Bulldog Spirit

Vol. XVI Issue I Sept 2015 St. Joseph School PreK-6

Learning About Survival By Bridget Porcaro and Alyssa Be

Ian Murphy fills a swim bladder in Ms. Gooch’s science class.

Fourth grade teacher Nicole

Gooch has recently been teaching

her class about adaptations that ani-

mals and plants make.

Some fish have what is called a

swim bladder which is a gas-filled

sac present in the body of many

bony fish used to maintain and con-

trol buoyancy.

Ms. Gooch was showing her

class how the swim bladder works

in fish. She did this by using water

bottles to represent the fish and

balloons to substitute for the swim

bladders. Straws to inflate the bal-

loons were also used.

Ms. Gooch demonstrated how

the bottle sank easily when it was

filled with water. She had her stu-

dents insert the straws into the bal-

loons and blow them up. This

caused the bottles to rise much the

way a fish would. “It’s a survival

technique for the fish,” Ms. Gooch

(Continued on page 2)

Third grade students at St. Joseph

Elementary School have planted a gar-

den thanks to a $500 grant from the

Arkansas Farm Bureau. “We’re also

partnering with the Faulkner County

Extension Office and Master Garden-

ers,” teacher Amy Evans said. “They

providing instructors and lessons twice

a month during the school year.”

Agricultural Agent Kami Marsh and

Family and Consumer Science Agent

Melanie Moore are consulting with the

school while Master Gardeners Betty

Baxter and Barbara Mullican will help

teach the students. Ms Mullican taught

at St. Joseph from 1986-2004.

“The third graders are in charge of

maintaining the garden,”Ms Evans said.

They’ve already planted radishes, car-

rots and lettuce.. They’re also jour-

naling their observations twice a week

and taste testing what they grow.

“This is a great program and provides

hands-on learning,” Ms. Evans added.

“The students are highly engaged in it.”

(more photos on page 4 )

Third Graders Gain Green Thumbs

Master Gardener Barbara Mullican shows Johann

Janowiecki, Lezlei Castro, Abby Neal how to plant seeds.

Fair Parade Spotlights School

Our “Farm Comes To Town” float.

The Bulldog Band Makes Noteworthy Sounds

Bulldog Spirit

2

The Bulldog Spirit is written and

produced by St. Joseph’s journalism

classes.

Reporters/Photographers:

Mollie Angel, Alyssa Be, Sam Burgener, Col-

lin Davis, Wyatt Davis, Owen Echols, Connor

Harrell, Tristin Harper, Nathan Hambuchen,

Natalie Hambuchen, Sawyer Lagasse, Andrew

Marks, Matthew McWilliams, Grant Merkel,

Zach Moore, Bridget Porcaro, Jake Spradlin

and Peter Woodson.

Advisor: Mr. Ray Nielsen

Carolina Ferrer Ashlynne Vote

Family Donates Books By: Andrew Marks

Tom and Lynda Lovegrove donated several books to the Elementary

School Library last Spring as a remembrance of the late Jacob Molder.

Two of the books are non-fiction works about golf. Golf was a favorite

sport of Molder’s. The Lovegroves also gave books popular with elementary

-aged students. Each one contains a donation plate stating “In Memory of

Jacob Molder..”

Swim Bladders (from page 1) added. “It allows them to get away from

predators easier since they don’t use all their energy swimming around

everywhere.”

The experiment showed the class an example of a physical adaptation vs

a behavioral one. “ Bears that hibernate in Winter are using a behavioral ad-

aptation,” Ms. Gooch said. This helped the children learn different survival

skills for both animals and plants.

Science Club Blasts Off

Ms. Freyaldenhoven shows a model

volcano.

The Middle School Science Club

began its first experiment September 15

with Principal Susie Freyaldenhoven

serving as sponsor. She showed 4th-6th

graders how to build a volcano and make

it erupt.

Each student was given the bottom half

of a water bottle to build around. Clay was

then rolled and shaped like a mountain. It

was then dried and painted. A week later,

(continued on page 3 )

Bulldog Spirit

3

Summer Readers Rewarded by Natalie Hambuchen

Sixth grader Ashleigh Mallett and third grader Ava Piraino were the Grand Prize

winners in the drawings for participation in the Middle and Elementary Schools

Summer Reading Programs.

