February 2016 - Incarnate Word High School

Volume 5, Issue 7
Mar. 2, 2016
A Tradition Continues
I
t truly is “A Tale As Old As Time”, the love we have for
our daughters. The 2016 IWHS Mother-Daughter
committee enjoyed record breaking attendance for our
princess-themed Mother-Daughter luncheon, held at the
Omni Colonnade. Mass was lovely, with music performed
by Ms. de la Garza and the IWHS Madrigals, as well as
celebrant Monsignor Michael O’Gorman. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the house. Following Mass, the Spirit Shop was
open and many darling photos were taken (courtesy of
Photos by Godsey) as well as selfie “Queen’s Throne”
photos at the selfie station. The event was full of sparkle,
from the helpful Omni wait staff to the Singing Princesses
of San Antonio, who made their grand entrance singing
“Be Our Guest”. Cinderella, Belle and Elsa were available
for photographs all afternoon, while generous IWHS
supporters offered beautiful raffle prizes.
Entertainment included a gorgeous shamrock slideshow
and the Singing Princesses of San Antonio gave an
inspirational talk – who knew that business owner
“Cinderella” was Singing Princess Belle’s mother! The
afternoon wrapped up with a princess trivia game, with
winning partners taking home petite treats. A huge thank
you to the petite yet dedicated Mother-Daughter
committee, led by outgoing chair Andrea Gonzalez and
incoming chair Annette Reyes, as well as the many fathers
and volunteers that assisted in making this a truly
memorable afternoon.
Math Hanging
E
ach year, the Mathematics Department recognizes those students
who either score at least 70 on the PSAT® or 700 on the SAT®/ SAT
Subject tests. On February 3, 2016, the following students were honored
by hanging their names on the Wall of Fame in room 102. Each of them
was also presented with a Hershey’s kiss. A small reception followed the
ceremony. Congratulations, Shamrocks!
Alexandra Gabriel
Olivia Gallo
Josephine Garza
Fangqing Gu
Yuning Guo
Anne Marie Hamon
Jhennis Lacsamana
Brianni Mason
Summer McKenna
Eden Miller
Elisa Moralez
Analisa Narro
Emma Niemiec
Ana Carolina Rodriguez
Haijin Seo
Emerson Thomas
Kaylee Trevino
Jenna Villarreal
1
Principal’s Message
Prayer For Lent
MISSION STATEMENT
In a faith-based
preparatory environment,
Incarnate Word High
School prepares confident
young women dedicated to
academic excellence,
Christian service and
social justice.
Merciful Father, send your Holy Spirit upon us this Lent
to guide us by the light of the Gospel. May we set aside
all that impedes us from taking up our cross and
following Jesus. May all our prayers, self-denial and acts
of charity lead us closer to you and deepen our
compassion for our suffering brothers and sisters.
Revive in us a lively sense of the divine gifts of faith,
hope and charity so that, whatever the circumstances of
our lives, we can trust in your everlasting care.
Amen.
CORE VALUES
Academic Excellence
Integrity
Service
Community of Faith
Compassion
Stewardship
ACCREDITATION
Incarnate Word High
School is fully accredited
with the Southern
Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS) and
Texas Catholic
Conference Education
Department (TCCED).
UIW Connection
Fiesta Medal 2016
The Incarnate Word High
School 2016 Fiesta Medal
is arriving soon, designed
by student Julianne
Salame '17. This year's
design features our 135th
anniversary in a
traditional Shamrock
flavor. Medals will be
available for sale after
spring break for $10
each, and can be purchased in the Front
Office, Spirit Shoppe, Advancement Office
(room 005) and online. Proceeds benefit
IWHS scholarships. Call 210-829-3103 or
email [email protected] for more
information.
Word Day
March 11
This is a parent volunteer
favorite and you get a free
t-shirt too!
Contact Roberta Palmer
[email protected]
Volunteer to help on this
exciting day.
Tee Up Fore Tech
Incarnate Word High
School is a part of the
Brainpower Connection,
and is affiliated with
University of the
Incarnate Word.
The Incarnate Word High School Golf Tournament is almost here, and this year we
are doing something different! Join us Monday, April 4, 2016 from 5-8pm for a Top Golf
Tournament. All are welcome, golf skills are not required!
