Vol. VIII, No. 2
December 18, 2020
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May the joys and blessings of Christmas be with you
and your families this year and throughout 2021!
CBS Offers Virtual Open Houses, Small Tours
Because of the pandemic-related gathering sizes, Christian Brothers School did not offer its usual Open Houses on its two campus, instead opting for virtual tours via links on the school’s website:

In addition, each campus scheduled a series of small group tours to allow prospective families the opportunity to learn more about the school. In addition to tours of the campus guided by current students and parents, prospective families also learned of the application process and heard from a CBS graduate on his or her experiences as a CBS student and how it prepared them for high school.


Evan Walker, a senior at Brother Martin High School and a 2016 CBS grad, spoke at one of the small group tours of his experiences. With him is Michael Prat, principal of the City Park campus.

Canal Street Campus principal Richard Neider, at left, with Addie Womac, a 2019 graduate of the Christian Brothers Girls’ Middle School and a current student at Archbishop Chapelle, who talked to prospective families during one of the small group tours on the Canal Street Campus.


CBS students tell prospective families of the subjects offered at the City Park campus.
Upcoming Dates:

Christmas Holidays, December 19 through January 3
January 4, Classes Resume in Person on Both Campuses
Throughout month of January, Screening of preK through 2nd Grade Applicants
January 6, Report Card Day
January 9, Admissions Test for Grades 3-7:
-- For Boys Entering Grades 5-7, on the City Park Campus
-- For Boys & Girls, Grades 3 and 4, and Girls, Grades 5-7, on the Canal Street campus
January 9, High School Applications Day for 7th Graders
January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday
January 28, 2021-2022 Registration Due for Returning Students
January 23, Admissions Test Make-Up Day
Bria Flynn Selected as CBS Student of the Year
Bria Flynn (5E) has been selected as the 2021 Christian Brothers School Student of the Year and will represent our school in the regional competition at the Archdiocese of New Orleans in January. 
 
Bria has attended Christian Brothers School since third grade. In addition to her superb academic achievements, Bria participates in competitive year- round swimming, tumbling and basketball. She has also participated in many service school projects.
The Student of the Year Awards Program is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education for students in grades 5, 8 and 12.  The goal of the yearly competition program is to identify and recognize outstanding students based on their academics, leadership, service, citizenship, recognition and overall activities. Student candidates must have at least a 3.1 on a four-point scale to qualify. 
Falcon Band, Drama Club Combine To Create Virtual Christmas Concert, Card during Pandemic
With the plans for a Christmas Concert and One-Act Play becoming a virtual only production because of the inability to gather family and friends during the pandemic, the students and moderators turned their creative juices into a virtual Christmas card to share. The Falcon Band, under the direction of Heath Barker, and the Drama Club directed by Whitney Brown, students converted their planned presentations into a digital experience, edited by Dublin Hoerner (7M).

Meanwhile, each class on the Canal Street campus also put together a special video presentation edited by Tammy Hathaway, Kindergarten aide, to be shared throughout the school and with parents.
Heath Barker, fifth grade homeroom teacher and band director, directs the Falcon Band drum section for their part in the virtual Christmas production. From left, the band members are Sawyer Joubert (7M), Hayes Rownd (6C), Paul Crane (5R), Jax Dagley (5M), Josh Lara (7P), John Connelle (6B), Christopher Juge (7M), Charles Cangelosi (5M) and Jack Ruckert (5B).
Avery Albert Coordinates Toys for Tots





For the last three years, Avery Albert (7D) has coordinated the Toys for Tots drive on the Canal Street campus. She is pictured with some of the toys collected.
Celebrating Halloween with Donuts, Candy and Crafts

Each homeroom on the City Park campus received a Halloween themed piñata to enjoy during their individual homeroom party. Trey Breaux (5M) sports the piñata remnants on his head.


To help celebrate Halloween on the City Park campus, each homeroom was given a themed piñata for their party. In 5M, Nate Cummings and Jack Markey show off a box of Halloween donuts.


