THE Volume 1 Issue 1 November 2020 Saint Joseph School BundlesB of Joy EAGLE Last year in school, everyone got a visit from Bundles of Joy founder, Ms. Adrienne Harper. Ms. Harper talked to all of the students about the work that Bundles of Joy does. I interviewed our very own Grace Levasseur, an eighth grade student who is involved with Bundles of Joy, to find out more about this wonderful organization. Q: What is Bundles of Joy? Grace: Bundles of Joy is a nonprofit organization that donates clothes and other essentials to babies and mothers. Q: How does Bundles of Joy help other people? Grace: Bundles of Joy helps low-income parents provide the right prod- ucts for their children. Q: How does Bundles of Joy get donations to people in need? Grace: They deliver their donations either through shelters, hospitals, or Best in Class Improvements directly to the families. Upon the return to school this fall, students were able to witness firsthand the substantial improvements made by the Best in Class initia- Q: Specifically, how do you help out at Bundles of Joy? tive. Grace: I organize, count inventory, and make “bundles” of books, toys, First of all, the science lab was completely remodeled. It was bathing items, and clothes. cleared out and all new tables, chairs, and cabinets were installed. A white board had also been added. It is currently serving as the 7th grade Q: How long have you been assisting this organization? homeroom. Grace: I have been helping out at Bundles of Joy for around 2 or 3 Secondly, the computer lab and previous 5th and 6th grade math years. rooms were combined, creating a state-of-the-art Technology, Reading and Art Center (“TRAC”) that currently houses the 8th grade. Both Q: What can other people do to help out if they are interested? the new science lab and the TRAC room have interior windows facing Grace: You can help out by becoming a “joy maker”. If you go to the into the hallway, allowing for a more open feel on the lower level of the Bundles of Joy website, you can find out how. Also you can donate new school. or lightly-used items to the storefront in Bronxville. Finally, the former library was transformed into the kindergarten classroom, with new furniture and a smartboard. The former kindergar- Q: Why are donations so important? ten space is now home to the new Pre-K program, which has proven to Grace: The donations are important because so many families are in need be a great success! of baby supplies and are even forced to use dish soap on their newborns. Overall, the improvements have made the building look much better. We thank everyone who helped make our school look great! Thank you to Grace Levasseur for taking time to share with us Andrew Giordano ‘22 what the organization Bundles of Joy is doing to help people in need. Grace is doing amazing work with Bundles of Joy. If you would like to help Grace and Bundles of Joy, you can find out more information by visiting their website at http://www.bundlesofjoyny.org. You can support this Bronxville non-profit by donating lightly used items and other essen- tials for babies. Kara Spillane ‘21 The Beagle Staff Jack Cappelleri ‘23 Madison Chartier ‘24 Aurora Cierro ‘22 Dalton Danza ‘21 Jesse Farina-Mosca ‘23 Brian Flynn ‘23 J.J. Flynn ‘21 Scarlett Giannettino ‘23 Andrew Giordano ‘22 Thomas Giordano ‘22 Natalie Hundt ‘23 Caitlin McDonagh ‘23 Meghan McDonagh ‘24 Daniel McQuade ‘22 Timothy McQuade ‘23 Grace Murphy ‘24 Timothy Pandekakes ‘22 Luca Rivera ‘23 Dylan Saladino ‘23 Marilin Samuelian‘21 Ryan Smith ‘23 Kara Spillane ‘21 Ryan Spillane ‘22 Kyle Terri ‘21 Joseph Troiano ‘22 Evan Utano ‘23 Volume 1 Issue 1 November 2020 Saint Joseph School Getting to Know Mrs. Fragoso Have you ever wondered what teachers are like beyond the classroom? I was fortunate enough to get to interview Ms. Fragoso, who teaches science here at SJS. Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a teacher? Why? Mrs. Fragoso: I decided I wanted to be a teacher about 25 years ago. I always felt like a teacher in some way. I was my daughter's Girl Scout Troop Leader for 10 years. I was her softball coach from age 5 to 16 years of age. So most of my life I have been guiding and leading young people. It feels good to make a difference in someone’s life. As a mom and a teacher, I connect them personally so I feel I can contribute to not only my students but to my students’ families as well. Q: Did you ever want to change your career? Mrs. Fragoso: Teaching is actually my second career. I first went to col- lege for Fashion Marketing and Management...that career seemed very glamorous to me at the time. I loved the fashion world but as I started to raise a family it truly was not a practical career. I was a stay home mom for a long time and I would not change that for all the money in the world. I returned back to college as an adult and got my degree in educa- tion. Then I truly found my calling/vocation in Catholic schools. Q: Who inspires you the most? Mrs. Fragoso: The person that truly inspires me is my mom. She has been my best friend my whole life. I know that no-matter what I am going through, she is by my side. Q: Where did you grow up? Mrs. Fragoso: I was born in City Island and we moved to Yonkers when First Holy Communion I was 3 years old. September is not usually a time that comes to mind when people Q: Where did you go to school? think about First Communion. 2020 was a bit different for many things. Mrs. Fragoso: I attended Yonkers Public School, the Berkeley College in This year’s First Communion for the Saint Joseph's third grade Westchester, and the College of New Rochelle. students was different from past Communions due to Covid-19. Extra precautions had to be taken to keep everybody safe. Communion was de- Q: Did you play any sports? layed from May to September because May was not a safe time. Septem- Mrs. Fragoso: I love all sports, I played softball my whole life, even as a ber, though, turned out to be a nice time for First Communion. young adult. Some extra precautions that had to be taken were the following: no procession, not sitting with class, only five people per family (includ- Q: Do you have a big family? ing First Communicant), masks, and social distancing. All of these were Mrs. Fragoso: I have two grown children, my daughter Samantha who is to keep each other safe, and stop the spread of germs. 32, and my son Paul who is 29. I have two beautiful grandsons whom The Communion was very orderly. Attendees were directed I adore more than anything in this world. Lucas, who is 2 and Cristian, straight to their seats upon arrival. Each family went row-by-row to who is almost 9 weeks old. I am the baby in my family. My brother and receive Holy Communion. Luckily, the Church was live-streaming the sister are both older than me. I have nieces and nephews, and I also have Mass, so if family couldn’t be there, they could watch from their homes. a great niece who is 4 months old. Even though First Communion was different this year, everyone is thankful that the Communicants were still able to receive. Q: When is your birthday? “Communion was different, but I still got to receive it. I also liked that I Mrs. Fragoso: My birthday is May 17. was able to receive Communion with my family,” said Sarah Murphy, a third grader. Precautions had to be taken to keep everyone safe while still Q: What is your favorite color? enjoying their day. This year, Communion still turned out to be great. Mrs. Fragoso: My favorite color is yellow. It makes me smile. I love the beach so I guess it reminds me of the sun. Grace Murphy ‘24 Q: What are your favorite foods? Mrs. Fragoso: I absolutely love pasta and pizza. Q: Do you have any pets? Mrs. Fragoso: I have a little Morkie. Her name is Francesca. She brings complete joy to my heart every day. Q: Are you enjoying being part of the SJS family? Mrs. Fragoso: I am so honored to be part of the SJS family. However, I did cry my eyes out the first two weeks of school adjusting to my new environment. It’s not easy being the new kid on the block. That being said, Mrs. Sanchez, the faculty, and of course all of my students made me feel like I am home. I truly feel blessed to be part of such an amazing community. I thank God every day for all He has given and has provid- ed me with the gift of teaching. Thank you Ms. Fragoso for letting me interview you! I truly en- joyed learning about you, and we all welcome you to the SJS family! Marilin Samuelian ‘21 Mrs. Fragoso and her dog, Francesca 2 Volume 1 Issue 1 November 2020 Saint Joseph School Interview with Two New SJS Sixth Graders There are many new students in the St. Joseph School community this year. I interviewed Johida Mehaj (6B) and Jesse Farina-Mosca (6A).