Geography Bee Winners

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Students in grades four through eight recently participated in the school-wide round
of the National Geography Bee. Congratulations to our school champion, Patrick
McCurdy, who will complete an online assessment to determine whether he will qualify to advance to the state level competition.

Congratulations to Andrew Horgan who won second place and to all of the students who represented their classes in this academic event.

Zachary Kreitzer (8A)
Patrick McCurdy (8B)
Krysta Drone (7A)
Patrick Dickson (7B)
Esther Paz (6A)
Alex Iskenderoglu (6B)
John Karcher (5A)
Orla Haggerty (5B)
Anthony Williams (4A)
Andrew Horgan (4B)

Science Fair Winners Announced

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Congratulations to the following winners of the annual middle school science
fair. Thank you, Mrs. Cottingham and Mrs. Woolfrey, for your dedication and for all that you did to guide the students through the process.

Science Fair Winners – 2018

Overall Winners

  • 3rd Runner Up: Varun Varma
  • 2nd Runner Up: Michael Caturano
  • 1st Runner Up: Tim Mills
  • Grand Champion: Mike Short

Category Winners

Category: Behavioral & Social Science

  • 1st place: Chloe Davies  – “Work to the Beat”
  • 2nd place: Ashleigh Sorbet  – “The Sound of Music”
  • 3rd place: Sabrina Yap – “Mmmm … Mnemonics”

Category: Botany

  • 1st place: Vlad Rapolti – “And the Best Fertilizer Is…”

Category: Chemistry

  • 1st place: Beverley Appiatse – “Shaking for Suds” & Isabelle Tate “Balloon Morphing”
  • 3rd place: Alexa Brophy – “Fantastic Flour Formula”

Category: Computer Science

  • 1st place: Varun Varma – “Focusing Signals for Better Wifi”
  • 2nd place: Mehek Jamil – “Where’s My Wifi?”
  • 3rd place: Paul Swaray – “Don’t Get Blocked!”

Category: Earth & Space Science

  • 1st place: Dan Coleman – “Putting the Solar in Solar Panels”

Category: Engineering

  • 1st place: Kevin Balagtas – “Stolen?  I think not!”
  • 2nd place: Anthony Suppers – “Oils Well that Ends Well”
  • 3rd place: Ian King – “Aluminum Foil Boat Buoyancy”

Category: Environmental Science

  • 1st place: Michael Caturano – “Keeping Earth’s Waters Clean”
  • 2nd place: Skyler Yann – “Devastating Tsunami”
  • 3rd place: Isabella Ortiz – “How Do Plants Affect Soil Erosion?”

Category: Mathematics

  • 1st place: Zack Kreitzer – “Projecting Your Fantasy”
  • 2nd place: Christina Santiago – “How the Golden Ratio Affects People’s Aesthetic Opinion”
  • 3rd place: Ryan Crocker – “Going Going Statistics”

Category: Medicine & Health

  • 1st place: Mike Short – “Can Blood Pressure Take the Heat?”
  • 2nd place: Alyssa Neuman – “Inherited… Not Inherited?”
  • 3rd place: Kiera Egan – “Which Sunscreen?”

Category: Microbiology

  • 1st place: Brian Varghese – “Spicing Up Your Diet”

Category: Physics

  • 1st place: Timothy Mills – “May the Force Be With You”
  • 2nd place: Maggie Horan – “Chillin’ With Batteries”
  • 3rd place: Mary Collins – “How High Does it Take to Launch a Rocket?”

Representing All Saints at the Diocesan Science Fair

  • Kevin Balagtas
  • Michael Caturano
  • Chloe Davies
  • Zack Kreitzer
  • Timothy Mills
  • Mike Short
  • Ashleigh Sorbet
  • Varun Varma
  • Skyler Yann
  • Sabrina Yap

Arlington Diocesan Honor Band

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Arlington Diocese Honor Band 
Congratulations to the following 7th and 8th Grade All Saints Band students who have been invited to participate in the 2018 Arlington Diocese Honor Band.  These students will meet with 100 additional students from around the diocese on Monday evenings from February through the end of April. A final Honor Band concert will take place at Bishop Ireton High School in May.

Those selected for the 7th/8th grade group:
Christina Santiago (8th) – clarinet
Anthony Olivera (7th)  – alto sax
Kevin Balagtas (7th) – trumpet
Ian King (7th) – trombone
Machiko Mubanga (7th) – trombone
Krysta Drone (7th)  – tuba
Alyssa Newman (8th) – bass clarinet

Those selected for the 5th/6th grade group:
Matthew Kreitzer (6th) – drums
Camden Short (5th) – trumpet
Nhu-y Nguyen (6th) – bass clarinet
Taylor Henman (6th) – bass clarinet

Knights of Columbus Poster Contest

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Recently the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus introduced a Keep Christ in
Christmas Poster Contest for children ages five to fourteen, providing students the
opportunity to showcase their artistic gifts while highlighting the true meaning of the
season.

