Chelsea Gray was named the 2009-10 Gatorade
California Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
She’s the first girls basketball player from St.
Mary’s to receive the award. She is now a
finalist for the Gatorade National Girls
Basketball Player of the Year award to be
announced later this month.
Chelsea averages 16.1 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3
steals and 4.1 rebounds. She has maintained a
4.0 grade point average and has been active in
her church and a local homeless shelter.
Three Rams Featured in Lodi
News-Sentinel
Ali Gibson, AllieMoreno and Emily
Gonzalves were featured in the Lodi News
Sentinel as members of the nation leading St.
Mary's women's basketball team that live in
Lodi. The article focused on the players and the
success of the program.
Daniel Gherardi, who has appeared
in every play production during his time at St.
Mary's was featured by The Record in an article
that provided an insight into his extraordinary
talents as well as the very talented group of
seniors that allowed director Kevin Costello to
put on Les Misérables.
Chelsea Gray and Afure Jemerigbe
Named to McDonald’s All-American
Team
St. Mary's High seniors Chelsea Gray
and Afure Jemerigbe have been named
to the McDonald's All-American Game.
to represent the West in the girls
game March 31 at Value City Arena in
Columbus, Ohio.
St. Mary's, ranked No. 1 in the
nation by USA Today, is the only
school with two McDonald's
All-Americans.
Six SM Athletes Sign Letters of Intent
A large crowd of proud family and friends were
on hand to see six Ram athletes sign their
letters of intent on February 3rd .
The signees were:
Marcus McDade -Football-Fresno State
Josh Harper-Football-Fresno State
Matt Kidwell-Water polo-CSU Long Beach
Taylor Setness – Water polo -Naval Academy
Evan Fletcher - Football- New Mexico
Military Institute
Miguel Murillo-Soccer-Oregon State
Women’s Varsity Basketball Team Inducted Into Catholic
High School Sports Faith Hall Of Fame
The St. Mary’s High School Women’s Varsity Basketball Team, which is
rated number one in the country, received the Team of the Year Award in the 2010 All Star
Catholic High School Sports Faith Hall of Fame.
The 2010 All-Star Catholic High School Sports Faith Hall of Fame is
offered by Sports Faith International; a Chicago based
media initiative, utilizing traditional and new media to
showcase the connection between sports and faith and is
chaired by Chicago Bears’ Patrick McCaskey.
The purpose of the contest is to encourage and recognize Catholic High
School athletes, teams and coaches who demonstrate
exemplary work both on and off the field.
Candidates were evaluated for excellence in the areas of Athleticism,
Academics, Community Service and Catholic Faith in
action.
The Sports Faith Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on
February, 21, 2010 at Chicago Bears Halas Hall in Lake
Forest, Illinois in conjunction with an Induction
Ceremony for professional Athletes including this years
recipients, Bill Bidwell of the 2009 Super Bowl Arizona
Cardinals, Tom Monaghan, former owner of the Detroit
Lions, Founder of Dominos Pizza and the Ave Maria
Foundation, Brian Piccolo (Posthumously) and Coach John
Gagliardi from St. John’s University who holds the
record for most victories in the history of college
football.
Mr. Jim Brusa, Athletic Director, at St. Mary’s High School represented the school at the induction ceremony.
Braving rain, including a heavy downpour
just as the march started, a contingent of
students from St. Mary’s, accompanied by
Brother Nate Bolt, O.S.F.S. who is on
assignment at the school for six months, Mr.
Mansfield and Mrs. Turner, and two other
adults, joined an excess of 35,000 peaceful
pro-life walkers who filled San Francisco's
waterfront as the largest crowd ever
attended the 6th Annual Walk for Life West
Coast, Saturday, January 23rd.
The crowd included people from all over the
Diocese of Stockton which sent over 40
busloads to the march. Joining in the walk
were 120 seminarians who came, including Tom
Martin, who had worked for former Mayor
Willie Brown before entering the seminary
and was quoted by Business News Network:
"It's a great opportunity for the people of
God to see that the seminarians are joining
with them not only in praying for life, but
also taking a stand."
Wrestling
Team
Volunteers
at Fr.
Alan
McCoy
Dining
Room
The St.
Mary’s
High
School
wrestling
team
recently
volunteered
to work
during
breakfast
and
lunch at
the Fr.
Alan
McCoy
Dining
Room in
Stockton.
The
wrestlers
and
coaches
who
volunteered
included
Esteban
Gallardo,
Frank
Gallardo,
Jo
Golden,
Xavier
Guerrero,
Kyle
Hashimota,
Sawyer
Hicks,
Joshua
Mondo,
Sam
Ramorino,
Spencer
Whyte,
Travis
Whyte,
Daniel
Vergara,
coach
Phil
Devincenzi,
coach
Marcos
Guerrero
and
coach
Frank
Gama.
Sign-ups for the California Scholarship Federation and
the National Honor Society
Sign-ups for the California Scholarship Federation and
the National Honor Society will begin on Tuesday, Jan 19
and run until Friday, Jan 22. Please come to Lagorio,
Room 212, to sign-up. The following week, Monday, Jan
25 - Thursday, Jan. 28, ALL members who signed up the
previous week must attend ONE meeting of the CSF/NHS
clubs in Lagorio Room 212. These dates are firm and all
students interested in being in either of these
organizations must comply with them. Please contact
Paula Biscaia if you have any questions.
St. Mary’s Takes Second in Debate, 5th in Individual
Events at Speech Tournament.
The St. Mary’s Speech and Debate Team took 2nd in Debate and
5th in Individual Events at the Yosemite Forensic League
speech-and-debate tournament at Tokay High School.
Results for St. Mary’s: IMPROMPTU B division: 3. David
Bustes; IMPROMPTU A division 3. Aubrey Miller; NATIONAL
EXTEMPORANEOUS B division: 2. David Carranza, 5. (tie)
Daniel Valdez; NATIONAL EXTEMPORANEOUS A division 1.
Matt Gordon; LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE B division1. Garcia.
Chelsey Gray and
Afure Jemerigbe Cover Stars
The powerful duo of
St. Mary's women's basketball stars, Duke bound
Chelsea Gray and Cal committed Afure Jemerigbe
were chosen to grace the cover of the December
ESPN RISE magazine and be the feature story for
the publication.
St.
Mary’s senior, Arianna Martinez who has studied ballet
since she was 4 will be dancing in the Capitol Ballet
Company's performance of "The Nutrcracker". Arriana has
loved the show since she first saw it as a 6-year-old,
according to an article in The Record by Lori Gilbert.
