The Start of Something Great... St. John the Baptist School in Alden New York.

St. John the Baptist School in Alden was founded in 1853 to meet the needs of a growing community with the belief that Gospel values are an important ingredient in a child’s education. The mission statement of St. John the Baptist School states that as a Catholic School we choose to be distinctive. Our mission is to provide the highest quality education, integrated with the teachings of Christianity. We celebrate our Catholic identity and believe it to be a key ingredient in shaping students to become moral, ethical, and social beings, able to make a positive contribution to our ever-changing world. We provide a loving yet disciplined environment, conducive to learning. We recognize the individuality in each student, encourage them to develop their special talents and teach respect for others’ differences and unique views. We recognize that education is the shared responsibility of professional educators, the family and the community at large. We actively seek the participation of each in the school’s developmental process. As a respected member of our community, we recognize our obligation to operate in a sound and responsible manner.

St. John’s School accepts students in Pre-K 3 & 4, full day Kindergarten through Grade 8. In Pre-K to Grade 5 the students are taught in a self contained classroom environment. Students in Grades 6-8 are team taught. Small class size offers our students the advantage of individual attention. In addition to the core academic subjects we offer Physical Education, Computer/Technology, Library, Art, Music and Spanish (enrichment in K – 5) and multiple days in Grades 6 – 8. Students in K to 8 also participate in an Enrichment Program twice a month where the students are able to study a variety of interesting educational topics in greater depth.

Students with special needs receive Remedial Reading, Resource Room and Speech Services through their Public School District. St. John’s offers a variety of After School Clubs including Art, Quiz Bowl, Volunteer Club, Yearbook and School Newspaper. We offer a wide variety of sports for students to participate in. Some of these sports include basketball, volleyball, softball, track, as well as a seasonal After School Swimming Program and bowling. St. John’s participates in the Federal Hot Lunch Program and offers a delicious hot lunch to its students each day. We also offer an After School Care Program to our students from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. each school day with homework time, free time, snack time, arts and crafts, cooking and activity time. Other enrichment activities our students participate in each year include a Science/Learning Fair, Christmas Program, Diocesan Art Show, and individual class plays correlated with the student’s instruction.

St. John’s has a renovated gymnasium, stage, art and music rooms. We recently updated our outdoor playground, basketball court, and courtyard. We have a baseball field and additional green space for our students to enjoy. We also have the use of The Rock for retreats for our older students and a chapel for individual class prayer services.

In addition to Alden Central School District children currently attend St. John’s School from the school districts of Clarence, Akron, Attica, Iroquois, Pembroke, Lancaster, Depew, Alexander and Maryvale. If the student lives within 15 miles of St. John’s, their local school district may provide transportation.

St. John’s is currently accepting registrations for new school families in all grades – Pre K 3 & 4, Kindergarten and Grades 1- 8 for the 2007-2008 school year. To arrange your personal tour of St. John’s, please contact our school office at 937-9483.

School News – ...

Bringing Up a Happy Child
By Family Psychologist, John Rosemond
Used with permission, 2007 www.rosemond.com

 

 

How to grow a happy child, part one:  If you are married, have a more active relationship with your spouse than you have with your children.  Spend more time in the roles of husband and wife than you spend in the roles of mother and father.  Nothing causes a child greater insecurity than the sense that his parents’ marriage is not the most solid, permanent thing in his life, and vice versa.

How to grow a happy child, part two:  If you are single, do not be married to your children.  Have an active life outside of your role as mother or father.  Be an interesting person to your kids.  The well-being of a single parent is essential to the well-being of his or her children.

How to grow a happy child, part three:  Expect your children to obey.  Expect this calmly, as if you take their obedience for granted.  Who is the happier employee:  the one who frequently attempts to get away with breaking the rules, or the one who obeys the rules?  Substitute child for employee and the answer is the same.  Disobedient children are not happy campers.  Said another way, the most obedient children are also the happiest children.

How to grow a happy child, part four:  Expect your children to be responsible citizens of your family.  From the time they are 3 years old, assign them to chores around the house, chores that mean something.  Teach your 3-year old to wash floors.  Teach your four-year old to vacuum.  Teach your five-year old clean the bathroom.  Good citizenship is a matter of making contribution.  Too many of today’s kids have no meaningful roles in their families.  They’re not contributing.  They’re just there, consuming, and the more they consume, the more they demand.  Needless to say, demanding people are not happy people.

How to grow a happy child, part five:  Teach your children that happiness is not a matter of how much you have, but a matter of how much you do with what you have.  Don’t buy them a lot of things that will end up doing nothing but cluttering up their lives.

How to grow a happy child, part six:  Teach your children that two of the most fun things to are reading and travel, both of which involve the accumulation of memories as opposed to things.  Begin reading to your children early, and read to them often.  Every time you are inclined to buy your child a toy, consider instead taking him or her fishing or camping or to a museum.  Spend time, not money.

How to grow a happy child, part seven:  Let television and video games into your children’s lives very little, if at all.  The happiest children are not found staring at television sets or frantically manipulating video game consoles.  They are found in parks, on playgrounds, and in other three-dimensional places.

 

How to grow a happy child, part eight:  Help your children develop hobbies.  Few things exercise imagination and creativity as well as a hobby.  By the way, a hobby is not an after-school sport.  A hobby is something a child can do by himself, eventually without adult supervision.

How to grow a happy child, part nine:  Teach your children good manners.  Good manners are a demonstration of attentiveness to and respect for others, and the happiest people are those who pay more attention to others than they want others to pay to them.

How to grow a happy child, part ten:  Hold your children to high standards.  You should show respect for a child by expecting of the child.  Expect the best manners.  Expect the best schoolwork your child is capable of.  Expect obedience.  Expect your child to pitch in around the house without being asked.  Hold your child accountable for his or her behavior.  Make no excuses; accept no excuses.  The happiest campers always do their best.
 

Marilynn Camp

Creative Minds at Work at St. John's School ... The Middle School students at St. John's School in Alden put their imaginations to work in Miss Marshall's English Language Arts class. During a creative writing exercise the students wrote a wintry tale with themselves as the characters. The story was displayed on a three piece snowman with each grade level responsible for writing a portion of the story. Pictured from left to right are Middle School Students, Mary Bukowski, Sara Schiffler and Stacee Miller. Click on picture to enlarge...

 

St. John's School Celebrates 100 Days of School...

Mrs. Barron's second grade class at St. John's School in Alden celebrated the 100th day of school by writing acts of kindness on 100 hearts. Each heart represented one thing that a person could do to show God's love. Some of the things that the children wrote were: tell the truth, share your toys, say your prayers and obey your parents.

Pictured in the photo are second graders Julia Wrest and Max Penke counting to make sure all 100 hearts are on the wall.

Click on photo to enlarge...

Sabres Visit St. John's School ...

Recently, the Buffalo Sabres and Perry's Ice Cream in Akron joined together to create the "Shoot, Score, Read More" program which was designed to promote the importance of reading to elementary students. The last appearance was made at St. John's School in Alden, where Buffalo Sabres defenseman, Dmitri Kalinin visited with the young Sabres fans to talk about reading, answer questions and sign autographs. Lindsey Kocher, eighth grade student helped to read the book "But Not Like Mine" by Margery Facklam to the school body. Also on hand for this exciting event were Sabretooth and Perry Winkle!