St. Joseph Elementary and

Middle School students who read at

least one book over the Summer

from their grade level or Battle of

The Books reading lists were eligible

for randomly drawn prizes.

Everyone who participated in the

program received book marks and

pencils inscribed with “Bulldogs

Read.” Both Ashleigh Mallett and

Ava Piraino were given special

certificates and Bulldog T-Shirts as

Grand Prize winners.

The randomly drawn Elementary

School poster winners were Kinder-

gartners Allie Burns, Brileigh Coats

Easton Flynn., Seth Mathis, Ava

Moix, and Noelle Pizzolatto. Janie

Massey, Abbie Smith, Aidan White,

Jordyn Hoelzeman, Anneke McGhee

and Sophia Scholz were the 1st

grade winners. The 2nd grade recip-

ients were Autumn Skinner, Hailey

Snyder, Xavier Stobaugh, Amelia

Erstine, Aden Fuller and Aubrey

Michaels. Briley Flynn, Jadyn

Travis, Gabriel Washum, Evan

McMillian, Keirsten Nutt and Anne-

Marie Welter were the 3rd graders

who had their names drawn.

Prize-winners in the Middle School

drawings included 4th graders John

Mc Williams, Kim Quinit, Catherine

Royal, Bryce Mallett, Carolina

Ferrer, Max Longing, Lucas

Covington, and Ian Murphy.

The 5th graders were Ruby Jones, Chloe

Skinner, Izabella Creel, Alex Barnard,

Nevyn Flynn, Jackson Tucker, Thomas

Dayer, and Clayton Vote.

Olivia Pasierb, Sydney Pham, Brooklyn

Woodson, Trysta Taylor, Luke

Briggler, Aaron Luyet, Jered Sanders,

and Jake Luyet were the 6th grade

winners.

Vegetation Viewed Close-up

Blakely Holland ,Ella Martin, and Logan Simon

At the start of the

school year 4th grade

students had the

opportunity to use

hand-held illuminating

microscopes to get

close-up views of what

leaves and flowers

look like.

They’d been studying

the make up of flowers

and how reproduction

occurs in plants.

Fourteen of these mi-

croscopes were ac-

quired two years ago

through a St. Joseph

Endowment grant

from the Paul and

Mary Ann Tipton K-

6th Classroom Fund.

the students took their volcanoes out-

side and watched them spew lava.

They did this by combining baking

soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vine-

gar (acetic acid). When they react

together they form carbonic acid

which breaks apart into water and

carbon dioxide. A fizz is created as

the CO2 escapes the solution. Food

coloring was added to give their lava

a more fiery look.

5th

Grader

Catie

Brewer

watches

her

volanco

erupt.

Bulldog Spirit

4

Volunteer Coordinator Angela Rawls, Agricultural Agent Kami Marsh,

Faulkner County Farm Bureau Manager Todd Smith, 3rd grade teacher Amy Evans,

Family and Consumer Science Agent Melanie Malone, Farm Bureau Women’s

Committee member Pat Schaefers, and 3rd grade teacher Christy Pasierb are on hand

for the Farm Bureau grant check presentation.

Master Gardner Betty Baxter gives

instructions.

Ms. Kami Marsh distributes seeds. Ms. Marsh talks about gardening with students.

A Stitch In Time Saves The Arts Kindergarten through sixth grade students at St. Joseph

School are making quilts to be sold at the school’s

biannual ARTragin’ Cajun fund raising effort February 6.

The event helps underwrite the cost of arts -related

materials and activities.

“There are seven quilts in progress,” art teacher Shannon

Chamoun said. “The kids do all of the artwork and volun-

teers piece them together. They’re then take to a

commercial quilter for finishing.”

ARTragin’ Cajun began in 2002. It was meant to

enhance the arts at the school and the Cajun theme was

chosen because of Ms. Chamoun’s background and her

ability to cook Cajun food in large quantities.