Arianna is quoted as saying: "It's so great for all
little kids to understand and everything, all the dolls
coming to life." This year, it is more meaningful for
her as it is the last one she will perform in. Next
year, she is heading off to college with a goal of
becoming a neonatal nurse. With regard to this years
performance, Ariannas stated: "It's a pretty
professional ballet company," Martinez said. "They're
going on to the next level. It's what they want to
pursue in life. They're a little more experienced than
we are, so it pushes us to the next level." This is the
fourth year Stockton dancers have participated in
Capitol Ballet Company's staging of "The Nutcracker."
SM Collects 2000 Toys for World's Kids
Once again, the St. Mary’s High School community
showed is true heart by collecting an estimated
2,000 toys that were loaded on trucks Monday,
December 14th to be shipped around
the world.
The toys were given to Ray Baglietto who runs
“Seeds to the World”. The program sends surplus
seeds to poor countries in need of crop help.
The first time toys were included in shipments
to Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras or El Salvador four
years ago.
Quoted by News10, Mr. Baglietto said of the
shipment that went to Liberia: "There was a
hundred thousand dollars worth of seed, and a
bunch of clothing. They were happy with those,
but they were happier with the 40 toys. They
said some kids have never owned a toy."
SM Grandparents Honored
Saint Mary's
honored the grandparents of SM students on December 8th, 2009 beginning with
Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
followed by a reception held in the Student Activities Center.
Many students hosted their grandparents, who clearly both
enjoyed and expressed their pride in their grandchildren and in St. Mary's
High School.
<Photos>
Joy Clark To Represent
California in Miss American Teen Pageant
Joy Clark, has been selected to represent
California at the 2009 Miss American Teen
Pageant. Clark will attend the national pageant
for
her age group this week in Florida, where she
will compete for the title of Miss American Teen
as well as thousands of dollars in cash awards,
prizes and scholarships.
Clark is an honors student and a member of the
St. Mary’s theater and music departments. She
has competed in American Coed
Pageants since middle school, winning and
placing in talent, speech, photogenic, best
actress, and national cover girl and hostess
contests at the state and national levels.
The American Coed Pageants work to promote the
intelligence, confidence, and beauty within each
participant.
Marcus McDade Featured In Record Article
In an article by Jagdip Dhillon, the Record
fetured Rams quarterback, Marcus McDade. Marcus
was selected before the season along with seven
other prep quarterbacks to take part in a
reality television series “The Ride,” where one
would earn a roster spot in the 2010 U.S. Army
All-American Bowl. McDade made it to the second
round of the competition, and episodes featuring
footage of him from August’s Top Gun quarterback
camp will air throughout this month on Fox
Sports Net.
McDade has run St. Mary’sshotgun spread attack
with ease, completing 111 of 188 passes for
1,904 yards with 23 touchdowns and just one
interception. The article went on to state:
“McDade said he’s gotten interest from Fresno
State, San Diego State and Kansas State this
fall and hopes to play football at the Division
I level. Franks said that shouldn’t be a
problem. “The thing that strikes me about Marcus
is that we’re just scratching the surface with
him,” Franks said. “He has tremendous upside at
that position. The longer he does it, the better
he will get.’ “
Four SM Athletes Sign Letters of Commitment
Afure Jemerigbe, Alle Moreno, Chesea Gray and
Madeline Kennedy sign their letters-of-intent on
Thursday. Jemerigbe, Moreno and Gray committed
to play basketball for Cal, Sacramento State and
Duke, respectively, and Kennedy, a gymnast,
committed to UC Davis.
San Singh Finalist in Pacific High School
Forensics Invititational
Debating the merits
of high school exit exams, St. Mary's senior,
San Singh was a finalist in the
Lincoln-Douglas varsity debate category at the
Pacific
High School Forensics Invitational,
an event that saw 350 students participate in
three days of competition. Quoted by The Record,
San stated: "
It’s the direct competition of
ideas.” referring to the nature of the
competition, noting that it was more than simply
winning or losing.
Yosemite Forensic League Speech and Debate Tournament
Results
St.
Mary’s placed 3rd in the Debate Sweepstakes
and Fourth in the Individual Debate Sweepstakes.
Individual Results A Division: Impromptu: 2.San Singh •
International extemporaneous: 3. Nico
Perrino.
B division: Impromptu: 2. WanjikuMuhires • National
extemporaneous:1. Matt Gordon, 2. Gus Rehmke, 4. Daniel
Valdez; 6. David Carranza.
"Paddy" Mulrooney's Pumpkins Help Poor
After living 10 days in the slums of
Honduras St. Mary’s Freshman Patrick
“Paddy” Mulrooney, knew that children
his age were suffering from extreme
poverty and he wanted to do something
about it. Patrick started “Paddy’s
Pumpkin Patch” in 2006 after he spent
his summer vacation with his aunt and
uncle who moved to one of the poorest
slums in Honduras to work with
families. “I never saw anything like it
and it seemed so unfair that I had a
nice life and these kids were just
barely making it” said Patrick of his
experience. Things he used to take for
granted –like bathrooms, running water,
and safe streets became things he
realized that the children in this
community lived without.
Built on the city dump after Hurricane
Fifi in 1974, Nueva Suyapa is one of the
poorest and most dangerous communities
in Honduras. A maze of steep rutted
dirt roads and small tin roofed
dwellings, the community is one in which
more than 70 percent of the children
live in poverty. The majority of
children living in this community hardly
finish the 6th grade due to
poverty, something that was hard for
Patrick to take.
On his visit Patrick met Carlos, a kid
his age who was living with his 10
family members in one small room, and
who sometimes was forced to quit school
to sell candy in the streets for money
to buy food. Carlos was much like
Patrick though – he loved soccer,
playing in the street, and was a regular
kid who wanted to have fun. For ten
year old Patrick he knew he wanted to do
something different to help kids like
Carlos stay in school.
Upon his return from Honduras he asked
his mom, “What can we do for the kids in
Honduras?” October was coming and they
thought about their big empty field next
to the house. “Let’s plant pumpkins and
sell them!” The first year a friend
heard about his endeavor and matched
every pumpkin sold. He was able to send
$3450 to Honduras and bought 50
mattresses for orphans, put a roof on
one of the schools, and helped pay for
education scholarships for children.
The following year the pumpkins were
planted but a small mite ate through the
crop. After spending hours and hours
tending to the pumpkins he was
heartsick, but a friend heard about
“Paddy’s Pumpkin Patch” and gave him a
discount on his pumpkins so Paddy could
sell them and still make a profit. He
sold $2300 worth of pumpkins and helped
buy a van to transport children to
school as well as buy play equipment for
over 600 children.
