Newsletter - Nardin Academy

January/February 2015
Important Dates
Jan. 5
School resumes
Jan. 9
Ski Club begins
Jan. 16
Special Schedule – Foreign Language
Midterm exams
Jan. 19
No School
Martin Luther King Holiday
Jan. 20
Midterm exams begin
Jan. 23
No School
Rating Day for exams / make-up
exams
Jan. 24
Father/Daughter Dance
at the Armory - 8-11 p.m.
Jan. 26
Freshman & Senior retreats
Jan. 27
Jr. Parent College Night
7:00 p.m. (Chapel)
Feb. 9
Sophomore Retreat
Feb. 15 – 22
Winter Break – No School
Volume 7, Issue 3
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL, REBECCA REEDER
Dear Parents and Students,
‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the school, students and
faculty were stirring and I joined them too. What were we stirring about?
The excitement of Christmas and the anticipation of time off to spend
with family and friends is on everyone’s mind. We will have finished three
full weeks in a row, and everyone is looking forward to time to rest, play,
and just enjoy. You can feel the holiday magic in the school as Secret
Santa gifts are exchanged, special kindnesses are evident and Christmas
music fills the building. I hope this same feeling is in your homes and
hearts, too.
Following our Christmas break, we will have our January exams. You
should have received the schedule at home in the mail, and it will be
posted on our website, too. Many schools have chosen to do away with
midterm exams—it is our belief that they play an important role in
preparation. We have found that our girls perform better at the end of the year in their finals because
they have learned the skills needed to bring them success on comprehensive exams. I know the girls get
nervous about these exams, and to help them we always have yoga in physical education for the couple
of weeks before exams begin. The girls learn some techniques for relaxation and stress relief. They have
often commented on how helpful it has been.
Before I close, I would be remiss to not give major kudos to our Music Department for their outstanding
Christmas concert, and to Mrs. Ricca, Mrs. Snyder and Dr. Gordon, along with several other faculty and
parents, who gave us such an enjoyable and professionally done musical, “Once Upon a Mattress.”
If you missed it, you missed several individual performances that were spectacular and a collective
performance that made us so proud. These types of activities take an incredible amount of work, and it
pays off, giving so many students a special activity that draws them close and makes memories to last a
lifetime. We are blessed to have so much talent at Nardin!
My wishes and prayers go out to all of you for a happy, healthy and blessed holiday with your families.
And let us remember the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.”
Sincerely,
Rebecca Reeder, Principal
Feb. 27-28
School play @ 710 Main St.
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
January/February 2015
NARDIN ACADEMY
HIGH SCHOOL
135 Cleveland Ave. Buffalo, 14222
(716) 881-6262
Main Office
Absence Line
Admissions
Advancement
Athletics
Busisness Office
Campus Ministry
Clinic
Dining Hall
Guidance
Library
Music Dept.
Phys. Ed
President’s Office
R. Reeder
D. Kaczmarek
J. Millson
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STAFF
Rebecca Reeder, Principal
Diane Kaczmarek, Vice Principal
Jennifer Millson, Vice Principal
Jane Mathias, Guidance
Lisa Bell, Maureen Higgins, Elizabeth
Mason
FACULTY
Theresa Arist
Mary Ann Bartels
Joanna Batt
Marilou Bebak
Linda Biondi
Renee Boltri
Margaret Briggs
Anne Casper
Dandan Chen
Annlouise Cirelli
Julie Clack
Jacqueline D’Orazio
Jason Deane
Emma Eddy
Laura Faller
Lucyanne Gordon
Jennifer Guidi
Kathryn Hannon
Gerilyn Hartmayer
Pamela Healy
Elizabeth Herle
Mary Lou Hutton
Michael James
Michelle Kazmierczak
Sienie Kelly
Jennifer Kiener
Patricia Lorence
Stephanie Malinowski
Kristin Mansour
Mildred Martinez Melendez
Mary Kate McDermott
Kathleen McHale
Thomas Michals
Richard Murak
Clotilde Perez-Bode
Karen Podd
Nicole Polino
Joan Ricca
Colleen Robertson
Katherine Ross
Margaret Schneid
Susan Semple
Iris Skoog
Caitlin Snyder
Michele Spaulding
Rosalie Sperrazza
Laura Testa
Silvia Tripp
Lisa Utz
Mary Wachter
Peter Zanghi
Volume 7, Issue 3
Academic News
Junior religion classes working on an original expression of their understanding of life’s
meaning. This is the culmination of their work
on Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
Our Clayworks classes had the unique opportunity to have a visitor from Buffalo State
College last week. Cassie McFeely showed
the girls her personal ceramic work, as well
as demonstrating the use of the pottery
wheel. She assisted our students throwing
on the wheel. The bowls that the Advanced
Clayworks course made will be donated to
the Empty Bowls event held in the Buffalo
Convention Center on Feb. 15. All proceeds
will go to the Food Bank of WNY in helping to
feed the hungry. Hopefully, Cassie will be back
to work with the girls again.