On the Canal Street Campus, second graders in 2G enjoyed Halloween games and crafts organized by the room mothers, and mom Kelly Kloor entertained then with a fun, virtual book reading. The students also brought wrapped candies to share during the classroom trick or treat event.
Cafeteria Ladies Recognized on Their Day
The ladies who prepare hot lunches for Christian Brothers students on both campuses received gifts during National Cafeteria Workers’ Day this fall. Pictured were Keynana Hingle, Deneen Taylor, manager Angel Hurst, Natalie Hartford and Shawanda Johnson. Absent from the picture: Merlice Pierce.
Canal Street Students Vote on Election Day

While the rest of the country was voting for president and other races, Canal Street students had their own election, choosing which spirit shirt to wear the following Friday, Saints gear or that of LSU (60% students voted to wear Saints attire!). Students who participated in the Canal Street campus “election” each received an “I Voted” sticker.
Emile Braud (KC) is about to submit his vote, choosing Saints over LSU.
Students Enjoy Visiting Annual Book Fair
Moms Ann Melius and Louise Cook handle book sales when homeroom 1H visited the annual Book Fair organized by the Ladies' Club. Students making purchases are Levi Patella and Giovanni Windham, both in 1H.



Micah Pfefferle (1H) carries his stack of purchases at the annual Book Fair.
5M Uses Chapel Time for the Rosary


Jake Brandner (5M) leads his classmates in the recitation of the Rosary during their chapel visit recently.
Canal Street Students Learn Hands-on Science

Students in the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) classes learn science in a hands-on way under PLTW teacher Rachael Prat. Madison Fortier (1H) shows off her model of the solar system after a science project in Project Lead The Way.

Clockwise from bottom left, Julia Trahant (3C), Max Bazile (3C), Anna Prat (3V) and Domenick Grieshaber (3V) work together on a PLTW project designing "Grandma's Garden" so it can withstand a flash flood that is forecast.


Cooper McLaughlin (1H) works on a PLTW project to design a shade to protect a playground from ultra violet (UV) rays.
Canal Street Students Enjoy Bingo Treat

As a special treat organized by principal Richard Neider, each homeroom on the Canal Street campus enjoyed a game of Bingo in the auditorium. Here Claiborne Rhodes (4Y) prepares to yell "Bingo" after marking his card.
Canal Street Homerooms Decorate for Christmas

A Christmas tradition on the Canal Street campus is decorating classroom doors in holiday themes. Here students in PreK-C stand near their door with an "Away in a Manger" theme. Mrs. Ashley Fury is the homeroom teacher.
Falcon Drive Collects Food for Thanksgiving
Fifth graders participate each year in the F.A.L.C.O.N. Drive, and in November they collected non-perishable food items for the food bank. The students, all in 5M, are Campbell Levy, Brooks Blanchard, Connor Stackpole, Jacob Brandner and Nate Cummings.
Kindergarten Students Attend Mass

Each homeroom has the opportunity for Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church, and here KC students Eliza Self and Eli Hubbell stand with Father John Dominic Sims, O.P., following their Mass.
First Graders Learn about VENN Diagrams
First grade teacher Melissa Hoffman’s 1H homeroom sits around a VENN Diagram to help demonstrate what they have learned about the process to sort similarities and differences between two things. Their study was on life today and life long ago.
Learning Landscape Featured in Clarion Article
“When life gives you turnips, make turnip soup. That was the simple, yet powerful, lesson embraced by students who plant and maintain Christian Brothers’ Learning Landscape and Edible Garden, one of four ‘recess electives’ available to all grades at the school’s City Park campus,” stated an article about the CBS Learning Landscape in City Park, written and photographed by Beth Donze of the Clarion Herald, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Ms. Donze noted that the middle school students harvested turnips, collard greens and other vegetables from the 1,500-square-foot garden which Chef Derek Dischner turned into a hearty soup. The produce was started from seed in the garden, which also produced diffferent varieties of lettuce, beets and other items. The Learning Landscape also features over 40 different varieties of edible fruit and nut-bearing trees and shrubs.