With this year sales he hopes to help
the many families affected by the
political crises in Honduras. Because
of the crises many haven’t been able to
work and so Paddy’s Pumpkins will help
buy emergency food as well as build a
second story on a school.
Layney Silva Wind JGANC All Stars Tournament
Layney Silva, a sophomore from
Saint Mary's High, won the JGANC All Stars
Tournament held at Santa Theresa Golf Course in
San Jose on Sunday. Layney finished her round
with birdies on pars 15, 16, and 18 to shoot 75
on the par 73, 6,430 yard layout.
Matthew Zarzuela featured in Record Article
Matthew Zarzuela, a member of the "Sunday
At Five" band, that performs at Church of
Presentation in during the 5 p.m. Teen Mass was
featured in a photo in the Record. The
accompanying article discussed how the band
leads singing in a way they hope helps make a
connection with young people.
Sunday at Five, released a self-titled CD as a
fundraiser for the parish’s youth center. Joseph
Malvar, the lead vocalist was quoted as
saying: “We want to help draw kids closer to God
and we do it by being lively and uplifting.”
The band’s music has been described "by turns
buoyant and reverential, depending on the
moment.
Photo by Calistro Romero, The
Record
Jessica
Hufford Chosen to Represent California at
Convention
Jessica Hufford, a freshman, was
chosen by the National Federation of Republican
Women to represent California at its conference
Sept. 10 through 13 in Orlando, Fla. As a page,
Jessica will carry and present a flag during the
convention’s opening ceremony, sit with a
delegate and perform other duties. Jessica is
the secretary of the Tracy Teenage Republicans
Club.
The SARTA (Sacramento Area
Regional
Theatre Alliance) "Elly" award
winners were announced in a ceremony at the
Crest Theatre in Sacramento September 20, 2009.The
Ellys are named after the late Eleanor
McClatchy, who was the president of
McClatchy Newspapers, which publishes The
Bee.
A group of over 40
from St. Mary's attended the formal-attire
event, including many cast members and their
families, and adult production staff
leaders. St. Mary's 2009 Spring musical Anything
Goes won 6 of the 12 nominations
it received in eleven "Education Musical"
categories! CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR
WINNERS, listed below, as well as our 6
other nominees:
SMHS ELLY AWARD WINNERS:
Choreography: Mrs. Nina Thiel
and Mrs. Evelyn Barney
Costume Design: Ms. Traci
LaDue (received by Mrs. Dianne Bowe)
Set Design: Mr. Terry Smith
Supporting Actor: Ben
Gibson ('09) and Michael Gilliland (TIE)
Lead Actor: Daniel Gherardi
OTHER SMHS
ELLY AWARD NOMINEES
Lighting Design: Mr. Rex
Reynolds
Musical Direction: Ms.
Elizabeth Hodgdon
Supporting Actress: Joy Clark
Lead Actress: Adrienne
Reynolds
Direction: Mr. Kevin Costello
Overall Production: SMHS
Anything Goes!
Christiana Ferrari Wins Doubles Tournament
Source: The Record
Christina Ferrari and her partner beat their
opponents in straight sets to take the
championship of the mixed doubles at the 48th
Annual Captain Weber tournament at the Oak Park
Tennis Center on July 26th.
Ram's Golfer In Junior
World Championships
Source: The Record
St. Mary’s
High own Layney Silva, 14, after making the cut at the
prestigious Callaway Golf
Junior World Championships in San
Diego
finished 15th in the world in the 13-14 age division.
Silva was the highest finisher among Northern California
qualifiers. She had four birdies and shot an even-par 72
to go with her prior 70 and 81. The tournament was founded in 1968
and has hosted players from 73 countries with an annual field of
more than 1,000 junior boys and girls.
Sam Singh In National Speech
Championship
San Singh who will be a senior next
year, has qualified to attend the
National Forensic League
Championship . Sam’s three-year
total of 1,536 competitive
speech-and-debate points is
considered extraordinary. His coach,
Diane Roza observed that few
students earn more points. However,
as the Record quoted him, "I don't
really care about total points all
that much," said Singh"I
just like participating."
In extemporaneous speaking, the
students have 30 minutes to prepare
a seven-minute speech on a randomly
selected topic. "In terms of how
well I think I'll do, I don't really
have that high of expectations,"
said Singh, a 16-year-old
senior-to-be who's debating on the
"senate" side in congress. "It's
only the second time I've done the
event. But it concerns social and
political issues that affect
America. A lot will be stuff I can
just talk about naturally."
Sam has a grade-point average is
4.58 and is considering Harvard,
Brown and Johns Hopkins. He hopes to
study medicine and is interested in
genetics as a possibility. However,
as he observed "Right now, though, I
don't have enough information."
Ram Hero Records A Save For Trojan
Friend
Corey Drivon is a catcher for the
St. Mary’s varsity baseball team.
Gavin Washington, his good friend,
is a designated hitter for the Rams
traditional foe, Lincoln. School
rivalry took a back seat the day
after St. Mary’s beat the Trojans on
May 16 when the two friends were
involved in a serious personal
watercraft accident that left Gavin
Washington floating face down in the
water with two skull fractures.
Corey helped his friend regain
consciousness and held him above
water until help arrived
approximately 20 minutes later.
Gavin is recovering slowly and Corey
humbly side steps praise by saying
his friend would have done the same
for him. The two hope to continue
their friendly rivalry in the
2009-2010 athletic season.
The list of books for each course offered at St. Mary's has been
published. Books can be purchased on-line from
MySchoolBookstore.com. The catalog of books can be accessed
with this
link.
Check out news and
information concerning
Saint Mary's students:
>Student
News<
Fundraising is actively being pursued to build a
new athletic complex and fitness center to serve the St. Mary's
student body. This new building will take the place of the
venerable St. Bonaventure structure and will provide a center
for fitness training for the students.
Progress To Date
The new Cortopassi Aquatics Center is open The new upgrade of the
football field is complete. The Lagorio Administration,
Library and Technology building is open. The
groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 28, 2005 and
construction was completed in September, 2006. The building was
dedicated in February 11, 2007. The new Cortopassi Aquatics
Center was started in Spring 2007 and dedicated on October 7,
2007. A new Science Building at the site of the old
Administration Building is in the works and a new Athletic
Fitness Center is scheduled to be built next to the aquatics
center. The "Generations of Educational
Excellence" project that will re-build and re-vitalize the Saint
Mary's campus Three new portables were installed in the north
side of the campus to provide additional classroom space and to
house the Development Office. Prior to the official start of the project, the Sprague family
had donated a new field house used by baseball, wrestling and
cheer, the baseball field, through the significant efforts of
Coach Pete Pijl, became a "Field of Dreams" and the
Thompson family had generously donated funds to create the
Thompson Sports Complex.
