iRobot Demonstration Amazes St. Brigid Students

On May 19, students at St. Brigid School were treated to a special guest speaker—Fred Alibozek of iRobot. iRobot is a Massachussetts-based company that develops robotic technology for home, commercial, and military applications. Mr. Alibozek, a senior mechanical engineer at the company, spoke about how the robots are created and used. The visit was part of efforts to generate excitement about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Mr. Alibozek brought several examples of robots, demonstrating their abilities and discussing their uses in real life. The Roomba and Brava robots, which clean floors, rolled back and forth across the gymnasium. These devices have special sensors that prevent them from falling off “cliffs.” Students watched in amusement as the robots approached the edge of a table and stopped just short of falling off.

Next up was the FirstLook, a 10” robot that zipped across the gym with surprising speed. This device is specifically designed to be thrown into dangerous areas, and it sends back a video feed of what it “sees.” It can flip itself over and roll under vehicles. It is used by police and military forces to check for hazards in otherwise inaccessible places.

The real star of the show was a much bigger and more advanced model. There were gasps of astonishment from students as this $125,000 robot managed to climb up the stairs from the gym to the stage. Students were also amazed when Mr. Alibozek switched on its thermal imaging camera and they were able to see their own body heat projected on a screen. The regular camera on this robot can read a license plate from a half mile distance. It can withstand temperatures of -40F to 130F, and one was used to help clean up Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after the tsunami in 2011. 

“It was amazing,” one student said. “I wish I had one at my house!”

Amazing Results on National Latin Exam

Congratulations to the students who scored above the national average on the National Latin Exam: Kathleen Meserve, Julia Pomerleau, Catherine Cornell, Benjamin Adams, and Sophia Cartonio.

Most impressive is the fact that these students competed against those who are older and meet five times weekly! "Scientia Ipsa est potestas!"*

- Mort Soule, Latin Teacher

*"Knowledge, itself, is power!"

St. Brigid Math Students Win Big!

This year, 7th and 8th grade students from Saint Brigid School competed in the Catholic Math League. Catholic Math League is a national math competition that was started in 1997 and currently serves hundreds of schools. The competition consisted of four monthly tests given from December until March, covering a broad range of concepts in arithmetic, geometry, and algebra.

We are excited to announce that Saint Brigid’s 7th grade students were the Catholic Math League Champions for their division which consisted of schools from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Additionally, Saint Brigid 7th graders Lawrence Bossong, Carter Dexter, Nina Le, and Mary Jerome scored in the top 10% of math students competing nationwide.

Saint Brigid is also very proud of 8th grader Robert Bossong for being the individual Division Champion for his pre-algebra division which also consisted of schools and individual students from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey.  Robert was also the only student in his division, and one of only three students nationally, to achieve a perfect score on a competition test.  

Overall, Saint Brigid 8th graders were the runners-up for their pre-algebra division. 8th grade students scoring in the top ten nationally were: Robert Bossong, Mackenzie Cranna, and Brian Conti.

Congratulations to the the Saint Brigid 7th and 8th graders for such great achievement in the Catholic Math League.  Many thanks also go to their math teachers, Mrs. Luna, Mrs. Haverty, and Mr. Healy, for their dedication and efforts towards preparing for the competitions and enabling the students to excel mathematically.

Check out the Library Blog!

Think you hate poetry? Read this week's library blog by Mrs. Contrino and see if it changes your mind!

SBS Student Receives Statewide Art Award

7th Grader Tommy Gordon and SBS art teacher Suzanne Winchester recently visited the state house and had his photo taken next to the piece of art which earned him an Excellence in Art Award from Maine Arts Commission and First Lady Ann LePage. 

The arts are alive at St. Brigid School! Congratulations, Tommy!

Poster Contest Winner!

Caris Welsh, in Mrs. White's 3rd grade, has won the poster contest sponsored by Maine Waste Water Control Association in recognition of Maine Clean Waters Week, June 1st-June 7th.  

The theme of the contest was "Why Water is Important to Me." Caris won $100.00 and an invitation to visit the state house to meet Governor LePage. Congratulations!

