Volume 36 Issue 18 December 2017

FOCUS Epiphany Cathol ic School

Dear Parents,

The mission of Epiphany Catholic School is to educate children to become responsible adults living out Christian values and

Catholic faith. This is achieved by emphasizing excellence in academics, personal growth, and spiritual development in Christ.

The cooperation and participation of both the parish and school communities are essential to this endeavor.

“Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying,

‘I am the light of the world;

he who follows Me will not walk in

darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

As we enter this holy season of Advent let us try to impress upon ourselves and our children that these four weeks before

Christmas are a time of spiritual preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Let us not forget, Jesus is the reason for the

season!

December 8th is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Immaculate Conception is also

the feast day for the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Please keep all the IHM Sisters in your prayers, especially

those serving at Epiphany and Lourdes Academy.

The Christmas Holidays will begin at the close of school on Friday, December 22nd. And it is a full day of school. School

will resume on Monday, January 8th. As we prepare with the whole Church to celebrate “the Word made flesh” let us open our

minds and hearts to receive the peace and joy that God wishes to give each one of us through His Son, Jesus.

May we continue to walk in His light and share His light with all we meet. You are remembered in my daily prayer.

God bless you.

Sister Margaret Fagan, IHM

PAGE 2 FOCUS VOLUME 36 ISSUE 18

Parents please remember to label your

children's belongings. You can also look

on the fence outside of room 116,

Mrs. Garcia’s for things your children have

lost.

Handbook- Dress Code on Cold Weather

Days

Girls- in cold weather, the girls are per-

mitted to wear white or blue turtlenecks un-

der their school shirt, and white

or blue tights (must touch the

ankle) or blue sweat pants may

be worn under the skirt or

jumper. Blue sweatpants may

be worn on P.E. days

Boys – In cold weather, the boys are per-

mitted to wear white, navy or blue turtle-

necks under their school shirt and blue

sweat pants on P.E. days.

Happenings at Epiphany

Dec. 8th Mass 9:30am Immaculate Conception– Holy Day of Obligation

December 20th is the Christmas Concert at 7:30pm in the Church

December 22nd Last day before Christmas break—full day of school December 25 -January 5 Christmas Vacation

January 8 —classes resume

Page 3

FOCUS VOLUME 36 ISSUE 18

CAR POOL

Thank you to everyone who has their sign on the passenger side of the windshield

for afternoon dismissal.

Sign with last name and station number or color must be visible to teachers. Please place the sign on

the visor so all can see it.

Do not use your cell phone while driving on the school grounds.

All students should be picked up in carpool or singles unless they are designated as a walker.

NO adult should park on campus and walk to carpool or singles to pick up a student.

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS

No child is permitted to walk to the side parking lots of the church for pick-up. Children must

be picked up in their designated areas of car pool or singles.

Parking or dropping off a child on 84th Street or the teachers’ parking lot is not permitted.

Returning to school after an illness

The child may return to school when he//she has been

afebrile (without a fever) for 24 hours (this means without taking medications such as Tylenol,

Aspirin, Motrin, Advil, and Acetaminophen). Of course, if a child has been diagnosed with the

flu, his /her recovery time may be a longer amount of time.

Vomiting and Diarrhea - the child should be free of symptoms for 24 hours and be able to

hold down soft foods and liquids.

Strep Throat - The child may return to school when they have taken an antibiotic for 24-48

hours and remain without a fever for 24 hours.

Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest, eats a balanced meal and is hydrated.

Please contact the office if your child has any contagious condition such as chicken pox, pink

eye, etc.