At last Friday’s school Mass, Grand Knight John Masarick and two of his Brother
Knights presented awards to the following students who participated.

Ages 5-7
First Place – Avila Mantooth
Second Place – Jennifer Baughman
Third Place – Cecilia Duran

Ages 8-10
First Place – Amelia Webb
Second Place – Orla Haggerty
Third Place – Sarah Rennolds

Ages 11 – 14
First Place – Chloe Davies
Second Place – Margaret Horan
Third Place – Christina Santiago

Congratulations to all of these students! We wish the three first-place winners every
continued success as their posters advance to the next level of competition.

Thank you to the members of the George Brent Council of the Knights of Columbus for
sharing this opportunity with our school and for their continued partnership.

March for Life

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On Friday, January 19th the students of All Saints will join their prayers with the
thousands who will gather in Washington, D.C. at the annual March for Life.

As a school community we will pray for an increase in respect for the sanctity of life at all stages in our society. While children who wish to attend the March for Life with their
parents or the Youth Ministry Program will be marked as absent, please know that this
absence will not affect a child who otherwise would earn “Perfect Attendance” at the
close of the year.

If your child will be attending the March, please notify his or her teacher via a note by Thursday, January 18th.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Posted on by Janis DeVore

On Tuesday, December 12, 2017,  we will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe beginning with a Mass at 10:00 a.m. in the church. Immediately following the liturgy, the students will gather around the Statue of Mary in the courtyard where they will learn more about the feast day and pray one Decade of the Rosary.

Students are cordially invited to bring single roses to school on Tuesday to be presented to Our Lady by class representatives. After the ceremony, the students will process to the Parish Activities Center where they will enjoy authentic Mexican treats and the music of the parish Spanish Choir. We look forward to this joyful celebration of Our Lady and hope that many of you will be able to join us for the occasion.

All Saints Wins First Place Prize in Manassas Parade

Posted on by Janis DeVore

On Saturday, December 5th, over a dozen students participated in our school float as part of the Annual Greater Manassas Christmas Parade. Dressed in costumes borrowed from our 6th grade theater arts program, the children presented a living nativity scene, winning first place in the sponsored division. I want to thank Mrs. Pereira for coordinating the design of the float and the many details that led to such success. It was a great joy to see our students proudly riding the float and providing such an enthusiastic witness to the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior.

Service Activities Throughout Advent

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Next week we will begin our annual journey of Advent, a time of preparation for the
celebration of Christ’s birth. Through the years at All Saints we have established
several traditions that help to create a tone of anticipation and waiting as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of our Savior.

Advent Wreath Prayer Services ~ On Monday morning the students will assemble in the Parish Activities Center for a school-wide prayer service highlighting the meaning of the Advent Wreath. During the second and third weeks of Advent, each Monday students will gather around three separate wreaths in each of the wings of the school where they will participate in grade level prayer services.
Sacrament of Reconciliation ~ Each of the students in grades three through eight
have already had an opportunity to encounter Christ in this beautiful Sacrament of
healing and forgiveness during two Penance Services that occurred earlier this week.

Bethany Food Pantry Collection ~ Our theme for the December collection
is “Desserts”. On December 20th, students are invited to bring in dessert items (cake mix, icing mix, cookie mix, brownie mix, pie filling, pie shells, etc.). Items should be able to maintain shelf life and not require refrigeration. Collection of these items will occur in the breezeway during morning arrival after which students from the National Junior  Honor Society will then deliver items to the food pantry.

Saint Gabriel Mission Outreach ~ The National Junior Honor Society will be preparing goodie bags containing candy and a coloring book to be distributed to 200 children after Mass on Christmas Day at St. Gabriel Mission.

Mitten Collection ~ The Peace & Justice Players are sponsoring a collection of mittens for the poor in our community. Students are invited to “lend a hand” by donating a pair or two by January 12.

Advent Parish Holy Hour

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Please come to the All Saints parish Advent Holy Hour on Monday, December 4 at 8:00 pm in the church. Fr. Noah will give a brief Advent-themed reflection. We will also pray the rosary together, and have time for silent prayer and benediction. All are invited to participate in this time of prayer, as we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas.

Fr. Noah will also lead a Children’s Holy Hour on Thursday, December 14 at 4:00 pm. Students (and parents) of all ages are welcome! Meet outside the parish library (at the church entrance nearest to the main entrance of the school).

NJHS Thanksgiving Food Drive

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Last week our students contributed approximately 1,600 pounds of food during our
annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service. It was a beautiful sight to behold as the children placed all of their donations at the foot of the altar.

Following the prayer service, representatives from the National Junior Honor Society transported all of the food to the Parish Activities Center where they divided it into 75 pre-packaged meals that were later distributed to families in need through the Bethany Food Pantry. Additionally, our school collected several dozen turkeys that were provided directly to the poor in our community. Thank you for your wonderful generosity and for helping your children to experience Thanksgiving as a time of giving.