For more information and to register for this year's
event, click this link:
https://incarnatewordhs.ejoinme.org/topgolf2016.
Here you will find information about the event,
registration, and sponsorship. Book now and get
the early bird rate of $80 per person. Early Bird
ends 3/11/2016. Price includes Top Golf play, dinner,
and two drink tokens.
2
Upcoming Events
What’s Happening in March?
Summer School
Information for
INCOMING 9TH grade
students only:
Summer school
applications will be
available in the wooden
case in the hall across from
the IWHS Registrar’s office
and online beginning
March 7 , under the
Registrar’s tab.
Applications will not be
accepted until March
21. Please deliver them to
our Registrar’s office.
Mar. 10 Report Cards online
Mar. 11 WORD DAY - Dismissal 12 p.m.;
3rd Quarter Grades Online
Mar. 14-18 Spring Break-No School
Mar. 22 Senior panoramic photo
Mar. 24 Holy Thursday
Stations of the Cross 2 :15 p.m.
Mar. 25 Good Friday– No School
Mar 27 EASTER
Mar. 28 Easter Monday-No School
Mar. 31 Senior Service Hours Due
Join Our Lenten
Drive
We hope that you have
enjoyed “What’s the Word.”
We invite you to send
student news and
accomplishments along
with photos so that we can
share your student’s
success with others.
Editors: Delma Cisneros
and Stephanie Denning
Photography contributor:
Academic photos by
Godsey Photography
Save the dates, Mar. 31-Apr. 2, for the
IWHS Theatre Company’s Spring
Production of Alexandre Dumas’ thrilling
adventure, The Three Musketeers, written
by Ken Ludwig. It features daring sword
fights, romantic entanglements, a costume
ball, and the quest of the legendary hero
D’Artagnan to become a Musketeer. With
special guest appearances by IWHS
faculty members, Mr. Weil, Mr. Vega, Mr.
Cardona, and Ms. Pritchard, the final
show of the 2015-2016 theatre season is
sure to surprise and delight audiences of
all ages. Tickets will be available at the
door: $3 for Students and $5 for Adults.
Contact Lara Benavides, Director of
Theatre, for any additional information.
Summer School Information for
CURRENT students only:
IWHS students may enroll in summer
school through RenWeb Parents Web
beginning Sunday, March 20, at 3:00
PM. To register, select Course Request
and make course selections there. Please
print the form when finished.
Each
summer school applicant who has
completed the summer school course
request through RenWeb will need to see
the Registrar on Monday, March 21, to
drop off this application and payment for
courses selected. If a student’s account is
not in good standing with IWHS, RenWeb
will be disabled by the Business office on
March 18, and the student will not be
allowed to register for summer school
through RenWeb on March 19 or at
school until they have been cleared by the
Business Office.
Anyone unable to
register through Renweb, for reasons
other than a Business Office hold, should
plan to register (or have parent submit
the appropriate documents) with the
registrar after returning from Spring
Break on Monday, March 21.
The
Business Office will be open during
Spring Break, Mon-Thurs, should you
need to make a payment during that
week.
Applications will not be
accepted until March 21.
Please
deliver them to our Registrar’s office.
Summer school applications will be
available in the wooden case in the hall
across from the Registrar’s office and
online beginning March 7 under the
Registrar’s tab. Directions for using
RenWeb sign up on Sunday, March 20,
will be given to the students in advisory
on March 7 and can be found online
under the Registrar’s tab beginning
March 7.
3
Student Spotlight
Campus CAAC
Kyra White
I
n December, IWHS students submitted
art, photography, essays and poetry for
the Catholic Creative Arts Contest, a
contest that is part of the Catholic Arts and
Academic Competition (CAAC), sponsored
by the Archdiocese of San Antonio. A panel
of teachers evaluated the entries,
determining the campus first place winners
whose works went to compete at the CAAC
this January. The following students’ works
were selected for in the Catholic Creative
Arts Contest:
ART: Grades 9-10
Hon. Mention: Elizabeth Mueller ’19
On Feb.16 Kyra White ’18
was the soloist at a concert
of The Children's Chorus of
SA and the Doc Watkins
Orchestra at The Tobin
Center. Kyra's song,
"Guajira," was sung in
Spanish to a fast-paced
Cuban rhythm.
