Cathedral School Good News

Grandparent's Day - September 2011

2011-09-27T09:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Cathedral Families,

Grandparents and guests are invited to Cathedral School’s annual Grandparents Day on Friday, September 30, beginning at 8:00 AM and concluding at 11:30 AM.
Thanks to our PTO we have a new format in the Gym and the Library so that our grandparents do not have to worry about lots of steps. Listed below is the schedule.

Cathedral Grandparents Day Schedule      Septemeber 30, 2011

8:00 AM    Mass

9:00 AM    Announcements in Church about Gym activities

Grandparents with multiple children will begin at the station of their youngest grandchild.
Tours will be available with Patrice Madden and selected 8th graders.
Students without guests will enjoy the morning’s activities with students in their buddy classes.
Students may not leave with grandparents unless parents have sent written note in advance.

9:05 AM Kindergarten & Grade 1 sing 2 songs in Church

9:10 AM Grandparents & students move to stations

Gr. 8, PK, and guests-Refreshments
Gr. 7, 2, and guests-Photos
Gr. 6, 3, and guests-Crafts
Gr. 5, 1, and guests-Interviews
Gr. 4, K, and guests-Story time in new Library

9:30 AM Change in stations

Gr. 8, PK, and guests-Photos
Gr. 7, 2, and guests-Crafts
Gr. 6, 3, and guests-Interviews
Gr. 5, 1, and guests-Story time in new Library
Gr. 4, K, and guests-Refreshments

9:50 AM Change in stations

Gr. 8, PK, and guests-Crafts
Gr. 7, 2, and guests-Interviews
Gr. 6, 3, and guests-Story time in new Library
Gr. 5, 1, and guests-Refreshments
Gr. 4, K, and guests-Photos

10:10 AM Change in stations

Gr. 8, PK, and guests-Interviews
Gr. 7, 2, and guests-Story time in new Library
Gr. 6, 3, and guests-Refreshments
Gr. 5, 1,and guests-Photos
Gr. 4, K, and guests-Crafts

10:30 AM Change in stations

Gr. 8, PK, and guests-Story time in new Library
Gr. 7, 2, and guests-Refreshmentsr.
Gr. 6, 3, and guests-Photos
Gr. 5, 1, and guests-Crafts
Gr. 4, K, and guests-Interviews

10:50 AM Lunch with guests with reservations made in advance. (please call 232-8486 for lunch reservations.)

11:30 AM Guests depart, and students return to their regular schedule.

Raven Ramble Results - September 2011

2011-09-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

"Ravin" Raven Ramble! Terrific weather, great turnout-Best yet! Thanks so much to Coach Corkins, Mike Stroud, all of our participants, sponsors, & helpers!

Congratulations to the winners! Overall Men-Eric Weaver; Overall Women-Jeanne Schanze! Age divisions: +55 Tony Drummond; 40-54 Shawn Schoeneck; 21-39 Eric Weaver; 15-20 Nick Guldan; 11-14 Jacob Byrne; 5-10 Christopher Guldan; Under 5 Julia Riordan; Stroller division Natalie Roetto; and Youngest entry-Elizabeth Grace Riordan!

Farmer Offers Fresh Options for Cathedral Students

2011-09-26T14:05:00.000-05:00

www.stjoechannel.com

Kids in the lunch line at a St. Joseph school have a few more options thanks to a local farmer.

John Goode, of Goode Acres in Wathena, Kansas, partnered with Cathedral School to put fresh fruits and vegetables on the menu.

"I think it's good to show them where food comes from instead of out of a tin can," he said.

That's why Goode gives kids a chance to plant their own produce at his farm. It's grown free of chemicals. Goode took the organic route after struggling with his own health issues.

"I feel a lot more vibrant, a lot more alive. I eat a lot more vegetables and stay away from processed foods and it's been real helpful," added Goode.

He's sharing his harvest with the kids at Cathedral through the Farm to School program.

He delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to the school at least once a week.

"The kids are now being offered fresh fruits and vegetables at lunch instead of canned items and these are things we really weren't seeing them eat," said Jennie Sommers, parent.

The school has a number of parent volunteers that come in and help prepare the fruits and vegetables and get them into sizes that the lunch ladies can use.

The kids have more options. Parents feel better about what their kids are eating. And, Farmer John says the lasting benefits go beyond good eats. He says fresh food is one of the best medicine cabinets in the world.

"If you are what you eat, than it's real important what you put in your body," said Goode.

Good Acres will grow fresh produce through the winter in the green houses at the farm.

