Blessed Sacrament School News
...building the City of God on a foundation of faith and knowledge
April 2015
From the Principal
As you’ve surely seen through your experience at BSS so far, instructional technology is becoming more
and more a part of the educational experience that our students are having each day. As principal, it is amazing
to see how our students and teachers are using technology to bring our curriculum to life in innovative new ways,
profoundly enhancing the teaching and learning process.
Technology has been a particularly valuable part of our middle school STREAM projects this year. With their
iPads, our students have been able to collaborate together in real time as they research, write and create their presentations; to document the stages of their
project, including their “trial and error” successes and setbacks, through the use of
video and pictures; to instantaneously access
information about the issues they are
exploring, including the various social justice
connections tied into each project; and
to develop and share drawings and other renderings of the project they envision
creating with their student teams. Some students even had the
opportunity to create 3D renderings of their
projects on a computer or iPad and
could actually print their design with our new
Makerbot 3D printer. If you haven’t yet
seen how a 3D printer works, then be sure to
stop by the technology lab when you
have a moment so that Mr. Mullen can give
you a demonstration. The capabilities
that this device has opened up to our students
are unreal. One of the projects we are
most excited about is the partnership our
school has established with an orga- BSS students contribute to the nization called e-NABLE. This organization
of “The Raptor Hand,”
matches up volunteers who have 3D creation
printers with children in need of a prosthetic
in their technology classes.
device. Our students (even the littlest
ones!) are actually making the individual
pieces for this device, called “The Raptor Hand,” in their technology classes, and then the prosthetic will be assembled by our 3D printing club and given to a child in need. What an incredible way for our students to make a
difference in the life of another child!
While technology will never replace good teachers (nor good principals, thankfully), it has opened up the
capacities of teaching and learning in previously unfathomable new ways. We are so blessed that our students and
teachers here at BSS have the kind of access to this technology that will allow them to explore and create as true 21st
century learners.
Former pre-K teachers Helen Agnew and Ann Marie Hemphill were
honored with the Blessed Sacrament Legacy Award at Under the Stars.
Uniform Sale
The annual used uniform sale will be Tuesday, April 14, from 5:30-7:00
pm and Wednesday, the 15th, from 8:30-10:00am. We are looking for volunteers to help
during the sale, set up on Tuesday morning, and clean up after the sale. Please contact
Rebecca Lopez at [email protected] for more information. We are also still accepting donations of gently used uniforms for the sale. Please
leave them in the labeled bin next to the lost and found outside the gym. Thank you for
your donations!
Don’t miss the BSS Players in
their performance of
May 1 & 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Xaverian Brothers High School
Grandparents Day
Grandparents/Grandfriends Day will take place on May 1, 2015. Invitations will be sent to grandparents and
grandfriends on April 1. If you would like to add a grandparent or special friend to our database, please email
[email protected]. More information on this special day will be sent home soon.
Father/Daughter ~ Someone Special Your daughter and her father or other special someone (uncle, grandfather, etc.) are invited
to join us on Friday, May 8, from 6:30 – 9:00 pm for the Father / Daughter / Special Someone
Dance in the BSS gym! It will be an evening filled with dancing, refreshments, raffles, and
MEMORIES!
Tickets are $25 per couple, $5 for each additional daughter. Tickets
will only be available in advance and will not be available for purchase the night of the
dance. Keep an eye out for ticket information in your child’s backpack.
Want to help out?
We need volunteers to work the night of the event. We could also use any donation of “girl items” for a
raffle. Keep an eye out for our Wish List board in the foyer with some additional items we would love to have donated. Contact Anne Rijo ([email protected]) or Heather Smart ([email protected]) for more information.
Important Dates
april
April 1 - School Mass, 10:15 am
April 3 - Good Friday - No School
April 8 - Grade 4 - Celebrate the USA Day
April 14 - 2nd Grade Field Trip
April 14 & 15 - Used Uniform Sale
April 17 - Casual Day - Cops for Kids With Cancer
April 20 - 24 - Spring Vacation
April 29 - Grade 2 Retreat
April 30 - Third Trimester Progress Reports
may
May 1 - Grandparents/Grandfriends Day
May 1 - Noon Dismissal
May 1 & 2 - BSS Musical - The Little Mermaid, 7:00 pm at Xaverian
May 6 - Online Safety Presentations
Grades 4-5, 11:00am
Grades 6-8, 1:00pm
Parents, 7:00pm
May 8 - Morning with Mom Breakfast
May 8 - Father-Daughter Dance
May 14 - School Mass - Ascension Thursday, 9:00am
May 16 - Family Day of Service - Cradles to Crayons
May 18 - 21 - Grade 7 Class Trip
May 18 - 22 -Grade 8 Class Trip
May 22 - Casual Day - Student Council
May 22 - School Mass, 10:15am
May 25 - Memorial Day - No School
May 27 - BSS Student Art Show, 6:00 pm
june
June 9 - 8th Grade Class Night, 6:00pm
June 12 - Breakfast with Dad
June 12 - 8th Grade Graduation, 6:00 pm
June 17 - Last Day of School - Pre-Kindergarten
June 18 - Last Day of School - Kindergarten
June 19 - Last Day of School - Grades 1-7
June 19 - School Closing Mass, 11:00 am
June 24 - BSS Red Sox Game, 7:00 pm