Dec. 2015 - St. Mary`s Preparatory

December 2015/January 2016
December 6
Chancellor’s
Christmas Concert
6 PM Shrine Chapel
December 9
Late Start 8:30 AM
December 13
Chancellor’s Senate
6 PM Pine Lake CC
December 15-18
Midterm Exams
7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
December 21-January 4
NO SCHOOL
Christmas Break
January 5
Classes Resume
January 10
Sophomore Class Mass
11 AM Shrine Chapel
January 12
Blood Drive 8 AM
Late Start 8:30 AM
January 18
NO SCHOOL
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21
Protecting God’s Children
Workshop 7:30 PM
January 24
Freshman Class Mass
11 AM Shrine Chapel
January 28
Moms & Dads Club
General Meeting 6:00 PM
January 31-February 6
Catholic Schools Week
VOLUME 14, NO. 3
ith the holiday season fast approaching, December is a time to reflect on all
that we are thankful for.
Neil and I are thankful for:
• The administrative staff who not only support the school but love our boys.
• The teachers who have a passion for guiding our boys to reach their full
academic potential.
• The parents who tirelessly volunteer their time, energy, and talents to help
make St. Mary’s the wonderful school that it is.
• The Moms & Dads Club and Committee Chairs who have unselfishly
dedicated so much of their time to serve St. Mary’s. We appreciate you so very much.
The holidays are also a time to
reflect on family and our precious
connections to each other. Family is
more than those we are related to
by birth or choice. It extends to an
ever-widening circle of close friends
and colleagues—all those who touch
our lives in a meaningful way. St.
Mary’s is a family. We share not just
a vital mission, but also a passion to
make the world a better place for
our boys. That passion and our
commitment binds us together as a
family and, yes, it can influence who
we are as people.
Nick and Alisha Hamblen, Pete O'Donnell and Kristin Harris, Dave and Jane Buckley,
Neil and Julie Fenzel, Marty and Holly McDonald, John and Maureen Kozicki,
Dan and Sharon McIsaac, Mark and Ann McKeen
As we reflect this holiday season on the blessings in our lives, we are thankful
for our St Mary’s family. We come in all shapes and sizes, speak many different
languages, and uphold diverse traditions, but our connection is very real. These
families have been by our side since freshman year and I know that this will not
change after our boys graduate in 2016. Your friendship means more to us than
you will ever know.
As we head into the holiday season, we want to let you know just how much we
truly value and appreciate your time and dedication. You are the heart of
Moms & Dads Club, and we are thankful for you!
We Are St. Mary’s!!
ST. MARY’S MOMS & DADS CLUB
1
he holy season of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year is
upon us. The Advent season is a season of preparation and hope. When we
look at the readings of the Advent season, it becomes evident that one of
the main people of this season is St. John the Baptist. St. John was the
one who came to call the people to repentance and prayer. He is the one who
encouraged the people to not lose hope, to believe that salvation was near. He
is the one who said “He must increase and I must decrease.” He did all in his
power by word and deed to prepare the people for the coming of the long
expected Savior.
The world in which we live is in desperate need of the example of St. John
the Baptist. We need someone to challenge us, call us to repentance and to
give us hope. The society in which we function has lost a sense of the sacred.
Secular humanism has become the norm. The holy season of Advent is lost because the “consumerist culture”
around us already begins celebrating Christmas in September! The sense of preparing spiritually for the
commemoration of the birth of Christ as well as for His Second Coming in glory is barely given any thought.
All of us can do our part by being like St. John the Baptist and refusing to give into the consumerist culture
that seeks to secularize this most holy time of year. Perhaps we can start by taking the Christmas Pledge:
A CHRISTMAS PLEDGE
On my honor, I will do my best
to promote the CHRISTmas Tradition.
I will incorporate, use the word-“CHRISTmas”:
in my CHRISTmas Greetings, and Conversation;
in my CHRISTmas cards; CHRISTmas stamps;
and every appropriate CHRISTmas way.
This I pledge to CHRIST, my Lord.
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy Holiday!
May you and your families have a happy, holy, and blessed Christmas and a grace-filled New Year! And as we
say in Polish: WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT BOŻEGO NARODZENIA i SZCZĘŚLIWEGO NOWEGO ROKU!
Moms & Dads Club
General Membership Meeting
Thursday, January 28th • 6:00 PM • Prep Dining Hall
6:00-6:30 PM: Wine & Cheese / Cookies & Coffee — 6:30 PM: Meeting called to order
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016
WHAT A GRAND NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM!!
