SJA E-NEWS | December 2, 2016 In This Issue Student Spotlight College Corner Required Parent Survey Students Get Career Advice from Tom Hanks Mandatory State Testing (ODE) Behind the Scenes at Justice Center Christmas Spirit for Kermit Engineering Students Gain Experience & Inisghts Latin Students Apply Knowledge
Parents: At-A-Glance Monday, December 5-Tuesday, December 13 ODE Testing, See Schedule Below
Wednesday, December 7 Dance Team Fundraiser Chipotle (West Park), 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, December 7 STARTS Meeting Dining Hall, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 8 Immaculate Conception of Mary Mass Formal Uniform, Academy Center, 1:30-3 p.m.
SJA/Cavs Tickets Sports Highlights
Required Parent Survey - Please Help!
Quick Links
All parents must complete a mandatory survey using the link below. This survey will provide anonymous feedback about Saint Joseph Academy, which will be used for our accreditation process through the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association (OCSAA) and assist in informing institutional decisions.
School Calendar Paw Prints Store Calendar
December 12-13 ODE Testing, See schedule
Your participation in the survey is a requisite of our accreditation process and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. We thank you in advance for your participation and contribution to the success of Saint Joseph Academy. Click here to access the survey.
Students Get Career Advice from Tom Hanks Today, 13 students attended an event featuring two-time Academy AwardÂŽ winner Tom Hanks. The "Behind the Camera" event was sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. Tom Hanks, who started his career in Northeast Ohio, shared his career journey and advice for pursuing a career in acting or media.
December 14 Early Dismissal, 2 p.m.
December 15 Christmas Celebration Concert Auditorium, 7-9 p.m.
December 16 Christmas at the Academy,
L-R: Jonae Williams '17 interviewing Tom Hanks
Jonae Williams '17 was the only student who interviewed Tom Hanks. She was chosen for this role after demonstrating her articulation and poise at a local
Girls grades 2-6, Auditorium, 6:30-8 p.m., Admission is $5, Register here.
speaker event. Her poignant question impressed event attendee, Ivan Schwarz, President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission (a co-producer with Hanks on Band of Brothers), so much that he knew Jonae was the perfect fit for interviewing Tom Hanks.
December 20-21
Olivia Heidorf '17, shared: "It was a surreal experience. For Mr. Hanks to address us as students was inspiring. He empowered us by reminiscing on the times he sat in our chairs and how we all have the tools to pursue our dreams. He is larger than life and is a testament to the capability of true talent. He is truly a genuine man. I am amazed I was able to attend and it was done all because of the resources at SJA."
Final Exams
Student Spotlight
President Mrs. Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis '71 stated, "Jonae Williams was so poised interviewing Tom Hanks. We are all so proud of her! Afterwards, Jonae was joined by the 12 other SJA students backstage. I so enjoyed seeing them interact with this famous actor. It was an experience they will long remember!"
Mandatory State Testing Starts Next Week Students in the classes below are required by the Ohio Department of Education to take an end-of-the course assessment during the semester they are enrolled in the class. Name: Natalie Bauman '18 Accomplishments: On Thanksgiving Day, Natalie marched in the Color Guard with the Macy's Great American Marching Band, comprised of 225 students from every state. "I began the audition process a year ago. It included a series of video auditions to show basic skills and selfchoreography, as well as a written portion. I was notified of my acceptance in March!"
Algebra 1 or Honors Algebra 1 Geometry or Honors Geometry English 9 or Honors English 9 English 10 or Honors English 10 Biology or Honors Biology U.S. History or Honors U.S. History Government or Honors Government Letters were sent this week to parents of students needing to take these tests. Students should come prepared for testing by having their Chromebooks fully charged and bringing ear buds. They should eat a healthy breakfast and be wellrested to do their best. Below is the schedule for the specific test dates. Questions? Contact School Counselor and Department Chair Ms. Maryann Marek.
Because members of the band come from every state, their only full-group practice time was intensive sessions throughout the week leading up to the parade. The group performed as they marched in the parade and at Herald Square, which is televised.
Monday, Tuesday, December 5 December 6
Wednesday, December 7
English 10 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Auditorium
English 9 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Auditorium
Government US History Biology 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Auditorium Auditorium Auditorium
Monday, December 12
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, December 13 December 14 December 15 December 16
"My favorite part of the week was marching in the parade. There are no words to explain the feeling of walking through the streets of New York under the huge balloons and beside spectators from all over the world! It was an experience I will never forget," shared Natalie.
Algebra 1 Geometry No Test 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Auditorium Auditorium
Activities & Interests:
Thursday, December 8
No Test
Friday, December 9
No Test
Freshmen English Students Get Behind-the-Scenes View of Justice System Students in English teacher Mrs. Paula Conti's English 9 classes visited the Justice Center downtown in conjunction with
Natalie serves as the Captain of both the Saint Ignatius Flag Corps and the SJA Winterguard, is an SJA Student Ambassador, an altar server at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, retreat leader with Assumption Youth Ministry (AYM) and a blog contributor for ProLife Youth.
College Corner English 9 students at the Justice Center
School: Cleveland Institute of Art Location: Cleveland, OH Enrollment: 525 undergraduates Strongest Programs: Biomedical Art, Industrial Design, Film/Video & Photographic Arts and Animation Fun Facts: A recent CIA grad painted a Cleveland Cavaliers logo on the new basketball court at Providence House, a crisis nursery on Cleveland's West Side. Know the SJA connection? Providence House is led by CEO and President Natalie LeekNelson '85 and a 1990 CIA grad! cia.edu
studying the classic play Twelve Angry Men. The Honorable John J. Russo hosted the students. Judge Russo discussed the structure, division and roles of each branch of government including the checks and balances of the judicial system. Students then visited multiple courtrooms to witness the sentencing phase of the trial process.
