St. Teresa Catholic School
September 25, 2024
Nature Studies
The September air was perfect, the sun was shining, and joy was evident as we walked down the street to Woods Park for nature journaling. Mrs. Shanahan led the students to the location where they would encounter the wonder of nature that day. As the students settled and quieted down, the sounds and smells became more apparent: grasshoppers whirring, the scent of dry leaves. I found myself looking with "owl vision," listening with "deer hearing," and walking with "fox steps." I ventured over to a young maple tree. Its leaves were green, starting to turn slightly orange on the edges. The stems were red. Why were they red? Had they been like that all summer, or does that happen in the fall? Gazing up through the leaves, I was surprised to see a lacewing nestled along the bottom of a leaf, barely visible in the midst of the green background. Soon I became aware of other insects on the tree: a ladybug, ants and stink bugs! What do the stink bugs like about this tree?
A gentle bell rang in the distance. Time to head back. The time went quickly--too quickly! Returning to school, I felt re-ordered within. My curiosity had been piqued, I had experienced wonder, and I felt ready for whatever God would send next.
Sister Mary Agnes, C.K.
And he wandered away and away, with nature the dear old nurse,
who sang to him night and day, the rhymes of the universe.
And when the way seemed long, and his heart began to fail,
She sang a more wonderful song, or told a more wonderful tale.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
4th grade reciting the poem, "September," by Helen Hunt Jackson
3rd grade nature table
A nature table at home! (Inspired by the ones in their teachers' classrooms!)
Upcoming Events
September 26: Buddy Lunch
September 28: Cross Country 9 a.m. at Seacrest
September 30: Last day to wear uniform shorts
October 1: St. Teresa Feast Day
October 2: Chipotle Dine-out Night (5-9 p.m.)
St. Teresa Feast Day
We will celebrate as a school on Tuesday, October 1st.
Some of the events include:
*Mass celebrated as a Solemnity
*Kindergarten through 5th grade girls are invited to dress up as St. Teresa--see announcement below for more details.
*Eucharistic procession after Mass
*Adoration
*Other St. Teresa lessons and activities
Dressing as St. Teresa
Your daughter is invited to dress as St. Teresa! Our St. Teresa Parish Feast Day Mass is Tuesday, October 1st at 8:15 a.m. Girls of the parish in K-5th grade are invited to dress as St. Teresa for this special celebration. To ensure room in the pews, please text or e-mail Britt Echtenkamp if your daughter(s) will be participating.
email: britt.echtenkamp@gmail.com or cell: 512-777-9649.
Girls will need to arrive in Kaczmarek Hall by 7:45 a.m. We will take a group picture BEFORE Mass. They will be a part of the Opening Procession and will sit as a group in the front pews during Mass. Mothers are also needed as parent volunteers to assist with the procession and costumes before Mass. Please contact Britt if you are able to help. Thank you!
Here are some links for suggestions of how to make a costume:
If you have a costume to loan or donate, please bring them to the school office.
Track Results
Congratulations to the boys and girls track teams. Both got 2nd place in the meet last Saturday!
School Directory
Please check your contact information in this draft of the directory. If you have changes, please email Jill Zimmer at jill-zimmer@cdolinc.net within the next week and she will update them.
St. Teresa Gear
Fall is right around the corner which means it is time for our annual St. Teresa fleece and sweatshirt order. It is also a good time to check if your child has outgrown his/her fleece or sweatshirt. You can donate sweatshirts and fleece jackets to the office if they have outgrown them. If you want to place an order, the link to the store is Home | ST. TERESA'S (inksoft.com).
The store will be open until midnight on 10/8/24. Please check to see if you are ordering an adult or youth size before ordering. There are a few sizes in the office to try on if you need to check what size would be best for your child. All orders are customized and cannot be returned.
Bazaar News!
Our annual Parish Bazaar is coming up on November 10th and we need your help!
1. Raffle tickets will be going home with the oldest/only students! Each family is asked to sell or purchase 3 books.
2. We are also requesting that each family please donate $10 worth of small bottled/packaged items as prizes for our two most popular games: Bottle Mania and Spin-to-Win!
Canned pop
Small bags of chips
Pop-tarts
21oz bottled pop
Travel-sized cereal boxes
Hot chocolate packages
Gatorade/sports drinks
Individual packages of cookies
Hostess/Little Debbie snacks
Juice boxes
Pudding snack packs
And more!
Please send donations now until November 1st to school with your student or drop them off in the school office, labeled ‘bazaar.’
If you have any questions, please email Nikki Suesz at nikkisuesz@yahoo.com
Thanks for supporting our school!
Chipotle Fundraiser~October 2nd
Support St. Teresa School "twice": Plan ahead and purchase Scrip to go towards your order!
MathCounts 2024-2025
MathCounts is a national math enrichment program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement and problem-solving skills in a fun manner. Any student in 6th-8th grade can participate in MathCounts. More information can be found on their website: www.mathcounts.org
St. Teresa MathCounts will begin October 9. We will meet after school on Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5:00. The MathCounts season runs through mid-February.
Please email or text Andrew Willis if your child is interested in joining the team or if you have any questions.
Phone/text: 402-770-7533
Email: arwarw11@gmail.com
St. Teresa School Mission Statement
St. Teresa Catholic School, in partnership with parents, provides an education faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. We nurture students’ natural sense of wonder and guide them to know and love truth, beauty, and goodness, and to live as virtuous disciples of Jesus Christ with their hearts set on true and lasting joy.