The 2015 Auction Committee would like to thank all of our wonderful families, faculty & staff, alumni,
alumni parents, and friends of St. Mary’s for your contributions which helped make this year’s auction a huge
success!! You are what makes St. Mary’s unique, not only for the brotherhood that our boys share, but also
the lifelong friendships we form as our sons journey through the Prep. We appreciate each and every one of
you…we are truly blessed!
We would like to thank the Board of Regents members who were able join us for this grand evening, as well as
those who made donations and placed ads in our program. We sincerely appreciate your support!
We would also like to recognize and thank all our Chairs who not only made this event possible, but also made
it a pleasure…we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We couldn’t do it without you who have worked
tirelessly throughout the past several months preparing for this event!
2015 OLSM Auction Team: Andrea Dean, Andrea Shea, Ann Allen, Ann Rabban, Beth Sinclair, Bev Robson,
Catherine Pincheck, Christy Ebbert, Cindi Scarsella, Debbie Lynch, Dena Knoll, Elaine Moloney, Gayle
McGregor, Glori Macias, Greg Nelson, Janie Vitek, Jason Conley, Jeffrey Furmaga, Jennifer King, Jill Dorough,
Julie Kingston, Kara Page, Kathie Ambrose, Kathy Walsh, Kelly Vaughan, Kim Ruckhaber, Kim Dabney, Kristen
Cianci, Leslie Cochran, Lisa Lopatin, Lynn Gillow, Marisa Hickson, Matt Czmer, Matt Kobliska, Michele Reszczyk,
Mike Oatman, Mike Vitek, Pauline Beckett, Ricki Purdy, Rick Rudofski, Sharon McIsaac, Stacey Pelkey,
Stephanie Kallen, Tammy Hewitson, Tiffany Stolzenfeld, Tina Lau, Todd Sinclair, Traci Shook, Trish Spengler,
Valerie Cloud and Vince Grainer.
If you were unable to attend and would like to support the St. Mary’s mission, visit the WE ARE ST. MARY’S
online funding campaign at www.WeAreStMarys.com.
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Lynn and family on the arrival of their beautiful baby boy and future Eaglet!!
We wish everyone a blessed Christmas season and a prosperous New Year!
God bless you abundantly!
With sincere gratitude,
Rusty & Renée Korhonen and the 2015 Auction Committee
WE ARE ST. MARY’S – THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS!
ST. MARY’S MOMS & DADS CLUB 3
G
reetings Class of 2016!
I hope that this holiday season finds you happy
and healthy and anticipating time with family and
other loved ones. As we count our blessings this year, we
are grateful to be part of this amazing class. Thank you for
all you do to make St. Mary’s Prep a true family in faith,
hope and love.
For those who may not have seen the email, we are
adopting a family to help during the holiday season. This
is such an amazing cause to participate in. We are all so
blessed in so many ways. What better way to show our
graciousness then to pass our blessings on to someone else
and help make their holidays a little brighter. Should you
have any questions as to what is still needed, please
contact Ann Bonde, who is heading it up for the senior
class again this year. Thanks Ann!
Finally, good luck to our boys as they take their final
winter high school exams and to those who are still
waiting their acceptance letters into their desired colleges
and universities. Hopefully Santa will grant their wish!
May God bless each of you and your families during this
Holiday Season and into the New Year!
—Alisha & Nick Hamblen, Senior Class Reps
[email protected] /[email protected]
I
t's hard to believe that the 1st semester is coming to a
close and the Holiday season is upon us. It seems like
just yesterday that we were welcoming the new school
year in and now we are half way through. A huge
thank you to all that have made this half year such a
success and has made St. Mary's such a wonderful place
to be!
Looking into the New Year, please note that the
Sophomore Class Mass will be on January 10, 2016. We
look forward to gathering together for Mass and breakfast
that day. Please look for an upcoming email with more
information regarding this special morning.
However you spend your Holiday Season, may you
experience Joy, Peace, Love, Harmony, as well as
wonderful memories with your family!
—Claudia & Steve Bean, Sophomore Class Reps
[email protected]
H
appy Thanksgiving…..Merry Christmas.....Happy
New Year!
It’s hard to believe that 2015 is coming to a close
very soon. The 3rd marking period is well underway with
finals approaching quickly. Where did the year go?