A total of 10 schools were selected as locations for the Sabre appearances.

Buffalo Sabres players including Derek Roy, Dmitri Kalinin, Nathan Paetsch, Jochen Hecht, Daniel Paille, Clark MacArthur and Drew Stafford visited the selected schools to promote the importance of reading

Click on photo to enlarge

Book Fair Oct 30th through Nov 1st

The whole school is excited about our  upcoming Book Fair. Each child will visit  the Fair with his or her class on  Thursday, Nov. 1 and will have the 
opportunity to purchase books. Mark your calendar for our outdoor story  time on October 30th from 7:00pm to  7:30 pm and enjoy moose cookies!          
While you are there, you may select  books for your child’s teacher to  help build their classroom library. Don’t miss this opportunity to light up a 
child’s face. Link to Book Fair Site http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/stjohnalden

St. John's School Band Lessons Begin...

 

Monday, October 15 is the start of a new endeavor for St. John the Baptist School in Alden.  Under the direction of Miss Michelle Wendling, Paul Effman Music Service has begun teaching musical instrument lessons to students.  The instruments being taught are flute, clarinet, drum, trumpet, and saxophone.  The students receive weekly lessons and will perform a recital at the end of the school year.  Pictured are Emily Dick, Leah May, Jennifer Trybuskiewicz, and Lily Dreyer receiving instruction on playing the clarinet from Director Miss Michelle Wendling. 

The First Graders at St. John the Baptist School began the school year learning about plants in Science...

The class enjoyed a hands-on activity of examining a Petunia.  They learned how each part of the plant has a specific job.  The students enjoyed their opportunity to be "scientists"; they were able to see and feel what a plant looks like from the ground up.
Pictured are: Lucas Snell, Brandon Urban, Christopher Dick and Nicholas Bonamici.

Science and Learning were hot topics this week at St Johns

Science and Learning were hot topics on Thursday, March 22 at St. John the Baptist School in Alden.  The students at St. John’s worked very hard on their science and learning fair projects to display Thursday night.  The Middle School students studied the Medieval Times and dressed in period clothes and offered medieval delights such as pickles on a stick and sparkling grape juice.  Their display included a puppet show and knight in shining armor!

The science project winners for this year’s fair were: In the Middle School Division Grade 6 -8 – First Place, Amber Breyer, “Straight from the Horse’s…Eye!”; Second Place, Angelyn Brown, “Going Bananas”; and a tie for Third Place with Sara Schiffler, “Got Breakfast” and Rachel Elliott, “Heart Rate: It’s Music to My Ears”. 

Winners in the Elementary Division Grades 3-5  - First Place, Lauren Kocher, “Plants Under Light”; Second Place, Kaylie Klavoon, “Do White Candles Burn Longer”; Josh Anstett, “Laundry Detergent and Stains”.  Congratulations to all our students for such a wonderful presentation!  A special thank you to our guest judges, Tony Cometto, Christopher Gregoire, Vince Nicolia, and James Popielarz.

This evening was held in conjunction with St. John’s School Open House. The parents of St. John’s students offered guided tours of the school to prospective families.  Wonderfully delicious refreshments were provided by members of the Home School Association.  The faculty and staff would like to thank those in attendance and for all those who support our students and school. 

Pictured in the photos are:  Amber Breyer with her First Place Ribbon for her Science project, “Straight from the Horse’s…Eye!”

St. John’s School is now accepting registration for all grades for the 2007-2008 school year.  Call today for your personal tour, 937-9483.

Dress down day and circuits with switches

The students of St. John the Baptist School in Alden have spent the Fridays of March "dressing down" for Catholic Charities.  Each child donated $1.00 for the privilege to wear casual clothes.  The student's also donate "sacrifice money", money they might have spent on snacks or treats is given to Catholic Charities instead.  Their goal to donate $700 to Catholic Charities this year is sure to be attained.

On one of these Fridays the fourth grade students in Mrs. Behrend's class discovered how to build series and parallel circuits with switches.  Additionally, these enthusiastic learners tested a variety of objects for their conductivity using the circuits they built.  Pictured is Mrs. Behrend inspecting the circuit switch built by the team of Victoria Elliott, Stacy Fleming, and Matthew Esack.

SOUPER SCULPTURE

This "SOUPER SCULPTURE" was created by students in the volunteer and art clubs at St. John's School in Alden.  The students learned about Andy Warhol's painting of Campbell's soup cans, then assembled the sculpture from donated cans of soup.  The sculpture was displayed during the Science and Learning Fair.  The cans of soup will be donated to the Alden Food Pantry.

Pictured are Art teacher, Mrs. Marsden and Sixth grade teacher and Volunteer Club Moderator, Miss Marshall with students Nathan Ress, Angelyn Brown, Kaylie Klavoon and in the back, Connor Orcutt

CPR and AED Instruction at St. John's

Jim Gerber and Ryan Sheedy from the Alden Volunteer Fire Department facilitated a class on CPR and AED (Automatic Electronic Defibrillator) system instruction for St. John the Baptist School and parish participants. The information was prepared by the American Heart Association and included a video presentation that taught adult, child and infant CPR and how to use an AED system in an emergency. There was hands on training and a final exam. The participants that received certification in these skills are: Carl Matthies, Jessica Nuwer, Joyce Hodgson, Molly Borowicz and Mary Rose Kotlowski. picture caption:

Pictured are: St. John's fifth grade teacher, Molly Borowicz and After School Care Teacher, Jessica Nuwer and seventh grade teacher Mary Rose Kotlowski along with Carl Matthies, head of the Ushers at St. John's Church. They are all practicing their CPR for infants under the watchful eye of Jim Gerber.

Pre K 3&4

The list below has been revised by the current faculty.  Additional supplies are not necessary.  It will be appreciated if students do not bring additional supplies to school.

Pre – K 3 & 4 SUPPLY LIST

2 Packs of 16 count Crayola Crayons (2 of each primary color)
1 Crayon box (to hold supplies) with snap lid without handles
2 Boxes of Kleenex
1 Art smock or an old shirt of mom or dad
1 Pair scissors, not with plastic blades (Fiskar)
6 LARGE Elmer’s washable school glue sticks
1 Pocket folder labeled home folder
4 Large fat pencils with erasers
1 Pink eraser
1 Set of extra clothes, including underwear, socks, shirt, and pants in a labeled bag (season appropriate)
1 School bag or backpack, large enough for folders, projects, etc.
1 Nap Blanket/Rug or Mat – 2’ X 3’ or less as space is limited (Pre – K 4 full day only)
1 Folder (2 pocket type) for Music class – Pre-K 4 Only
1 package of Large Zip lock Bags
2 Rolls of Paper Towels
1 Container of Baby Wipes

 

PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON EVERYTHING.

Kindergarten...

The list below has been revised by the current faculty.  Additional supplies are not necessary.  It will be appreciated if students do not bring additional supplies to school.

