Mrs. Dinardo's Message for June 4, 2023
Every May St. Peter RC School has a very special day that we call “Hope Day”. Hope Day is similar to what other schools call, “Moving Up Day”. But, of course, at SPS we go a little above and beyond. As with most events, we begin this traditional day with a special Mass. Family members of the 7th and 8th graders join the school to celebrate.
Hope Day symbolizes “Hope” for the future of our graduating 8th grade class and our 7th graders who are moving up to take their place as the leaders of the school. As such, the two classes create a day with combined activities and ceremonies.
During church, the seventh grade acts as Honor Guard and reads all parts of the Mass. There is a special pinning ceremony. The 7th graders pin a tassel onto the left shoulder of a graduating 8th grader.
A heartwarming and sometimes tearful part of the celebration is toward the end of Mass when the 8th graders share fond memories of their years at St. Peter’s. After church, the festivities continue in the gym where the two classes exchange the same kind of memories and well wishes with each other. The 8th graders share a living will in which they leave various items to members of the 7th grade class - some tangible and some a little imaginary. The 7th grade responds by making predictions for each 8th graders’ future.
After that, it’s time for lunch! This year students, teachers and guests enjoyed a meal at the Niagara Frontier Golf Club.
In case you think we’re done....oh, no. The kids finished by dancing the night away in the gym. This, the 8th graders' last dance at St. Peter RC School. Long day? Yes! Exhausting? Yep! But one so filled with memories and special moments it’s well worth all the effort and time that goes into this supremely unforgettable day.
Mrs. Dinardo's Message for May 21, 2023
SPS did a phenomenal job at the Diocesan X-STREAM games on May 7th. The Robotics
team led by our Director of Technology, Mr. Gaynor won the entire competition and set a record for points! Mr. Gaynor has worked hard and spent many hours throughout the year with our robotics team and it paid off.
Sixth graders, Reese Berrigan and Grace Pacillo won second overall in the tabletop board game challenge called ArcadeAcademy. Fourth grader, Alex Morello received third place overall in that same category. Our Kitchen Chem team was a hit with their Choco flan. They won best transformation.
A big thank you to our Spanish/Technology/STREAM teacher, Hope Wright, for her dedication and creativity in all she does with our students.
Mrs. Dinardo's Message for February 19, 2023
Catholic Schools Week was one for the record books, but now that it’s in the rearview mirror, we welcome a return of routine. I’m writing this on Monday morning. The halls are quiet. Students and teachers are in their classrooms concentrating on their studies. It’s a little bit of a lull before the storm, however, as February has many exciting things to offer.
Before we get into February events though, I want to congratulate our students who won the writing competition for CSW. They were asked to write an essay of 250 words answering the prompt, “The Dividends of Catholic Education ''. They rose to the challenge.
The following are some quotes taken from their papers:
* “Here, at St. Peter’s, the class sizes are small. Teachers know the students and their siblings from year to year. They have time to talk to each individual to help them figure out what they need to do to keep their grades up.”
* “One nice thing is you start in lower grades and you stay together until you graduate from 8th grade. They become your best friends because you’re with them for over 10 years. They’re like family.”
* “We get to go to church every Friday and we participate. We get on the altar and do the readings. Our families can even come too!”
* “Every Friday and every Holy Day of Obligation, we go to Mass and learn about our faith and what Jesus wants us to do out in the world.”
* “Since class sizes are small, it is easier for the teachers to get to know their students and how they like to learn. I know that my teachers are always making sure I understand the lessons we are learning and that I am doing well in their class.”
* “Mrs. Calendrelli taught me how to count by 5’s in Kindergarten and now, in 8th grade, Mrs. Say is teaching me how to do arithmetic sequences.”
* “The friends I’ve made here are lifetime friendships”
“St. Peters gives you another family to go to, a home that will always be there for you, an overall comforting place.”
“I love our gym. It’s huge!”
“We get recess on our playground.”
* “There are many after school activities, like Future City, sports, and our musical, Moana!” “Your education will be greatly improved, and if you start off young in Kindergarten or even Pre-k, you will definitely grow up with the best education you can get.”
A central theme in most of the essay was small class sizes, up to date technology, and of course being able to go to church and pray to God. I could supply many more quotes regarding those topics and more. There is nothing more fulfilling than being acknowledged by your students and hearing in their own words how much they love their time with you.