Rosati-Kain Math Contest

On March 21st, a team of OLS 6th graders participated in a math contest at Rosati-Kain High School.  They were joined by more than 100 other girls from 20 area schools and proved their knowledge in both individual and team tests.

The OLS team with Mrs. Garbo.  Great work, girls!

Congratulations to Hannah and Monica, who received a blue ribbon in the team event, and to Monica and Halie, who received white ribbons for the individual test.  We're so proud of our team!

Radial Designs

On the day of the raku pottery firing, the junior high students had some downtime while waiting their turn to put pottery into the kiln.  As they waited, they were given the challenge to create a radial design.  They used string and chalk as a compass and made some creative designs.

 

All about Owls

Mrs. Hodgson's students have been hard at work studying one of the most well-known nocturnal animals: the owl!  In addition to reading both fiction and non-fiction stories about owls, they also wrote their own owl paragraphs and created Great Horned Owls.

Whoooo likes owls?  The first graders do!

Art Meets Science: Raku Pottery

On Tuesday, March 17, the 7th and 8th grade science students had the opportunity to fire pottery in a raku kiln with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Laury, OLS parents who also teach art at Chaminade.

In preparation for the lesson, the students made cylinders out of raku clay.  The cylinders were fired in the electric kiln in the art room by Mrs. McGrath.  The students then applied a copper glaze to the cylinders, which made them ready for the final firing.

Why is this science?

The raku kiln is heated to 1800 degrees F.  The pottery is then placed in the kiln for about 15 minutes.  Once they are glowing, the pieces are ready to be taken out of the kiln.   The appearance of the glazed part of the pottery is green as one would see on an old penny.  After the kiln, the cylinder was immediately placed in a bucket with shreded newspaper.  The hot pottery caused the paper to catch on fire, and Mr. and Mrs. Laury immediately put a lid on the bucket to extinguish it.  However, the fire looked for oxygen to continue burning and took it from both the clay and the glaze causing them to change in appearance: the clay turned black and the glaze became shiny.  The cylinders were carefully removed from the buckets and placed in very cold water causing an immediate thermal reduction, making the glaze shine. After cooling, the cylinders were cleaned and polished. 

This video shows a snippet of the process as the cylinders are moved from the newspaper-filled bucket into the cold water bath:

Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Laury for their time and expertise and for making this lesson possible!

Parents Prom

Are you looking for a chance to relive the glory days of your youth?  Need an excuse to get all dolled up and dance the night away?  Join us for Parents Prom on Saturday, April 25th from 7:00-11:00!  Adult members of OLS, St. Joan of Arc, St. Raphael the Archangel, and St. Stephen Protomartyr are dusting off their fancy duds and getting ready to celebrate like its 1999, or 1989, or 1979...

Tickets are $20/person in advance or $25 at the door and include a DJ, photo booth, draft beer, soda, punch, and light snacks.  You'll also have a chance to vote for prom king and queen, enter a 50/50 raffle, and much more.  It's sure to be nothin' but a good time!

4th Graders Explore the St. Louis Art Museum

Recently, the 4th graders were able to attend the St. Louis Art Museum's Arts in the Basic Curriculum program.  For four weeks, they visited the museum and toured it under the direction of a docent. ​ Each student received a sketch book and had the opportunity to sketch various paintings and sculptures.  The program enhanced the student's thinking and creativity through viewing, discussion, and making personal meanings of works of art.  The students were excited about each trip and were encouraged to visit the museum with their families.

Chasing Rainbows

In our preschool, the Blue Room has been chasing rainbows in honor of St. Patrick's Day and the first day of spring!  They built rainbows in the Art Center, used rainbow-colored blocks in the the Block Center, and even searched the sensory table for that elusive pot of gold! 

Don't forget, registration for Preschool 2015-16 is now open!  Comment on this post or e-mail Miss Lisa at lvillhard AT olschool DOT org for more information or to schedule a visit!

