Surprise Visit Today

This year the 7th grade class adopted PFC Sean Glynn and PFC Brandy Glynn who are a married couple stationed together in Iraq. The students have been sending the Glynns packages with cookies, scarves, photos and more and hoped that one day they would get to meet the Glynns (see the 11/21/08 blog post). Imagine the wonderful surprise we received when the Glynns called last night and said they were granted a last-minute 6 day reprieve from their service in Iraq and they wanted to visit our school! We were so honored to have them here. .

The Christmas Star

The story of Jesus' birth was told in a musical format and it certainly touched our hearts! The musical began with a presentation from the band; the second part of the performance was a vocal performance. Watch the video posted here for a sampling of the beautiful music.

Mass to Celebrate Advent

The students attended a beautiful Advent Mass this morning. Mr. Beck and the 7th grade class prepared the liturgy which included the decorating of the Jesse Tree. Each 7th grade student placed an ornament on the tree which represented something significant from the Old Testament.

Christmas Fun in Pre-School

The kids are making the most of the Christmas season! First they were visited by the Cape May Point postmaster who postmarked and delivered their letters to Santa. Another day, they had fun getting messy and making their own gingerbread houses. Today, the children spent the afternoon with their 4th grade prayer partners making reindeer crafts, having fun playing and getting a candy cane treat. Ah, to be 4 again!

Wreaths for Seniors

What could brighten the holidays for local seniors? How about a hand-decorated Christmas wreath? Our Builders Club students and their advisors purchased artificial wreaths and decorated them with bows and ornaments. The wreaths will be delivered to senior residents of Broad Street Court.

The Hoity Toity Angel

Our K through 2 grades presented an amazing performance of "The Hoity Toity Angel" today at Victorian Towers. It is sure easy to feel the true spirit of Christmas after watching these youngsters sing and perform this show. All are invited to watch the show in the auditorium on Tuesday, December 23rd at 9:30 am. We hope to see you there!

Feast of St. Nicholas (one day early)

An announcement was made for all children to put one shoe in the hallway. Later, they heard bells ringing and "ho-ho-ho-ing". Finally able to leave their classroom and retrieve their shoe, the excitement was evident on their faces when they found the surprise in their shoe!

Congratulations to Beach Tag Design Winner

Cape May City mayor Dr. Ed Mahaney presented an award and a savings bond to one of our 5th grade students at the city council meeting last night. This young man's drawing was selected from hundreds of entries; it will appear on the 2009 weekly tag. Great job!

Advent Begins

The children gathered in the hall for a prayer service and to light the first candle on the Advent wreath. After the service, each child chose an ornament from the tree with the name of an item they are asked to purchase. The items will be donated to help less fortunate families this Christmas.

Thanksgiving Celebration

Enter the auditorium, and the smell of fresh roasted turkeys, stuffing and pumpkin pie filled the air! It was a wonderful day for the annual Thanksgiving celebration. The students were joined by special guests; seniors from our three sending parishes. 2nd and 3rd grades provided entertainment and we all left sleepy, with full bellies!

Seventh grade is a busy place!

The class adopted a serviceman stationed in Iraq. Today, they put together a care package of homemade treats, headcoverings and more. They were excited to send off the package! The other project they are working on is keeping the class windows painted. The students are doing a great job!

Honoring Our Veterans

This morning, the school community gathered in the hall to honor local veterans. The 7th grade class led all in the Patriotic Rosary. Afterwards, the second grade sang a special song (watch the video clip posted here). All students shook hands with and offered thanks to the veterans.

They love to come back!

These five 9th grade alum had the day off from school today. What did they do? They came back to their favorite grade school to visit teachers and students. One of the first places they headed was the first grade classroom, where they were able to visit with their prayer partners from last year.

Phans for Food

The students are excited about the Phillies participation in the World Series. On Friday, the children were allowed to wear Phillies attire in exchange for a donation to the Community Food closet. Seventh grade students helped deliver the non-perishable items to the food bank whose shelves were nearly bare.

In preparation of All Saint's Day, eighth grade students created fun games with a saint's theme. They visited the 5th grade class and the younger students had fun playing the variety of board and card games.

Fire Prevention Week

Each year the Cape May Fire Department visits the school during Fire Prevention Week. This year, the students were given a special treat. This smiling pre-schooler and his classmates had the chance to turn on and off the big fire hose (with the assistance of the fireman, of course)!

Off to Mexico

The third grade’s study of a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly concluded with the release of the monarchs. What a beautiful day it was to set sail for the long trip south!

Living Rosary

Tuesday was a crisp fall day, just perfect for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. All of the school students gathered together in Mary's garden to pray the Living Rosary.

Prayer Partners and Mums

Today, students had the first opportunity of the year to meet with their new prayer partners. After mass, the partners met and shared a snack of soft pretzels and juice. Today is also pick up day for the mum sale. They sure look beautiful and healthy!

Johnny Appleseed's Birthday

Another treat for the 2nd grade class today; to honor one of America's great legends on his birthday, the 2nd grade teacher brought 3 different varieties of apples to school. The students enjoyed taking an afternoon apple break!

Pinwheels for Peace

The International Day of Peace falls on a Sunday this year, but our students still wanted to leave their mark. Each child brought a pinwheel they created to a short service held at the flagpole. The pinwheels were placed in the ground as the students prayed for peace. The 2nd grade class was treated to a batch of pinwheel cookies made by one crafty mom!

Monarch Time

The third grade is enjoying the first science project of the year - a first hand look at the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a monarch butterfly. The children posed for photos with their class caterpillar yesterday. It wasn't a moment too soon; today, the caterpillar entered its chrysalis stage.

