Specials Spotlight

Our ofrenda is up! Come and see it this weekend after Mass. It is only here for a short time and will be taken down on November 3rd. First graders prepared sugar skull squish paintings, and second graders prepared mariposa(monarch butterfly) clips. Third graders are preparing cardboard flower sculptures, and fourth graders sculpted alebrijes. Fifth grade and middle school helped cut out papel picado. The sixth graders sculpted sugar skulls and fixed them to festive backgrounds, and eighth grade made nicho boxes to remember their loved ones who have died. For more information on Day of the Dead, check out the link below. The community ofrenda is made possible through a partnership between the Mexican American Historical Society, The Cathedral Arts Project, and St. Cecilia School.

Students have been working very hard to prepare items to decorate our community ofrenda at the cathedral's north entrance. Third grade has been making cardboard flower and angel sculptures. Fourth and seventh grades are sculpting alebrijes, which are imaginary, mythical creatures. Both fourth and seventh graders used plastic bags and found objects to build the armatures of their alebrijes. Fourth graders covered theirs in model magic, and seventh graders used plaster strips. You may see large alebrijes in Día de los Muertos parades and even on ofrendas. First graders made colorful sugar skull squish paintings, and second graders used line, shape, and pattern to decorate mariposa (monarch butterfly) clips. Sixth graders sculpted sugar skulls out of Model Magic and then used the Chompsaws and other materials to cut out a decorative background for them. Be sure to stop by the ofrenda before November 3rd! I think this is our biggest and best one yet!

We had a frightfully fun week exploring autumn and Halloween stories across all grade levels! Here is a peek at what our students have been reading and creating:

• PreK & Kindergarten: Read The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John & Pete Oswald and designed halloween costumes for the Seed!

• 1st Grade: Shared big giggles reading The Little Shop of Monsters by R. L. Stine & Marc Brown, then drew their own monstrous creations.

• 2nd Grade: Loved Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex and drew creatures tailored to scare the galaxy's famous villain.

• 3rd Grade: Explored a new fall arrival, A Bold Pumpkin Plan by Katy Hudson, and designed architectural pumpkin houses.

• 4th Grade: Revisited the beloved classic I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll and imagined the friendly monsters living under their beds.

• 5th Grade: Immersed themselves in The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg, analyzing how rich illustration details build spooky suspense.

Have a fun and safe Halloween, Cardinals!

Support Our Library A warm thank you to everyone who continues to donate books to our school library! If you would like to help expand our collection, feel free to browse and purchase items directly from our Amazon Wish List.

It is officially Operetta season! If you don't know, this tradition is a musical theater production that we put on each year and has been going on for over 100 years! This year we will be presenting Matilda Jr. Here are some things that might be helpful to know:

- All students in grades 3 through 8 are involved in the production. This is an important part of the music curriculum, and we will be working on it during our music class time.

- Students in grades 5 through 8 are invited to sign up to audition for stage roles or to be considered for stage crew. They will need to sign up with me this week or next and will need to turn in an Operetta Cast Agreement form by Nov. 6th in order to audition/be considered. Please read this information carefully and let me know if you have any questions (mtucksen@stcecilia.net)! Auditions will be held on Nov. 9th and 10th after school. The audition schedule will be shared on Nov 3rd.

Thank you for your support in making this tradition a possibility and providing this opportunity for our students.

Welcome to Quarter 2! We are excited to get started with some new units in P.E.!

Grades 3–8: We are beginning our volleyball unit! Students will work on developing their volleyball skills through drills, small-sided games, and learning the rules of the game.

Pre-K–2nd Grade: We will be focusing on throwing and catching, working on proper mechanics through fun games and activities to help build coordination and confidence.

I’m looking forward to another great quarter of learning, improving, and having fun in P.E.!

Go Cardinals!

Hello, St. Cecilia families.

With conferences last week, I missed quite a few classes, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to touch base regarding how your students’ internet privacy is handled here at St. Cecilia.

School Online Privacy & Data Policy

• Use of Online Learning Tools: The school uses various educational website operators and curriculum providers to enhance classroom learning.

• Information Shared: To set up required learning accounts, the school may share basic student details—such as name, username, school email, grade level, and age or date of birth—strictly for educational purposes.

• Privacy & Consent (COPPA): Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, websites require consent to collect data from children under 13. Federal law permits schools to grant this consent on behalf of parents for approved educational programs.

• Handbook Authorization: By acknowledging receipt of the Student/Family Handbook, you authorize the school to consent to these educational services on your child's behalf.

Here is a link listing the websites used at St. Cecilia along with their privacy policies: [Parental Notification of Online Products]

Please be assured that when creating student accounts for these websites, we always avoid using full names or birth dates. Additionally, these accounts are primarily managed directly by me or your child's teacher.

I encourage you to review the list of websites. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at khickey@stcecilia.net.