Ms. Cates
F I F T H   G R A D E
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
T H E    T E A C H E R

Ms. Jackie Cates

The 2019-2020 school year makes my sixth year of teaching and my second year teaching at St. Alphonsus Catholic School. This year, I am teaching 5th and 6th grade Language Arts and Reading, with the addition of Social Studies in fifth grade homeroom. My goals for this year include igniting in my students a love for learning and reading and helping them grow their love for Jesus Christ.

I live in Ocean Springs with my husband, Jason, and our twin sons, Jordan and Jackson. I am also a registered nurse. I feel very blessed to be here at St. Alphonsus and am looking forward to a memorable year with my precious students and their wonderful families!

 
 
 
 
 
For weekly reminders and important dates.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
L E A D E R S H I P

Our Classroom Team

 
Ms. Jackie Cates
Teacher
 
 
Ms. Elaine Dent
Teacher
 
Ms. Kelly Brenke
Assistant
 
 

Our “Special(s)” Team

 
Ms. Gena Gatschet
PE Teacher
 
 
Ms. Kathy Mangin
Music Teacher
 
 
Ms. Mary Rogers
Librarian
 
 
Ms. Lauren Ross
Spanish Teacher
 
 
 
 
 
 
C L A S S R O O M   A C T I V I T I E S
09
Dec '19

Mass 1.17.20 – Big and Small Things

Posted on Dec 9, 2019 | Religion, Schoolwide, Web Past Events

09
Dec '19

On Fridays, all of St. Alphonsus Catholic School students attend mass and worship together. Faith formation is an important part of their St. Al’s education.

This morning, our elementary students shared their understanding of today’s mass message.
– “By the way, we go to Mass to pray and praise God.” (Amen.)
– “Today Father told us about St. Anthony Abbott and he had 600 followers… He gave all his stuff away; his clothes, his house, EVERYTHING!… That was hard to do because those are hard choices…. He gave it all away to help the poor.”

Taking it a step further, these students knew that it doesn’t always have to be “big” things that we do as followers of Christ. They worked as groups and came up with ideas of “small” things they could do to help the poor, like St. Anthony Abbott. They decided to:
– raise money
– share food (“It’s sad when people have to eat out of the trash sometimes.”)
– build a house
– give away clothes that are too small and cant fit anymore
– donate old toys that aren’t played with anymore
– give money to help or jobs to do

#massmessage #makemassmeaningful #fromourstudents #calledtobeaSAINT


Read more
17
Nov '19

Christmas Pageant – 12.17.19

Posted on Nov 17, 2019 | Brown, Cates-5, Dent-6, Gruich, Hartzog, Mast, Web Past Events

17
Nov '19
Every year, first through sixth grade students bring the Christmas story alive in the annual Christmas Pageant. They tell the story of Jesus’ birth and spread the joy of the season through scripture, songs, and prayer. At its core, it is a perfect example of who we are and what matters most at St. Alphonsus Catholic School; hope and love. Our students practiced their songs (in English and Spansih no less) and rehearsed their lines leading up to this special night. We are so proud of them. We hope this evening meant as much to our St. Al’s family as it did to us.
 
We were excited to stream the performance live on or Facebook page for the very first time! To view video from that night, please visit us on Facebook (St. Alphonsus Catholic School). “Like Us” to see all the fun we have during the year.
 
 

Read more
08
Oct '19

Up to the Challenge

Posted on Oct 8, 2019 | Dent-5

08
Oct '19
We know that St. Alphonsus students are capable of amazing things. Often our classrooms are filled with activity as students are engaging with each other, mastering new subjects. Other times, they are quiet as knowledge is tested through essay prompts, comprehensive questioning, and bench marking tools.
 
St. Alphonsus Catholic School uses a rigorous curriculum guided by the Mississippi College & Career Readiness Standards (MCCRS). Our student’s progress amazes us every day and we love the opportunity to watch them grow. As Robert Collier says, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
 
 

Read more
06
Oct '19

Mass 11.01.19 – To Be Holy

Posted on Oct 6, 2019 | Religion, Schoolwide, Web Past Events

06
Oct '19
Blessed are the poor in spirit…
Blessed are the gentle…
Blessed are those who mourn…
Blessed are those who hunger…
Blessed are the merciful…
Blessed are the pure in heart…
Blessed are the peacemakers…
Blessed are the persecuted…
 
The day’s readings give hope that there is a place for all in the kingdom of Heaven. But how do we know if we are a peacemaker? On our hard days, are we merciful towards others? Do we see others in need and treat them with the gentle kindness Jesus taught us?
 
