MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY March 2008 Newsletter VOLUME 5, ISSUE 44 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: ♦ March 1: Father –Daughter Dance 7-10 PM at MMA ♦ March 1: Mom’s Night Out – Dinner Dilemma 3021 Southwestern Blvd. Orchard Park 5-9 pm ♦ March 3-7 MMA SPIRIT WEEK! ♦ March 5: Spring Sports begin ♦ March 7: Miss Mercy Assembly ♦ March 12: Penance Service ♦ March 17-28 EASTER BREAK— NO SCHOOL ♦ March 31: School Resumes ♦ April 4: NO SCHOOL ♦ April 5: McAULEY GALA March, 2008 Dear Parents and Guardians, You have to love the month of March this year! There is so much to celebrate – St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and the first day of Spring all take place within a few days of each other. Our Mercy community will have a two week break from school to rest and rejuvenate and we can always hope and pray that the weather will behave more like the lamb than the lion. Whatever the weather does, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel as the winter gloom edges its way toward the warmth and rebirth of spring. Central to this month, of course is the celebration of the Church’s most important feast in the liturgical year – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The solemnity of the Lenten Season, the ministry of Jesus and the rites and rituals from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday all serve to remind us that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus defines who we are as Christians. The Church reminds of the new life in store for us all as we light the Paschal candle and bless the water and once more greet Easter morning with choruses of “Alleluia!” The churches shed their mantels of purple for the colors of springtime in the vestments worn by the priests and the flowers that decorate our altars. We all need to remind ourselves of the meaning of the Easter season amidst the candy, new clothing, and trips to warmer climates. We all need to remember what we are truly about as Christians. Despite the short number of weeks in school during the month of March, the few days we have will be packed with many and diverse activities. This newsletter contains reminders about most of them and of course your school calendar and our website have the information available as well. Please join us and be a part of your daughter’s education. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Happy Easter and Happy Spring! Sincerely, Paulette Gaske Principal MMA PRINCIPAL MRS. PAULETTE GASKE CONGRATULATES A MERCY STUDENT AS SHE RECEIVES HER MMA SCHOOL RING The MMA Main Office and Business Offices will be open on March 17,18, 19, and 25-28
Transcript
MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY March 2008 Newsletter
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 44
S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T :
♦ March 1: Father –Daughter
Dance 7-10 PM at MMA
♦ March 1: Mom’s Night Out –
Dinner Dilemma
3021 Southwestern Blvd.
Orchard Park 5-9 pm
♦ March 3-7 MMA SPIRIT WEEK!
♦ March 5: Spring Sports begin
♦ March 7: Miss Mercy
Assembly
♦ March 12: Penance Service
♦ March 17-28 EASTER BREAK—
NO SCHOOL
♦ March 31: School Resumes
♦ April 4: NO SCHOOL
♦ April 5: McAULEY GALA
A Message from our Principal Sincerely, Paulette C. Gaske Principal
March, 2008 Dear Parents and Guardians, You have to love the month of March this year! There is so much to celebrate – St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and the first day of Spring all take place within a few days of each other. Our Mercy community will have a two week break from school to rest and rejuvenate and we can always hope and pray that the weather will behave more like the lamb than the lion. Whatever the weather does, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel as the winter gloom edges its way toward the warmth and rebirth of spring. Central to this month, of course is the celebration of the Church’s most important feast in the liturgical year – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The solemnity of the Lenten Season, the ministry of Jesus and the rites and rituals from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday all serve to remind us that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus defines who we are as Christians. The Church reminds of the new life in store for us all as we light the Paschal candle and bless the water and once more greet Easter morning with choruses of “Alleluia!” The churches shed their mantels of purple for the colors of springtime in the vestments worn by the priests and the flowers that decorate our altars. We all need to remind ourselves of the meaning of the Easter season amidst the candy, new clothing, and trips to warmer climates. We all need to remember what we are truly about as Christians. Despite the short number of weeks in school during the month of March, the few days we have will be packed with many and diverse activities. This newsletter contains reminders about most of them and of course your school calendar and our website have the information available as well. Please join us and be a part of your daughter’s education. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Happy Easter and Happy Spring! Sincerely, Paulette Gaske Principal
MMA PRINCIPAL MRS. PAULETTE GASKE
CONGRATULATES A MERCY STUDENT AS SHE RECEIVES
HER MMA SCHOOL RING
The MMA Main Office and Business Offices will be open
on March 17,18, 19, and 25-28
MMA Photo Album
Models of Mercy
Living the Mount Mercy Mission
Last year, art students in Ms. Jacqueline Welch’s classes took part in The Memory Project, a unique initiative in which advanced high school art students create original portraits for children who have been abandoned,
orphaned, abused, or neglected. To do this, the art students received pictures of children who were waiting for
portraits, and then worked in their art classrooms to create the portraits. Once finished, the portraits were hand delivered to the children by Ben Schumacher, founder of The Memory Project. The children were then
invited to create drawings or write letters to send back to the art students. Shown are two of the children from
Nicaragua who recently received a portrait painted by an MMA student artist. Seven portraits were delivered to their proud new owners. This year, fifteen MMA art students will create portraits for children in El Salvador.