Way to Shine, Kyra!
(Photo by Page Graham,
CCSA Photographer)
Congratulations to
Safiyyah Walton!
She received a first place
award in the 2015 Nengojo
Contest held by the UIW
Japanese Department. The
project was to create a New
Years Postcard.
ESSAY: Grades 9-10
1st Place: Bianca Escamilla ’19
Back: Jesalyn
Front: Elizabeth & Bianca
PHOTOGRAPHY: Grades 11-12
1st Place: Jesalyn Fernandez ’17
Also a part of CAAC, the Academic and Speech
Contest was held at Atonement Academy on
Feb. 20. The following students won recognition in Comprehensive Math:
MATH: Grades 11-12
1st Place: Emma Niemiec ’16
4th Place: Analisa Narro ’16
MATH: Grades 9-10
2nd Place: Katie Collier
Back: Analisa
Front: Emma & Katie
CONGRATULATIONS, ALEXIA TORRES
Lexi,
achieved
1500 Career
Points on
January 27,
2016.
4
Campus Ministry
Ash Wednesday
F
ather Raul Salas, OMI, presided over
the Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb 10.
He brought attention to a list of fasting
suggestions that were distributed to the
students as they entered the gym. He said
that instead of trying to motivate everyone
to fast from the usual food items for Lent,
he thought that the list provided good
suggestions for anyone, whether Catholic,
other denomination, believer or non, to
assist in one’s own personal growth. He
invited everyone to follow one or more of
the suggestions on the list for “Fasting.” “It
will build your character, personality,” and
“help you to see people with a little more
love and compassion,” he said.
Lenten Project
L
Adoration
Praise and Worship
1st Friday of the month
Please join us Mar. 4 in
the Mother Pierre Chapel.
Everyone is welcome to
drop in during the day to
share this time of solitude
and prayer. Students may
attend during open mods
but must stay for the
duration of the mod(s).
ast year’s Lenten project “SHARE in
Africa: Empowering Girls through
Education” raised over $6,250. This
amount enabled IWHS to sponsor
scholarships for 25 girls at the Hekima
Girls Secondary School in Tanzania. Once
again IWHS has embraced this worthy
cause, and through the generous
donations from families, faculty,
administrators, and community friends,
we hope to provide support for these
young women to continue their education.
A donation of $250 will sponsor a young
woman with a one-year scholarship to one
of the best boarding schools in the region,
Hekima Girls’ Secondary School. One
hundred percent of the contributions go
directly to benefit the students. In subSaharan Africa girls struggle to get an
education due to poverty and gender
discrimination.
At IWHS this Lent, each advisory has
been asked to contribute $250 in order to
continue sponsoring a student from last
year’s drive. This is a great community
project and anyone may participate. To
learn more about the Hekima School and
this endeavor, go to its website.
Photos of the students are currently
displayed in the school cafeteria.
Community Rosary
1st Wednesday of every
month
7:30-8:00 a.m.
IWHS Chapel
All are welcome to
recite the Rosary with
Sr. Christine.
5
Around Campus
World Quest
Fat Tuesday
The Freshmen Class and
French Club helped us
celebrate Fat Tuesday on
Feb. 9. The Freshmen
collected orders and
delivered sweet Candy
Grams to classmates and
staff. The French Club
conducted Mardi Gras
activities and held a bake
sale in the gym during the
lunch mods. Students and
staff dropped by to make a
mask, have their face
painted or pose for a photo
with friends.
O
n February 11, eight
students participated on
two teams in the San Antonio
World Affairs Council’s World
Quest competition. One team
was made up of Dahlia Lopez,
Emerson Thomas, Joan
Kennedy, and DeLaney
LaCerva. The other team
representing Incarnate Word
was made up of Rebecca
Aristotelidis, Jenn Guzman,
Immaculate Fombo, and
Cyrilla-Lyn Thompson.
In the game, a four person
team competes by answering
multiple choice questions divided into
unique and engaging thematic categories.
The questions are hard, and the
competition is tough. Winners are
determined by the total number of correct
answers out of one hundred questions.
Academic World Quest San Antonio is
hosted by Rackspace, and involves about
45 teams from all over the San Antonio
area. It is a very rewarding experience,
and our girls competed very well.
