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A Message from Patrick Fennessy Ten staff members, including myself, just returned from a conference in Chicago. We attended presentations, keynote addresses and spent time discussing many new and exciting ideas that will help us continue to offer a high quality Catholic education for our students. One keynote address, given by the president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, struck me. One thing he said exemplified what we do in Catholic education, and he is not even Catholic. He said, "Anything is possible with structure and love." That statement points out two things we do very well in our school; we provide our students with a structured environment, and we never let them forget they are loved. These two things help us do a great job of educating the whole child. As alumni, I'm sure you remember an instance here at St. Joe where you felt loved, or a moment where you felt uniquely gifted by God. Our aim is to provide diverse experiences to our students so they are more able to discover their gifts. One of these unique experiences is the fifth grade camp experience, started 40 years ago by Sister Marie Colarossi, S.N.J.M.. It's a tradition that still goes on today, led by our fifth grade teaching staff. This camp experience gives our students the chance to get outside, work together, and hopefully discover new gifts or interests. It really is a perfect example of the many opportunities we provide our students to become the people God means them to be. Hopefully you enjoy reading this issue of Reconnections and remember the good time you had at fifth grade camp. Please stay in touch with us; tell us of other memories you have of your time here. It is by and through you, our alumni, that we continue to tell the great story that is St. Joseph School. Patrick
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School News/Events
Mr. Fennessy updates planned expansion
As you may remember from the last issue of Reconnections, we are planning to add a main entrance and Learning Resource Center to the school. This project will basically fill in the area between the new and old buildings. We're most excited to give the Learning Resource Center a new, larger and more functional space. This program is central to our mission to educate students to reach their God-given potential, specifically by ensuring that all of our students are appropriately challenged.
We are currently awaiting approval of a variance. Once we receive that, we'll be ready to begin work. The plan involves doing some work over the summer to prepare the site; this includes cutting in some new windows, moving some electrical and plumbing and preparing footings for the addition. The real work will begin the first week of April 2014, and the project should be ready for the start of school in September 2014. This is an exciting project that will help us continue to offer a top notch Catholic education to all our students. If you are interested in learning more about the project, please give me a call at 206-329-3260 ext. 218 or email. Patrick
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View of planned expansion from 18th Ave. E.
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Staff Changes -
After twelve years as our part-time band instructor,
John Bahlman has decided to move on. We're grateful for John's gift of music and his willingness to inspire our students to learn how to play an instrument.
- After 19 years of service to St. Joe's, Anne Taylor will depart at the end of this year. Anne has decided to help take care of her third grandchild next year, but will continue her vocation by substitute teaching. We owe a great deal to Anne. The LRC was her brainchild, and we're excited to see it continue to grow, thanks to her vision.
- Aimee Meier is moving on to other adventures that could take her as far as Australia! Aimee has served for seven years as a first grade teacher. Her sense of humor and dedication to her students have been great gifts to our community.
- Katie Larsen has been with us for five years, but is ready to try a career outside of education. Katie's baking skills, tireless advocacy for students and skills as a teacher will be missed.
We're sad to see these four teachers go, but grateful for all they have given to our school. Spring Traditions
Passion Play
 
The Class of 2013 carried on the portrayal of the Passion of Christ that is unique to St. Joseph School. Directed by Rick Boyle, the eighth grade students study the music for the Passion Play throughout Lent and present the interpretation on Palm Sunday each year. Importantly, their preparation offers the opportunity to really reflect on the meaning of the Passion and Resurrection and bonds the class together in a special way on the eve of their graduation. Many alums return annually to witness the Passion Play, which they remember from their own days at St. Joseph School.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Rain held off this year for the parade celebrating the wearing o' the green in downtown Seattle.St. Joseph kindergartners along with the 6th grade band directed by John Bahlman marched and played up 4th Avenue as they do each year. Many school families joined in with the students to represent St. Joseph School.