SBS Student Selected for Elite Dance Camp

8th grader Logan Aldrich has been selected to attend Urbanity's Summer Dance Camp in Boston during summer vacation.  The camp is very exclusive with only around 45 participants from throughout the country.  She will be participating in a contemporary mix of dances.  Congratulations, Logan, on this honor!

Dancemania!

On Thursday, January 30, St. Brigid held its annual Dancemania contest as part of Catholic Schools Week. In this fun event, each class was assigned a song and performed a dance routine in front of three judges. This year's winners were grades 2, 3 and 6. The contest was organized by parent Trish Moulton.

This year, a new feature was added to Dancemania: a surprise teacher flash mob...

This part of the afternoon was covered by WMTW channel 8. Click here to see the video!

Academic Contests Challenge St. Brigid Students

On which river is the Hoover Dam? How do you spell "chicle?" Our students know. Two recent academic contests allowed St. Brigid students to show off their extensive knowledge.

In the National Geographic Bee, held on January 10, students answered social studies questions both from memory and by interpreting data on a map. The winners were 8th graders Connor Galardo and Sydney Campbell.

On January 24, the school-level Scripps Spelling Bee challenged students to spell a wide variety of words, both common and unusual. The winners were 8th grader Robert Bossong and 6th grader Danny Bizimana.

The winners will go on to represent St. Brigid School at the next level of each competition. Good luck!