MMA Juniors Rachel Blackey, Stephanie Ciszek and Leah Clancy smile after
receiving their beautiful MMA school rings at the ceremony held at the OLV Basilica.
MMA Juniors Denise Pina and Lucy Perry are also proud to now
Runfola wear red on February 5th, Student Appreciation Day
In March 2007, students from MMA, who have since developed a special relation-ship working with the skaters of SABAH (Skating Athletes Bold At Heart), won a School Spirit Contest by selling the most tickets to the SABAH performance at HSBC Arena. For doing so, the Buffalo Sabres Organization promised a visit by a Sabre and a banner commemorating the achievement, along with a prize of a 42 inch flat screened TV set. The Mercy Outreach students then decided to raffle the TV and give the proceeds back to SABAH. The visit that was promised finally took place on February 19th, when Sabres Right Wing Maxim Afinogenov, along with Sabretooth and members of the SABAH Organization came to MMA to present the banner to the school. A check for $400, the proceeds from the raffle, was presented by MMA students to the SABAH representative at that time.
Members of MMA’s Outreach Club meet with two special guests, Maxim Afinogenov of the Buffalo Sabres and Nick Lake, SABAH Skating Star, before an assembly
at the Academy. Afinogenov represented the Sabres Organization as he presented a banner to the school for
winning the SABAH School Spirit Contest last year.
Mount Mercy Academy Scholar Athletes were recognized along with students achieving Second Honors at the Honors Assembly held at the Academy on Friday, February 8, 2008. The Academy holds quarterly Honors Assemblies recognizing students who have achieved Merit Roll (1st quarter), Second Honors (2nd quarter) and First Honors (3rd quarter) and Overall Honors (4th quarter) each year. Students maintaining an average of 90% or better and who participated on the JV/Varsity Golf Team or the Freshman/JV/Varsity Basketball Team are considered Scholar Athletes at this assembly and were presented with Scholar Athlete Certificates.
Also recognized was MMA Senior Melissa Hayes, a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, who will compete for a portion of $33 million in college scholar-ship money, based on the results of her scores from the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. She is among the students scoring the highest in the state. Melissa recently returned from Guatemala where she traveled and worked along side a team of doctors providing dental care to children there.
Spirit of Mercy Awards were presented by MMA Principal Mrs. Paulette Gaske to students, staff and faculty who have, in an unassuming way, shown kindness to others. The recipients are nominated anonymously and have no idea they are to be recognized for demonstrating the true Spirit of Mercy. For their generosity of spirit this quarter, the following students and teachers were acknowl-edged with certificates and floral bouquets or boxed chocolates: MMA Junior Colleen Cannan, MMA Senior Ashley Matte and MMA Latin Teacher Mr. Damian Trembley.
MMA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES RECEIVE AWARDS AT HONORS ASSEMBLY
Tears of Happiness
MMA Senior Ashley Matte is overcome with genuine surprise and gratitude at the 2nd Quarter Honors Assembly as
she receives a “Spirit of Mercy” Award for her compassionate kindness and
helpfulness to others.