Square 1 Art

Ever find yourself wishing you could find the pause button on life?  Notice that your I'm-sure-he-just-started-kindergarten son's voice is starting to drop?  While we can't pause the marching of Father Time, we can help you capture the current moment, which you can enjoy fondly for years to come.  Square 1 Art makes your child's artwork available in countless keepsake forms: keychains, garden flags, tote bags, coasters, and more.

 
You should have received a packet with ordering details and a sample of your child's art last week.  Order online using the code noted on your form.  Orders are due next Friday (3/27), and artwork will be delivered in late April - just in time for Mother's Day!

If you have any questions or if you did not receive your packet, comment on this post or call 314-882-6638.  All proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit our school's art program.  Thank you for your support!

Pi Day: Part II

7th graders putting together some pi poetry.

Before Saturday's Pi Day of the Century celebration, the 7th and 8th graders explored pi in their classroom studies.  They examined pi from many angles, both conventional and creative.  From a pi day scavenger hunt to writing songs, raps, and poems about pi, the junior high students had fun learning the meaning behind this mathematical constant.  And of course, they ate some pie, too.

Listen in as two of our 8th graders rap about pi:

Pi Day: Part I

On Friday, March 13, Mrs. Garbo's middle school math students celebrated Pi Day of the Century.  The 6th graders discovered the meaning of pi by measuring the circumference of different sized circular objects. They then measured the diameter and divided to find that the quotient is always going to be 3.141592653 and so on.  The students then found the ratio of the different digits of pi displayed in the classroom while eating pie.

 

This year is the  Pi Day of the Century because March is the third month, 14th day, and the year 15: the first five digits of pi.  To celebrate out to ten digits of pi, Mrs. Garbo and her students met at school at 9:26:53 on Saturday.  They counted down to the big moment, displayed the digits of pi, ate pancakes, donuts, and pie, and made clay medallions for their special pi day.  It was a celebration they won't soon forget!

The 7th and 8th graders had their own classroom lessons on pi, which we'll post later this week.

St. Patrick's Day Sock Hop

In this edition of Student Reporter News, two 8th graders report on the OLS St. Patrick's Day Sock Hop:

 

On Friday, March 13, the Ambassador and Prolife clubs held a St. Patrick's Day sock hop.  We had a great turn out, and an even greater time.  Through donations from the students who attended, we earned a lot of money that will be donated to the St. Patrick Center, an organization that helps the poor and homeless in downtown St. Louis.  Thank you all for your contributions! -- 8th grader Sally H.

On March 13, 2015, OLS had their St. Patrick's Day Sock Hop.  The sock hop is sponsored by the Prolife and Ambassadors and is a lot of fun.  Students from preschool to 8th grade, and some teachers, just dance around in the gym in their socks.  The Ambassadors and Prolife club members led the kids by dancing on the stage.  -- 8th grader Sam S.

The Water Cycle

The second graders recently completed a unit on the water cycle.  In their studies, they discussed the ways in which rainfall, bodies of water, evaporation, and the sun are related.  They created diagrams of the water cycle and hung them in the hallway for the other primary students to explore.

The proud 2nd graders stand in front of their water cycle display.

Knights of Columbus Essay Winners

The OLS 6th, 7th, and 8th graders participated in an essay contest sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 453.  The students wrote essays on the topic "The Importance of Religious Freedom", examining the reasons why religious freedom is as important today as it was when our forefathers wrote the Constitution and protected this right.  The award winners were recognized this week at our quarterly Home & School Association meeting:

The award winners with Mrs. Liermann and Mrs. Ryan.

First place winners:  Caitlyn N. (8th grade), Isaac H. (7th grade), Lisa W. (6th grade)
Second place:  Samantha L. (8th), Bri S. (7th), Andrei C. (6th)
Third place:  Sally H. (8th), Faith K. (7th), Jenna M. (6th)

Joseph Miklovic from the Knights of Columbus presented the awards to our students and read samples of each essay.  Congratulations!  We are so proud of you!

