In Our Schools: Feb. 13

Brookfield Academy

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. has named four Brookfield Academy seniors as National Merit Finalists. The Brookfield Academy students recognized are Nicole Bray of Elm Grove, Elizabeth Collins of Hartland, Safeeyah Quereshi of Brookfield and Randal Ruvalcaba of Brookfield. The number of national semifinalists is less than 1 percent of all high school seniors. About 90 percent of semifinalists nationwide will advance to the finalist level; half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, which will be awarded later this spring.

Brookfield Central

The Brookfield Central Key Club, in cooperation with Special Olympics Wisconsin, has acquired 300 T-shirts that raise awareness of the hurtful effects of using the word "retard." The shirts are part of the campaign to "spread the word to end the word." The Key Club is organizing the event in response to recent events in the Brookfield Central community that demonstrated a need to raise awareness for greater acceptance of diversity. All staff members were provided a shirt courtesy of the Key Club. Students will have the opportunity to purchase shirts at lunch hours as members of the Key Club will join with special needs students to sell the shirts at cost. Staff members, together with the Key Club and members of the student body at large will wear the shirts on Friday to show solidarity in the cause to include all types of individuals.

Brookfield Christian

The third-graders are wrapping up a study of pioneer life, and finished reading "Roughing It on the Oregon Trail." The students also have been learning how to write a research paper. This week, they began writing the paper from the notes they have taken, and will start the editing process. The fifth-graders have been writing essays on four new presidents student would like to see featured on Mt. Rushmore. The class also is working on writing and illustrating their own books for the school's upcoming Young Author's Day, when students in grades two through five will share their books with their Reading Buddies. Kindergartners and first-graders worked on writing and illustrating a book for the classroom.

Brookfield Elementary

The school community came together Friday for a fun-filled family evening. The PTO-sponsored Family Fun Night included dancing with a DJ, playing bingo and lots of snacks and refreshments. In other news, tickets for the B.E. Players production of "Beauty and the Beast" are on sale. Performances will be held at the Wilson Center at 7 p.m. March 10 and 2 p.m. March 11.

Burleigh Elementary

The students in Courtney Arntzen's third-grade class are collecting gently used books for the patients at Children's Hospital. Her students will be making bookmarks to send along with the donated books.

Hillside Elementary

Students will celebrate being kind to others and friendship during Friendship Parties on Tuesday. Teams that include staff and parents with Burleigh and Brookfield Elementary schools have met to start discussing transitions for the next school year.

Immanuel Lutheran

Students celebrated the 100th Day of School by challenging each class to read 100 pages that afternoon. Several classes did other activities in addition to the reading. Kindergarten students each brought 100 items from home, sixth-graders put 100 drops of water on a penny, and third-graders found something "100" to do in every subject that day.

St. Dominic

During Catholic Schools Week the students celebrated service with many projects. The Student Council sponsored a "Souperbowl Week" during which students were asked to donate soup for the Waukesha Food Pantry. The school collected 263 cans of soup. Students in 4-year-old kindergarten through grade three made valentines for veterans and fourth- through eighth-grade students made cards for those in the active military.

St. John Vianney

Fifty sixth-graders graduated from the D.A.R.E. program. Officer James Pleva taught the class. All students wrote an essay at the end of the six weeks, and Catherine Capper and Brett Walsh were chosen to read theirs at the graduation. Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto, Alderman Jerry Mellone and Alderman Bob Reddin attended the event and participated in the presentation of certificates.

St. Mary's Visitation

Fourteen retired School Sisters of Notre Dame were honored by St. Mary's Visitation students, faculty and staff during a special Mass as part of the school's celebration of Catholic Schools Week. The retired sisters were honored for the role the SSND order played in founding St. Mary's in 1859, and in teaching students there for decades. "We really owe the school sisters such a debt for all of the years of service they gave to St. Mary's," Principal Mary Tretow said. "These retired sisters and their predecessors dedicated their lives to educating literally generations of St. Mary's students."

Swanson Elementary

Jennifer Slonac's third-graders participated in a presentation by Good Friend organization founders Denise Schamens and Chelsea Budde. They are mothers of children with various special needs. Swanson third-graders learned how to be a good friend to children with various special needs, including autism spectrum disorders. The Good Friend mission is to create autism awareness, teach acceptance and foster empathy, which reinforces Swanson's P.E.A.C.E. schoolwide expectations.

Tonawanda Elementary

Tonawanda's Auction, held at the Western Racquet Club on Saturday, was a success. Tara Coakley, Peggy Coakley and many others planned the event, and many parents and teachers participated. Tonawanda's Scholastic Book Fair is now open and will remain open through parent/teacher conferences Feb. 22 and 23.

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