| Dates to Remember | |
Friday, January 14
End of 2nd Quarter
January 14-21
Interdiscipinary
Teaching Unit on Boston
January 18-24
Stanford Testing
Thursday, January 20
Information Night for
New Students
7 p.m.
Friday, January 21
Report Cards Mailed
Thursday, January 27
Faculty Meeting Schedule
School Starts at 9:00 a.m.
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Save the Date
The Parent Dance with
"Group Therapy"
has been rescheduled for
Saturday, February 12, 2011,
from 7-Midnight in the
Perry Gymnasium
Please join us for this
evening of fun and friendship!
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My Trip to Gettysburg
By Christopher Jackson '15
On July 1st 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg began when a small Calvary Brigade spotted The Army of Northern Virginia. They quickly called for reinforcements and a Lieutenant who had to make a quick decision decided to fire at Confederate troops. As reinforcements from both sides poured in the fighting got fierce. Gettysburg was the second and last battle in the North. The two lead general's were Meade and Lee. The battle lasted 3 days and had 46,286 casualties, which makes it the most devastating battle in the Civil War. To the Union it was the turning point, to the Confederacy it was what lead the march to Richmond and destroyed the Confederacy.
Gettysburg is where I went for my Christmas Vacation. My family and I went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to pick up my brother who attends Gettysburg College. The next day, while we waited for my brother to complete his final exams, we went around Little Round Top and Round Top to look around. Little Round Top is where the "20th of Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment" held off consecutive Confederate attacks and eventually, when they ran out of ammunition, under the command of Col. Joshua Chamberlain, they ran down the hill with their bayonets to stop the Confederates from taking the Hill. "The 20th of Maine" outnumbered, ended up defending the Hill without letting one Confederate soldier get up the Hill. The next day my family went to Cemetery Ridge and went on a ghost tour. Cemetery Ridge is where the famous Pickett's Charge took place. Pickett's Charge was the Confederacy's last hope. The charge almost worked, but in the last moments the Union desperately pushed back beating the Confederacy.
The ghost tour was good especially because the weather was in the high 50's. The next day we went to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum.
 | | Christopher Jackson |
We went on the Cyclorama. We saw a short movie, and then went upstairs to view the very, very, large painting of the battle. After, we went into the Battle of Gettysburg Exhibit. On our final day we went to Gettysburg College to pick up my brother and leave Gettysburg. My brother, a graduate of CM, now a sophomore in college, showed us his fraternity, AXP (Alpha Chi Rho). Just to let you know, Gettysburg College was founded before the war so a few of the buildings (the ones that have been standing since the war) were actually used as hospitals. I've been to Gettysburg probably 11 times now, but this was one of my best trips to this historic site.
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Interview with Mr. Spaner
By Patrick O'Leary '15
How is the music program going this year? Mr. Spaner: The music program is going well on a daily basis. Chamber ensemble and a cappella are all going very well. The photography club is also going well.
Do you have any spring productions planned? Mr. Spaner: "Grease" is going to be on Wednesday, April 13th. The Jazz Band will be performing at the Parent Council Fashion Show on March 13th. I also have three independent studies for seniors. Of course, there is usually always something else that will come up.
How are the eighth grade music classes performing this year? Mr. Spaner: Eighth grade music is great. They are a really great group of guys. It is a good-natured, funny group and very enjoyable to teach. I look forward to the class every day. They ask questions and are a good group of students.
If you wanted to join music when are the classes? Mr. Spaner: The extracurricular music activities meet on different days depending on the student's interest. A cappella usually meets on Thursday. If a student plays an instrument the meeting takes place during middle school lunch. I do have some middle school students that are playing instruments in the Chamber Ensemble. In this case, I work around their schedules. The short answer is to see me if you are interested and I will give you a schedule.
Can you play a sport and join music, too? Mr. Spaner: Absolutely, I will work around your schedule. Students will have plenty of options if they wanted to play a sport and join music.  | | Patrick O'Leary and Mr. Spaner |
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Speech Finalists  | | And the Winners Are... |
The Annual CMMS Grade 8 Christmas Speech Festival took place during the week before the Christmas break in the Resource Room at Donahue Hall. The goal of the speech program is to help each student begin his life-long journey to become more confident as a person and public speaker - someone who has the courage to stand up and voice what needs to be said when those opportunities arrive for him.
