The students in Mrs. Druga's and Miss Rodger's first grade classes amde some new friends in New York State via  Distance Learning. Both schools shared their love of reading by preparing programs about Dr. Seuss stories and sharing them over the Polycom receiver.

This week the reality of their years at St. Philip coming to an end was very evident to the 8th graders. Counselors from Bishop Canevin met with the students and their parents to schedule Freshman classes. Some of the students have a head start on high school as they have been attending science and math classes at Bishop Canevin before they come to St. Philip each morning. Though many are apprehensive, they are excited about the prospects of expanded activities, new friends, and those iPads that Canevin is giving each incoming Freshman!

Seventh grade helped their First grade buddies focus on prayer in a unique way. The partners traced their hand prints and made them into butterflies which will remind them of the Resurrection and Easter joy. The Praying hand butterflies are a symbol of the virtues of Faithfulness and Belief in God.

5th grade students in Miss Poglein's science classes made another study of the effects of earthquakes. After constructing four buildings from sugar cubes, the young scientists put them to the test by simulating an earthquake. They placed the buildings on boxes and struck the boxes with a ruler until all the buildings fell part. After three trials, they  then ranked the buildings deciding which were the first or last to fall and what elements of construction make the difference in stability.

St Philip 7th grade Thinking Caps students participated in a contest with 10 other Middle Schools to design and test a container for shipping a single Pringles™ potato crisp, via the US Postal Service to another participating school in Western PA. When received, packages were measured and weighed and scores were determined by finding the packages with the smallest volume and smallest mass while still protecting the crisp so that it arrives at its destination undamaged. Teams included Joel Patterson and Alec Gamble, Athena Pyros and Caitlin Donahue, Maura Sheedy and Ashley Mell. Both of the girls’ teams had a 100% intactness score.The event was sponsored and organized by Rich Gebrosky, gifted support, North Allegheny School District.

Congratulations to St. Philip 8th grader Adrianne Kubiak who defeated 104 competitors to become the winner of the 61st Annual Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee sponsored by UPMC Children's, The Carnegie Science Center, and The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Adrianne will go on to compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. in late May. Good Luck!!

St. Philip students are observing Lent in a variety of ways.Everyone of course is attending Stations of the Cross which also served as the GRACE program last Friday. Kindergarten, first and second grades shared a lesson on Faithfulness, this quarter's Angelway Virtue. Mrs. Ravenstahl's second grade made scenes of the Last Supper with egg cartons and are counting their good deeds and Lenten sacrifices by putting beans in a jar. Sixth and Seventh grade under Mrs Petersen's direction are collecting money for the missions through their mite box project which they have placed in every classroom for the student's deposit spare change and money they are collecting by sacrificing treats at lunchtime. The money collected from the boxes will be added to the over $200 they raised with their spectacular Mardi Gras Bake Sale.They also have been leading prayer and reflection on Faithfulness over the PA.

St. Philip School was buzzing with Irish energy on St. Patrick's Day.
First grade came to computer class with their Irish hats while kindergarten class was wearin' the green for their lesson in the science lab on baby animals. K- 4 was treated to Irsh dancing from our very own St. Philip troop of Irish dancers. Thank you to Mrs Wrabley and Mrs Zink for the St. Patrick's Day magic.

Thank you to all those who made the Confirmation celebration such a beautiful and memorable event. Thank you in particular to Mrs. Petersen and the 7th grade for hosting the reception.

St. Philip 6th 7th, and 8th grade Thinking Caps students are participating in an innovative project sponsored by the WQED Education Department that provides engineering and design activities as well as mentors to middle school classes throughout the region. Design Lives Here is a student outreach program based on the PBS television program called Design Squad Nation, a reality-based program created to “inspire the next
generation of engineers.”
Working with the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP), the WQED Education Department has identified the common goal of assisting educators in teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subject matter. The ESWP is interested in engaging young people in STEM careers by providing them with exciting and interactive real-world applications of engineering. 
In their first NASA/Design Squad Challenge, St Philip students designed and built a shock-absorbing system that will protect two astronauts when they land from materials supplied by the program. They also had the advice of the mentor provided from ESWP, Matt Castiglia, a civil engineer.The students will complete three more challenges at St. Philip and will then compete with other teams at WQED in May in a final design competition.