Above: Enjoying the Valentine Dance and smiling for the camera are MMA Juniors Melissa Graham, Elizabeth Robinson and Angela Kresic
Left: MMA Seniors Carrie Hadley, Kristina Land, Tara Bodziak, Liz Roberts, Meghan Houston, Olivia Schlager and Pilar Graham spend time together at the Valentine Dance
M. Hayes
MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY RECEIVES $2000 BEST BUY
TEACH AWARD!
Through the efforts of MMA Science Teacher Dr. Karen Huffman, MMA has received a $2000 Teach Award from Best Buy, Co., for integrating interactive technol-
ogy into its curriculum. Since 2003, Best Buy has rewarded schools that crea-tively integrate technology into their
curricula. “Dr. Huffman’s lessons are fully integrated in interactive technology,” said Mrs. Margaret Staszak, Assistant Principal at MMA. “Her students perform labs using Smartboard technology, and she is able to dem-onstrate scientific processes through the use of video streaming and various computer software programs. We have other teachers who use technology in their lessons quite often, also. Mrs. Amy Gambino, who teaches English IV, and Mr. John Bianchi, who Teaches Chemistry, use interactive technology in nearly all their lessons. “We are extremely grateful to Dr. Huffman for procur-ing this award for MMA, and for her commitment to
Thank you to Father Bill Bigelow SJ, pastor of St. Mary of the Lake parish in Hamburg, for celebrating the MMA Ring Day Mass at OLV
Basilica. In his homily, Father Bill intertwined the traditions of the Mercy ring and lessons on the privilege of being a Mercy student. Father Bill is a past member of the MMA Board of Trustees and a
dear friend of the MMA Community.
Dr. Huffman
The 2008 McAuley GALA Jewelry Raffle! Grand Prize Tiffany and Co. ® Bead Bracelet ($150 value) Beaded bracelet. Sterling silver, 7.5" long. AND Graduated bead necklace ($200 value) Graduated Bead necklace. Sterling silver, 16" long.
Everyone’s a Winner With every chance you purchase, you will receive a pair of Sterling Silver Ball Earrings*! The earrings are perfectly presented in a delicate organza bag. Great for birthday gifts! • Chances are $20 ● Drawing to be held at the 2008 McAuley GALA, April 5, 2008 Winner need not be present ● Chances are available at the Academy in Rm. 303 or by calling 825-8796 ext. 219 or emailing [email protected] (*Earrings are not Tiffany and Co.)
The 2008 McAuley GALA Shopping Spree Raffle!
Just in time to boost your Spring and Summer wardrobes!!! Who doesn’t love shopping? This raffle is the perfect gift! Give a loved one the chance or give yourself a well- deserved treat to win a $1,000 Galleria Mall Gift Card, Lunch for 4, the services of a personal shopper and a limo ride to and from the mall! Chances are $10 ● Raffle Tickets are available in Room 303 at the Academy or by calling 825-8796 ext. 219 or emailing [email protected] ● Drawing to be held at the 2008 McAuley Gala , Saturday, April 5, 2008
Mount Mercy Academy 2008 McAuley Gala Raffle
• $1,000 Galleria Mall Gift Card • Lunch for 4
• Personal Shopper Services • Limousine Ride to and from the mall
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McAuley XII Gala Raffle News
This is the final update for the 2008 McAuley Gala.
Your support can make the 2008 McAuley Gala a successful event to be long remembered!!!
McAuley XII Dinner and Auction April 5, 2008
RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!
Your invitation will be arriving soon for the 2008 McAuley Gala on Saturday, April 5th. Tickets are $105 per person, which includes cocktails throughout the evening along with hors d’oeuvres and a gourmet dinner prepared by Frontier Catering.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for the Silent Auction Rooms and the viewing of the Live Auction items. NEW THIS YEAR the Silent Auction Rooms will begin to close shortly before the 7 p.m. dinner. ALSO NEW — Our Live Auction will com-mence with service of the main entrée, during dinner this year. The reservations are due by March 19th. Please plan to attend or help the evening of the Gala!
