PRE-K 4 GRADUATION

On Tuesday, June 11th, our Pre-K 4 Students graduated from Preschool, and are now ready for Kindergarten! They impressed their families with their prayers, songs, and poems. They each revealed what they want to be when they grow up, and sang a song about all the "Joy in their Hearts." Our Lady of Guadalupe, please bless and protect our new Kindergarten Students!

PRE-K 3 STEP-UP CELEBRATION

On Monday, June 10th, our Pre-K 3 Students had their Step-Up Celebration. They showed their parents how much they learned in Preschool this year by saying their prayers, and singing songs; their favorite one being "Five Little Monkeys." Congratulations to our bright Pre-K 3 STARS! Our Lady of Guadalupe, bless and protect our new Pre-K 4 Students.

Please visit our Facebook page for many more photos of this event.

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION

On Friday, June 7th, our Kindergarten Class of 2019 held their Celebration in honor of completing their Kindergarten Year, and moving into First Grade. Our students showed off their many talents learned this year, by reciting the Hail Mary in both English and Italian, and singing a beautiful song In Italian about butterflies, called "Farfallina." They acted out Nursery Rhymes, and read a poem written about our Blue Ribbon School. The students certainly proved to all that attended this celebration, that they are well prepared for First Grade, and beyond! Many thanks to all who made this a very memorable event for our Kindergarten Class of 2019 and their Families. May Our Lady of Guadalupe bless and protect our brand new First Graders!

EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION: FAREWELL TO THE CLASS OF 2019!

On Wednesday, June 5th, our Class of 2019 graduated during a beautiful and tradition-filled Prayer Service in our Church. We are so proud of each and every one of you and we offer this blessing for all our Graduates:

"The compassionate Jesus had redeemed a world of sin by His own agony, and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all. He who would climb to a lofty height must do so by steps, not leaps. Go forth therefore, and proclaim the Good News of the Lord!" -- St. Augustine of Canterbury, 604 AD

PRE-K 3 BUILDS A CARDBOARD ZOO TO DEMONSTRATE RECYCLING

Our Pre-K 3 Students became Earth Day Zookeepers, as they built a Zoo from a recycled tissue box, and made binoculars out of recycled cardboard tubes. We are happy to report that none of our wild animals escaped from our Recycled Zoo!

2019 NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION

On May 6, 2019, St. Augustine School proudly inducted 22 students into the National Junior Honor Society during a ceremony held in the St. Augustine School Auditorium presided over by our Principal, Sister Mary Louise Shulas, MPF. The Lighting of the Candles was performed by current 8th grade NJHS members John Michael A.,Chelsy G., Lacey O., Sasha S., and Kayla S. Delivering the Keynote Address was St. A's alumna Megan Lyttle (Class of 2015), who is currently a Senior at Immaculata High School.

The inductees took the Pledge of the National Junior Honor Society, promising to "be loyal to my school, and maintain and encourage high standards of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Citizenship, and Character" which are the pillars of the Honor Society. Then they were formally inducted by Sister Mary Louise, Vice Principal Mr. Edward Modzelewski, and NJHS Faculty Advisor Mrs. Colleen Paras.

Congratulations to all of the 2019 National Junior Honor Society Inductees: Bianca B., Bridget B., Anna C., Alexander D., John Paul F., Joshua F., Abigail H., Gabriella K., Joseph K., Sharbella J., Kavya K., Erin L.,Madeline M., Giovanni O., Adrian P., Michaela P., Madison R., Jake S., Michael S., Layna T., Dylan Elizabeth W., Aaron W.

KINDERGARTEN TURNS TRASH INTO TREASURE

Kindergarten had the task of taking objects they were going to throw out and make something new out of something old. They combined art and science to create some beautiful and useful new inventions,all while learning about why it is important to recycle and take care of our Earth!

SOUTH BRUNSWICK POLICE DEPARTMENT HELPS KEEP FIFTH GRADERS S.A.F.E.

Lieutenant Gene Rickle of the South Brunswick Police Department visited St. A's to present the Substance Awareness for Empowerment (S.A.F.E.) Drug Prevention Program to our Fifth Grade students. We are very blessed to be a part of the South Brunswick Community, and are very thankful for all the support we receive from the South Brunswick Police Department.

THREE ST. A'S STUDENTS WIN AWARDS IN THE DIOCESE OF METUCHEN'S ANNUAL RESPECT FOR LIFE POSTER CONTEST

From the April 18, 2019 issue of The Catholic Spirit:

The diocesan Office of Respect for Life received 240 poster entries from 15 Catholic Schools and 18 Religious Education Programs for its annual "Kids Look at Life" poster contest. Students from grades one to eight were asked to reflect on the theme: "How can we do as Jesus has asked us and love others who look different from us? How can we celebrate our differences?" Posters were judged on grade level, creativity and visual appeal. Winning posters will be used to create a 2019-2020 Respect for Life Calendar.

