View from the Top/Annual Report Winter 2012

2012 WINTER MAGAZINE & ANNUAL REPORT

FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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Make a pledge now and fulfill it by June 30, 2013

Questions? Contact Althea Little, Director of the Flintridge Fund:

626.685.8391 or [email protected]

academic success nurturing the whole studentathletics the arts global learning scholarship service spirituality

The Flintridge Fund, our annual giving program,

is a way you can give back to FSHA. From

scholarships to athletics, from technology to the

arts, from books to retreats, annual giving provides

for a vibrant holistic educational atmosphere for

every young woman. Choose to apply your gift

to any of the areas listed above.

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is published twice a year by the

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Academy and its mission. For

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Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

admits students of any race, color,

national and ethnic origin to all the

rights, privileges, programs and

activities generally accorded or

made available to students at the

school. It does not discriminate on

the basis of race, color, national and

ethnic origin in administration of

its educational policies, admissions

policies, scholarship and loan

programs, and athletic and other

school-administered programs.

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

is accredited by the Western

Catholic Education Association

(WCEA), California Association of

Independent Schools (CAIS) and the

Western Association of Schools and

Colleges (WASC). The Academy is a

member of the National Association

of Independent Schools (NAIS),

the National Catholic Education

Association (NCEA), and others.

The Academy is a California

501 (c) 3, non-profit corporation

governed by a 27-member Board

of Directors made up of religious

and lay individuals. FSHA engages

in fundraising from foundations,

corporations and individuals

associated with the school. A

growing endowment provides firm

financial footing for the school

whose annual budget is enhanced

by voluntary contributions.

FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

2 Letter from the President and Chairman of the Board

4 Glimpses: Short takes on and around the Hill

6 The Hill Welcomes New Assistant Principal

11 International Boarding Student Margaret Lee

12 A Letter from the Alumnae Association President

13 Alumnae Class Notes

17 Eva Rasic Price ’83 and the Importance of a Female Voice

18 TOLOGS Who Found Their Voices through Entrepreneurship

20 TOLOG Family Tree: The Vessadini and Longo Families

21 Bob James Restores a Piece of FSHA History

23 Juli Goodwin Roginson ‘87 Steps Back In to FSHA

24 Letters from the CFO, CDO and Development Chairs

26 Honor Roll of Donors

44 Barbara Marshall and the “Very Best Values”

Inside Back Cover: Faculty Profile: Ty Buxman

On the cover: Taiwanese boarding student Yu-Tien “Margaret” Lee, member of the Class of 2013

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OUR MISSION Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic, Dominican college-preparatory school,

educates young women for a life of faith, integrity and truth.Seeking truth. Serving others.

MEMBERS

S. Gloria Marie Jones, O.P.Congregational Prioress

S. Diane Briden Becker, O.P.Vicaress General

S. Reina Perea, O.P., Councilor

S. Carolyn Marie Monahan, O.P.Councilor

S. Alicia Lucy, O.P., Councilor

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

William Spathelf, Chair

S. Carolyn McCormack, O.P. President

Peter Conti, M.D.

Michael Davitt

Robert Edwards

Kristin Friese Gannon ‘85

Robert Harper

Ann Holmquist

John Hrovat

S. Gloria Marie Jones, O.P.

Leslie Kawai ‘80

Christopher LaBonge

John Laco

Paul Locker

Darla Vessadini Longo ‘75

Robert Malchione

Steven Mann

Barbara Marshall

Sunder Ramani

Juli Goodwin Roginson ‘87

Keith Sharp

S. Johnellen Turner, O.P.

Allan Villegas

V I EW F ROM T H E TO P

ear Friends and Family of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy,

As we reflect on the year that has just closed and anticipate the year that lies ahead, we are aware of how clearly our Dominican charism is shaping and strengthening the community of faith that we are here on the Hill. This Dominican identity has been a vibrant component of the Flintridge Sacred Heart community since that remarkable beginning in August 1931. Recent study and active participation in the wider Dominican family, however, have allowed us to deepen our understanding of and commitment to this beautiful spirit of Veritas and its desire to praise, to bless and to preach the Truth in love.

We so believe in the strength of knowing who you are—of strong self-identity. This self-knowledge is an important way of keeping us committed to our mission both individually and as an entire Dominican community.

A Letter from the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors

For the past five years, a small group of our young women, with our campus ministers, have participated in the Preaching Conference, a Dominican-based summer gathering of high school students from across the United States, sponsored by the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools (DASS). This group gathers annually in Adrian, Michigan for a week of prayer, community, study and service, spending extended time together experiencing the Dominican charism in ways that speak to their young hearts. Each summer they return home from the conference excited to share with our Flintridge community all they have seen, heard and learned, thus strengthening who we are as a Dominican secondary school.

This year is no different. These young Preachers are part of a student Dominican Mission committee and each of them is resonating with this year’s student body theme, a quote from our Dominican saint, Catherine of Siena: “Be who God has meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

LETTER

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We are grateful that all our young women have the powerful influence and prayer of Veritas and the pillars to guide them in their daily life.

At our faculty-staff retreat this past August, these young Preachers challenged our adult community to embrace the Dominican charism and allow the pillars of prayer, study, community and service to be alive in their lives and in our school! It was inspiring to hear them joyfully challenge our adult community to live the charism in truth and love!

At the same time, the Mission Committee of the Board of Directors is actively encouraging adult participation in learning about and living these powerful and inspirational pillars of our Dominican life. When you have an opportunity, we encourage you to join us for a mini-retreat or evening of sharing together.You will see first hand how the Dominican charism is alive and growing on the Hill.

Looking back on last year, we cannot help but appreciate God’s abundance. Our graduates’ college matriculation was impressive and expansive — we are so proud of our young women as they take that next step into higher education. Financially, we had a strong finish to our fiscal year, meeting our goals and strengthening the important endowments that allow us to provide the best education possible for our young women. Our bold and exciting Master Plan is waiting for the city of La Cañada Flintridge’s approval and our freshman Class of 2016 is delightful! Academically, we have initiated the Block Schedule, introduced the 1:1 Laptop program with our 9th graders and

anticipate a total school transition to the 1:1 Laptop program in August 2013. Our faculty is involved in doing curriculum mapping and learning more every day about exciting ways to use technology across the curriculum. The energy is palpable!

Meister Eckhart, our Dominican brother, and a mystic, offers the following: “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘Thank You,’ that would be sufficient.” We join him in offering you our deepest thanks for your amazing support of our Mission and vision for Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. It is a significantand historic moment for our school; thank you for partnering with us in these amazing days.

Gratefully,

Sister Carolyn McCormack, O.P.

To read more about FSHA’s Master Plan, please visit www.fsha.org/masterplan

Bill Spathelf (Alexandra ‘09)Chair, Board of Directors


e who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Those powerful words spoken by St. Catherine of Siena are the backbone of the 2012-13 school year, as decided by ASB.

The theme was introduced at the Welcome Assembly, where faculty and staff members wore red in its honor, and it continued at the Welcome Prayer Service. There, three students — Kimberly Horne ‘13, Ally Clapp ‘14 and Kate Newton ‘14 — reflected on what those words truly mean and how they fit in with the Dominican charism.

“Flintridge Sacred Heart is not asking us to change the world tomorrow; but rather, our school is asking us to act as the sun,” Kimberly said. “We are being asked to radiate light, to radiate the light of our spirituality, whatever orientation that may be, to others who may share the same or different views. By setting the world on fire, we are most simply being asked to love—not sometimes, not only when you feel like it, or when you’re having a good day—but to truly love and to love unconditionally.”

“This school year, it is especially important to let the Holy Spirit work in our own lives,” Ally said. “Now, setting the whole world on fire can seem a rather daunting task, but starting is as easy as lighting a small

St. Catherine of Siena Inspires Year’s Theme

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ember of friendship, love or kindness in our own community. This year, I am going to try to be a ‘fire starter’ by striving to maintain a cheerful attitude during the course of the year. Staying positive in the face of stress is quite a difficult task, but I know that anything is possible with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Whether it be sharing a smile on a day when it is super difficult or sharing any of the amazing gifts God has granted you, I truly believe that each of us can do great things if we are willing to embrace the fire of the Spirit in our hearts.”

oon after school let out in June, senior “preachers” Jenna Gulick, Elizabeth Rojas, Emily Sharp, and Andrea Bennett, along with Campus Minister Kelley Dawson, traveled to Adrian, Michigan to

attend the Dominican Preaching Conference. It was, in the girls’ words, “amazing” and “life-changing.”

“I got to dive deeper into my understanding of the foundations of Dominican life,” Sharp said. “We (learned) how to apply it to the real world and hopefully we take it back home with us.”

From faculty to staff to students, the FSHA community has focused its spiritual attention in recent years on more fully understanding the unique charism that makes up FSHA’s Dominican identity. Dawson emailed daily dispatches back home as a window on what the girls were learning in their time with youths and Sisters from other Dominican communities.

In the first days, discussions focused on the four pillars of Dominican life – prayer, study, service and community with the theme of being “in the moment” and being “momentous” emphasized throughout. They also learned about the lives of some of the most influential Dominican saints, among them St. Dominic, Catherine of Siena, Rose of Lima and Martin de Porres.

A Renewed Appreciation for the Dominican Charism

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One of the most meaningful days for many was the service day, when students dispersed to service sites across the area and interacted with the elderly, the homeless, the disabled and the natural world.

“Those experiences provided context for all that we heard,” Dawson said. “That preaching has many forms, including service.”