All Saints Day shows us that holiness is possible. It is possible to be all of those things and reach Heaven. When Jesus gave his life for us on the cross, he shared his holiness with each of us. Loving him and following Him is our path to Heaven and sainthood. God has never asked us to be perfect…. He asks us to follow him. #IwillfollowHim #massmessage #calledtobeaSAINT
 
 

Read more
04
Oct '19

Trunk or Treat Recap

Posted on Oct 4, 2019 | Schoolwide, Web Past Events

04
Oct '19
Trunk or Treat may have looked a little bit different this year – switching dates and locations due to weather – but the spirit and fun remained the same. St. Al’s loves being a part of your family’s life and welcomes the opportunity to be a place that families come to for faith, education, and FUN! This year, students traversed the hallways for candy instead of curriculum. Seeing everyone’s creativity in their costumes is a highlight of ours every year but the best part of Trunk or Treat is the wonderful community that is apparent in the life (and noise) that filled the Cafeteria. Thank you for letting us be a part of your family! #calledtobeaSAINT
 
 

Read more
02
Oct '19

When Saints Walk the Halls

Posted on Oct 2, 2019 | Religion, Schoolwide, Web Past Events

02
Oct '19

On Friday, October 25th, saints walked the halls of St. Alphonsus Catholic School. The annual Saint Walk by one of our Upper Elementary classes is the culmination of a multi-disciplinary project. The student select a saint they relate to in Religion class, discover more about their life and culture during Social Studies, and use time in English to create an essay they share with other students in the school.

To say that we are proud of their efforts and creativity would be an understatement. Watching them share their faith with other St. Al’s students is what St. Alphonsus Catholic School is all about. #calledtobeaSAINT #livingsaints
 
 

Read more
25
Sep '19

Mass 10.18.19 – Put It Out There

Posted on Sep 25, 2019 | Religion, Web Past Events

25
Sep '19

What does it mean to be a disciple? What does it mean to show the love of Jesus? Where do we even start? Those big questions were a part of Deacon Allen’s mass message this morning. Here are a few of Deacon’s talking points to continue the conversation in your home: – A disciple is a person that spreads God’s word and shares the love of Jesus. – We are all disciples. – We are called to be models to others. It’s a big responsibility but is something that every Christian can do. – A disciple doesn’t have to travel to far away lands like the people in the Bible did to show God’s love. We can do it in our classrooms by being kind to our classmates, be a good friend on the playground, and be a help to our teachers.

Put it out there wherever you go. Show God’s love. It’s not hard. #showinglove #massmessage #calledtobeaSAINT
 
 

Read more
16
Sep '19

Mass 10.09.19 – Prayer

Posted on Sep 16, 2019 | Religion, Web Past Events

16
Sep '19

Today’s mass readings talked about prayer. Specifically, they introduced the Lord’s Prayer and the idea that we are a Christian family under “our father.” Our elementary students have an active prayer life and shared their thoughts on prayer with us. .

Why do we pray? “I pray because I love God. I pray to say thank you. I pray to ask for help. I pray because that’s what God asks us to do.” . What do you pray for? “For my school. For my family. To keep everyone I love safe. For people to be kind to each other. For the people I love to have a nice life. For my church community. For my Uncle Charlie. For my mom and her patients. For my pet fish, Dizzy. To help the poor. For my siblings. To protect my house. For people to be happy.”
 
 

Read more
15
Sep '19

Mass 10.04.19 – Pure and Simple

Posted on Sep 15, 2019 | Religion, Web Past Events

15
Sep '19
Today’s mass recognized St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis loved animals, pure and simple.
 
Sometimes the mass message is also pure and simple; like today when Father reminded our students that we are called to love God and His creation. Everything we have, God created. He created the universe, the plants, animals, us… EVERYTHING that we can see or touch. As Christians we are called to love God and each other and His creations. It’s that simple. #massmessage #love #itsthatsimple #calledtobeaSAINT
 
 
 
 

Read more
12
Sep '19

Blessing of the Pets Recap

Posted on Sep 12, 2019 | Schoolwide, Web Past Events

12
Sep '19
St. Alphonsus Catholic School students brought their furry, scaly, slithery, and soft family members to this year’s Blessing of the Pets on Wednesday, October 3rd. The St. Alphonsus clergy blessed our family’s faithful friends and offered special prayers as students and family members paraded around the track. St. Al’s really went to the dogs… and cats and turtles and birds and “stuffies”… that day!
 
 

Read more
1 2