Among this year's winners were three St. A's students: Caitlyn C., who won Second Place in Grade 1; Lara F., who won First Place in Grade 6; and Chelsy G., who won Second Place in Grade 8. All of the finalists and poster winners will be honored at an awards Mass and Luncheon at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway on May 7. Congratulations to all of the winners on their outstanding and creative posters!

(Posters reproduced from the April 18, 2019 online edition of The Catholic Spirit)

FIFTH GRADE HELPS KIDS WITH AUTISM BY CREATING SENSORY BINS

Our Fifth Grade Students prepared Sensory Bins for South Brunswick Middle School in honor of Autism Awareness Month in April. Sensory play can help kids with Autism calm down, stimulate their senses, and develop important educational skills. We are very grateful to all our Fifth Grade Families and Teachers for generously donating items for the Sensory Bins, and for reaching out to our local South Brunswick Community with a kind and compassionate spirit for those in need. 

ST. A'S ODYSSEY OF THE MIND AND RGMC TEAMS EXCEL AT STATE AND NATIONAL EVENTS

The gifts and talents of St. Augustine of Canterbury School’s middle school students were on full display as three of the school’s competitive STEAM teams won trophies at their respective state and national tournaments.

Leading the way was the 8th Grade Odyssey of the Mind team, who took the State Championship in Division II on the problem “Opposites Distract” at the New Jersey State Finals in Ewing, NJ.  Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides opportunities for students from kindergarten through college to use creativity and ingenuity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.  In this problem, the team was challenged to present a performance about a sneaky character that distracts others by luring them into silly arguments - presented in different dramatic styles - while trying to take control of anything the team wishes. In the end, the team realizes that they have been tricked into being distracted and catches the character before it can take control.  The students got a chance to show off their problem solving skills as well as their writing and artistic talents on their way to earning the first place trophy and qualifying for the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University in May.

St. Augustine’s 7th Grade Odyssey of the Mind team also had a successful State Finals, as they earned Second Place in Division II on the problem “OMER to the Rescue, Again.”  Here, the students were asked to design a vehicle that can be assembled from parts that would fit into a suitcase so that “OMER” - Odyssey of the Mind’s raccoon-like mascot - and his trusty Sidekick can ride it and use it in different ways “save the day” at various locations.  Between attempts, the “OMER-mobile” is disassembled, put back into the suitcase, and then reassembled in the new location.  The performance ends with a hero’s parade for OMER and his fantastic vehicle.  This problem highlighted the students’ engineering skills, as they needed to make sure that their OMER-mobile could be assembled into a functional vehicle, actually ridden, and disassembled repeatedly - all while still being able to fit into a suitcase.  The team’s Second Place result also earns them a spot in the Odyssey World Finals alongside their 8th Grade classmates.

Finally, moving to the national stage, the “Cocoa Tribe” from St. Augustine School won 3rd Place at the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest National Finals in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  The team used all of their creativity and engineering skills to create a jungle exploration-themed machine, built predominantly using repurposed common household items, that took 32 steps to drop a chocolate coin into a treasure chest-shaped bank. The students also had to perform a skit, complete with character costumes, that told the story of their machine in a creative and humorous way.  After their success at this year’s National Finals, the team is already looking ahead to next year’s challenge:  a Rube Goldberg machine that turns off a light.

RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTEST TEAM WINS MINEOLA, NY REGIONAL COMPETITION

St. A's Rube Goldberg Machine Contest team competed in an RGMC Regional contest at Mineola Middle School in Mineola, NY on March 9. The team, known as the "Cocoa Tribe" to go with the theme of their machine, took home the Division I (Middle School) First Place trophy and also received the Spirit of Rube Goldberg Award, which is given to the team in each division with the most humorous machine and/or performance. The Regional win qualifies St. A's for their third consecutive appearance in the RGMC National Finals, being held this year at the Lawrenceburg Event Center in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on Saturday, April 6. Congratulations and best of luck in the Finals!

SECOND GRADE COMMUNION RETREAT WITH RAY BOSWELL, “THE POTTER”

The Second Grade Students and their Parents spent a spiritual day as their Communion Retreat with Ray Boswell, better known as "The Potter". To remind our Second Graders of their First Reconciliation, Mr. Boswell used a video "The Lump" to explain how God's Love is infinite and how He is always forgiving us; no matter what we do. Then he began the process of making a Chalice out of an ordinary lump of clay, all the time reminding us of our strong connection to God. The students then got the opportunity to decorate a Chalice as a special memento of their First Holy Communion. Thank you to Mr. Falcon and any Second Grade Parents who contributed their photos.

Please visit our Facebook page to see the full photo album from the retreat.

PHILADELPHIA ZOO ON WHEELS VISITS PRE-K

Our Preschool had a very special visit from the Philadelphia Zoo On Wheels, and learned from the interactive presentation All About Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles and their Fur, Feathers, Scales and Skin.

DR. SEUSS INSPIRES STUDENTS TO TAKE THE READER'S OATH

Our Kindergarten and Third Grade Students took the Reader's Oath after reading their favorite Dr. Seuss books together.