This year’s Campus Ministers also explained the spirit of the themethrough a skit

GLIMPSES

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elene Agakanian ‘13 and Elizabeth Spiers ‘13 spent 125 to 150 hours at Boeing’s internship hub in El Segundo over six to eight weeks, working with Boeing engineers

on their aerospace projects. Elizabeth received special mention in the program’s newsletter for her work on an Excel spreadsheet that better organizes part-procurement data. “The goal is that if

Seniors Spend Summer with Boeing

FSHA Debater Achieves National Ranking

someone were to change the status of a part, the attached graphs would automatically adjust to the change,” she said in the newsletter. Melene and Elizabeth, along with high-school students from across the Los Angeles and Orange County area, also had the opportunity to meet and hear from NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, as well as to tour Boeing’s labs and facilities.

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embers of the Speech & Debate Team have had a whirlwind fall semester that has taken them from coast to coast, and the results have placed Monica Amestoy ‘13 as one of the top high school debaters in the United States. She recently ranked

as the 29th best high school debater in the country.

In September, Amestoy and Madeline Collins ‘15 traveled to the Valley Mid-America Cup Invitational in West Des Moines, Iowa, Monica advanced to the Double-Octafinal Round there and to the Triple-Octafinal Round the week before at the Yale Invitational in New Haven, Conn. Those performances nabbed her the ranking of 29th in the country (and fifth highest female) with the National Debate Coaches Association.

The entire team has had a strong showing this fall as well, with six novices and two JV team members participating in the Jack Howe Memorial Tournament — one of the biggest in the state — over September 29-30 in Long Beach. Madeleine Sturma ‘15 reached the Octafinal Round in JV Lincoln/Douglas debate, placing her in the top 16 out of 44 students, and won the 6th Speaker Award. Freshman Elektra Williams also has seen some success, reaching the final round in a mixed field of Varsity/Novice Debaters at the Spartan Fall Classic Invitational.

As for Amestoy, she has also competed in the New York City Invitational held at the Bronx High School of Science. And in early November, she once again reached the elimination rounds at the MinneApple Debate Tournament in Apple Valley, Minnesota. She finished as the 15th top speaker in a national field of 72 Varsity Lincoln/Douglas debaters from over 20 schools (including speech and debate heavyweights such as Bronx Science, Harvard Westlake and Loyola High School).

“Monica has entered these high-level tournaments mostly by herself, sometimes even without a coach, sometimes just her dad,” said FSHA Speech and Debate team coach Leilani McHugh. The fact that she’s done as well as she has done is amazing. The reason is that she is hyper focused on debate. She loves debate. We are so proud of her.”

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Senior Monica Amestoy with her dad Tom Amestoy at the MinneApple Debate Tournament in Apple Valley, Minnesota in early November.

Elizabeth Spiers ‘13 with NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, whom she met during her Boeing internship.

Melene Agakanian ‘13 (on the left) and Elizabeth participate in a hands-on activity.

V I EW F ROM T H E TO P GLIMPSES

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e feed (a girl’s) soul and not just her brain,” says new Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Sherrie Singer. “Any school, if it’s a great school, is

going to focus on its mission. And I think ours is a great mission.”

It was that holistic quality, she says, that attracted her to FSHA. She is pleased to be at a school that offers so much academically while not being an “academic machine.”

If Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy’s qualities spoke to Singer, it was her experience that sang to the school, experience that includes stints in single gender schools and an astute understanding of the curriculum developments and classroom technology improvements with which FSHA is moving forward.

A native of Rhode Island, Singer has been a teacher and administrator for more than 20 years. Prior to coming to FSHA, she was Director of General Studies at Yeshiva University High School in Los Angeles and before that, she was Dean of Students at the Vivian Webb School in Claremont, Calif.

Her tenures at those independent schools included implementing a 1:1 laptop program and converting a school to a block schedule, both of which are the major classroom changes on the Hill this fall. She has brought additional changes too, such as encouraging faculty to take new pedagogical approaches to enrich their classes

The Hill Welcomes New Assistant Principal...and sharing best practices and lesson plans to ensure that students are not just learning information but also how to synthesize and apply the lessons. The result is an active learning environment for everyone on campus, Singer says.

“The faculty has been very open to learning from each other, it reenergizes you to learn from each other and think about your teaching in a different way,” she notes.

Singer earned a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication & History from the University of Rhode Island and two master’s degrees (the first in American History & Political Science and the other in Educational Administration) from Michigan State University. A graduate of Catholic schools herself, Singer has lived in the Golden State for nearly a decade now and holds a California administrative credential and Social Studies credential. Since starting at FSHA, Singer has emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary learning. And she is a strong advocate of teaching FSHA students how to be critical consumers of sources and the kind of project-based learning that the school’s new block schedule allows. What she is witnessing in the classrooms, she says, is simply amazing.

“The girls are commenting on issues and concepts that I didn’t discuss until graduate school,” Singer says.

“W

Sherrie Singer is Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy’s new Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction


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laudia Gonzalez, Ph.D. is a new part-time Biology teacher at FSHA. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and her doctorate in Molecular and Medical

Pharmacology, both at UCLA. Before coming to Flintridge Sacred Heart, Dr. Gonzalez taught science in Los Angeles Unified School District. As a graduate student at UCLA, she was a teaching assistant to undergraduate courses and worked in the lab.

... And New Faculty

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Mary Therese Perez is teaching Spanish I this year, her fifth year as an educator. A native of Northern California, S. Mary Therese earned her bachelor’s degree in

Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities from Stanford and a master’s degree in teaching from Christian Brothers University in Memphis before coming to FSHA. While in college, she also minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Santiago, Chile — a boon to her Spanish language skills. Before taking final vows in June 2012, S Mary Theresa spent three years being immersed in the pillars of Dominican life (study, community, prayer and ministry) as a “sister in training,” took graduate theology courses and ministered at Bay Area universities.

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eff Gernes, a new math teacher on the Hill, earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Pomona College. He is a member of the California Math Council and has more than a decade of

experience teaching high school math, including AP classes. When Gernes is not teaching AP Calculus at Flintridge Sacred Heart, he runs marathons in his spare time.

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andy Navarro is FSHA’s new Director of College Counseling and brings a wealth of experience on both sides of college counseling and admissions. Before coming to Flintridge

Sacred Heart she was a college counselor at Alemany High School for three years. She also served as an application evaluator in USC’s Office of Admissions. Navarro earned her bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College where she double majored in Psychology and Spanish, and a master’s degree in Education, Risk and Prevention from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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lintridge Sacred Heart Academy is fortunate again this year to have a representative on the the Pasadena Tournament of Roses 2013 Royal Court in senior Victoria McGregor. She joins

a long list of fellow TOLOGS to represent Pasadena – and FSHA – to the world as a member of the Royal Court.

Early on the morning of October 8, the FSHA senior class (along with Sister Carolyn, Sister Celeste and many other faculty members) descended on the Wrigley Mansion to find out if one of their classmates would be chosen as a princess.

When Tournament President Sally Bixby read “Victoria McGregor” as a member of the incoming court, Victoria gasped happily while her FSHA “entourage” cheered with delight.

Princess Victoria McGregor

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Jeff Gernes, Candy Navarro, Claudia Gonzalez and Sister Mary Therese Perez (from left to right)

“There was a lot of screaming and jumping up and down. It was fabulous to see her chosen,” Victoria’s mother Kristen said. “She was beaming and we couldn’t have been prouder.”

Not surprisingly, it was not long before the exciting news had made its way through the whole school community. Now, Victoria – already busy with tennis, her Greek dancing troupe and college visits – has added a full schedule of appearances to her senior year. Highlights so far include coronation day, when Victoria’s father Rick escorted her in her official red gown.

“This experience has been more than just an honor but also a chance to grow as a person,” Victoria said. “It has helped me learn a lot about those who are different from me and my upbringing. Many of the events have made me grateful for what I have and the opportunities I have been given.”

Princess Victoria McGregor ‘13, 2012 Queen Drew Washington ‘12, Sister Celeste and the Class of 2013

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V I EW F ROM T H E TO P GLIMPSES

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ate Herrill ‘16 and Kirsten Vose ‘15 spent their summers in the pool and came back to FSHA with a big schievement: breaking a 22-year-old Southern California swim record.

On August 10, the twosome — along with Tiare Coker and Heather MacDougall, both freshmen at Crescenta Valley High School — participated in a swim meet at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. Their collective performance in the Girls 13-14 200-meter freestyle relay was 1:50.37, shattering the old record of 1:51.14. The same quartet also broke a two-year-old record in the 200-meter medley relay with the time of 2:01.67 — more than a second faster than the previous top time.

The group that keeps those records, Southern California Swimming, includes 18,000 swimmers ranging from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.

“We dreamed of breaking these records and worked hard in our practices to push ourselves to do our best,” Kate said. “We practiced together and helped each other build confidence in our abilities as individuals and as a team.”

Two Tologs Help Break SoCal Swim Record

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lane spotting is my passion. I love airshows, and flyovers at sporting events. So when I read the article “Spot the Shuttle” in the Los Angeles Times, I was thrilled to find out

that Endeavor was going to fly over Jet Propulsion Laboratory just down the Hill from FSHA.

Having never watched a shuttle landing or launch, I had to be part of this historic event. One of the great things about viewing the shuttle here on the Hill is the vantage point our elevation provides. We weren’t looking “up” at the shuttle from the ground, which

Shuttle on the Hill

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would have only shown us the belly of the plane. We were able to view it at almost eye-level, which is a much better way to see such an amazing piece of scientific technology. I was especially excited to be viewing the shuttle with my co-workers and the girls, several of whom have parents who work down the hill at JPL, or other aerospace facilities. Something that stood out to me at the time was that this battered and tired space plane had ushered in the very technology the girls were using to photograph it. The shuttle launched satellites that made cellphones, GPS and satellite television possible.

Even though it was a brief flyby, it was an historic event that will leave lasting impressions for generations.

