2003 Alumni Newsletter

Along with the articles written by our Principal, Alumni, and some of today's St. Mary School students, please enjoy the photos interspersed throughout the newsletter…and see if you can put names with some of the faces!

Dear Friends of St. Mary School,

It has been 40 years since the Sisters of Notre Dame stepped foot in the then "new school" in Shrewsbury. As the doors opened to the first classes the parishioners had a right to be proud of their growth and the buildings on the grounds. A new church had opened the year before and a convent was in the process of construction. Father Lynch the pastor beamed when Bishop Flanagan blessed the school and the Sisters and people lined up to receive their commendations.

Over the years St. Mary School has sent forth students well prepared for advancement to high school and their accomplishments have been heralded in so many institutions of higher learning. Friendships formed during these years have endured and been so enriched whenever graduates come to visit or gather for reunions. In my ten years as Pastor of this wonderful parish there has been a constant interest and growth for the school. With the effort of the parents, the School Board and parish, a new kindergarten was opened in 1999 to house 25 students in a beautiful space on the lower level of the old convent, which is now the Pastoral Center. In 2001 an adjacent house was purchased on Alden Avenue and a new Pre-School program opened its door to over 50 students. There is now a hot lunch program every day and an after school program for those who wish or need to stay. Our school buildings are strained to house more students and add new technologies.

I am delighted to correspond with you and to acquaint you once again with your school. It is still a warm, small atmosphere where God is present and welcomed in prayer. It is a place where laughter abounds and learning is exciting. The teachers are dedicated and committed to our Christian Catholic values and want to share them. I am proud to be a part of this moment in history and pray you are too.

Hoping to see you in the midst of our celebrations and especially at Mass on March 23rd. I am,

Sincerely Yours in Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Paul T. O'Connell, JCD

Education

Jackie Giordano and Christina Lindberg

The education we receive at St. Mary School is one of a kind. In addition to our regular subjects, we also learn religion. Because we go to a catholic school, we bring our faith to every subject and to every classroom. No matter how fast or slow we learn, the teachers are dedicated and take time to help us understand the material we are studying. The teachers bring fun into the classrooms but teach us what we need to know at the same time. We feel St. Mary prepares us for high school in more ways than knowledge. Our teachers push us not only to be good students, but also good people in everything we do throughout life. We are lucky, blessed, and proud to attend St. Mary School.

Principal's Letter

Welcome back, Alumni.

Our hope is that your perusal through our first St. Mary School Alumni Newsletter will send you down Memory Lane and bring back all the positive warm feelings you had when you attended school at 16 Summer Street in Shrewsbury. Maybe you remember working hard and laughing with some friends. Do you remember First Friday Masses, the Christmas Pageant, saying the rosary, learning the Ten Commandments, and participating in community service projects? We continue to learn and teach our rich, Catholic traditions.

I have been blessed to lead our newest generations to Jesus Christ, following the traditions started by the Sisters of Notre Dame. The wisdom of my predecessors, Sr. Margaret McCurdy, Sr. Ranah Phelan, and Jeanne Marie Gocha echo in the halls. They are all learned and faith-filled women I admire for saying yes to this rewarding position of principal.

Fr. Devaney recently passed away. Some of you may remember him as pastor when you were attending St. Mary School. I have the privilege of sharing my duty with Fr. Paul O'Connell.

You may know some of our teachers who are alumni. Melissa Sherman Nattinville teaches Spanish and her son, Daniel, is in our kindergarten. Mary Leone Rohanna teaches in our preschool and both of her daughters, Lisa and Marianne, are St. Mary graduates. You may also have gone to school with the Zyberts, Dalys, Stevens, Lukachs, Leahys, Hudsons, or Dolans. All of their Moms are teaching at St. Mary School too.

Parents, like Katie Smith Palermo and Janice Tougas Donahue, send their children to our school for the same Catholic traditions and quality education that they received here. While the majority of our families are from Shrewsbury, we have families from Auburn, Sutton, Northboro, Grafton, Holden, Boylston, West Boylston, Worcester and Framingham. This is a sign of our mobile society and our hospitality.

