6th Grade Camp at Camp Wartburg

The OLS six graders spent 3 days at Camp Wartburg.  The first day included a nature hike and creek walk,  pond study, campfire, prayers, songs and s'mores.  The second day was challenging and fun with a high ropes course followed by the zip line. On the third day, the students had some quiet time to write, sketch, and just reflect on their time at camp and then more time of course for LOTS more gaga ball!! (That's the group in the octagonal "pit" for playing gaga ball.)

Below recaps are from 6th, 7th and 8th graders!

 This week the OLS sixth grade went to Camp Wartburg for three days.  On one of those days, they did the high ropes course and the zip line.  On the zip line, they had to wait outside the tower to get a ride on the fun ride.  The height for the zip line was 30 feet.  It starts out slow, but gradually gets faster and faster.  It is a long zip line and with the help of the teachers and some of the students, they successfully got down without any injury.--6th grader Eli M.

The 6th graders went to Camp Wartburg last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Most of us went on the high ropes course and finished it.  We all loved to play Ga-Ga Ball.  We had a lot of fun working and playing together.  The bus came about two hours late to take us home, so for two hours we played Ga-Ga Ball and waited.  It was the best experience of 6th grade.--6th grader Ada L.

 Every year the sixth grade class at OLS goes to Camp Wartburg.  At Camp Wartburg the best thing there was the high ropes course.  You are 30 feet up in the air and there are 7 challenges.  You had to put on a harness and a helmet and they attached you to a line above you.  You had to say, "Permission to transfer 1."  Then if they say yes, you take off one of the crab claws and attach to another line.  The same thing with the second crab claw, "Permission to transfer 2."  Then you say, "Permission to go."  If they say yes, you can go on to the next challenge.  The challenges were you had to walk across a line with rope. Another one was the leap of faith.  It's where you have to jump to the platform.  There are many others, but you have to go there to find out what the rest are.  It was scary up there because the wood poles that held everything were shaking, but I still had a good time.--6th grader Ned M.

Camp Wartburg Creek Walk--Camp Wartburg was awesome.  We went on a creek walk through freezing water.  Ducky, our camp counselor, took us through the hour long creek walk.  People were complaining at first, but then we all got used to it.  A lot of people fell in and splashed each other in the creek.  The rocks were covered in moss and were really slippery, so slippery that Maria R. fell in a million times.  When the creek walk was over we had to walk through a corn field to get to the cabins.  The creek walk was a blast.--6th grader Gabe B.    

A 7th grader Remembers Camp Wartburg:  This week the 6th graders went to camp in Illinois.  Every 6th grade class goes to Camp Wartburg to learn all about leadership and most importantly Jesus.  This camp is very religious and they treat everyone like their own.  When going to camp, you get assigned leaders. The leaders are very nice to everyone and they know how to take charge.  I bet if you ask your kids if they liked camp, they all say yes.  Camp Wartburg is an amazing experience for each and every one of us.--7th grader Brian N.

On April 13th, the 6th graders left for Camp Wartburg, and returned on the 15th.  While there, they improved their group skills, while also having fun by doing various things.  On one of the days, the 6th graders got to climb the high ropes, which is like an obstacle course which is thirty feet off the ground.  All the 6th graders had a great time and can now play Gaga ball with the rest of the upper grades, since they learned the rules.--8th grader Clayton C.

 
The weather was perfect and we all had a blast. And except for the bus company not sending the bus to pick us up, which got us back two hours later than we were supposed to, camp was fantastic!

Student Reporter News: Mrs. Banahan Video

On Friday the whole school gathered in the gym and made a video for Mrs. Banahan. She is half way through her treatments and we wanted to send our love and prayers to her. Mrs. Mongan had the idea to sing “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and tell her we love and miss her and that we are praying for her. The whole school will continue to pray for her recovery and her return to school.--8th grader Faith K.

 

 

Click here to watch the YouTube video!!

Student Reporter News: Band Performance

On Sunday the twenty-first of February, the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade concert band members went to Bishop DuBourg High School.  Our new band director, Mr. Litvin, said that we did an excellent job. We were critiqued on our ability to keep the speed just right, our balance of sound, and our technique. The Our Lady of Sorrows Band performed three pieces. There were judicators; one, a former middle school band director herself, and the judicators would give us constructive criticism on what they thought needed to be worked on. There were three other bands there and together we played Thunder Bay March, a very active and lively piece in which we had to start over on because everyone started out on the same notes, but got all crazy because we went at different speeds.--8^th grader Kaitlyn W. 

