Veteran Speaks to SBS Students

As part of the third grade's study of Veterans Day, a very special guest speaker was invited to give a talk about his service in the military. Jerry LaPointe, U.S. veteran and longtime friend of St. Brigid School, visited last Friday and spoke to students about his time in the Army and Air National Guard.

Mr. LaPointe was drafted in 1960, and left in 1979 after 19 years of service.

First, third and seventh grade students gathered to hear Mr. LaPointe speak about the history and observance of Veterans Day. He then discussed his personal military experience and answered questions about what it is like to be in the Armed Forces. During the visit he also showed the children his uniforms and insignia.


Mr. LaPointe has worked in the school for over 12 years. At the end of the talk, he was presented with a giant card signed by grateful students who have received his help.

8th Grade Hosts Latin American Fair

Our 8th grade students recently hosted a Latin American fair. Each person was required to present information about Latin American history and culture. Other classes in the school were invited to visit and view the displays.

Learning With Technology

At St. Brigid school, we're using technology in a variety of ways to enhance learning. Our school is equipped with laptops, desktop computers, and projectors for use by students and teachers.

Our older students began the year learning keyboarding. The ability to type quickly and accurately is a key 21st century skill. To determine the ideal words per minute a student should be able to type by the end of the school year, we multiply five times the grade level of the child. The classes then receive age-appropriate instruction in proper posture and finger positions, along with games to reinforce the new skills.

Our youngest children, in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade, primarily use technology for the enrichment of the larger curriculum. These students learn the basics of computer use through hands-on experience with educational websites and software. As the classes progress, kindergarteners and first graders also learn basic word processing and other relevant skills that form the foundation for future learning.

Mr. Dunfee, one of our technology teachers, has formed an after-school computer club for grades 3-5. That will provide small groups of kids to experiment with more advanced skills. Planned activities include computer disassembly and repair, robotics, iMovie, presentations, animation, and spreadsheets.

Fall Community Service Projects

The students and staff of St. Brigid School actively seek opportunities to serve our community. This fall, several classes participated in community outreach projects designed to reinforce the value of serving others as a way of serving God.

• The Pre-K classes are working on a food basket for a needy family.
• Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students went to Park Danforth to trick-or-treat and entertain the elderly residents.
• Grade five is collecting monthly food donations for St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen. They also created inspirational bookmarks that were sent, with their prayers, to inmates at the Maine State Prison in Warren.
• In grades two, three and seven, students designed thank you cards for the veterans at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough. 

Celebrating All Saints' Day

On Thursday, November 1, members of the St. Brigid School community celebrated All Saints' Day. Second grade students dressed as saints, and each student presented highlights of their saint's life.

It was standing room only in St. Joseph church as Fr. Jim Lafontaine presided over the All Saints' Day Mass. After a brief introduction, child came forward to tell the crowd about the accomplishments of his or her chosen saint.

Some of the numerous saints mentioned:

• St. Madeline, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who established the first Catholic school in America
• St. Patrick, who used a shamrock to explain the Trinity
• St. Peter, the apostle who was crucified upside-down
• St. Lucy, patron of the blind, who has been called the "bringer of light"

"This is better than Halloween," one child remarked, "because my saint was a real person!"

First Grade Pumpkins and Halloween Festivities

Both of our first grade classes studied pumpkins this past October as part of their Halloween celebrations.

Mrs. Flaherty's class performed a scientific experiment involving fall objects. Students examined pumpkins, leaves, pine cones and similar items and recorded their predictions as to whether each one would sink or float. The test was done with objects of different sizes and colors. The children were surprised to learn that a pumpkin will float regardless of its size. Later, they mixed red and yellow paint to paint their pumpkin drawings.

Ms. Smith's class held the 24th Annual Pumpkin-Decorating Contest. Each child worked with his or her family to decorate a pumpkin as a storybook or cartoon character. The display became part of the class Halloween festivities. As always, visitors were delighted by the creativity of the designs.

Both classes visited Park Danforth to do some trick-or-treating, introducing themselves to the residents with both their real names and the Spanish version of their names.

Upon returning to school, Ms. Smith's class found a huge mess in their classroom. Apparently the Great Pumpkin had visited while they were away, and had given an award to each and every pumpkin!

Halloween Gallery

Harvest Fair Gallery

In spite of a foggy start, this year's Harvest Fair drew families and community members together for a day of fun and bargains. Highlights included a 5K run, kids' run, raffles, a bungee trampoline and climbing wall, pony rides, book and craft sales, and plenty of food.

Grade 5 Science Activities

The fifth grade has been learning to identify species by examining their physical characteristics. On Tuesday, September 25, they took an unusual exam. Instead of paper and pencil tests, the students trekked down to the pond in Evergreen Cemetery. They had to identify at least six species of trees and use data from water/mud samples to rate the water quality in that ecosystem.

Searching through mud and water samples, macro invertebrates were grouped by species, the species were grouped by sensitivity to pollutants. Upon returning to the classroom students used their data to conclude that the water quality was fair. Many thanks to Deborah DuDevoir, the mother of fifth grader, Caty, who provided the equipment, lab sheets and expertise for this activity.

We also brought back with us, for a temporary visit, Sir Isaac Fig Newton, a newt who is vacationing on a lovely rock surrounded by water, plants and insects from his home. Each class also has been keeping a fish bowl with aquatic insects, larvae and fish.

Our next venture is to the Gulf of Maine Resource Institute on October 30 to complete our unit on life sciences by exploring the ecosystem and economy of Maine's Gulf.

- Jan Libby, 5th Grade Teacher

Ringing in the Year of Faith

On Thursday, October 11, students and staff of St. Brigid School gathered to literally ring in the Year of Faith.

Pope Benedict announced the special year last October, describing it as "a moment of grace and commitment to an ever fuller conversion to God." The observance begins on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The same date marks the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Year of Faith concludes on the Feast of Christ the King on November 24, 2012.

As passers-by looked on, St. Brigid School students and faculty rang celebratory bells at exactly noon on the opening day. Students brought bells of every kind; even the church bells rang at the appointed moment. Hundreds of schools and churches shared in this worldwide event, ushering in a year of renewed evangelization and charitable efforts.