We promise an evening of fun, friendship, enticing auction items, and exceptional food. The Live Auction items include a family get away package, a Sarasota vacation, a flat screen TV, a mystery item and many other new and exciting items. Cash Cunningham, a professional auctioneer, will create a vibrant live auction for all to enjoy! All guests with a paid reservation may request an auction catalogue one week prior to the auction by contacting the Academy at extension 219. The auction catalog will be available online @ www.mtmercy.org. Please note that admittance tickets are not mailed to auction guests.
AND THE GIFT GATHERING CONTINUES...
We have already received a large number of great gifts and monetary donations for the Silent and Live Auction! Thank you to all of the parents, alumnae and alumnae parents who have hosted and attended parties. A special thank you to our Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and athlete parents who have hosted and supported the parties and mailings. ***The Senior Class Parent Wine Tasting Extravaganza is Saturday March 8th. We hope MOST Senior parents take this opportunity to toast the Class of 2008 and help the Gala. ***
If you missed the gift gathering party, it’s not too late to contribute to your class gift. Donations can be sent directly to the Development Office. Please send in your donation by March 14th before Easter Break, so we can acknowledge your generous gift in the catalogue or supplement.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO HELP WITH THE GALA Volunteers are still needed to assist the Decoration, Gift Display and Reservation Committees which work is done primar-ily the few weeks and days before the auction. We also need parents a large number of parents who would like to assist the evening of the Gala. The Auction volunteers and attendees all enjoy the evening!!! The Gala is a huge endeavor which directly benefits your daughter’s education. We will find a committee to fit your schedule. We treat our volunteers great with refreshments throughout all the evenings and it is great way to get to know other MMA parents! Feel free to bring along other family members, (high school age or older,) to assist. MMA students who would like to earn service hours can sign-up in advisement rooms.
We will be contacting all 2007-2008 tuition award families who made a service commitment to work the Gala. Please take some time to complete the enclosed volunteer form and/or contact Grace @ extension 219.
GALA RAFFLE NEWS
Thank to all the parents and students who sent in raffle tickets for all three
raffles. Many classes have boosted their spirit points!!!
The drawings for the Mall Shopping Spree and the
Jewelry Raffle will be at the Gala on April 5th.
The winner does not need to be present to win.
Need more tickets??
Contact Grace @ ext. 219.
Thank you for your support in advance!
Please contact Grace Gannon-Jackson @ 825-8796 ext. 215 with questions or suggestions
for the Gala.
RECEPTION HELD AT MMA FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES
A reception was held in the Dining Hall at Mount Mercy Academy on February 5, 2008 for the Class of 2012 Academic Scholarship recipients and their parents. The ten eighth grade awardees were administered the High School Placement Exam at the Academy on November 17, 2008.
Based on the results of the exam, a full, four year academic scholarship was awarded to Isobel Johnston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Johns-ton of East Aurora. Awarded a half-tuition schol-arship for four years is Victoria Riso, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Riso of Hamburg. Four year $1500 Scholarships were awarded to Erynn Motak of Eden Junior High School, Rachel Bellis of Nativity of Our Lord, Samantha Ventura of Queen of Heaven, and Janelle Lauciello of St. John Vianney. Four year $1000 Academic Scholarships were awarded to Alyssa O’Brien of Notre Dame Acad-emy, Charlene Takacs of Queen of Heaven, Kelly Hess of 14 Holy Helpers and Emily Diaz of Our Lady of Victory. Five Honorable Mention awards were presented to: Grace Hamlin of the Aurora Waldorf School, Lauren Wesolowski of 14 Holy Helpers, Emily O’Connor of St. Bernadette, Kayla Larson of Southtowns Catholic and Olivia Chillemi of Northern Chautauqua Catholic.
