Hooray for another Big Blue!

At left:  Principal Becky Brown and some of the Blue Ribbon students at MQHR with their new flag.

Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School was recently named a Blue Ribbon School for 2011-12 by the US Department of Education and is having a party to celebrate on Friday, Dec. 2, at 1 PM, at MQ Church.

Here's the scoop on Blue Ribbon Schools, from the DOE website:

"The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels .... The program is part of a larger Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds. To be named a Blue Ribbon School is to join an elite group. Of more than 138,000 in the United States, just over 6,000 of America's schools have received this honor over the past 28 years. "  Note: Sts. Peter and Paul Regional School and Lexington Catholic High School have also held Blue Ribbon status.

Congrats to Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary on such a great achievement!

SPPS Art Students Create Art for Healing

Above:  The colorful mural created for young patients at UK Children's Hospital

Cindi Russell of SPPS sends this update:

The elementary students at Sts. Peter and Paul School have created a mural to share with the families and children at the UK Children’s Hospital.  Art teacher, Hayley Harris asked the students to come up with an idea to cheer up the children in the hospital and their families.  They came up with the idea of smiling animals.  After students had created many smiling animals, the Art Club put them together into a cheerful mural, “The Smiling Animal Mural”. 

The public cannot view the mural.  It is displayed in a part of the hospital where only children being treated and their families are allowed.  After it is taken down, it will be displayed at the school so that all can enjoy it.

St Leo Students Visit St. Meinrad

Above, St. Leo Art Club students visited St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana

Rosie Fedorchuk, Art and Music teacher at St. Leo School in Versailles, sends this report:

St. Leo Art Club went on a field trip to St.Meinrad Monastery to study religious art. Brother Martin (seen at right with the students) is an artist who gave St.Leo students a personal tour of some of the incredible artwork around St. Meinrad. He painted the triptych in the sanctuary and much of his artwork can be seen around St. Meinrad and in the gift shop. It was a great learning experience for our students who were also able to attend noon office with the monks and learn about monastic life.

At left, the students saw this beautiful mural in the Chapter Room.

St. Leo art club will begin their own mosaic of St. Leo this month on November 10th, the feast of St. Leo.
 
At right, this stained glass window at St. Meinrad depicts St. Leo.