STA Memories

We all have many memories of St. Thomas Aquinas.  We thought you might enjoy seeing a list culled from the memories shared in 1985.  Do you have others?  If so, share them by adding them as comments to this posting.

Teachers

Sister Immaculata and candy bars in her pockets (First Grade)

The love of Sr. Mercy (Third Grade)

Miss Delaney and making bulletin boards (Sixth grade)

The day Mrs. Watts left, walking down the aisle of church at graduation (Seventh Grade teacher)

Miss Jones “dispersing” the mission bank across the room (Fourth Grade)

Sister Damien (Eighth grade – boys)

Sister Stella (Eighth grade - girls)

Piano lessons with Sr. Rosalie

Priests

Msgr. Long and confessions, especially our first confession, and learning Msgr. Long was “deaf”

Msgr. Long’s sermon on Sundays

Father Rabbitt

Father White

Religious Events/Experiences

First Holy Communion

Confirmation Day

Being an altar boy

Knees and back aching while saying the rosary on hardwood floors

Going to confession and not being able to think of anything to tell the priest

Mural behind the Church altar

Religious processions and rehearsing for them

Reciting from the Baltimore Catechism
Tom McGrath and his sacrificial lamb imitation

Athletics

Basketball games, especially Eighth grade

Football games

Playing baseball at lunch time near the “sign boards” on Washington Boulevard

Playing slap ball at lunch on the corner of Le Claire and West End

Playing ball on the blacktop
John Santoro attending the football homecoming party minus his front teeth

Eighth Grade Related Activities

Graduation Day

Eighth grade picnic

Eighth grade retreat

Eighth Grade Variety Show

Separation of boys and girls in the eighth grade

No caps and gowns for graduation

In Classroom Events

Lightening striking one of the empty desks at the rear of our fifth grade classroom

Acting out book reports

Fire drills

Warm milk for 2 cents a carton

Out of Classroom Events

Stint as a patrol boy

Being a hall guard

Walking younger students to the corner

Attending sock hops

Rosary Club
Being urinated on in the boys’ wash room (name withheld to protect both individuals - not sure 50 years is long enough!)

Best of All

Fun we had and Friends we made

Do you have some more memories?  Please add them as comments to this post.

Our Eighth Grade Report Cards

We were graded on our academic achievement in the following areas:

• Knowledge of Christian Doctrine
• Skill and Comprehension in Reading
• Knowledge and Use of English Grammar
• Expression of Ideas in Speech and Writing
• Correct Written Spelling
• Computation and Reasoning in Arithmetic
• Knowledge of History
• Knowledge of Geography
• Understanding of Government and Duties of Citizenship
• Understanding of Scientific Methods and Basic Scientific Facts

In addition we were graded on Effort, Conduct, Homework and School Spirit.

Do you remember bringing home these report cards for our parents to sign?  On the reverse of the card, there is an area where our teacher could place a "check."  If we had a check in the box for that grading period it meant that our parents had to "arrange to call at the school personally to talk with the principal or the teacher regarding the best interest of the child."

STA Trivia

How well do your remember our days at St. Thomas Aquinas?

Scroll down for the answers

1. Who was the priest who gave our eighth grade retreat?

2. How tall did you have to be for the eighth grade fashion show?

3. Who were our two eighth grade teachers?

4. Who was the favorite first grade teacher?

5. When was the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas when we were in school? (Note the feast days have been changed.)

6. Who crowned the Virgin Mary at the 1960 May crowning?

7. How much was a carton of milk in 1956?

8. Who wrote the eighth grad class prophesy?

9. Where was our sixth grade picnic?

10. Who was the priest who always knew who was not at 9:00 a.m. Mass?

11. What were the two eighth grad room numbers?

12. Who was our principal in 1960?

13. How many boys were in our graduating class?

14. How many girls were in our graduating class?

15. What was the address of our school?

16. What time did school start each day?

17. What time did school end each day?

18. What was the annual tuition?

19. What was done for April Fool's Day in 1960?

20. Which altar boy lit more than candles on STA's altar?
 

ANSWERS:
1. Father Belenger;   2. Five feet, six inches;   3. Sister Stella and Sister Damian;   4. Sister Immaculata;   5. March 7th;   6. Antoinette Malizia;   7. 2 cents;   8. Elizabeth Giangrego;   9. Sycamore Park, Illinois;   10. Msgr. Long;   11. Rooms 15 and 16;   12. Sr. Mary Honore;   13. 41 boys;   14. 51 girls;   15. 116 N. LeClaire;    16. 8:45 a.m.;   17. 2:45 p.m.;   18. $20.00;   19. The boys and girls switched rooms and the teachers' desks were turned around (weren't we a naughty bunch!);   20. Thomas McGrath.

These trivia questions were developed for the 25th Reunion in 1985.

Graduation Luncheon Photos, 1960

 Photographs from S.T.A. Graduation Luncheon

First photo shows head table with Fr. Rabbitt (?), Fr. Fitzpatrick and Mothers' Club representatives.

Antionette Malizia is shown at microphone giving "Thanks to our priests" in the second photograph.  Philip Kelley is shown in center, front.

In the third photo, John McGuinnis is giving "Our appreciation of the Mothers' Club."  I have since learned that Dan Carr was our class president but was in Ireland at the time of our graduation, so John stepped in for him.  Richard LaRose is shown in center, front.

To enlarge photos, double click on them. To fully enlarge, you may need to click a second time.

Photos Courtesy: Carole Keough




At the luncheon, Sr. Stella posed with Elaine McIntyre and Carole Keough.  She even smiled for the camera!

On their way home after the graduation luncheon, Elaine McIntyre, Carole Keough, Joan Laughlin and Kathy Houlihan stopped for a photo at Laramie and Washington.  Love those FULL skirts.

Photos courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin.

Eighth Grade Officers

In eighth grade, the girls and boys were separated into different rooms.

Room 15
Educator: Sister Mary Damien, RSM
President: Daniel Carr
Vice-President: John McGuinnis
Secretary: John Santoro
Treasurer: Philip Kelly

Room 16
Educator: Sister Mary Stella, RSM
President: Antoinette Malizia
Vice-President: Mary Lynn McGuff
Secretary: Lucy Valentino
Treasurer: Carol Broderick