MMA MAGIC BELLES INVITED TO PLAY IN CONCERT WITH THE BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
MMA is proud to announce that BPO Associ-ate Conductor Paul Ferington has invited the MMA Magic Belles Handbell Orchestra to play in concert with the BPO during their Holiday Performances Series next season. Over the years, the handbell choir has won numerous awards under the direction of MMA Music Director Mr. Fred Kirisits. The group will perform two selections with the BPO and three of their own numbers during the BPO Performances on Sunday, November 30th at 6:00 PM at the Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church, and at 2:30 PM at the Wendy’s Family Concert on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at Kleinhan’s Music Hall. The MMA Pure Magic Show Choir will lead a sing–along at each of the events, as well. An additional special concert featuring both the BPO and the Magic Belles will take place on Tues-day, November 25th at 10:00 AM at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf.
Music Department Notes from Mr. Kirisits
--Six Freshman will represent Mt. Mercy at the Junior High All County Chorus Festival Saturday afternoon, March 8, at Lancaster High School. They are Katie Farr, Erin Gabrewski, Kelsey Hayes, Nichole Siminski, Hannah Walter, and Colleen Webster. --Sophomore Stephanie Klajbor scored 100% on her audition for Senior High All County Chorus. Stephanie is one of 200 selected from a group of 700 stu-dents who auditioned at Alden High School in January. The concert will take place on the afternoon of March 15th in Slee Hall at UB. --Several students will be performing in the St. Francis High School production of Pippin. They are…Alyssa Haj, Stephanie Klajbor, Caitlyn Bartosik, Nicole Thornton and Katie Gerard. The performance takes place March 7th, 8th and 9th at St. Francis. Call 627-1200 for ticket information
The artwork of Mount Mercy art students, along with several other high schools will be on display at the 2008 BISSNET Arts Festival, from Sunday March 2
(starting at 2 pm) through Saturday March 15 (closing at 11 AM)
The opening Art/Music celebration is from 2 - 5 pm Sunday March 2. Refreshments will be provided and
the show is open to the public. This year's Arts Festival is located at:
Karpeles Manuscript Museum 453 Porter Avenue Buffalo, NY 14201 www.karpeles.com
S. Klajbor
Congratulations! The following students are registered as members of
Mount Mercy Academy’s incoming Class of 2012!
Tiana Akaic Emily Anderson Cara Barnes Jessica Barone Emily Barrett Rachel Bellis Alison Benz Nicole Borodzik Martina Brady Heather Buck Alyssa Buranich Jessica Burke McKayla Burvid Ashley Carmichael
Molly Grant Kelly Griffin Kaitlyn Griffin Johanna Hart Jordan Hawkins Abigail Helliwell Kelly Hess Jessica Huss Khadijah Jennings Jillian Jerard Isobel Johnston Jacqueline Kane Cynthia Kawaya Keriann Kelly Tania Khoury Kimberly Kocol Elizabeth Krug Savannah Kucharczak Shari Kupkowski Rebecca Kurzawa Kayla Larson Janelle Lauciello Brittany Lawson Alexandrea Lenk Sarah Lopian Alexis Martin Meghan McCarthy Jenna McGough Bryanna McKinnon Lynn Marie Miller
A group of young men and women from area Catholic High Schools discuss
Issues of Diversity as they affect young people
Racial Ethnic Socio-economic
WEDNESDAY March 5, 2008 7:00 - 8:30 P.M.
THE CULLEN CENTER At St. Joe’s
All PARENTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED
TO ATTEND!
Mount Mercy Academy welcomed over 25 college and university professors from UB, Buffalo State College, Trocaire College, Canisius College, Daemen College and Bryant and Stratton College to their MAJOR MANIA event on February 5, 2008. The program, arranged by MMA Guidance Counselors Ms. Therese Runfola, Ms. Suzanne Perry and Mrs. Katie LoTempio, began with an assembly attended by the entire student body on the topic of “How to Choose a College Major”. Students were then able to attend three breakout sessions to learn about their top three majors of interest. College Majors included in the program were: Psychology, Design, Biology, Physics, Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering, International Relations, History, Computer Science, Visual and Performing Arts, Communication, Anthropology, Accounting, Economics, Education, Modern Languages, Pre-Law, Business, Chem-istry, Math, Philosophy, English, Sociology and Communi-cative Disorders and Sciences. MMA has recently entered into an articulation agreement with Bryant & Stratton College. Students who plan on attending Bryant & Stratton may earn up to nine college credits while still attending high school by simply taking classes that MMA already offers. An Admissions Representative at Bryant & Stratton will then review the student’s high school transcript. After review, the college may grant up to nine hours of college credit. Mount Mercy already has in place an articulation agreement with Hilbert College for Spanish and French Language credit and is working towards agreements with Trocaire College and ECC.