St.
Mary’s own Danny Dunne has written a novel about being a
career cop in Tracy, one confused about his identity and his
allegiance to an arch-conservative police department. “The
Blue Mexican” is fiction largely drawn from Dunne’s life
before he returned to college and became a teacher at St.
Mary’s High.
Coach Dian Kern Dies
After Battle With Cancer
Coach Dian Kern, the
energetic tennis coach for St. Mary's
who has coached women's and men's tennis
since 2000 with a tough but motherly
style, lost her battle with cancer on
February 13, 2010.
Coach Kern fought her
illness quietly, without calling
attention to herself, but with the same
resolute intensity as she brought to the
court. May she rest in peace.
Brother Nate Boltz, O.S.F.S Arrives
at St. Mary's
Brother Nate Boltz, O.S.F.S. has been
assigned to St. Mary's High School for a six month period. He is
originally from Toledo, Ohio and is a member of the
Toledo-Detroit Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
Brother Nate has jumped right into
helping out all over the school and can be seen working with
Brother James and with Mr. Manny Mendel.
Welcome, Brother Nate!
Kevin Costello Named One of Most
Influential in S.J. County
Kevin Costello, St. Mary's
Theatre Director, has been named one of the most influential
people of San Joaquin County by Lodi Magazine.
The article recognizing him is
as follows:
"St. Mary's
High School Theater Director Kevin Costello is conducting
rehearsals for" Leis Miserables,'the eighth musical during
his tenure at the school. It's a tough play, but Costello
knows his students are up to it. choose material that gets
kids excited," Costello says "It's adult material, and it
challenges them to do their best. It creates a professional
atmosphere in everything they do:'
From the
I980s to the mid- I990s, Costello spent 12 years in
traveling theater with his wife, Elizabeth, delivering a
program designed to encourage reading in elementary school
children through-cart California. It was there that he
mastered use of"the hook," the opening scene grab that
catches the audience's attention and "makes them realize
they're in for something special"That same technique has
made Costello's productions some of the most-sought after
plays in the valley His peers are cognizing him, too: last
spring, St [Ivy's entered the Sacramento Area Regional
Theatre Alliance (SARTA)'s Elly Awards competition and
walled offwith six awards out of 12 nominations for its
production of "Anything Goes:"
Costello is
also a pastoral associate at the Cathedral of the
Annunciation, handling literature in youth ministry. He's
also created The Annunciation Players, an informal group of
actors from the ministry who perform annual murder mysteries
as fundraisers for the cathedral.The seven mysteries
performed since 2003 have generated more than $100,000 for
use at Annunciation. "I'm very blessed he says. "I get to do
what I love, and spend time with my familyYou can't ask for
more than that."
Beloved St. Mary’s Teacher Dies
Anne Marie Pierce, St. Mary’s beloved computer teacher, died
on December 27, 2009 at the age of 60. The students and
fellow faculty of St. Mary’s are deeply saddened by her
death and will miss her dearly.
Anne Marie Pierce
August 28, 1949 – December 27, 2009
May Eternal
Light Shine Upon Her
May She Rest
In Peace
Greg Traverso Honored as Architect of Peace
St. Mary's Dean, Greg Taverso and
his wife Susan were two of 30 local Stocktonians that were
honored as the first recipients of the "Architect of Peace"
honor. The award is presented by the Architect of Peace
Foundation begun by
Rima Barkett
and professional
photographer
Michael Collopy, a who has photographed peacemakers around
the world. It is intended to recognize those who, through
their efforts here and abroad have encouraged peace through
constructive efforts. The Traversos were honored, along with
former SM teacher Dave Saunders for their work with Red Rhino.
Mrs. Leonardini Celebrates
50 Years of Teaching
Mrs. Rose Leonardini is celebrating her 50th
year as a teacher. She has spent 42 of those years at St.
mary's teaching language courses and is currently teaching
Spanish.
A remarkable teacher and woman, Mrs.
Leonardini has inspired generations of students with a love
of learning and an understanding of cultures.
Congratulations and Thank You Mrs. Leonardini!
Barbara
Harada's Alpaca Ranch Featured on Animal Planet
She's ever friendly and
helpful; a knowledgeable, intelligent and energetic
go-to person in the Athletic Department and now the
Alpaca Ranch that Barbara and her husband Roy own and
operate with its
alpacas, llamas and donkeys will be featured on Animal
Planet.
On August 26,
a crew
came to film an episode for the Animal Planet show
"Weird, True & Freaky" a series on people with phobias
related to different kinds of animals. They brought
a girl who was terrified of llamas and had been having
nightmares about them
along
with a psychologist that is trying to help her get over
her fear. The episode will be featured on week 13 of the
series that begins at the end of September.
::
Alpaca Ranch Website
::
This
course offers students who struggle with their
academics. The course emphasizes organization, homework
assistance, and test taking skills. The course meets
Monday-Thursday from 7:15AM-8:00AM and briefly after
school on Friday. The class is limited to 15 students
and the cost is $60.00 per month. For further
information contact Mr. Johnston at
jjohnston@saintmaryshighschool.org or
(209)957-3340 ext. 209.
Plan Ahead for Summer Vacation Scheduling
It
is never too early to make summer travel plans! Summer
vacation begins with the completion of the final
semester exam on Friday, May 20, with registration
tentatively scheduled for August 11th and classes
resuming on August 16, 2010.
Please make your vacation plans accordingly. Do not
schedule trips during final exams as permission cannot
be granted for students to miss exam days due to family
travel or extended holiday vacations. No exceptions to
this school policy will be granted. Semester exams are
very important and are to be treated seriously. Please
help your child understand this by NOT planning
vacations during exam week.
Europe Trips
Europe
2010 has limited openings at this time. The tour is 22
days and includes stops in Italy, Switzerland, France
and England. Highlights are stops in Rome, Florence,
Venice, Wengen, Paris and London. Current Freshmen are
not eligible.