Every 8th Grader performed in front of an audience averaging 40-60 students and teachers. Almost all gave a dramatic reading which each student had been practicing since early October. The results are posted on line for all to see: http://teacherweb.com/MA/CatholicMemorial,7-12/MrsEberly/hf5.aspx
Each student's goal was to perform a "personal best" performance, with hopes of being selected a "Better Speaker" for that day. Those picked by the teachers as Finalists performed on the Tuesday before the Christmas break with the audience continuing to evaluate and select their favorite speakers. Voted the BEST of the FINALISTS were as follows: (in alphabetical order) Devin Agyeman Brendan Gill Justin LaRose Kevin Lynch Ryan Nelson and Kevin O'Toole (duo) Bradley Rowan Bryan Sweeney and Evan Merner (duo) John Tonderys Sean Watson Matt Young
C Block Finalists were videotaped and can be viewed at the following link: http://vimeo.com/18092128 _____________ CM Saturday Hockey, Grades 7-9
Sixty-eight students are playing hockey very early on Saturdays at the Canton Sportsplex from 6-8 a.m. Four teams - Red, Blue, Green, and White are tuning up for the play-off season in mid February.
Curently, coaches are in the midst of making some trades, for one of the goals of the program is to have four evenly talented teams battle each week with the scores ending up as close as possible. In truth, players showcase a variety of talents and level of expertise. The best teams, however, make sure that every player feels included and is part of the action.
Many people help make this hockey program possible: Coaches Bobby and Daryle Dwan, John Huether, and Steve Marini. Support staff Paul Todesca Jr, John Palermo, Jim Cerbo, Alex Campea, and Bill Hansen. CM students Chris Rooney and John Huether (referees), and "The Commish," aka Ellen Eberly.
To see recent photos of the players in their new CM Hockey T-shirts, visit the following link on the CM Photo Gallery: http://catholicmemorial.shutterfly.com/35163  | | The Irrepressable White Team |
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Eighth Grade Field Trip to the
Black Heritage Trail and the North End
By: Ryan Dennehy '15
The first stop on our journey was at the State House.
 | | Ryan Dennehy |
Once inside the State House we were given a tour to some new places and some places we had seen on our previous field trip a few weeks before. We first went through the security area and then up multiple flights of stairs and into a large room where we met our tour guide. Then we walked into a circular room to learn more about the multiple war flags and paintings on the walls. Soon we entered the House of Representatives and learned about what happens there. In a short time we left the State House and continued the journey along the Black Heritage Trail.
The Black Heritage Trail is designed to help people better understand the African American experience in Boston. We went to the Museum of African American History and met a National Park Ranger who explained the history of what the area around Beacon Hill was like many years ago. After speaking for some time the ranger showed a short video chronicling some of the most famous events in the city's history, especially the role of Boston in the Abolition Movement. At the conclusion of the video the National Park Ranger took us to the 2nd floor of the building which showcased many exhibits. Here we looked at artifacts and pieces of art having to do with the Black experience in America.
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Mr. Cormier, John Stark, Mr. Bickerstaffe,
and Mrs. Williams Mr. Bickerstaffe, President of the Roxbury Trust Foundation, spoke to the eighth graders about the African American experience in Boston . A special Thank You to Mrs. Williams for planning many of the events for our trip along the Black Heritage Trail.
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The next stop on the way was to stop in for lunch so we went to MacDonald's right next to Faneuil Hall. When we finished there we all gathered outside to meet our new tour guide, Mr. John Lyons, for the afternoon trip. Mr. Lyons was a teacher at CM for over thirty years and has a wealth of knowledge about Boston. At the beginning of the tour of the North End a light snow began to fall making the day even more interesting. For this part of the day we walked all around the area of the North End to see many fascinating sights. We first walked around Faneuil Hall and looked at many statues of famous people such as the statues in memory of James Michael Curley, Kevin White, and Red Auerback. Then we walked around the area to visit small but important places having to do with what happened long ago. We visited the location of the Great Brink's Robbery of 1950. A crime that has not been solved to this day. The final stop on my group's journey was the Old North Church. Our tour guide told us of the church's important meaning to our country and the city. After our guide finished telling us of the church's importance we got on the buses and returned to CM excited that we had the opportunity to learn so much history having to do with our intriguing city.
