Cup of Joe March 2023

CUP OF JOE

How Lent is celebrated at St. Joe Students share their 40-day Lenten promises

Every year on Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent begins.

Lent is a time where we prepare for the sacrifice of Jesus which opened the gates of Heaven. This sacrifice was the perfect sacrifice, and we should all appreciate what He did for us.

For 40 days, Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert, preparing Himself for the sacrifice He was about

By Roderick Rosa

to make. These forty days now make up the season of Lent. Jesus returned from the desert on a Sunday riding a donkey into Jerusalem. This day is one week before Easter Sunday, and is now known as Palm Sunday.

Five days later (or Good Friday), Jesus made a huge sacrifice for us. So, during Lent, we can make sacrifices for Him.

SCHOOL HISTORY

“I am giving up TV, video games, (and) Snacks,” says Jude Maddix.

“I am giving up popcorn because I eat it too much,” says Dalia Hernandez.

This year, Father Chris Ankley says, “I’m giving up watching TV for Lent and I’m praying the Stations of the Cross every day. Every priest will do something different for Lent.”

At St. Joe, Lent is celebrated greatly. Every year, students watch the burning of the palms (canceled in 2023 due to weather) where ashes are made for the following day.

On Ash Wednesday in 2023, school Mass was canceled due to dangerous road conditions caused by an ice storm.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted learning environments, beginning with public health orders that caused schools to move to virtual classrooms beginning on March 13, 2020. Adobe images.

Remembering the COVID years

On the 3-year anniversary of the outbreak, a look back at how school changed

On March 13, 2020, everything changed.

We all thought it was going to be a good year of fun and learning until a virus called COVID-19 introduced itself.

It was a scary time for everyone, people were getting sick left and right.

The government issued a public health emergency, stating

By Nicholas Galbreath

that every school shall be shut down until further notice.

So schools across the globe decided to have online learning.

“When we could go to school again, my family told me to wear a mask so I didn’t risk getting sick,” said Bobby Kaufmann.

Still many horrible things happened that year, and many

ST. PATRICK’S DAY: A look at March 17 celebrations at St. Joe.

things were forever changed.

One thing that is still missing: What happened to Hungry Howies pizza every Friday?

For all the newer students, here is a quick rundown: We had Hungry Howies every Friday until 2019, so where did the pizza even go?

Sometimes when everybody was waiting

Staycation or vacation?

Students ready for Spring Break

By Ryman Parshall

Spring break is a time to rest from school and have some fun.

Many people go all around the world for spring break and some even just stay home.

for the pizza in line, they even ran out!

It got so bad that they removed the, “double” option so everybody could have what they ordered.

“I don’t know what happened (to the Hungry Howies),” said Mrs. Myers. “Maybe we could ask Mrs. Dana about

For example, in our journalism club, Nicholas Galbreath is staying home,

while Roderick Rosa is going to London. Spring break is good because it gives us some time to rest from school and have some fun outside or inside if you’re an inside person. Take time during Spring Break to have fun and be safe!

takes to complete a

CLASS PETS: Getting to know furry friends of

In this 2022 photo, Fr. Chris Ankley and St. Joseph Elementary and Middle School students prepare for Ash Wednesday by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. Provided.

GIRLS ON THE RUN: What it

5K.

St. Joe Elementary.

Some St. Joseph students travel during Spring Break week, while others relax at home. Getty Images.

See LENT, page 3

See COVID, page 2

Shamrock Wishes

St. Patrick’s Day at St. Joe Elementary involves leprechaun shenanigans

By Emma Lumbard

St. Patrick’s Day is this month and everyone is very excited.

St. Patrick’s Day started when St. Patrick died on March 17, 1631, which is also his feast day.

At St. Joe Elementary, a leprechaun visits two or three classrooms each year.

Mrs. Nancy Lussier, and Mrs. Brooke Schmitz said they have seen some crazy leprechaun shenani-

gans!

The St. Joe leprechaun likes to go into classrooms and throws a party. Students in the elementary will set up traps to try to catch the leprechaun for his gold and treats. The kids love the leprechaun, and it’s a very exciting way to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.

