Saint Rose Academy1300 Old Plank RoadMayfield, PA 18433

The Phoenix FlyerWinter Edition

2009

BY JOE MARCHESE

St. Rose Academy plans

to adopt a Student

Assistance Program within

the next year.

Every school in the state

of Pennsylvania is required

by law to have a Student

Assistance Program.

The Student Assistance

program is a program

through which school

counselors provide support

and interventions for

students by working with

staff, community, and

county or state agencies.

This program is usually

coordinated through the

Guidance Office in most

schools.

Teachers are required to

have training in order to be

facilitators in the Student

Assistance Program.

Student AssistanceProgram

Letter To The Editor

BY ALISSA WAHLERS

I would like to state my

opposition to universal

healthcare.

I'm not stating that I'm

against people having

healthcare.

My concern is how this

plan will be funded.

Editorial

BY CANDICE TOMSKY

Brianna and Victoria

Zawacki are both eighth

grade students at Saint

Rose Academy and they

are identical twins.

These girls are not ,

however, the only set of

twins at Saint Rose

Academy.

In the same eighth grade

class there is a set of twin

boys, Jonathan and Trevor

Cobb.

Brianna and Victoria,

also known as Bria and

Tori, are starting in varsity

basketball this year and will

be playing with and against

12th graders.

Last year Bria and Tori

played on the seventh and

eighth grade basketball

team, so this will be a big

change for them.

Both twins are switching

between playing the guard,

wing, and point guard

positions on the court.

The twin's basketball

coach, Mr. Fitzgerald

claims that "although

having the twins on the

team may be an advantage

when it comes to confusing

the other team's players, it

is also a disadvantage to our

team because I , as well,

mix them up."

Fitzgerald also said that

both girls are good ball

handlers and quick learners.

Jonathan and Trevor

Cobb are also identical

twins who are students in

the eighth grade class.

Mr. Tagatac, their math

teacher, says "it's not too

difficult to tell the boys

JOHNATHAN COBB, TORI ZAWACKI, BRIA ZAWACKI, AND TREVOR COBB

BY CHRISSY YADLOSKY

I think that President

Barrack Obama’s health

care reform is important

and extremely beneficial to

our society as a whole.

Many people do not have

any form of health care in

the United States and

therefore are not able to see

any type of doctor who are

available because of the

family’s or individual’s

lack of money.

With Obama’s new health

care reform, children and

teenagers are now allowed

to be insured under their

parent’s family insurance

until the age of 27.

Obama also helped by

putting together an

independent group of

doctors and medical

professionals to help

recognize and prevent

abuse in our health care

system.

This group will work with

Congress every year to

advance ideas and

encourage more efficiency

and better quality health

insurance.

Obama has also ordered

insurance companies to

forbid any prejudice with

regard to gender, race, or

previously existing

conditions.

His reform will also

enable small businesses to

provide affordable and

good quality insurance for

both employers and

employees by giving them

tax credits and health

insurance exchange.

BY JOE MARCHESE

Every public school in

the state of Pennsylvania is

required by law to have

students take the PSSA

tests.

These tests enable the

state to monitor the

academic progress of

students by evaluating how

students are learning as

compared to other students

who take the tests.

These tests are not

required to be given at

private schools.

Students currently take

tests in the following areas:

English, reading, math,

science, and writing.

Social Studies testing is

new and is only

administered at select

schools in the state.

Standardized Testing

BY CANDICE TOMSKY

Mr. Genovese is a science

teacher at Saint Rose

Academy and is the director

of the Watershed Project.

This year Mr. Genovese

assigned his twelfth grade

Physics a project which

involved designing and

building a catapult.

The twelfth grade also

created and designed bottle

rockets.

Mr. Genovese likes to

cook and realized this

interest when he moved out

of his house and had to start

cooking for himself.

Mr. Genovese is also

interested in cars because

his grandfather was a

mechanic and he was

always

working with his

grandfather at the shop.

His brother also got into

working on cars and at 12

years old, Mr. Genovese

was already restoring cars.

He now owns a Jeep

Wrangler and a 1974 Dodge

Dart. His dream car is a

1970 Dodge Challenger.

Mr. Genovese celebrates

Christmas a little bit

differently than most

people. His

family uses a metal pole

instead of a Christmas tree.

His dad never agreed with

having a commercialized

Christmas, so they put their

presents around a metal

pole instead. They don’t

put up any decorations

either.

Another ritual that has

become a part of the

Genovese family Christmas

tradition is “Feats of

Strength.”

Two sets of twins have teachers seeing double

Question of the Month : What is one of your family's Christmas traditions?