 KINDERGARTEN SUPPLY LIST

2 Boxes of 24 count crayons
1 Pencil or crayon box with lid to hold supplies (no handles please)
1 Art smock or an old shirt of mom or dad (PLEASE NO APRONS) They must cover completely.
10 Glue sticks – may need more during the year – Elmer’s
2 pink erasers
1 pair of scissors – Rounded, not pointed (Fiskar brand works best)
12 Regular #2 pencils – already sharpened please (Red Apple or Papermate)
1 Bottle of Elmer’s glue
2 Boxes of Kleenex tissues
Washable markers 8 or 10 count
6 folders
3 – Solid color folders with pockets and 3 ring fastener insert
3 – 2 pocket folder - may have a design
1 watercolor paint set ( 8 or 16 count)
1 container of disinfecting wipes
1 pkg. of large zip lock bags
1 roll of paper towels
1 Set of extra clothes, including underwear, socks, shirt, and pants in a labeled bag (season appropriate)  These MUST be in school the first week!
1 School bag or backpack – large enough for folders, lunch box, etc.
Nap Blanket/Rug – 2’ X 3’ or less as space is limited

PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON EVERYTHING

Grade1

The list below has been revised by the current faculty.  Additional supplies are not necessary.  It will be appreciated if students do not bring additional supplies to school.

FIRST GRADE SUPPLY LIST

1 Box of 24 Crayola crayons
1 package of Washable Fine tip markers
1 package of Washable Wide tip markets
1 supply box with snap lid (no larger than 12”x8”)
2 pink erasers
12 #2 pencils
2 – 70 page Spiral Notebook (wide rule)
2 Marble composition notebooks – labeled “Journal Writing” and the other “Spelling”
6 glue sticks
6 Pocket folders - child’s name on each folder and labeled as follows:

• Take Home
• Spanish
• Library
• Science
• Music

1 bottle school glue
1 Pair of scissors
3 Boxes of tissues
1 Box of Ziploc baggies
1 Package of Clorox wipes
1 Backpack
1 Art smock with name written on it

Materials to purchase from the office:

2 – Grade 1 Writing Tablets
1 – Assignment Notebook

** Please label all supplies; the extra supplies will be placed in a labeled Ziploc bag until your child needs them.

Grade2

GRADE 2 SUPPLY LIST

Pencil box (snap lid without handle)
1 Box 24 crayons
2 Pink erasers
12 #2 pencils
3 Glue sticks (large)
1 bottle of Elmer’s glue
1 Red pen or pencil
1 yellow highlighter
1 bottle of hand sanitizer
1 container of sanitizing wipes
2 spiral bound 3x5 ruled index cards pack of 50
1 old shirt for art
2 boxes of tissues
1 box thick markers
2 pencil grippers
12 inch ruler
Scissors (with pointed tip – elementary)
Sneakers and gym clothes in a bag (No plastic please)
12 colored pencils
5 pocket folders labeled:
            Spanish
            Library
            Science / Social Studies
            ELA
            Take Home

Purchase from office:
2 – Grade 2 writing journals
1 – Assignment Notebook

*PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON EVERYTHING

Grade3

GRADE 3 SUPPLY LIST

Crayons and/or markers
Pencils – Regular #2
1 Red pen or pencil
3 erasable pens Blue/Black
Snap-lid pencil box without handles
Eraser
Elmer’s glue
Scissors
12 inch ruler – standard and metric
1 Single subject spiral notebook (wide ruled) to use a Math journal
5 folders (2 pocket type) labeled Religion, Science, Social Studies, Tests, Homework/Take Home
3 Folders (2 pocket type) labeled Music, Computer, Spanish
2 Marble composition notebooks to be used as a journal
loose leaf paper (wide-rule) in a folder
2 boxes of Kleenex tissue
Art smock

Purchase from office:
1 – Assignment Notebook

*PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON EVERYTHING

Grade4...

GRADE 4 SUPPLY LIST

4 Pencils and extra erasers
6 Blue or black erasable pens
1 Snap lid pencil box
Scissors
Markers
Crayons
Colored pencils
Elmer’s white glue
Glue stick
1 Ruler – Metric and Standard (may be one ruler)
2 one-subject spiral notebook
9 two-pocket folders
2 packs loose-leaf paper
3 boxes of Kleenex tissue

Purchase from office:
1 – Assignment Notebook

Grade5...

Grade 5 Supply List

12 pocket folders (pocket type – at least One Red)
8 one-subject spiral notebooks
Loose leaf paper (250 sheets minimum)
6 packages 3” X 5” index cards with box  (5 for Spanish – 1 for 5th Grade)
1 Spanish/English dictionary (last years may be used)
1 Ruler – Metric and Standard
1 Compass (if you have students in different grades, they may share one)
Pens (black or blue) All literate work is to be done in pen (Erasable pen strongly suggested)
Pencils with erasers (All Math MUST be done in pencil) – to be kept in school
Erasers
Colored pencils (16 or more colors)
Pencil case with snap lid
2 Glue sticks
Scissors
4 Highlighters of various colors
1 Box of 24 crayons (please no larger boxes)
4 Boxes of tissues (2 per semester)
1 box of Zip lock bags (quart or sandwich)
1 protractor
1 combination lock
Backpack
NO Markers Needed, please do not purchase!

Purchase from office:
1 – Assignment Notebook

Grade 6-7-8.

GRADE 6, 7, AND 8 SUPPLY LIST

11 pocket folders
1 one-subject notebook for Social Studies – current events
1 composition notebook (ELA) Journal
1 three-subject notebook for Science
Loose leaf paper (250 sheets minimum)
5 packages 3” X 5” index cards with box (for Spanish)
1 Spanish/English dictionary (last years may be used)
Pens (black or blue) All literature work is to be done in pen
10 Pencils with erasers for classroom. (All Math MUST be done in pencil) – to be kept in school
Erasers
Colored pencils
Pencil case with snap lid
2 Glue sticks
Scissors
2 Highlighters
4 Boxes of tissues (2 per semester)
Backpack
4 write erase markers (Black works best and lasts longer)
4 function calculator to be kept at home – grades 6 & 7
Scientific calculator (TI-30 or TI-36) – grade 8

