BBQ gives taste of new year
Published 11:11 am Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Maddison Hoening, left, and sister Katelynn find several school supplies in her backpack for Karen Valentine's first-grade class at Pacelli Elementary School Tuesday.
The Shamrocks are ready to come home.
Pacelli Catholic School students got a taste of the new school year Tuesday at Pacelli’s Back to School BBQ. While some students weren’t excited to hit the books so soon, other students seemed ready for the coming year.
From left, Cham, Apoajok, Othogi and Achol Obang eat dinner at the Pacelli Back to School BBQ Tuesday.
“This is my first year here,” said JaVaughn Bryant, fourth-grader. “I’m really looking forward to meeting people and trying to make new friends.”
JaVaughn is excited for math class, because he’s good at division.
Jordyn Aarke isn’t sure she wants school to start so soon, but the fifth-grader was busy getting her locker in shape for school to start Tuesday. Her favorite class used to be art, yet her new favorite class might be music, since Pacelli officials dropped art class this year.
Though art classes disappeared, Pacelli administrators say there’s still opportunities for students to grow.
Students and staff meet again before school officially starts at the Pacelli Back to School BBQ Tuesday.
In the elementary school, students will have the chance to work with about 15 to 20 iPads at an early level to master their math and reading skills, according to Principal Mary Holtorf.
“It’s really important to build that foundation of math and reading skills,” she said.
There will also be a before-school program where students can hang out from 6:30 a.m. on, a result of parent feedback according to Holtorf.
Fourth-grader Teren Qvam sets his locker up during Pacelli's Back to School BBQ Tuesday.
There’s plenty of innovation at the junior high and high school level too, according to Pacelli President Joseph Steepleton. Middle schoolers will participate in a new exploration program this year, which will consist of three 12-week elective classes where students can experience subjects that go above and beyond a regular classroom. According to Steepleton, sixth, seventh and eighth-graders will be in electives ranging from drama (the Blarney Theatre) to science and discovery, from environmental sciences to consumer sciences. There’s even a graphic design course where students make their own graphic novel. What’s more, high schoolers may get their own exploratory electives in the future.
“We’re looking to try some different things,” he said.
