First through fourth-grade teachers at St. Thomas Aquinas School, Baltimore, were chosen as mentor teachers for College of Notre Dame of Maryland students in Baltimore for their 2009 Clinical Field Experience. Mary Cutter, Susan Smith, Madeline Coleman and Patti Latkowsky provided role modeling and guidance for college students Nicole Raymond, Katie Hauser, Maria Tannous and Kristen Tamulonis, who took part in school life for three weeks assisting teachers and working with students.
They described the school as “wonderful” reported Bonnie Russo, director of development, who said the mentors appreciated the extra help.
Over Presidents’ Day weekend, the St. Joseph, Eldersburg, youth group coordinated a furniture drive for community members. The group accepted and collected donations of used furniture in decent shape, stored it in the gym kitchen and in turn invited folks who needed furniture to “shop.” Volunteers performed minor repairs, scheduling, and furniture deliveries.
A student of St. Clement Mary Hofbauer, Rosedale, was selected as a Sports Ambassador to represent the U.S. in the 2009 Youth Friendship Games in Vienna, Austria. Zachary Herr, a soccer player for the Baltimore Soccer Academy, has been accepted into the People to People Sports Ambassador Program where this summer he will train for 10 days and compete on the U.S. boys 11-13 soccer team.
Zachary will work with international coaches to build athletic skills, and participate in a variety of activities on the trip, such as exploring cultural monuments.
Acceptance into the Sports Ambassador Program is an honor, wrote the sixth-grader’s mother Melissa Herr, in an e-mail to The Catholic Review. She said People to People Sports was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.
Rob Johns, a 1998 graduate of Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, has agreed to become a “baldee” in the St. Baldrick Foundation’s charity event, the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research.
Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family.
Mr. Johns’ group has organized a March 15 event at a restaurant in Middle River during which he and more than a dozen other “shavees” will go bald.
To sponsor a shavee or to become one, visit www.stbaldricks.org.
The kindergarten class at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ellicott City invited Father Lawrence P. Adamczyk, associate pastor, to join them for lunch and a chocolate chip cookie birthday cake in celebration of the priest’s 50th birthday. The children made him a special book titled “Happy Birthday, Father Larry;” he teaches their Religion class once a month.
As the weekly eighth-grade religion teacher, Father Adamczyk was presented with a new watch for his birthday by the eighth-graders.
Second-grade students at St. John Regional Catholic School, Frederick, have formed a partnership with senior citizen residence Homewood at Crumland Farms and visit twice a month. The Sunshine Readers take their favorite books and are paired up with seniors as they read together.
“It helps our students develop fluency,” said Karen Smith, principal, “but also helps to build bridges between the generations.”
A middle school group, Light of Hope, also visits Homewood after school each month to celebrate holidays, play bingo and do other playful activities with the seniors.
Eleven Loyola Blakefield, Towson, students have been commissioned as eucharistic ministers for their school: Ryan Ackerman, Sean Comber, Ben Galloway, Brendan Tizard, J.B. Montanye, Kris Wilson, Kevin Tomek, John Fiocco, Joseph Curran, Matthew Alonsozana and David Phillips participated in a peer-led program that detailed a theological and practical understanding of the privilege of serving fellow Loyola Dons as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
These juniors and seniors were chosen by faculty members who have observed them as outstanding servant leaders over the last several years.
Baltimore schools The Cardinal Gibbons School, The Seton Keough High School, and Mount St. Joseph; and Maryvale Preparatory School in Brooklandville, held their annual senior prom for residents of Caritas House and St. Elizabeth, both Catholic Charities facilities.
About 85 students dressed in jackets, ties and homecoming dresses danced with senior partners to music from old “Blue Eyes” and other favorites from the World War II era.
“Students look forward all year to this event,” said campus minister Mary Pat Tilghman, as she praised each school for their enthusiastic participation. “Mount St. Joe should be very proud of the respect and sense of humor their young men have with the guests.”
Eighteen St. Joseph, Cockeysville, alumni visited their alma mater to reminisce about their school days and to speak to classes about how an education in a Catholic school has impacted their lives. Memories spanned 50 years from graduates of classes of 1948 through 1998. Two alumni are teachers at St. Joseph, and 11 have children in attendance.
Linda Tooma, alumni director, reported that children of 42 alumni total send their children to the school, representing 70 children.
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