The 4 Rs: Reading, W(R)iting, A(R)ithmetic & Religion
Mrs. Sue Clausen, St. John's School Principal

Summer is in full swing, and our hearts and minds are on the outdoors, popsicles, and nonscheduled days. Hopefully, when your children climb the stairs to their tree house, or sit on the porch at night, they have a book in hand. Summertime reading beckons for adventure, such as the: Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall, about four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy; Each Little Bird that Sings, by Deborah Wiles, about a  10-year-old girl and a life full of surprises; Black Lagoon Tales for your seven to nine-year-old, along with a Cam Jensen Mystery or a Magic Tree House adventure.

Phillip Pullman writes novels that weave storytelling with suspense, such as The Golden Compass or its sequel The Subtle Knife. Gary Paulsen writes man-against-nature adventures that enthrall boys from 10 years of age to adulthood. Kindergarteners enjoy picture books with just enough words to tell a story. 

Barnes & Noble and your local libraries have summer reading sheets to record what your children have read to earn prizes. You can access reading lists online at www.barnesandnoble.com,  www.ramsey.lib.mn.us, and various other places. Remember, children will be fluent readers through reading, reading, reading... ... so read a good book today and pass it on to a friend.

Reading is one key ingredient to learning, and writing about what you read is another key ingredient. Writing can take root in a notebook, on loose leaf paper, on the computer, or any other writing surface. All you need to write a good paper is a good idea and a good pencil.

An example of the importance of good writing comes from Gina Champion, St. John's Class of 2007. Refer to the article below about how the rewards of writing well can "add up quickly."

Gina's Winning Essay: "Inspiring the Life we Lead"
  Mrs. Sue Clausen, St. John's School Principal

One of our newly graduated 8^th graders, Gina Champion, wrote a very inspiring paper for the Archdiocese, and she won a high school scholarship of $1,000.00 for her efforts! Gina will be a freshman at Totino-Grace in Fridley this fall. The following is a reprint of Gina's winning essay:

I have committed my life to living out my Catholic Faith. I am involved in the Church in many ways. I attend Mass regularly, and have been an Altar Server for two and a half years. My favorite way to participate at Mass is by reading the Scriptures. I enjoy learning and the challenges that school brings. My class attendance is very high, and I rarely miss a day of school for anything other than sickness. My parents and I agree that missing school for a vacation is putting the priority of vacation over school, and, at this point in my life, faith and school are my top priorities. I participate and contribute to class as much as possible. Even if I'm unsure whether I have a correct math answer or not, I will attempt to answer a question anyway, because the worst that can happen is that I'd be incorrect, and this gives the rest of the class an opportunity to learn from my mistake. I want to continue my educational growth both in traditional coursework and in Catholic Studies. I plan to attend Totino-Grace Catholic High School, and then enroll in a Catholic college. 

I participate in Student Government, and I help speak for the school in that way. I am also a teacher's aide. In this role, I spend an afternoon helping our kindergarten teachers with projects for their students. At my school, we have Prayer Partners where a younger student is paired with an older student to work on projects and assist in reading and religious lessons. In addition to this, I help younger students read in a program called Read Naturally. I feel that these roles put me in a position to be a positive role model for the younger students. I am also involved in the school Guitar Club. In this program, 7^th and 8^th grade students go to nursing homes and play songs for them. I can tell that hearing the music and seeing young people really adds enjoyment to the residents' day.

In general, I am a well behaved person, and I have never received a detention or gotten in trouble with my teachers. I do not fool around and disrupt others during school. Rather, I am involved in the community in many ways. This year, I was elected to the position of President of my Girl Scout Troop. I speak to the troop, help lead them, and keep our group focused on missions such as volunteering in the community. 

As a Girl Scout, I earned my Bronze Award. To earn this award, I volunteered 15 hours of service at Mary's Place holding age-themed birthday parties. Our troop also regularly tends a garden at our parish church. After Hurricane Katrina, a group of my friends, my sister, and I organized a carnival in our backyard to raise money. We sent out flyers to other families, planned games and activities, and raised $200.00, which we put in the Sunday collection basket for hurricane relief at our church.  Over the summer, I am involved in an activity called Summer Stretch. Once a week, a group of junior high students from my parish volunteer our mornings at places like Feed My Starving Children, nursing homes, Goodwill, and homeless shelters. This is followed by a fun activity in the afternoon like a trip to a water park. It is a great opportunity to volunteer in the community and meet other junior high students with similar interests. As you can see, over the past nine years of attending a Catholic school, I've learned and grown in the spirit of our Catholic faith.