Baldwin private school columns

On the last Friday in April, CKCS held its annual field day on campus. As always we began the day with mass, and then it was off to the races, literally. This is our second year to kick off field day events with the Field Day Fun Run, a one-mile course through Daphne. Proceeds from the sale of our t-shirts benefit the seminarians from the Archdiocese of Mobile. The Rev. Alex Valladares, Director of Vocations for the archdiocese, was on hand to watch the race and accept a check in the amount of $1,375. McCabe Faulkner was the overall boy’s winner and Carolene Fouty was the top girl’s finisher. After the race it was time for lots of fun, food and games.

Our annual May Crowning was held on Tuesday. Students were joined by parents and siblings as they recited the rosary in procession to the church. The second-graders, dressed in their First Holy Communion attire led the procession.

In classroom news, the first-graders are learning about maracas in Spanish this week. They even made their own using plastic Easter eggs and spoons and filling them with dried beans and rice. As a culture project, the fourth- and fifth-graders created their own Spanish tiles that are on display in the library. The second- and third-graders made booklets in Spanish about Pope Francis. This week they are mailing them to the Vatican.

The kindergarten students in Mrs. Mullek’s class are learning about insects this week and are "raising" painted lady butterflies. When they are ready, the students will release them into the garden at school.

The fifth-graders in Mrs. Wilson's class have really answered their call to care for those who are sick and suffering. Earlier this year, Mrs. Wilson spoke to the class about a dear friend of her father who had gotten news of a terminal illness. This person had been friends with Mrs. Wilson's father since their days in the Korean War. The class discussed the meaning of true friendship and lasting friendships. They then prayed for the friend and Mrs. Wilson's parents. Later in the week, Mrs. Wilson found that the students had taken it upon themselves to continue praying for him with family and remembering the friend during their times at Adoration. So, his name has been on the board since earlier in the year, and the class has prayed for him daily. Last week they prepared and mailed cards of encouragement. Happy faces,IC card, poems, colorful flowers, cartoons and words of cheer filled his home this week, and word reached Mrs. Wilson that he read each card and found them all precious.

The eighth-grade science fair was held last week for two days. The first day was an open visitors’ day for the students in other classes and the projects were presented on the second day. The seventh-graders have been dissecting sheep hearts in science lab. They are using the dissection to learn about the structure and function of the cardiovascular system.

The eighth-grade Circle of Saints field trip this month was a visit to Claire's Hope, former abortion clinic that is now a counseling and education center, the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home and the Visitation Monastery. The eighth-graders held a Krispy Kreme donut sale and raised over $400 for their class gift to the school, a new sign for Main Street with our new logo.

On the National Day of Prayer last Thursday CKCS students and faculty offered special prayers at lunch and at the end of the school day. We are collecting books for the Children’s and Women’s Hospital Book Drive as our outreach for the month of May. Two weeks until the end of the school year!

P-K3 student at Saint Benedict Catholic School are finishing the year with a bang! Last month, students completed their introduction to their five senses. They had fun smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing and touching to help learn about everything around them. In May, they will be studying the last three letters of the alphabet and completing their numbers to twelve. In their character formation classes, they will be learning about kindness. It will be a good month to finish their opposites of wet and dry with all our rainy days. For Social Studies, P-K3 will be going "Way Out West.” They will be learning about ways to have fun and work in the west as well as about desert plants and animals. They will also discuss farm animals that might live on western ranches.

Second grade students are learning to take care of our planet! Two weeks ago, they enjoyed a wonderful field trip to the Gulf State Park. They learned more about the ecosystem of our area including habitats of native plants and animals. Students learned a lot during the week of Earth Day by turning their classroom into a recycling center.

Many varied activities filled the fifth grader’s week. They read a myth about “King Midas and the Golden Touch,” which led them to creating summary booklets about the story. In English, students continued to learn more details concerning the use of commas in writing. Geometry brought a lot of interesting angles to the fifth graders, and finally, in Social Studies, students are finishing studying the War of 1812.

A very busy year is coming to an end, but at Saint Benedict Catholic School we do not slow down or lower our expectations. Fifth grade and Middle School art students are working hard on the scenery and props that are needed for the spring musical, “The Sound of Music,” which will be on May 16. Everyone in the school is waiting for their orders from Original Art Works for Mother's and Father's Day while getting prepared for Art in The Park, in Foley. Younger grades are learning about color theory and the importance of a clean palette for a good artwork. We are following our motto: "Ora et Labora,” Pray and Work until the last day of school.