Connealy’s Show Their Spirit
- Details
- Published: August 11, 2016
The Connealy's don their St. Mary’s Spirit wear while in South Dakota and Nebraska. Joe and Carla Connealy along with their three younger daughters, Addey, Maria, and Lucia spent some time relaxing in South Dakota.
Mount Rushmore:
Carla Connealy and her daughters, Lucia (K) and Maria (6th) enjoyed an afternoon visiting Mount Rushmore learning how it was carved, walking the path under the faces, and finding Nebraska's flag and plaque displayed there. Not pictured are Joe and daughter Addey, (class of 2015).
Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park:
Carla Connealy with her daughters, Lucia (K) and Maria (6th), enjoy the view from the top of the rocks around Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. They enjoyed hiking around the lake as a family with dad, Joe and sister, Addey, not pictured. Also along that day was Addey's dog Peanut who loved to climb the rocks as much as the girls!
Fort Robinson:
Carla Connealy with daughters Lucia and Maria and Addey's (not pictured) dog Peanut sitting in front of the adobe that they stayed in at Fort Robinson State park in Nebraska. The family stopped to visit their niece and cousin who was working there for the summer, and stayed a few days to enjoy the park. The building they stayed in was the officer's quarters when the the Fort was a Calvary post. They enjoyed horse-back riding, tubing, a jeep ride, and buffalo stew while they were there.
There’s still time to get your photo taken and submit it for the summer photo contest coming up Monday, August 15th at the Ice Cream Social. To enter send photos to Cathy Braxton.
The Braxtons were one of many families who attended the Defenders of Freedom Air Show 2016 at Offutt Air Force Base. As soon as we walked in there were already planes flying and people all over. Jeff particularly, “liked the vintage aircraft especially those from the World War II era." 
Caleb (2nd) seemed to really want to shop, but his "favorite plane was the F18, it was really loud". "I like the Thunderbirds." says Josh (6th). "I like the community getting together to celebrate freedom in America" says Anna (2016 Alumna).
Julie Targy was selected as one of four student summer interns for the Sioux City Explorer Baseball Team. Her job is "Promotions Intern". Julie is the face of the Sioux City Explorers in the crowd and takes care of anything to do with the public; team publicity, game promotions and interacting with the fans. During home games she walks around the bleachers with a microphone, and her sparkling personality, and interviews people, cracks jokes and keeps the home crowd laughing and enjoying the game. Although she doesn't travel with the team, she really enjoys the home games. Julie's major right now is Education with a minor in Spanish. She made the Dean's list both freshman and sophomore years, and holds a 3.9 grade point average and went as one of the leading players with her basketball team to the NAIA Championship playoffs. Julie had a lot of success commentating the Briar Cliff baseball games, and girl’s softball games this year. She has already been offered the job again next year by the Briar Cliff Athletic Director and he, the marketing team and the local radio stations are encouraging her to consider changing her major to Sports Marketing. Julie really loves this new adventure with public speaking and commentating, but also loves teaching in the classroom, so she hasn't made a decision yet.
The last week of May, Julie returned home from her Mission trip to Mexico City with a group from FOCUS. They traveled there to minister to the street children and host a sports camp for local kids. They also spent time with the nuns who live near the shrine for "Our Lady of Guadalupe" built at the location where she appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. It was a very moving experience and Julie hopes to go again next spring as a junior. She has already rallied several of her teammates to go with her. For more photos 
One hundred schools in the United States will win $10,000 in the Campbell’s Grandstand for Schools $1,000,000 Giveaway. St. Mary’s School in Bellevue could be a winner. We need your support enlisting family, friends, co-workers and anyone else you can think of to enter the contest daily through October 31st. No purchase needed, but, you do have a chance to get 5 bonus entries with a receipt showing any participating product. For more details on the contest and a participating product list please 
Home and School partnered with Stoltenberg Nurseries again this year for a Mother’s Day Plant Sale. Thank you to everyone who made it a point to think of your Mom, sister, Wife, Grandma, Aunt, cousin, or friend by purchasing vegetables, annuals, perennials or trees. Together we raised $843.85. Fifteen percent of the sales went to support the school. With last years fundraising of $1,077.72 this Home and School Mother’s Day event has raised almost $2,000 for the school in two years.