Trapping those crafty leprechauns
First grade students put their ingenuity to the test again this year as they constructed some impressive and ingenious Leprechaun Traps to try to snare a wee visitor over St. Patrick's Day. The first graders proudly displayed their traps and took turns sharing and explaining them with their classmates --- a great public speaking exercise!
Catholic Schools Week  Late January marked Catholic Schools Week and included the Catholic Schools Week Mass, Open House, and Scholastic Book Fair as is the tradition at St. Joseph School. The Middle School Choir sings the liturgy, and the school staff is blessed for their work at the Mass that emphasizes the importance and value of Catholic education. Mrs. Barbara Cutler and Sister Jocie-Rhea Chism, S.N.J.M., work hard each year to organize the book fair that brings in generous donations to the school library. The Parent Association hosts refreshments, sells used uniforms, and provides Parent Association Board members as guides for visitors. Students proudly display and share their work with families and friends. Alumni Happy Hour: 90s and early 00s!
Thursday, April 4 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
 | Class of '98 . . .
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The Chieftain Irish Pub
908 12th Ave., Seattle
Come meet Patrick Fennessy,
new principal
of St. Joseph School,
and RECONNECT
with other alums from the 1990s
and early 2000s.
Complimentary beer and appetizers; cocktails available at happy hour prices.
Everyone is invited, so pass the word.
Hope to see you there!
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"People always ask me,
'Do you still take kids
to fifth grade camp?' "
(Cathy Hamblet, '82)
The memories of the outdoor education camp that began as "science camp" for St. Joseph fifth graders are strong for our alums, says Ms. Cathy Hamblet, Class of 1982 and St. Joseph
fifth grade teacher. For many children, science camp was their first experience of being away from home, and in the early 1970s when it began at St. Joseph School, the camp was an innovative program for the times.
Sister Marie A. Colarossi, S.N.J.M., former St. Joseph fifth grade teacher, is always mentioned in the same breath as fifth grade camp at St. Joseph  School as the person that started the program. Sister Marie passed away in February. As many gathered to celebrate her life, their fond memories of her teaching years at St. Joseph's included her important contribution of bringing outdoor education camp to the school where her spirit continues with fifth graders and teachers as they head to camp each fall 40 years later. A look back at the beginnings of fifth grade camp seems an appropriate tribute to Sister Marie.
For how camp came to St. Joseph's, Sister Marie's colleague and fellow fifth grade teacher at the time, Ms. Judith Hall, graciously agreed to fill us in on the story. Ms. Hall, who was Miss Judy Jones in those days, still teaches mathematics at neighboring Holy Names Academy. According to Judy, it all began in 1972 when one of the older sisters at St. Joseph School heard about a new program called Project U.S.E. (Urban Suburban Environments), suggested the school needed an energetic teacher to volunteer, and urged the young Miss Jones to "go for it." Project U.S.E., begun in 1970, still exists today. Constructed as a science program to connect city and country kids, Project U.S.E. paired fifth 
grade teachers from urban and suburban schools; Ms. Hall's class was paired with "suburban" Bellevue's St. Louise, comprising the only two Catholic schools. The project gave the teachers science kits (Judy recalls the isopods a.k.a. potato bugs), and the students corresponded between schools. Then Project U.S.E. took the teachers to "camp" to teach them how to do outdoor education, followed by taking all of the students to camp once the teachers had learned.
After two years of Project U.S.E., says Ms. Hall," Sister Marie saw we were having so much fun! We both decided we had to continue this program." According to Ms. Hall, Sister Marie set out to make it happen; a few phone calls got the food donated, parents as cooks,
the location secured, and the high school counselors signed up!
St. Joseph's own outdoor education camp had begun. Ms. Hall recalls that "everyone was for it, very excited" and the camps were such fun - survival units, outside art, hikes, using the microscope on pond water, identifying plants and trees, and of course, square dancing!
"When I came (in 1975) fifth grade camp was the biggest thing  St. Joseph principal George Hofbauer. "Everyone was excited
to get to fifth grade . . . Not many schools were doing this. Sister Marie really did run it. A lot of fundraising went toward it. Sister Marie was the expert, so other Catholic schools came to her to learn how this worked. For a lot of kids, it was
the first time they had been away from home."