PAGE 4 FOCUS VOLUME 36 ISSUE 18

Honor Roll – First Honor 4th Grade John Allen William Allen Camila Alvarez Manuel Anel Juancarlos Antorcha Andres Arguello Nicolas Arguello Riley Avello Lucca Balli Avery Bell Diego Berga Marco Berga Lucas Bonilla Alexandra Brea Sebastian Canto Matthew Carrasco Isabella Cirillo Alexandra Cobas Ella Cordoves Elena Costa Isabella Davis Jack Dechurch Carlos Dorrego Daniela Eljaiek Lucas Mariano Espin Carolina Esterripa David Fernandez Susanna Fernandez Carlos Friguls Natalia Garcia Mestre Nicholas Gobel Carolina Gonzalez Michael Gonzalez Lucas Hernandez Simon Lorenzo Hincapie Fabiola Ibarra Andres Izquierdo Julia Kanold Andrew King Jessica Lee Nicole Lee Ella Linares Peter Lopez Alexander Lowell Isabella Macario Lucas Malabet Marcelo Martel Ava Martinez-DuBouchet Valeria Medina Nadia Mimica Martina Miranda Nicolas Morales Jack Norman Roberto Oyarzun

5th Grade Sophia Rodriguez Jose Rua Cristina Sanchez Hailey Scott Heather Solares Matthew Sotomayor Diego Tejera-Avila Jorge Ignacio Uribe Alexandra Velasco Olivia Vitier Jose Zozaya

Honor Roll –Second Honor 4th Grade Alessandra Alvarez Corina Alvarez David Caban Juan Cardenal Joaquin Carreño Juan-Carlos Carrillo Eligio Cedeno Hunter Connell Julian Fernandez Kevin Fernandez Marko Fernandez Analysse Fraga Alyssa Garcia Jose Garcia Aleksandr Jurado Carlos Marron Eva Moreno Carolina Piña Mateo Siman Sara Solis Clara Trivellato

5th Grade

Andrea Abud Francisco Aleman Ernesto Avino Juan Diego Baquerizo Jonathan Barturen Katherine Broe William Burlein Daniel Castillo Sofia Coronado Armando Cosio Adriana Couto Luis Croes Carlos Cuello Carlos Diez-arguelles Michael Feenane Alec Fernandez Lindsay Fornaris Lucas Francisco Rebecca Garcia Nicholas Garity Juliana Gatto Sebastian Guaqueta Chloe Hanna Alex Knoepffler Elias Lapadula Sebastian Lazaro Matthew Menes Mario Miller Gabriella Montalvo Lucas Ortega Ramon Oyarzun Nicholas Padron Camila Perez Valentina Perez Liana Renfrow Chanse Rivera Matthew Rodriguez Mia Rojo Christian Rosabal Sofia Ruiz Alexandra Salazar Alessia Shedd Nicolas Solis Raul Vidal

4th Grade

Andrea Padron Sebastia Paez-Quintero Andres Parra Michael Pena Jake Reed Rebecca Remedios Brianna Rodriguez Valentina Santin Balen Schlipman Noah Scott Sarah Sherman Abigail Smith Ryan Solares Liane Sotolongo Cassandra Thomas Samantha Torrents Sophia Vadillo Sara Valdes Sebastian Vazquez Gustavo Vega Nataniel Villagra William Zayas

5th Grade Mario Antonaccio Lea Archambault Andrea Cardenal Olivia Carrillo Sophia Cure Jaime Dickinson Natalie Feenane Danielle Fernandez Victoria Fernandez Carlos Garces Lucas Gonzalez Sarah Hincapie Madeline Jennings Luis Lasa Nicolas Majano Mariano Martinez Andres Mas Michael Mederos Isabella Murphy Julio Nunez Lilianna Nunez Dylan Paucar Marc Pentol Andrea Portocarrero Jorge Portocarrero Natalia Pravia Liana Quintero Mia Roca

HONOR ROLL _ FIRST HONORS 6th Grade

Regina Alcobe-Garibay Annelise Alvarez Nicole Barrenechea John-Barry Bertematti Mia Cutino Alexandra De Cardenas Ethan DeChurch Alexandra Diaz Miguel Diaz Bianca Diaz-Silveira Melanie Espinosa Anabella Garcia Andrea Garcia Dominic Gatto Carlos Gobel Sofia Lee Andrea Lopez Daniel Malabet Paulo Medina Sylvia Mendiola Allison Norman Ana-Carolina Ortiz Mia Ortiz Gonzalo Palenzuela Fernando Pascual Ashley Pennie Catalina Quimper Mia-Kristin Rodriguez James Sacher Marco Salazar Lauren Sotolongo Isabel Suarez Camilla Tundidor

