Incoming 5th-, 6th-, 7th- and 8th-graders have summer reading assignments due August 30. A handout describing the assignments was sent home at the end of the year, but here’s a review.

Grade 5:
Read My Side of the Mountain by Jean George and No Talking by Andrew Clements

For My Side of the Mountain answer the following questions on loose leaf paper in complete sentences:

1. Sam lives on the mountain with several animals as his nieghbors. As Sam spends time alone in the wilderness without human contact, he begins to name his neighbors. How does naming the animals help Sam? What does this tell us about Sam's character?

2. Read the animal names listed below. Identify the animals and explain why Sam chooses each name.

Frightful
The Baron
James
Mr. Bracket
Mrs. O'Brien
Mrs. Callaway
Mrs. Federio
Barometer

3. Based on Sam's descriptions, do you think the names are appropriate? Explain using three to five complete sentences.

4. When Sam left New York CIty to live on his great-grandfather's land in the Catskill Mountain wilderness, he took only a few precious items. He carried a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, flint and steel, and forty dollars in his pockets. What do you think Sam planned to do with these items? You must have a sentence explaining the use of each one.

5. Do you think Sam was wise when he selected these items to take with him? Explain using 3 to 5 complete sentences.

5. If you were to leave home to live in the wilderness, what important items would you take? Make a list of your ten most importans items. Title your list "Ten Most Important Things." Then explain why you would choose to take each one. Remember to put your answers in complete sentences.

For No Talking, answer the following in complete sentences on loose leaf paper:

1. Who are the "Unshushables"?
2. How do the teachers at Laketon Elementary feel about the "Unshushables"?
3. Who is Gandi and how does he get Dave Packer into trouble?
4. Who helps turn Dave's experiment into a grade-wide contest?
5. What are the terms of the contest?
5. How do the teachers react to this?
7. What do the kids discover as they try to keep quiet at home?
8. How do their parents react to the silence?
9. How does Mr. Burton feel about Mrs. Hiatt's efforts to stop the fifth-grade contest?
10. What does Mrs. Hiatt do when she finds out that the econtest is still going on at lunchtime?
11. How does she confront Dave?
12. How does Dave respond?

Grade 6:
Read Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell and Classic Starts version of Moby Dick retold from the Herman Melville original by Kathleen Olmstead.

For the Island of the Blue Dolphins:
Knowing your surroundings is important for survival. Without a clear picture of an area, an individual may limit or be unaware of important resources. Mapping out a region can help one organize and remember where important landmarks are for future use. Most maps that we use are diagrams rather than pictures…using symbols to represent mountains, lakes, etc. Karana describes her island early in the novel. Read Karana’s description and design a map of the island. As you continue to read the story, add details to your map, describing the places that Karana frequents throughout her years on the island. You can develop you own symbols to represent the landmarks. Be sure to record all of your symbols in a key so anyone will understand their meanings. Your finished map should be on a ½ posterboard (9x18 or 5x9) and include a key.

For Moby Dick (Classic Starts version):
Disaster News: The Pequod begins its fateful journey from Nantucket to find Moby-Dick on Christmas Day. Pretend you are a 19th century reporter for the fictitious Nantucket Gazette (or another newspaper name you create). Create a front page story and include a short article (150-200 words) about the end of the Pequod. You may include quotations or information from an “interview” with Ishmael. Include as many “facts” as you can. Other “sea” related articles/pictures may be included to complete the front page.

Grade 7:
Read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Byrne and The Giver by Lois Lowry.
For The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, choose two of the following questions and answer in essay form.
a.    Discuss the relationship between Bruno and Gretel. Why does Bruno seem younger than nine?
b.    Bruno asks his father about the people outside their house at Auschwitz. His father answers, “They’re not people at all, Bruno.” Discuss the horror of this attitude. How does his father’s statement make Bruno more curious about Out-With?
c.    Bruno issues a protest about leaving Berlin. His father responds, “Do you think that I would have made such a success of my life if I hadn’t learned when to argue and when to keep my mouth shut and follow orders?” What question might Bruno’s father ask at the end of the novel?
d.    Discuss the moral or message of the novel. What new insights and understandings does John Boyne want he reader to gain from reading this story?