"The most interesting thing about our field trip was watching how the judges decided each defendant's sentence according to information they had gathered from the hearing. This visit relates to our coursework and the play Twelve Angry Men. We were able to learn more about how the court system works and it helps us to fully understand what the men in the play are actually going through. In Twelve Angry Men, we hear from people who are racist, stubborn, sexist, shy and sensitive. It is a good lesson about how important it is to work with other people even though you may not always get along with them or agree with them at first," shared Ashlin Fegen '20.
Creating the Christmas Spirit in Kermit Last summer, 28 students had the opportunity to go on a mission trip which partnered with ABLE (Affirming, Believing, Learning and Empowering) Families, a nonprofit, faith-based agency founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling, WV and located in the Appalachian town of Kermit, WV. SJA students were so impacted by this trip that they decided to continue to give L-R: Catherine Gallagher '17 and Lucy Casper back during the Christmas '18 working on the no-sew fleece season. The students started a "Christmas in Kermit" project to raise funds to create no-sew fleece blankets and purchase books for children living in Kermit. The various student bake sales raised $729 for this project. "Going to Kermit was my first mission trip," shared Anna Hongosh '18. "I have never really been out of state much before. Being in Kermit was like being in another world. These children had hoped to get birthday presents this year, but many of their houses had burned down. This is something I cannot even imagine. Compared to what these children have to go through, my problems are so small," said Anna. "My hope is that after I graduate from Saint Joseph Academy, the girls will continue this tradition of giving back to Kermit each year."
Engineering Students Gain Experience & Insights As a Christmas service project, students in the two Introduction to Engineering classes put their coursework to the test by thoughtfully disassembling and removing the core workings of mechanical toys. Students brought toys such as dancing Snoopys, Christmas trees, bulldogs and dachshunds to life by reconfiguring the circuits. The modifications will allow the toys to be used by special needs children through the nonprofit organization, RePlay for Kids.
Katelyn Kittinger '18 working on toys for RePlay
The charitable organization repairs devices and adapts a wide-range of battery operated toys for use by children with disabilities who may have
limited resources. "It was great to make something that was applicable to our current coursework which also benefits kids," shared Abby Helmer '19. Students distributed the toys on Thursday. The engineering classes also went on a field trip to the Cleveland State Washkewicz College of Engineering, which included an overview of engineering fields, lab visits for the Driving Simulator, Motion and Control and team-building activities. Students were also given a campus tour, met current engineering students, faculty and staff and were given scholarship and admissions information. The lab visits and the forum with faculty and current students were a great opportunity for students to explore engineering as a future career option. The main goal of the field trip was to expose the pre-engineering students to an engineering college. "We want to continue to reinforce that engineers are problem solvers and don't sit around doing calculus problems all day," said Science teacher Mr. Bryce Ormiston.
Latin II Students Apply Classroom Knowledge Latin II students explored art outside the classroom at the Cleveland Museum of Art. They were led by two docents around the ancient collections (Greek, Roman and Egyptian) and the medieval art collections (which contain many illuminated Latin Latin II students at the Cleveland Museum of Art manuscripts). The students learned about ancient subjects, including book writing, literacy, sculpture and symbolism. After their docent tour, the students were given time to explore the galleries they were most drawn to in order to allow for inquiry and personal enjoyment (as well as to find a special piece to focus on for their art analysis assignment they were given). "Going to the art museum was an interactive way to get outside of the classroom to learn about the ancient Romans and their culture. It was interesting to see some of the things they would use on an everyday basis that we talk about in our class translations. Seeing the items used and the history behind them helped me to understand their culture more and appreciate their customs," said Riley Drellishak '19.
Join Us at SJA/Cavs Game at Quicken Loans Arena (The Q) Cheer on the Jaguars as they take on the Louisville Leopards in a game at The Q on Friday, January 27 at 3:30 p.m.! Afterwards, fans can stay and watch the Cavs game vs. Brooklyn that begins at 7:30 p.m. All fans who want to attend the SJA game are required to purchase a Cavs ticket that will provide them access to the SJA game and the Cavs game. You cannot attend the SJA game without a ticket to the Cavs game. The Athletic Department has a very limited block of tickets remaining for purchase. Tickets will be transferred to the email address of the person who purchases the tickets via Flash Seats. $40 tickets are available to purchase via credit card only by clicking here. There are also a limited number of $87 tickets available. These tickets are in section 133. If you would like to purchase
these tickets, you must call Athletic Director Mr. John Manuszak at 216.251.5495 and pay by credit card over the phone. Tickets are very limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Sports Highlights Basketball Season Opener The Jaguars dropped their first game of the season on Wednesday at Gilmour Academy. The Lancers, who played in the D3 Final Four last year, jumped out to a 22-14 lead after the first quarter on their way to a 70-55 win. Gia DiMassa '17 led the Jaguars with 16 points as she hit five three-pointers in the game. Molly Dever '18 added 12 points, Colleen Drellishak '17 had 11 and Colleen Neitzel '18 scored eight points for the 2-1 Jaguars. The team returns to action on Monday, December 5 as they host Villa Angela-St. Joseph in a tripleheader and also hosts Magnificat in a tripleheader on Wednesday, December 7. Swimming Season Opening This Weekend The swim team will open its season on Saturday at the St. Charles Showdown in Columbus. The Jaguars have 21 swimmers and 3 divers that make up the team this year. Good luck, Jaguars! To check out photos from the games or to see schedules for the upcoming week, click here.
Kayla Lenahan '18
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