The school has become the St. Mary campus since we added our kindergarten and preschool. We have a science lab, used by grades five through eight. Our computer lab, off to one side of the parish hall, is too small to house a whole class so the technology committee would like to go wireless. This is a constantly changing global community, and St. Mary School continues to deliver a quality education to our students. Catholic Schools are Making a World of Difference!

Please join us for our St. Mary School Alumni Mass at 2:00 p.m. on March 23, 2003. Bishop Reilly will be the celebrant and a reception will follow in the hall. You might see your class photo or an old friend. I would love to meet you and share in your fond memories of St. Mary School.

May the Peace, Love, and Joy of Christ be with you.

Joanne F. Gannon, Principal

Basketball

Rob Hayden and Kevin Forts

St. Mary School has a great basketball program. The competition is great and the fun never stops. Everyone makes the team and absolutely gets to play. Even though the games may be short they are action packed. Practices help us learn as the coaches teach us new plays and strategies. The opponents are always tough, but St. Mary's athletes always come through with their hard work. This year we are lucky enough to receive beautiful, new basketball uniforms. They are blue, black, and white supporting the colors of our school. These uniforms reflect our sportsmanship and desire to play, and we know that we will be winners in them! This is a great program and all the kids love it.

Nature's Classroom

Rob Hayden and Kevin Forts

Our school is privileged enough to be able to go to Nature's Classroom. We go away from our homes and get to live in Nature's Classroom dorms with our school friends. We take classes, but they're not your ordinary classes! We get to go out in the woods and hike as we try to find cool creatures. Most of the kids there love the Predator Prey game and other such games. It is a great place to go!

A Historical Perspective

Susan Leahy - Assistant Principal

There are people older and wiser than I that could be writing to you about the maturing of St. Mary School, but not many that have been around during the actual building of the school and then taught there as well.

During my youth, Fr. Edward Lynch, pastor of St. Mary's, had a vision of a parish school staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Father had a convent built for them and they came. First there were just enough to teach three grades and staff an office. Then each year another grade and another Sister were added until 1968 when all eight grades filled the halls of the school with children, Sisters, straight lines, and profound silence.

Since then, St. Mary School has seen many changes. In the beginning, there were nine Sisters and three lay faculty; now there is one Sister of Venerini and thirty-four faculty and staff. The size of the building remains the same, however! We put a great deal into that space. Over the years, a school that housed eight grades in the ample rectangular classrooms, utilized a pump room (the reading room near Grade 3) for a Library; had a Clinic where the existing faculty room is now; placed the faculty room where the Clinic now is; took what was once a storage room (dressing room for the stage in the Hall) and placed ten brand new Apple Computers that had to be "booted up" and programmed by the teachers, onto long counters thereby creating the first computer room; reformed the stage and the "toy closet" into the 'new' Library; built cinderblock walls in order to provide space for an office for the Religion teacher and a "copy" room; and the faculty room was moved to its existing location.

During one principalship classrooms were carpeted; grades 5 through 8 moved upstairs and grades 1 through 4 came down in the most well choreographed extravaganza you could ever imagine; teachers got a refrigerator and a toaster oven; the purple master machine was placed in the faculty room; an easy chair (which no one ever had time to sit on) made its way into the d"cor; a laminator (the very one we use now) was introduced; new computers were purchased; draperies for the windows of the "dining' hall, Office, Faculty room, etc. were installed; a new fangled T.V. and VCR were purchased by the Parents' Association; and Progress Reports were introduced.

Curriculum has changed, grown, and been enhanced. There were years when grades 7 and 8 were alone at the end of the first floor hall and their day ended 10 minutes earlier than the rest of the school. There were no "specials" because the homeroom teachers did it all. There were part time teachers that were eventually made full time as courses were added to the daily schedule. New traditions were introduced to the school - the Holly Ball for grades 7 and 8, Grade 8 Farewell, field trips away from "home", the Light Ceremony for Grades 7 and 8, the Walk-A-Thon, Family Festival in place of the Oktoberfest, the Christmas Play, Nature's Classroom, and in the beginning Graduation was a Mass for parents and students only, followed by a pizza party in the Hall. In the 1980's this changed to a graduation Mass for the school families and a catered dinner in the Hall, not long after we began to celebrate at St. John's Manor House.