As recounted by Development Associate Julie Swayze


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o commemorate Teen Read Week, the Visual and Performing Arts Department teamed up with the Library to highlight how the arts are represented in literature and vice versa.

Librarian Nora Murphy outfitted the Library with works by Sculpture I students that explored the use of color as well as interpretations of book covers completed by Art I students. Books on the many different genres and mediums in the visual and performing arts were displayed on the shelves, and the Library’s blog and Facebook page featured information on arts libraries, art that uses books and paper and the reading habits of every Visual and Performing Arts teacher.

During lunch and enrichment periods on various days, students in Advanced Theatre classes performed dramatic readings from popular literature — Addie

Library Turns Artsy for Teen Read Week

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Wolfe ‘13 and Emma Woodman ‘13 took on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Ally Clapp ‘14, Meg Kelley ‘14, Kaitlyn Khalaf ‘14 and Sophia Garcia ‘14 tackled Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The final group of Jenny Jordan ‘13, Nichola Marick ‘13 and Gracie Raymond ‘13 l read from Peter Pan.

o cap Veritas Week in October, a group of nine Tologs joined Campus Minister Kelley Dawson and other Dominican high-school students in a weekend of service.

The students came from San Gabriel Mission High School as well as St. Agnes Academy in Houston, who first became acquainted with FSHA at the summer Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference. Anna Sklut, the St. Agnes campus minister, arranged to bring her delegation of 11 students to Los Angeles for their fall mission trip. The Tologs involved were Emily Sharp ‘13, Colleen Degnan ‘13, Claire Sigler ‘14 (along with her mom Jill), Jenna Gulick ‘13, Elizabeth Rojas ‘13, Katie Conley ‘14, Kirstin Valerio ‘13, Andrea Bennett ‘14 and Brikk Bralley ‘14.

Service began on Saturday, October 6, with work for Meals on Wheels at St. Vincent’s and the Salesian Boys and Girls Club. In the evening, everyone gathered for a reflection on service at Griffith Observatory.

On Sunday, students and chaperones went to St. Robert’s Center in Venice Beach, where they did clerical work in the office and prepped meals for 70 guests, and finished up on Columbus Day with a meeting and tour at Homeboy Industries.

“This trip truly helped our students, the women of SGMHS and St. Agnes see the connection Dominicans have, even across the country,” Mrs. Dawson said. “Forming this relationship with St. Agnes was the perfect experience for our students. Now they want to go to Houston!”

Pillar of Service Highlights End of Veritas Week

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t was “Margaret Lee, in the boarding halls, with the poison.” Or at least it was for the boarder birthday dinner/Halloween celebration held on Thursday, October 25, which broke from

the usual costume contest tradition and featured a “Clue”-like murder mystery instead. (Clues and testimony came out over the course of the evening that pinned the “death” of boarding council president Andrea Arellano on a vengeful Margaret.) As the Director of Boarding Students Martha Lem said that night, it was a dinner to die for.

These events are held every month during the school year to celebrate birthdays – for both students and staff – with all boarders, and each party features a different theme. (Previous dinners have been luaus, tea parties and fashion shows in the spirit of Project Runway.) Birthday celebrants typically receive a gift bag chock full of treats and gift certificates for Pinkberry and/or bubble tea shops, which are always popular stops during weekend excursions to local shopping malls, museums and restaurants.

Boarding Life

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SHA Assistant Admissions Associate Director of Admissions Catherine O’Brien traveled to South America this summer to promote the school’s boarding program in Venezuela, Ecuador

and Brazil. “As increasing numbers of students enroll in higher education and study abroad programs from these emerging markets, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to rekindle the Catholic connection that FSHA has had with these countries in the past” O’Brien said . These countries are up and coming in terms of sending their students abroad. The economic environment is improving for them and the Catholic connection has deep meaning for them,” said O’Brien, who traveled with admissions officers from other boarding schools in the United States and Canada. Many students from South America understand the value of an American education and want improve their English skills and attend University in the USA. While Ecuador has always had a strong tradition of students attending boarding schools abroad, because of these up and coming economies, Venezuela and Brazil are now capitalizing on these opportunities also.

While Ecuador has a strong tradition of sending students to boarding schools (including FSHA), it is newer consideration for Venezuelan and Brazilian families. Common to the students and families in all of those countries: learning English and enriching their education. The trip was the latest opportunity to tell a broader international audience about FSHA’s boarding program. Along the way, O’Brien

Admissions Travels to South America

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visited attended Boarding School Expos, educational fairs and middle schools and even had a chance to meet up with FSHA alumna Charlotte Guy ’05 who is living in Brazil while on a Fulbright scholarship. The Admissions office continues to move forward on bringing the message of FSHA’s boarding program to new audiences. “Our boarding program gives us a great opportunity to create global diversity right here on the Hill,” O’Brien said. “It brings rich educational opportunities and experiences to international students and provides great learning opportunities for our local girls to meet students from all over the world and truly gain a global perspective.”

O’Brien in São Paulo, Brazil, with alumna Charlotte Guy ‘05, a Fulbright scholar there.

GLIMPSES


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BOARDING STUDENT

PROFILE YU-TIEN “MARGARET” LEE:

Her American DreamW hen Margaret Lee and her parents were first considering a

boarding high school for her, she readily agreed that an American high school was a good choice.

“When I was young, my parents used to tell me that students in the USA didn’t have to do any homework. In Asia, the academic level is so advanced,” Margaret said. “I thought if I went to the USA I didn’t have to do any homework. That was my American dream, but my backpack is actually heavier now!”

With a hand in everything from athletics to the arts to student leadership, it’s clear that this senior boarding student is one of the busiest students at FSHA. She is also more involved in the school’s extracurricular offerings than any other resident student in recent history. In observing her activities, Margaret hopes that more boarding students will participate in the activities traditionally associated more with day students.

These days, Margaret’s academic and extracurricular activity schedule is so full that it is hard to imagine she ever would have been happy getting no homework.

Among the Taiwanese native’s activities are Academic Decathlon, Speech and Debate Team, swim and water polo teams, and fall musical crew. She is the ASB treasurer, one of the few international resident students to win a seat on the ASB board. And, she belongs to six student clubs, including Amnesty International and the Science and Environment Club.

All the while, she has maintained a rigorous schedule of the most academically challenging classes the school offers. She speaks lovingly about her favorite subjects, Math and Physics, describing them as “beautiful” and “amazing,” and she is also accomplished in her humanities and social sciences courses.

Now 17, Margaret has blossomed at FSHA but it was not easy at first. The first semester, she said, she “cried every single day” because it was tougher to be on her own than she had expected.

“Margaret is determined,” Speech & Debate Team coach Leilani McHugh said.

Director of Boarding Students Martha Lem said, “When Margaret commits to something, she stays committed and finishes it.”

It was that determination that helped her fight her way through her homesickness.

“Eventually I settled in,” she said. “I never thought the two cultures could merge together so well. I guess both sides have to work together. Now I feel comfortable expressing my opinions and talking about my culture here.”

It also took her some time to settle in academically to the humanities and social sciences, but numerous teachers helped her along the way.

“Mr. Pariante taught me how to write, how to write clearly and write strongly and think clearly,” Margaret said.

“Margaret is a great kid, who will accomplish a lot in her life. She’s a perfectionist, but also an outgoing, ambitious, and a very friendly girl,” Pariante said. “She is just a real joy to be around and she’s obviously well respected by her peers.”

Nearly four years later, she marvels at how much she’s changed since those first days and credits her years as a boarding student with making her more independent and competent.

“I pay my own bills and organize my own bank account,” she said. “And I’ve learned how to get along with and live together with other people.”

From hearing Margaret talk about her parents and her two younger sisters, it is clear that the commitment Lem describes extends to Margaret’s family. Inspired by her dentist father and anesthesiologist mother, she plans to major in Biology and after college, go to medical school to become an oncologist or cancer researcher.

As an example of her love for learning and science, she took an internship this past summer with an anesthesiology researcher to study how sleep affects heart angioplasty healing time. The youngest intern in the lab, she performed experiments on rats that dramatically showed how important sleep was for healing.

“Ever since kindergarten, when I saw my parents’ patients say, ‘Thank you Doctor,’ I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” Margaret said. “Every time I see that, I feel so proud of them.”

These days, when she is not crunching numbers for an ASB fundraiser or working on one of her 28 college applications (including all the UCs, MIT, Harvard and Stanford), she still finds a few hours each night to do homework.

Margaret’s love of travel and meeting new people will serve her well as she moves on to college. And in less than a year, she expects to be homesick again, but this time for FSHA.

“I will remember the environment here, spiritually, and the way that everyone works together to achieve our best,” Margaret said. “I think it’s the atmosphere that I’ll remember.”


Dear Fellow TOLOGS,

The Alumnae Association provides a great opportunity to stay connected to FSHA and share in our common past. It also serves as a network dedicated to providing our members with benefits, both social and tangible, for today and in the future. This year, the Alumnae Association Board is concentrating on re-engaging the women in our community. We are a community that offers an untapped source of support and connections that extends to a network of professionals who can mentor and be resources, create opportunities and refer business – advancing our professional lives.

We are daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and grandmothers—we take on new roles and directions—who can share, support and cheer each other on as we seek balance and well-being. The increased participation we intend to inspire and garner will easily translate into association offerings that will benefit us all—we can build educational programs, career networking, retreats and social events.

The Alumnae Board is also committed to the goal of inspiring the next generation of alumnae by bridging the divide and fostering a sense of connection between the alumnae and student communities. Getting students involved in the Alumnae Association early, introducing them to its mission, increasing the likelihood for participation in the future and easing their transition from students to alumnae—this is our secondary focus. We plan to implement new programs to connect students and young alumnae with professional alumnae who can present internships, contacts and job opportunities - a resource as they pursue their passions.