SAWS Confluence
A
quatic Science and Environmental
students attended the SAWS
Confluence Conference downtown at the
Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center on
Feb. 9. It was an interactive experience
with water as the main theme. They also
took a barge ride down the San Antonio
Riverwalk to view some of the
architectural and historical highlights.
International Culture Club
O
n January 28 the
International Culture Club
enjoyed traditional Mexican snacks
of chicharrones de harina, salsa,
guacamole and Mexican style
candies. During their meeting they
planned a field trip to UIW Asian
Festival on Feb. 9 to celebrate the
Year of the Monkey.
6
Athletics & Around Campus
Tennis Update
T
BB District
Champions!!
Congratulations to
Basketball and Coaches
Patterson and Alexander
for an exciting season filled
with excellent
gamesmanship, plays and
players.
Incoming Freshmen
Registration
ennis has been busy this month,
participating in two tournaments. At
the Jay-Stevens Invitational on Feb. 11-12,
the JV team of Natalia Camacho &
Natasha Diaz-Escobar earned gold medals
for winning the entire tournament in
doubles. Varsity doubles team Anne Marie
Hamon and Summer McKenna also earned
medals for placing as the consolation
champs.
At the San Marcos Tournament on Feb.
25-26, the tennis team did a great job. On
JV, singles player Genevieve Fleming
earned a medal for winning 3rd place
overall, and Monica Hinojosa won 4th place
singles. Doubles team Natalia Camacho &
Natasha Diaz-Escobar continued their
winning streak, taking home silver medals
for winning 2nd place, while Zulema Avila
& Katherine Kennedy took 7th place
overall. Thank you to Manager Daniela
Cardona, who provided amazing support to
the team.
On the Varsity team, singles player
Ashley Suarez came in 4th place in the
tournament, while doubles team Joan
Kennedy & Avelina Petri earned medals as
the consolation champs. Singles players
Maddy Schultz and Theresa Michaud
played a lot of good matches, as did the
doubles team of Catalina Lopez & Anne
Marie Hamon.
Registration took place on
Feb. 24-16. Staff, faculty,
students and PTO were
available to answer
questions and smooth out
the process.
Girl Power
D
uring their last meeting, the
members of Girl Power teamed up
with representatives from the
organization Days for Girls
International to craft handmade hygiene
kits to be delivered to girls and women
in African countries. According to
UNESCO, 1 in 10 African girls have to
miss school when they get their periods,
forcing many to drop out because they
can't keep up with their missed work. It
is the goal of Girl Power to be a part of
the necessary movement needed to
destroy toxic cultural stigmas surrounding these girls and send them back into the
classroom.
7
Around Campus
Gospel Fest 2016
Thespian Recruits
Once again, aspiring
young thespians donned
their “T” to proclaim their
eligibility to be inducted
into the National
Thespians. If asked, the
girls had to recite a
favorite poem or ditty as
part of the initiation
ritual.
U
nder the direction of Dr. Williams,
Gospel Fest delighted its audience
who clapped to the beat and joined in with
favorites such as “Amazing Grace” and
“This Little Light of Mine.” McKayla
Serrano performed a powerful reading
about racial and gender equality, and
special guest, Pastor Trevor Alexander,
UIW Professor, reminded us of Rev. King’s
vision of “The Beloved Community” free
from poverty, racism and militarism. He
encouraged the students to pursue a path
of love, friendship and goodwill.
Big Shamrock Thank You to the
performers who shared their voices and
talents with us. Pictured below from the
left: Mr. Dubay, Mariah Scarver, Sarah
Arellano, Irini Tsounakas, Lily Seo,
Nizhoni Begay, Dr. Williams, McKayla
Serrano, Pastor Alexander and Brianni
Mason.
Katia Gaona, Kat Nino, and
Erin Badger
Library Happenings
T
he library celebrated Black History
Month with a display about famous
African American figures, such as Rosa
Parks, Barack Obama, Martin Luther
King Jr, and Misty Copeland. Fantastic
books were on display all month, including
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison,
Marching For Freedom by Elizabeth
Partridge, and Courage Has No Color: The
True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s
First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee
Stone. Thank you to the library student
volunteers for all their hard work putting
this wonderful display together!