For The Giver, choose two of the following and answer in essay form.
a.    What are some of the reasons that Jonas felt he had to run away?
b.    What are some of the good and bad things about Jonas’s family?
c.    What does Gabe represent at the end of the book?
d.    How does the subject of censorship relate to the theme of The Giver?

Essay form includes answering the question and supporting what you say with examples from the story.

Grade 8:
Read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
For Three Cups of Tea:
Choose any four chapters plus chapter 22. Pretend you are Greg and write one full page journal entry for each of the five chapters. Greg’s character must “show through” in these entries because they should be very personal.

For The Book Thief
Choose two of the following activities and answer them in essay form. Essay form requires you to make a statement and support it with information from the book.
--What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books?
--Abandonment is a theme in the novel. Who abandons Liesel and why?
--Guilt is another them in the novel. Explain why Hans feels guilt and shame.
--How does Liesel’s relationship with Rosa change by the end of the novel?
--Compare and contrast the lives of Liesel and Max Vandenburg.
--Discuss how the Hubermanns demonstrate courage throughout the novel.

Sacred Heart students opened their hearts to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake with monetary and supply collections.
 
Kids shared their snack money and more in a cafeteria collection for their fellow students at St. Antoine School, Sacred Heart’s sister school in Haiti. Donations from a Pajama Day also went to St. Antoine. Altogether, students donated $2,345.40. What a great job by students and parents! See the thank you note from the Hearts for Haiti committee for more information on the school and the village of Fondwa on page five.
 
Students also brought in soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths and much more to fill about 40 five-gallon buckets from Home Depot and Lowe’s. Those buckets will be given to Brother’s Brother Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based organization that will send them to Haiti.

We are pleased that the Catholic Schools Office for the Diocese of Pittsburgh is permitting our schools to 'count hours' as opposed to counting days in order to make up snow days. The Sacred Heart School instructional school day (without the lunch period) is 6 hours, one half hour more than most schools.

We will make up four of the seven school days missed on March 30, May 28, June 10, with June 11 being the last day for grades 1-7. Without making up the remaining three days, we still have more than the number of hours required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  Please check the monthly calendars for the changes as we move forward.

You may have heard of Giant Eagle's Apples for Students program, which allows local schools to accrue points to receive new Mac computers. Many of you may have already signed up to support Sacred Heart by enrolling your Advantage card. If you haven't, please sign up today, and ask your friends and relatives to as well. This year's program ends March 17 and we need every point we can get towards new computers. It's easy to sign up or to check if you are already registered; click on the "Read More" link below to see how.

You can sign up online by clicking this link: www.gianteagle.com/about/apples-for-students. Once there, click "Enroll in Apples for The Students or check your current selections." On the next page, click "Add schools for contribution" and input our school code: 0938. You can also enroll by calling 1-800-474-4777 and giving them your Advantage card number and our school code. New enrollees earn us 10 extra points each, but hurry—the program ends for this year soon.
 
Thanks so much for helping out!

Last week's talent show, part of the Catholic Schools Week celebration, was a big hit. Students sang, danced, and played piano, guitar, and violin for appreciative audiences of fellow students and parents. One student, a seventh-grader, even composed music and lyrics for a tribute to Sacred Heart school. Click below to read the lyrics.

Sacred Heart Pride Song

I wanna say one thing about the school I go to.
Every sing thing I say 'bout this is true.
You can run the school so perfectly
Teachers and staff you work so marvelously
And I've gotta say...
Sacred Heart u shine so perfectly
Because of all the things that you do for me
S-A-C-R-E-D-H-E-A-R-T
Spells H-O-M-E
To all my friends out there in the audience
You all help show everyone who we are
Our school is great in every single way.
So I want to say
Sacred Heart u shine so perfectly
Because of all the things that you do for me
S-A-C-R-E-D-H-E-A-R-T
All the teachers and staff members
Mr. G. and D., Mrs. Kegarise,
Mrs. Osio and Sister Lynn
Sacred Heart u shine so perfectly
Because of all the things that you do for me
S-A-C-R-E-D-H-E-A-R-T
S-A-C-R-E-D-H-E-A-R-T
That's H-O-M-E
H-O-M-E family.