Flintridge Sacred Heart women are strong, vibrant individuals who have overcome a multitude of challenges and achieved great successes; however, together we are even stronger and more empowered to accomplish whatever we choose.

Your participation is vital to retaining the reputation of a school from which we can all be proud to have graduated and sustaining a dynamic Alumnae Association that maintains and champions the traditions taught at FSHA. Re-engage and join us! Best, Sarah Sima McCann ‘96President of the FSHA Alumnae [email protected]

Greetings from the Alumnae Association President

PRESIDENTSarah Sima McCann ‘96

SECRETARYDomenica Piumetti ‘02

STUDENT COMMUNITY COUNCILCamille Barbaro Spina ’87, Chair Whitney Karm DeJardin ‘87Natalee Harrison Ray ‘02Jennifer Ricchiazzi Richard ‘92Carrie Boyle Saks ‘90Marisa Spinella ‘09Carol Kellogg Toogood ‘80

ALUMNAE COMMUNITY COUNCILChristine Longo Navarro ’82, ChairMelanie Hitchcock Frey ‘86Brandy Middleton ‘00Paula Capriccio Orlandini ’71Barbara Russ Bone ’71Domenica Piumetti ‘02

COMMUNICATIONS COUNCILMelissa Majich Keeslar ’02, ChairMolly Weber ‘00Kelly LaRussa Kepner ‘01 Kristen Schwarz ‘02Lauren Partma ‘02Nicole Yonai ‘02

DEVELOPMENT COUNCILGayaneh Pezeshkian Avanes ’00, ChairDeirdre Foley Cascelli ‘84Kristen Schwarz ‘02Paula Capriccio Orlandini ‘71

REUNION COUNCILTrish Burghardt Sarbaum ’87, ChairErin McGann Maloney ‘89Nicole DeVanon ‘05

PARLIAMENTARIANAnnette Ricchiazzi Blain ’90, Chair

2012-2014

Alumnae Association Board

ALUMNAE NEWS

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Mary Collins Goodner ’62,Dallas, Texas

I had such a great time at the 50th high school reunion this past April. Seeing old friends was like yesterday. I want to thank Sue Buccola Wier ‘62 for the fun slumber party the night before our reunion and Elizabeth Toms, and all the Sisters and staff for providing such a beautiful reunion for all of us. My daughter’s baby was gracious enough to let me go to the reunion and was born May 2. In September, a girl friend from the first grade and I went to Europe for three weeks and had a great time. We went to Vienna, Germany and London for three weeks, but there is no place like home. Take care everyone and I missed all the ones that were not there this April.

Amy Brewster Parrott ’76,San Diego

I was just reading View from the Top about the TOLOGS who have worked in the non-profit world.....I’m happy to report that I have spent the past 32 years working for San Diego Zoo Global in their development department, currently as the Director of Individual and Planned Gifts. We raise funds for new habitats at both the Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, education programs on and off campus, and our global conservation efforts currently in 35 countries.

Lisa Muñoz Bruchey ’89,Pasadena

On May 31, my husband Sam and I welcomed our third child, son Zachary Jude to the world. Big sister Sofia and big

brother Sammy are still beaming and doting on him. We’re all pretty crazy about him even if we are exhausted! I’m blessed to say that my closest friends today are my friends from Sacred Heart. Marlena Byrne ‘89 and I see each several times a year in SF or LA. Other highlights from the summer are celebrating my birthday with Elizabeth Vitar Lopez ‘89 and Janelle Carney ‘89 and vacationing with Janelle and her family. Late last year, I left my job at UCLA to work on the Hill in the Development Office. I’m fortunate to work with and learn from a fantastic group of professionals who are all committed to keeping FSHA an incomparable and remarkable place for young women to grow. Not to mention, my office affords me a view of the SG Valley and everything from deer and squirrels to hawks and lizards (or wizards as my son Sammy calls them).

Valerie Higuera Carter ’91,Upland

We usually have a Christmastime gathering, but this year was our best turnout ever! We celebrated 20 years since our graduation! Class of 1991 alumae pictured (front row, L-R) Valerie Higuera Carter, Theresa Cariño, Jackie Nacilla Barrena, Monica Martinez; (back row, L-R) Elizabeth Payne Hill, Teresa Bonk Schachtel, Allyn Dizon, Debbie Whalen Dadomo, Marianne Ward, and Christina Metzke.

Karen Pindroh Kelly ’92,San Diego

Greetings TOLOGS! To give you a brief update on my antics in San Diego. I am currently the Physiologist in the Department

Class Notes Calendar of EventsDECEMBER 2012Alumnae Parent Christmas Social 12/2Alumnae Association Christmas Gathering 12/5Christmas Concert 12/14Alumnae Soccer Game 12/26Young Alumnae Christmas Social 12/26

JANUARY 2013Alumnae Basketball Game 1/2Young Alumnae/Class of 2013 College Assembly 1/8San Francisco Bay Area Gathering 1/25

FEBRUARY 2013Hall of Fame Award Dinner 2/9Alumnae Association Career Day 2/20

MARCH 2013Alumnae Reunion Cocktail Party 3/2Spring Production 3/14-16Alumnae Association Board Meeting 3/20

APRIL 2013Suegene Kim Assembly 4/10Dance Concert 4/18-4/21Alumnae Reunion Luncheon (1934-1967) 4/20Student Art Show 4/29-5/3

MAY 2013Pops Concert 5/3Gala 5/4Farewell Mass & Alumnae Induction 5/16Class of 2013 Time Capsule Picnic 5/28

JUNE 2013Graduation 6/2Alumnae Association Summer Social Board Meeting 6/19

V I EW F ROM T H E TO P ALUMNAE NEWS

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of Warfighter Performance at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego. Our primary mission is to leverage science and technology with operational know how to improve the mission specific performance of the Warfighter now and in the future. The primary objective is aimed at prevention and protection against injuries so that our soldiers can have a long sustainable career as a Warfighter or once separated, as a citizen in society. Despite popular belief, our military are doing amazing things in the countries in which we are engaged, to improve infrastructure, schools, quality of life. As women, as TOLOGS, it is imperative to understand the “mini-milestones” that have been accomplished such as being able to run outside for the first time on a track without fear, opportunity to own a business, go to school beyond junior high, have an opinion! No matter your beliefs, your political affiliation, what I know is this, we must support our men and women on the ground. They and their families sacrifice so that we can write and read these notes!

Michelle Mansfield Loretta ’93,Coral Gables, Fla.

Hello! I’m happy to announce the birth of our son, Lucas, born May 2012. He joins his sister Lili who is 4. Andy and I have been in Miami for the last two years after spending four years in Seattle and we’re loving it here! I’ve gradually shifted my entrepreneurial energies from my wedding invitation company to a business consultancy for the wedding industry. My business partner and I teach biz owners how to create a business plan and we share business expertise on our blog sageweddingpros.com. I’m looking forward to our 20-year reunion next year!

Ashley Harrison Morris ’97,Newport Beach

I am proud to announce the birth of my twin boys, Harrison Hastings and Jack Graham Morris! The twins were born May 9, 2012 and were a healthy 6.0 and 6.7 lbs.! Big sister Audrey turned 2 in August and adores her new brothers and her new role. The last few months have been a total blur, but we are surviving and most importantly enjoying our new arrivals. Long-time childhood friend and Tolog Catherine Smith Andrews ‘98 is godmother to Harrison!

Elisabeth Waller-Scott ’97,Sherman Oaks

On July 28, I completed Vineman, an ironman triathlon, in Sonoma County - 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run, in 15 hours 44 minutes (15:44:00). It was an incredible experience and I can’t wait to do another one - I seriously smiled the whole day. And, while I was training for Vineman I was also fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and raised more than $6,000, putting my lifetime fundraising with LLS at over $15,000. Next up I plan on completing Wildflower Long Course and Olympic triathlons (over the course of one weekend in May - Wildflower is considered one of the top five hardest half iron distance events in the country) and then Vineman 70.3 next summer, and my next full ironman will either be next summer or in 2014. I’ve been blogging throughout my journey and will be posting my race report soon. Here’s my blog: runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com.

Allison Lieskovsky ’00,Glendale

I have great news! I have just been engaged! My boyfriend (now fiance...wow!) of 2 and a half years popped the question

at Disneyland in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle on Sunday, May 20th. It was a great day full of wonderful memories!

Diane Lee Hyung ’00,La Crescenta

So many things happened within the last year, that I missed out on submitting my classnotes! I got married in October 2011 to Joon Hyung, and we went to Bali for our honeymoon. Left as two for our honeymoon, and came back as three! We nicknamed our baby, Bali, in commemoration. On July 15, 2012, our beautiful Olivia was born. During our wedding, as part of my reception dress, I wore my FSHA graduation dress. It still fit! It was perfect, because we danced a lot during our reception. And I wore it during my Father-Daughter Dance, so it had an even more special meaning that I wore that dress. My maid of honor was Lauren Yeonhee Shin, ‘02, and Allison Lieskovsky ‘00 was a guest at my wedding. When we first got our FSHA graduation dresses, I remember my friends and I talking about wearing them again when we got married, because they looked like wedding dresses. With so many great memories at FSHA, I hold my alma mater dear to my heart. So great to be able to wear that dress again, and to represent FSHA in my own little way, even though no one at my wedding knew the meaning of that dress.


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lintridge Sacred Heart Academy headed south to Orange County and San Diego for alumnae gatherings that welcomed dozens of TOLOGS. These gatherings draw our women together because of

proximity rather than class year which creates magic at the events, and strengthens the idea that all who were on the Hill are part of the common legacy that is FSHA.