Cathy (McChesney) Hamblet (3rd left, 2nd row from top) was one of those fifth graders in Sister Marie's class back in 1979 that had never been to camp before. Ms. Hamblet is still going to outdoor and environmental education camp with her own class of St. Joseph School fifth graders each fall. These days at YMCA Camp Seymour
, camp has really expanded to marine as well as forest ecology, with lab facilities and a water location on Glen Cove for students to explore aspects of marine life while still learning about the forest ecosystem. Team building, outdoor liturgies, and traditional camp activities are also part of the experience, and students now go to camp in the fall to bond going into the school year.
Ms. Hamblet explained that "science camp" was the spring culmination of the fifth grade science curriculum. She still has her (now fragile, above) science portfolio, which she shows to all her students. The fifth graders had to put together the portfolios during  the school year leading up to camp.
Once at camp (her year it was Camp Waskowitz), the students sketched trees,
learned how to identify animals from tracks and how to read a compass, hiked and square danced. "When we left camp, they gave each kid a tree seedling," she remembers. "I took it home and my mom planted it. In 1989 we cut it down for our Christmas tree, and it was beautiful..." Ms. Hamblet noted that St. Joseph students were at camp with other schools back then, and that they were one of the first private schools to do a fifth grade camp. And, of course, she recalls the square dancing!
Judy Hall emphasized Sister Marie's role in making outdoor education camp a reality at St. Joseph's, that her energy and relationships with people in the community enabled her to gather the resources to take a great idea that Judy had explored, and put it in place - so firmly, in fact, that the program is still going strong 40 years later. Above all, Judy exclaimed, "what fun we had!"
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Ms. Hamblet (left) and 2007 camp group
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Cathy Hamblet feels like she never really left outdoor education camp; her first and subsequent teaching jobs all just happened to include the activity. Like many St. Joseph alums, the mention of "fifth grade camp" evokes great memories for her. She, too, credits her teacher, Sister Marie, with bringing the program on board at St. Joseph's. "Sister Marie is forever with me," Cathy says, adding, "I am still going to fifth grade camp!"
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In the forest at fifth grade camp 2012
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Exploring marine creatures at Camp Seymour 2012
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St. Joseph School Alumni
St. J  oseph alumnus Tavio Hobson ('98), in his fourth year as men's basketball coach at Lakeside, was named the Seattle Times basketball Coach of the Year. The Lions were No. 1 in Class 3A, won the Sea-King 3A District title, and played in the State 3A Championship game, finishing second to Rainier Beach in overtime.
St. Joseph alumna Haley Budigan ('09) is co-valedictorian for the Holy Names Academy Class of 2013.
In Memoriam
Nick Buono (1910-2013)
Great-grandfather of St. Joseph student Rocco Spannaus, patriarch
of the Buono family, and longtime St. Joseph parishioner. Mr. Buono immigrated from Italy in 1921; his son, Frank Buono ('53) and grandchildren Valerie (Buono) Spannaus ('84), Lori (Buono) Anderson ('85) and Frank Buono, Jr. ('83) are all graduates of St. Joseph School.
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St. Joseph School
Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the St. Joseph School Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award to be announced in September 2013. Please visit the Alumni page on the school's website to find a description of the award and list of previous years' recipients. If you would like to submit a nomination, please contact Maureen Cartano at mcartano@stjosephsea.org or 206-329-3260 ext. 201.
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Class Reunions 
Calling all members of St. Joseph School's first co-ed class...Before you know it, it will be 50 years since you graduated from St. Joe's.
Sheila Sifferman Marie has stepped forward to be part of the reunion planning committee. If you would like to be involved, please contact Sheila by phone (206)251-7035 or email at smarie49@comcast.net. Information about the reunion (tentatively set for July 2014) will be posted on both the school's website and in Reconnections.
You may also connect with your classmates and get involved in the reunion planning on their new Facebook page: St Joseph Grade School, Seattle Class '64.