A Birthday Party for Dr. Seuss

Beloved children's author, Dr. Seuss, would have turned 111 on March 2nd.  OLS students celebrated his birthday in many ways: by learning about his life, by creating artwork and stories in his style, and of course, by reading many of his books.  Take a peek at the 6th graders reading their favorite Dr. Seuss stories to their 1st grade buddies:

Abra-Kid-Abra

As part of a grant received by our Latch Key program, OLS has had the opportunity to provide a variety of new after-school enrichment programs to our students this year.  One of the third quarter offerings, a magic class called Abra-Kid-Abra, ended with a magic show for family and friends.  The students performed to a packed house.  Demonstrating card tricks, sleight of hand illusions, and mind-reading, the students worked hard and put on a great show!

If your kindergarten through 5th grade student is interested in these activities, there's still time to register for the fourth quarter.  Sign up for Mad Science or Bricks 4 Kidz and join the fun!

Kindergarten Dalmatians

A few weeks ago, Mrs. Kresyman's kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school with lots of counting.  They counted objects up to 100, practiced writing their numbers to 100, and each student brought 100 items to share with the class.  Objects ranged from cheerios to paper clips and from pennies to beads.

But the fun didn't stop there!  The kindergarteners also celebrated 101 day in the style of the Disney dalmatians.  They dressed in black and white and added puppy ears and a black nose to complete their look. 

The kindergarten dalmatians celebrate 101 days of school!

7GP Poetry Reading

On February 24, four South City schools joined together for the first annual 7GP Poetry Reading at Our Lady of Sorrows School. Seventh graders from St. Joan of Arc, St. Raphael the Archangel, and St. Stephen Protomartyr joined OLS students to celebrate poetry and strengthen community. Each school had several students read their own poems, and the audience snapped their fingers in appreciation. After a delicious pizza lunch, the four winners of the 7GP Poetry Contest, a country-wide contest open to 7^th grade budding poets established here in St. Louis five years ago, read their poems.  Each was awarded a certificate and gift card for their efforts and in appreciation of their representation of their schools in the contest.  A wonderful success, we hope to establish a tradition of celebrating our 7^th grade poets in the years to come.

The four winners from each of the schools are Amy D. OLS, Max M. SSP, Caroline G. SJA, and Mark I. SRA.  Congratulations!

Spirit Saturday #13

Student prayers line the stairwell, and this one seems perfect for this beautiful spring day. Have a great weekend!

Guest Band Performance

On Tuesday, our students were treated to a performance by the St. John Vianney High School band.  Mr. Neyer, the band director, announced the selections and kept the students on their toes with some audience participation.  Everyone had a great time!

The OLS students perform the Duck Dance accompanied by the band.

An Oscar-Worthy Performance

While the Oscars cover categories far and wide, we have one more to add.  The Oscar for the best fairy tale play goes to Mrs. Hodgson's reading group!  Her students presented a delightful performance of The Little Red Hen to the preschoolers and other primary students.

You may see these faces on the big screen someday, but remember that you saw them here first!

Family Groups Tackle Twister

At OLS, family groups are a key component of the students' social development.  These mixed groups of students in all grades, K-8, are lead by the faculty.  By gathering monthly, family groups foster friendships across grade levels, serve as leadership opportunities, and create unity through the school.

Last week, the family groups gathered to share lunch and enjoy recess together.  Inclement weather forced indoor recess, but that didn't dampen the fun. 

The Rockin' Ryans play a lively game of Twister.

 

Under the Sea

 
In the OLS preschool, the Green Room goes under the sea!  Art, Science, Dramatic Play, and Math Centers give the 3-year-old students many opportunities to explore ocean life and escape to the beach.  On these frigid winter days, who wouldn't want to think about the beach?!