On October 28th, alumnae and FSHA staff gathered at the Chaparosa Grill in Laguna Niguel for an afternoon mixer. Alumnae from a span of over 40 years turned out thanks to the efforts of Robin Razzano Marks, Sheila O’Neill DeCoursey, and Kelly Aune Houser, all Class of 1980. These fabulous women coordinated a lovely event.

Alumnae arrived, greeting old friends and new and enjoyed some light appetizers. Margaret Kean shared the good news regarding the strategic and master plans and Sister Celeste Botello and Katy Sadler shared updates on everything going on at the high school. A highlight of the day was when the group reminisced about their favorite teachers, Sisters, and memories. It was a beautiful day in the OC.

F

Continued on back cover...

San Diego’s gathering was held the evening of November 3rd at the fabulous Flavor del Mar with the backdrop of a beautiful Del Mar sunset over the ocean. Karen Pindroh Kelly ‘92 coordinated this marvelous gathering. Katy Sadler, Elizabeth Toms and Margaret Kean represented FHSA. Everyone enjoyed fine wines and gourmet appetizers. Several alumnae brought boyfriends and husbands to introduce to each other, further expanding the circle of support for all things FSHA!

The evening saw some alumnae heading out to other engagements but some took this opportunity to stay and enjoy the restaurant and each other. When goodbyes were said, it was simply “See you in the spring at the reunions on the Hill!”

If you live in or are visiting Northern California in the new year, don’t miss the Bay Area Gathering hosted by the FSHA San Francisco Chapter. Meet us on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 6 - 9pm at The Press Club in San Francisco. All are welcome - see you then!

Southern California ALUMNAE GATHERINGS

San Diego Alumnae Gathering

Orange County Alumnae Gathering


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lumna Eva Rasic Price ’83 felt strongly about “Miss Representation,” a documentary that highlights unfavorable portrayals of powerful women in the media, and she brought it to religion teacher Mrs. Rosemary Johnston’s attention.

This fall, seniors watched the film as part of their religion curriculum, followed by a presentation and a Q&A session on Sept. 19 with speakers Kelly Schryver and Tracy Gallagher in the Lounge along with Price on Skype.

Schryver is an education content associate with Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization that works closely with MissRepresentation.org, while Gallagher is a member of the

ALUMNAE NEWS

Alisha Vass Wesser ’00,Altadena

My husband Joel and I welcomed our first child, Liam Wesser, into the world on August 9, 2012. We are indulging in every moment and thrilled to be living in

Altadena with family and friends so close to share the joy.

Leanna Turner ’04,Afghanistan

Glen Turner writes that his daughter Leanna is proudly serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.

Marissa Dykes ’07Boston, Mass.

I graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with my biology degree in June. Shortly after, I moved to Boston, but I am still getting accustomed to the land of subways and humid weather. I love the city and Tufts, which is where I am in my first year of dental school. Life here is very different than life on the Hill, but I am finding the community here very similar to FSHA’s. I hope this year is treating you all well! If anyone is ever close by, let me know!

Lauren Cowe ’08Monrovia

Hello FSHA!! I recently got married on June 15, 2012 to Corey Fuller, an amazing man, husband and best friend. We are extremely happy to see what God will do in our lives as a married couple! Oh and Rebekah Robison ‘08 was maid of honor!!! I will also be graduating from Azusa Pacific University with a BA in Psychology at the end of this semester! So many exciting things and a lot to continue working on! Hope everyone is doing wonderfully up on the Hill at FSHA!

Daniela Dykes ’09,La Cañada Flintridge

I was a delegate on Cal Poly Pomona’s National Model United Nations Team and we won second place in April’s New York Conference. It was an incredible experience with over 3,000 attendees from across the globe. I also graduated a year early from Cal Poly Pomona and am now studying for the LSAT and applying to law school. I hope you are all doing well!

Documentary Changes Seniors’ Perspectives

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By Terra Cheung, Veritas Shield Co-Editor


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Rafaella Nepales ’09Los Angeles

“Ella” recently won the Best Student Film at the Ollies Film Festival 2012 held at the Goethe Institut of Los Angeles for her animated film, “Rainbowshine,” which she directed. She describes her film in the program as “Meet RainbowShine, the glowstick-wielding protector of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. You have never seen happiness so hardcore.” Ella, who is a consistent Dean’s List student at The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles, is a senior majoring in Digital Animation. As a senior at FSHA, Ella won Best Animation for her animated film, “Love Will Come Through,” at Assemblymember Paul Krekorian’s Filmfest 43 held May 2008 at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. Ella is the sister of Bianca Nicole R. Nepales ‘07 who teaches special education high school special education classes for Teach for America.

Andrea Kropp ’10Santa ClaritaAndrea Kropp swam in the Olympic trials for the London 2012 Summer Olympics. She also swims for the University of Southern California swim team.

EVA RASIC PRICE ‘83ALUMNAPROFILE:

Common Sense Media advisory board. Their remarks touched on a variety of gender-related media topics, including the pressure placed on women in media workplaces and how young women present themselves through popular social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

Many Tologs enjoyed both the documentary and the presentation, which they said gave them a deeper understanding of the gender bias in today’s media.

“I am inspired to be more conscious of what is presented to me and my family through the media,” says senior Andrea Arellano.

The film also changed students’ perspectives. “I knew that girls were trained at a young age to make their appearance a priority, but I was surprised to learn that men were also taught to suppress emotions,” says Arellano. “I’ve never thought of it that way before.”

To learn more about the film, visit www.missrepresentation.org.

F or Eva Rasic Price, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was the natural – and only – choice of high school.

“It was a given that I would attend Flintridge Sacred Heart,” said Price, whose two sisters and two cousins also attended the school. “It was the only high school that I applied to. It was kind of a different time.”

She learned invaluable lessons about critical thinking, community service, self-reflection and appreciation of other cultures at FSHA, she said. Through the years, she has watched how the school has grown and she likes what she sees.

What makes FSHA special is that “graduates each find their voice and each have a gift within them. They use the tools that the school gives them. They go out to the world, contribute and make a difference,” Price said. “FSHA gave me such a great foundation on so many dimensions. I’m extremely grateful because I know more than ever the importance of a female voice and female power.”

Price found her voice at FSHA too. After graduation, she earned a bachelor’s degree from USC, lived in Paris and worked in the corporate world before deciding to pursue her long-time interest in the healing arts. She became a certified Bikram yoga instructor and acupuncturist and later moved to Northern California where she lives with her husband Bill and their three children Natalie, James and Alana. There, she earned a master’s degree and licensure in traditional Chinese medicine with the eventual plan to start her own practice.

In 2010, she stepped back from her job in the private sector to devote more time to Alana (now 2 years old) and the philanthropic causes closest to her heart.

Years of retreats, liturgies and community service helped her develop wisdom that she has carried through her life, she said. Price attributes her current commitment to philanthropy in large part to her Catholic education and to growing up close to her extended family.

“I believe we are here to help each other. For me, it’s not just that we should help. It’s that I want to help,” Price said. “Flintridge Sacred Heart helped me develop some wisdom and I want to give back to the school for that.”

V I EW F ROM T H E TO P FEATURE

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t is safe to say that none of these words were on the minds of Lynn Schnieders Robone ‘82, Janine (deCroupet) McRiley ’89 or Kelley

LaRussa Kepner ’01 during their days as students at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. Now, though, all three alumnae are small business owners who deal with these business issues and more every day.

“Looking back, a lot of what I do for my business now really all started at Flintridge Sacred Heart. I am constantly thinking back to Sister Katherine Jean’s senior English class and all those papers that we had to write. It really did payoff!” said Robone, now co-founder of www.mytwodesigners.com, an online interior design firm. “I so appreciate what I received there. They fostered a positive learning environment that prepared me well and gave me the confidence to do whatever I wanted to do.”

Like many women in the U.S. and around the world, Robone, McRiley and Kepner each found that starting her own business afforded her the opportunity to determine not just her own schedule and workload, but also her own destiny.

For at least a decade, women-owned companies have represented one of the fastest-growing segments of economy. In recent years too, as people become more mobile and work in less traditional ways and places, there has been an increasing appreciation of the vital role that women-owned businesses play in employing a wider population of workers. For these TOLOGS, being their own boss just made sense.

For Robone, it was about having flexibility to juggle career and family after working for firms for more than a decade. For McRiley, it was about working side by side with her sister and being an active part of the community. For Kepner, it was about having the freedom to pursue her and her partner’s own creative vision. And for all three, it was about meeting a need they saw in the marketplace.

“I got so much support from our teachers and that gave me the confidence that I could be successful, that I was worth something and that I could contribute,” said McRiley, who owns deCroupet’s Bakery with her sister.

She credits yearbook and art classes with teaching her the foundations of design and layout. And, she said, she understood the importance of planning and hard work from Western Civilization class with Suzanne Duff – two things that cannot be underestimated when starting a new business, all three alumnae said.

I

Building permits. Blueprints. Vendors. Contracts. Market research. Business loans. QuickBooks. Payroll. Profit margin. Web strategy.

Janine deCroupet McRiley ‘89 at the bakery she owns with her sister.


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McRiley and her sister planned carefully for two years before opening their store in Arcadia, Calif. That was 1998 and she said the ride has been satisfying because they did all the work themselves – from market research, securing a loan and laying the floor to making their own cookie cutters and designing their website.

“Our accountant actually asked if he could share our business plan with other clients as an example of what they need to do,” McRiley said.

Kepner, who launched Sherman Oaks-based HauteHouse PR with a partner three years ago, agreed that planning – and wise counsel – was essential to being a successful entrepreneur. She had a secure position at a public relations firm when she decided to strike out on her own because she was confident that she had the energy and contacts to build her own brand. HauteHouse works with celebrity stylists to promote products and businesses through celebrities.