COLLGE PROFESSORS SPEAK TO MMA STUDENTS
Jack Donohue Memorial 5K Race – Date Set for 10th Anniversary Run
The 10th Jack Donohue Memorial 5K Race will be held Friday June 20, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
The fast, flat course will begin in Cazenovia Park. Pre-registration in Mount Mercy Academy’s cafeteria on Thursday, June 19th from 5:30 - p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Day of Race Registration begins at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2008 in Mount Mercy Academy’s
cafeteria. StoneBridge Band will be featured at the Post-race party.
For more information or to volunteer for the race please contact Erik Bohen at 713-5654 or Jeff Conrad 824-6768.
MMA ART TEACHER TO ATTEND NATIONAL
CONFERENCE MMA Art Teacher Mrs. Amy Utzig will be traveling to New
Orleans for a week during Spring Recess to attend the National Art Education Association Conference. She has been awarded a Grant from the Buffalo Teacher Center to attend this confer-ence. Mrs. Utzig is one of just 20 teachers, and the only teacher employed by a parochial school to receive this grant. The National Art Education Association Conference offers 25 distinguished speakers and nearly 1,000 workshops in many areas of Art and Education. Mrs. Utzig is looking forward to bringing back to Mount Mercy Acad-emy a wealth of knowledge on current research trends in Art Education, as well as new art materi-als and techniques to share with our students.
PARENTS– MMA LUNCHES RECEIVE OK
As you have probably seen on TV and the newspaper, certain ground beef and hamburger products that were shipped to schools were recalled. The codes of affected product were issued by NYS OGS and what MMA has in inventory is not in the affected lot. Therefore, it is OK to use and has been placed on the menu for March.
Regards, David A. Cervi Vice President Personal Touch Food Service, Inc.
VILLA MARIA ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS
The Villa Maria Academy Alumnae Association is awarding schol-arships to students enrolled in a Catholic High School or Elemen-tary School for the 2008-2009 school year. The scholarships will be awarded to daughter, son, granddaughter, grandson, niece, nephew, sister or brother of an alumna of Villa Maria Academy (formerly Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy). The scholarship is a one-time cash award. Students awarded scholarships can re-apply in subsequent years. Scholarship applications must be received by April 15, 2008. The scholarship winners will be announced by May 1, 2008. The scholarship will be awarded directly to the school in the student’s name.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA For Elementary students in 6th-7th-8th Grade or all High School
Students during the 2008-09 Academic Year: 1. Daughter, son, granddaughter, grandson, niece, nephew,
sister or brother of an alumna of Villa Maria Academy (previously Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy)
2. Confirmed acceptance to a Catholic Elementary or High School as verified by principal
3. Evidence of volunteerism and leadership in church, school and community Good academic standing in grade school as verified by school teacher or principal
Scholarship applications can be downloaded from the Association Website at:
www.vmabuffalo.org/scholarship.html
Coming Soon to MMA- Edline
Parents: Soon, you can know what is going on everyday at MMA—from lunch menus to school news, to your child’s
latest exam score. Information is private and secure.
Watch for further information about Edline
Please continue to send in to the Main Office your
BOX TOPS for Education– we are able to redeem these coupons for much needed
school supplies! Thank you!
“Remembering Karen” CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
Honoring the memory of
Karen Kwiatkowski and all victims of drunk driving crashes
March 6, 2008 at 7pm
Cazenovia Park
Seneca Street, South Buffalo
For More Information: contact Deanna Russo
Website: www.karenscrusade.org
Karen Kwiatkowski was a member of the Class of 1997.
Her sister, Deanna Kwiatkowski
Russo‘93 is organizing this vigil to remember Karen on the tenth anniversary of her death.