If you'd like to learn more about the farm to school program, visit the Farm to School program online.

St. Joseph's Cathedral School takes Top Honors

2010-06-24T19:39:00.000-05:00

www.stjoechannel.com

Reported by: Deanne Brink

A St. Joseph parochial school is taking home top honors.

Cathedral School received formal, full accrediting from the Missouri Nonpublic School Accrediting Association.

They also receive special commendation for their staff professional development program C.L.A.S.S.

Cathedral says the accrediting is a 5 to 6 year self improvement process.

Cathedral must meet standards set by the Missouri Nonpublic School Accrediting Association as well as the North Central Advanced Education Accrediting Association.

"In our class motto, we found that we can always be better and that's one of the things that accreditation does, it highlights areas where you are outstanding and in this case our commendation serves to show that, but it also helps us keep on our toes so we strive to be better," said 7th grade teacher Sally Dunham.

Cathedral is the first school in the state of Missouri to receive the C.L.A.S.S. Status.

C.L.A.S.S. is a curriculum model and teaching philosophy based on brain-based learning.

Cathedral voted Best Elementary School

2010-06-16T20:15:00.000-05:00

Cathedral wins Best Elementary School in Best of St. Joe Contest sponsored by www.stjoechannel.com.

Second-grade visited the St. Joseph Fire Museum

2010-05-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Roetto's second graders went on a field trip to the St. Joseph Fire Museum followed by lunch at Little Boudreaux's at the Bucket.

Thank you to Mr. Singleton for a fascinating glimpse into the history of the St. Joseph Fire Department and Mr. Boudreaux for hosting a wonderful lunch.

Fifth-graders fight cancer with faith

2010-05-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

Woman is cancer-free after a school year of students’ prayers

By Erin Wisdom

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Photo by Todd Weddle

Sandy Polsky talks with the fifth-grade class at Cathedral of St. Joseph School, which has been praying for her in her battle against cancer. Ms. Polsky is cancer free after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and given two years to live last June.

As the school year comes to a close, some of Cathedral of St. Joseph School’s students have more than summer break to be excited about.

And so does Sandy Polsky, who just beat cancer a second time and attributes that feat in part to a school year’s worth of prayers from Cathedral’s fifth-graders. Ms. Polsky learned earlier this month that she was cancer-free, after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and given two years to live last June.

Just weeks before receiving the good news her cancer was gone, she’d learned that Cathedral student Molli Bell had been leading prayers for her at school since August.

“We start the day with a prayer circle, and Molli has faithfully prayed for her dad’s co-worker,” says fifth-grade teacher Barb Yarbrough, who herself is a two-time breast cancer survivor and, when she finally learned exactly who Molli was praying for, realized she’d known Ms. Polsky when they were both undergoing cancer treatment in the ’80s. “Sometimes I could just tell from her face, things weren’t going well.”

But one day a couple weeks ago, Molli’s expression had completely changed, Ms. Yarbrough adds. And on Monday, a cancer-free Ms. Polsky came to thank the class for their part in her healing.

“I think the prayer of children is really powerful,” she says, also noting that although she’s Jewish and the students who prayed for her are Catholic, she believes they all pray to the same God and that those prayers were answered. “ ... It made me feel so good and so loved. It meant so much to me.”

Molli has known Ms. Polsky all her life, and her dad, Casey Bell, has known her for most of his — ever since he began working as a teenager at St. Joseph Consolidated Insurance Services, where Ms. Polsky and his dad were partners and of which he is now president. Mr. Bell notes that his family began praying for Ms. Polsky right after her diagnosis last summer but that no one until recently had any idea Molli was also praying for her with her classmates.

“We’re proud,” he says. “It’s good to see her faith at such a young age and to see her using it already.”

Visiting Molli’s class on Monday, Ms. Polsky received cards from the students and brought them Oreos, as well as answers to questions they had about her cancer experience: Was she scared? What hospital did she go to? And — an inquiry prompted by a convincing wig — why hadn’t she lost her hair?

She also offered them a piece of advice.

“Don’t smoke. I smoked when I was young, and I’m sorry I ever smoked a day in my life,” she says. “We didn’t know then it was going to kill us.”

Really, though, she’s filled more with gratitude than regret.

“It is very much a miracle, and I think it’s because of your prayers I am where I am today,” she told the students. “So don’t stop praying.”

Lifestyles reporter Erin Wisdom can be reached at ewisdom@npgco.com.

newspressnow.com | Fifth-graders fight cancer with faith