Remembering September 11, 2001

In solemn remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, our students gathered for a period of prayer and reflection. A short prayer service was held in honor of all the heroes of the September 11th tragedy. While many of the school students are too young to have recollections of the fateful day, they were reminded to remember all those who lost their lives and to pray for peace for all others.

Joined by representatives of the Cape May Fire Department, students gathered around the flag pole holding a small flag. They sang God Bless America then silently placed their flags in the ground where they remained for the day, creating a powerful visual reminder.

Science is fun!

The children have jumped right into their academic routines. Sixth grade enjoyed science lab yesterday. They conducted an experiment designed to teach them about groundwater absorption rates. In a clear container, they layered soil, clay, gravel and sand, then poured colored water into the container and they were able to watch the absorption through the layers of different materials.

Magic and Ice Cream

All students and their families were invited to come back to school on Thursday evening to celebrate the start of a new year. Everyone was treated to mini ice cream sundaes and a magic show by the Great Magician Rich Lessig. Students were able to introduce their families to their new friends and share some laughs, too!

Welcome to the 08-09 School Year!

Even though we have been blessed with beautiful weather this week, students and teachers were happy and excited to return to school. This principal and teacher not only shared the joy of the day, but also share the same great taste in clothing!

Lighten Up!

Ten children participated in Miss B.'s two-week long drama camp. On the last day of camp, the students entertained the audience with their version of the production "Lighten Up". Consisting of comic skits and songs, the message was loud and clear: everyone should lighten up and don't forget to smile!

Fun at Robotics Camp

It may be summer, but children still enjoy coming to school for a week of fun. These students attended this week's Robotics Camp and only had one complaint; it was too short! Next year, they want the camp to be offered for two weeks instead of one! Beginning July 14th, a Flash Animation and Movie Making camp will be taking place and a two-week Drama camp also begins.

When I Grow Up, I Want to Be....

A fire chief..a dental assistant...an auto mechanic...a policeman...a dog groomer...a fudge maker...a newspaper production person....a food service worker....or anything that I want to be! The younger students in the school enjoyed Career Day. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles and friends of our students visited the children to talk about different ways the grown-ups make their living. The basic message was the children can do anything they set their minds on!

Tickle the Ivories

Guests in the auditorium heard everything from Beethoven to the Sponge Bob theme to Tom Petty! Our students did a wonderful job showing the fruit of a year's worth of piano lessons and practicing. Great job, piano students!

End of the Year Luau

The Prayer Partners program has been one of the most rewarding for many students this year. Special friendships have formed that will last for years to come! As an end of the school year treat and celebration, the seventh grade students sponsored a luau for their first grade prayer partners. Hula hooping contests, pin the coconut on the palm tree and a fantastic beach-themed cake made this one memorable afternoon!

Mary's Day

Students celebrated Mass in Honor of Mary today. The ocean breezes proved too much for Mary's crown, so we placed it in her hands. Kindergarten students did a wonderful job with the liturgy. They also organized a collection of items to be donated to Camilla House, a home for retired sisters. The kindergarten students presented the baskets to two Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who were special guests at the mass along with the Pastor from St. Raymond's church.

Getting the Beaches Ready for Memorial Day

Organized by the local chapter of the Kiwanis club, seventh and eighth grade students formed two brigades and picked up litter from the beaches on Friday, May 23rd. The children collected a variety of items, but most interesting was this “Road Closed” sign which was found in the dunes.

Student wins Wildwood Alumni Scholarship

Each year, the Wildwood Catholic High School Alumni & Friends Association awards a scholarship to one incoming freshman. Students enter the contest by preparing a short essay explaining why they want to attend WWC. We are proud that an OLSOS student was the recipient of this scholarship valued at $4000.

Spring Musical

Last evening, families and friends of students were treated to a variety of musical entertainment. The beginner and advanced bands performed first. We were treated to drum, piano and guitar solos. Rounding out the evening were a variety of vocal performances.

"Y" is for Yoga

How can our pre-school teacher reinforce this week's letter of the week? By taking her students to a yoga class, of course. Miss Rechner invited a local yoga teacher to come to the school and teach a class. The pre-school students invited Kindergarten and 1st grade to join them. They sure had fun!!

Ready for First Communion

The 2nd grade students are counting down. Only nine more days until their very special day, the day they celebrate the sacrament of First Eucharist. Today, they were practicing the songs they will sing during mass, they want everything to be just perfect!

Finding our Path

Today, the 5th-8th grade students were honored by a visit from Kate Fourqurean. As a high school student, Kate participated in the Camden diocese's Summer in the City program. This program opened Kate's eyes to the blessings and gifts she has been given and made her realize that her path leads to helping others. Recently returning from 2 years as a Peace Corps worker in Zambia, Kate will continue following her path when she begins work for a non-profit organization that helps refugees.

The Bard's Birthday

Anyone visiting the 8th grade classroom today might have thought they had been transported back to the 16th century. Today was the day to celebrate Shakespeare and all things Shakespearean. Some students from the 7th and 8th grade language arts classes performed dramatic readings (such as the famous witches' scene from MacBeth, shown here). Others chose to recite, sing and even dance to themed music. The finale to the birthday celebration was tasting many of the student prepared desserts which all were based Shakespeare's favorites - apples!

Appreciate the Art

What parent doesn't love to proudly display their child's artwork? At tonight's Art Fair, the school helped parents do just that! While beautiful artwork from the whole year was put on display this evening, one selection from each student's work was matted and framed and available for parents to purchase. Framing a painting or drawing turns a beautiful creation into a masterpiece!

Aladdin, Jr.

It really is incredible what a group of dedicated students from a small elementary school can do! Given the right instruction, they can create a fabulous musical, and they did! If you missed it, you can purchase a DVD video of the show from the school office.