The hard work has been rewarding too, all three said. For Kepner, that may mean an intensive redesign on a large home far from her Danville, California home. For McRiley it means arriving at the bakery at 3 o’clock in the morning to ensure deliveries get out. And for Kepner, it means pitching hundreds of items in the hope that her clients’ products will be featured in the media.

These days, Robone, McRiley and Kepner all say their families are proud of them and the hard work they have put into their businesses.

“I got so much support from our teachers and that gave me the confidence that I could be successful, that I was worth something and that I could contribute.”

- Janine deCroupet McRiley ‘89

“A lot of work goes into starting your own business so you have to be prepared for that, but if you are truly passionate about it, it won’t feel like work,” Kepner said. “But you just felt so comfortable at Flintridge Sacred Heart to speak your mind. That kind of confidence has truly kept me sane.”

Kelly LaRussa Kepner ‘01 checks out her clients’ media placement at the newsstand.

Lynn Schnieders Robone ‘82 in her interior design firm home office.


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LEFT: Cheryl Vessadini Abbey ‘71, her daughters Alison Abbey ‘98 and Jennifer Abbey ‘97; Michele Vessadini Sciarra and her daughter Kristin Sciarra Martin ‘97, Darla Vessadini Longo ‘76 and her Samantha Longo ‘03, Barbara Vessadini Emmons Perrier ‘85, and other family at the 2007 wedding of their mother and grandmother Gloria A. Vessadini Schubert to Dr. William Schubert.

TOP RIGHT: Elle Navarro, Christine Longo Navarro, Brynne Young Brown and Sue Longo Young

BOTTOM RIGHT: The Vessadini TOLOGS with their mother and grandmother Gloria Vessadini Schubert and cousin Laura Emmons

We continue our celebration of the many wonderful families who have made the decision to send multiple daughters to Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

The Vessadini & Longo FamiliesI f the girl who shares the TOLOG experience with a sister

or even with a mother who has also attended Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is lucky, then the Vessadini and

Longo girls are especially fortunate. They can reminisce about their high school days not only with moms and daughters, but also with aunts, cousins and nieces.

All in all, 12 women in these two families, related by friendship and marriage, have graduated from FSHA.

The families of Sam and Dorothea Longo and Gloria Vessadini Schubert and the late Philip Vessadini, formed a lasting bond that started with Sam and Philip’s boyhood friendship. That families’ bond (and their TOLOG dynasties) strengthened when Sam Longo Jr. and Darla Vessadini married.

“I loved being in an all-girls school,” said Darla Vessadini Longo ’75. “The school had something for everybody and gave everybody a chance to grow. It develops the whole woman and gives you a lot of confidence that you can achieve anything.”It was that experience that also prompted her cousins to send their daughters up the Hill.

Sam C. & Dorothea Longo

Children

Christine Longo Navarro ‘82

and Steven Navarro

Elle Navarro ‘07

Susan Longo Young ‘76

and Matthew Young

Brynne Young

Brown ‘00

Philip Vessadini {d. 1997} and Gloria A. Vessadini Schubert

Children

Barbara Lynn Vessadini Emmons

Perrier ‘85 andTom Perrier

Samantha Longo ‘03

Darla Vessadini Longo ‘75 and

Sam C. Longo Jr.

Michele Vessadini

Sciarra ‘73 and John Sciarra

“You couldn’t ask for a better education. You couldn’t ask for a more loving environment and you couldn’t ask for a tighter bond of girlfriends,” said Susan Longo Young ‘76. “My daughter thanks me every day for sending her there. I thank my mom every day for sending me there and I can’t wait for my 10-month-old granddaughter to go there.”

Cheryl VessadiniAbbey ‘71 and Steven Abbey

Kristin Sciarra

Martin ‘97

Alison Abbey ‘98

JenniferAbbey ‘97


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BOB JAMESVOLUNTEERPROFILE:

A sk any Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy alumna and she will no doubt recall the vivid red roses she carried on her graduation day. They are a kind of

talisman that bring back an alumna’s memories of life on the Hill.

But over the years, the roses in FSHA’s graduation day class portraits had lost their bright red hue. Many of the professionally-shot photographs were hanging in direct sunlight while others were stacked on top of each other in rooms.

Enter Bob James (Hailey ’13), and owner of Graphic Marketing, an Azusa-based digital and graphic corporate marketing firm. In 2009, the alumnae relations office called Bob to ask if he could refer the school to an archival restoration service that could turn back the clock for the portraits. He volunteered to take on the project as a service to the school because his firm also does some archival photography projects.

Soon, 82 portraits of beaming, hopeful girls in white dresses from the 1930s to the 1980s were delivered to his company. Many were extremely large or in unusual formats. Visibly damaged, many had torn and tattered edges, while others were dramatically faded or scratched. These portraits, which, in their own elegant and timeless way, preserve and tell the history of the women who have walked FSHA’s halls and grounds, were literally falling apart.

“My guess is that they were all beautiful when they first started out. But they didn’t have a good caregiver,” Bob said.

Often, Bob said, a volunteer will have the time and energy to start off a project but an organization’s history can remain scattered in bits and pieces across the campus if there is no legacy plan for handling the archives.

So Bob took a methodical approach, first assembling a team of experts to work on the project that included one of the country’s leading corporate photographers. In doing so, he brought the important photos back to life.

“What Bob and his team have done is a tremendous service to FSHA,” said Sister Carolyn McCormack. “We cannot begin to thank him enough for the hours of time and loving attention he paid to these mementos of our history. We are extremely grateful.”

Bob’s team used their incredible resources to catalogue and photograph everything that came in. As they began to remove the portraits from their frames, they realized that many photographs were stuck to the glass. Just taking them out of the frames took weeks.

Then the commercial photographer used powerful cameras to shoot the portraits and capture layers of details that the years of damage had nearly erased.

Through it all, the team got additional experience in the details of photo restoration – including working with odd-shaped photos with no negatives and hand-colored photographs, as well as working with a varied team of experts and specialized equipment.

What caught everyone’s interest though, Bob said, were the hairstyles.

“After a while of looking at these for so long, for some strange reason, girls looked the same according to generations and it was all because of the hairstyles,” Bob said. “The dresses are timeless so it’s not clothing that gave it away.”

For Bob, who has known about FSHA since his days as a St. Francis student, the project was a fun look back at the school’s history and a reminder of the community feeling on the Hill. Because some names had completely faded from some photos, the school implored alumnae to help and they replied.

“Eventually, we pieced it together but it was community effort,” Bob said. “We’re all interested in our legacy and history and telling our story.”

Preserving FSHA’s History...One Rose at a Time

Bob and Paige James (Hailey ‘13)

Class of 1963 graduation photo before and after restoration


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he 38th Annual Harry G. Johansing Golf Tournament & Dinner took place on Monday, October 8th at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. The yearly event is a long-established tradition at

FSHA, building community and raising funds for the Harry G. Johansing Endowed Scholarship Fund — the largest endowed scholarship fund at the school.

People from all corners of the FSHA community — current parents, past parents and alumnae alike — gathered at Oakmont Country Club on Columbus Day for its third year at the Glendale course. After a full field of 138 golfers finished their day on the course, Srs. Carolyn and Celeste welcomed them and other guests for cocktails, a silent auction and dinner in the clubhouse. The event raised more than $80,000 and would not have been possible without the hard work of Committee Chair Michael Davitt, and the entire committee comprised of past and current FSHA parents.

The day was full of winners. The winning foursome of the tournament was Brendan & Cameron Turner, Chuck Hartwig and Jonathan Goglia. Robert Silverman (Brianna ‘13) won the Putt for Cash competition. Paul Porter’s brother Thomas held the last card in the jewelry raffle and left the day with a beautiful diamond heart necklace. And Marilyn Pieroni, grandmother of Allison Pieroni ‘16, was the lucky winner of the cash raffle.

But the most moving moment of the event had nothing to do with prizes. FSHA Senior Jenna Gulick received a standing ovation from parents and school supporters after she spoke eloquently about the impact that the Johansing Scholarship has had on her.

“I made a promise to myself that I would make good on FSHA’s investment in me, and that I would learn all that I could from such an amazing place,” Gulick told the group. “Almost four years later, I can honestly say that my plans for high school have been met beyond my dreams. If it weren’t for the education and opportunities that FSHA has provided me, I wouldn’t be the same young woman I am today, and I definitely wouldn’t be as confident about my faith, my importance, and my potential.”

T2012 GOLF TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE Michael DavittCHAIR

Bob Altman

Richard Ashworth

Tim Bosveld

Joe Chavez

Alison Davitt

Mike Delaney

Jim Hamm

Claudia & Chuck Hartwig

Jeff Housman

Bob James

David Katz

Conrado Lopez

Tony Maniscalchi

Rick McGregor

Steve Pappas

Brenda & Len Pieroni

Paul Porter

Mandy & Sunder Ramani

John Saydah

Keith Sharp

Craig Shewfelt

Ellen & Brendan Turner

Alex Venneri

Jim Vitale

Jenna Gulick ‘13 with parents Douglas and Belen Gulick


23

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is blessed to welcome six new members to its Board of Directors. These individuals bring with them extensive and diverse professional backgrounds in accounting, corporate structure and fiduciary responsibilities, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, real estate planning and sustainability.

In the short time they have been part of the academy’s board, they have already lent strong and insightful voices to board discussions about moving FSHA into the future.

NEWS

Board of Directors

JULI GOODWIN ROGINSON ’87BOARDPROFILE:

A Passion for FSHA’s Profound ImpactL ike many alumni who give back to their alma maters,

there was a period of time when Juli Goodwin Roginson was a little “less connected” from Flintridge Sacred

Heart Academy.

She never lost touch with FSHA but she strengthened her ties in late 2008, because she thought it would be “kind of neat to step back in” to the life of the school. But that modest description belies her contribution. Since she first joined the Alumnae Association Board and more recently as a member of the school’s Board of Directors, she has given back in varied and dynamic ways.