“Certamen” means competition/contest in
Latin. Sixteen schools competed in the Certamen on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Pittsford Sutherland HS in Rochester. It was one of the biggest
crowds in recent history. The Nardin students
who participated were:
Level I: Emily Augustyniak, Sarah Healy and
Emily Westfall
Level II: Shireen Guru
Level III: Abigail Gervase
Level IV: Julia Quebral, Elizabeth Augustine and
Allie Sholk
The main event was Certamen, during which
teams of the same level compete against one
another in four different matches. The team
with the greatest number of wins, wins the
competition. Our Certamen results were as
follows:
Level I placed 1st
Level III placed 3rd
Level IV placed 3rd
The students also competed in a written test
portion. The students all take the same test,
and they are awarded based on their performance compared to those in their same level.
Our results:
Derivatives:
1st place: Elizabeth Augustine (Level IV), Sarah
Healy (Level I)
2nd place: Emily Augustyniak (Level I)
3rd place: Emily Westfall (Level I), Abby Gervase (Level III), Julia Quebral (Level IV)
Vocabulary:
1st place: Sarah Healy (Level I)
2nd place: Julia Quebral (Level IV), Emily
Augustyniak (Level I)
Mythology:
1st place: Emily Augustyniak (Level I)
2nd place: Sarah Healy (Level I)
3rd place: Elizabeth Augustine (Level IV), Emily
Westfall (Level I)
Culture and Civilization:
1st place: Sarah Healy (Level I)
2nd place: Emily Westfall (Level I)
3rd place: Emily Westfall (Level I)
Pentathlon:
1st place: Emily Westfall (Level I)
2nd place: Julia Quebral (Level IV), Emily Augustyniak (Level I)
3rd place: Sarah Healy (Level I)
Additionally, there were chess tournaments
and volleyball throughout the day. There was
also a dance after dinner. It was a fun day and
the girls were excited to compete and excel.
They left the competition excited about Latin
and learned there is still a great interest in
studying Latin. Congratulations, Mrs. Hannon
and our Latin scholars!
January exams are around the corner!
Please encourage your daughters to take
advantage of our Science Peer Tutors. These
dedicated students can be found every day
before and after school in the Guidance Department.
The scholars of English 9 are in the middle
of a study of short stories, which will conclude
in January. In November, students read “The
Necklace,” by Guy de Maupassant, “The Most
Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, and
“The Sniper,” by Liam O’Flaherty. As they ex-
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
January/February 2015
Certamen students
plored the themes and discussed the impact
and lessons of each work, they also explored
the social and historical context of each work.
Currently, they are reading Truman Capote’s
“A Christmas Memory,” which helps them to
pause and reflect on the gift of friendship
as well as the enduring spirits in the 1930s
as they discuss the time period of the Great
Depression. For this unit, the girls are working
on a story project in which they may choose
from a number of topics offered or design
their own. Each topic in some way focuses
on the literary elements and devices, with
which the students are becoming ever more
confident, as well as the elements of storytelling, whether it be their own story, a family
member’s, a fictional story, a fairy tale or myth,
Volume 7, Issue 3
story through film, and more. The students are
ever so thoughtful in their work; these projects will indubitably be amazing works of art.
January will bring their study of poetry and of
the indelible bard, Shakespeare!
In the winter months, students in physical
education will participate in indoor and outdoor activities. Participation, knowledge and
understanding of snow shoeing, yoga, aerobics, floor hockey and bowling will be covered. Math, physics, technology and vocabulary are incorporated into each educational
unit. The goal of our teachers is to expand
understanding of the physical, mental, social
and spiritual well-being through physical
education.