Jacob Matthew EvansGrade 11

Emily Sheaffer Grade 8

Infinity HollandGrade 9

“I pick out all of my

Christmas presents

and then my mother

wraps them.”

“My relatives come

over for Christmas

Eve and then they

come over to have

lunch on Christmas

“My family

decorates the

Christmas tree

together.”

Health Care Reform one true way of making

money, and that's collecting

taxes, so it's going to cost

more for healthcare, the

only way to pay for it is

to increase taxes on the

middle and upper class. If

our family taxes go up, we

risk not being able to buy

our own healthcare, so then

we'll be looking towards the

government to supplement

ours, and it goes on and on.

In the end , there will be

more debt and less health

care, and our country would

be worse off.

Healthcare reform needs

to be addressed, but

universal healthcare is not

the answer.

President Obama says

the plan will be self-funded

by people paying for their

insurance. My question to

that is this: if they can't pay

for their insurance now,

how can they pay for it

then?

President Obama says he

will save money because

when the government runs

it there will be less “red

tape” and overhead. Every

time the government takes

over something, they have a

strong history of increasing

overhead and “red tape.”

So, again I ask: when the

government increases the

Expenses, who will pay for

this?

The government has only

This occurs when Mr.

Genovese and his brother

wrestle his dad around the

pole that they use as a

Christmas tree.

No one can begin to eat

Christmas dinner until

someone pins his father.

Nice try, Mr. Genovese

but this sounds like a

Seinfeld Christmas to me !

apart because there are

assigned to different seats.

MR. ANDREW GENOVESE

Campus Highlights

Last summer, junior

Gabby Zawacki became a

college student by taking

classes at Wilkes University

in Wilkes Barre.

When a student in high

school takes college courses

and receives college credits

it is called dual enrollment.

Gabby attended classes 4

days a week, Monday

through Thursday. She

took Composition 101 and

Literature 120. Each class,

she spent three hours in the

composition class and an

hour and a half in the

literature class.

Gabby received 7 credits

toward a college degree.

Gabby explains that she

took these courses so that

she could get a head start on

her college career.

Although Gabby is not

Gabby Zawacki takes college courses at Wilkes

The stock market game is

an educational tool

sponsored by a variety of

companies and foundations.

It was created to give

students “hands on”

experience in the stock

market without using real

money. 

The game shows how the

stock market really works

without the possibility of

loss.

Mr. Micek, a social

studies teacher at St. Rose

Academy, uses the Stock

Market Game in his

economics class. He thinks

that this game is a great

The Stock Market Game

Mr. Ralph Imbalzano, a

member of the School

Board of Saint Rose

Academy, recently released

information regarding the

junior class rings.

This year, the juniors will

be ordering their class rings

from a new company, Herff

Jones.

The School Board has

chosen Herff Jones because

“They have good customer

service and are cooperating

well with the new ideas for

the school rings,” explained

Mr. Imbalzano.

Along with the change in

company, the board is also

considering a change in

many other aspects

concerning the rings.

“The board is considering

a unified class ring,” said

Mr. Imbalzano.

Although Mr. Imbalzano

reassured me that the new

tradition is only under

discussion, he continued to

Creating a Saint Rose Tradition: Class Rings

frogs in some way.

The Dual Enrollment

program can only be taken

in summer sessions and is

only for juniors and seniors

in high school.

Dual enrollment is for

students who want to be

challenged and who can

handle

sure yet where she plans on

going to college, Wilkes is

a definite possibility.

Gabby's interests include

playing basketball, soccer,

and "frog-napping."

Gabby wants to work

with

GABBY ZAWACKI

challenging assignments.

The dual enrollment

program also gives the

students an opportunity to

receive college credits

while still in high school.

Taking dual enrollment

courses is a good chance for

students to get an early

experience to interact with

other college students and

with college professors. It

also gives high school

students the chance to be a

part of the college

atmosphere.

In order for students to

be eligible for the dual

enrollment program they

must:

1. Rank in the top half

of their high school classes.

2. Have at least a 3.5

GPA in their high school

classes.

3. Have

recommendations from

their parents, guidance

counselor, and principal.

say, “All class rings will

have similar symbols

including things like the

year, school initials, and a

uniform stone color.”

Of course there will still

be room for the students to

individualize their rings, but

by establishing a unified

ring, all future rings of St.

Rose Academy will be both

recognizable and will bring

a new tradition along with a

new meaning for our school

rings and the classes that

graduate from Saint Rose.

“The board will finalize

this discussion in the next

meeting,” states

Mr. Imbalzano.

The goal is to have the

junior class members

measured for their rings and

the company to present the

rings to the junior class

before the beginning of the

second semester.

There are many choices

in price, size, and shape.

