St. Paul's Episcopal Day School

The holiday cheer continues at St. Paul’s! 3rd and 4th grade students are making light-up circuit Christmas cards in science class this week. They used recycled materials to create unique holiday designs on the front of their cards.

Ms. Gouttierre's 2nd grade class is celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with different daily themes leading up to the holiday break. Check out these highlights from Elf Day, Christmas Tree Day, and Gingerbread Day. We are loving the holiday spirit across St. Paul's!

Many thanks to Becky and Ryan from People to People International for stopping by our 3rd through 5th grade chapel session last week to introduce students to culture competency and global-mindedness. It was a great opportunity to hear about other cultures, and students particularly liked learning how people around the world celebrate Christmas and other holidays!

We need holiday cheer this Christmas more than ever before. Thanks to our middle school students for decorating the third floor! St. Paul's families, don't forget to bring in your toys and stocking stuffers to donate to the church pantry. Let's bring some cheer to our neighbors! #stpaulskc

It’s been a fun week of Christmas performances at St. Paul’s! Toddler 2nd grade students have been dancing, singing holiday tunes, and celebrating the season with their classmates. A BIG thank you to our music teacher, Ms. O’Connell, for putting together festive programs for St. Paul’s families to enjoy virtually. Only a superstar like Ms. O’Connell could orchestrate a whopping 18 music programs spread out over just four days!

5th graders recently finished their Egg Restraint System project. Students were tasked with designing and creating a seatbelt system for an egg passenger. They also made working cars out of recycled materials!

8th grade students recently finished the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, and it's led to great conversations about racial equity and standing up for what's right. Brody shared, the novel made me realize that as a society, we assume some people are bad and good based on their lifestyle and backgrounds. If we treated everybody based on their actions instead of made up assumptions, everybody would feel loved and have a greater sense of belonging. Read more thoughtful student responses from Brody, Cole, Grace, and Truman at http://ow.ly/aGbp50CHh5d

St. Paul's parents - don't forget to visit the virtual book fair before it closes on November 13th. There are plenty of great books to capture the interest of all young readers! Plus, for every purchase made, our school earns 40% in rewards to fund our literacy initiatives. Click here to start browsing: http://ow.ly/nN4q50CdFcH

Pre-K students finished up their outer space unit where they learned about our solar system, gravity, the atmosphere, space exploration, and more. Here’s Lucy sharing some interesting facts about each planet. She also shows off her various projects throughout the unit including designing a constellation and a space rover!

Each year, we provide financial assistance to more than 20 percent of our families, but this past summer we received unprecedented requests for emergency financial aid due to furlough and loss of revenue for self-employed and business owners. You can help us ensure that students and families continue to thrive across the St. Paul’s community. Make your gift now at www.speds.org/annualfund

Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Morris virtually stopped by 4th grade to explain her role as a judge. She gave a tour of the courtroom, explained the levels of courts in our country, and described her journey from being a lawyer to a mediator to a judge. One of the many highlights of the job? Naturalization ceremonies. Thanks for visiting 4th grade, Judge Morris! It was the perfect complement to the students’ study of government.

Preschool students are in the middle of their Healthy Me unit which explores the human body systems, germs, and the importance of healthcare professionals. Last week, students participated in a range of activities including growing germs in a petri dish and making observations with magnifying glasses, conducting an experiment to see how soap and water repel germs, going on a classroom germ hunt, and creating 3-D germ models. Next up in this unit is studying the human skeleton!

Happy Halloween from St. Paul's! Even our middle school students got in the spirit this week with some pumpkin decorating. We're wishing our community a happy, healthy, spooky, and safe Halloween weekend!

Our community’s investment in professional development for faculty and staff ensures that our team can learn from experts across the country. This annual investment pays dividends during a year like 2020-2021 when we need creative solutions to continue providing new and innovative learning experiences in St. Paul's classrooms. Share your appreciation for great teachers and make a gift now at www.speds.org/annualfund

There is plenty of Halloween spirit at St. Paul’s today for the annual costume ball! Students and teachers danced, sang classic Halloween tunes, and showed off their costumes for family and friends over Zoom. The Ball is a favorite St. Paul’s tradition, and the costumes this year did not disappoint!

Pre-K is having a blast during their outer space unit this fall. Exploring the stars, moon phases, and our solar system are all part of this project based learning unit that runs from September to November. Students pictured here are hanging out in one of the Pre-K classroom space stations where they can pretend to be astronauts!

Earlier this month, 6th graders built morse code machines to demonstrate their understanding of electromagnetism and circuits. They had a lot of fun troubleshooting to figure out how to make them work and then tapping out messages!

Science and Makerspace continue to be highlights for our students. In the lab, classrooms and at home, students receive realtime instruction for hands-on experiments and simulations.

This year, our faculty and staff are providing St. Paul’s students with more than academic rigor and engaging lessons. They will also bring stability, safety, and connection during a year of uncertainty. They will help our students find strength in community, and we need your help to ensure St. Paul’s is a steady foundation for our teachers and students. Make your gift now at www.speds.org/annualfund

This Friday, we will have our annual pet blessing during All-School Chapel. Students can bring a photo of their pets to share, and parents and pets can join via Zoom.