Seventh grade students look over a lime tree loaded with fruit. Front row, from left, Sawyer Joubert (7M) and Sawyer Joubert (7M); back row, Zach Friloux (7P), Zach Raymond (7M), 5R homeroom teacher Craig Radetich who directs the Learning Landscape elective.

Photo by Beth Donze, Clarion Herald
Second Graders Create Models of Businesses
To help demonstrate what they learned in recent reading and social studies lessons, second graders constructed models of local businesses. The students were each given a picture of a local business and asked to create the model with the help of family members.
Canoe & Kayak Club Paddles Manchac Swamp
During the November Thanksgiving break, the Canoe & Kayak Club, under the guidance of seventh grade homeroom teacher Doug Moreau, launched 15 boats into the Manchac Swamp for leisurely, socially-distanced paddle.

Charlie Juge (5R), in the bow, paddles with his dad Christopher.


Christopher Juge (7M) looks back as his boat approaches the canoe with Jack Hubbard (7P) and his brother Miles (4G).
Cross Country Teams Compete in Mole Hill Run



Logan Kadden (5S) is a step ahead of Sarah Downs (5S) during the Mole Hill Run in November at Lafreniere Park.

Some of the Falcon cross country runners pause for a photo with their coach Korry Melton at the Mole Hill Run. From left, Ella Lirette (6R), Mila Glavinic (6K), Eva Melton (5S), Anna Holloway (5E), Sarah Downs (5S) and Logan Kadden (5S). Mila finished in seventh place and Emma came in 10th overall.
The Falcon Boys’ Cross Country team also participated in the Mole Hill Run. The 5th/6th grade team placed fourth, and seventh graders, competing in the 7th/8th division, took the overall team championship. David Quintana (6F) was the individual champion, running the two-mile race in 11:30. Others finishing in the top 10 were Blake Couvillon (6S), Sam Mann (7T), Baxter Hebert (7T), and Quinn Anderson (7M).
Falcon 7th Graders Win Division at Rocky Top
The Falcon seventh grade football team celebrates winning its division’s championship in the Battle at Rocky Top in Knoxville the weekend before Thanksgiving.  The team defeated Carter Hornets 30-14 in the finals to win the 12U Restricted Central division in the tournament. To reach the finals, the Falcons defeated Team United 22-6 and then the Indy Wildcats 8-0.
The 6th grade team enjoyed a first round bye and then defeated the Batavia Bulldogs 34-0 before losing in the semi-finals to the South Dearborn Knights 34-0.
-- ALUMNI NEWS --
Sean Michael Cursain Named National Hispanic Scholar
Sean Michael Cursain (2016), a senior at Brother Martin High School, has been recognized by the College Board as a National Hispanic Scholar. Cursain was also nominated for the Wrestling Academic All State Team.
Nobile, McNeil Earn Perfect ACT Scores
Nicholas Nobile
Andrew McNeil
Two Jesuit students and graduates of Christian Brothers School, senior Andrew McNeil (2016) and junior Nicholas Nobile (2017) each earned the highest possible composite score of 36 on the ACT test. McNeil is also a member of the Blue Jay swimming team, competing successfully in multiple events. Nobile, also a member of the swim team, is also a member of Mu Alpha Theta and Sodality. He also participated in District Rally. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student’s composite is the average of the four test scores.
Special thanks for helping with this newsletter to Elizabeth Juge, Korry Melton, Megan Whalen, Nicole Allen, Nancy Giacone, Rachael Prat, Tammy Yrle, Jen Vanderbrook, Melissa Hoffman, Maryellen Richert, Tammy Hathaway, Sandy Dischner, Zach Bienvenu, Heath Barker, Whitney Brown, Kenny Marks, Shannon Denton, Craig Radetich, Kim Flair, Lauren Gauthier, Doug J0ubert, Doug Moreau and Derek Cummiskey.
Joey M. Scaffidi, AFSC, President