Principal's Note 5/1/18

Spring Sing is Wednesday at 1:30 pm

Our annual spring program featuring students in Kindergarten to 4th grade begins at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, May 2. Parents and relatives are welcome to attend. Please join us for this afternoon show.

Thank You for Supporting the Spring Show

A lot of work went into producing the play. We wish to thank Allan Brown (Eleanor 5th) for volunteering his time to direct the play, Mulan Jr., and show the students all that goes into making a big production. Students, with the help of Carl Brady (Nick 6th), made flats and props. John Botkin (Ryan 6th, Abigail 7th), Kevin Barry (Liam 6th) and Chris Hatzes (Jack 8th) helped with materials, supplies, and services. Steve Hazleton (Ruby 3rd, Sadie 5th, Mary Clare 7th) helped with graphics. Mrs. Leishear helped with costumes and set design. Mr. Lucey operated the sound equipment. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Morris helped organize the production, and Mrs. Morris gave the students their cues backstage. The Trebel family (Katelyn 5th) covered the gym windows, made and posted cast photos (with Mrs. Leishear), and made a video of the show. Ms. Franz, our music teacher, directed the singing and stepped in to fill many other roles on many different days. Ms. Laurie Gilkenson taught our students how to act on stage. Ms. Fran Hrastar came to play the piano whenever we needed her.

Thank you, parents of cast and crew members, for making adjustments to accommodate rehearsals and letting your children participate.

Odds & Ends

• May Crowning is Wednesday, May 9, with the silent student procession beginning at 10:30 am.
• The BoxTops winner for April is 4th grade. Students in 4th grade may be out of uniform this Thursday, May 3. Only 1 more month!
• Ms. K needs tennis balls, new or old, for PE class. If you wish to donate some, please send them in.
• Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. 
• Mulan Jr. is now on the SJB Vimeo site thanks to Mr. Trebel (kktreb@msn.com). The password is sjbsspa$$

Here's Something You Might Not Have Known About Me

Thirteen years ago, I went deaf in my right ear.

It happened one Friday night. I went to sleep, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, I could no longer hear anything through my right ear.

My first thought was that I was scared. I was afraid that I would lose the hearing in my other ear next. My second thought was that I needed to throw up. To me, it looked like my bedroom was spinning around me, and it felt like my stomach had risen to my throat. I never liked spinning rides at amusement parks, and I didn't like what was happening to me on this morning.

Zero sound came through my ear, but it wasn't silent. An awful buzzing noise was there. The buzzing will stop soon, I figured, but it didn't.

What I didn't know at the time was that a serious viral infection had damaged tiny bones and nerves in my middle-ear and caused my vertigo, spinning sensation. I called my doctor's weekend number, and another doctor called in a prescription for prednisone and a decongestant. Two days later, on Monday, I met an ear doctor named Dr. Feldman who told me my doctor might have saved some of my hearing by giving me prednisone to stop the swelling, which had caused the damage (the doctor said the decongestant wouldn't work). I continued taking the prednisone and, over two weeks, regained about 5 percent of my hearing.

That's the state of my hearing today. I hear 5 percent of what I once heard. To me, what comes through my right ear is just a general, muffled low-pitched sound. I can't identify words. High-pitched sounds and notes don't come through at all.

The vertigo went away after three or four days of constant spinning. The buzzing or ringing in my right ear never went away, but my brain started to ignore it without my deliberate effort. Now, if I want to hear the buzzing, I have to think about it.

Dr. Feldman has given me all of the tests and trials for hearing aids, but it turns out that hearing aids just aren't made for the kind of hearing loss that I have.

Instead, I try to compensate for my right-ear deafness by positioning myself so that my left ear is aimed at the source of the sound. If I am walking with someone on my right, I'll switch sides so that the person is on my left. Some people know why I do this. I am not sure what the others think when I switch sides on them.

If there's a lot of background noise, a conversation is difficult. It's hard for my one good ear to distinguish one voice from all the others. Big restaurants and parties are the worst. 

Overall, I have adjusted well to my condition, and my preference is to be treated the same way I've always been treated. There is truly no need to speak with extra volume around me.

But if you say "hello" and I don't respond, please know that it's OK to tap me and wave "hello" because I wouldn't want to miss you.

Erin Tervo Scholarship Awarded to Nick Hippchen

The Erin Tervo Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Nicholas Hippchen on Friday night at the end of the spring play. The $2,500 scholarship is presented to a 7th grade student who demonstrates qualities we remember in Erin Tervo: kindness and friendship to everyone, love of math and the arts, particularly the spring play.

Mrs. Tervo taught middle school math and directed the play and school liturgies until her death on Labor Day weekend in 2015. Her husband Jon and three children -- Shannon, Caitlin, Megan -- came to the show with Erin Tervo's parents, Dr. Paul and Kathleen McCauley.

The award winner is determined by the Tervo family in consultation with a committee of former and current faculty members. SJB is honored that Jon Tervo came with his daughters to present the award to Nick Hippchen.

Student Council Picnic

For the second straight year, it was dry and warm enough to go outside but only on the asphalt. Still, the students had a great time playing on the sealed-off parking lot during our Student Council picnic on Friday afternoon. Students danced, played basketball and soccer, ran around, and enjoyed their frozen flavored iceys.

There was chalk drawing, and several students set up picnic blankets and played board games.

Gala & Auction Appreciation

Our gala/auction organizers, Anne Thomas and Kelly Brown, wish to thank everyone who helped and supported our primary school fundraiser. 

Thank you to those who donated their time and effort to help us prepare for the gala and auction. They include the following families:

Brown

Morse-Caslani

Schnell

Margiotta

Tassara

Trebel

Amador

Palmer

Breeden

Jenkins

Thank you to those who helped set up the night before the gala. They include the following families:

Morse-Caslani

Brown

Schnell

Amador

Barberena

Langan

Coupard-Nazir

Hippchen

Ribas

Hippchen

Calis

Margiotta

Mitjans

Breeden

Rodriguez-Arraiz 

Hickey, Holly 

Gomez, Amy 

Thank you to those who made donations or sponsored the event. They include the following families:

Van Thai Ngo

Jurgrau

Harvey/Croff

Hromalik

Lombardo

Mbaya

Hickey, Kim

Tchouante

Ebanks

Wright

Obikwelu

O’Hara

Wood

Bailey

Conlon

Botkin

McAllister

McAllister-Sanders

Campagnari

Malits

Banh

Damiano

Draper

Smith, Keith

Thank you to those who bought a ticket or purchased something on the online auction. They include the following families: