Archive for the ‘From our Students’ Category

Next steps for our 2011 graduates

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Madison Kyaer Frost. Madison attended St. Anthony School from K3 to Grade 6. Her favorite thing about St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was the many field trips the students were able to have. One of her favorite field trips was to a Ball in the House performance.

Madison thinks the best thing she learned at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was manners and respect for others. She doesn’t especially like math, but feels confident that she has learned what she needs to do well in middle school. She enjoyed the special time set aside for just plain READING and the time spent as an older student helping K5 children to read and spell.

On the down side, Madison said that leaks in the ceiling by the office looked awful and were sort of embarrassing. When asked what she would tell a family thinking about sending a child to St. Anthony’s, she would say that good reasons would be that the students treat each other like family and the small class size allows students to get help from the teacher more quickly.

Madison is looking forward to attending middle school.

Orlando Saavedra Ferguson. Orlando has been at St. Anthony’s just 2 years. His Uncle Mark, with whom he was living when he was 10, brought Orlando and his little brother to the school. They’d been attending Hollis Academy. Orlando found that at St. Anthony’s  because there were fewer kids, he got to know everyone better. And Father Pat was kind, funny, and gave good advice.

Orlando enjoyed chess club, altar serving, and most of all, robotix club, where the students built a golf-bot, a ball hunter and a pitcher and batter. The things he did not like about this school were that the classroom was tiny and they couldn’t open the windows for air or get the room dark enough to use the projector properly.

His favorite things about St. Anthony’s were that the students get more attention when struggling with a particular subject, and that the school encourages students to become closer to God.

Orlando will study at Bryson Middle.

Q. Synclair Tucker. Synclair started at St. Anthony’s in K4, when her cousins were here. Her mom volunteered here was eventually hired as the School Secretary. Synclair’s favorite event was the visit from the Liverpool Soccer Team. Her favorite subject was Spanish, taught by Ms. Cannon.

She liked it that the students and the teachers got to know each other well over the years. She also loved being an altar server and helping other students learn the responsibilities of this privilege. Synclair hopes to become a cartoon designer or a dance instructor.

When asked ”why should parents consider sending their children to St. Anthony’s?” she said that because there is a small number of kids, people help each other as if they were family. She also feels that the children at the school are very welcoming to new students.

When asked what she would change about the school she said that a gym, a library and an art room would make it much nicer. She said that walking down the road to the community gym was not especially fun. Overall, she said, St. Anthony’s is a great school that has teachers who care about the students and children who try very hard to follow the Golden Rule.

Synclair will attend Legacy Charter School.

A special thank you to Suzanne Newton for interviewing our graduates and writing their stories!

Our Annual Spelling Bee

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

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At our PTO workshop on Friday, January 28, parents received information on the importance of spelling as a step to reading. Spelling allows children to connect letters to sounds and sounds to words.

The workshop continued with the Annual Spelling Bee, which included all grades from K3 through 6th.The students got the opportunity to display their knowledge and perseverance!

Building character and bridging the gap

Friday, June 25th, 2010

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Student Council members, Synclair Tucker and Megan Cooper, enjoy sharing cards made by the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School student body with residents of Magnolia Manor Nursing Home. This is an ongoing activity that the students and residents look forward to as they embrace their generational gap.

“It’s so spiritually moving to see our young children interact with the seniors. It is quite a rewarding experience for all of them. I thoroughly enjoy going myself,” says Gwen Whitner, a school board member and chair of the School in Community committee. “One of my favorite pictures is the one with the girls hugging Bobbie so hard that you only see part of her face. That embrace says volumes.”

These activities illustrate “Courageously Supportive,” one of school’s five core values. While this core value represents the depth of support given to the students and their families, it works both ways. St. Anthony’s students are also deeply involved in supporting their community.

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Dear St. Anthony of Padua Benefactors,

Friday, June 18th, 2010

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Thank you for supporting our education at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School.

We really appreciate all that you do for us. We have excelled through school because of your contributions and scholarships for different kids.

Once again, thank you for all your help,

May God Bless You!

Love,

The Sixth Grade Graduates and Companions in Grade 5

Jeremiah Whitlow wins chess tournament and advances to championship

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

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Ten-year-old Jeremiah Whitlow has been playing chess for about a year and a half for the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Chess Team. As one of the original members of the team, he joined because he had watched chess matches on TV and thought it looked fun. Jeremiah tried it out and found he just got better at chess as he continued to play. And, he was still having a good time.

In late February at the South Carolina Grand Prix Scholastic Chess Tournament in Columbia, S.C., he defeated three players and lost one round to win the K through 5 section of the monthly tournament. Jeremiah won despite the fact that he had to wake up before 6 a.m. to travel two hours to the meet!

He says that another reason he loves chess is because it has helped him to think. His grades are good because he has learned to focus better-and he has to keep his grades up to stay on the team.

Jeremiah is a great ambassador for our school! He has earned a United States Chess Federation Rating of 500 and will head for the S.C. State Championship later this month.

Ella Fitzgerald by Keyannia Whitlow

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

“Ella Fitzgerald”
By: Keyannia Whitlow

I chose Ella Fitzgerald because I love jazz and she sang jazz.

Ella Fitzgerald was born in 1918 in Newport News, Virginia. In those days, music was very popular in parts of the nation. When Ella was just a young girl, her mother and Ella moved to Yonkers, New York. In the 1920s, Harlem, a neighborhood in New York, was important for African Americans. Ella’s mother encouraged her to take dancing and singing lessons so she could compete in many amateur contests.

When she was 16 years old, she went to an audition for a job with the Chick Webb Band. She got the job and in a few years she became the lead singer. In 1938 she had her first hit record. Girls started to imitate her unique voice. Ella was one of the first singers to popularize “scat” singing. She had dozens of hit records.

She changed the music we know forever as jazz. Ella Fitzgerald died in 1996.

“Jesse Owens” by Megan Cooper

Friday, February 26th, 2010

“Jesse Owens”
By: Megan Cooper

I chose Jesse Owens because he was a hard-working man and never gave up.

He was born in 1913 in Alabama. James Cleveland Owens was his real name. Jesse Owens ran track when he was young. James’ nickname was Jesse because of his initials, J.C. As a young boy, Jesse did hard work – work like picking cotton in the cotton field.

He also had time to play. Jesse always dreamed of being a very fast runner. He never gave up and he kept on trying until it was right. Jesse was a very good athlete. His good grades helped him her a scholarship in Ohio to the State University.

Once he was running and hurt his leg really bad. He could not run for months, but when he got well he got back up and got back on the track.

Jesse Owens died in 1980. Since his death, he inspired many blacks to run in the Olympics and in track. He will still be remembered for years to come.

What St. Anthony’s students are writing about Black History Month

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

In honor of Black History Month, Donna Barkey’s 5th and 6th grade class would like to share some of their writing assignments about heroes who have shaped American history. We’ll post additional short essays throughout this week.

“Harriet Tubman
By: Madison Frost

I chose Harriet Tubman because she helped to free slaves in the South no matter what would happen to her if she was caught.

Harriet Tubman was born in 1821. She was often beaten for refusing to be a slave in the South. Once she was hit in the head and suffered dizzy spells the rest of her life. After she fled to Philadelphia she became a conductor of the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman took about 19 trips into the South and helped about 300 blacks to freedom. In 1857 she helped her parents to freedom.

Finally Harriet Tubman used the proceeds from her biography to open the Harriet Tubman Home for the poor and elderly blacks. In 1913 Harriet Tubman died.