"Each book that I read puts smarts in my head, 'Cause brains grow more thoughts the more they are fed.So I take this oath to make reading my way of feeding my brain What it needs every day."  -- Dr. Seuss

NJHS-LED “BE HUMBLE DAY” ASSEMBLY INVITES STUDENTS TO PRACTICE HUMILITY

Our National Junior Society Members led us in an assembly about Humility on February 22nd, which was National Be Humble Day. They used Sister Bernadette and Nelson Mandela, as shining examples of people living their lives as humble servants. All the students in Grades 5-8 took the pledge to be humble like the Saints, and were then asked to sign a "Be Humble" Poster, based on scripture from Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." We are so very proud of our NJHS students for organizing this event to make their fellow students more aware of how to be humble in all that they do. 

100 DAYS SMARTER - KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATES WITH THEIR 8TH GRADE BUDDIES

Even a snow day the day before could not stop our 8th Graders and their Kindergarten Buddies from celebrating the 100th Day of school on February 13th! As you can see, our Kindergarten students are 100 Days Smarter, as they impress their 8th Grade Buddies with their Math and Reading skills.

FOURTH GRADE PARENT DAY!

Our 4th Grade celebrated their Parent Day on February 6. The students and their families completed a Valentine's Day service project for the Veteranss, two STEM projects including the use of a QR reader app, and the most favorite project of all was making the Thaumatrope, which is a Victorian toy constructed from a simple disk or card featuring a different picture on each side and attached to a straw. When the straw is twirled rapidly the card rotates on its axis and the two images appear to combine. One of the parents who attended Parent Day commented: "Both my son and I had great fun at the Parent Day yesterday, it was a great experience. Thank you for your tremendous efforts and dedication for an enriching experience. All the activities were so interesting and engaging, it was a fun filled and educational at the same time."

See more photos from this event on our Facebook page.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2019 RECAP

St. Augustine School joined with all of the Catholic schools around the US in celebrating National Catholic Schools Week from Sunday, January 27 to Friday, February 1. The week kicked off on Sunday with a successful Open House, and then began in earnest on Monday.

Day 1 was dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe as we continue to observe the Diocese of Metuchen's Year of Spiritual Awakening for Consecration. Students gathered in the gym for the opening prayer service wearing the colors of the flags of countries in North and South America to honor Our Lady's patronage of the Americas. Following the prayer service, students and teachers made a pilgrimage around the whole school bestowing the blessing of Our Lady of Guadalupe upon each classroom.

Day 2 was highlighted by a salute to our community heroes - policemen, fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, crossing guards, and the school medical and support staff. We were blessed to have several members of these organizations join us for a prayer service in their honor. Students read heart-felt compositions describing their heroes, and then each in turn was recognized by name and presented with a memento of their visit in gratitude for their service and sacrifice. A video of the entire prayer service can be found on our Multimedia Gallery page.

Days 3 and 4 featured our school-wide STREAM project, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." On Wednesday, the students were tasked to work together with a partner, using only a few simple materials like newspaper, scrap paper, felt, pipe cleaners, yarn, and tape to design and construct a shoe that was able to be worn, and removed, and did not need to be taped to the foot. The students showed great creativity and all used their collaborative skills to work together to design some awesome looking shoes! Then on Thursday, the students met with their partners to actually wear the shoes they had made and made a pilgrimage around the gym in order to know what it is like to "Walk a Mile In Someone Else's Shoes." They learned that there are those less fortunate than themselves who may never have a real pair of shoes to wear, and gave thanks for this blessing that many take for granted.

And finally, Day 5 brought an end to our Catholic Schools Week festivities. The day was highlighted by the traditional 8th Grade vs. Faculty Games, a talent show presented by members of the faculty and staff, and one final tribute to Our Lady of Guadalupe as the 4th graders wore tilmas they had made bearing the image of Our Lady, thus bringing the week full circle.

YOUNG SCOUTS EARN A MERIT BADGE WITH THE HELP OF THE SBPD

Sgt. Tara of the South Brunswick Police Department and proud St A’s mom, helped our Daisy Scouts earn their “Respect Authority” badge. The girls had a blast learning what it’s like being a police officer. Thanks Sgt. Tara!!! You are amazing!

STEM-TASTIC 3RD GRADE PARENT DAY!

Our Third Grade Students and their Parents had a STEM-tastic Parent's Day, working on collaborative STEM projects. In Grade 3 White, the students and their parents worked on a STEM project using only marshmallows and toothpicks to create the tallest geometric shape they could create. They learned that stability was a key element in their structure. They had to keep supporting it in order for it not to fall or sink. They also learned a strong base made for a sturdy structure. Grade 3 Blue students and their parents collaborated on a seasonal STEM snowflake project. They worked together to create a symmetrical snowflake using the provided materials (craft sticks, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, and cotton swabs). The children were given a Snowflake Journal to complete. Each snowflake was beautiful and unique, just like each of our Third Grade students!

For many, many more photos of this event, please visit our Facebook page.