The adult volunteers assisting with the project are

Janette Covington, Judy Mahar, Grace Schultz, Margaret

Herzfield, Gail Gibson, Cheryl Barnard and Linda

Louthian. 6th grade boys hold up sections of the block print quilt they’re making.

Bulldog Spirit

5

Fourth Grade Visits Archeological Site By Mollie Angel and Alyssa Be

Park Ranger Amy Griffin talks to

students in front of one of the three remain-

ing burial mounds at the State Park.

Abbey Brewer and Carolina Ferrer make arrowhead necklaces.

Ranger Griffin tells Native American stories.

Avery White, Ashlynne Vote and Yana Kennard follow clues

during a scavenger hunt to find Indian artifacts.

Ms. Melanie Kordsmeier’s and Nicole

Gooch’s 4th grade classes took a field trip

September 24 to wrap up their study of

Arkansas History.

The children visited The Toltec Mounds

Archeological State Park south of Little Rock.

It protects and interprets the largest Native

American mound group in Arkansas.

A Park Ranger first took the students on a

walking tour to view the mounds. They were

impressed by the tallest mound which stands

about five stories high. A Native American

scavenger hunt followed during which tribal

tools were identified. After that, the Ranger

told an Indian story about how the stars were

created. The tour ended with the students

making their own arrowhead necklaces.

Loveable Bubbles By Alyssa Be

The Kindergarten students

recently had a lot of fun

learning about bubbles.

They learned how bubbles

are formed, why they’re

round, and why they have

so many colors.

The students made

bubbles with their fingers

and bubble pipes and ended

by standing in bubbles that

covered them from head to

toe. It was a fun way to end

the unit on bubbles. Ella Berger is buoyed by her effort.

Bulldog Spirit

6

Middle School Profiles By: Natalie Hambuchen and Tristin Harper

Jered Sanders Audrey Flanagin

Audrey~

1.The end of the year

so that I can go to

Summer Basketball

Camp.

2. Spelling and science

3. Going to the beach

4. Chicken

River Ferrari

River~

1. Recess

2. Science

3. Going to the beach

4. Chicken

Grayson~

1. Recess

2. Science

3. Splashing in the

waves

4. Mac and Cheese

Grayson Hambuchen

1. What are you

looking forward to

this school year?

2. What is your

favorite subject in

school?

3. What did you enjoy

most about Summer?

4. What is your

favorite food?

Jered~

1. Recess

2. Social Studies

3. Going on vacation

4. Pizza

Bulldog Spirit

7

Elementary School Profiles

By: Tristin Harper and Natalie Hambuchen

Blake Jackson

Josie~

1. Kindergarten

2. Painting

3. Playing on the

playground

4. Macaroni

Jose Sanchez Ella Crowder

1. What are you looking

forward to this school

year?

2. What is your favorite

subject in school?

3. What did you enjoy

most about summer?

4. What is your favorite

food?

Josie Travis

Blake~

1. Playing

2. Drawing

3. Playing my video

games

4. Pizza

Jose~

1. Recess

2. Math

3. Swimming

4. Eggs

Ella~

1. Getting better at math

2. Social studies

3. Vacation and

swimming

4. Pizza

Bulldog Spirit

Mrs. Mary Joe Seiter

8

Middle School Student Council Installed

President Megan Garrett during her

campaign speech. Vice-President Olivia Williams

narrates her visual presentation.

Secretary Karly Rae Lieblong presents

her ideas for the Council.

Front Row: (left to right) 4th Grade Representative Cooper Berger, President Megan Garrett, 4th Grade Rep. Nevyn Flynn,

Secretary Karly Rae Lieblong, 4th Grade Reps. Christian Stobaugh and Christopher Heath. Back Row: 5th Grade Rep Logan

Bruich, 6h Grade Rep. Maggie Mooney, 6th Grade Rep. Aaron Luyet, 6th Grade Rep., Jered Sanders, and Vice-President

Olivia Williams. Not Pictured: 5th Grade Rep. Marleigh Thessing.

Campaign speeches were delivered on September 23rd. Voting was done the next day. Officers and representatives were

pinned September 28.