Europe
2011 is a 15-day tour and will include Ireland, Scotland
and England. The itinerary and pricing is available in
Room 16. An orientation and sign-up meeting is scheduled
for Monday, February 22nd in Room 81, 7:00 p.m. This
meeting is only for the 2011 trip. Current frosh, sophs
and juniors are eligible.
Students or parents who would like the 2010 or 2011
itineraries, pricing and paperwork, please contact Jon
Gustorf by calling 957-3340, Ext. 254. Jon's email
address is: jgustorf@saintmaryshighschool.org. Students
are invited to stop by Room 16 for information.
Refer a Student
Current students, parents, alumni, and friends play an
important role in our student enrollment.
We encourage you to e-mail or call us directly to recommend a
prospective student to St Mary's High School.
Once we receive the information from you, we will send the
prospective student all of the appropriate admission
information.
to make Annual Appeal follow-up phone calls. These local
calls may be made from your home. Script and numbers
will be provided.
to help Becky Carlson with the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
on March 10th, 2010.
If interested please call 209-957-3340, Ext. 195 or email
sutowne@ saintmaryshighschool. org.
Thanks for any help you can give!
Cortopassi Pool Gets Reptile
Visitor
Saturday, August 29, 2009 started off fairly normally
for the Junior Rams Football team who were going to take
their photos by Cortopassi Pool! Suddenly the players
began yelling and running. When the coaches went to
investigate, they found an alligator had come calling at
the pool. Six police officers and two animal control
officers finally corralled the wayward reptilian
visitor.
There is no information as to how the
'gator got to the pool.
St.
Mary's High School Student Academic Honor Code
"...
For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in
the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of man ..."
Romans 8:21
"Goodness
is the only investment that never fails ..." Henry
David Thoreau
St.
Mary's High School is a community with a proud tradition
in which faculty and students share knowledge, ideas,
and creative works. St. Mary's High School Academic
Honor Code expresses our commitment and moral
responsibility to accurately represent the contribution
of each individual and to ensure that those
contributions are made in an honest fashion with
personal integrity as a cornerstone of this call to
honor.
The
purpose of the Code is to help students develop habits
of moral character. Each student is an important member
of the St. Mary's High School Family and must make the
ethical and moral commitment to act honestly and to
encourage other students to act in the same way.
This
Code outlines the expectations of the St. Mary's High
School student and the consequences for violating those
same expectations. The teacher will notify the Academic
Dean of all MAJOR violations of the Academic Honor Code.
The teacher will provide proof of the violation and the
teacher will be informed of the appropriate consequence.
The Academic Dean will notify the parent/guardian of the
situation and meet with the parent/guardian.
EXPECTATIONS
1. All
work will be the student's own original work. All
quotes, statistics, facts and sources will be properly
cited as taught by the SMHS English Department using the
MLA format. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
Plagiarism is defined as taking ideas or writings
knowingly from another person or source and presenting
those ideas or writings as one's own original work.
2. All
tests will be taken according to the teacher's
instructions and requirements. Cheat sheets, electronic
cheating, or any other verifiable proof of cheating is a
violation of this honor code.
3. The
student will submit required essays to
turnitin.com as
instructed by the teacher.
Honor
Code Definitions
MAJOR
VIOLATION: This is an assignment or test which makes up
a major part of the student's grade (at least 5% of the
quarter grade). The violation must be accompanied by
PROOF to the Academic Dean.
MINOR
VIOLATION: This is cheating on an assignment such as a
daily reading quiz or written homework assignment.
Copying or cheating on such routine assignments will be
handled by the classroom teacher in a way he/ she feels
appropriate and reasonable. Minor violations may also
include the teacher seeing the student copying an answer
from another student's paper. These violations will be
dealt with by the teacher. The class syllabus will
outline the consequences for minor violations of the
Student Honor Code and the teacher will enforce his/her
class rules.
PROOF:
Major violations of the Student Honor Code must be
provable. Such proof includes, but is not limited to,
cheat sheets, crib notes, notes on a student's physical
person, turnitin.com violations, two tests that are 100%
exactly alike, phone or text messages, twitter or other
electronic messages, emails, etc.
CONSEQUENCES: Major violations of the Honor Code will
result in a student/parent conference with the Academic
Dean as well as a zero on the assignment in question.
Repeated major violations will result in an additional
conference with the Academic Dean and additional
academic and disciplinary sanctions.
Grade - Credit- On Line Class Verification
For eligibility purposes, final grades and earned credits
from schools other than St. Mary's, including online
classes, must be verified by the first full day of classes
In August For Ql eligibility and the Friday before the
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in January for Q3
eligibility. Grades from courses taken at schools other than
St. Mary's, Including online classes, will be computed for
eligibility in Fall and Spring semester gpas only. Q2 and
Q4 eligibility will be determined using only St, Mary's
grades earned the previous quarter.
A member of the St, Mary's Guidance Department will proctor
final exams for online and/or correspondence courses.
Appointments for taking final exams must be scheduled ahead
of time with a member of the Guidance Department. Exams may
be taken on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. When
school is in session, these exams will be administered at 2:
15 p.m. For testing on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays in June,
July, and August, students can call Mr., Nomellini,
957-3340, Ext 124, to schedule a testing time.
A fee of $25 will be assessed for each final exam proctored.
The fee is due prior to the administration of the final
exam.
Dennis Uniforms Site Link
Dennis Uniforms is the official provider
of uniforms for St. Mary's High School. Parents wishing to
order uniforms or get more information can visit the site
with this link:
Dennis Uniforms
St. Mary's Chapel Hours
Daily Mass
Monday -
Friday
6:50 a.m. &
7:30 a.m
Saturday
7:00 a.m.
.
SchoolPoP Program Helps Support St. Mary's
Schoolpop’s name-brand
online merchants contribute up to 20%
of every purchase you make to Saint Mary's High School.
Use the link to begin supporting the school.
Cortopassi
Aquatics Center Lap-Swimming Memberships
St. Mary's has made the Cortopassi
Aquatics Center available for lap swimming between
the hours of 10 a.m and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday
on a year-round basis. Parents, alumni and friends
may purchase one year memberships for $300. Contact
Dragan Bakich at 957-3340 extension 108 for more
information.