Extracurricular News
Clayworks
Kudos to all who participated in the 15th
annual Physics Olympics held at Buffalo
State College on Saturday, Dec. 6. Two hundred students from all over WNY competed
in three high-precision STEM events: tower
building, calculating the trajectory of a pendulum to hit a target egg, and LASER pinball.
Congratulations to Sonia Chung, Thymiane
Hyvert, Emily Westfall and Janaia White (their
team took 5th place), and Jessica Dmitrova,
Grace Brach, Kasia Krzyzanska, and Isabella
Jankowski. All showcased Nardin with their
skill, sportsmanship, collaboration, concentration and collegiality.
and delegate assignments. Coming up Feb.
5-8, 2015, 14 members of the Model United
Nations, along with club moderator Ms.
Kazmierczak, and chaperones Ms. Testa and
Ms. Chen of the Foreign Language Department, will travel to Chicago to participate in
the International Model United Nations of the
University of Chicago Conference. They’ll stay
at the historic Palmer House Hilton hotel. Nardin’s delegates will represent Syria in a variety
of committees during this conference. On February 27-28, 2015, Nardin delegates will travel
to Olean, NY to participate in the St. Bonaventure Model United Nations Conference.
Model United Nations club has held two InHouse Conferences this fall. In November, 25
returning members of the club held a debate
in a mock Security Council to discuss the crisis
in Syria, while in December, around 50 new
members of the club learned parliamentary
procedure while in a mock debate about
Nardin Academy dress code. Congratulations
to senior members Madeline Weir, Caroline
Southard, Abigail Gervase, Leah Balkin, Sarah
Blizzard and Alexa Pietrowski for chairing
the conferences and organizing topic guides
Please save January 24, 2015 for the Student Council Father/Daughter Dance to be
held at the Connecticut Street Armory from
8-11 p.m. Join us for a Nardin tradition and a
wonderful evening of fun and dancing, including the Class Dance Competitions. Senior
dads, don’t forget to wear your tux!
Our Go Green Club members had a Skype
conference call with college students at McGill
University to discuss the project at McGill
whereby an environmentally conscious,
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
January/February 2015
Volume 7, Issue 3
Extracurricular News (continued)
SAVE THE DATE
for Nardin’s largest
fundraiser
Fortune
2015
A Presidential Gala
MARCH 7, 2015
Please join us for a luncheon
fundraiser to benefit
The Angel Fund
RESCHEDULED
Sunday, January 11
11:30 am-1:30 pm
Salvatore’s Italian Gardens
6461 Transit Rd., Depew
Basket raffle and fashion show
with styles from
Tony Walker & Co. and Express
PLEASE NOTE:
All who registered for the original
date are automatically registered
for the new date.
For more info, contact
esheets@nardin.org
sustainable living community was created and
maintained on campus. Nardin students will
share the daily choices and tasks that support
this initiative.
Auditions for Nardin’s drama production of
The Secret Garden will take place on January
7 from 3-5 pm with callbacks scheduled for
Thursday, January 8. The first rehearsal will take
place on Friday, January 9. All are welcome
to audition. We also welcome students who
are interested in stage crew, music, props and
costumes. Please see Miss Eddy for details. The
Secret Garden will be performed at 710 Main
Street Theatre on Fri., Feb. 27 at 7:30 pm and
Sat., Feb. 28 at 4 pm.
The 2014-15 Rare Patterns, Nardin’s literary
magazine, will be published in April. It follows
in the steps of our Walk-A-Thon theme, “Follow
the Green and White Road.” All submissions
are welcome. Please submit by March 4. Stay
tuned for further details.
Our “Kindness” initiative continues: Homerooms have begun their kindness projects
as we seek to further Acts of Kindness in the
school and the community. Here are some of
their projects:
HR 109 – acknowledging birthdays / G-1 – will
travel to other homerooms to share kind notes /
111 & 108 – provide “less stress” goodies before
exams / 209 – make goodies for different areas/
departments around school / B3 & B1 – write
birthday cards to students /203 – clean off cars
when it snows / 114 - anonymous compliments
to other students / 112 – started a Google share
document of birthdays in the homeroom which
they share with the rest of the sophomores so
every girl gets multiple birthday greetings / 100
– has a basket of clothespins on which they write
words of encouragement or draw pictures. Then
they attach it to a desk, to someone’s books or
just in random places for someone to find. And
there are many more….Thank you to everyone
participating and helping to make us a kinder
place.