Purchase from office:
1 – Assignment Notebook

Pre K3&4

            Wow have we been busy in our room!  Both classes are working very hard to get ready for the Science Learning Fair on March 22nd.  We chose to do an ocean theme study and learning experiences.  Both classes have been reading many books both fictional and informational about ocean life and sea creature.  Collaboratively both Pre-K 3 & 4 have constructed our very own ocean scene right outside our classroom.  We incorporated all curriculum areas in our learning.
Religion
Pre-K 4 read rainbow fish and learned the importance of friendship.  We learned that God gave us friends and Jesus is our best friend!  We build our very own rainbow fish and with each fin praised our fellow classmates and thanked god for each one of us.  Pre-K 3 we focused on God creating the ocean and all the sea life in the ocean we brainstormed a huge list of ocean creatures!
Reading
Pre-K 4 immersed ourselves in literature surrounding ocean animal and used many different reading strategies to learn new and exciting facts.  Our favorite was learning about whales.  It was great fun to see how much we knew and how much we had to learn.  Pre-K 3 did a great job listening and following along with stories.  The asked terrific questions and made wonderful predictions for the stories.  Our favorite book was about Octopus!
Math
Both classes had an exciting time counting and using shapes to create our sea creature. Many different materials were used and pieces for those projects were counting and collected as well as sorted and grouped for our projects.  The children loved creating patterns on our sea turtles and making our sea horses.
Science
We learned about the ocean water and the habitat the creatures live in.  We also talked about the food chain in the deep blue sea.  The children experimented with different textures and material to create realistic features on their creature.  We read and leaned about the tentacle on an octopus and the suction cup type legs on a star fish!
As April approaches quickly we are getting excited about Easter and learning about Jesus.  We will celebrating Easter in both our classes by making baskets and coloring eggs.  We will also be making some fun crosses out of macaroni.  The month of April in well know for its “April showers” so be on the look out for our umbrellas!  We are looking forward to Spring and hopefully some warm weather,  All our little friends can not wait to get outside and play.  We have lots of energy build up and can’t wait to use it.  Pre-K 3&4 wishes everyone a Happy and blessed Easter enjoy your break.

Other Happenings at Pre-K 4

At St. John the Baptist School in Alden Ms. Mullen's Pre-K 4 class learned about God's gift of friendship through reading the story Rainbow Fish written by Marcus Prister.  The children took turns exchanging kind comments about their friends and placing a fin for each friend on our very own Rainbow fish.  We then thanked God for the gift of our friends!  Pictured placing a fin on the Rainbow fish is Emily Henninger saying a kind thing about her friend Marie Rhodes while Ms. Mullen watches.  The Second picture shows the completed Rainbow Fish after all the students helped place the colorful fins on the the Rainbow fish.

 

Kindergarten

Hello from Kindergarten! We are sure some busy bees here let me tell you what has been going on---
Religion
We have been learning about Lent and the events leading up to Easter.  We are going to church each Friday to do Stations of the Cross.  The 5th graders are sitting with us and helping us with what to do.  They are very nice.  We also as a class have been going to church each week during this season of Lent. 

Reading/Spelling/Phonics
We are reading so many different stories.  The words that we can sound out are amazing.  We pretty much have got the short vowel sounds down and now we have begun to work on the long vowel sounds.  These can be a little tougher.  We continue to work on our blend sounds with a chant that we know.  We are doing more and more writing and our handwriting is pretty neat.  We received another letter from our Pen Pals in Brighton NY which is outside of Rochester.  We will be writing back to them and sending them some pictures of our class.

Math
We are working on a lot of different things.  We are counting our coins and adding on with pennies and nickels and pennies and dimes.  We played an adding game by adding the dots on a pair of dice.  We learned another new game that helped us learn the greater number—War—do you remember playing that game? 
We learned about new pattern ABBC along with a review of AB, ABB and ABC patterns.  We practiced these patterns with pattern blocks and linking cubes.

Other Happenings
We celebrated the 100th day of school in February and that was a great day.  We did a lot of 100 activities. 

March 2nd was Dr. Seuss Birthday.  We celebrated by having a hat parade around the school with hats that the students made at home.  They were great and very original.  We have been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss books and we wrote about our favorite one and made a class book.  We read the story of Bartholomew and the Oobleck and mde oobleck.  That was a lot of fun.  It was neat to see the oobleck change forms. 
If you want to make oobleck it is 1 part water and 2 parts cornstarch.  You may have to add a little more cornstarch at a time to give it the consistency of changing from a wet solid to a liquid.

We have been learning about our 5 senses.  We have done a lot of different activities to help us.  We made a giant cut out of ourselves and talked about how our senses worked.  We felt a piece of Braille paper and tried to figure out what it said.  We wrote our name in Braille using the proper sequence of dots.  We used our eyes and memory to figure out what was missing on a tray.  We smelled and tasted different types of foods. We used our sense of smell and taste to figure what they were.  We felt different textures and made a texture clown.  We listened to different voices to figure out who they belonged to—that was fun.  We made a book to see how each of these senses work.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day  by reading Dr. Seuss’  Green Eggs and Ham.  We made green pancakes to eat—they were very tasty!

We celebrated Easter by having a party where we invited our family members in to watch us sing songs and then we enjoyed lots of yummy treats.   

Things are pretty busy and we are having a great time. 

MRS. TOLSMA’S

1st Grade

Religion~

        The class has been discussing Lent and what sacrifices Jesus made for us.  We also have been talking about how important it is for us to sacrifice things that are important to us just as Jesus. 
We also talked about how New Life is important to the Church and to families.  We have learned that we are all a part of God’s family and how growth is very important to the Church.

Math ~

        We have been working on our money skills, we have been going “shopping” in class and we are now able to tell if we have enough money to buy what we want from our “store”.  The class has enjoyed the shopping trips and it has given us a new appreciation of money.
        We have just begun adding double digits without regrouping; we will also continue with our daily adding and subtracting, money and time review because these skills are very important.

Science~

        The class has been discussing natural resources and how to take care of them.  We have learned about how people use these natural resources in our everyday life, as well as, what they are.  We learned about how different groups take care of the Earth and how everyone plays a special part in keeping the Earth clean. Coming up will be discussing air and water pollution and what we can to prevent it.
        We started working on our Learning Fair project and we are becoming real scientists with our daily observations.

Social~

        We have been learning about maps and how to read them.  We took a “trip” with our compass around the first floor.  We also were able to make books about “Our World” to show how much information we have learned. We have just begun discussing the past and how things in the past have changed the way we live today.  We will be learning about the first settlers and our own family’s histories.

Phonics and Grammar~

        We are continuing to work on nouns and verbs.  We are now able to distinguish between present and past verbs.  We love to play games where we are able to show off how much we have learned.  During our morning news time, we search and find different nouns and verbs.
        The class continues to improve in their sentence writing skills. You should stop by and see how much they have improved in their word choice and writing.  We are still working on remembering our sentence writing rules.

Reading ~

        The class is beginning to compare and contrast different stories that we have been reading.  We completed a Venn diagram of The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. They learned how to compare the two stories and distinguish between the two. 
        We are finishing up our unit about “Stories to Tell” and we met some very interesting characters in our weekly stories.  The class is discussing different genre and how we can recognize them.  We are also continuing to work with our reading groups and then the class comes together to discuss the stories we read.  This also gives us a chance to show off our comparing skill.

**It has been a pleasure working with the first grade class this year.  I look forward to another great year at St. John’s next year after taking some time off to spend with my new baby who is due very soon.  I will miss my class and hope to see them very soon. **

Michelle Blamowski 

2nd Grade

Religion- The students are continuing to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation which will be at the end of this month.  We have been discussing how forgiving God is and how important it is to ask for forgiveness when we have done something wrong. 

Reading- This month we read two stories about bats and learned that they aren’t scary, but helpful. The students also read The Bremen Town Musicians which is a play about how four animals, who have been forced from their homes, start a new life together. The students enjoyed acting out the different parts for this play.  Next month we will continue to read stories that deal with how to solve problems by working together.