Generations of Excellence Updates
The new Cortopassi Aquatics Center is open The new upgrade of the
football field is complete. The Lagorio Administration,
Library and Technology building is open. The
groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 28, 2005 and
construction was completed in September, 2006. The building was
dedicated in February 11, 2007. The new Cortopassi Aquatics
Center was started in Spring 2007 and dedicated on October 7,
2007. A new Science Building at the site of the old
Administration Building is in the works and a new Athletic
Fitness Center is scheduled to be built next to the aquatics
center. The "Generations of Educational
Excellence" project that will re-build and re-vitalize the Saint
Mary's campus Three new portables were installed in the north
side of the campus to provide additional classroom space and to
house the Development Office. Prior to the official start of the project, the Sprague family
had donated a new field house used by baseball, wrestling and
cheer, the baseball field, through the significant efforts of
Coach Pete Pijl, became a "Field of Dreams" and the
Thompson family had generously donated funds to create the
Thompson Sports Complex.
Reminder To Parents
ATTENTION The
Bus Bay in front of the school on EI Dorado Street is NOT to be
used for drop-off or pick-up before or after school The Bus Bay
is a very dangerous place to stop. It is important that you
drop-off ON Campus in the designated drop-off/pick-up zones.
Please talk to your students about this.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Stockton Police Department has notified St Mary's that they
will be issuing tickets to anyone using the Bus Bay or EI Dorado
Street for drop-off or pick-up purposes.
General Rules of
Conduct
a) No student shall conspire or
commit any act that degrades, or disgraces any
fellow student or person attending St. Mary's.
b) The entire school area will be
considered a closed campus during school hours.
Anyone who wishes to visit classes must obtain a
pass from the Vice Principal.
c) Eating or drinking in the school
buildings and hallways is not allowed.
d) No student shall place litter of
any kind (paper, cans, wrappers, food, etc.) on the
ground, on a table, or any place other than a trash
can or recycling bin of some kind. GUM IS NOT
ALLOWED. If, at the discretion of the Deans, the
school grounds are considered littered, school will
be extended for that day until the trash has been
picked up by students assigned from each class.
e) School lockers are the property of
St. Mary's High School. At no time does St. Mary's
relinquish its exclusive ownership and control of
lockers provided for the convenience of the
students. All locks used on lockers shall be
purchased from the Ram Center (PE locks and lockers
will be issued through the PE department). Any loss
or damage to lockers or the contents of the lockers
shall be the responsibility of the student to whom
the locker was assigned.
f) Electronic devices (including but
not limited to cell phones and Ipods are not
allowed. These items if visable during school hours
will be confiscated. Confiscated items will be
returned after the student serves a 45-minute
detention.
Video cameras are not
allowed on campus unless pre-approved by a teacher
and the Dean of Students.
Video cameras may be
confiscated and held for the remainder of the school
year.
g) Students shall carry their Student
Body Card with them at school and school related
activities and present the card upon request.
h) No student is allowed to use the
school facilities for any purpose without the
permission and presence of a faculty member or
coach. This includes, but is not limited to the
athletic fields, weight rooms, gymnasiums, hallways,
cafeteria and classrooms.
i) Cutting: Students will be given 3
hours of detention for each class cut and socially
suspended until the detention hours are cleared.
Search of Personal Property
Inspection of
personal property including (but not limited to) lockers and
their contents, clothing pockets, backpacks and cars may be
conducted by the Principal, Dean of Students or their designee
for any reason, at any time, without notice and without student
or parent consent.
Law Enforcement Interview of Students
Law enforcement
officials have the right to arrest, take into custody, or
interview students in attendance at school. St. Mary's High
School has no obligation to protect a student from interview by
law enforcement officials. In any such matter, other than child
abuse, parents shall be informed of the interview as soon as
possible. In some cases this may be after the police
investigation is complete.
Plan Ahead
The 2009-2010 Parent/Student handbook contains the dates
and times for all Scholarship and Guidance Department events.
Just in case you were not aware:
Tardies: Students are given a 1-hour detention that must be
served the same day for an unexcused tardy. In years past the
student had two days to serve a fifteen-minute unexcused tardy
detention. Students realized that this penalty was not so bad.
Consequently we were up to 40-45 tardies on any given day. Since
the 1-hour tardy detention has been in effect, the students
quickly learned one hour is too long to stay after school. Our
unexcused tardy detentions on a daily basis are now as few as 2
to 6 tardies per day. It is working.
Drug Dogs: We recognize the hardship created by drugs and
alcohol. Therefore, we continually strive to provide a drug free
environment, safe for student growth and learning. A drug dog
continues to periodically come on campus to sniff for alcohol,
drugs, or weapons. We strongly believe that since we have
contracted with the company Kontraband, Interdiction and
Detection Services, K.I.D.S. Inc. the results have been very
effective as a preventive measure towards the use of or selling
of drugs/alcohol on campus. We ask that you please do your part
and not allow your homes to be a place where alcohol is
accessible to teenagers.
Dress Code: We believe that dressing in an appropriate,
modest and neat manner signals to self and others that school
is a place where a seriousness of purpose can be found. Boys'
pants must be fitted around the waist and appropriately tailored
for school wear. Girls' shorts and skirts must be at most 3
inches length from the knee. We cannot supervise the dress code alone. We
need your help in monitoring what your child wears to school.
Remember, any and all types of sweatshirts worn to school must
be a Saint Mary's High School sweatshirt purchased from the
school bookstore.
Parents are
required to actively support the dress code. A student who comes
to school out of dress code will be given a 45 minute detention
(to be served the same day) and the student may also be required
to contact a parent/guardian to have proper attire delivered to
school before the student is allowed to return to class.
Continual disregard for the school uniform is grounds for
dismissal from SMHS. The Dean of Students shall be the arbiter
and decision-maker on what is a violation of the dress code.
Hair:
Hair must be neat, clean
and of the student's natural color.
Hair styles that draw undue
attention (e.g. shaved heads, spiked hair, bleached or dyed
hair) are not allowed. Ponytails are not allowed.
Hair must not touch the
collar or extend beyond the eyebrow.
Sideburns may not extend
beyond the earlobe and cannot be wider than one inch.
Boys must be clean shaven.
The final decision on
hairstyle rests with the deans.
Trash/Litter: This condition has become a major area of
concern particularly after the lunch hour. More and more students
are leaving their trash on their tables and not using the trash
receptacles. We have a school policy that states the school day
will be extended, if at the discretion of the Deans, the school
grounds are considered littered beyond what is reasonable.
Please tell your children to throw their trash away when they
are finished eating.
Cell Phones: Modem technology has provided the opportunity
for students to use their phones to text message answers of
tests to other students or to actually photograph and send a
quiz or test to another student. For this reason, as well as the
fact that cell phones are disruptive, students who use their
cell phones during the school day will have their phones taken
away and they will not be returned until the student serves a 45
minute detention.
Once again, thank you for your help and support.