The traditional Ice Cream Social is coming up quick Monday, August 15th. 
We are looking forward to meeting and welcoming all the new families and students and getting back together and reconnecting with our school family. School starts August 17th and it’s a full day! The supply lists for each grade are listed on the school website so you’re ready day one.
St. Mary’s school has been teaming with the Bellevue Public School system to offer challenges for our High Ability Learner’s (HAL). This year, Bryce and Josh were tutored on the fundamentals of engineering design and development. They learned about the basic processes of “spiral development”, simple electrical motors, gears, electrical resistors, switches, electrical power sources and circuit design. 
With simple electrical and mechanical components, batteries and a cardboard box, they were able to develop, over 8 revisions – improving with each revision - a simple crane that could lift small objects at 3 different speeds. The electronics in the box had self-contained lighting and cooling along with a status light to identify when the crane was operating. In addition, the boys developed a video presentation with a component list, functional description of the components and a graphical description of each design revision. To view the video of their Excellent Adventure, 
Natalie is visiting cousins in Michigan and showing her St. Mary’s Spirit along the way. 
She couldn't resist a photo opportunity in front of a candy store during a stop at the Saint Louis airport. There’s still time to take a picture with your Spirit Shirt and submit it for a picture collage we are posting on the St. Mary's School facebook page. You don’t even have to leave town. Just show your school spirit. Keep your photos coming. Each photo will be an entry for a drawing that will occur at the Ice Cream Social. There will be one winner of the drawing. Prize: $25 SCRIP card to Marcus Theaters. All pictures submitted will be posted on school webpage and school facebook page. Email all picture submissions to Cathy Braxton by 
Fourth graders researched a United States President and brought them back to life. The students' focus was on that particular president's history before, during, and after his presidency. After their written and oral classroom presentations, students gathered together in groups of 2-3. From there they discussed what their president would like to be remembered for in history. The students then came up with dialogue between the presidents about these accomplishments. Students created a museum exhibit with artifacts and pictures about their presidents. They dressed as their president or wife and transformed into wax figures in the museum exhibits. With a push of a button the wax figures became animated and had a conversation with the other presidents in their exhibit. This project allowed students to get to know our presidents on a more human level and not just a research project. For more photos
Marlene Djidjoho receives the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Scholarship for African American women. Marlene class of ‘11 is entering her Sophomore year at the College of St. Mary in Omaha. She graduated from Mercy last year. Marlene is majoring in biology and minoring in psychology and holds a 3.95 average on a 4.00 scale. Her goal is to become a physician. She will use the $1,000 scholarship to help pay her current tuition. Congratulations Marlene! We’re proud of you.
Fourth graders across the state of Nebraska study Nebraska History and most fourth grade lesson plans include a “pioneer day”. It is one of the highlights at St. Mary’s. You can imagine the excitement for St. Mary’s students after their last P.E. class of the year as the students change into their pioneer clothes to begin a day of pioneer activities.
Even recess was pioneer related as students played “Bean Bag Toss” and “Drop the Handkerchief”. Recess continued inside with the playing of “Potatoes Relay Race”.
The National Park Service is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2016. As part of the celebration an initiative called “Every Kid in a Park” was implemented to get school children outdoors to enjoy the beauty that is ours. Fourth-graders and their families can see America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free. That means our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other federal waters. Current 4th graders have until August 31, 2016 to visit for free. To get your “Every Kid in a Park Pass” 
This summer Nick and Joe show their St. Mary’s Spirit as they visit Yellowstone, the first National Park established in 1872 and Grand Teton National Park.