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Seventh Graders at the
Cathedral of the Holy Cross |
My Trip to the Cathedral & Trinity Church By Dolan McCarthy '16
 | Dolan McCarthy
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We got a tour of both Trinity Church and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. We also got a "behind the scenes" look of both churches. My fellow classmates and I were even able to see the actual Chalices that the Pope and the Cardinal used in their Masses. There were other stunning Chalices that were over a foot tall and made of all gold and real diamonds. We were able to touch the big golden cross with diamonds on the ends of it. That is the cross that the cross bearer carries down the aisle for very important services. The cross weights about 30 pounds! Inside the Churches there are stunning stain glass windows. The windows are all different. They all have several symbols and mean different things religiously. We learned that they had several artists who created these windows because of the various styles of art that were on display. I thought it is unbelievable how they make the stain glass windows. They basically take every piece of glass and create a unique design with each piece. Overall, I thought it was a remarkable opportunity for me to see such amazing things. It was a great experience! I was astonished with the craftsmanship and design of each church. The churches are works of art as well as places of worship. These buildings could never be duplicated again because the artists simply do not exist. The bus ride home was great. We joked around and spoke about the day, our stop at McDonald's and all the wonders of the two churches. It was a great day and a great memory for all of us. |
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Standardized Tests
During the week of January 18th, we will be administering standardized tests to our seventh and eighth graders. You will be receiving the results of your sons test in March. Standardized tests are commercially created and published tests written by experts who are familiar with what is being taught in schools nationwide. These tests cover a wide-range of subjects and are used to measure student performance throughout the country.
Standardized tests are "yardsticks," or common standards of measurements, which play an important role in the educational system. The data obtained from these tests provides information about what each student already knows, what he or she still needs to learn, and what his or her potential is. This information may also indicate whether a student qualifies for programs such as reading intervention, special needs, or gifted services, such as, the Johns Hopkins Program. It enables teachers to design individual educational programs to help students perform up to their cognitive abilities. School districts use the results to evaluate their policies, ascertain the effectiveness of programs and curriculum, and help determine if their educational goals are being met.
A standardized test is one that is identical, or uniform, in all areas. It contains the same questions, is administered in the same manner, is completed in the same amount of time, and is graded or scored using the same method. These tests fall into two categories: achievement and aptitude. An achievement test measures a student's acquired knowledge, or past learning, in one or more areas and compares the results with the national reference group. An aptitude test measures a student's potential for future learning and performance.
The difference between standardized tests is the way in which the test results are compared. Some tests are criterion referenced while others are norm referenced. If the test if criterion referenced, your child's test score is compared to test scores of other children. The results indicate the level of proficiency-whether your child exceeds, meets, or falls below the established proficiency level in a given subject area. If a test is norm referenced, your child's test scores are compared to a sample of children or select "norm group," usually within that same age and grade level. The test scores indicate what percentage of children scored at or below your child's score.
The Internet is an excellent source of in-depth information about the different standardized tests available. At the Middle School, we use the Stanford Achievement Test. The Stanford Achievement Test- SAT is a battery, or group, of related tests combining achievement and aptitude tests using both criterion and norm referenced scoring for comparisons. This is not to be confused with the other well-known SAT test, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, which is used as a college entrance exam.
Test alone cannot determine your child's placement in the classroom. They are only one of several methods used to identify ability, knowledge, and skills. Teachers use a combination of testing, classroom observation, homework assignments, day-to-day class work, and individual progress throughout the school year to evaluate their students.
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Chess Club News
The Catholic Memorial Chess Club is well under way with two matches having been played against Xaverian High School and Nobles and Greenough with a very busy upcoming schedule in the next few months.
Chess Club is open to both high school students and middle school students. We meet on Mondays through Thursdays, from 2:30 - 3:30. If your son is not participating in a winter sport, please encourage him to come and join our elite group of players!
Catholic Memorial is a member of the South Shore Interscholastic Chess League. Again, all "Knights"- beginners and masters-are welcomed and encouraged to join. Please see Mrs. Murphy for further details.
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Safe the Date!
The Parent Council
Fashion Show
Sunday, March 13, 2011
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