St. Rose Students Become Official “Frog Watchers” Through Community Science Partnership
From Classroom Curiosity to Community Conservation: St. Rose Middle Schoolers Partner with Local Scientists to Protect Connecticut’s Wetlands
This week, our St. Rose middle school students once again demonstrated curiosity, leadership, and a true love of learning — and this time, it all started with frogs.
As many of you know, frogs have taken on a life of their own in our middle school lab this year. So when students in grades 6–8 learned about a program being offered at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, excitement spread quickly. What began as simple interest turned into something much bigger: a hands-on conservation initiative that connected our students with scientists across the country.
After reaching out to the sanctuary for more information, families were invited to participate in an evening training session — and the response was incredible. Nine students attended in person with family members from 6:00–8:30 PM, while additional students joined via Zoom as part of a national training session of 41 participants. In fact, the entire in-person sanctuary event ended up being exclusively St. Rose students and families — essentially our very own private training!
The program was led in partnership with experts from the Yale Peabody Museum, the The Maritime Aquarium, and the Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo. Students learned about ten frog species native to Connecticut, including how to identify them by physical traits, habitat, and — most impressively — their distinct calls. After completing a short quiz, our students aced it!
Participants are now preparing to complete an official assessment through the Beardsley Zoo, earning certification as “Frog Watchers” by scoring 80% or higher. Once certified, students may register nationally to contribute to FrogWatch USA, a community science initiative affiliated with the Akron Zoo.
As part of this program, students will collect weekly data and submit observations that directly assist scientists in monitoring frog and toad populations and wetland health. They learned how to use the Beaufort Wind Scale to measure wind speeds, how to assess frog call intensity, and how to record precipitation, temperature, and species identification. Their data will contribute to real scientific research — an extraordinary example of authentic, applied learning in action.
Laura King, Director of Programs and Events, and Ken Elkins, Director of Education and Partnerships at the sanctuary, were deeply impressed by our students’ engagement and knowledge. We are incredibly proud of how they represented St. Rose — not only with enthusiasm, but with professionalism and a genuine commitment to conservation.
Congratulations to our student participants:
Ava Gordon (Gr. 7)
Alessandra Maurina (Gr. 7)
Olivia Tokarczyk (Gr. 6)
Nolan Hall (Gr. 6)
Henry Mesinger (Gr. 6)
June Murphy (Gr. 6)
Ryan Halstead (Gr. 6 – Zoom)
Arabella Fappiano (Gr. 6)
John Monckton (Gr. 8)
Madalynn Haddad (Gr. 8)
We are also excited to share that Ken Elkins has offered to partner further with St. Rose. He is eager to visit our school to design a program tailored to our needs and welcomes grades 3–8 to participate in programming at the sanctuary, our neighbor right around the corner near the post office. With his extensive experience working with the Audubon Society, this partnership holds tremendous potential for expanding environmental education opportunities for our students.
This event was more than a lesson about frogs, it was a lesson in stewardship, scientific inquiry, and community engagement. We hope you will join us in congratulating these students for volunteering their time and representing St. Rose with such excellence.
We can’t wait to see (and hear!) what happens next in our wetlands.
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Learning punctuation has never been more delicious! This week, Mrs. Murphy brought creativity—and a touch of Italy, into her middle school classroom by transforming a traditional grammar lesson into an immersive, Italian-themed experience using pasta to teach punctuation. From the moment students walked in, they were greeted by an atmosphere inspired by all things Italian. But the real magic happened when Mrs. Murphy introduced an innovative, hands-on way to understand punctuation marks, using a variety of pasta shapes as visual and tactile tools. Elbow macaroni, spaghetti, shells, and more became commas, periods, quotation marks, and question marks right before students’ eyes. By connecting each punctuation mark to a pasta shape, students were able to see and build sentences in a new way. The lesson encouraged active participation, collaboration, and plenty of curiosity as students constructed sentences, corrected errors, and explained their punctuation choices, all while engaging multiple senses. What might normally feel like a dry grammar topic quickly turned into an energetic, memorable learning experience. This creative approach not only helped reinforce punctuation rules, but it also made learning fun and accessible for different learning styles. Students laughed, asked thoughtful questions, and walked away with a stronger understanding of how punctuation shapes meaning, plus a lesson they won’t soon forget. Mrs. Murphy’s pasta-powered punctuation lesson is a wonderful example of how imaginative teaching can bring curriculum to life. Bravo to Mrs. Murphy for serving up a lesson that was equal parts educational and inspiring!
