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.

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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