OLS Black & Gold

This week one of our student reporters recaps the annual Black & Gold basketball tournament:

Every January we have a tournament called the Black and Gold.  It’s a big thing!  Many schools in the archdiocese play in it to win.  Every Friday of the 2 to 3 weeks is the best because it’s the championship. I like it because it’s fun to watch and play in.  

I get to hang out with my friends.  My brother played this year and they got 4th place, which was better than my team last year.  Next year my team plays again and I think we can win because we have gotten a lot better at basketball.--7^th grader Damian L.

Student Reporter News: Katie Bannister

On Monday, December 7^th, students from grades K-8 visited with a very special speaker, Katie Bannister, a disabled quadriplegic with an amazing zest for life.  She shared stories of her life before the accident and how she navigates through her daily life now.  You can find her inspirational story on her website access4all.com.  Here are some of the 7^th graders’ reflections.

Katie taught me:
-  Talking to people with disabilities makes them feel more normal

-  That she likes herself the way she is now

-  She can feel left out at times

-  The best way to find your spouse is to be best friends first

-  She likes to write poems and sing

-  Instead of the career in theater she wished for when she was younger, she uses her voice to make

   the world better for people with disabilities

-  She was Ms. Wheelchair Missouri!

-  When she gets angry, she writes her feelings into poems and in her journal

-  Very positive even though she has disabilities.  Super spunky and fun.

-  She doesn’t want to be treated like an alien—people with disabilities are still human.

... It was interesting to see how someone paralyzed from the chest down could be the most optimistic person I'll ever know...It was an amazing experience.--7^th grader Alex R.

Katie...is disabled because of a car crash that gave her a spinal cord injury.  She told us about how the accident changed her life for the better by separating her fake friends from her real ones...--7^th grader Lisa W.

...Not only did she talk about the car accident that caused her disability, but how she overcame her fears about what she could still do or couldn’t do any longer...She showed us some of her tools that she strapped to her arms to apply lipstick, write, and pick up things...Although she has many attendants, she told us that her husband Steve is the one that she can count on the most...-- 8th grader Kaitlyn W

Student Reporter News: Exploring Egypt

Last week, the 6th graders and kindergarten students worked together to study Egypt. The older students spent weeks preparing by learning a great deal about ancient Egyptian history, culture, and art. Discover more about the event from a couple of our 6th grade students:

"The sixth grade just had their Egypt Day on Wednesday with the Kindergarten. It was a lot of fun because you got to know the Kindergarten, tell them about mummies, what they keep in the tombs, and if they were rich. It took up their last period. The sixth grade made necklaces. The Kindergarten made mummies, colored a tomb, and got to write their name in Hieroglyphs." -- Max S.

"The sixth grade and the kindergarten had Egypt Day on Wednesday. We talked to them about how the Egyptians lived in life, and we taught them about the stages of mummification. Also, this was a great time for the kindergarten to get to know us." -- Maria K.

Student Reporter News: Dissecting an Eye

Last week, our 7th and 8th graders had the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to science. Two of our 7th graders report on their experience:

"On Tuesday, the Our Lady of Sorrows 7th grade took a field trip to SLU to dissect a pig eye. They cut out many parts of the eye and pointed them out. After three hours of hard work, they learned so many new things about the eye, including how the pupil works and how we see. One of the 7th graders said that dissecting the eye was one of the best field trips they had ever taken. This just shows how fun dissection can be if you are just interested." -- Andrei C.

"On Tuesday, we went to SLU to dissect a pig eye. Last week, Mrs. Garbo's daughter, an eye doctor, came in and talked about the eye to prepare us for the field trip. This helped me know what the speaker at SLU was talking about. It was really cool to see everything that is in an eye. At first, I was grossed out, but then I wasn't after a while. It was really fun, and I would like to do it again." -- Grace C.

Student Reporter News: Infographics

Our student reporters chime in out their recent work on infographics. Find out how Mrs. Ryan's students are putting these tools to work:

As always, the OLS 8th grade is learning something new. Technology is being used more and more these days, and now we've learned how to make the new way to get information called the infographic. An infographic is a creative design used to spread information. To begin, we analyzed the parts of an infographic. Then we chose our topics and did research. Once we had filled our brains, templates were given to us so we could create an infographic all our own. It was a fun and easy way to learn.  -- Amy D., 8th grader

An infographic created by two baseball-loving 8th graders.