The highlight was by far the celebration of Ring Day on
Sunday October 19th. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday
morning with our boys looking so handsome in their
tuxedos and receiving their blessed rings. The day couldn’t
have been more perfect from the decorations in the dining
hall, chapel and banquet hall, and the organization of the
Sophomore parent volunteers, the beautiful ceremony and
traditional picture taking around the campus.
A huge thanks to the Ring Day chair people and the
many volunteers, without them this success would not
have been possible: Lynda Snage (Leja), Ann Schmid,
Mariko Yearn, Sherry Schnieder, Lauri Apelbacher and
Deanna Poniatowski. Also a huge thank you to the
parents of the Sophomore class of 2018 and next year’s
chairs, Christine Pincheck, Andrea Shea and Dena Knoll.
We could not have enjoyed this special day without you.
—Colleen & Bob Ameel, Junior Class Reps
[email protected] / [email protected]
M
erry Christmas and Happy New Year! The season for
giving is upon us and we certainly have been busy here
at St. Mary’s. Plans are well underway for the
Freshman class to support a family through the
Adopt-a-Family Program for Christmas at Children’s
Hospital in Detroit. The needs of these families are so great
and it takes some of the burden off of them at such a difficult
time. The children and their families THANK YOU from the
bottom of their heart, for your kindness and generosity!
By now you should have all received an invite to the
Freshman Mass and Brunch. This is a great way for us to
come together to thank God for all that he has blessed us
with. Please be sure to put the date of Sunday, January 24th
on your calendar! We will attend mass and join together
afterwards in the Prep dining hall for brunch. We have a
wonderful menu planned; we hope you will stop by to meet
some of your fellow Freshman class families. The cost is
$9.75 per person. Watch for reminders in the Parent Emails!
Congratulations to Rusty and Renee Korhonen and the
Auction Team for their tireless work and dedication on the
Auction. What a wonderful night of food and bidding it was!
Also, congratulations to the Lynn Family from the
Freshman class on the birth of their son Andrew Joseph.
What a wonderful gift to receive before the holidays! We wish
you much joy!
May God Bless each of your families,
—Lisa & Bill Gray, Freshmen Class Reps
[email protected]
44
A
DPRIL
ECEMBER
20152015 / JANUARY 2016
Cedar Point. Huh? Yes! Cedar Point. But what does that have to do with the annual Polish
Country Fair?
Most of you probably remember going to Cedar Point when you were younger; and/or now
you are taking your own children. One of the things I remember from going when I was a
youth is the advertising about the newest roller coaster for the upcoming year. I would always
ponder, “How can they possibly fit another coaster?” And sure enough, I would go and they
had somehow magically fit it in.
Well, from a Polish Country Fair standpoint, we have some new and
exciting things we plan to “fit in” for the 2016 event – which, by the
way, will be our 45th! So keep your eyes and ears open for more details
in the near future (isn’t anticipation such a wonderful thing?).
In the meantime, please know plans are well underway. Great bands
have been signed, scrumptious food has been planned, and all sorts of
other activities have already taken place to ensure the 45th will be the
best fair ever!
So enjoy your holidays with your family and friends, but make sure to
save a few dollars to spend at the event. In keeping with the spirit of
the Season of Giving, if you own, are part, or know of a company, organization, etc. that may be willing to be a sponsor, please pass that
information along to me. We would love to add to our sponsorship base
with some new donors this year.
If you are unsure as to why to pursue a sponsorship from someone, the answer is the PCF is
the largest annual fundraiser for St. Mary’s Preparatory. The funds raised enable us to keep
tuition as affordable as possible, provide maintenance and upkeep to the school grounds, and
contribute significantly to the financial means necessary to provide the best possible Catholic,
college preparatory, high school education for our boys. Please feel free to contact me if you
need assistance with any potential lead.
I wish you the best holiday season, prosperous and healthy New Year, and hope you have
enjoyed this Polish Country Fair “teaser”!
Kevin Foe
Chairman, St. Mary's Polish Country Fair
[email protected]
Boosters Annual Spirit Wear Sale a Success
Thank you to everyone who purchased Spirtwear and Christmas
poinsettias and greens.
We look forward to your continued support in the New Year!
-Boosters
ST. MARY’S MOMS & DADS CLUB 5
March for Life
We currently have 22 students representing
St. Mary’s in the March for Life trip in
Washington D.C. The trip will be in January of
2016. A big thank you to our adult chaperones,
Mrs. Rene Korhonen, and Prep teachers Ashley
Thomas and Mike Mullen.
Kairos Retreat
The Kairos Retreat is scheduled for December 1st – 4th at the Columbiere Retreat Center.
We are expecting upwards of 40 students to attend. A big thank you to two people who have
stepped up to help: Betsy Moran and Marcus Sheena.
Forthcoming Class Level Retreats
St. Mary’s Alumnus Marcus Sheena is being brought on board, by Campus Ministry, to help
facilitate and plan the retreats for the Prep. After we recover from Kairos, Marcus and I will
determine dates for grade-level Freshman and Sophomore retreats during the second semester.
Squires
We have applied for official entry as a Squires Circle, with the Knights of Columbus. We
have received word that we now have someone interested in becoming our “Chief
Counselor.” Once everything is in place, we will hold our Investiture Ceremony! In the
meantime, we have been given the approval to meet and conduct some service. Thus far, we
completed a few service activities and are currently scheduled to help with Thanksgiving
basket distribution at the Lighthouse in Pontiac.
Coats for Kids
Thanks to Candace Castiglione for spearheading this. We, as Prep employees, are
endeavoring to buy a number of coats for children in need from the area. Soon we will be
delivering coats to an organization run by the mother of a former alum.
RCIA
In January, Campus Ministry hopes to invite Deacon Francis King to
celebrate Mass with us. He is a Chinese American Deacon who we feel
could really connect with our Chinese students. He can also reach out to
those students who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic
through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program (RCIA).
Blessings for an enjoyable Christmas Season!
Paul Stuligross
Director of Campus Ministry
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016
OLSM SADD Chapter Becomes SMACK
Over the course of the past two years, the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter at
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s has brought speakers to campus, conducted a Red Ribbon Campaign around the
holiday season, provided Prom Pledges for students to party responsibly, and sent two delegations of
students to Shanty Creek Resort for the Student Leadership Services (SLS) Annual Statewide Leadership
Conference. At the start of the current school year, OLSM SADD officially rebranded itself under a new
name that is both specific to our campus and is indicative of our mission to serve as agents of change
within our communities. Saint Mary’s Actions Create Knowledge (SMACK) was officially launched on
September 30th during the announcements that follow Orchard Lake Schools' weekly campus-wide Mass.
Three SMACK students and
their advisor recently traveled to
Shanty Creek Resort for the 30th
Annual Student Leadership
Services State Conference.
Seniors Ryan McGorisk, Senior
Grant Reszczyk, Junior Michael
Stewart, and SMACK Advisor
Andy McEvoy joined SLS
Chapters from all across
Michigan on November 7th and
8th to learn about issues facing
high school students and develop
strategies for helping their peers
to make good choices. Orchard
Lake's SMACK Chapter
presented a workshop at the
Michael Stewart, Ryan McGorisk, Grant Reszczyk, SMACK Advisor Andy McEvoy
conference for the first time in
school history. "Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel" focused on the dangers of drowsy driving
and gave participants the opportunity to discuss some of the causes as well as create strategies for drowsy
driving prevention. The workshop went over so well that OLSM SMACK has been invited to present it
again at a one day conference to be held at Houghton Lake in Spring 2016.
Eighteen hours prior to presenting the workshop, SMACK Advisor Andy McEvoy was honored as the
2015 Student Leadership Services Advisor of the Year during the annual SLS Awards Ceremony. Mr.
McEvoy has been an SLS advisor at Orchard Lake St. Mary's for three years, but his involvement with
SADD-Michigan and Student Leadership Services dates back to attending his first SADD-Michigan State
Conference in 1993 as a high school junior. He was able to deliver a speech and presented a workshop the
following year as a member of the 1994-95 SADD-MI Student Advisory Board. He was very humbled to
receive the award, and was grateful that so many advisors that he has worked with over his twenty years
as a volunteer with Student Leadership Services were on hand at the 2015 Conference to help him
celebrate such a high honor.
Andy McEvoy
OLSM SMACK Chapter Advisor
St. Mary’s Bookstore Coupon
20% OFF • Nov. 13 – Dec. 18, 2015
Valid for the following:
Apparel, School Supplies, Religious Gifts & Memorabilia
Items Excluded:
Textbooks, Calculators, Food, Clearance Items.
Some gifts restrictions apply.
ST. MARY’S MOMS & DADS CLUB 7
Eaglets Get Past East Grand Rapids...Mother Nature
Orchard Lake St. Mary's Show Off Their School Spirit
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016