Eagle's Edge
January 5th, 2024
PSSST...We really need volunteers for Bingo Night. See below. Thank you!!!
1-3 Grade created line Lions to demonstrate one of the 7 Elements of Art ‘Line’ - Mrs. Radford
Huge (Lion-sized) Eagles Shoutout to Mrs. Radford
Teaching sometimes feels thankless. Maybe flying high one moment pursuing your passion, and the next, you're cleaning tempera paint out of the sink at 7 p.m. because you know you have kindergarten first thing the next morning and if you don't, those kinders will be wearing said paint.
Other times--many times--teachers don't take the gratitudes to heart. The one or two sincere "thank you"s may not feel significant, on top of the many times the teacher has had to raise their voice to get a chaotic classroom under control. I think any teacher you ask would admit as much.
Our specialists, the teachers who teach all grades, have very tough jobs because they see students from 9 grades! They have to lesson plan, and learn curriculum and classroom management techniques that work for 4 year-olds, all the way up to 14-year-olds. Day in and day out, not a one-off for summer school or camp. That is a serious challenge, something that most teachers never have to face. "Teaching is teaching," some might say. If you ask me, that's about as accurate as declaring that "all exercise is the same, so if you are a good runner, go pitch a no-hitter in the big leagues." If teaching is teaching, go grab the most esteemed university lecturer, put them in a pre-k, and call me after a week. Teaching is teaching. Right?
Mrs. Radford is one of our specialists, and she does an amazing job with all of our students. What's more, and what thrills me, is when I hear chatter between students in the lunchroom, students talking to their homeroom teachers, or when a student might be courageous enough to come tell me how important art class is to them. It is very often those you least suspect.
"Mrs. Radford takes time for me."
"I want to stay after school to finish my portrait."
"School is hard for me, but art is different."
"She taught us about Basquiat, and he is black!"
"I don't want to miss school if I have art that day."
"Art class calms me down."
"She said graffiti is art?"
"I like her accent."
Someone somewhere once said that we don't remember the dates, the tests, or the textbooks. We don't walk into a job interview at 40, showcasing our retention of state capitals, but we do remember how that teacher made us feel. Perhaps counterintuitive for a principal to highlight in a newsletter to parents, nonetheless true, is that school is not perfect for lots of kids. Changes in general, and moves from one school to another can be hard. Middle school is never easy. Learning difficulties can provide all kinds of challenges to students' confidence, from an early age. But (!!) if a student has something to look forward to, something that they really and truly enjoy at school that keeps their minds and hearts open to the whole prospect of education, even if that something isn't "academic" in the traditional sense, that could be the difference in their future. "Art saves lives," may not be hyperbole, for many people, young and old.
Mrs. Radford's art studio is the source of many of those feelings, those difference makers, whether she knows it or not.
She's British, so she requires art to express her feelings, and she is going to hate this public display of gratitude, but here it is! We are so fortunate to have you, Mrs. Radford!
☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻Did I mention that prior to sharing her talents with St. Therese students, Mrs. R. was a kind of a big-deal graphic designer, who worked on all kinds of amazing projects like design covers for a few little-known books, such as Harry Potter??? Yep. That one. Good thing she hadn't forgotten the capital of Kansas. She learned all about Topeka whilst growing up in a small Catholic school, in northern England.
Check out some of the younger students' masterpieces with Mrs. R's tutelage!
She's an amazing photographer too!
What happens when we lose internet for 24 hours?
Believe it or not, life goes on. When presented with a challenge, St. Therese Eagles overcome. In Mr. Rymer's tech lab, this really threw a curveball. Mr. Rymer's lesson plans went out the window, BUT students rolled up their sleeves and enjoyed STEM projects.
New Middle School Elective: Cooking Class with Mrs. Wright
St. Therese 2nd Annual Talent Show
Hello families! Our annual talent show will be next month on May 30th. Auditions are next Tuesday, April 30th afterschool from 3:30 to 4:30. Students do not need to have their act fully finished, but they should be able to give a preview of their performance!
Please email us with any questions.
cbaumbach@stthereseschool.org, kenfield@stthereseschool.org or ssilva@stthereseschool.org.
There will be more info going home to students who will be in the talent show! We can't wait to see all the talent our St. Therese students have to offer!
~~Mrs. Baumbach, Mrs. Kenfield and Ms. Silva
Save the Date!
Saturday, June 1st
This is a great event put on by Parks and Recreation in conjunction with a dozen other organizations. I took my kids last year and we each had an absolute blast! I cannot recommend it highly enough! More info to come!!
If you are interested, please contact St. Therese parent, Maggie Villalobos
Family Fun Bingo Night!
It’s that time of year for our highly anticipated Spring event…BINGO/FAMILY FUN NIGHT is just around the corner!
This is an exciting event where all are welcome. Bring family, friends, neighbors, and community members to enjoy a FUN family night out!!
NEED FAIR SHARE HOURS? We are looking for VOLUNTEERS! In addition to DONATIONS. See attached links to see how you can help out. Remember, for every $15 spent on donated goods, that will give you 1 Hour of Fair share.
This will be our last fundraising event for the school year. You will be receiving WHITE RAFFLE TICKETS to sell for the big event starting next week (week of 4/15). Only approximately 1000 tickets are disseminated (so chances of winning or high!). We hope that everyone is able to sell all of their tickets. Winners will be announced at Bingo Night. As a reminder, Winners do not need to be ‘present’ to receive their prize. We will contact them directly post- event.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. In addition to raffle drawings and the 50/50 Cash prize raffle. Bring CASH to participate in the 50/50. All proceeds will go directly back to St. Therese School.
We look forward to seeing you there!
For any Questions and/or to Volunteer, please contact Parent’s Club Chair- Sharlene @ 503.360.4217 or email: sharlenealagar@comcast.net
Upcoming Dates and Events
- May 17th - Family Fun/Bingo Night 5 to 8 p.m.
- May 27th - Memorial Day - No School
- May 30th - Talent Show
- May 31st - Field Day
Recurring Events
****Holidays, inservice days, early release days, and other special events will affect these days.
- Choir Practice : Mondays 3:30 - 4:30
- Student lead school Masses: Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. (Holy Days of Obligation will affect these mass times)
- Vietnamese Enrichment Classes: Fridays after school
Kindergartners' Aspiring Careers
Check out these future careers! A McDonald's worker, a few teachers, a bunch of doctors, some pilots, scientists, police officers, and a bunch of singers! -Ms. Silva
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Registrar/Office Mrs. Barnett, barnetta@stthereseschool.org
Principal Schoning schoningc@stthereseschool.org
School Phone: 503-253-9400