This week in English, we are learning about infographics. Understanding these is a good life skill to know. They are a good way to organize data and are interesting. It's a good skill to know how to read them because most companies now use them to display data. Right now, we are learning how to make one. Some key things you need for an infographic are color, a good subject, organization, and an eye catching design. It's also a good idea to add charts to display your information. I am happy that we are learning this skill!  -- Natalie K., 7th grader

These students created a graphic look at monkeys and their difference from apes.

Student Reporter News: New Responsibilities

Today, we again feature a couple of our student writers. As they settle into the new school year, our students are finding that with their new grade level come new responsibilities. 8^th grader Madison F. and 6^th grader Preson L. tell us a bit about the new expectations they’ve discovered so far this school year:

“As the school year starts, the 8^th grade is excited to become the new leaders of the school. They now have new responsibilities to show how they can be the leaders of the school and to show how responsible they are becoming. We are grateful that we have privileges, and we know that we should act the way we are supposed to so as to keep those privileges. We are also excited for the new band teacher to come and teach us. We are also happy to use the new science equipment that we didn’t have before. I hope that this year will be a great year!” – Madison F., 8^th grade

“What I like this year is that moving from fifth grade to sixth is an adventure. I like having a locker and changing classes every period. We get to go to recess before we eat lunch. I like how we get to do free writes. I like that we learn new things every day. School life for a sixth grader is fun!” – Preson L., 6^th grade

Student Reporter News: Ice Cream Social

Whenever possible, we like to open up the blog to our student writers. What better way to learn about OLS than through their eyes? Today, two of our students report on the ice cream social, which was held a few days before school began.

“The end of summer is always marked with the Ice Cream Social. It is when my classmates get to see each other again. We start with ice cream and then go and see all our new teachers. For the first time, they also had a book fair at the social. The school is filled with students running around, checking out their new classrooms, and getting used to being in the building again. This year, after the end of the Ice Cream Social, tables and chairs were cleaned up and a movie was put on a big screen. Everybody seemed to enjoy the Ice Cream Social, and this year, it was a really good one.” – Sam B., 7^th grade

“You can start to tell that school is just about to start up again when the ice cream social comes around. Students and their parents come up to OLS to meet the teachers, see the classrooms, and eat ice cream. Also, people talk and socialize with each other. A few differences took place this year, though. First off, the Scholastic book fair was, for the first time, during the ice cream social, and there was a movie after. Snacks and drinks were sold during the movie to make money. People got the feeling that it is going to be a good year at OLS.” – Ben K., 8^th grade

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.

Student Reporter News: Family Group Lunch and Recess

This edition of Student Reporter News recaps a recent family group activity.  Eighth graders Sam S. and Samantha L. explain family groups and describe their recent event.

Mrs. Ryan's family group poses for a picture before the kickball game.

 On Wednesday, October 29, 2014, the kids at Our Lady of Sorrows got together with their family groups.  Family groups are groups with kids from every grade in the school, except preschool, led by almost every teacher in the school.  We got together with our family groups to eat lunch and go out to recess together.  It was a fun time to interact with other kids from different grades.  I learned more about each kid in my family group which was really fun. -- Sam S.

Gathering up for some kickball.

This recent Wednesday, October 29, our school had a Family Group Lunch.  This luncheon was very fun and all students took part in the games at recess.  I really enjoyed this luncheon because it allowed even kindergartners to play the same game as kids my age.  I heard from lots of kids that they had a great time and really enjoyed their lunch and recess.  I am in Mrs. Siekerman's family group and as one of the two eighth graders, I helped all the little kids get set at lunch and also have a great time playing kickball at recess. -- Samantha L.

One of the older students pauses the game to help tie her teammate's shoes.

Forest Park Field Trip: 8th Grade Report

The final field trip report comes from three of our 8th graders: Nathan L., Adam W., and Caitlyn N.

On Thursday, October 9, the sixth, seventh, and eight grades went on a field trip to the Missouri History Museum and St. Louis Art Museum. The History Museum was all about the World's Fair in 1904. We saw artifacts, the map of the Fair, and things from it. We learned about the Forest Park and how it was an actual forest before they cleared out the forest for the World's Fair. We saw the whole layout of the Fair and all of the names and sizes of all of the buildings built for the World's Fair. They chose to put the World's Fair in Forest Park because it had four entrances, it was a public park, and it was big enough for the Fair. Some people actually used some of the buildings from the Fair for themselves, but most of the buildings were destroyed.

