Misc. Monday

I had a bunch of other notes to share on this Monday, so I’m posting them all in this one place…

• If anyone lost a zip lock bag full of miniature bowling pins and a large marble and would like to have it back, stop by the Early Education Center between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. to pick it up.  It was found in the field near the preschool playground.

• The Advisory Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed until next Tuesday, Nov. 9.

• Holy Cross is currently in the lead in the Hy-Vee Smart Points contest for a new SmartBoard for our computer lab. Click here to read more about how you can help us win!

• The Sally Foster sale begins today. Look in your student’s book bag for more information.

• This Friday is Lee Denim Day at Holy Cross. Your student can bring in $1 for breast cancer research in order to wear jeans that day.

• Last but not least, CONGRATULATIONS to St. Michael the Archangel School in Leawood for their success in the Pepsi Refresh contest. They won a $50,000 grant to put SmartBoards in all of their classrooms. Thanks to all of you who helped vote for them.

• The Kyrie Foundation (led by a member of the Holy Spirit parish) didn’t win the $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant in October, but is in the voting again in November. So, if you could text 103447 to Pepsi (73774) each day, they’d appreciate the vote, as they raise research funds to cure children’s brain cancer. Or visit http://www.refresheverything.com/kyriefoundation to give them your vote in support of their cause.

Have a great week!

Stamps with a Cause

from Holy Cross art teacher Michael Long –

Congratulations to the winners for the annual “Stamps with a Cause” contest.

Fifth-graders Roberto Melgar (from Sheila Neuburger’s class) and Rebecca Haeusser (from Connie Mann’s class) were the top picks this year.

Teachers and students from grades 3 through 6 vote for the best ‘stamp with a cause.’  One winner from each fifth-grade class receives a page of real stamps with their original artwork.

William Allen White News

From Holy Cross librarian Anne Anderson -

Our annual William Allen White lunch was being held in the Holy Cross Library today.  Students who have read and turned in fact trackers for five books on the current WAW list are invited to a pizza lunch in the library.  Many of the students eating pizza on Tuesday have already finished reading the entire list of William Allen White books for this year — go Hornets!

The William Allen White Children’s Book Award is an award determined by Kansas children.  Kansas students read at least two books on the annual lists (third- through fifth-grade list/sixth- through eighth-grade list) to be eligible to vote for their favorite.

At Holy Cross, the students are challenged to read an entire list.  Those who finish the whole list of books are invited on a field trip to Emporia State University for the annual WAW Awards ceremony.

Last year, 28 students met this challenge!!!  We left for Emporia after school on Friday, October 9, arriving at the Emporia Rec Center for some indoor swimming, basketball, volleyball and a read-in with the authors.  On Saturday, October 10, we were up bright and early to meet the 2009 WAW award authors, Sara Pennypacker, Clementine, and Jennifer Roy, Yellow Star. After getting our books autographed, we skipped the parade to tour “Red Rocks,” the home of Kansas journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer William Allen White. Following this tour, we attended the Awards ceremony at the William Lindsey White Civic Auditorium where we listened to Ms. Pennypacker and Ms. Roy give their acceptance speeches.  We always have a great time on this trip, and meeting authors on a personal level is very inspiring!

Our 2010 trip to Emporia will be Friday, October 1 – Saturday, October 2.

Check out more about the William Allen White Awards. http://www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbookaward/

(click to see larger photos)

Meeting author Sara Pennypacker 2009 (3-5^th WAW winner for Clementine)

Emma Callahan

meeting author Jennifer Roy  2009 (6-8^th WAW winner for Yellow Star)

Holy Cross group on the steps of William Allen White’s home in Emporia, KS

Congrats to our Mathletes

Our Holy Cross Mathletics made an impressive showing at the fourth-quarter competition at St. Ann’s Catholic School on April 8.

Congratulations to all the students who represented our school.

Fourth-graders Gabriel Lopez, Jennifer Stillie and Brianna Torres took second place.