Office of the Deans
New Cell Phone Plans
There are new cellular phone plans designed specifically for
parents The plans allow parents to set parameters for their
children with regard to their cell phone/text message usage The
Dean's Office strongly encourages you to consider this type plan
for your child
These plans allow you to set limits for
Number of text and instant messages.
Dollar amount of down-loadable purchases (ring tones. games.
etc.),
Time available for Web browsing/data usage per billing cycle.
Time periods for which the phone can be used for
text-messaging. Web-browsing and outbound calling:
Who can be phoned or texted (incoming or outgoing), and
The access of content inappropriate for children.
If you have any questions or would like more information,
please contact Greg Traverse or Kathy Smith at 957-3340. As a
reminder, according to school policy, cell phones are not to be
used during school hours. It is our hope that using this type of
calving plan would significantly curtail the use of
text-messaging during school hours
The Diocese of Stockton mandates that all people who work
with children and youth in our parishes and schools must undergo
child abuse prevention training through the Shield the
Vulnerable online program The training details five steps to
prevent child sexual abuse. Know the warning signs of an
inappropriate relationship with a child
1. Know the signs!
2. Control access to children by carefully selecting the
adults who work with children and youth
3. Monitor all programs for the safety of children and youth.
4. Be aware of and sensitive to what is going on in the lives
of children.
5. Communicate concerns to the appropriate person in
authority
For particular help you may call Linda Dillen
Manager/Benefits/Safe Environment Department for the Diocese of
Stockton, (209) 466-0636. Ext 611
B
asic
overview of some of the laws that apply to teenagers
Laws are constantly changing and this guide is
intended to provide you with general information.
The Age of
Majority
In most
states, including California the age of majority is 18.
Teenagers have the right to: enter into binding contracts, sue
or be sued in their own names, vote in state and local
elections, consent to all types of medical treatment.
Alcohol and
Kids
It is
illegal to possess false identification or use a fake I.D. to
purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol. It is illegal to
provide alcohol to anyone under 21. Parents can be held
criminally liable for contributing to the delinquency of a
minor.
Curfew Laws
Under state
law, parents can be charged for the administration and
transportation cost of returning a minor to his or her home on a
second curfew violation. Curfew in Stockton for teenagers under
18 is enforced from 11:00 P.M. until 6:00 A.M.
Graffiti
California
law makes parents liable in certain circumstances when their
kids damage, destroy or deface the property of others. Fines
range from up to a year in jail or as much as $50,000 fine
and/or imprisonment depending on the extent of the damages.
Taggers between the ages of 13 and 21 could have their driver's
licenses revoked or delayed for up to a year.
Help for
kids who have run away from home: The California Youth Crisis
Line 1-800-843-5200
Internet
safety information can be found on the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children's Web site :
www.missingkids.com
Smoking and
Kids
It is
against the law for minors to purchase, receive or possess
tobacco products and to knowingly sell, give or furnish tobacco
products (including chewing tobacco) to children under the age
of 18.
Vandalism
Parents can
be held liable for vandalism committed by their children. Some
common types of vandalism among youth are maliciously
scratching a car, egging property, re-moving highway warning
signs, being cruel to animals, opening or reading a sealed
letter or envelope without the authority to do so and tampering
with fire alarm apparatus and giving false alarms.
Work, Work
Permits and Taxes
Children who
are 16 and older can obtain full-time work permits. Those age 18
and older no longer need such a permit. Young people may be
required to file federal and state income tax returns.
The above
information was taken from the Kids and the Law Guide. Copies or
additional information can be found at
www.kids@calbar.ca.gov.
Counselor's Corner
Junior class
parents and students are reminded to log on to
www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org to register for the SAT
Reasoning and ACT Tests.
Parents
wishing to receive periodic announcements and updates from their
child’s respective guidance counselor may join a group email
list through our school website, www.saintmaryshighschool.org.
To sign up, click on the Guidance link and scroll down toward
the end of the page. Please note: if you were on the email list
last year, you will need to sign up again for this academic
year.
Wednesday,
March 10, 2010 is the day of standardized, school wide testing.
It is mandatory for the freshmen and sophomores to attend school
on this day. We will administer the EXPLORE test to freshmen,
and the PLAN test to sophomores. Both tests serve as preparation
for the ACT. The ACT is a college admissions exam. The school
day will end at approximately 11:40 a.m. Please plan
accordingly.
On this same
day, juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to attend an
information session sponsored by San Joaquin Delta College. This
session is voluntary and will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the
library. Topics covered will include programs, services, and
other items relevant to admissions. For more information, please
contact Mr. Nomellini at 957-3340, Ext. 124. Please note: If
juniors and seniors choose not to attend the Delta College
presentation, they are not expected to be at school on March
10th.
Parents are
encouraged to log onto PowerSchool through our school website.
If you have misplaced your username and/or password please
contact Julia Scriven, our Registrar, at 957-3340, Ext. 103.
Scholarship
Information
In January,
all seniors should apply for financial aid from
colleges/universities and the federal/state government by
filling out the FAFSA form online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, and if
the college requires one, a PROFILE form. The mailing period for
these forms is January 1-March 2, 2010. Remember, some
colleges/universities have an earlier FAFSA deadline. Also,
several private universities require the PROFILE form. The
PROFILE application form can be completed online at
www.collegeboard.com. GPA verification forms will automatically
be submitted by St. Mary’s after the semester grades in January.
A reminder:
students must reapply each year for the St. Mary’s scholarships.
Applications are due to the Scholarship Office by March 2, 2010
at 8:15 a.m.
To apply for
St. Mary’s scholarships students can:
1. Go to the
saintmaryshighschool.org website.
2. Click on
“Scholarships.”
3. In
Financial Aid, click on “SM Scholarship Application.”
4. Click on
appropriate grade level for information and application.
All students
should check the Scholarship Office regularly to see if there is
a scholarship for which they can apply or an essay contest they
can enter. Many organizations open scholarships to the entire
student body.
SM Cookbooks
are now available in the Scholarship Office for $20.00. Purchase
your copy by coming to Room 227 or calling 957-3340, Ext. 121.
All proceeds benefit St. Mary’s scholarships.
Tickets are
now available for the scholarship drive-thru dinner to be held
on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Tickets are $12.00 and dinner
includes chicken, pasta, salad, bread and dessert. For tickets
and information contact the Scholarship Office at 957-3340, Ext.
121.
