hinsdale presented Heather W. and Jack C. with the Youth Merit Award at the Rotary Club meeting on March 1st. The award winners attended the Rotary luncheon, addressed the club members about their activities and interests, and received a certificate to commemorate their accomplishments. The Youth Merit Award is presented to selected high school and middle school students. This award recognizes extraordinary students for service to their community and classmates, leadership qualities, and academic achievements. Congratulations to Heather and Jack!  Along with SIJ 8th graders, approximately 750 area students participated in the You Be the Chemist competition for Junior High students. They took the written test in class before Christmas. Four SIJ students scored in the top forty placements and were invited to advance to the next level of competition on March 7th at Downers Grove South High School. We are very proud of our students representing SIJ in this competition. Dominic K., Emma G., Elyssa C., and Jack J. have demonstrated excellence in areas of chemistry that they learned in their first semester of 8th grade. Congratulations to our young scientists!  ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARISH PARTYSATURDAY, MARCH 2ND 5:30 P.M. - SIJ PARISH CENETER PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AT: All tickets must be reserved on the website. You can pay with a credit card on the website (service fee applies) or send a check to the St. Isaac’s Jogues Church Rectory by March 1st.   Tickets are now available for SIJ's Musical, Beauty and the Beast Jr!
Performance Dates:
Please visit ticketpeak.com/sij to order tickets; ticket sales are final.
Hope to see you there! Ms. Jaclyn Martin and Mrs. Nora Lewis Musical Directors  On January 8th, our 3rd through 7th grade students enjoyed a visit with children’s author Jessica Townsend, author of the best-selling Nevermoor series. Jessica asked the students to brainstorm potential characters for her next book and shared her experiences growing up in Australia. She then personalized and signed books for our students, taking time to speak individually with a smaller group. Nevermoor Society pins were distributed to all who purchased books during the visit, and many students shared their excitement to read the rest of the books in the planned 9 book series. This was a great way to come back to school after Christmas break!
All of the seventh and eighth grade students participated in the SIJ Junior High Science Fair on January 17th. Students practiced skills as they have researched, written about, experimented, designed, analyzed, and communicated a great variety of interesting topics. This is incredible preparation for the academic work that awaits them in the future. Areas of study included Astronomy, Behavioral Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Electronics, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology, and Physics. Students put forth wonderful effort in this academic event. The twenty highest scoring projects at the SIJ Science Fair will advance to the Regional Fair at the University of St. Francis in March. Eight grade students who qualified to represent St. Isaac's are: Emma G., Dominic K., Caroline K., Heather W., Madelyn P., Shannon S., Elle T., Gabija S., Peyton M., Tatum B., Liam S., and Jack J. Seventh grade students earning a position at the Regional Fair are: Sophia Y., Kacey H., Nick C., Lara P., Mary M., Molly S., Lily B., Faith D., Kathryn S., Kari T., Maddie R., Jillian P., Bianca P., and Claire K. The competition was very keen, and there were many other students who had outstanding projects. We are extremely proud of all of our young scientists!
During the week of January 20th, 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 over 478 boxes of food. This will feed over 284 children for a 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 experience. This service project has now become a tradition at St. Isaac's! |