Last year, a leprechaun threw a

HUGE party, entering through a small door in Mrs. Lussier’s classroom.

Almost everyone wants to catch the leprechaun, but

FOOD AND DRINK

What’s for lunch?

Monday, March 13: A: Ham & Cheese Wrap; Fresh Baby Carrots; Applesauce. B: Peach Smoothie, Chocolate Chip Muffin. C: Smuckers PB&J.

Tuesday, March 14: A: Chicken Tenders; BBQ Vegetarian Baked Beans; Diced Peaches. B: Ham & Cheese Sandwich. C: Smuckers PB&J.

Wednesday, March 15: A: Teriyaki Beef Dippers; Mashed Potatoes; Breadstick; Craisins. B: Turkey Stick & String Cheese with Breadstick. C. Smuckers PB&J.

Thursday, March 16: A. Mini Corn Dog Nuggets; Fresh Broccoli; Strawberry Banana Applesauce. B. BBQ Chicken Wrap. C. Smuckers PB&J.

Friday, March 17: 1/2 Day No Lunch.

Monday, March 20: A: Turkey Chef Salad; Cheeze-It Crackers; Fresh Broccoli; Diced Peach Cup. B. Yogurt, String Cheese & Cocoa Cherry Bar. C: Smuckers PB&J.

Tuesday, March 21: A: Chicken Sandwich; BBQ Vegetarian Baked Beans; Applesauce Cup. B. Ham & Cheese Sandwich. C. Smuckers PB&J.

Wednesday, March 22: A: Scrambled Eggs;

sadly the St. Joe leprechaun has never been caught... But it doesn’t mean we should stop trying!

The leprechaun almost always leaves

a little note saying, “Better luck next time.”

LET’S CATCH THAT LEPRECHAUN!!

Chicken Sausage Pattys; Hashbrown Rounds; Biscuit; Apple Strawberry Crisp. B: Turkey Stick & String Cheese with Biscuit. C: Smuckers PB&J.

Thursday, March 23: A: Grilled Cheese Sandwich; Cole Slaw; Diced Pears. B: BBQ Chicken Wrap. C: Smuckers PB&J.

Friday, March 24: 1/2 Day No Lunch (Spring Break).

Monday, March 27: No School (Spring Break).

Tuesday, March 28: No School (Spring Break).

Wednesday, March 29: No School (Spring Break).

Thursday, March 30: No School (Spring Break).

Friday, March 31: No School (Spring Break).

ADDITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOICES: Cheese Pizza; Pepperoni Pizza; Chicken Sandwich; Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

SALAD BAR FRESH VEGETABLES: Garden Side Salad; Cucumber Slices; Fresh Baby Carrots; Celery Sticks; Fresh Broccoli; Grape Tomatoes; Bell Peppers; Cole Slaw.

COVID,

From Page 1 that.”

Still, we need to focus on a bigger subject, what was online school like?

Online school was, interesting, there was a lot of… internet problems. Sometimes teachers’ internet would go out, other times, the students.

Still, St. Joe pushed on through all the problems and became whole again in 2021!

Carrying all our books home hurts everybody’s back again. But through this whole article we have missed only one thing, one unanswered question… What happened to Hungry Howies Pizza?

The students demand answers!

LENT,

From Page 1

Typically, many classrooms also have an Easter Sunday countdown.

Preparing for Jesus’ great sacrifice is one of the most important parts of Lent. We have many ways to thank Him for this sacrifice.

“(Lent) is a season of repentance and a season that prepares us for the great celebration of Easter,” explained Father Chris. “During this season we pray to God to counteract our pride, we fast to counteract our gluttony, and we give to the poor (Almsgiving) to counteract our selfishness. Striving to get rid of pride, gluttony, and selfishness will deepen our relationship with God and our neighbor.”

So, as Lent continues, remind yourself to thank Jesus for His perfect sacrifice and try your best to keep your Lenten promise.

Each year, students at St. Joe elementary build traps to try to catch a leprechaun before it can cause any St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans, such as creating the mess seen in this photo from last year. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Nancy Lussier.

CUP OF JOE

Meet St. Joe’s classroom pets

Furry friends love to eat and be held by students

By Connor Riley

Mrs. Nancy Lussier got her classroom guinea pigs, Marshmallow and Mocha, mid-August 2022.