Writing- For St. Patrick’s Day, the students wrote about what is more precious to them than gold.  Most of them chose their family, friends, and pets.  The students also wrote about their favorite holiday.

Math- The students are developing addition number sense by adding multiples of ten, using mental math, and estimating sums.  They are beginning to add two digit numbers with or without regrouping.  Next month, the students will begin subtracting two-digit numbers.

Social Studies- For the rest of March and the beginning of April, we will be working on unit 4 entitled We the People.  The students will be learning about our country’s government.

Science- We just completed chapter five which was all about energy needs.  The students learned about how animals and people get energy.  We talked about the food pyramid and healthy foods to eat.  As part of how to stay healthy, we discussed the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth.  The students did an experiment to show what happens when you get a cavity.  They put a hole (a cavity) in an apple
(a tooth).  After a few days, we cut the apples open and could see the damage that cavities do to our teeth!

Mrs. Jillyn Barron 

3rd Grade

Religion
    We have been studying the Mass in preparation for our First Communion.  So far we have discussed the Introductory Rite in which we are reminded of our Baptism, the Liturgy of the Word in which we hear Scripture stories, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which the bread and wine become Jesus.  We will soon be discussing the Communion Rite, at which time we will practice receiving the unconsecrated host, and the Concluding Rite in which we will learn that we are given a responsibility to spread the word of God.  As we attend Mass each week, we focus on recognizing the different actions and words of the Mass parts that we have discussed.  Our Enrollment Service and retreat are on Saturday, April 23, from 9 to12:15.
    Recently Sr. Ellen spoke with the Third and Fourth graders about vocations.  She reminded us that we each have a vocation from God to live our lives according to His plan.  Following this, each student wrote a prayer asking God to help him/her discover and accept his/her vocation.  One prayer from each class will be submitted to the Diocesian Vocation contest. 
Social Studies 
    We have completed our unit on "movement" around and to the United States in the 1800's and early 1900's.  As a culminating activity, we read more about the Pony Express. Then each of us wrote a poem expressing ideas about this method of communication among people as they moved about our country.
    We are now working on a unit which focuses on the economy of our nation.  In this unit we will be discussing goods and services and consumers and producers.
Science
    We have been working very hard on our Science Fair projects.  Each student's work will be on display during our Learning Fair/Open House on Thursday, March 22.  See you there!
    Our Earth Science unit has been completed.  As a final activity, we created and observed how an aquifer works to create clean drinking water.  In our next unit, we will be learning about matter and energy.
Math
   We continue to drill our multiplication facts to increase speed and accuracy.  Most multiplication facts have been successfully mastered by the class.  We are now using this knowledge to help us divide. This in turn is being applied to the study of fractions. 
Reading/ELA
    Our unit in which we were encouraged to pay close attention to the story details is drawing to a close.  In our writing, we compared and contrasted some part of each story.
For example, in The Cactus Hotel, we compared the animals that used the cactus when it was mature and when it was no longer alive.  Our next unit will find us reading to summarize facts and details both presented in the story and researched.  In Grammar, we are continuing to study the many forms verbs can have, and will soon begin looking closely at pronouns.
    Happy Birthday wishes go out to Jerod Penke (3/26)!

Ms. Elaine Nuwer

4th Grade

Religion- With the season of lent upon us it only seems fitting that the fourth graders would begin their unit on Christian Morality.  These students will be exploring the differences between venial and mortal sins as well as the not very readily discussed, sin of omission.  It is very important for children to know that they can sin by not doing something they should have done; such as help a classmate when they are being picked on.  Furthermore, we will be discussing temptation and things they can do to deal with the ever prevalent peer pressure.  It is important to understand that Jesus was tempted just as they are, but he was able to overcome sin and so can they.  Finally, we will be discussing the differences between religious art and idolatry and how to properly use religious art in our religion. 

ELA- These next few months in reading we will be working on several skills aimed toward aiding in both areas of reading and life.  These skills include:  prefixes and root words, drawing conclusions, distinguishing between facts and non-facts, and following steps in a process.  Additionally in writing, our focus has been on how to write a persuasive piece by effectively portray their thoughts and ideas on a topic in a convincing manner.  Once we have exhausted persuasive writing we will begin working on explanatory writing which is readily used not only in ELA, but science, social studies, and math as well! 

Math- For the next two months in math, the fourth graders will be extending their geometry skills.  We will be working on various types of lines such as line segments, rays, parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular lines.  Additionally, the three types of triangles: isosceles, scalene, and equilateral will be studied.  In conjunction, right, acute, and obtuse angles will all be identified and then applied to further define triangles as right, acute, or obtuse. 

Social Studies- After wrapping up the Revolutionary War, students are starting a new unit on our government.  Once America won its independence, the new country had an even bigger feat on hand: forming a government that would withstand the test of time.  We will be looking at our first plan for government, the Articles of Confederation and carefully examine its strengths and weaknesses and why it ultimately needed to be changed.  Next, we touch the surface of the Constitution, focusing on the main ideas of the Bill of Rights, and the three branches of government.  In April we will be discussing our local, state, and national governments and how the roles of each are similar and different.

Science- It seems so appropriate that during this lovely time of year full of illnesses that we begin learning about diseases.  More specifically, we will be studying how diseases/illnesses are spread and how to help prevent the spread, how our body helps to protect us and take care of certain illnesses when we get them, and the differences between communicable and incommunicable diseases.  Likewise, we will be discussing the proper nutrition and exercise everyone needs each day. 