This is the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. Photos are part of our summer photo contest. For more photos 
St. Mary’s 4th graders gathered on Monday, May 23rd with 4th graders from St. Matthews for their annual walk around Bellevue to see its historical sites. A rainy forecast didn’t stop the students, teachers and parent chaperones from visiting the old bank building, log cabin, the original First Presbyterian Church nor the Bellevue cemetery. A Bellevue docent explained the history of each building. At the old bank students saw the walk in vault, old technology [a typewriter], Fr. Galvin and the first Bellevue College display cases as well as a 100 year old wedding dress just a few of the many items on display. They re-lived how life without any plumbing or electricity was like when Mrs. Mountain lived in the old log cabin which used to be down near the river. Students heard about the 1908 Bellevue tornado that ripped off the steeple of the original Presbyterian Church and saw beautiful original stain glass windows that honored the earliest elders of the church including Dr. Betz for whom Betz Road is named. Prayers were said over the grave of a pioneer child and students visited the grave of Big Elk and his warriors. Big Elk, the last full-blooded Omaha Indian chief, was baptized by Fr. DeSmet who is pictured in one of the stain glass windows at St. Mary’s Church. God answered their prayers of no rain until radar showed approaching storms, which cut their visit to other notable graves. Changing the annual lunch in Washington Park to lunch in the classroom after a quick hike back to school became necessary before the skies opened up. St. Matthews returned to their school and when the skies cleared St. Mary’s 4th graders walked to the Columban Fathers where they saw the many displays of the missionaries who dedicated their lives to those in many countries around the world. Fr. Tom Grennon visited them and answered their many questions. He allowed them to visit their upstairs chapel where they were treated to the voice of a tenor practicing songs like Ave Maria and the Our Father. It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood and everyone left school knowing a bit more about the history of their town and the priests who continue to give so much to their community. For more photos 
This years’ 2016 graduating class from St. Mary’s gave two class gifts to the school. The first a St. Mary’s school flag which will proudly wave each day in front of the school with the school logo. 
The second gift was a $50 donation to the Adopt A Student Endowment fund. That way the class of 2016 will help provide funding in perpetuity for students in need. The students raised the money for their gifts through selling t-shirts. This is the second year the graduating class has given gifts to the school.
Graduation: The big day. Students and families held graduation Sunday, May 22nd at the 5 P.M. Mass. Our 8th graders served in the liturgical roles, as did their family members as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Altar Servers. This tradition highlights our church family, but also our individual families who fulfill the mission in God’s plan as “domestic church.” There were smiles and heartfelt tears as students were handed their diplomas and were now, graduates of St. Mary’s School. Ben Goetz, one of the speakers reflected back ten years ago when he started pre-school with this red haired boy. Today, Ben and Tony are receiving their diplomas and will continue to see each other as classmates at Mt. Michael. Congratulations to all 8th graders and best of luck as you continue to achieve your educational goals and dreams at High School. Special thanks to Home and School for hosting the Graduation reception as our final send off to these students as servant leaders in an ever-changing world. For more photos
The Mlnarik family visit Santa's Workshop: A Christmas Themed Family Amusement Park in Cascade, Colorado and show their St. Mary’s Spirit. 
Their photo is another entry in our summer photo contest.
Congratulations to St. Mary’s graduating 8th grade class who received $7,000 in scholarships to continue their Catholic education. Eight of the seventeen students in the class will be attending Catholic High Schools, each received scholarships.
Following the Awards assembly as our long standing tradition has it, the Seventh Grade families hosted an elegant and whimsical banquet and dance where students enjoyed fellowship and our Catholic High School Scholarship recipients were named and special awards were presented. The theme of this year's banquet was A Night in Wonderland: Every Adventure Requires a First Step. As the students arrived, they walked down a red carpet lined with giant playing cards, pink flamingos and a croquet game area. It was the 8th graders last opportunity as a class to make lasting memories and they did. A heartfelt thanks to our 7th grade parents who hosted this memorable evening. We will have a story with a complete listing of awards. For more photos 
Dr. Wallinger and our teachers were proud to welcome family, staff and the honored 8th grade award recipients for the 8th Grade Awards Assembly on May 19th. For the 8th graders, this assembly signifies the conclusion of in some instances, the last ten years of hard work and dedication at St. Mary's Catholic School. It was a great day to celebrate their accomplishments and send them on their next journey: high school. From Highest Honors to Outstanding Physical Fitness Awards, it was great for the younger students and parents to see. For lots of photos 
The first entry for the summer belongs to Jason. He and his family went to the outer banks of North Carolina. While there they attended a Tony award winning play, "The Lost Colony" about the lost colony of Roanoke. Jason is pictured in front of their open-air stage before the show started.
