Grades 3-5 Invited to Sing for St. Patrick’s Day

About twenty students from grades 3-5 visited St. Patrick’s Church to sing for the church’s last St. Patrick’s Day Mass. Accompanied by St. Brigid liturgical music teacher Anna Fournier, the children sang songs about the church’s patron saint. The third-graders had also created themed centerpieces for the St. Patrick’s Day dinner and decorated the hall for the event.

NESN Visits St. Brigid

Jerry Remy, Don Orsillo and Jenny Dell of the New England Sports Network (NESN) visited St. Brigid on February 15. The trio met with third grade students in the gym, answering questions and signing autographs for the children.

Remy, Orsillo and Dell, who are announcers for Red Sox games, led an exciting question-and-answer session for the children. They were asked about their personal experiences working for the sports network, Jerry Remy’s time with the Red Sox, and grilled the team on the history of baseball. Later, the kids taught them their Dance Mania routine and got the opportunity to have items autographed.

The visit was part of NESN’s Spring Training Kickoff Tour. The event was covered by WCSH6 and video is available on the station’s website.

Alumni Corner: Justine Pouravelis

Justine Pouravelis, a graduate of St. Patrick’s School and McAuley High School, talked with us about how her Catholic school experiences helped build the groundwork for success.

Tell us about your background and your current job.

I grew up in Old Orchard Beach and have lived in Boston for the last 6 years.  I am currently a Senior Studio Producer at the New England Sports Network covering live Red Sox and Bruins Post-game shows. I lead NESN's production of "Red Sox Small Talk" from start to finish - serving as the liaison with the Red Sox, supervising field production of both the children's questions and the players' answers, and editing both the pregame show features and the half-hour "Best of" episodes.  I produced Bruins Stanley Cup Playoff post-game shows and oversaw the production of Frozen Fenway in 2011. I produced NESN's Hockey Easy studio coverage during the 2011-12 season, incorporating several new elements that were well-received both internally and by our external partners as well.  

What do you remember best about your experiences at St. Patrick's?

St. Patrick's was a caring and enriching school community.  I will always cherish the strong learning foundation and Catholic values instilled in me while there. I have vivid memories of going to Mass on first Fridays and participating in the reading partners program with younger students.  

Where did you go to high school and college?

I graduated from Catherine McAuley High school and will forever be a lion!!!! I was a member of the first state championship basketball team in 2002.  A graduate of Bowdoin College, I hold a bachelor's degree in Economics and French and was a former Division III All-American for the Bowdoin Polar Bears Women's basketball team. 

Do you feel your Catholic education has helped shape or influence your career success?

On a practical level, educational foundations learned at St. Patricks have stayed with me throughout college and the working world.  The grammar and math curriculums were top notch. On a spiritual level, St. Patricks and McAuley instilled in me the importance of treating every person with respect and dignity.  In the workplace, treating your coworkers with respect only leads them to do the same to you.  I have tried to incorporate the Catholic community in Boston into my job at NESN.  Working with local Catholic elementary schools while filming "Red Sox Small Talk: Where the Kids ask the Questions."

Anything else you would like to add?

My sister, Claudia and I organize a 5k road race in memory of our parents at Catherine McAuley. The 7th annual race takes place this May 18th. We are always looking for more runners from the Southern Maine area.  We are still active members of the McAuley community and will be forever grateful to the Sisters of Mercy such as Sister Edward Mary and Sister Dorothy as well as the Portland Parochial Elementary school community as a whole.

Around the School

Pre-K in the library with Mrs. Contrino

Kindergarten - Writing in journals

Grade 1 - Reading group 

Grade 2 - Reading

Grade 3 - Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck reads to the class

Grade 4 - Keeping up with current events

Grade 5 - Computer class

Grade 6 - Finishing up an English test

Grade 7 - Spanish class

Grade 8 - Science lab

Students Treated to McAuley One-Act

Sixth- and seventh-grade students walked to McAuley High School this week to see an exclusive viewing of the play The Sparrow. Several of our graduates appear in the work - many of whom got their first theater experiences performing in productions right here at St. Brigid.

The play is McAuley’s entry into this year’s Regional One-Act Drama Festival, a nine school competition taking place this weekend at the high school.

100th Day of School

The lower grades buzzed with excitement last Tuesday -
the 100th day of school 

The children celebrated the milestone with projects
centering around the number 100.

Geometric constructions with 100 gumdrops in grade 2.

Kindergarten and a few of their 100 balloons!

Father Nathan March Visits School

Father Nathan March, Director of the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Portland, visited St. Brigid School last Monday. He answered questions about the priesthood, talking about his role in helping students discern their vocations and figure out how God wants them to use their lives.

Catholic Schools Week Competitions

Traditionally, there are two major competitions during Catholic Schools Week at St. Brigid: the 8th grade vs. staff volleyball game and Dancemania.

Both the students and the staff had an excited crowd of spectators for the volleyball game, with many children bearing signs in support of their teachers or 8th grade friends. With two games being played at once, there was a lot to cheer for! One game ended in a tie, and the staff won the other.

Dancemania is a favorite Catholic Schools Week activity. Each grade level was assigned a song and asked to create a dance. After practicing all week, the kids performed in front of judges who selected winners in various categories.

On Friday, the entire school gathered in the Fr. Hayes Center for the big competition. Trish Moulton, a parent who volunteered to run the event, called each group to the center of the gym to show off their moves. Performances were judged based on coordination, choreography, costumes and participation. The winners of the Spirit Sticks this year were Grade 7, grade 3 and Kindergarten. 

Students Distribute Care Packages for the Needy

Last week, St. Brigid School families collected items for the needy that they packaged and distributed at St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen in Portland.

The 7th graders packed over 150 gallon-sized bags of small essential items, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and socks. They labeled the bags by gender and clothing size. On Friday, a group of 8th grade students took the bags to the Soup Kitchen and gave them to needy individuals. They also helped serve a meal and clean the facility.

The event was covered by the Presence Catholic Radio network and the Diocesan website.

Basketball Star Inspires St. Brigid Students

Jason Gibbons, known on the court as “White Shadow,” visited St. Brigid School on January 29th to demonstrate basketball tricks and motivate students to achieve their goals. He spoke to both the upper and lower grades in two separate programs.

Mr. Gibbons, who has performed for schools around the country, opened his programs by wowing the crowds with an exciting collection of basketball stunts. He invited a number of students to participate as well. Later, he spoke to the groups about not letting anything pull them from the path toward their personal goals. “Don’t do just enough to get by,” he advised. “Put in the work.”

Mr. Gibbons also reminded students to be grateful for what they have and of being Christians, describing how his own faith has helped him achieve great things in life. He suggested they be unafraid to take action, especially in the face of bullying. “Stand up from the crowd and find the strength to do what’s right.”