Everyone is in a hurry and that is understandable. However, there is often an accident waiting to happen as the children come to and leave school in cars. Please resolve to slow down and keep the children out of harm's way in the new year.
At morning drop-off: Do not park in front of the school door. That area is the designated lane for fifteen buses between 7:35 and 8:00 a.m. Drivers are instructed by their districts to pull up as close to the school as possible. They get upset and we get upset when cars take their assigned spot. Please move your car down the street beyond the front door.
At afternoon pick-up: Do not wave at your children to cross Walnut St. to where your car is parked. Leave your car, meet the children in front of the church, and walk them across the street.

Dr. Sylvia Tamusuza, our Ugandan friend and teacher, will be visiting Pittsburgh again this January. She was an Artist-In-Residence at SHES last January and she taught extensively throughout the school for two full weeks. Dr. Sylvia is the founder of the Love and Care Foundation International, a home for abandoned children
in Kampala, Uganda. A Drum Circle featuring this renowned Ugandan drummer and ethnomusicologist is planned for Sunday, January 24 from 5-8 p.m. at Dunning's Grill on South Braddock Avenue. A portion of the proceeds from meals purchased at Dunning's Grill during the evening will benefit Love and Care International.

Bring the family for food and fun. Her visit is sponsored the Mukwano Club at Oakland Catholic High School.

We concluded Advent at SHES with wonderful happenings. The primary grades, under the direction of Sr. Rosie, performed a Christmas pageant entitled "The Christmas Lamb" for a record breaking crowd of parents, grandparents and friends of the children. Many thanks to Sr. Rosie, the program director; Mrs. Wood, the set decorator; and to the teachers of the primary grades. The show is certainly destined for the lights of Broadway!
Less than a week later, The Lessons in Carols, a prayerful reflection of the story of Christ's birth, took place in church right before vacation began. A school family and their new baby boy represented the Holy Family. Eighth graders, robed in costume, played the parts of the Isaiah the prophet, angels, shepherds, kings, and John the Baptist. The prayer was supported by the music of three guitars, three violins, a flute and a drum, all played by our middle school students. Mrs. Bruce, Mrs. Kegarise and Sr. Rosie planned and practiced with the children enabling everyone to experience a prayerful conclusion to our Advent season.

With holiday planning moving to the top of everyone’s list, remember, when you sign up at Onecause.com before you shop online, a portion of your spending gets donated directly to Sacred Heart. Even small purchases can add up quickly.

Sign up today at www.onecause.com. If you have questions about using the site, contact Michelle Hebert at mhrh1@yahoo.com.

The Advent season has begun. This is a time of prayer and celebration as we anticipate the coming of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Trees adorned with family ornaments, will decorate the first and second floors of the school. If your child is new to SHES this year, please send us an ornament to represent your family.

The ornament can be purchased or homemade. It can be a Christmas, Chanukah or winter ornament. Please print/write your family's name on the ornament and the year you first enrolled at Sacred Heart School. The children love to look for their ornaments and show them to their friends. The trees and ornaments are symbols of the SHES community, and are reminders of all who have been part of our school even after they had graduated or moved away.

Sacred Heart’s “Work Day” was held on October 3rd this year and much was accomplished in three hours. Thanks to a group of hardy volunteers, the lower hallway of the Activity Building was scraped, cleaned and given a fresh coat of bright white paint. It is now a welcome gateway to the after school program rooms and bowling alley.
Many thanks to Sharon and Darin Hoffner, Randy Hebert, Dave Evans, Christine Grzyb, Ed Letteri, Suzy Rosen, Mike Dufault, and Ken and Carrie Zenkevich. Thanks also to our terrific maintenance staffers, Glen and Randy, who supplied the paint and equipment.
While we were happy with what was accomplished, there are still other projects that need to be addressed, including painting the speech room and the third floor hallway. Consequently, we would like to schedule another Work Day to be held in the winter or spring months. And, of course, help will be needed! If you would like to spend just a few hours on a Saturday in the future, please contact Ken Zenkevich at carrie.zenkevich@verizon.net.  
Again, thanks to our volunteers and their families for sharing their time and talents with our school community.

Destiny, an online library catalog that enables students to access and search the Sacred Heart library catalog from the internet, day or evening, is now available at: sheslibrary.follettdestiny.com

Sacred Heart is offering a six-week Beginner Chess class Wednesdays after school beginning September 9. Grades 2 through 8 are eligible. Watch for a flyer coming home soon for all the details. Registration deadline is September 4.

