December
Lourdes Academy welcomes Mary Ann Saiyed
as new middle school language arts teacher
By Riley Studinski- Knight Writer
Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy
OSHKOSH, WI - Mary Ann Saiyed is excited to be the new seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher after serving as a long-term substitute teacher.
Soon into the 2018-2019 school year, Annie Quick-Laughlin, former seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher, left her position at Lourdes to pursue a career as an administrator in another school district. Saiyed then stepped in at the last minute to serve as a long-term sub while Lourdes administrators searched for a replacement for Quick-Laughlin.
Because Saiyed did such an impressive job subbing and because of the rapport she created with the students, the administration decided to hire her for the language arts position.
Saiyed says her goals as a teacher are helping her students gain more knowledge on grammar and to help her students prepare and have a good transition to high school. In addition, Saiyed said she wanted to teach at Lourdes because of how much of a family Lourdes is and because of the community here.
Saiyed said that she also wants her students to grow as people and to be able to follow the Lourdes Academy Way before the end of the school year.
Saiyed feels many of her students enjoy her classes because she is creative and caring, and they are able to come to her with their problems.
Saiyed said she is married to her husband Saj, and together they have two daughters, Sarah and Jasmine, who both attend Lourdes.
Saiyed has high praise for her students. “They are a special group of kids,” she said.
BOB is in the books
Ellie MacKenzie - Knight Writer
Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy
OSHKOSH, WI - Battle of the Books came to a close as middle school teachers and students congratulated the first place team Untitled IV on winning this year’s battles!
Untitled IV, consisted of Melanie Tushar, Charley Mullen, Sommer Wermes, Ella Slusarski, Chloe Studinski, Lily Meyer, Monse Lugin, Sabur Machiros, Caitlyn Buchanan, Jimmy Vajgrt, and Parker Kilde. The runner up group, The Lost Libros, consisted of Maggie Kriege, Lady Hoeper, Jack Kriege, Kate Johnsen, Lily Wolff, Maverick Schry, Mason Carpenter, William Bowman, Dory Butzlaff, Delaney Ruedinger, Faith Blanchard, and Siya Pharma.
Parent coach and coordinator of Battle of the Books Nancy Ralofsky said, “My favorite part [of BOB] is watching the teams battle because their teamwork comes out as they work together for answers. When they get excited about knowing their books, it shows their passion for reading.”
Teams that participate in BOB are in battles that are organized in a double elimination bracket, which gives each team at least two times to compete. The books read throughout the battles are chosen from a list, so teams do not necessarily read the same book in order to win the battles.
Participants receive an out of dress code pass as well as an ice cream pass to the commons. The students who continue to participate in BOB for all three years of middle school receive a large candy bar. Winners are also gifted with a medal and a gift certificate to Caramel Crisp Cafe in Oshkosh.
Sixth graders study Egypt
By James Gross - Knight Writer
Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy
OSHKOSH, WI - On Nov. 15 the sixth grade students attended an Egyptian play at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh.
According to sixth graders Kate Lynn, Erin Moore, and Catherine O´Connor, the play was a review of some of the concepts about Egypt they had already learned in class.
The play was about an hour and a half and featured two children who were learning about ancient Egypt. While studying, they were magically transported back in time to ancient Egypt to the time when the pyramids were built. They traveled to various locations in Egypt and met a scribe who taught them to read and write.
Some students admitted that they learned some new facts from the play. Lynn said she was surprised to learn about how many rights the women in ancient Egypt had and that there was one female pharaoh. She was also interested to learn that the girls were allowed to be scribes if they had parents in a higher position. Moore noted that she did not know that the Egyptians had little statues of their gods.
O´Connor said previous to the play, she did not know how advanced the Egyptians were or how the Egyptians built the pyramids. All the students agreed that they learned a lot about ancient Egypt and came out of the experience with a bigger understanding of the ancient world.
Sixth grade science teacher Marci Escamilla organized and planned the field trip, and said she thought the experience was beneficial to her students learning.
Christmas outreach program spreads holiday joy
By Maria Foss - Knight Writer
Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy
OSHKOSH, WI - What is a better way to spread Christmas cheer than to give to others?
Each year, sixth grade religion and math teacher Annie Coleman encourages her sixth grade religion classes to complete a project to help people in the community who are less fortunate than they are.
According to Coleman, each of her religion classes is responsible for coming up with an idea for a particular project they want to complete for Christmas outreach.
“The kids were assigned to go home and come up with a list of ways that they thought they could help the community,” Coleman said. “The next day, they all combined their ideas and voted on them to see which project they should complete.”
Students from Coleman’s periods one and two decided to raise money for another student’s uncle who is in need. In addition, these students chose to decorate Christmas cards and fill fuzzy socks with gifts to donate to kids at the Children’s Hospital.
Coleman’s periods four and five decided to visit Gabrielle’s Village nursing home to deliver Christmas cards, ornaments, and decorations to the elderly. They also plan on singing Christmas carols and spending time with them.
Students in Coleman’s seventh and eighth hour classes will be making fleece blankets and Christmas cards as well as donating warm clothing to the warming shelter in Oshkosh.
“The kids assemble their projects in class,” Coleman said. “It’s a pretty fun day. We put on Christmas music or a movie and make the projects together.”
“I hope that the students learn that they don’t have to be older to make someone smile or cheer someone else up. I think this program will help them realize that giving to other people is something good and rewarding,” Coleman said.
Sixth grader Hannah Klotz said, “Even though we don’t get to actually talk to the kids at the Children’s Hospital, I’m still very excited to make them happy by giving them gifts.”
On the week of Dec. 17, the sixth grade classes will be delivering their projects to people in the community.
Fifth graders travel to Mount Tabor to learn about God’s love
By Noah Ralofsky - Knight Writer
Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy
OSHKOSH, WI - The fifth graders deepened their relationship with Jesus when they traveled to Mount Tabor, a retreat center in Menasha, WI on Nov. 16.
Fifth grade teachers Maria Biebel and Maddie VanVreede accompanied their students on the yearly retreat to Mount Tabor. As part of the fifth grade curriculum, the students are required to participate in a retreat at the Spiritus headquarters, which is a Catholic organization that serves the youth in Wisconsin through ministry. While there, the students were led by a group of Spiritus members who took them through various stations to learn about God and His love for them.
Biebel said, “The kids really enjoyed the trip, and several of them even want to join Spiritus when they are older.”
Most of the members in Spiritus are in their late 20s, but Biebel and VanVreede could see that the students were able to form a connection with the retreat leaders.
Fifth grader Allie Schaefer said her favorite part was meditating on the Bible verses that the Spiritus members shared with them.
“I learned about parables in the Bible like when Jesus walked on water,” Schaefer said.
Fifth grader Henry Geck said he learned that there are many obstacles that can hold a person back from God.
“You can pray to God and ask other people for help when you are held back from God to bring you back to Him,” Geck said.