Mrs. Behrend

The Fabulous Fifth Grade

Although February is only 28 days short, it always feels like the longest month of the year.  The snow and cold keep pressing on, but we try to keep our brains warm and fuzzy with knowledge!
In reading, the students have started their new book for their literature circles.  There are three different groups each reading one of three books. 
The book are Because of Winn-Dixie, Sounder, and Old Yeller.  So far the students really seem to enjoy the stories and we have discussed the similarities between all of the books.  We plan to finish these books shortly after the Presidents Week break so we can work on the group project.
The group project will be to create a game incorporating the characters, plot and setting of their group’s book.  The work for this project will be mainly done in class so the students can work as a team to make playable games.
Our book project with Mrs. Behrend’s class is going smoothly!  The students have proven to be very creative and willing to share ideas for the book.  So far we have written the beginning of the book as a combined class.  The groups have also completed their poems about the destination they choose. 
As the book continues to come together, my excitement and passion grown too!
I am so proud of all of the fourth and fifth graders for their hard work and dedication to this combined effort!  I know the students are looking forward to sharing the completed project with you and I’m sure all the parents will be just as proud!
  In religion we have been reading about parables.  We found out that parables are stories that Jesus told to try and teach a lesson.  The students then took a turn at writing their own modern day parable.  We brainstormed topics that we felt people nowadays needed to know about God’s kingdom and the students used these ideas as a starting point for their story.  We also wrote vocation prayers.  One person from fifth grade will be entered in the annual vocation contest sponsored by the Buffalo Diocese. 
The students all wrote wonderful prayers that included this year’s theme of “Jesus came to serve.”  The prayers will be on display outside the fifth grade classroom for all to read!
In science we are finishing up a large unit on the human body systems.  The students really enjoyed learning about the systems and how they work.  We covered the circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, skeletal system, muscular system and the nervous system.  We have also spent a lot of time focusing on the up coming science fair.  All of the students have chosen unique and creative ideas for their projects. 
I’m looking forward to seeing how their experiments turn out!  Be sure to join us at the science fair on March 22, 2007 to see all the exciting projects submitted by all the students of St. John’s!
In social studies, we just finished learning about Central America.  From here we will spend a little time in the Caribbean and the on to Mexico. 
Both of these units will focus on traditions, geography and modern day life.
The students enjoy venturing out into various corners of the Western Hemisphere!
We have continued to learn about division in math.  We perfected division with one-digit divisors and have moved on to division with two-digit divisors.  The students learned an alternate method of dividing that allows them to feel more confident when dividing.  Some of the students really seemed to understand and grasp onto this method.  This method of division might seem foreign to most of us, but it helps the students to visualize what is taking place in a division problem.  We are currently making the transition from the alternate method to the traditional method of division. 
 From division, we will head into the zany world of fractions!
Overall we have had a blustery month, but we all survived!!  A heart-felt thank you to all the parents who came in for Valentine’s Day.  Even though I couldn’t be with you, my thoughts and prayers were here and I am sincerely touched by the out pouring of love that I continually receive by the students, faculty, staff and parents of St. John’s!  May God Bless you all and have a relaxing and safe week off!!

Molly Borowicz Fifth Grade Teacher

6th Grade

Literature
 The sixth graders have begun the next unit in their new literature books
and been reading essays, short stories, and poems about reaching out to
others and understanding the world around them. They have considered ways
in which they can reach out to those around them who are in need and
recognizing the importance of doing so in today's society. Throughout this
unit they will be reading an autobiography by Helen Keller, poems by
Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maya Angelou, a short story by
Rudyard Kipling, and the novel "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli.
The seventh graders have also begun their next unit, which is focusing on
common threads and what really matters. They have read poems by Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Rudyard Kipling, and Langston Hughes. Still to come, they
will be reading short stories, essays, autobiographies, and an excerpt
from the Shakespearian play "Henry V".
 The eighth graders have been reading various genres of literature as well
concerning meeting challenges and the quest for justice. They have read
about the experiences of a young Mark Twain as an apprentice on a stem
boat traveling up the Mississippi River. They have also read about the
journey and legacy of Harriet Tubman risking her life to ensure the safe
passage of slaves to freedom in Canada through the underground railroad.
The eighth graders will have the opportunity to read several classic
pieces of literature as we continue on in this unit such as " Flowers for
Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, "Brown vs the Board of Education" by Walter
Dean Myers, and the poem "O Captain!, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman as they
explore the meaning of justice and perseverance.
ELA
In each of the middle school grades, the students have been continuing to
work on their note taking and outlining skills. Learning how to properly
take notes is an important skill for students to know as they progress in
their academic career. Each grade has also been working on their grammar
skills, specifically verbs. Students have reviewed action and linking
verbs and have begun to review verb phrases and verb tenses. They will
continue to work on their grammar skills, while improving their writing
skills. The students created shamrock stories in honor of St. Patrick's
Day, describing what it is that they consider themselves to be lucky for.
They have also been busy working on a biography about an important figure
in literature or science from a selected time period. This assignment
reinforced not only the writing process and grammar skills, but it also
reinforced what they were learning about taking notes and how to gather
information for research. These biographies will be displayed at the
Science and Learning Fair on Thursday, March 22.
We hope to see you all there!
Thank you for your continued support and have a Blessed Easter!!!

Miss Marshall

Math and Science

Math 8:
Eighth grade is currently writing functions when given graphs, T-tables, and statements.  They are also practicing hard for their New York State exam in March with a daily review of state test questions.  They have also been receiving their chapter tests in state test format.

Science 8:
We just started a new book in grade 8.  We are working on chemical building blocks, which includes working with matter, atoms, and chemicals.  We are looking forward to doing some interesting lab work in these chapters.

Math 7:
The seventh graders are busily reviewing the basic concepts of least common multiple and greatest common factor.  However, variables have been added to the numbers.  It seems to be both easy and challenging to the students.

Science 7:
Bacteria to Plants in the name of the book seventh grade is currently studying from.  In this book we cover the kingdoms of bacteria, protists, fungi, and plants.  The student’s have made some interesting books in their notes to help them study for the tests.

Math 6:
Sixth grade is still working on fractions.  We just finished working with adding and subtracting mixed numbers.  They seem to be catching onto the concepts.  We will continue to division of fraction shortly.

Science 6:
What causes weather?  This is what the sixth grade is going to find out.  They learned that the troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere and the layer in which weather occurs.  Now we are studying how water plays an important roll in the weather. 

Mrs. Kotlowski

Social and Religion

Social Studies 6
We have finished learning about Ancient Egypt.  The students will learn about Mesopotamia. They will learn how geography influences civilizations. They will compare life in Mesopotamia with life in Ancient Egypt. We will learn about Hammurabi and the first written code of laws. They will learn about the beginnings of Judaism.  We will watch videos depicting this era.  After learning about the Fertile Crescent the students will study Ancient India.

Social Studies 7
The class has finished their study of the Thirteen Colonies.  We will now learn about events that would lead to the American Revolution.  We will see how their democratic rights will be infringed upon by laws passed in England. They will learn about men like Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine who will encourage the people to break away from the rule of
England. We will see how men like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington will help the colonists to gain their independence.

Social Studies 8
Our class will study the problems faced by the government following the Civil War. In dealing with the south we will learn of the Congressional Plan and the Presidential Plan, and which will be put into practice.  We will see a new south emerge, economically, politically and socially. This will be followed by the final settlement of the west and the fate of Native Americans.

Religion 6
At present we are learning about Moses and the escape of the Israelites from Egypt.  We will learn how the people of Israel were led by the judges and prophets like Gideon and Samuel. The people want to have a king rule over them and so God sends Samuel to Saul.  Saul will become the first king.

Religion 7 & 8
We are continuing our study of the sacraments.  We are learning about the sacraments of Healing and Reconciliation.  We will read about Jesus’ healing touch.  We will follow the changes in the way the sacraments were practiced and how Vatican II will return us to some of the original practices.

Spanish Kindergarten
Our vocabulary book is growing. The children have learned to count to ten.  And we have learned colors. Our next lesson will teach them to say the Spanish word for things we see in the classroom.

Spanish 1
The children will do crossword puzzles using the Spanish word that we have learned.  We will review some of the Spanish words for colors that we learned last year and we will learn new colors. 

Spanish 2
We are learning to count to 100.  We will play Bingo by calling out the numbers in Spanish.  We follow this lesson with learning the days of the week and the months of the year.

Spanish 3 & 4
This year the students are having some testing of their vocabulary.  We are having Spanish Bees and playing Spanish Bingo.  They will be reviewing the days of the week and the months of the year.