This fall, along with many old favorites, Sacred Heart will offer an exciting new afterschool class in weaving. The class will be once a week for six weeks and will introduce different fibers through cultures that have a history of using those fibers. Other popular afterschool offers including chess and Junior Great Books will also return. Watch for more details in coming weeks.

To make up the G-20 days off (see item below), we will now have school on Wednesday, November 11 and Monday, November 30. Both were previously planned as days off.

School will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23 and there will be no school on September 24 or 25. This is to follow the Pittsburgh Public School's decision to close based on anticipated transportation disruptions as a result of the G20 Summit.

If you've misplaced your child's school supply list, go to this link to print out a new one: http://www.shes-pgh.org/sh/index.php?section=39 (or under Downloadable Forms under the Quick Links tab at top right). Athletic forms, scrip order forms, and more are also available there.

John Meyers, the Music Director at Sacred Heart Parish, is forming a vocal music ministry designed for elementary school children. The Sacred Heart Choristers is open children in grades 2 through 5 and will engage them in learning the language of music and artistic expression within the context of a Catholic community of faith. A meeting for interested parents and children will be held on August 19th here in the Art Room at school. Please call John Meyers at (412) 661-0187 ext. 126 for more information.

We welcome some new teachers to Sacred Heart this fall. Miss Grace Link will have a fifth-grade homeroom (203) and will teach religion (5), reading (5), and social studies (4-5). Mrs. Gail Fox will have an eighth-grade homeroom and will teach religion (8) and math (6-7-8). Miss Jessica Downey will have the second-grade homroom and will teach level two subjects.

On Saturday, March 28, the gym was packed with children and families enjoying an afternoon of fitness and competitive 3 on 3 basketball. At noon, our annual Family Fitness event kicked off with aerobics, karate, races, etc. Family Fitness is geared towards younger children—and these kids had a ball!   
   
Shortly before 2:00 p.m., children in grades 4 though 8 arrived by the dozens, excited to play some basketball! At 2 p.m. there was a shoot out, which was won by Carlo Catania and Jimmy Henderson.

At 2:30 p.m. the 3 on 3 Tournament began, with 4 games being played simultaneously for the next three hours. Winners of the tournament received a certificate and a dress down day–thanks to Sr. Lynn.

Winners of the 4th grade boys division were Davaun Barnett, Isaac Boodoo, Alex Rajakovich, Jimmy Hill, Tommy O’Connor, Jacob Grabowski and Jason Robinson. In the 4th grade girls division, the award went to Maura Keen, Francesca Bowswer and Julia Lewand. The winners of the girls 5th/6th grade bracket were Julia Dihtzeruk, Natasha Rajakovich, Rori Cain and Charlotte Forsythe. Jonathan DeVito, Luke Deasy and Andrew Derda won for the 5th/6th grade boys. Lastly, in the 7th/8th grade boys division (no girls from these grades signed up ☺), Cody Kramer, David Jerrick and David Berkley took home the prize.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the day a success . . . to Steve Mischler, Tasso Psillidis, John Cromer and Jeff Pauline for acting as monitors of the games; to   
Holly Mihm, Gelsina Dihtzervk, Shannon Mischler and Kelly Morgano for working the concession stand . . . and to Connie Kramer, for coordinating and running the Family Fitness event.

All Sacred Heart families and friends are invited to enjoy a fun-filled day at our annual Kennywood School Picnic. Thursday, May 28th, there will be an 11:30 a.m. early dismissal for all students followed by an optional afternoon at Kennywood Park.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at a great discount through the Sacred Heart Elementary School office.  Pre-order your tickets ($20 apiece, cash only at pickup) by completing and returning the form in the May newsletter. For more details, download the newsletter with the order form here.

It was an amazing Children of the World International Festival—with over 2,500 people in attendance this year! This Festival was both a successful fundraiser, and a wonderful display of the diversity that makes Sacred Heart so unique.

Due to the hard work of the committee members and volunteers, preliminary estimates show that Sacred Heart Elementary netted approximately $17,000.00 from the 2009 Children of the World International Festival. That is an amazing amount when you consider that donations were reduced in many areas, and there was a lack of major grants available this year.

