St. Roch is very fortunate to have some extra assistance from former students. Helen McCarthy is practice teaching P. E. with Joan Crawford. Kathy Buckley, Susie Lottes and Pat Warner come to St. Roch several days per week as part of a work program at their respective high schools. They tutor any student that a teacher feels needs reenforcement.
The drama department has been busy again. On March 15 the seventh grade presented “Airport Adventure” which was a story of espionage. The eighth grade presented “Cybernella”, a futuristic version of Cinderella. Both were under the direction of Ed Martin. On March 22 the fifth graders, under the direction of Mrs. Mahon presented two plays, “Calendar Crises” and “Shady Shadows”.
Mrs. Peggy O’Brien organized the St. Roch contingent for the St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 11. Msg. Peet rode at the head of the group wearing a jaunty green tam. Eighty-nine children in green marched playing “McNamara’s Band” on kazoos. Sister Leo Ann, Peetroch and numerous parents completed the group.
That evening, the School Association’s St. Pat’s party was a sellout. Two hundred and fifty persons feasted on corned beef and cabbage which was prepared by Dave Schmidt and his crew of helpers. Clare Warner supervised the serving. Msg. Peet and his singing waiters treated all to some Irish ballads. John Hickey manned the bar. Loretta Flynn provided Irish coffee. Pat Fitzgerald organized desserts. Nancy Young and Pat Taylor decorated. Jim and Ilene McGinn certainly provided everyone with a fun evening.
The annual St. Roch Day was held on Thursday, March 16 from 11 til 2 in [word damaged in source] gym. All of the grades planned [word missing in source] worked for weeks in advance to make the carnival a success. The kindergarten and the first grade sponsored a candy booth. They were also in charge of the Big Jack three pound chocolate bunny raffle. The second grade had a white elephant booth. The third grade raffled pairs of ice skates and roller skates. The fourth grade raffled two cap and scarf sets. A cake walk was jointly sponsored by the third and fourth grades. The fifth grade booth combined a sucker pull and fortune tellers. The sixth grade showed the movie “Charlie Brown Goes to School”. The seventh grade held a penny king and queen contest. They were also in charge of lunches. The eighth grade sold popcorn and manned the ever popular jail as well as various games of skill. Many mothers and little ones attended the festivities.
That evening, the School Association held their fourth meeting of the school year. Projects and products of the current mini-courses were on display. The purpose of the meeting was to thank those people who work daily to foster the educational atmosphere at St. Roch. A gigantic thank you was accorded the teachers, the Great Books leaders, the library workers and the mini-course organizers.
On March 20 and 21 the dentist from the Health Department of the city of St. Louis was at St. Roch. The pupils of the first, fifth and eighth grades were given dental exams.
DATE TO NOTE: First Communion, April 8 at 4:30.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1978.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Damaged gym sentence is marked; printed “reenforcement,” “Msg.” and “Ilene” are retained.
Original source: SD_Times1978_04.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