The fifth-grade team — Rebecca Haeusser, Ashley Helm and Roberto Melgar — walked away with first-place ribbons.

Also winning first-place, our sixth-grade team was made up of Liam Eisenberg, Zach Pfeifer and Nate Privitera

There was no seventh-grade Holy Cross team this time because of a scheduling conflict.

We are so proud of all of you!

Science Olympiad

On February 27, 15 Holy Cross junior high students competed in the Northeast Regional Science Olympiad competition at Johnson County Community College. There were 21 junior high teams competing in 23 events.

Congratulations to our Holy Cross team, who medaled in four events. Eight Holy Cross team members received medals.

Way to go, Holy Cross scientists!

Mathletics Kudos

Congratulations to the Holy Cross students who participated in the third-quarter Mathletics competition held at St. Agnes School on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Our fourth-grade Holy Cross ‘mathletes,’ Paige Bartlow, Abbey Motley and Lucy Steyer, took second place.

Logan Aguilar, Roberto Melgar and Andrew Scism represented the fifth grade well.

Sixth-graders Liam Eisenberg, Johanna Hocevar and Anthony Pham came home with blue ribbons.

The Holy Cross seventh-grade sent Patrick Callahan, Drew Gustafson and Dan Stanton to the competition. They also took first place.

We appreciate the time and effort of all these students, and we thank them for doing such a fine job of representing Holy Cross. Great job, everyone!

Congrats to Katherine Viviano!

Congratulations to Katherine Viviano, Holy Cross eighth grader.

Katherine was accepted into the People-to-People World Leadership Forum. She’ll travel to Washington, D.C. in March to study leadership and to explore some of the country’s most prominent monuments and institutions.

Katherine was accepted for the honor based on outstanding scholastic merit, civic involvement and leadership potential.

We’re proud of you, Katherine!

Monday Misc

Our Holy Cross community is coming together to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The fifth-grade girls in Challenge, along with their eighth-grade and parent leaders are asking families to donate nonperishable supplies to be sent in care packages to the devastated region. If you can give any of the following items, please bring them by the school office by Thursday, Jan. 28: hand towels, tootbrushes, shampoo, toothpaste, Band-Aids, bars of soap, dish soap and gallon-size bags.  I’m proud to see what a loving and caring group of people we have at Holy Cross.

Our second-graders (led by teachers Ms. Spaniol and Mrs. O’Brien) capped off their study of Italy with an Italian buffet with their parents in class on Friday. The kids, dressed in red, white or green shirts, formed an Italian ‘human flag’ after the lunch.

Congrats to Holy Cross’ Anna Sublette, who was chosen for the Kansas Sousa Honors Band, the statewide honor band for students in grades 6-9.  After sending an audition CD in October, Anna was selected for the Red Band. She performed with the honor band at KU in Lawrence over the weekend. Hooray, Anna! We’re so proud of you!

There is a new Box Tops collection sheet to download. This one is focused on the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver in February. Thanks for helping with this Holy Cross fundraiser by saving your Box Tops.

Family Fun Night / Mathletics

Don’t worry about what to fix for dinner tonight – we’ve got it covered. Head to the Holy Cross Family Fun Night!

The 8th-graders host this special taco dinner and bingo night to raise money for their graduation fund. The fun starts with a taco buffet from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in Pflumm Hall and bingo 6 – 9 p.m. in the gym.  There are terrific prizes, including cash, Chiefs tickets, an iPod Nano, hotel and restaurant gift certificates and more.

Don’t miss it!

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Congratulations to our Holy Cross Mathletics teams, who competed with several area Catholic schools at Cure of Ars yesterday. All of our 4^th- through 7^th-grade teams did great, and our 4^th-, 5^th- and 7^th-graders all took first place! Go Hornets!

Here are the 4th- & 5th-grade teams celebrating with their coach, 4th-grade teacher Mrs. Anderson: