November 2015 Newsletter - Albertus Magnus High School

November 2015
Albertus Magnus High School, Bardonia, NY
Robert J. Gomprecht, President
Volume 56 Number 2
Chris Power, Principal
Albertus Magnus High School has always
prayed for the fallen police officers and firefighters of
New York. Mr. Robert Gomprecht, our new President,
begins a new tradition at Albertus. In addition to
prayers for the fallen and their families, our school will
also be flying the police or firefighter memorial flags on
both flagpoles under the American flag. We will pray
for the fallen and fly the memorial flag whenever a police officer or firefighter is killed in the line of duty in
this country. This is a sad tradition but one that is congruent with our mission and faith.
On Friday, October 23rd, the memorial flag was
hung in honor of Police Officer Randolph Holder, the
33 year old New York City police officer that was shot
and killed in a gun battle while pursuing a suspect.
We recognize his sacrifice by flying the police
memorial flag.
Mr. Gomprecht invited students of active and retired police officers and firefighters down to the
Rotunda and a picture was taken.
We are proud to have so many police and firefighters in our Albertus Magnus family!
National Honor Society
Emily Auld
Michelle Barry
Kyra Berkner
Casey Bischoff
Isabella Bono
Megan Bragaglia
Brendan Callahan
Erin Ciborowski
Erin Curley
Kelly DeVizio
Paulina Dore
Edward Faro
Maria Fernandes
Mary Gavin
Reilly Golden
Matthew Grieco
Samantha Heavner
Gleyra Herrera
Gabriel Lara
James Musngi
Emily Nealon
Timothy O’Connor
Jacklyn Onody
Michael Padron
Jason Pappalardo
Katherine Reilly
Stephen Rodriguez
Giordana Scaffidi
Jessica Stagnari
Stephen Storms
Ashley Tortorella
Carly Winchell
Heba Yacoub
Chelsea Yagel
MATH HONOR SOCIETY
SCIENCE HONOR SOCIETY
Emily Auld
Michelle Barry
Megan Bragaglia
Erin Ciborowski
Erin Curley
Paulina Dore
Maria Fernandes
Mary Gavin
Reilly Golden
Matthew Grieco
Samantha Heavner
Samantha Joseph
Emily Nealon
Timothy O’Connor
Jacklyn Onody
Michael Padron
Jason Pappalardo
Katherine Reilly
Carly Winchell
Heba Yacoub
Chelsea Yagel
Emily Auld
Michelle Barry
Casey Bischoff
Brendan Callahan
Joseph Campitiello
Paulina Dore
Maria Fernandes
Reilly Golden
Matthew Grieco
Samantha Heavner
Gabriel Lara
James Musngi
Timothy O’Connor
Jacklyn Onody
Michael Padron
Jason Pappalardo
Katherine Reilly
Hugo Rodriguez
Jessica Stagnari
Stephen Storms
Ashley Tortorella
Carly Winchell
Chelsea Yagel
David Yakal III
ITALIAN HONOR SOCIETY
MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY
Michelle Barry
Isabella Bono
Megan Bragaglia
Paulina Dore
Gleyra Herrera
Timothy O’Connor
Ashley Tortorella
Chelsea Yagel
FRENCH HONOR SOCIETY
Reilly Golden
Mary Gavin
Addie Gerber
Reilly Golden
Joseph Hahnenfeld
Samantha Heavner
Derek Kelly
Kelly Nicholson
Dominique Smith
ENGLISH HONOR SOCIETY
Emily Auld
Michelle Barry
Kyra Berkner
Olivia Berkner
Casey Bischoff
Isabella Bono
Megan Bragaglia
Brendan Callahan
Erin Ciborowski
Zachary Cunillera
Erin Curley
Kelly DeVizio
Paulina Dore
Edward Faro
Maria Fernandes
Mary Gavin
Reilly Golden
Matthew Grieco
Lillian Haltner
Matthew Hawker
Samantha Heavner
Gleyra Herrera
Samantha Joseph
Gabriel Lara
Alex LoPresti
James Musngi
Emily Nealon
Timothy O’Connor
Jacklyn Onody
Michael Padron
Jason Pappalardo
Katherine Reilly
Jordan Rivera
Stephen Rodriguez
Giordana Scaffidi
Jessica Stagnari
Stephen Storms
Ashley Tortorella
Carly Winchell
Heba Yacoub
Chelsea Yagel
SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY
Emily Auld
Kyra Berkner
Olivia Berkner
Casey Bischoff
Brendan Callahan
Joseph Campitiello
Erin Curley
Kelly DeVizio
Edward Faro
Maria Fernandes
Mary Gavin
Matthew Grieco
Annalise Gutenberger
Samantha Heavner
Mathew Herrera
Brendan Hilliard
Angela Koza
Gabriel Lara
Katarina Lopez
Steven Mosquea
James Musngi
Emily Nealon
Jacklyn Onody
Christopher Ott
Michael Padron
Katherine Reilly
Jordan Rivera
Hugo Rodriguez
Stephen Rodriguez
Giordana Scaffidi
Dominique Smith
Jessica Stagnari
Stephen Storms
Joshua Torchon
Carly Winchell
SOCIAL STUDIES HONOR SOCIETY
Emily Auld
Michelle Barry
Kyra Berkner
Casey Bischoff
Isabella Bono
Megan Bragaglia
Brendan Callahan
Joseph Campitiello
Erin Ciborowski
Zachary Cunillera
Erin Curley
Kelly DeVizio
Paulina Dore
Edward Faro
Maria Fernandes
Tonny Francois
Mary Gavin
Andrew Gerber
Reilly Golden
Matthew Grieco
Annalise Gutenberger
Matthew Hawker
Samantha Heavner
Gleyra Herrera
Brendan Hilliar
Allison Holandez
Theresa Hutton
Gabriel Lara
Alex LoPresti
Kendra Mayne
Richard Michel
Emily Nealon
Timothy O’Connor
Jacklyn Onody
Christopher Ott
Michael Padron
Jason Pappalardo
Katherine Reilly
Liam Ridge
Stephen Rodriguez
Giordana Scaffidi
Amanda Silvestri
Jessica Stagnari
Stephen Storms
Ashley Tortorella
Carly Winchell
Dylan Winchell
Heba Yacoub
Chelsea Yagel
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SAVE THE DATE
Night at the Races - Friday, November 13, 2015 - flyer - - - Click Here to buy tickets
Pocketbook Bingo - Thursday, December 3, 2015 - flyer - - Christmas Boutique - Saturday, December 12, 2015 - 10am-4:30pm - flyer
FROM THE OFFICE OF CAMPUS MINISTRY
Nature is telling us we are in the season of change. Trees have gone from verdant green to blazing red, yellow and gold and a chill kisses the once warm air. Here at Albertus we witness change as well.
Freshmen no longer wonder where their classrooms are, students have settled into their schedules, winter
uniforms are now the norm and many familiar activities are in full swing.
October saw over 25 Albertus students stand for the unborn at the Life Chain held in Nanuet and
we have been praying a decade of the rosary during each lunch period for the unborn. Our freshman
class attended their retreat day at Stony Point Center accompanied by their junior and senior mentors.
Our AM preaching Team held its first meeting and talked about activities for the year and we have made a
public statement against bullying at Mass.
Now we enter into November, the month when we reflect on our blessings and give thanks for what
we have while looking out for our sisters and brothers in need. On November 2 nd we will kick-off our annual food drive for those in need in Rockland County. This runs from November 2 nd-18th. Last year we provided 70 food baskets to local families and would love to exceed that number this year. Our junior class
will be preparing for their Midnight Run on November 13 th and we close out the month with our annual
Grandparent’s/Thanksgiving Mass on November 25th.
Last but not least I would like to congratulate the seniors who helped prepare for and attend the
Midnight Run on October 16th. It is difficult to put into words the impact this outreach has on all involved. I
invite you to read a reflection submitted by our senior Emily Auld on her experience.
Senior Midnight Run Reflection
When I was a sophomore, I went on my first midnight run with Albertus. It was in the middle of winter, and it was absolutely freezing. I had what I would call ‘the standard experience.’ I gave out a few
sandwiches and jackets, stood around blowing into my hands for ten minutes, and then hopped back into
my friend’s Cadillac to head to the next stop and go through the same routine. Part of me was afraid to
talk to anyone we met; I was afraid I would not know what to say, or how to say it, or the situation would
become uncomfortable. I struggled to connect to the experience, and found that I forgot about it soon after
I wrote my reflection and received my service hours.
This year, I discovered that a midnight run is a lot more than going into the city on a Friday night
with friends and handing someone a pair of shoes. There are millions of people out there just like me, who
have the same interests and passions and talents, except they do not have a room and a fridge and a bed
and a comforter to wrap themselves up in at the end of the day when it gets cold and windy. This year, I
told myself that I was going to get the most out of my midnight run experience and reach out to the people
I interacted with.
It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, and it is because I met Molly.
I am currently in Spanish Literature and Language with Mrs. Santos, and the weekend of my midnight run, I had to finish a project on a Latin American author, whom I picked randomly out of a list given
to us. I chose a lady named Julia Alvarez, who was born in 1950, of Dominican descent. I quickly fell in
love with Julia and discovered that she is the older version of me: she loves creative writing, and she is a
vegetarian who grows her own produce and raises animals on a farm in Vermont, one of my most
FROM THE OFFICE OF CAMPUS MINISTRY
favorite states. I told myself that I must read some of Julia’s work when I have time, even though before
my project, I had never heard of her.
On our second midnight run stop, we found two women sitting in an alcove near a McDonalds, and
started to bring them clothes and food. I noticed, upon closer inspection, that one of the ladies was reading, and I was shocked to see that the spine of the book said JULIA ALVAREZ. “Excuse me,” I said to the
woman, “but is that Julia Alvarez you’re reading?” She turned the cover of the book towards me. “Yes.”
she answered. It was In The Time of The Butterflies, Julia’s most famous work on the Maribel sisters and
their underground society in the Dominican Republic to overthrow Trujillo, the communist dictator at the
time. I bent down beside her to tell her that I was doing a project on Julia Alvarez, and when my legs were
tired, I sat down next to her.
Her name was Molly, and she was thoroughly interested in my Spanish project and my knowledge
on Julia Alvarez. I found out that she was a literature major in college, and since I intend to pursue English
literature in college, I was unbelievably excited. We talked about books I’ve read in school, from Madame
Bovary to Frankenstein to Shakespeare and The Kite Runner, one of my favorite books, which Molly
agrees with. Behind her was a giant bag, which she said was filled with books. She was an incredibly intelligent, knowledgeable woman, well versed in all famous literature, to my delight. I am more of a morning
person than a night person, and I was almost falling asleep in the car before we got to Molly’s stop. After I
finished talking to her, I was energized, impassioned, and touched. Homeless people are not a category of
human beings. They come from all walks of life, and they are smart, friendly, and wonderful to be around.
It was difficult for me to leave Molly when it was time to move on, because I could have talked to her forever. She was not a homeless person. She was just a person, who was not as fortunate as I was, but who
appreciated good literature and had a mind that worked a whole lot like mine.
It still amazes me that out of all the authors and books, she was reading the author I had chosen
and was researching while I met her. It is an experience that does not go away, that changed my perspective on homelessness. I will never talk to Molly again, nor will I most likely have another encounter like that
on any midnight run I ever go on. But the beauty is that it is impossible to know who will be placed in my
path along the way.
At Molly’s stop, I met another woman with a cat. She told me she was a vegan, that she did not
drink or do drugs, and she took the best care of her cat possible and never used the cat for extra money. I
cannot describe it any other way than humbling.
I was worried about going on the midnight run because I had a meet the next day, and I was afraid
my legs would be tired. I ran one of the best races of my life that Saturday, 19 minutes and 43 seconds for
3.1 miles. I am so grateful to have gone my last year of high school because I cannot imagine graduating
without the memory. The reason, I believe, that this was so special for me was that I saw pieces of myself
in the people I met, and although I cannot thank them fully for that, I feel that this honors them just a little.
May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving and be assured that you are held with gratitude for all that you do to support the many facets of Campus Ministry.
- submitted by Sr. Nancy Richter, O. P.
SPANISH CLASS FIELD TRIP
Mrs. Myers’ Spanish 4 classes took a field trip to the
Bronx Botanical Gardens to visit the Frida Kahlo exposition. The students have been studying Kahlo’s
life and artwork for several weeks. Frida Kahlo was
a famous painter that is known for her use of vibrant
colors and depiction of Mexican culture. She frequently painted self-portraits and exposed her
dreams and personal thoughts. She was married to
the famous muralist, Diego Rivera. The students enjoyed walking through the conservatory and learning
about the Aztec culture with the replication of Kahlo’s
Blue House. They also viewed the gallery of Kahlo’s
14 original sketches and paintings.
-submitted by Mrs. Kristin Myers
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MUSIC NOTES
LIFE IS A CABARET
Members of the Band and Veritas performed at both of our Open House events this year. They really
added to the spirit of the day!
COOKIES FOR YOU, COOKIES FOR ME
Thanks for your support for our annual Cookie Dough Fundraiser! It was a great success and the
funds raised will go towards advancement in the Music Department! Delivery will be on Thursday, November 19th, just in time for Thanksgiving!
EVERYBODY CUT FOOTLOOSE:
The 2016 Spring Musical has been announced: FOOTLOOSE! Mark your calendars--performances
will be on March 18, 19, 20, 2016.
- submitted by Mrs. Nadia Rizzo
ATHLETICS
The Girls Varsity Soccer team ended their regular season schedule with a 13-2-1
overall record. The team received the 2nd seed in the Section 1 Class B tournament. After having a bye in the 1st round, the Lady Falcons played their Quarter-Final game at home vs. Hastings High
School. The Lady Falcons won 3-0 behind goals from Val Monaco, Jenna Vogelsang, and Hope
Kehoe. Victoria McNamara had two assists in the victory. The Girls Soccer team has now reached
the Section 1 Class B Semi-Finals for a fifth consecutive season!
The Lady Falcons will host the 3rd seeded Bronxville Broncos on Thursday, October 29, 2015 at
3:00pm! We wish the team the best of luck in their journey for a Class B Section Championship!
-submitted by Coach Gavin
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The Falcons Football Team have won their last 3
games including Homecoming vs. Hastings 28-0, a playoff
qualifying win at home vs. Blind Brook HS 36-12, and a
Class B Quarter Final win 10-3 @ Ardsley HS! The football
team has had amazing performances by the entire offensive
and defensive lines which includes players:
Stephen Storms, Joe Saraiva, Matt Sullivan, John Tobin,
Terry Abraham, Jake Holland, and Anthony Tafuri. Seniors Dalton Newbury, and John Tobin along with Junior
Collin Crispino have lead the Falcon Defense. The tough
running and scoring of Senior Running Back Albie Argenio
has really kept the Falcons flying high. Sophomores Benny
Storms the falcons QB, Kyle Ten Eyck, Aidan Condon,
and Michael Kehoe have shown great promise as well! The
Falcon Defense completely shut down Ardsley racking up 6
sacks and 4 interceptions! The Magnus footballers were featured on the MSG Varsity show Quick Hits
which included video highlights of the team... Head Coach Paul Villanueva and Defensive Coach
Matt Barry received "Coach of The Week" honors on Lohud (The Journal News) and MSG Varsity.com.
The Falcons move into the final four as they Face Westlake in the Semifinal game Saturday Oct. 31st.
-submitted by Coach Villanueva
GO FALCONS!
Annual
Mass of Thanksgiving
Honoring Grandparents
Wednesday, November 25th
9:00 AM
Tom Collins Gymnasium
Please join us for our eleventh annual Thanksgiving Mass honoring the contributions
and love grandparents provide for our students and families.
Grandparents are most welcome and we hope that all will be able to attend!
Mass will begin at 9:00AM and will be followed by a continental breakfast.
Please complete intentions for our living and deceased grandparents and return as soon as possible.
Celebrate the joy of the Thanksgiving season by coming together as a community and
giving thanks for those we love!