Festival highlights included a parade of international flags, the singing of the National Anthem by our own Mrs. McClain-Kenbock, and entertainment by a variety of different children’s groups including Lebanon, Bulgaria, Philippines, China, Ireland, and Africa. Sacred Heart seventh graders had a chance to perform on an “American Idol” stage! There was an amazing array of foods from area restaurants and our own Sacred Heart volunteers. The beautiful country booths were staffed by almost 50 Sacred Heart families. Visitors were fascinated by what our children and their parents were willing to share in the way of photos and personal mementoes. Artwork from the children decorated the Armory. The auction area was amazing as well—over 90 silent auction and basket raffle items!

Congratulations to the First Holy Communion Class, their parents and teachers. The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was celebrated last Sunday at Sacred Heart Church and the community welcomed the children in prayer and song.

Sacred Heart students hosted an Artist in Resident for ten days in January. Dr. Sylvia Tamusuza , a renowned Ugandan ethnomusicologist, provided fifth grade students with a 'hands on' experience of Ugandan drumming, dancing and singing and the part it plays in building and sustaining the African community.

Two classes per day were devoted to this immersion experience as the children learned an appreciation for the Ugandan culture. On the last evening of the program, the fifth grades shared a culminating experience with their families by holding a Drum Circle community gathering.

In addition to the fifth grade participation, Dr. Sylvia shared her stories and culture with grades 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 with a "Show and Tell". It was an enriching two weeks for all of students and teachers involved.

In addition to her teaching and research duties at Makere University in Kampala, Uganda, Dr. Sylvia founded and oversees the Love and Care Family Home for abandoned and orphaned children in Kampala, Uganda. Dr. Sylvia herself was abandoned as a young child and later rescued and educated by an Irish nun. Dr. Sylvia encourages children to overcome adversity and contribute to their community.

 A beautiful wreath of ribbons was recently carried in the liturgies to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The wreath, which has the name of every family in our school, was made for SHES by alumni, Karen Marner and her family.

It stands proudly in the school lobby, announcing the good news of Sacred Heart School. Thank you, Karen, for creating this symbol of faith, unity and purpose for us. We hope to use the Wreath of Ribbons in the entrance procession at all school liturgies after Lent and for graduation ceremonies.

Congratulations to our four "Valentine's Day / Steelers Raffle" winners. We hope everyone had a good time and enjoyed participating in this week-long event. Remember to thank the Junior Cookbook Committee for taking their lunchtime to sell the tickets.

The Junior Cookbook members are going to begin working in earnest on a new cookbook project. We held our first official meeting this month. More details on this will be forthcoming—hopefully by next month's newsletter. Please make Sister Lynn aware if you are an interested 7th or 8th grader who would like to join this Committee.
 
Other news . . . the Cookbook Committee is proud to say that in addition to 308 sales since September, we are now in three new local stores thanks to a very hard-working and dedicated group of Committee members. Thanks to everyone involved with the marketing of these books! Cookbook sales are equal to what they have been in previous years, and it continues to sell well. We want to remind everyone that the discounts celebrating our tenth anniversary are still in effect, so place your orders. Mother's Day is not too far away.
 
In addition, if there are any Sacred Heart families who have new marketing ideas, please send them my way at karen.raffensperger@comcast.net. You don't have to be a Committee member to help. We would love to hear from you.

The Annual Scholastic Book Fair, held during Catholic School’s Week, was a huge success this year! We had over $6,400 in sales—higher than ever before—and our portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the SHES Library!

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help with the Book Fair. Your assistance really made the event go smoothly. Thanks also to all who so generously supported the Book Fair this year, making it the most successful to date!

On Sunday January 25, Sacred Heart kicked off the Annual Catholic Schools Week celebration with Mass at 9:30, followed by the popular Family Brunch in the school cafeteria. Oh what a filling morning! As always, there are people who make this happen year after year, so with no further adieu, thank you Sharon Hoffner for chairing the event and to those who assisted Sharon: Mrs. Maola, Paula Deasy, Tracy Psillidis, Jim Scanlon and Theresa Hill.

You have once again gone above and beyond. And to all those folks (too many to mention) behind the scenes who helped prepare and serve–thank you. Your hard work did not go unnoticed.

Last month Holy Rosary School was vandalized twice. The loss of books, supplies, furniture, etc.  was great and it was met with your children's generous donation of $350.00 to help with the recovery. Thanks to everyone!