Deanna would appreciate support from the
Mercy community. Deanna has also created
Karen’s Crusade, an organization to educate
people about the dangers of impaired driving. You can
contact Deanna if you wish to volunteer or need further
information at www.karenscrusade.org
A LENTEN PRAYER From Fasting to Feasting
(author unknown)
Fast from judging others; feast on seeing the best in people. Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life. Fast from despair; feast on hope. Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God. Fast from words that destroy; feast on phrases that are encouraging. Fast from discontent; feast on patience. Fast from being negative; feast on being positive. Fast from worry; feast on trust. Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. Fast from hostility; feast on forgiveness; Fast from constant activity; feast on slowing down. Fast from disrespect; feast on recognizing the sacred in all of life. Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
POST PROM NEWS FOR
PARENTS OF SENIORS
Every year, the MMA Parents Association spon-sors a POST-PROM PARTY for MMA Seniors and their dates as a safe and fun place to go after prom. The Parents Associa-tion is currently accepting donations as door prizes and gifts for the event. We hope to have every girl leave with a prize! Gift cards for Gas, Movies, I-tunes, Tim Horton’s Tar-get, Malls, and larger items such as Ipod docking sta-tions, small TV’s, dorm refrigerators, and /or digi-tal cameras are requested. Items may be dropped off at the Main Office and marked to the attention of “POST PROM DONA-TIONS”.
MANY THANKS!
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR SPRING ATHLETES
To be eligible to participate in a spring sport your daughter must have a physical dated within one year of the first day of the sport. You must also complete a sports update form. If you need to obtain a physical please call the doctor as soon as possible to get an appointment. Please call the health office at 825-8796 if you have any questions or would like to check the date of your daughter’s last physical. March will be here before you know it!
FROM MAGISTER TREMBLAY: "LATIN 3 STUDENTS WILL NEED TO PURCHASE BARRON'S REVIEW BOOKS FOR THE JUNE REGENTS FROM THE SCHOOL STORE AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE. COSTS ARE UNDER $15."
UNYTS Blood Drive is scheduled for Thursday, April 24th.
Reminder to Parents: MMA CELL PHONE GUIDELINES
Students are prohibited from using cell phones between 7:54 a.m. – 2:38 p.m. each day. This includes phone calls, texting, taking photos with camera phones, using as calcula-tors, retrieving voice or e-mail messages and all other func-tions of cell phones. If a student has a cell phone out at any time during the day it will be confiscated and turned in to the Main Office until the end of the day, and a demerit will be issued to the student. If a cell phone is confiscated a second time, it will be held in the Main Office until a parent comes in to retrieve it. Another demerit will be issued. There is no reason students should have cell phones during school hours. In emergency situations, parents should contact the Main Office and a message will be relayed to the student immediately. Thank you for your support and cooperation.
MMA-BTSJ DRAMA CLUB VISITS NYC
The Mount Mercy Academy and Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School Drama Club will be traveling to New York City April 4-6, 2008. The weekend trip will take students through a tour of NBC studios and the Theatre District. Students will attend a performance of the Broadway Mu-sical Legally Blonde on Saturday night after an afternoon workshop with a selected member of the cast. They will visit Times Square and dine at the Planet Hollywood. Students will also sightsee from Rockefeller Center to 5th Avenue to Chinatown to Central Park. Students are very excited about the trip!
THE BTSJ LITTLE THEATER PRESENTS
M.A.S.H. March 1ST: 7:30 PM March 2ND: 2:00 PM
In the BTSJ Little Theater– 3rd Floor Adults: $7
Students: $5
MMA WELCOMES EXCHANGE STUDENTS FROM ECUADOR
The MMA Community would like to officially welcome six students from Ecuador to Mount Mercy Academy.
They will be with us for three weeks and will shadow their host students.
The hosts and exchange students are: Fallon Ormond – Luciana Velez Brittany Wolf – Daniela Velez
Therese O’Shei – Paula Menoscal Jennifer Stankiewicz – Ana March Amanda Land – Constanza March
Jessica Sawyer – Nora Denisse Jaramillo
MMA Senior
Melissa Hayes, National Merit
Scholarship Finalist, wearing her MMA+ tee,
contemplates the beauty of Guate-mala, where she recently assisted
a team of doctors who
were providing dental care to
children.