Fortune 2015: A Presidential Gala
Fortune is Nardin Academy’s largest annual fundraising event; the signature event is a festive
evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction.
This year, Fortune takes place on March 7 at Rich’s Atrium. In addition to it being the event’s 25th
anniversary, the gala will focus on honoring and bidding farewell to Marsha Joy Sullivan, as she
completes her tenure.
Proceeds from the event directly support the students and programs at Nardin Academy. Funds
raised through this year’s Raise Your Paddle, a cause-based, dollar-amount donation, will go
towards the GirlsLEAD Scholarship Fund, established by Marsha Joy Sullivan.
In preparation for and support of this major celebration, each year the school community comes
together at a series of gift-gathering parties. Parents generously bring a donated gift to feature
in the silent auction at the main event. These pre-event parties are great “multi-taskers,” also
offering parents the chance to socialize and get a quick update about the school from Nardin
leadership, who also attend.
We hope to see you on March 7, and would be grateful to have you join us at one of the gift-gathering
parties. Watch your mail for your invitation, and if you’d like to learn more or volunteer, contact
Nardin’s event coordinator, Jennifer Westerholt ’95, at 881-6262 x1861 or at jwesterholt@nardin.org.
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
January/February 2015
NARDIN ACADEMY
HIGH SCHOOL
135 Cleveland Ave. Buffalo, 14222
(716) 881-6262
Main Office
Absence Line
Admissions
Advancement
Athletics
Busisness Office
Campus Ministry
Clinic
Dining Hall
Guidance
Library
Music Dept.
Phys. Ed
President’s Office
R. Reeder
D. Kaczmarek
J. Millson
x1080
x3010
x1380
x1200
x1790
x1060
x1280
x1250
x1420
x1190
x1210
x2010
x1620
x1130
x1120
x1600
x1720
STAFF
Rebecca Reeder, Principal
Diane Kaczmarek, Vice Principal
Jennifer Millson, Vice Principal
Jane Mathias, Guidance
Lisa Bell, Maureen Higgins, Elizabeth
Mason
FACULTY
Theresa Arist
Mary Ann Bartels
Joanna Batt
Marilou Bebak
Linda Biondi
Renee Boltri
Margaret Briggs
Anne Casper
Dandan Chen
Annlouise Cirelli
Julie Clack
Jacqueline D’Orazio
Jason Deane
Emma Eddy
Laura Faller
Lucyanne Gordon
Jennifer Guidi
Kathryn Hannon
Gerilyn Hartmayer
Pamela Healy
Elizabeth Herle
Mary Lou Hutton
Michael James
Michelle Kazmierczak
Sienie Kelly
Jennifer Kiener
Patricia Lorence
Stephanie Malinowski
Kristin Mansour
Mildred Martinez Melendez
Mary Kate McDermott
Kathleen McHale
Thomas Michals
Richard Murak
Clotilde Perez-Bode
Karen Podd
Nicole Polino
Joan Ricca
Colleen Robertson
Katherine Ross
Margaret Schneid
Susan Semple
Iris Skoog
Caitlin Snyder
Michele Spaulding
Rosalie Sperrazza
Laura Testa
Silvia Tripp
Lisa Utz
Mary Wachter
Peter Zanghi
Volume 7, Issue 3
Fall Sports Update
Athletics celebrated its fall sports season December 4. There was much to celebrate. Here
are some highlights:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Swim celebrated their 17th consecutive undefeated season and league championship. The
team had five first place finishes: SO Danielle Orie (50 free & 100 free), SO Julie Martin (200
free & 500 free) and our 400 free relay team of SR Allison McCarthy, SR Anna Rubino, FR Julia
Connerton, and SO Julia Martin.
Varsity soccer winning the league and playing in the championship game for the third
consecutive year.
Varsity volleyball took perennial power SML to the wire in each set in the championship
game falling four sets to one (25-22, 24-26, 25-27, 20-25).