We were the first school in the Diocese to have a writing and reading program with IBM using their state of the art PC's. All along there remained a strong interest in basketball for boys and girls, and many times the school teams were victorious through the finals. The Sisters of Notre Dame graciously shared their convent with the school for art and science programs housed there. When the Sisters moved out the building was redesigned to hold a fabulous new Kindergarten and Offices for the Priests and church staff.

Shortly thereafter, a home on Alden Avenue was purchased and outfitted for a well-appointed Pre-school. The School Office got its first answering machine in 1986 as a gift from Grade 8. That simple donation started a chain of necessary updates that found the Principal's Office being divided into two sections - one for the Principal and the other for the secretary. Computers were purchased; 3 phone lines made operational; a server for the bank of computers throughout the building and Pastoral Center; several file cabinets for records; a full time nurse (greatly appreciated) instead of the teachers who might be near the clinic at a time of need; hand built cabinets for storage; and a new bed for the clinic.

There is a daily hot lunch program, which has grown from the pizza and MacDonald's once a week schedule. Students can take advantage of the musical instrument program, choir, Christmas theater, the Web team, spring track, basketball, and an after school program.

It is with pride that I recall the school's past and it's maturing to what it is today. The faculty and staff that have been a part of the thread of this family called St. Mary School have all, without exception, been faith-filled and dedicated to the children that have come to this school. There are many things that have been left out but not overlooked from the list above, but this does not diminish the fact that St. Mary School is committed to its mission statement to provide a quality education in an atmosphere permeated in rich Catholic tradition and strong Christian integrity.

Kindergarten Buddies

Julie Hannum and Christine Guarino

Saint Mary School has an excellent program in which the older classes get a chance to spend time with the younger grades. In the eighth grade, we get a chance to hang out with our kindergarten buddies. We look forward to going over to the kindergarten building and playing their games, such as Lego's, wooden blocks, and monkeys in a barrel. We always have a good time, and we can't wait to go back!

Christmas Play

Adriana Tropeano, Amanda Niewodowski, and Gianna Porcaro

St. Mary School has an annual Christmas play. This year our Christmas play was called "The Miraculous Christmas Wish Radio Show". The Christmas play allows the students to share the true meaning of Christmas while still having fun. We always get the perfect people to play the parts of the characters. Mrs. O'Brien always seems to get the perfect play for that year! Everybody in the whole school participates in the play either by singing or acting. The little first graders and kindergartners all look so cute in their costumes. It is the best part of the whole school year and the most enjoyable!

Holly Ball

Julie Hannum and Christine Guarino

Each year the seventh and eighth grade look forward to our annual dance called the Holly Ball. We get to dress up in our own fancy clothing and get the chance to dance with our friends. We get a huge six-foot sub or pizza and all the other junk food we love. The Holly Ball is a great memory for us to have, and we appreciate all the help that the teachers give us.

Family Festival

Adriana Tropeano, Amanda Niewodowski, and Gianna Porcaro

The Family Festival is really fun. You see everyone you know and you spend time together going on rides and winning prizes. The food and prizes are really great. You can win up to $40 on a game! The raffles are so cool because you can win totally cool stuff like the school's blanket, food gift certificates, ski or bike packages, tickets to a Celtics game, and much more! Everyone gets involved to help or run a stand. It is the best festival ever!

Student Council

Kimberly LeDoux and Patrick Teebagy

Here at St. Mary School, Student Council plays an important part in the classroom. Student Council members are selected by their classmates in a democratic vote. Students choose Student Council members with the idea that they will do a good job representing their class and school. Student Council Representatives take care of different problems that may arise with the students. They also do their best to make the school a better place. They try their very best to accomplish the goals of the school. Most of the ideas brought up at meetings are presented to the principal to see if they are reasonable requests. We are proud to represent our classmates and each other in our school.

The Alumni Committee

Charlie Atchue Paul Cournoyer Mary Daly Katie Palermo Jack McGinnis