MMA students Maghan, Mary, Christine, Jessica, Bridget and Kaitlyn smile after receiving their Mercy rings
SAT Test Dates & Registration Deadlines www.collegeboard.com
Mount Mercy Academy Testing Code – 331-065
Test Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required *May 3, 2008 April 1, 2008 April 10, 2008 June 7, 2008 May 6, 2008 May 15, 2008
*Offered at Mount Mercy Academy – use Test Center code 33-274 to register to take at MMA
Atlas Test Prep SAT Course SAT Prep Course to Be Offered at MMA
MMA and Atlas Test Prep have partnered to offer an SAT prep course at MMA in preparation for the May SAT exam. This is an excellent opportunity for MMA juniors to take a convenient and comprehensive course in order to get the edge in the college admissions process!
SAT Prep Course Details: Classes will be held on Tuesdays at MMA from 3-6pm and diagnostic
exams will be held on Saturdays at Bishop Timon from 9am-1pm. Class Dates: 3/11, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29 at Mt. Mercy
Test Dates: 3/8, 4/5, 4/19, 4/26 at Bishop Timon *Students can attend a make-up class at Bishop Timon on the
preceding Monday if they have a schedule conflict.
Cost: $399 (Students in financial need should see Miss Perry.) Register at www.AtlasTestPrep.com. Select the Mt. Mercy class.
Deadline to register: March 1, 2008 If you have any questions about the SAT prep course, the SAT exam, or the college admissions process in general, please do not hesitate
to contact your School Counselor.
Planning for college? A career? The SAT, ACT, PSAT, or AP Exams?
You now have free access to an online resource center that can help you with all your preparation. The Counseling Center at MMA is pleased to announce its purchase of Peterson’s StudentEdge for all high school students. StudentEdge gives you access to test preparation, college searches, scholarship search, financial aid tools, a career assessment, and a resume builder—all in one location and totally free! Even 9th grade students can get a head start on the planning with the online practice tests and career assessment. You can access StudentEdge by going to www.mystudentedge.com. First time users should see their School Counselor to get our access code.
Senior Reminders
Please continue to bring in College Acceptance and Scholarship awards letters into the Counseling Center. These will be announced at Baccalaureate Mass prior to Graduation.
Continuous check the Counseling Center for new scholarship applications.
If you still need to complete the FAFSA (Free Appli‐cation for Federal Student Aid), please apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Confirmation deadline to most Colleges and Univer‐sities is May 1st Continue visiting schools to see what the best fit for you will be!!!
Junior Reminders
The Junior Class will be attending the Buffalo National College Fair on Tuesday, April 1st from 10:30‐11:30am. Please bring in your permission form ASAP and to learn more information about the College fair, please visit www.nacacnet.org/ncf or stop by the Counseling Center
The May SAT will be offered at Mount Mercy Acad‐emy on May 3rd, 2008. The regular registration deadline for the May exam is April 1, 2008. You will need the following codes to register: MMA School Code – 331‐065 and MMA Test Center – 33‐274 (to test at MMA only). Please visit www.collegeboard.com
If possible, begin visiting Colleges and Universities. Most colleges offer Spring Open Houses for Sophomores and Juniors. Call the College or University Admissions Office to set up an appointment.
Mount Mercy Academy 88 Red Jacket Parkway Buffalo, New York 14220
Family Name:____________Name of Volunteer(s):_____________________________ Address: ____________________________ City:___________ Zip:_____________
Phone: _________________ Cell Phone: _____________ E-Mail: ________________ Daughter(s) Name(s):__________________________ Year(s):____________________ Please mark which committee you would like to join: _____Catalog ______Decorating _____Gift Display ______Gift Check-out ______Reservation _____Clean -Up (April 6th) AND/OR: ______ I am available to help before the Gala wherever needed. ______I am available wherever needed the night of the Gala. _____I am available for post Gala work.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! PLEASE RETURN FORM TO MAIN OFFICE ASAP!!
Please feel free to contact Grace Gannon-Jackson, GALA Coordinator, 825-8796 @ext. 219