If you are the contact for your class and would like to post information about your class reunion in Reconnections or on the school's website, please contact Maureen Cartano at mcartano@stjosephsea.org .
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GiveBIG for St. Joe's in May!
What is GiveBIG?
GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations that make King County a stronger, more vibrant community for all, made possible by the Seattle Foundation.
When is the next GiveBIG?
May 15, 2013
Why GiveBIG?
GiveBIG is designed to raise money for the more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations that are profiled on the Seattle Foundation website.
How does GiveBIG work?
The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG uses contributions from GiveBIG sponsors to match a percentage of the individual contributions made to nonprofits through the Seattle Foundation website. St. Joseph School is one of the nonprofits that joined this year. This provides a "stretch match" for your contribution to St. Joseph School when you give through GiveBIG.
On May 15, we urge St. Joseph Alums to visit the St. Joseph School page on the Seattle Foundation website and GiveBIG!
so our school benefits from a percentage match to your contribution to St. Joseph School.
What if I have more questions?
Please contact us at givebig@seattlefoundation.org or dhofbauer@stjosephsea.org.
Thank you, St. Joseph Alums, for Giving BIG!
1200 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1300, Seattle, WA 98101-3151 | (206) 622-2294
The Seattle Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization.
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Endowment News
You are Invited! 
Endowment Golf Tournament
May 16, 2013
Newcastle Golf Club
This year we are reviving the Golf Tournament that directly benefits the Endowment for St. Joseph School. The Endowment provides funding to the school in three important areas: Financial Aid, Staff Enrichment and Donor-Inspired Programs. Your support is essential and enables us to provide an annual gift to school --- last year's gift was $236,678.
If you would like to register for the golf tournament or have questions please contact Najat Cola at (206) 992-9125 or najat@colamg.com
Endowment donations impact...
- Financial aid: St. Joseph School makes a strong effort to ensure children from diverse economic backgrounds can attend
 the school. The school contributed $932,020 to 134 students for the 2012-2013 school year, representing 22% of the school population. Past endowment donors have ensured that annually, the Endowment for St. Joseph School is able to contribute over $200,000 toward the total amount of financial aid. Last year the Endowment's gift to the school was $236,478. - Enrichment programs for teachers: Our teaching staff is our most important asset, and getting them the tools and
 training for teaching in the 21st century is critical. This past year the Endowment funded SMART Board and PowerSchool training. SMART Boards enable teachers to enhance the teaching process --- capturing teachers' notes electronically (helpful for students needing accommodation) and helping the teacher bring in new resources, video, sound, and "notebooks" of content in a learning session. PowerSchool is a robust electronic system for capturing grades, teacher comments, and attendance. When first implemented at St. Joseph, it was not fully used, so a small group of teachers went to training with funds from the Endowment. Armed with the know-how, the teaching staff is better able to use this valuable tool.
Your past contributions to the Endowment make a difference! Consider giving to the Endowment for St. Joseph School in your charitable giving plans or estate plan. For more information contact Patrick Fennessy at (206) 329-3260 ext 218 or pfennessy@stjosephsea.org. Donate now
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About Reconnections
Reconnections is an e-mail newsletter from St. Joseph School sent to our alumni, their parents and grandparents, parents whose students attended St. Joseph School but withdrew prior to graduation, and former staff.
If your contact information is incorrect, please help us update your information by responding via e-mail or clicking on "Update Your Contact Information." Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your family members for whom we do not have an e-mail address. They can add their names to the mailing list.
If you do not wish to receive Reconnections, simply use the
"unsubscribe" feature, and your e-mail address will be removed.
If you would like to us to spread the word about your class reunion, please send us the information, and we will include it in the next issue.
Comments, story suggestions and inquiries can be sent to
Maureen Cartano by responding to this e-mail.
Thank you,
Maureen Cartano
Editor
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St Joseph School
700 18th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Principal: Patrick Fennessy
Academic Vice Principal: Rick Boyle
Vice Principal for Student Life: Kris Brown
Pastor: John D. Whitney, S.J.
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