She said she got them for kids to enjoy the feeling of having a pet.

Girls On The Run about more than just exercise

By Topanga Fields and Holly Wilkerson

Running is important, but in Girls

On The Run, you do much more.

Girls On The Run is not only our area, but is all around the world. It is for third grade through fifth grade girls.

The three-month program started on March 7 and ends on May 18 with a 5K run.

Girls On The Run was started in 1996 by Molly Barker.

There are 21 sessions for girls on the run.

This after-school program holds practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The coaches this season are Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Paige (also known as Paige Guggla and Michelle Fields).

The point of Girls On The Run is inspiring girls to recognize their individual strength. Not only do they stretch and run, but

they learn important virtues like kindness, respect, humility, and self-esteem. There are also fun activities to participate in!

The girls work together at the end of the season to complete a 5k. The race takes place on May 20, 2023 at Harper Creek.

Peyton Reed is a 10-year-old fourth grader in Mrs. Kathy Isaacson’s class, and has been doing Girls On The Run for one year.

“ I joined girls on the run because I thought it was fun, you can make new friends, and you run a lot,” Reed said.

“Girls On The Run is about having fun and becoming a good athlete.”

She believes that girls on the run is inspirational. Yes, It is important to run, but even more important to learn more about love, friendship, and to have fun.

Their favorite things to do are EAT, EAT, and EAT. They LOVE to eat bell peppers. When everyone leaves, they go through their cage like an obstacle course. They usually take a long nap in the afternoon. Her daughter, Clare, named them

that because that’s what they looked like. She is planning to have them for at least five years.

Mrs. Kathy Isaacson and Michael Isaacson got Triscuit in August 2020. They got

Triscuit to have a pet in their classroom. Triscuits favorite things to do are eat, sleep, and be held. His favorite things to eat are lettuce, sunflower seeds and cucumber. After everyone leaves,

they take him home on his tiny school bus. Michael named him Triscuit because he wanted their next hamster to be named Triscuit. They plan to have him for at least 1.5 more years.

Ready for middle school? Here’s a guide for incoming students

By Samantha Romine

Our St. Joe Middle School consists of many good students and teachers.

For all you elementary kids bumping up into middle school, this may be useful, so keep reading.

Middle school math teacher, Mr. John Wendland said he loves his classroom and thinks the cafeteria is awesome, even though he has never tasted the food. He said most students behave, (and he really

hope you incoming middle schoolers will). He makes his class as fun and funny as possible.

The awesome part about the school is that we are a community and family in that way we share our

beliefs. Overall, Mr. Wendland says the school is great and that it is awesome to be teaching here.

For me personally, middle school is awesome because there are more responsibilities, more learning and cooler field trips.

There is also a high achievement club called The National Junior Honors Society that you can try to get into.

Overall, St. Joseph Middle School rocks! I hope you will enjoy this part of school as much as we do.

Tigers Tier Toppers RETURNS

By Jacob Gallagher

Here’s what is popular with St. Joseph students this month:

Music: As you might have heard in our February edition, Taylor Swift is still the biggest

in music in 2023, as are artists such as The Weekend, Eminem, Ed Sherin and Drake.

Sports: Soccer – or football to our British friends – is the number one sport. Some close followers are badmin-

ton, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball.

Art: Still today the most famous art piece ever painted is the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo de Vinci.

Entertainment: Some weekend ac-

tivities for those who are always bored on the weekend: sports, puzzles, reading, and going for a bike ride. These activities will help stimulate your mind for the week ahead.

Girls On The Run participants huddle in the St. Joe cafeteria.

Photo by Topanga Fields.

(Left) Triscuit, held by Michael Isaacson, is a hamster and a fourth grade classroom pet. (Right) Marshmallow and Mocha are guinea pigs and are first grade classroom pets.

Photo by Connor Riley/Courtesy of Mrs. Nancy Lussier.

St. Joseph Middle School students retrieve books from their lockers between classes. Block scheduling is one of the major differences from elementary.

Photo by Samantha Romine

During 3-month program, girls ‘make new friends, and run a lot.’