This fall, our 7th and 8th grade students stepped into the exciting world of finance through the Stock Market Game, an immersive simulation that gives students a virtual $100,000 to invest in real-time markets. Guided by Mrs. Cicarelli, students learned firsthand how global markets operate and how investors make informed decisions. Throughout the club, students explored how to research companies using tools like Yahoo Finance, studied trendlines, analyzed graphs, and followed major brands to understand how real-world events can influence stock performance. They practiced identifying ticker symbols, monitored market fluctuations, and discussed the importance of timing and observation—recognizing how noticing trends in everyday life can translate into investment insights. Their diligence and teamwork led to remarkable success. On multiple dates in November, St. Rose School achieved the #1 Advisor Ranking among all schools in the region with five or more participating teams—a significant achievement in a competitive field. Several teams reached impressive standing in the overall competition, including top rankings of 2nd, 3rd, and 5th place out of 275 participating teams. These groups built portfolios exceeding $100,000 in value through thoughtful research and strategic investing. Their excitement and pride were evident as they presented their certificates and reflected on their accomplishments. In addition, the class collaborated to create a combined portfolio featuring one favorite stock from each team. This collective effort earned an outstanding 6th place ranking out of 275 teams, demonstrating the power of shared decision-making and diverse perspectives. Beyond rankings and portfolio growth, the Stock Market Game offered students a meaningful opportunity to build financial literacy, strengthen analytical thinking, and experience the rewards of teamwork. The enthusiasm and engagement shown by our middle schoolers highlight the impact of hands-on learning experiences at St. Rose School. We are incredibly proud of our students for their efforts, curiosity, and leadership throughout the program. Their success is a testament to the vibrant, engaging, and future-focused education we strive to provide every day at St. Rose.
7th Graders Create Hobbit Dioramas in Mrs. Murphy’s ELA Class
With all the activity buzzing through our classrooms and halls, you couldn’t miss the excitement and friendly competition of this year’s Turkey Trot — and what a year it was! Now in its fifth year, the Turkey Trot just reached its most successful total ever. Our previous record from 2022 was 4,228 food items… and this year our students shattered it with an incredible 5,226 items collected for the Faith Food Pantry! ❤️🤍 What makes this even more special? This project was entirely student-driven. With just a few turkey gobbles during announcements and a simple flyer, students checked the Turkey Trot track daily, strategizing and encouraging each other to move their buddy turkey forward. Their teamwork and enthusiasm showed what St. Rose spirit is all about! 🏁 Final Turkey Trot Standings 🥇 Toto the Turkey (Grades 3 & 6) — 1,988 items 🥈 Blueberry (Grades 1 & 5) — 1,560 items 🥉 Gobbler (Grades 2 & 7) — 782 items 4️⃣ Frozen Blueberry (Preschool & Grade 8) — 473 items 5️⃣ Mr. Gobbleson (Grades K & 4) — 423 items Awards were handed out to celebrate, Monday will be a schoolwide dress-down day as a BIG thank-you to our amazing students. Every can, box, bag, and jar helped bring us to a huge win for the Faith Food Pantry. We’ve already made two deliveries — shelves are stocked for Thanksgiving — and the remaining items will be delivered next week to keep supporting families well into the winter months. Our children showed once again that many hands make light work. When it was time to gather items for delivery, one quick call brought out carts, teamwork, and strong arms ready to help. Their willingness to step up, take charge, and serve others truly reflects the heart of St. Rose. We are THANKFUL, PROUD, and continually inspired by our students. 🧡 What a beautiful reminder that when we share our blessings, we spread joy far beyond our walls.
Our students never fail to amaze us — not only do they get the job done, but they’re always up for a challenge! This week was no exception as we held our first annual “Anything BUT a Backpack Day”… and WOW, did our students deliver! From baskets and buckets to mailboxes, pots & pans, garbage cans, wheelbarrows, golf bags, luggage, pet carriers and so much more — you name it, it came through our doors! Our elementary students enjoyed unpacking their clever “book carriers” for the day, while our spirited middle schoolers committed fully and traveled from class to class with their creations in tow. Hearing wheels rolling down the sidewalk and peeking out to see laundry baskets, Christmas stockings, and even wheelbarrows being pulled along brought the biggest smile to our faces! We kicked off the morning with a parade in the Gathering Hall where every idea got its moment to shine, followed by homeroom favorites and even a mini-parade from our littlest learners. In the end, there were prizes… but even better, there was joy, laughter, imagination, and school spirit everywhere we looked. Here’s to creativity, fun, and a new tradition that we already can’t wait to bring back next year!
Students come together in faith and gratitude to honor those who served.