8
Around Campus
Davidson Respite House
O
nce again Sophomores volunteered
their time to help out the Davidson
Respite House, the only non-profit care
facility for children with any type of
disability in the state of Texas. The
children who stay there are provided a
temporary refuge from mistreatment and
neglect. The staff are all very patient and
caring and become the children’s’ family for
a period of 90 days, sometimes even longer.
Since the Davidson Respite House is nonprofit, IWHS Sophomores schedule three
Saturdays every year to offer help. On this
trip, the last for this school year,
Sophomores helped rake leaves and pull
weeds to help maintain the lawn of the
main house and a few of their houses for
foster families on the same street. The girls
also met some of the children and spent
time playing and interacting with them.
After a morning of working, they cleaned
up all the leaves and weeds and saved the
Davidson Respite House some money that
they can now put to better use.
Thank you, Mrs. Gonzales, who planned
this event and accompanies the students on
every visit.
—Contributed by Isabella Lopez
Board Game Fun
On Wed. C, students may
join in on the fun to play
board games in the loft
from 3:20 - 4:45. Everyone
is welcome - students, staff,
faculty! Rachel Coutinho is
the student Governor of the
Activity. Get your nose out
of a tablet and come play a
game you can feel, touch,
sense and enjoy in the loft!
We play Sorry, Life,
Stratego, Ticket to Ride
USA, Ticket to Ride
Europe, Jenga, Imagine If,
Taboo, Scrabble, Apples to
Apples, and many others!
Robotics
A
SHAMROCK SHOUT OUT goes to the
Robotics teams and Mrs. McChesney,
who hosted the Alamo Hill Country League
Championships for FIRST Tech Challenge
division. It was a two day event on Feb. 56. This was the first time IWHS has hosted a
robotics competition.
Thank you to Mr. and Mrs.
Allison who cooked food for
the judges and all the parents
who have provided food
throughout the year.
9
Parents in the Know
School Administrators
Jennifer Salazar
Principal
(210) 829-3107
[email protected]
TBD
Vice-Principal of Student
Academics
(210) 829-3105
Dr. Langston Williams Jr.
Vice-Principal of Student Affairs
(210) 829-3106
[email protected]
April Fricke
Athletics Director
(210) 829-3122
[email protected]
Carli Valverde
Director of Enrollment
(210) 829-3123
[email protected]
Audra Cardona
Director of Campus Ministry
(210) 829-3121
[email protected]
IWHS Jewelry
Name Your Prize Raffle
The IWHS Alumnae Association is
selling IW Silver Pendants and
Shamrock Rings. Proceeds benefit IWHS
scholarships. Large Pendants $65, Med.
Pendants $45,
Shamrock Rings $60.
Currently, these
items are on sale in
the Advancement
office and online. For
more information
call 210-829-3103 or
email
[email protected].
Name Your Prize Raffle Only 350 will be sold
in this limited entry raffle. Tickets are $50 per
chance. The drawing will be held at the IWHS
Silver Tea, May 1. Ticket order forms may be
requested by emailing Cybele Bolado at
[email protected].
EARLY DISMISSALS: Any student
leaving early must bring a parent or
guardian note to her advisor first
thing in the a.m. or to the main office.
Students must come to the office for
early dismissal. Parents, please
arrange a time with your student to
meet you in the office. The staff will
no longer locate or call a student
from class. Demerits will be issued to
those students who have to be located.
Thank you PTO for honoring the
students and faculty on Feb. 3 & 4.
The students loved the cupcakes and
we loved the lunch!
Stephanie Denning
Director of Development
(210) 832-2143
[email protected]
Debbie Zielins
Registrar
(210) 829-3112
[email protected]
Cybele Bolado ‘86
Director of Alumnae Relations
(210) 829-3103
[email protected]
Liz Valerio
Residence Life Coordinator
(210) 841-7403
[email protected]
Math Tutoring
Sr. Christine Stavinoha,
CCVI
Mission Integration
[email protected]
Like us on
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Monday & Wednesday
The deadline to apply for
tuition assistance is Friday,
July 15, 2016.