As head of domestic publicity at Warner Brothers, Goodwin Roginson has used her marketing prowess to promote some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters and iconic films. She has brought that same communications acumen to her roles on both FSHA boards.

As part of the Alumnae Association, she chaired the Development Council, worked to encourage alumnae giving and opened her home to alumnae gatherings. In doing so, she helped fellow alumnae appreciate the importance of telling FSHA’s story and how they can help the school achieve its goals for the future.

Kristin Friese Gannon ‘85OwnerKG Consulting

Juli Goodwin Roginson ‘87Executive Vice President, Publicity and PromotionsWarner Brothers Pictures

John HrovatPrincipalUrban Partners LLC

John LacoPartnerO’Melveny and Myers LLP

Sunder RamaniSenior Vice PresidentWestwind Media

Allan VillegasChief Financial OfficerWASH Multifamily Laundry Systems fka Web Service Company

Now, as a new member of the Board of Directors and chair of the board’s marketing committee, Goodwin Roginson brings her marketing insight to bear on the school’s biggest projects and long-term plans, and she helps the administration best communicate its unique gifts and goals. Since renewing her ties with FSHA, she said she has been impressed with the school’s Master Plan for moving into the future, calling it an important time for the school.

“It calls on all of us to bring the best of ourselves,” she said.

It’s also a dynamic time for the marketing committee that she chairs.

“We are very blessed to have such an engaged group of professionals volunteering their time at such a critical juncture for the school,” she said. “Our objective is to support the administration in all they hope to accomplish and I really think we are doing that.”

Whether near or far from the school, Goodwin Roginson has always appreciated what FSHA imparted to her. So much so, that she and her husband Robert Roginson are now considering the school for her own two daughters. Partly, she said, she wants to continue the family tradition of attending FSHA (sister Katherine graduated from FSHA in 1996). More importantly though, she said, the school opens the door to so many different learning opportunities and teaches students “how to want to learn.”

“FSHA has this profound impact and gives these life tools that you just can’t get anywhere else,” Goodwin Roginson said. “It’s this amazing gift and it nurtures these amazing women.”

Juli and husband Bob Roginson at Gala 2012.

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Every year, the Board members of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and its three sponsored schools – Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, St. Catherine and Immaculate Conception Academy – gather together for a retreat weekend to share, among other things, our missions, strategic initiatives and our financial status. While the profiles of these schools are very different, the unity of the Dominican mission is unquestionable and inspiring to witness. FSHA’s financial presentation highlights the progress made over the last several years as well as gives a self-assessment of our current financial status, which we encapsulate in four metrics called Key Performance Indicators. The feedback was strong, compelling us to share the same with you. While we do not rate ourselves “five stars” just yet, we feel our progress and outlook is bright. Here’s our year-end scorecard:

Net Tuition Revenue – Admissions applications and enrollment yield trends are the best indicator of the market’s demand for our school, driving the reliability of tuition revenue which accounts for over 85% of our operating budget. These statistics are critical to assessing financial health. Here’s the good news: Our wait list for day and boarding students hit record levels this year and we are optimistic about our future as we launch new marketing strategies sharing our innovative 21st-century curriculum and other programs offered on the hill.

Gifts and Donations – Tuition revenue does not fully cover the cost to educate a student and the Flintridge Fund is the primary source that closes the gap. While just about every private school has an annual fund for this purpose, interestingly, FSHA did not focus on this resource until about six years ago, increasing from $352,000 in 2005-06 to a record $694,000 in 2012. The progress is good and the outlook is great as we strive for 100% participation by our current parents, currently at 65%.

Endowment & Reserves - Endowment and reserves are the insurance policies that ensure long-term financial sustainability and the No. 1 stability marker identified by Independent School Management. Our

LETTER

portfolio has grown 170% in the last six years due to donations, allocation of discretionary funds and investment returns. While growth has been good, we are not where we need to be and will continue to make this a financial priority to ensure long-term sustainability.

Compensations and Benefits – FSHA’s most important asset is its people and we strive to hire and retain high-quality faculty and staff. The Strategic Plan called for a market analysis of compensation and benefits to ensure our policies and practices were competitive with our peer schools. The results were enlightening and resulted in significant changes in polices, market salary adjustments, development of a pay-for-performance program and a restructure of financial resources to fund these changes within available resources. Is it working? Going by first impressions, we would say, “Yes.” Employee feedback has been positive and encouraging.

These are the big four financial metrics that drive our overall performance. With an $18 million investment portfolio and a $10 million operating budget, we take our financial stewardship responsibilities very seriously. We consistently spend less than we earn and maintain a culture of financial discipline and accountability.

Your annual support through the Flintridge Fund, Gala, Golf Tournament and other areas contribute to these results. These funding sources are essential to our long-term financial sustainability, and we work hard to ensure a strong return on your investment. We sincerely thank you and look forward to another year of progress toward our mission of long-term financial sustainability.

With sincere gratitude,

Carmella Grahn (Kayla ‘15)Chief Financial Officer

Our Financial Scorecard

With sincere gratitude,

Carmella Grahn (Kayla ‘15)

8% Development & Communications

74%Educational Programs

18% Administrative & General

$14.0

$12.0

$10.0

$8.0

$6.0

$4.0

$2.0

$-

6/30/06 6/30/07 6/30/08 6/30/09 6/30/10 6/30/11 6/30/12

$4.8

$6.9$7.7 $7.6 $9.5

$12.4 $13.0

$800

$700

$600

$500

$400

$300

$200

$100

$-

6/30/06 6/30/07 6/30/08 6/30/09 6/30/10 6/30/11 6/30/12

$352 $385

$511 $517

$662 $682$694

25

1%Other Income

64%Tuition andRoom & Board

5%Flintridge Fund 28%

Other Gifts & Donations

2%Investments

ENDOWMENT & RESERVES FUND (IN MILLIONS)

2011 - 2012 REVENUES

2011 - 2012 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES

During our 80th anniversary year, we celebrated the wonderful history, heritage and future of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. Among gatherings with our alumnae, with current and past parents and with other friends of the school, the most common expression was one of overwhelming gratitude for the community of FSHA and the impact it has made on individual young women over the years.

And it was from this extended community of Flintridge Sacred Heart that tremendous support was given this past fiscal year. We are filled with gratitude for the continued abundant generosity of so many friends and families. Through your gifts, we are able to provide our young women with a transformative educational experience that also forms a life-long community of support and friendship.

To each of you – our Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, our Board of Directors, current and past parents, alumnae, grandparents, faculty and staff, and community friends – we extend our thanks. Altogether, you gave just over $1.3 million to further the mission of our school during the 2011-2012 year. Additional gifts and multi-year pledges were received to support our Strategic Plan Initiatives. Thank you to all for your commitment to Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

The Flintridge Fund, which provides 5% of our annual operating budget from year to year, continued its steady growth to match the needs of the school. For the sixth year in a row, 100% of our Board, faculty and staff supported the Flintridge Fund. We are grateful for the leadership they offer all of us through their financial commitment to our mission.

Financial aid and scholarship support increased thanks to gifts from individuals and from area foundations. The efforts of the Golf committee, under the chairmanship of Michael and Alison Davitt,

added much needed funds to the Harry G. Johansing Scholarship Endowment. And many individuals made additional gifts to create or add to scholarship endowments that will benefit future generations of young women desiring a Flintridge Sacred Heart education.

We are also grateful for the strong volunteer leadership throughout the school, starting with the Board Development Committee, the Flintridge Fund committee (chaired for the third year in a row by Kim Ray Espe ‘84), our Alumnae Association, the Parents’ Guild and our support groups (Friends of the Arts, Boosters and Gala).

Please accept our thanks and appreciation for each of you who gave philanthropic support and your time as well. We believe this strong support grows out of our shared belief in this community on the Hill which serves our young women during this pivotal time in their lives. We are privileged to share that mission with each of you.

We look forward to reporting another strong year and thank you in advance for your continued involvement with Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

Robert Edwards, (Caroline ’06)Chair, Development Committee 2011-2012

Barbara MarshallChair, Development Committee 2012-2013

Margaret Anne Kean (Annie’10, Lauren ’13)Chief Development Officer

The Strength of Community

B b M h ll

FLINTRIDGE FUND (IN THOUSANDS)


44

BARBARA MARSHALLMOTHER DOLOROSA

MEMBER :

arbara Marshall has spent her career teaching. Whether it was history and business early in her career or, as she does now, advising clients about how to arrange their insurance needs, she has always

believed her work is about educating people to live better.

Marshall, now in her second term on the FSHA Board of Directors, is a successful La Cañada Flintridge business owner and active community member. She has been involved in life on the Hill in various capacities for nearly a decade and in 2008, she named Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy the beneficiary of a third of her estate through the Mother Dolorosa Society.

“Barbara brings a spark of energy to our Board that is unique and so welcome. She is a dynamic member of the LCF community and we are blessed to have her leadership not only on the Board, but also in her philanthropy,” said Sister Carolyn McCormack. “Her planned gift will benefit many generations of young women.”

For her part, Marshall had thought about a variety of institutions as she planned her estate. “I wanted to participate in the worthy goal of educating young women,”she said. “Flintridge Sacred Heart just always kept coming back to me. I have this funny thing. Something has to sing to me and this just felt right.”

Marshall’s relationship with FSHA began when some friends told her their daughter, unhappy in her new school, had discovered Flintridge Sacred Heart. They called Marshall to see if she knew anything about the school on the hill. As their luck would have it, Marshall knew Assistant Principal Katy Sadler. Four years later, Marshall proudly witnessed her friends’ daughter receive her diploma in the traditional white graduation dress.