Spanish 5
The students, new vocabulary words deal with the class and school.  They are learning definite and indefinite articles.  The class will learn to conjugate verbs.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas

Mrs. Fischer

Library

News from the Hoover Library
At St. John the Baptist School

 The Second through Fifth graders have been busy helping a cute gray mouse, Fribble, figure out what Mr. Crumb’s secret hobby is in a book written by Phyllis Perry. There is a strange antenna on Mr. Crumb’s roof - could it possibly be a weather station? Fribble has used many of his library’s resources; the latest being his local newspaper.
The Second graders used the “The Buffalo News” Tops advertisement to plan three healthy meals for under $20.
 Third through Fifth graders read articles about a man surviving an avalanche and city kids enjoying a free day of snow tubing. They studied the formal writing style used in “hard” or front page news verses the informal writing style of feature or “soft” news.
Kindergarten and First graders are busy learning how to alphabetize as we read our way through the books written by authors
 A through Z.
REMINDER
National TV-turn off week is
April 23rd through April 29th.
So if you are looking for something new, check out the web site: http://overdrive.buffalolib.org for free down-loadable audio books.

 There are 75 junior titles available. It took about 5 minutes to download a book and all the necessary licenses. Several titles may also be burned to a CD however, it will take several CDs. There is also an option to transfer them to a MP3 player. Remember to take a trip to the library and borrow the book so the student may follow along!
“I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except that I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week."
- Second grader Drew Henderson, Donora, PA

Antoinette Shriver 

Spanish and Computers

On January 10, 2007, Alden Central High School hosted a presentation given by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The goal of this organization is to inform parents and offer the tools that could help to protect children and teens while using the internet.  Keeping children safe was the reoccurring theme of the presentation that night.  The web site, www.NetSmartz.org, was presented as a workshop that teaches safety awareness and self-confidence to children whenever they go online.  This is a safe site for children that does not link to any outside sources.  The activities are interactive and teach the dangers to watch out for online and how to avoid them.  What makes NetSmartz unique is its use of the latest technology and its availability to the public at no cost.

St. John's students have been introduced to the NetSmartz web site where they have started learning skills for internet safety through the use of games, videos and songs.  Ask your child about the Wizzywigs......you'll meet these characters that teach internet awareness and a few more at: www.NetSmartz.org. 

While on the topic of Internet Safety, the question of Internet Security may arise.  There is a Christian based security program that may be of interest.  I understand that this company also offers support by phone ( you are able to speak to an on staff employee ).  It is a downloadable program at a cost of between $50 and $70 depending upon the users needs.  Its web address is:  www.BSafeHome.com

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

"What ever happened to just azul?".....................8a.m. words of wisdom from one of our eighth grade students.
At this point in time, St. John's Spanish students possess such a wealth of vocabulary that they use in their writing, reading and listening activities every day.  It is a pleasure working with them.
The St. John's Spanish Department has received a grant and the monies received have been spent on cultural videos, bilingual readers, many learning games and activity books.  Thank you to all who were responsible for taking the time to write and submit this request for the grant.  It is greatly appreciated!
Students have just started to enjoy the many learning activities that have been added to our classroom.

Mrs. Cometto

Music

Musically, the children are putting into practice all that they have previously learned about melody, rhythm, keeping the beat, musical form and reading music notation.  By listening, singing, whispering, clapping, moving and playing instruments as they learn the songs, the children are enjoying a rich variety of musical experiences.  Students are also learning new choral skills, including following a conductor, singing to instrumental accompaniment and singing in unison (everyone singing the same note, at the same pitch, at the same time, at the same volume and at the same tempo).

Spiritually, the children are learning more about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As the children sing the beautifully written Catholic songs, they are coming to know more deeply the great love that God has for them in sending His Son to be born among us.

As you help your children to memorize the words of the songs, please et them know what beautiful voices they have and encourage them to sing audibly.  You and they will be delighted on December 12th by the beauty of the Christmas music they produce. 

Anne Marie Loscocco 

Art Class News

It’s spring! We have mosaic eggs hiding in the grass and 3-D bunnies all made by PreK –4 kindergarten and first grades. These classes have been practicing scissors skills and recognizing and drawing geometric shapes. Mosaics have been made since ancient Roman times. They are pictures made from pieces of stone or glass set into plaster. We are looking forward to warm weather so we can go outside and do sidewalk chalk drawings.

2nd grade students each completed a book with several pages of drawing exercises that show how artists can combine shapes to make complex pictures.  They also learned color mixing when they painted beautiful sunsets, then added large city buildings to create an evening scene. This class is very good at listening and observing. I have several exciting projects for them to do after Easter vacation!

Grades 3 and 4 learned that artists need to know math too! Op artists Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely painted wonderful, mesmerizing optical illusions. These paintings have geometric shapes and use precise straight and curved lines. We had to measure accurately in order to make our own Op Art designs. This class also learned about Pop art and color theory, repeating the same image four times with warm, cool, complementary and monochromatic color schemes.

Fifth grade combined writing with art to create a Pop Art “Ode to Food”. Andy Warhol elevated everyday objects to icon status with his Campbell’s soup paintings. The students wrote a short ode to a food, then illustrated the poem. This was great fun! This class is working on progressively more difficult projects – I’m very pleased with their accomplishments!

Middle school examined examples of illuminated manuscript before choosing a prayer or Bible passage to illuminate. The artwork was done with pen and ink, then colored details were added. We will exhibit both finished designs side by side so we can compare the effect of adding color to a black and while design.

Ms. Marsden

Physical Education

Physical Education classes are in motion this 2006- 2007 school year.  Students are learning skills and enjoying various activities in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.
Kindergarten, First and Second Graders are introduced to basic movement, locomotor and manipulative skills.  These skills are practiced through relays, games, stations and music.
Grades Three, Four and Five are involved in skills that will lead to individual and team sports. They practice these skills in addition participating in activities that increase fitness.
Grades Six, Seven and Eight will practice and generalize movement and sport skills into games as well as perform cooperative challenges and fitness activities.
Targeted sport skills for this fall were volleyball and football, while cooperative challenges have included the rope challenge and the spider web.

Michelle Turnbull

From the Principal

This has been an incredible year!  We began this year with an increase in our enrollment of twenty students and just as Thanksgiving approached we added one more student!  We actually enrolled thirty one new students and we are absolutely thrilled!  Looking toward January 2007 we are anticipating enrolling four more students for this school year. This is so significant, especially at this time in our Diocese when so many of our Catholic Schools have experienced a decline in enrollment.  God has placed His special blessing on our parish and school! We are hoping that this trend will continue for the coming years in order that our parish may continue to offer to the children of Alden and our surrounding neighbors the choice for their children of a Catholic Education!  We pray for the continued blessing of God through the intercession of Padre Pio.

This summer we were pleased to be chosen to participate in the Diocesan Ed Tech Day. With the help of a group of “techies” from various companies in the area and one of our parents, Bill Klavoon we were able to upgrade our computer capabilities and wireless internet in each of our classrooms. Through the efforts of our Home School Association new computers were purchased for our computer lab.  The computers from the lab were put into each of our classrooms. This has been a great benefit to our classroom teachers.  We have a state of the art computer lab and a wireless network in each of our classrooms!