There are also a number

of options for

individualized engravings

and figures.

educate students and to

allow them to explore the

stock market by using a

virtual, on-line, portfolio. 

     The Stock Market Game

starts students out with

$100,000.  The students

must then research stocks

and choose the best ones for

investment.

Mr. Micek split up his

economics class into two

groups.  Group A consists

of Patrick Ryan, Zach

White, Chrissy Yadlosky,

and Bianca Carlson.  Group

B consists of Jackie

Culotta, Candice Tomsky,

Nina Shayka, and Taber

Capron.

Mr. Micek believes that

this skill is necessary for

students to acquire.  Not

many students have the

opportunity to explore this

type of experience.

A student from the St.

Rose Academy economics

class, Candice Tomsky,

said that this game was a

great experience for her.  “It

was not only fun, but a skill

I can use in real life,”

explains Candice.

  Not only was

economics class a chance to

learn, but it was also a

chance to have fun and

build skills for life.

BY JACKIE CULOTTA

Crystal Yaskulski has

been chosen to be the Saint

Rose Academy HOBY

representative for the 2009-

2010 school year.

Crystal will be filling the

spot of Gabby Zawacki who

was last year's

representative.

HOBY is the Hugh

O’Brien Youth Leadership

Program. Students in the

tenth grade are eligible to

attend this conference.

Crystal is the co- captain

of the cheerleading squad

and is an honor student.

Crystal has been chosen

as the HOBY representative

because of her leadership

skills and her academic

performance in the

classroom.

Gabby Zawacki says that

"HOBY was a life changing

experience where I got to

meet many new people and

be involved in a great

program."

Gabby also said that last

year at HOBY, the

representatives worked on a

service project, and learned

motivational cheers and

sang songs. She said that

there was also a casual

dance and a talent show.

Over the summer, the

students have a week long

educational program where

the student participates in

leadership training, service-

learning, and motivation

building experiences.

HOBY also helps adults

by making such a

significant impact on the

students when they

volunteer. There

are over 4,000 committed

HOBY volunteers who plan

and execute the HOBY

program each year.

Because of all the

donations, support, and

volunteers, HOBY is able

to offer this experience to

about 9,000 students each

year. There are now over

375,000 alumni of HOBY

which was founded in 1958.

HOBY is held each year in

all 50 states and 9 other

countries.

New HOBY representative is selectedBY CANDICE TOMSKY

BY CANDICE TOMSKY

SENIOR MIKE VENEZIO CHECKS ON HIS STOCKS FOR MR. MICEK’S ECONOMICS CLASS

CRYSTAL YASKULSKI

BY CHRISSY YADLOSKY

Happenings

The Saint Rose Academy

Mock Trial team is now

preparing for the upcoming

competition that will take

place in January.

The students meet once a

week to practice.

A second year member of

mock trial, Patrick Ryan

explained that the teams

receives a case and has a

few months to prepare for

the actual competition.

Students prepare to

compete as defense or

prosecution attorneys or as

witnesses.

Eventually the mock

Mock Trial Team

According to the

website of the

Pennsylvania

Department of

Conservation and

Natural Resources,

“Watershed

Education is an

educational program

for students and

teachers … It

promotes classroom

and field research, as

well as hands-on

ecological

investigations, in an

effort to produce

environmentally

literate citizens.”

At the beginning of the

2009-2010 school year,

Mrs. Fonash, English and

journalism teacher at St.

Rose Academy High

School, created the St. Rose

Academy library for the

students to have an

opportunity to expand their

minds outside of the

classroom.

Some work on the library

was begun during the

summer. Senior Joe

Marchese helped to carry in

bookcases and books.

Amanda Marchese helped

to sort books. St. Rose

Academy staff members

helped to transfer larger

bookcases and tables.

Mr. Imbalzano arranged

the acquisition of two

computer stations.

Located in the former

Main Office, the library has

had many books donated.

trial team competes against

other schools to see which

team presents the case more

efficiently.

An actual judge hears the

cases and actual attorneys

work with the teams.

The competition takes

CANDICE TOMSKY, BIANCA CARLSON,NINA SHAYKA, AND JOSEPH MARCHESE

place at the Federal Court

House in Scranton or the

County Court House.

Attorney Joe Sileo assists

the St. Rose Academy team.

Social studies teacher Mr.

Tim Micek is the club

advisor.

For the 2009 – 2010

basketball season, Saint

Rose has acquired a new

gym for practices as well as

a new gym for home games.

For practices the boys’

and girls’ teams travel just

down the road from the

Saint Rose Academy

campus to Racqueteers

Fitness and Health which is

located on Route 6 in

Mayfield.