After watching the 5th graders perform a play and being invited to see the 3rd and 4th graders plays, the 1st graders were inspired and wanted to perform as well. Through our Scholastic News we had been learning about trees and how important they are. We decided to be like Dr. Seuss's the Lorax and speak for the trees. 
The students worked in groups to decide on the characters, wrote their own lines and created their costumes as well as the set. And to truly speak for the trees, all the paper was from the scrap paper bin and recycle box! Our play, Trees Are Important, told of the many ways both animals and humans need trees and ended with a statement and question: We speak for the trees. Do you? For more photos 
How to prove that the sun provides heat? That was the question that the first graders set out to explore one sunny day in May. The students helped to build a solar oven using a pizza box, aluminum foil, black paper and plastic wrap. We also needed a dowel to prop the lid at the correct angle so that the sun's rays would reflect and heat the oven. We waited for a sunny day and as soon as we had one we made s'mores! Did the oven get hot? Oh, yes! The marshmallows were nice and squishy and the chocolate was melted. Yum! A tasty science experiment proving that the sun does indeed produce heat.
St. Mary's 4th and 5th graders had an exciting opportunity to participate in the annual Outdoor Discovery Program at Platte River State Park in April. The annual event "provides hands-on programs so all youth have the opportunity to explore new outdoor activities and recreational possibilities and learn new outdoor skills. It is designed to enhance students' knowledge and ethical understanding of wildlife and the outdoors. Activities are designed to correlate with Nebraska educational standards in the areas of Science, Math, History, Reading and writing."
Along with several parent chaperones, Mrs. Menzel and Miss Jankovich and their students headed out of the school building amidst a smoky haze due to the Kansas fires. It was a beautiful day at Platte River State Park! The first activity for the 5th graders was shotgun shooting while archery was the first event for the 4th graders. Fun and excitement filled the air as many had never shot a gun nor had shot an arrow. However, other programs on their day's agenda didn't happen due to air quality concerns. Before departing from the state park, students and adults enjoyed their lunch while waiting for their bus driver who was out fishing at the park. Upon his arrival students were treated to his expertise on fishing lures, tackle, bait, etc. So even though the day's agenda changed the students were blessed with unexpected knowledge and insight into a stranger's hobby. God truly blessed the students through the beauty of the state park and through those individuals who gave them the opportunity to explore and learn. Next year's event can't come soon enough for the future 4th and 5th graders! For more photos 
The 5th graders presented a play entitled "The Baker's Neighbor" at the end of the year. They had a blast designing, constructing and painting their scenery and sets and coming up with their own costuming. After two weeks of hard work rehearsing they were so proud to perform for the Kindergarten through Fourth Grade students. We had four different casts - that way, more students could have experience with a major role, memorizing lines and acting. They loved it!
Since the theme of the play was about learning to enjoy the simple pleasures that life has to offer, and the Baker learned this from his neighbor; we thought it would be fun to offer each member of our audience a little baked treat after each performance. A sweet way to end this experience in Literature and Language Arts! BRAVO!
Bryan Prewitt a St. Mary’s alumnus, class of ‘12, received two scholarships that could pay his way through college. He received the David Distinguished scholarship worth up to $14,000 at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Prewitt graduated from Bellevue East, 18th in his class of 343 students, got a 30 on his ACT and had a 5.28 GPA out of a 5.0 scale. He also received the Collegebound scholarship, which will cover up to 15 credit hours per semester. Bryan plans to major in mechanical engineering at UNL. He is also going to try and walk on for track. This year Bryan was the anchor for his team in the 400-meter relay. His team went to state where they placed 9th.