Geometry
Precalculus, Algebra I & II
Tuesday
Precalculus, Algebra I & II
Geometry
4:00-6:00 PM
4:30-6:00 PM
4:00-6:00 PM
4:30-6:00 PM
10
Parent-Teacher Organization
PTO Set for Another Successful Year
Incarnate Word High School Community,
2015 -2016 Board
Executive Officers
President
Linda Villarreal ’84
Vice-President
Maria Resendiz
Recording Secretary
Caroline Du
Treasurer
Ana Cobian Rodriguez
Faculty Representative
Deborah Quinones
PTO Committee Chairs
Athletic Committee Rep.
Ken Palacios &
Anastasia McKenna
Campus Beautification
Bill Pfeiffer
Communications
Janelle Adams ’89
Father/Daughter Banquet
Oswaldo Camarena
Carlos Rodriguez
Mother/Daughter Luncheon
Andrea Gonzalez '88
Annette Reyes
Shamrock Network
Angela Garcia
Social Committee
Lorena Contreras ’90
Lisa Lopez
Spirit Shoppe
Melissa Barrett
Student Spirit Activities
Loretta Medina
Maria Resendiz
Mary Sullivan ’85
Teacher Appreciation
Patsy Anderson ’84
Yvonne Grothues ’86
Jean Hebert
Volunteer Coordinator
Delia Thomas
Word Day
Roberta Palmer
The days of February just flew by… and we even had the extra day this year. We
enter March with the anticipation of Spring Break and Easter celebrations, so no doubt
this will be another month that will pass quickly. PTO wishes you perseverance
through your Lenten commitments, safe travels if you journey during Spring Break and
a blessed celebration with family during the Easter season.
Congratulations and gratitude is in order for Andrea Gonzalez and Annette Reyes,
their sub-committee chairs and numerous volunteers for a lovely Mother/Daughter
Banquet. “A Tale as Old as Time” honored the love between mothers and daughters.
All were delighted with an Irish blessing sung by Monsignor O’Gorman at the end of
Mass, and fairytale princesses, Cinderella, Belle and Elsa, captured the hearts of our
teenage daughters throughout the banquet. So many extra special touches were
incorporated into the day, but the biggest surprise was lunch being served by flaming
candlesticks to the music “Be Our Guest” from Beauty And The Beast, for the 517 in
attendance. We all took away special memories from this IWHS tradition “as old as
time.”
Just last week, Shamrock Network worked the PTO table at incoming Freshmen
Registration. Over the course of three days, we welcomed nearly 150 girls and their
parents into our Shamrock Family. And later in June, Shamrock Network will host a
mixer to get these young ladies and their parents ready for the start of the 2016/2017
school year. Please watch for your daughter’s registration packet early in March. You
too will be invited to sign up to assist PTO throughout the school year. Please complete
your Parent Volunteer Form and return to the school at your earliest convenience. PTO
counts on your involvement throughout the year.
Word Day is just a few days away and begins the start of Spring Break week. All are
looking forward to the tradition of field games and tug-o-war among classes, with the
highlighted completion of tug-o-war against the faculty. Roberta Palmer is our parent
volunteer coordinator for the day with 55 helpful parents on hand to assist. PTO is
grateful for Roberta’s efforts, as well as assistant athletic director Coach Trevino, for
this day to be filled with laughter and memories. Last year, the event was canceled for
bad weather, so please; everyone pray for a glorious, sunshine day on March 11.
One last bit of PTO information to pass along is our collective decision to once again
support four girls in Tanzania with scholarships in the amount of $ 250 each for a year
of high school. This Lenten Project is taking place throughout our school, and reminds
us of the blessing we share to empower young women through education not just at
IWHS, but in Africa as well.
Praise be the Incarnate Word,
Linda
Linda Villarreal ‘84
IWHS PTO President
Community Rosary in the IWHS Chapel
Parents, Students, Administration, Faculty & Staff
Wednesday 7:30 - 8:00 a.m.
All are welcome to recite the Rosary
with Sr. Christine.
11
Shamrock Showcase
We hope that you have
enjoyed the first <name
of paper> and we hope
that these stories were
refreshing for you and a
reminder of all the good
things that are happening within our school
community at IWHS. We
invite you to send alumnae updates, student
news and accomplishments along with photos
so that we can share
your success with others.
Track Attended Mass & Lunch on Feb. 2
12