The Responsibility of the Catholic Citizen in a Free Society

This essay, written by St. Brigid 8th grader Robert Bossong, was the winner of this year's Knights of Columbus Essay Contest.

~~~

A Catholic citizen has many responsibilities, but first, let’s think of the definition of each word. The word Catholic means universal. Citizens are individuals who follow the law. A free society is a government set up to help its citizens reach their full potential. We should all be thankful that we are able to practice our own faith and that we can stand up for our religion and speak up about it. Catholics should be thankful to God that we were given an opportunity to live in a free society.

Living as a good Catholic citizen in a free society can be challenging. For one, we have some major responsibilities.

Being a Catholic citizen means being a role model. An excellent example of role models are the Knights of Columbus. These faithful people strive to bring Christ’s message through their actions.

Catholics are expected to attend mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation to worship God. They also must receive communion as often as possible. The Holy Eucharist helps us grow closer to God.

Another important responsibility of a Catholic citizen is to donate your own time and money to the church and the homeless, regardless how old you are. For an example, you can volunteer for nonprofit organizations, such as soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters.

God tells us exactly what he expects from us. In Matthew 25: 34-40 and the Book of Tobit he gives us the Corporal Works of Mercy:

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbor the harborless.
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned.
7. To bury the dead.

These are the crucial rules for Catholics to adhere to.

As a young Catholic, I have been able to fulfill this challenge in number of ways. Since I was in third grade I have been an altar server. I play the violin for my school’s student mass and for the annual Christmas Eve family mass. I have visited the elderly at a nursing home on many occasions. I also volunteer for Partners for World Health, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care for third world countries.

Once again, Catholic citizens have numerous responsibilities. We should pray to God daily so that He can help us fulfill our Christian duties. Thank goodness that in our free society we are given a chance to fulfill this challenge.

St. Brigid Alumni Named Miss Maine Teen 2014

Recent St. Brigid graduate Danielle Hurtubise was crowned Miss Maine Teen USA 2014 at the end of the pageant competition in December. 

Young women in the pageant are judged on poise, confidence, public speaking ability, and other factors. The judges selected Danielle from the pool of 20 contestants. The winner will represent Maine at the national Miss Teen USA event later this year.

Danielle, 16, is a junior at Deering High School. According to the biography on the pageant website, she gives St. Brigid School credit for the strong educational foundation that has led to her success.

Big News From the Art Room

14 students have been entered in Otto Pizza's "Drawing Outside the Box" contest. Their work is on exhibit on the wall outside the gym/cafeteria.

Their work is also on Otto Pizza's Facebook page. Until December 18th, you can "like" our St. Brigid entries. The 30 entries with the most "likes" will go on to a panel of judges who will choose the winners. First Prize: $1000 for the school, and the winner's design will be printed on thousands of pizza boxes. The winner also gets a pizza party for their class, a $50 gift certificate to Otto Pizza, and an Otto t-shirt and baseball cap.

With everyone's help, we can get our artists to the finals! Click here to see the page of entries. Ours are near the bottom. Please scroll to the bottom of the page and "like" each of our students to vote for their entries!

St. Brigid Students and Parents Send Gifts to Troops in Afghanistan

Last week, students in Ms. Smith’s first grade assembled 22 boxes of supplies to be sent to troops serving in Afghanistan. The project was inspired by a student in the class, Logan Gregor, whose father is among those troops. The children stuffed Christmas stockings and large boxes with much-needed supplies and special treats. The goal was to provide items that made the service men and women feel more comfortable and “at home” while they are so far away. These gifts included sheets, t-shirts, socks, hand warmers, chapstick, hand lotion and sought after items such as magazines, books, stationery, envelopes, pens, local newspapers and homemade goods. 

“Thanks to one parent, who this project really hit home with, we even sent whoopie pies,” says Stacey Hughes, a parent who organized the project. The seventh grade donated handmade paracord bracelets to the cause. Also included were over 350 cards and letters from all of the children at St. Brigid.

Parents who have themselves been deployed assisted with the shipping costs. One parent even hand delivered box #22 to the post office as Mrs. Hughes was there filling out the shipping forms.

“It is so rewarding to know that our students are learning at such an early age about service and that even at their young age, they are powerful and can make a difference and have an impact in this world,” said Mrs. Hughes. “This has been such a great learning experience for our children.”

A friend of the Gregor family, also in the military, later visited the first graders to talk about what it means to serve one's country and what life is like in Afghanistan. For over an hour he spoke about his experiences in the Army and answered dozens of questions. Almost all of the children in the class said they had a family member or family friend who was in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines.

Mrs. Hughes expects to repeat this project in the spring, sending another set of boxes for Easter. Stay tuned for more information.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in this important endeavor. From the teachers who spent time in the classroom helping students compose letters, to the parents whose quick response made it possible, everyone who had a part should be proud of their contributions. Mrs. Hughes said it best: “I am sure it will make the Service Men and Women have a little bit brighter Christmas knowing people at St. Brigid are thinking of them and sending their heartfelt prayers.”

All Saints' Day

This past November first, second grade students at St. Brigid School taught the school community about various saints at a special Friday Mass. Each child dressed as their selected person, and explained some of the history and miracles attributed to that saint. A variety of well-known and more obscure saints were highlighted.

A Beautiful Day at the Harvest Fair

This year's annual Harvest Fair, held on November 2nd, was busier than ever! The sight of children's attractions and the scent of fair foods attracted hundreds of people to support our school while enjoying the perfect weather.

Outside, people scaled the climbing wall, shopped for bargains, played games and even had the opportunity to ride a horse or pony.

Inside, tables of baked goods, gift items, and books attracted shoppers of all ages. It was standing room only when the raffle winners were announced.

Thanks to everyone who contributed and volunteered for making this event so successful!

Halloween Festivities

Mrs. White reads to the third graders.

Eighth grade art class

Costumed seventh graders working on a computer

Pre-K

Ms. Smith's pumpkin decorating contest

Ms. Smith's pumpkin decorating contest

Ms. Smith's pumpkin decorating contest

Ms. Smith's pumpkin decorating contest

Ms. Smith's pumpkin decorating contest

Costumed (but still hard at work!) in Mrs. Flaherty's class

Third Grade Angels

Win $500 Towards Tuition for St. Brigid, Cheverus or McAuley!

Our Lady of Hope Parish Bazaar is selling tickets for $5.00 each with a maximum of 120 tickets sold per school raffle. You do not need to be present at the drawing being held at the bazaar on November 16^th to win.

Tickets will be available after all masses at St. Pius X Church the weekend of November 2-3 and at St. Joseph Church the weekend of November 9-10. Tickets will be available Monday – Friday at the Parish Office at 673 Stevens Avenue. For more information please call 207-797-7026 and talk to Linda (x202) or Carolyn (x213).

Third Grade Studies Color and Chemistry

This week both third grades were treated to a visit by parent Luci Benedict, a professor of Chemistry at USM. Mrs. Benedict helped each class perform experiments in color and chromatography.

Welcome, Little Ones!

A warm welcome to our youngest students—the children in our new 3-Year-Old program!

Time for a project with seventh grade helpers. 

They're super!