Born in Canada, Marshall grew up in Long Beach where she was active as a dancer in local theater. Because of her love for the arts, she has requested that her gift benefit a student in FSHA’s Visual and Performing Arts Department. Over the years, she has attended a number of FSHA’s productions, getting hooked first by a ComedySportz match.

Throughout her career as a secondary teacher and program administrator in Glendale public schools, Marshall always had wondered if she could run her own business. She mulled it over for years in both practical and passionate ways.

Marshall describes herself as “very pragmatic” and said every big decision in her life has been practical. So, before starting her business, she made a pro and con list. On the pro side: her beloved Labrador Morgan could accompany her to the office every day. Talking to Marshall, it’s clear that while she may be practical, she is also full of pluck and tenacity.

An Advocate for Teaching, Giving… and PlanningB

“I thought, ‘If I’m not brave enough to try something new, if I don’t do this, in ten years, I’ll wonder if I could have done that.’ I didn’t want to be in that position,” Marshall said.

As a State Farm Insurance agent and owner of Barbara Marshall Insurance, she has made strong connections across the community. In addition to sitting on the FSHA Board of Directors, Marshall also is Chairman of the Board of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the city’s Fiesta Days.

As a member of the FSHA Board, she has built new relationships and, she said, she’s learned much from the Dominican Sisters on the Hill and at the Motherhouse, describing them as “the most amazing women.”

Coming up the Hill to FSHA has proven beneficial to her too. There is “something about the atmosphere that just feels like I’m coming home, I don’t know how to explain where that comes from,” she said. “It’s just a level of spirituality and comfort and energy. I think it’s such a safe and nurturing place for young women to receive an education.”

These days, Marshall said, it’s both exciting and motivating to be involved in FSHA at a time when the school is on the precipice of great change.

“It gives me such a satisfying feeling to be part of the school. I think it exudes the very best values: faith integrity and truth. And I really like that there is such a vision for the 21st century,” Marshall said. “It’s kind of like an answer to a prayer. I want to make sure that we can perpetuate all that we’re doing now.”

A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 1 - 1 2


THE MOTHER DOLOROSA SOCIETY

Investing and InspiringYou don’t have to choose between

providing for your loved ones and supporting Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

Through our gift-planning program, we can help you support your passions and create the kind of gift you’ve always wanted

to make – even if you never thought it was possible.

Mother Dolorosa was one of the three founding Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose who started Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in 1931. Due to her leadership and the lasting regard in which she is held, we are delighted to name this group of school supporters after her.

The generous alumnae, friends and parents who have chosen to remember Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in their estate plans are a special group. The Mother Dolorosa Society honors philanthropic and dedicated individuals who are creating a legacy here at FSHA through planned gifts that will have a lasting and positive impact on hundreds of young women for years to come.

A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your Will or Trust specifying a gift to be made to family, friends or Flintridge Sacred Heart as part of your estate plan.

The following types of commitments qualify you for membership in the Mother Dolorosa Society:

a charitable remainder trust

lifetime or a term of years

IRA, 401(k) or 403 (b)

Planned gifts provide the resources that create extraordinary opportunities for young women and preserve FSHA’s future.

Thank You

For more information, please visit www.fsha.org/plannedgiving or contact Chief Development Officer Margaret Kean at 626-685-8389, or [email protected].

45

THE MOTHER DOLOROSA SOCIETY

MEMBERS

Anonymous

Hazel and Carl Rauch

William Martin Todd

Olga Smahel Barnes ‘45

Donna Bender ‘67

Cornelia Grandin

Yvonne Smith Lefkowitz ‘55

Lois Longo

Barbara Marshall

Joann McGarty ‘47

Alexandra Swanson McKay ‘57

Nicolina Montoya

Carrie (Black ‘85) and Michael Oransky

Emily Freedman Ramazzotti ‘58

Mary Box Schuck ‘35 and Carl Schuck

Cynthia Silverman

Deborah and William Spathelf

Marsha Berger Swan ‘56

Patricia Traviss ‘49

Names in bold: gift realized


In Memoriam

Many FSHA resident alumnae remember Sister Mary Ignatia May (Maggio) from their days in the boarding hall.

Sister Ignatia, as she was known, passed away August 20, 2012, at Saint Martin’s

Residence at the Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse in Fremont, Calif. She was 99 years old and was honored the day after her passing with a funeral Mass at the Motherhouse.

Born in New Jersey, Sister Ignatia taught in Catholic elementary schools over her 77-year-long vocation as a Dominican Sister. Her ministry took her to nearly a dozen California schools, among them, Sacred Heart Elementary School in Los Angeles, San Gabriel Mission Elementary School and the residence hall at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy from 1974-1979.

Sister Ignatia is survived by her nieces, their families, many friends, and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose.

Marie Gadbois Barker ’64John M. BogertRaymond E. BrowRobert E. CaseyFrank J. ColellaPhilip J. CrispiJohn C. DalyEdmond R. DavisCelia del JuncoBlanche GonzalesLane J. Howard

48

Sean M. KelleyWillard C. KlinePatricia MoranMary Kirkpatrick Parker ‘47Timothy C. RileyGeradine RolphArmando RomeroJohn J. SciarraAnne L. StaffordMary Welsh

Sister Mary Ignatia (Maggio) May

Q: What do you love about science?

A: I was probably first drawn to understanding the world and the feeling of power that comes with that understanding. When I first learned why the moon has phases (based on the positioning of the sun and the earth), I was fascinated. To this day, every time I look at the moon, I think, “I know why it looks that way.” This is what I love about science. You can know things and understand how and why they act the way they do and make predictions or guesses about how things will act.

Q: How would you describe your teaching style?

A: Hmmm. Interactive? Collegial? Chaotic? I think that learning things is so much fun and I want to make sure that my enthusiasm shows in the classroom. This is pretty easy with science because it is ever-present in our lives, even though we don’t pay attention to it most of the time.

Q: What have you found to be the most powerful way to make science come alive to your students?

A: Enthusiasm and relevance… and of course, fire.

Q: What inspires you as an educator?

A: Seeing the possibility in students who will go on to be valuable members of society. The fact that students see the world differently after my class, or at least have been challenged to think in a new way and have stepped up to that challenge.

Ty Buxman may teach Physics and Robotics and chair the Science Department, but over the years, he’s nurtured the intellects of FSHA students through countless other ways. One of the things he seems to enjoy the most is adapting to students’ particular preferences for learning – from puzzles to metaphysical discussions to lighting things on fire. And, he’s not averse to indulging the occasional science-related practical jokes – as in the hunt for Isaac Newton.

This year, Buxman also took on coaching the varsity basketball team and promises to bring the same enthusiasm to the court. Born in Canada, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree from USC, both in physics.

Buxman first came to FSHA just to visit. Sister Ramona scheduled him to give a sample lecture, and days later, he had a new job. That was 2002,and whether it’s launching water bottle rockets from Crane Field or

I love when the following sequence occurs: 1) Me: Your task is to ______ 2) Student: What? Impossible? I do not have the ability to do that. I don’t even know where to start. 3) Me: Sure you do. 4) Wait a few minutes/hours 5) Student: Look what I made!

Q: What are some of your most memorable moments here at FSHA?

A: My first year, there were a couple of plastic busts of Newton and Einstein in the physics room left over from the previous teacher. That first class must have thought they were mine and they kidnapped Newton and sent a ransom note. I played along and we had an unraveling mystery. At one point, I got anonymous pictures of Newton hanging out at Cal as “proof of life.” That was a lot of fun.

The feeling of trying something new that the kids like is fantastic. For example, the first time I actually lit my hands on fire in class, or the first time we blew up water bottles with liquid nitrogen, used a fire extinguisher to shoot across the gym on a skateboard or the first time a cardboard boat actually made it across the pool. Sometimes these little experiments are “on-the-fly” in response to a student question, so I am surprised that they work. But I love the reaction of students. It is usually something along the lines of: “Are you crazy?” – “Did that hurt?” – “Can I try?”

Seeing the World Differently through Physics… and Fire

TY BUXMANFACULTYPROFILE:

navigating cardboard boats in the swimming pool, he has been bringing physics alive for FSHA students ever since. The View caught up with “Bux” to hear how what teaching on the Hill has meant to him.


Seeking truth. Serving others.

440 St. Katherine Drive La Cañada Flintridge, California 91011

www.fsha.org

Parents of Alumnae:If your daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office of her new mailing address.

Phone: 626.685.8400Email: [email protected]

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPasadena, CAPermit No. 132

n September, FSHA kicked off a busy fall with a visit to New York City. Alumnae from 1955 through 2011 came from all

around New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania (as well as Florida!) to gather for brunch at Uva Wine Bar on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. (Uva is owned by Caitlin McHugh (’04) Lusardi’s husband’s family.)

Welcoming the women who attended were President Sister Carolyn McCormack, Principal Sister Celeste Marie Botello, Assistant Principal Katy Sadler, Chief Development Officer Margaret Kean and Alumnae Relations Director Elizabeth Toms. Those present enjoyed hearing about current life at FSHA, meeting other East Coast alumnae and sharing special memories. The group talked and laughed for hours.

“It was a delightful afternoon,” said Toms. “All these women have fond memories of their time on the Hill. What was fun to witness were their renewed friendships with each other and the discovery that across the decades they all shared the same bond and the same values. There was such warmth in the room and we were privileged to hear them share their stories and memories.”

Less than a month after reconnecting, several alumnae in New York City displaced by the destructive effects of Hurricane Sandy ended up staying with other TOLOGS, many of whom they had just seen at the gathering. Others were involved in clean-up efforts helping people affected by the storm.

“It was gratifying to know that our alumnae care about each other and the communities in which they live,” said Toms. “We look forward to returning to the East Coast to visit again.”

I

Bridging the Distance Between New York and the Hill

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