The students also went to the St. Louis Art Museum that same day that was called Louis IX: King, Saint, Namesake. The museum was completely dedicated to King Louis. The Art Museum was very interesting with many cool paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. To me, most of them were very interesting and amazing. There were many cool and old weapons and guns in it that was interesting to me. The Art Museum wasn't very big, but we only went to the Louis IX part of the whole museum, and I am sure the museum was a lot bigger than what we saw. Both museums that we went to were very cool and fun, and I would want to go on that field trip again.  -- Nathan L.

Compiling the elements for their water filtration system.

On October 9, 2014, the sixth, seventh, and eighth classes went on a field trip to the St. Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum. At the History Museum, we took a tour of the newest exhibit which was all about the 1904 World’s Fair and the 1904 Olympics. We look at some of the cool items that they sold at the World’s Fair. Also, we looked at some pictures and a huge map of the World’s Fair. After we spent awhile in the exhibit, we took a little tour of where some historical sites were and what they look like now. After that, we went back inside and did an experiment on how to make water clean and how to make a filter. After that we went to the St. Louis Art Museum.

Once we got to the St. Louis Art Museum, we went to go see one of the newer galleries, Louis IX: King, Saint, and Namesake. We did a little hunt to see if we could find different types of art of King Louis IX. There were very beautiful pictures, carvings and manuscripts of him. Also, I think we all learned something about King Louis IX that we did not know. After we went through the whole entire gallery, we met up with our groups and explored some of the galleries and saw some very cool things. After a fun filled day, we went back to school to finish the rest of our day. -- Adam W.

The 8th grade class pauses for a photo op near the Grand Basin.

On Thursday, October 9, the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classes went to the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Art Museum, both located in Forest Park. At the History Museum, we learned what St. Louis and Forest Park were like in 1904 when the World's Fair came to our city. We saw what the layout of the park was, the souvenirs people would have bought, and what other countries brought to St. Louis. We took a short walk through the park and saw what we would have seen when in 1904 as the city prepared to host the World's Fair. At the end of the field trip, as a special part of our field trip, we made a miniature water filter, like what they would have used to filter water in the city for the Fair.

After the History Museum, we went straight to the St. Louis Art Museum for the Louis IX: King, Saint, and Namesake gallery. We went through two exhibits filled with art from King Louis' reign and paintings of him. We were each given a little packet with questions to answer on the art. We all had fun working together and learning more about our city's namesake. A huge thanks to the teachers and parents that went along with us! -- Caitlyn N.

Forest Park Field Trip: 7th Grade Report

This post features field trip accounts from four of our 7th graders: Casey A., Vincent L., Amy D., and Jack S.

On October 9, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades of OLS went to the St. Louis Art Museum.  When we all got there, we were given a small booklet.  The directions were to find certain pictures of St. Louis and write things about him in the book.  We were able to learn about things such as why Saint Louis was so famous, why St. Louis was chosen to be our city's name, and other facts about St. Louis.  We also were taught about the making of manuscript.  The materials used to do it were feathers, a carving tool, paper, and ink.  When we finished the booklets, we got to just roam around and look at other exhibits.  There were paintings, sculptures, architecture, and other types of art. -- Casey A.

 On Thursday, October 9, the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade took an educational field trip to the very well-known Forest Park. We took this field trip to learn more about the great 250 years of our city’s past. At the History Museum, we went on a tour about the 1904's World Fair and we experimented on filtering water to make it cleaner; we made our own water filters. The workers there did a superb job at explaining the ups and downs of the 1904 World’s Fair. Although there are other exhibits at the museum, they feature a World’s Fair exhibit year-round. If you get chance go and check out the exhibit because there are definitely things in there that you haven't heard of and they really fill up your brain. In the end, I really enjoyed this field trip because I learned more about how fantastic St. Louis' history is. -- Vincent L.

The students listen to directions from their tour guide.

    The 6th, 7th, and 8th grades went on a field trip to the art and history museums. We had a great experience at the History Museum. We went to the “Let’s Build a Fair” exhibit. We saw a lot of old artifacts from the 1904 World’s Fair, and took a walk to the fountains in front of the Art Museum to see what the grounds would have looked like. At the World Fair, there was a miniature version of Jerusalem. We also learned that it was the 1904 World’s Fair was the first appearance of the Ferris Wheel. We also did an activity where we tried to filter water. We put rocks, sand, marbles, cotton, and coffee filters in a soda bottle, poured dirty water in it. It worked really well! We didn't sanitize the water so we couldn't drink it. Our visit to the Missouri History Museum was a success.  -- Amy D.