JV volleyball beat SML in the last match of the season to finish 2nd in the league. What is
even more impressive is that SML has not lost a league match in five years.
Varsity golf team finished 2nd in the league with five qualifying to All-Catholics: SR Marah
Penn, JR Sarah Beckwith, SO Addie Mahoney, SR Maggie Carrig, and SO Emma Pyrak.
Cross-country finished 3-3 in the league.
JV soccer and JV golf developed and improved their skills making great strides over the
course of their respective seasons.
Several individuals received All-Catholic recognition:
•
•
•
•
Two MVPs – SR Marah Penn (golf ) and SO Emma Gervase (soccer)
Five 1st Team AC – SR Tricia Mangan (soccer), JR Eileen Rath (soccer), SO Sydney Scello (SO),
SR Megan Jepson (volleyball), and JR Emily Rand (volleyball)
Three 2nd Team AC – SR Emilie Maggio (soccer), JR Haley Mills (soccer), and JR Morgan
Potempa (volleyball)
Four All-WNY honorees – SO Emma Gervase (soccer), JR Eileen Rath (soccer), SR Megan
Jepson (volleyball) and JR Emily Rand (volleyball)
Section VI recognizes senior scholar-athletes who have at least a 90 average and play a
significant role on their team:
•
•
Six winners: Caroline Colpoys (cross-country), Clare Galbo (soccer), Tricia Mangan (soccer),
and Leah Balkins (swim), Megan Jepson (Volleyball) and Ainsley Mann (Volleyball)
Five honorable mention: Natalie Sauvageau (cross-country), Alyssa Lesakowski (soccer),
Emilie Maggio (soccer), Amelia Simpson (soccer), and Allison McCarthy (swim).
This night we also celebrated our commitment to our sport, the effort we gave each day
of the season, the strides we made as an individual and as a team, the fun we had, and the
sportsmanship we displayed. This is education-based athletics and this is what we are about here
at Nardin.
The winter sports season is now in full swing. Best wishes to our bowling teams (JV and varsity),
basketball teams (freshmen, JV, and varsity), and squash team. Go Gators!
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
January 2015 Exam Schedule
FRI., JAN. 16
TUES., JAN. 20
WED., JAN. 21
THURS., JAN. 22
FRI., JAN. 23
Special Schedule: Foreign Language exams to be administered in the
morning for Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4.
(AP French & AP Spanish will take their exams on Wed., Jan. 21 in the
morning.)
A.M. Social Studies exams
P.M. Mathematics exams
A.M. AP French and AP Spanish only / Study day for all other students
/ Conflict & makeup exams from Fri., Jan. 16 and Tues., Jan. 20 done in
the A.M.
A.M. English exams
P.M. Science exams
Rating Day for exams / conflict & makeup exams from Thurs., Jan. 22
in the A.M.
135 Cleveland Ave. | Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 881-6262 | www.nardin.org
Jan. 2015
Sunday
Tuesday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
4
School resumes
11
18
25
No School
Martin Luther King
Holiday
Freshman &
Senior retreats
5
6
7
12
13
14
19
26
Midterm exams
begin
A.M. Social Studies
P.M. Mathematics
Jr. Parent College
Night 7:00 p.m.
(Chapel)
20
27
21
A.M. AP Spanish &
AP French midterms
/ make-up exams /
study day for all other
students
28
8
Midterm exams
A.M. English
P.M. Science
Saturday
2
3
9
10
16
17
Ski Club begins
15
Special Schedule
Foreign Language
Midterm exams
22
No School
HS only –
Rating Day for exams
/ make-up exams from
Thursday
29
23
30
24
Father/Daughter
Dance at the Armory
8-11 p.m.
31
Feb. 2015
Sunday
Tuesday
Monday
1
8
15
22
2
Sophomore
Retreat
No School
Winter Break
School Resumes
9
16
23
No School
Winter Break
Wednesday
Thursday
3
4
10
11
17
24
No School
Winter Break
18
25
Friday
Model UN members
to Chicago
5
12
No School
Winter Break
19
26
Saturday
6
7
A.M. Liturgy –
Monthly Mass
13
14
No School
Winter Break
20
21
School play
at 710 Main St.
7:30 p.m.
27
School play
at 710 Main St.
4:00 p.m.
28