St. James School in Erie, PA

Celebrating the Flag

Each day at St. James School begins with a salute to America. Promptly at 8:45 each morning representatives of the Safety Patrol, flanked by representatives from Grades K-8 form an honor guard outside the front doors. Patrol Captains proudly carry Old Glory to the flagpole while all stand at attention. Students are then lead by 8th graders in saying the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” Students wait enthusiastically for their turn to attend the flag-raising ceremony, and passersby on Buffalo road have been seen to join in!

Operation Defrost

Grade 7 expressed a big”Thank you !  to the people of St, James for their most generous help in the students’ recent service project “Operation Defrost,”  The response was heartwarming and much more than expected, Students collected,  sorted and boxed bedding and winter wear to help recent immigrants to Erie, The Catholic Charities van came three times and was stuffed full each trip, On one trip we met the lovely Jackie from Sudan, On another trip we met a man from Bhutan who told us of the terrible treatment his family endured before fleeing to America, Another frigid day the driver was scheduled to pick up refugees at the airport arriving from Nepal for a new life in Erie.

“Banano” Lego Robotics Team

Congratulations to our first Lego Robotics Team who made an awesome finish in the competition held at Behrend on November 13. The St. James team, who called themselves the “Bananos,” won the award for Quality Robot Design, and even though they were a rookie team, they placed 8th overall out of 44 teams, some whom have been together for five years.The challenge topic for 2010 was “Body Forward,” how engineering helps medicine. Each team had to design a robot which could perform given tasks, such as put a cast on a bone, open a closed artery with a stent, or open a blockage in the brain. These were models made of Legos. There were nearly 20 tasks to be performed in 2 Y2 minutes. Students also had to research a topic and perform a skit about it. The Bananos chose nanotechnology, and related how Matthew Lynch’s broken leg would have been healed overnight using nanorobots in the very near future. Special thanks to Dr. Carl Hultman of Gannon University who taught the boys a class in nanotechnology. Special thanks to coaches Mr. Allen Madura and his assistant Mr. Dennis Cooper who gave of their, time, talent and expertise.  These students are taught by Sister Mary and Sister Martha.

St James School in Waynesburg, Ohio

This year our Community has begun a new ministry at another St. James School  in Waynesburg,  Ohio.  Sister Clara, Sister Marianne and Sister Diane teach religion and Sister Judith who drives the Sisters tutors some of their students.  The second graders are being prepared for First Communion and have made their First Confession in a beautiful Liturgy.  The younger children can tell in their own style the stories of such Biblical Giants as Abraham and Moses.  Grade Three is concentrating on the Marks of the Church and the Fourth Grade  are studying the Ten Commandments and the Laws of the church.  The Fifth and Sixth Grades are learning about the Seven Sacraments this year.  They have become excellent Lectors at Mass.  One child said “The Church is awesome!” and another told one of the Sisters that “Religion is my favorite subject.”