St. Burno Catholic School Spring 09 Newsletter

Community Connection

K indergarten teacher Mrs. Sandy Stanhouse and her students have adopted some new methods

of learning. One is Assisted Reading Methods by Marie Carbo. The goal to these assisted reading strategies is for children to be able to read alone with ease and enjoyment. Methods used are:

• Shared Reading – Teacher reads the story to the students while pausing and asking questions. Predictions are made and language is discussed.

• Echo Read – Teacher reads a passage and children echo back what was read. This models how a passage should sound. Students then pair up and echo back and forth with each other.

• Choral Read – Students read passages together. Less able readers try fol-lowing the reading model provided.

• Paired Reading – Two students take turns reading a passage or story. Teacher pairs students of similar or dissimilar abilities.

• Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) – Each student reads alone for a designated period of time.

The second adopted method is a 35-week Curriculum of daily Phonemic Awareness with explicit modeling from Michael Heggerty, Ed.D. Research finds that:

The two best predictors of early read-ing success are alphabet recognition and phonemic awareness. (Adams, 1990)

The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of failure to read. (Adams, 1990)

Phonemic Awareness is the under-standing that spoken words are made up of individual sounds. Phonemically aware students are able to isolate, manipulate, blend, and segment sounds into spoken and written words. The kindergarten class stays very busy and has learned the

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Classroom In Action • Mrs. Rhonda Shubert from the Perry County Extension Center brought Ms. Kania’s 4th grade class a gift of caterpillars in cocoons. This activity will allow the students to

see first hand the transformation that takes place for a beauti-ful butterfly to emerge.

• Mrs. Shubert also helped the 3rd grade class with a little gardening activity.

• Principal Kevin Spiller and 4 lucky students had the unique opportunity to go to the State Capitol in Springfield for the Catholics at the Capitol day.

Claire StotlarLogan Harsy

Morgan Bullar

Blaise W

yciskalla

Pictured are Mr. Spiller, Andy Opp, Maydson Epplin, Andrew Huggins, Senator David Luechtefeld, and Hayden Kelly.

Kyle Luke, Rhonda Shubert, Mychal Pfeaster, and Isaac Hardin are planting flowers.

following skills and they do it in 20 min-utes a day

1. Language awareness 2. Rhyming 3. Identifying Onsets 4. Blending

Identifying Final and medial phonemesSegmentingSubstituting PhonemesAdding PhonemesDeleting Phonemes

Mrs. Stanhouse believes the addition of these two methods has greatly helped her students.

H ere we are with another school year almost over. It seems to everyone that this year has

really gone by so quickly. We just cel-ebrated Confirmation April 15th and Graduation will be May 13th. April 6th our 8th graders signed up for their classes for high school. Our last day of school will be May 19th. School will then begin August 14th.

I want to thank the parents for choos-ing St. Bruno School for your child’s education. I especially want to thank the Eighth grade parents. We all wish the students well in their high school careers.

The students have done so much again this year. They have helped raise money for St. Jude Hospital by participating in the Math-a-thon. They raised over $5,000 this year. WSIL TV3 did a story on the students for their “Class Act” segment that aired April 21st. They also raised almost $500 for the Operation Rice Bowl. This was up about $100 from last year. They con-tinue to make us proud for the concern they show for other children who are in need.

One of our Third & Fourth grade Team Quest teams made it all the way to the State competition. This is just the second year for St. Bruno to participate in this competition. We want to thank Mrs. Linda Klingenberg for her work with this and for the Challenger pro-gram she started.

The Challengers did a “Big Give Project”. They sponsored activities to raise money for expanding our tech-nology within our school. They sold Valentine Day baskets, they had a “pay to wear shorts” week, held a

bake sale, and sold homework passes. Also, the school received a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities for over $5,000. The grant money and the Challengers money was used to pur-chase two interactive whiteboards and two laptop computers for the students.

A thank you to all the different orga-nizations, volunteers, parents, grand-parents, and faculty/staff whose hard work and dedication has helped our students tremendously. Our students and school have been blessed because of everyone.

Big thanks to all who donated to our Annual Fund. I want to encourage those who may not have contributed yet to pray and search their hearts to see if they can help. If you cannot help mon-etarily, please keep St. Bruno School in your prayers. Also, please think about making St. Bruno School part of your will. It is these donations that provide for textbooks, updated technology, and other instructional resources that the school needs.

I personally want to thank everyone for your support and may God bless you all. Have a peace-filled and safe summer.

Kevin Spiller, PrincipalSt. Bruno School

Principals Note

Ms. Kania helping Libby Ryterski with her studies.

Mrs. Mary Rybacki reading an Easter book to her 1st grade class.

6th graders Thomas Huggins and Nolan Bruns are caring for the class pets. The mice, Bashful and Kobayashi, are temporary visi-tors given to the class by Brooke Heisner as a FFA project. Bruce the fish is a permanent resident.

(continued from Classroom Action on front page)

The students raised over $5,000 this year. WSIL TV3 did a story on the students for their “Class Act” segment that aired April 21st.

Mr. Spiller accepting check from the

Ronald McDonald House Charity.

Extra Activities

Brock Bullar and Jackson Brand holding spirit sign.

Around School

St. Bruno Scholar Bowl Team has advanced the furthest in competition in the history of St. Bruno School. Sponsor Theresa Kelly, Andrew Huggins, Elizabeth Barnes, Clayton Wyciskalla, Dayne Winter, Hayden Kelly, Collin Smith, Henry Dudek, and Sponsor Garrett Kelly set off to compete in the final four at West Frankfort on

April 29. They were given a pep rally of cheers and encouragement signs as they set out.

Mrs. Jane Fontana provides music classes for all grades at St. Bruno School. She is pictured during a lesson with the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes.

St. Bruno Scholar Bowl Team

has advanced the furthest

in competition in the history

of St. Bruno School.

3rd & 4th graders went to the St. Louis Zoo for a field trip. They were able to observe the lions, giraffes, penguins, monkeys, and many other animals. From left to right: Jacob Compton, Emma Banach, Daniel Huggins, and Ryan Brueggeman.

Nolan Luke

Kyle Luke

Nicholas Greer and Roslyn Sronce Cassie Fisher

• 2 Electric Pencil Sharpeners

• Large Roll-up Wall Map of the World

• New Science equipment

• New lockers for classrooms

• Video Camera

May 13th – St. Bruno

8th Grade Graduation

May 19th - Last Day of School

July 18th – Parish Picnic

Wish List

Calendar Corner

Please continue to help us collect: • Campbell’s UPC symbols• Pure Life Water Bottle labels• Box Tops for Education labels

Send these items to St. Bruno School or leave them in the appropriate boxes in the back of St. Bruno Church.

Just A Reminder Going Shopping? Hungry?Pay with a St. Bruno Scrip Gift

Card. Purchase a gift card for face value from the school or after church. Then simply go shopping!!! While you are shopping or eating at one of the hundreds of participating stores, they pay St. Bruno for you using a gift card. For more information or to order contact the St. Bruno School at 618-357-8276.

Thank you for your continued support!

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PAIDPinckneyville, IL

62274Permit No. 14

St. Bruno School210 N. Gordon

Pinckneyville, IL 62274

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A proud member of

the National Catholic

Education Association (NCEA)

for the year 2008-2009

Thanks to you!No one has ever paid the full price of educating a child at St. Bruno School. Please remember St. Bruno School in your will.