Grandparents Names
Living
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
# of outside guests attending:_____
Deceased
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
The Albertus Christmas Boutique is back! Come join us celebrate the Christmas season
with carols, music, goodies, shopping and fun on Saturday, December 12, 2015. Doors
open at 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM. There is a $2 donation entrance fee for those over the age
of 14. This is our fifth year of the Boutique and we are growing rapidly. Last year we
rented 120 spaces (up from 32 just a few short years ago) to vendors with products certain
to help you fill those Christmas stockings and assist you to cross off items on your shopping list! Children may
visit with Santa at our North Pole and even get their picture taken for a nominal fee of $5.00. We provide free
babysitting while you shop! You can write a letter to Santa, or a thank you and Christmas message to the
troops. We have plenty of items to raffle from generous donations from our Vendors and three 50/50 ticket
sales!
All funds raised go to the school and we need everyone’s help to be successful! We are seeking people to assemble registration packets, greeters, and we need a new Santa – we have the suit! We need students, moms,
dads, faculty and staff to be helpers for the North Pole, the food stand, admissions, security, parking, clean up
on Saturday, students to assist unloading and loading of Vendors’ products for speedier service, publicity, advertising. Adults are needed to relieve vendors while they take a break and to sell raffle tickets during the day
and collect and display the many amazing donations.
Students receive service credit for their hours worked over the two days.
We have a wonderful day, so come on out and join us while we celebrate some of the Christmas holiday at
AMHS. We receive so much positive feedback from people who have never been to AMHS before and experience the Falcon school spirit for the first time. They compliment our students and get to see firsthand what the
real difference is when you give your teen an alternative environment in which to learn.
We have two meetings scheduled for volunteers to meet one another, establish committees, and make new
friends as parents of AMHS students. November 4 at 7 PM and December 7 at 7 PM in the cafeteria. The
more people who volunteer – the more shopping the rest of us can do! There is plenty of time during the day to
do it all. For more information, or to volunteer, please contact us at [email protected].
We still have some Vendor spaces available, but they are filling up quickly. If you are interested in an application, please request one via the email address above.
Samples of products currently registered include: The official AMHS Christmas Ornament, jewelry, ponchos,
suede clothing, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, wooden toys, scarves, personal care and
make up products, complimentary massages, pre-packaged seasonings, 50’s and 60’s music CDs, children’s
books, local children’s author at AMHS to sign and promote her book, sun catchers, gourd creations, gem trees,
lighted glass decorative bottles and ice blocks, nail wraps, biscotti, hand bags, Murano glass, fabric holiday door
covers, kitchenware, wreaths and centerpieces, knitted, embroidered, monogrammed, quilted, crocheted and
sewn items, furniture, home dec, plants, officially licensed sport apparel and souvenirs, beaded eyeglass holders, lavender and goat milk creams and balms, Irish sweaters, Celtic jewelry, stained
glass, gift baskets with more applications accepted every day!
DATES TO REMEMBER
Sunday, November 1
-
Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 2—18
-
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Tuesday, November 3
-
Election Day/Staff Development Day
No Student Attendance
Friday, November 6
-
COOP Exam—No Student Attendance
Saturday, November 7
-
SAT Exam
Wednesday, November 11
-
Veteran’s Day—School Closed
Winter Sports Begin
Friday, November 13
-
Hunger Awareness Mass
Junior Midnight Run - Report Cards Mailed
Night at the Races—7:00 pm— flyer Buy tickets
Sunday, November 15
-
Feast of St. Albert the Great
Wednesday, November 25
-
Grandparent’s Thanksgiving Mass 9:00 am
Dismissal at 10:00 am
November 26—November 27
-
Thanksgiving Recess
Friday, November 27
-
Richard McNichols Tournament—Girls
Saturday, November 28
-
Richard McNichols Tournament—Girls
Monday, December 1
-
Classes Resume—Toy Drive Begins
Thursday, December 3
-
Pocketbook Bingo—6:30 pm—flyer
Friday, December 4
-
Freshman/Sophomore Christmas Dance
Tuesday, December 8
-
Mass—Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Friday, December 11
-
Progress Reports Mailed
Junior/Senior Christmas Dance
Saturday, December 12
-
Christmas Boutique—10:00am-4:30pm—flyer
Monday, December 14
-
Toy Drive Ends
Tuesday, December 22
-
Christmas Liturgy Mass—Dismissal 10:00 am