Mind Up is a curriculum developed by the Hawn Foundation and published by Scholastic. The Mind Up program is based on the latest research in neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness and is being taught right here at St. Mary’s in the first grade. The lessons at the primary level teach children about three main parts of the brain and their functions as well as what happens to the brain's ability to function when it is stressed. We learn how breathing can calm us when stressed and how our senses can help our brain to process information. Being aware and mindful helps us to remain calm and to reflect on a situation before deciding what to do. Ms. Gaspers taught her students how to be mindful of the world around them, for example, to use mindful seeing, listening, tasting and smelling. She taught students who were scared of fire drills to take 3 deep breaths while walking to the exit. One little girl sobbed every time the fire alarm sounded, but after a few lessons and practice sessions, she was able to calmly exit the room without tears and without needing anyone’s hand. The smile on her face and the confidence in her eyes showed how proud and empowered she felt. As students sat outside and looked and listened and soaked up the soothing elements of nature, they learned that no matter where they go they can take all these skills with them; each of us is one breath away from a calm center. There were so many little lessons that one-day would be realized in the every day.
Many fourth graders from across the state make an annual trek to the state capital city of Lincoln. St. Mary's is no exception. It's a tradition started about twenty years ago by Mrs. Feagan who requested that the annual Lincoln trip be switched from the 8th grade to 4th since it fit in well with Nebraska History, which is studied each year by 4th graders. Sister Dorothy Rolf, principal years ago, agreed to the change and so every year the 4th graders look forward to this day long field trip.
After lunch the students toured Morrill Hall and attended a program at the planetarium. After a few photo opportunities they boarded the bus and the sower on the top of the capitol grew smaller and smaller out the window as they departed Lincoln.
The end-of-year St. Mary’s School Mass was bittersweet this time around.
Representatives of the first grade class presented a framed picture of their class dressed as saints. It was a tender moment as they gave their gift along with a hug. As Mass concluded, the student body sang especially well, which may have inspired Fr. Denny to return to the sanctuary and thank the students for their participation, their active faith life and their commitment to living as Christ wants each of us to live. As he spoke to the student body, he let them know how much he would miss them and how deeply he cared for them. When he mentioned that he would most likely be back to celebrate All Saints Day in November their response was an audible gasp of joy followed by spontaneous and enthusiastic applause. It was indeed a wonderful way to end the school year and let Fr. Denny know that he will remain in our hearts as he retires. For more photos
“Where Are Our St Mary's families spending their Summer Break?” Photo Contest. Over break as your family is out at various landmarks...maybe in other states, maybe in Bellevue...take your picture with your Spirit Shirt and submit it for a picture collage we are posting on the St. Mary's School facebook page. Each photo will be an entry for a drawing that will occur at the Ice Cream Social. There will be one winner of the drawing. Prize: $25 SCRIP card to Marcus Theaters. All pictures submitted will be posted on school webpage and school facebook page. Submission constitutes consent. Email all picture submissions to Cathy Braxton. 
As tradition has it the 6th graders had to make an invention that makes life easier in some way and 7th grade did an investigative experiment for the Science Fair. On May 20th they got to show everyone what they learned. 
Science teacher, Jennifer Thompson says, “There were many great projects this year and the younger students enjoyed learning about what middle school students do for their projects.” Taryn Wharton took first place for the 6th grade with her Shirt Keeper- it keeps your uniform shirt tucked in, second place went to Jada Williams for her Everything Binder and there were two third place winners: Lauren Leighow for her programmable portable plant nursery and Gabby Sjostedt with her nail catcher under car to prevent flat tires. In 7th grade Isabella Medrano, Lucia Mansisidor and Rachel Schaffart took first place for their analysis measuring which battery brand lasted the longest, second place went to Nick Kouba, Dane Storch and Fredy Kadjo for their experiment on which liquid caused plants to grow the tallest, and Theodosia Mba and Anou Akot took third place. They baked cakes with different ingredients and measured the density of the cakes. 