Over the summer we were busy with many school building and parish and school grounds improvements.  Many of these improvements were completed through the generous giving of time by our Alumni and Home School Associations. Some of our improvements include dry-walling and painting of the cafeteria; refurbishing the Physical Education office; reorganizing the storage area in the gymnasium loft; construction of a new wall divider between the music room and the food service office; professional cleaning of carpets in the first floor hallway and school office; refurbished chairs for our Music room; beautification of the flower beds and landscape in front of the school; total renovation of the playground and surrounding areas adjacent to the school and behind the ROCK. We also adopted  new Science books from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and with the help of both the Alumni and Home School Associations we purchased new Literature books for our Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade students.

Many of our improvements were also possible through the hard work of our Grant Writing Committee under the leadership of Matt Shriver.  We have received over $20,000.00 in grants!

As I reflect on the past few months I truly believe this is indeed the START OF SOMETHING GREAT!  With the spiritual leadership of our pastor, Father Jim, our dedicated teachers and supportive parents and alumni we have only just begun to make a difference that will go on for generations!

I would like to remind all of our Alumni you are always most welcome to stop in to see us whenever you wish!  Our Alumni in indeed one of our great strengths!  God bless you! You are remembered each day in our prayers!

Marilynn Camp  

FROM OUR PASTOR...

Dear St. John’s Alumni Members,

Warm greetings to all for a Happy and Blessed New Year! Having been a Pastor here at St. John the Baptist Parish for about a year and a half now, I have to say that I continue to be impressed with the dedication of our School Alumni Association. Your willingness to be actively involved in this organization is inspiring. I am truly grateful for all that you do to promote our school, and for your many efforts in support of Catholic Education here at St. John’s. Certainly, much has been accomplished through your hard work and enthusiasm. Again, be assured that you are making a positive difference in the lives of those now connected to our school, and beyond.

I am pleased to mention that St. John the Baptist School has experienced a significant increase in enrollment over that of the previous academic year. While it is not easy to operate a Catholic grammar school these day, the benefits to our children, especially in terms of faith formation, are beyond measure.

Please know of my commitment to Catholic Education and our school; with your help and prayers, together we can move toward the future in faith and hope. Thank you for continuing to be part of the St. John’s School Community and the rich tradition of Christocentric Education it embodies. May God bless you and your families.

Rev. James D. Ciupek, Pastor

1921 Graduate Passes Away At Age 100....

Florence Fix, 1921 graduate of St. John the Baptist School, died Friday, October 20, 2006 at the age of 100. She had been the school’s oldest living alumni. Born in Lancaster, NY, she was the daughter of the late William and Anna Pautler Nunz. Florence was a flag person for the mail train at the North Road and Crittenden Road Depot and the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society and a homemaker. Florence was the wife of the late Alton Fix, mother of Agnes (late Edward) Hassenbohler of Alden, Dolores (late Joseph) Connolly of North Collins, Alton (Carol) of Darien Center and the late Clement (Harriett) Fix. Also survived by 17 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great- grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was held from St. John the Baptist Parish in Alden on Wednesday, October 25, 2006.

“Singing in the Rain” Theme Tray Raffle 2007...

It’s theme tray raffle time! Our fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 27, 2007. Doors will open at 6:15 pm and raffle numbers will be called at approximately 8:00 pm. Admission tickets are $5.00 each, and include snacks, beverage and dessert. Theme tray raffle tickets are a sheet of 25 for $2.00 each, available only at the event. Reservations are again required and may be made by contacting Elaine Schilling by phone, 716/684-3593, or by mail, 220 Westwood Road, Lancaster, NY 14086. There will be no admission ticket sales at the door or after Wednesday, April 25th. Anyone wishing to donate a theme tray (valued $20.00 or more), or make a monetary donation may contact Sue Czamara, 937-3157. Enclosed you will find a raffle sheet. Prizes are raffled the day of the event. Thank you for your continued support of St. John’s School.

In Memoriam...

• 1921 Florence Nunz Fix
• 1925 Josephine Fix
• 1935 Chester Popp
• 1938 Louis Buob
• 1938 Warren Fox
• 1941 Edward Garas
• 1942 Edwin Schultz
• 1947 Dolores Kaczmarek Schunk
• 1951 Chester Wisniewski
• 1956 William Dersam
• 1961 Lawrence Blair

2006 Raffle Results...

“Our Shining Stars” fundraiser was held on April 28, 2006 and was a huge success again this year. We sold 317 reservations and had 124 theme baskets or gift cards - the entire cafeteria was FILLED. Thank you to all who donated a basket or gave monetary donations; this includes several of our parish organizations, alumni from all over the country, parish family and friends. A special thank you to the Class of 2006 for helping in the kitchen and running the baskets for us. Thank you also for those who helped with the set-up, selling tickets, 50/50 and to those who stayed behind to help clean up. Your support is very much appreciated. Our profit, after expenses, was $7300. These funds will be used for the 2006/2007 school year. Winners of the raffle were:

1. First Place, Carole Rasp (Steck), Class of 1960 - $150 Gift Cards
2. Second Place, Leonard Zymowski - $50 Gift Cards
3. Third Place, Jeffrey Owczarczak, Class of 1976 - $40 Gift Cards

Hope to see or hear from all of our Alumni next year

Thanks for the support...

During 2006, donations were received in memory of: William & Evelyn Baier, Carol Buczak, Geraldine Fix Ciezki, Ralph Dahl, Virginia Freeman, Paul Gassman, Vincent Iwanski, Kreutter Family, Thomas McCarthy, Gertrude Meyer, Daniel Nuwer, Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Nuwer, Robert Pautler, Rhonda Lynn Reeves, Special Intention Class of 1960, Robert Walter, Susan C. Walter, Michael Walter, Gordon Weisbeck, Bertha Wojciechowski.

Golden Jubilee Celebrated...

Sister Ellen McCarthy, Pastoral Associate at St. John the Baptist Parish, celebrated her 50th year in the religious life with a Mass on Saturday, July 15, 2006. She is a native Aldenite, 1951 alumni of St. John the Baptist School, and also served as principal of the school from 1978-1988. Sister Ellen entered the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Buffalo Diocese on July 2, 1956. A Mass of Thanksgiving honoring Sister Ellen was celebrated at Our Lady of Peace Church in Clarence. The celebration continued at St. John’s with a special Mass on Sunday, July 16th. A reception followed in school hall and was attended by family, friends and parishioners. The Parish presented her with a plaque dedicating the Chapel of the Rock in her name. Mary Nuwer, Alumni Association President, presented Sister Ellen with a money bouquet on behalf of the Alumni Association. Sister Ellen said, “I am most grateful to many people who have touched my life for the past 50 years in many profound ways. They have given me joy, friendship and a deep abiding love centered in Christ. The Buffalo Sisters of St. Joseph, my loving family and faith filled parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Alden, and so many others have reached out to make my life a memory of grace-filled moments.”