Message from Father Fallon
The Fog of
Uncertainty
Living as we do
in the central valley of California, we have all had to come to
grips with our wintertime companion—valley fog. I think it is
safe to say that most people do not love the fog. For the most
part, we tolerate it since we know that its presence is
inevitable and we have learned to deal with it.
In a certain
sense the fog introduces a strong dose of uncertainty into our
lives. When we look out the window in the early morning, we
wonder how the drive to work or to school will be. Do I have to
leave a tad earlier and take my time and get to my destination
safely? And then suppose in the evening we have to drive to an
unfamiliar place, we probably will be somewhat apprehensive. A
very frightening experience comes with being lost in the fog.
You know that
our life journey is sometimes beset with foggy conditions and
these are often difficult to deal with. If there is one thing
that we humans like to be assured of it is certainty. We like to
have the "i’s" dotted and the "t’s" crossed—we would like to
have a clear road to travel as we go about our daily lives. One
of the worst things is not knowing.
But like the
fog of the valley in the winter, we need to learn how to deal
with uncertainty. Granted, we crave certainty—but that certainty
often comes only by degrees.
There is no
question that we live in very uncertain times. The security of a
once strong economy has diminished. People are apprehensive
about their livelihood and their ability to do some of the
things that they had become accustomed to doing over a long
period of time.
For the most
part, we all know from experience the fog of early morning burns
off into brilliant sunshine. So it is with the fog of
uncertainty in our lives. It is our faith in God and our trust
in his providence for us that will burn off the fog of
uncertainty and reveal a brilliant sunshine of God’s love.
In his
Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales writes
"that we must preserve our equanimity in the midst of
uncertainty. Though all is uncertain around us we must remain
immovable, our eyes and our hearts ever fixed on God. Whatever
course a ship may take, north or south, east or west, no matter
what wind sweeps it on, its compass will ever point to the polar
star. Even if our world, either within ourselves or outside of
us, turns upside down or is unclear or uncertain, whatever we
may experience, our compass will always be fixed on God, our
Creator and Redeemer, our one and only good, toward whom our
love forever carries us.”
In the fog of
uncertainty, remain courageous and trust in the Lord always.
Message from Mr. Morelli
“Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by
the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will
of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2
Borrowing some themes from the history of marketing gives us
a few words of wisdom and it can be argued that they are
consistent with Romans 12:2.
We all realize that advertising slogans and phrases help us
recognize certain products.
“You deserve a break today” McDonald’s, “Mmm Good” Campbell
Soup, “See the USA in your Chevrolet” General Motors and, “Be
All that You Can Be,” United States Army.
The last slogan was created in the post Vietnam era by Earl
Carter in the mid 70’s. In an attempt to increase enlistment in
an all-volunteer army, Major General Maxwell R. Thurman adopted
the slogan in 1981. This phrase is an engaging and easy to
identify term. “Be all that you can be” places a burden on an
individual to set the pace and establish a scope of his/her
dream. This slogan reminds us to keep dreaming and keep reaching
for the stars.
Almost four hundred years ago, St. Francis de Sales
(1567-1622) similarly said, “Be who you are and be that well.”
Each day I marvel at the way our students carry out these
themes. Of course, it is evident that our athletic teams and
those who participate in sports are successful. All you have to
do is read The Record’s Sports Section where they are frequently
mentioned.
However, all one has to do is walk in B hall near the Art
rooms and observe a variety of student Art projects. Walking
further down the hall, one hears the different choruses
practicing and witnesses first hand the talent these students
possess. Turning left is the next classroom where the school
paper is written and where the speech and debate team practice.
In the next classroom, the Yearbook staff is preparing pages for
the school’s book. In an about face and at the other end of the
corridor, the drum line, guitar, jazz band and concert band
perform.
St. Mary’s High School, a co-educational school in the
Catholic tradition, empowers students to define their vision and
pursue their goals with confidence, competence and Christian
generosity.
Also four students have been selected to the county honor
band. The Jazz and Symphonic groups both placed 3rd at the
Lincoln band review. And at the heritage festival last year, St.
Mary's received the Spirit of Anaheim Award, which is given to
the school that best represents its community and state.
In choir two students received the Nelson Zane Award for
their four-year participation in County Honor Choir. St. Mary’s
sent 29 students to the County Honor Choir, more than any other
high school in the county. Four students were recipients of the
California Central Region All State Honor Choir, and two
students gained recognition in the California All State Honor
Choir.
The 2009 Spring Musical Anything Goes was nominated in all 11
categories for the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA)
"Elly Awards" in the Category "Education Musical." St. Mary’s
won 6 awards: Best Choreography, Best Costumes, Best Set, and
Best Actor. Anything Goes and A Midsummer Night's Dream broke
attendance records for the spring musical and the fall play,
respectively. We are looking forward to the production of Les
Miserables, which will be performed at Tillie Lewis Theatre on
the San Joaquin Delta College Campus.
Our art students take part in the Tidewater Gallery's Annual
Student Art Exhibition every year. Many of our students have won
awards and have sold their artwork at this event. St. Mary's had
the largest number of student entries at this exhibit last year.
The yearbook (Cauldron) in 2006 and 2007 received "All
American" ratings from the National Scholastic Press
Association, with marks of distinction in Design, Coverage,
Photography, Concept, and Writing and Editing.
In Model United Nations, St. Mary’s represented Mexico and
won the following awards:
• Outstanding
Delegation for the U.N. Development Program committee
•Outstanding
Delegation for the Social and Humanitarian committee
•Rapateur for
the World Health Organization committee (Rapateur award is given
to the most congenial and respected delegation.)
St. Mary’s Speech and Debate teams have qualified students to
the State Tournament of Champions every year since 1999-2000.
They have qualified for the National tournament 6 out of the
last 10 years.
But being all that you can be is also witnessed in the
classroom. This year the students performed at an 85% pass rate
on all AP tests taken.
The movie “Field of Dreams” is about finding one’s niche. For
one person, it was about forsaking baseball for a career in
medicine; for a writer, it was about venturing into the unknown
to get the story of a lifetime; for another, it was about
growing in his love for his wife, his daughter and an
opportunity to be at peace with the spirit of his father.
St. Francis de Sales wrote, “We must stay in our own ship to
make the journey from this life to the next.” (Selected Letter,
p.251) For each of us, following Jesus is about finding our
unique, God-given niche in life…and sticking to it. “Be all that
you can be” and/or “Be who you are and be that well,” are both
good options for daily life.
As we journey through Lent, “Live Jesus” by remembering to be
who you are and be that well.
Mary, Queen of Angels, St. Francis de Sales and St. Dominic,
pray for us.