Testing out their water filtration systems.

On October 9, 2014 the OLS 6th, 7th, and 8th graders took a field trip to the Art and History Museums of Missouri. At the History Museum, we got to take a tour of Forest Park, build a filter to make dirty water become clear, and just look at all the different things they had on display. When we took a tour of the park, we got to learn all about the 1904 World's Fair. One really interesting fact about the fair was that it had the first Ferris Wheel. Each car on it could hold sixty people. With thirty-six cars on the wheel, it could hold a total of 2160 people! When we went inside, we were able to make a filter to represent cleaning the water from the Mississippi River. We took old soda bottles and put layers of various things such as coffee filters, cotton balls, rocks, sand, and marbles. After we finished doing that fun activity, we just went and looked around at the exhibits they had. There were lots of cool things to look at and if you want to see them, head down to the History Museum! This was a very fun field trip and it was an awesome success!   -- Jack S.

Forest Park Field Trip: 6th Grade Report

Today we have a special edition of Student Reporter News.  You'll find several posts from our student reporters giving accounts of their recent field trip to Forest Park.  In this post, the reports were written by two of our 6th graders: Amanda W. and John D.

Piled into the bus and ready for a day of fun.

On October 9, 2014, the OLS 6th, 7th, and 8th graders went on a field trip to the St. Louis Art and Missouri History Museums in Forest Park.  At the History Museum, we look at their really cool displays, talked about the World's Fair, and did a science project where you had to build a filter to make dirty water clean.  The first thing we did at the History Museum was build a filter.  Before we started, the instructors talked to us about how the people back then wanted to have a sparkling clean fountain and not the muddy water from the Mississippi River.  We made a filter to turn the muddy water into clean water, just like they did.  The displays that the museum had were all mainly about the World's Fair.  They had found many different things, made of plaster, that were buried under ground from that time.  Later we talked about the World's Fair.  We discussed how hard it was to make the fair and also how much money it would have cost to construct it.  -- Amanda W.

Creating a water filter at the History Museum.

 On October 9th, 2014, the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders went on a field trip to the Missouri History and St. Louis Art Museum.  After going to the History Museum, we went to the Art Museum by bus.  At 12:00, we were doing a packet on Louis IX about the paintings around the exhibit on Louis.  We look at many Louis pictures in the Morgan Library Picture Bible and watched a video at how to make manuscripts, a writing board before paper.  Manuscripts were made using animal skins that were washed, stretched, and covered with white paper.  At the second exhibit, we learned about Louis' life.  After that, we walked around the 1st floor.  There were many Indian statues, paintings, pottery, and furniture.  There were swords, armor, and lots of Indian stuff.  We played near the Louis statue and took pictures of the STL250 cake.  After that, we went back to class.  If you want to see ancient art, go to the Art Museum!  -- John D.

Working on their packets at the Louis IX exhibit.

Student Reporter News: Socks for CF

Samantha L. reports on a recent fundraiser to raise money for a good cause:

On Monday, October 6, students were allowed to wear crazy socks for a $0.50 or more donation.  We are raising money to help put an end to CF, Cystic Fibrosis.  Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that affects mostly the lungs but also the pancreas, liver, and intestine.  Difficulty breathing is the most serious symptom and results from frequent lung infections.  Also, this affects the child's life span.  All proceeds will be put towards a foundation for finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.  The Sakamoto family personally knows a nine year old boy named Charlie with Cystic Fibrosis, and OLS is donating all proceeds for Socks for CF in his name.  Let's end CF together!   --Samantha L.

A few of our students sporting crazy socks to support the fight against CF.

Student Reporter News: St. Louis the King Prayer Service

The OLS school family gathers to pray.

To develop strong writing habits, our junior high students take opportunities to write about the special events that take place at OLS.  Our student reporters provide an excellent glimpse into life at school and give you a chance to see their emerging writing skills.  In this first online edition of Student Reporter News, eighth grader Tiffany S. recounts a special prayer service.

Fr. Pete and Mrs. Liermann leading the prayer service.

On Friday, September 26, 2014, our whole school gathered in the gym lobby for a prayer service.  The prayer service was for a new picture of St. Louis that our school received when they participated in a special mass at the Cathedral.  We chose to hang the picture on the far wall that you see when you walk in, so we can always remember to look at it.  Every grade participated in the prayer service by saying a petition, and then everybody else responding, "Pray for us."  The prayer service was a good way to end the school week together as a Catholic community.--8th grader Tiffany S.