7th Grade

Coco Aguilar W. Rowe Allen Nathalie Baboun Sarah Broe Estefania Cardenal Cheila Castro Ana De Cardenas Alejandro Delgado Gabriella Diaz Sofia Eljaiek Christopher Ferrer Marcos Fuertes Juliet Gomez Andie Hernandez Sofia Hernandez Isabella Jordon

7th Grade

Sophie Lamelas Paola Lista Paulina Llorens Carolina Maratos Miranda Martel Stephanie Mederos Elly Molina Gabriella Paredes Gabriela Pinero Claudia Portocarrero Alessia Quiros Ana Silveira Lilia Silveira Sebastian Valdes Gabriela Vega Grace Verde Analuna Villalobos

8th Grade Eva Aguirre Anna Alfano Andres Arguello Annabella Baboun Olivia Borroto Anna Bunge Jessica DaSilva Victoria Graves Amanda Hayes Catherine Hoynack Caroline Isom Chloe Lamas Bettina Legorburu Alexa Martell Isabella Mestre Lexi Molina Isabel Penin Victoria Quimper Noelle Roza Lillian Vizcaino Isabella Zumpano

7th Grade

Tomas Leibkuchler Sofia Lombard Natalia Lopez Gunnar McCormick Anabella Palacio Anthony Pargas Katerina Puig Justin Roca Amanda Rodriguez Cecilia Sabathie Isabella Salvat Rebecca Sampedro Andres Sanchez Andrew Scardina Claudine Schlipman Alexa Torres Enrique Villamil

8th Grade

Daniela Aguilar Veronica Alonso Marcelo Arguello Natalia Arroyo Samantha Bardisa Daniela Barnola Paola Blanco Matthew Candela Grace De Arcos Christina Delgado Liliana Diaz-Silveira Johanna Diez Caroline Garcia Gabriela Garcia Olivia Giganti Emilie Gonzalez Paulina Gonzalez-Brito Caterina Hernandez Caroline Hoynack Felipe Lorie Amanda Martell Aidan Negret Nicole Pentenero Juliana Peredo Mia Puente William Recuset Ricardo Rivera Andres Socarras Daniel Suarez

FOCUS PAGE 5 VOLUME 36 ISSUE 18

HONOR ROLL SECOND HONORS 6th Grade

Hannah Bardisa Nina Karolina Chantres Maria Davila Francesca Del Valle Emma Diaz Lucas Diaz Max Diaz Alejandro Esperante Samantha Fornaris Valentina Fortuny Francesca Galceran Gabriella Garcia Isabelle Green Analucia Hernandez Herbert King Bosco Miranda Kristina Multach Chloe Orrett Samantha Orrett Emrie Pedraza Dylan Phillips Andrew Pozo Roberto Puente Michael Rodriguez Giulia Suarez Mario Sueiras Anne Valcarcel John-Paul Zurfluh 7th Grade

Sabrina Alvarez Sidney Aun Maria-Luisa Del Valle Nicholas Falcon Madeline Feenane Nicholas Garcia Brenda Garza Emilio Garza Erik Gaviria Rowan Griese Gabriel Gurdian Anabella Hernandez Andrea Jimenez Camelia Lazaro

PEACEMAKER

Reflectiveness ( Prayer) – Someone who is reverent and respectful, attentive to God and others. Shows reverence at

mass, prays. Talk less, listens more . Someone who shows compassion and present to

others.

KA Daniel Diaz

KB Luis Delgado

KC Olivia Morera

KD Luke Mofsky

1A Sylvia Torbay

1B Valentina Diaz-Vilarino

1C Miguel Colimodio

1D Camila Gonzalez

2A Ally DeChurch

2B Sofia Renfrow

2C Alison Hernandez-Lombillo

2D Sofia Lagonowicz

3A Camila Martinez

3B Nicholas Scardina

3C Veronica Aguilar

3D Jillian Walden

4A Michael Peña

4B Sebastian Vazquez

4C Lucas Malabet

4D Juan Carlos Carrillo

5A Elias Lapadula

5B Carlos Cuello

5C Chloe Hanna

5D Nicolas Majano

6A Samantha Fornaris

6B Sofia Lee

6C Anne Marie Valcarcel

6D Mia Cutiño

7A Isabella Jordan

7B Gabriela Pinero

7C Christopher Ferrer

7D Cheila Castro

8A Adrian Sanchez

8B Isabel Penin

8C Ricardo Rivera

8D Caroline Isom

FOCUS Volume 32, Issue 8 PAGE 6

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St. Martin de Porres Parish

Once again we are given the opportunity to be generous as we share the Good News of

Christ’s birth with the people from St. Martin de Porres.