“We switched to

Raqueteers because it is

right down the road from

Saint Rose. When we

practiced and played at

City students had to drive

down there every day and it

was too much of a hassle,”

said Joe Walsh, Saint Rose

Academy’s Athletic

Director.

As for home games,

Saint Rose will be playing

at Camp Ladore which is

located in Waymart. Camp

Ladore is a retreat and

conference center that is run

and maintained by the

Salvation Army.

The reasoning behind

practicing at Raqueteer’s

and playing games at Camp

Ladore is because the gym

at Raqueteer’s is not a full

sized gym, whereas the

gym at Ladore is regulation

size.

Because Camp Ladore is

nearby in Waymart, players

will drive themselves to

home games this year, just

as they had before to all

home games at Hoop City.

As for away games bus

transportation will be

provided for the basketball

teams and cheerleaders.

Saint Rose seems to be

gaining many new things

this year for athletics, such

as two new coaches and

two new gyms.

Saint Rose Academy acquires new gymnasium

BY JACKIE CULOTTA

Ms. Urzo, religion

teacher at Saint Rose

Academy, is not only

helping students learn in the

classroom, but she is also

trying to make a difference

in the community.

Ms. Urzo is quite busy

trying to help others.

She has organized many

events including a coat

drive, a sock drive, the

living rosary, and the

cemetery cleanup.

The coat drive was a huge

success according to Ms.

Urzo. The coats were

collected in the months of

November and December.

Catholic Social Services

was the organization

through which Saint Rose

Academy sponsored the

coat drive.

Ms. Urzo also enlisted

the help of Saint Rose

Academy students to

present The Living Rosary.

This event took place on the

evening of October 2, 2009.

Both the Service Club and

the Spiritual Life

Committee coordinated

this ceremony.

Members of these clubs

carved pumpkins and

created a bonfire to make

the

dents anymore, don't

understand the importance

of what’s going on in the

environment. That is where

watershed comes in: to

make students aware of the

dangers causing problems

in the environment.

Mr. Genovese thinks that

the Watershed Education

Program is a necessary

program because it takes

students out of the

classroom and gets them

involved in learning hands–

on.

Watershed includes

things like planting trees,

testing water, and visiting

the coal mines.

Schools from many area

schools are involved in

watershed, including Valley

View, Mountain View, Old

Forge, and Riverside.

Students from grades 9– 12

can be involved with

watershed and there is a

separate program for grades

7– 8 involving “Building

Connections.”

Alissa Wahlers, a

sophomore, is one of the

students involved in

Watershed. Alissa has had

superb experiences such as

learning about windmills

and how they help the

environment.

She has visited water and

sewage treatment plants,

and she has also observed

hawks.

Alissa finds watershed

important because of the

many interesting things she

learns.

The Parents Club

provided assistance through

a gift card to Barnes and

Noble.

Kim Shinners and Pam

Robertson, owners of EJB

Publishing Services have

also donated new, up-to-

date reference books

including Bloom’s critical

reference collections.

The Library Club and

the Introduction to

Research

class have been diligently

working on cataloging the

collections according to the

Dewey Decimal System

and labeling the books.

Library Club members

include Amanda Marchese,

Kelsey Taylor, Jaclyn

Risboskin, and Crystal

Yaskulski.

LIBRARY CLUB MEMBERS: CRYSTAL YASKULSKI, KELSEY TAYLOR, JACLYN RISBOSKIN, AND ARIANNA

COLLINS

ceremony come alive.

November is a time to

remember the dead so when

Ms. Urzo overheard a few

students talking about a

cemetery cleanup, she

thought that it would be a

perfect service opportunity.

On December 5, 2009,

Saint Rose Academy

students traveled with Ms.

Urzo to the Maplewood

Cemetery in Carbondale.

Through this project,

service club members

provided assistance to the

Lacka

wanna County Historical

Society.

Ms. Urzo and other

students also helped with

the Carbondale Christmas

Parade.

Recently, Ms. Urzo

worked with students in her

classes to prepare and

present Advent ceremonies

every Monday during

Advent.

The Advent season is a

time during which

Catholics prepare for

Christmas.

Each week each class,

grades 7 through 12, led the

rest of the student body in

song and prayer. The

traditional lighting of the

candles on the Advent

Wreath was also a part of

the ceremony.

So for whoever thought

religion was only about

reading the bible, think

again because Ms. Jasmine

Urzo makes it about so

much more.

She is actually showing

students how to make a

difference in their own

community.

BY ZACH WHITE

Ms. Urzo inspires students to accomplish many things

Watershed makes students aware of the environment

Miss Jasmine Urzo

BY NINA SHAYKA

BY JACKIE CULOTTA

Library Club is organized

Winter Edition

2009