We will provide Christmas gifts for the needy children of St. Martine de Porres and make

Christmas a happy event for them.

On Sunday, November 27th the toy tags were distributed after all the masses.

Please remember that this may be the only gift a child receives for Christmas. Make sure the

gifts are age and sex appropriate. If a toy requires batteries, please include them. No used toys

at this time, please! Please DO NOT WRAP the gift and firmly attach the original tag.

Please deliver the toys to the Religious

Education Office no later than Friday, December 15, 2017

If you did not have the opportunity to get a toy tag you may still participate by

purchasing a gift card from Wal-Mart or Target and drop it off at the Religious Education

Office.

THE SCIENCE LAB HIGHLIGHTS

From the first time students walk through the Lab doors, we encourage them to use all of their senses to learn about

science. They learn to work both on individual and group based labs and learning through different teaching styles.

This may include experiments, videos, music, dance, religion and crafts. They may do labs inside the class, or venture

out and about the school to obtain a deeper awareness of things around them.

1st Grade

Starting in first grade, the students are given the opportunity to explore the wonders of Science through many hands

on activities. They are instructed on how to conduct simple labs and record their findings in a science notebook. For

example, they are encouraged to observe live worms, to study the science behind making butter, to ponder about how

polar animals stay warm, and to make Dr. Seuss’ famous “Oobleck. They truly come to the understanding that

Science is all around them!

2nd Grade

In second grade many of last year’s concepts are reinforced. There is a heavy focus on the life sciences. They study

the lifecycle of a ladybug and watch their habitats through a homemade terrarium. The plant lifecycle is also covered

by studying seeds. The students dissect a sprouting seed, observe them under the microscope and then plant a seed in

their own sprout houses. In addition to the life sciences, the second grade students work on units of measurement,

magnets, and properties of matter. Perhaps one of their favorite is the ocean unit which uses chromatography to

create a student’s unique jellyfish.

3rd Grade

Third Grade students focus on STEM activities in the first half of the year. They learn the steps necessary to work

together in small groups to solve a common problem such as saving a gummy worm named “FRED”. In the second

half of the year, these students bring their science class lessons into the lab. For example, when they learn about plants

in class, they dissect flowers in the lab. When they work on their animal projects in class, they learn a little about the

human arm and how it compares to a chicken wing. The lab for this particular lesson will have the children cutting

into a raw chicken wing to identify its major parts such as the skin, muscle, bones, veins ligaments and tendons.

Through these and other lab, the students learn to apply the scientific method and use a variety of science tools.

4th Grade

The fourth grade lessons continue to build upon the skills introduced in the third grade. Many of the lessons are

STEM activities which examine the Engineering Design Process in a series of “Mystery Labs”. These labs require the

students to think “out of the box” with the constraints that have been put on them. For example, the students may

have to build an object with a limited amount of supplies, or they may role play by purchasing their materials and

work within a budget to accomplish the task at hand. Students also enjoy labs that reinforce lessons from their classes

such as the Harry Potter “Magic” Lab and those from their Earth studies. They work on a planet project in class and

then design a spacecraft for launching in the lab.

5th Grade

Fifth Grade Science delves into a wide variety of areas including completing detailed lab reports which prepare them

for the Junior High level. Some of the highlights from this grade include the Owl Pellet Dissection and a project based

on an Ecosystems Unit. The project includes a research paper, animal habitat labs, and PowerPoint presentations.

All of the work is done in their classrooms and the lab. Some of their favorite labs include the STEM Car building,

using the microscopes to view different cells, and a Rollercoaster Challenge which is conducted with their lesson on

Force and Motion.

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