the sunflower seed - best private all girls school in ... the song “forget you” by cee-lo green,...
TRANSCRIPT
The Sunflower
Seed
The Sunflower
Seed
Volume X Issue 3 Academy of Notre Dame Spring 2011
BLAST: Building Lasting
Academic and Social Ties
Elise Higgins
This year at Notre Dame’s an-
nual fundraiser, BLAST, the theme was A
Triple Crown Affair. The men came in
suits while the women donned dresses
with hats of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
This night consisted of delicious food,
exciting bidding, and spectacular dance
performances from the Junior School and
the High School Dance Companies with
singing from Women’s Chorale.
As parents walked around and
socialized, they also participated in silent
auctions that would help raise money for
the school. There
were hundreds of
donated items to bid
on, some of which
included concert
tickets, parking
spaces, and many
other items. Also,
students walked
around to help raise
money for Notre
Dame’s sports pro-
grams. While the parents were enjoying
their dinners, the dancers were perform-
ing. First, the Junior School Dance Com-
pany performed a jazz dance to “The
Time” by the Black-Eyed Peas. Next, the
High School Dance Company performed
to the song “Forget You” by Cee-lo
Green, but was sung by Casey Olejar and
the Women’s Chorale.
Overall, the night was a success,
and the school was able to raise a lot of
money. Sadly, this fun event only
happens once a year, which makes
everyone excited for next year’s
BLAST.
Father–Daughter Dance
Anna Noblitt
On March 5, 2011, the Notre Dame
fathers and daughters came to the Harron
Building
for a
night to
remem-
b e r
w h i c h
included
dancing,
photos ,
and food. Prior to the event, the seniors and
their fathers had a special dinner in the man-
sion. When dinner was complete, they made
their way over to the Harron Building to
dance the night away. The dads looked great
in their suits, and the girls looked amazing
in their heels and bright-colored dresses.
The amazing DJ played songs from
all time periods including the very popular
Justin Bieber. Although some dads stood in
the background, others showed their dance
moves out on the floor, not afraid to be
taped by the live video camera.
During the seniors’ special father-
daughter dance, the Junior School students
made their way to the cafeteria where they
munched on
c o c o n u t
s h r i m p ,
chicken ten-
ders, choco-
late-covered
strawberries,
éclairs, and
c a n n o l i s .
Also, there were many beverages like cokes
and water bottles.
The dance was great, and it seemed
that everyone had a good time. We all can’t
wait for next year’s Father-Daughter Dance.
Parent/ Daughter Activity
Grandparents Day
Mackenzie O’Keefe
On Thursday, the 15th of April,
Junior School students and their special
friends gathered in the gym for a day
consisting of a talent show, oral history
presenta-
tions, and
c l a s s -
r o o m
v i s i t s .
When the
grandpar-
ents ar-
rived in
the morn-
ing they were ushered into the gym by
Mrs. Wesner and her team of friendly
parents. There, they were greeted warmly
and handed a corsage. Then, they were
free to talk to the other grandparents and
enjoy delicious breakfast treats provided
by Notre Dame mothers. After they
were finished with their food, they either
settled down in the gym to watch the oral
history reports given by the eighth grad-
ers, or continued to a class room to par-
ticipate in a class with their grandchild.
The oral history reports were very inter-
esting and covered everything from vari-
ous wars to Elvis Presley. If they went to
the classrooms, they participated in
games that involved the subject of which
they were in. When the oral history pro-
jects were complete, the talent show be-
gan. The talent show included dances
given by the sixth and seventh grade
dance classes, hand bell choir perform-
ances, songs sung by various students,
and a few unique performances such as
an Irish dance. After the talent show, the
students were free to go home with their
special friends, who were handed Notre
Dame stationery as they left.
Mother–Daughter Communion
Breakfast
Nicolle Hughes
Everyone enjoys the smell of siz-
zling bacon, maple syrup and especially
chocolate in the morning. These are some of
the scrumptious dishes that they offered at
the Notre Dame Academy, Annual Mother-
Daughter Communion Breakfast. On the
first of May, Notre Dame Mothers and
Daughters gathered together to celebrate
Mother’s Day at the Springfield Country
Club. The Liturgy started at nine thirty and
was followed by a delicious breakfast. At
the liturgy, given by Father Bob, many
mothers and their daughters participated in
the singing, reading, and gift bearing. Ms.
France did a wonderful job organizing this
special Liturgy consisting of a homily about
special bond between mothers and daugh-
ters. Next, the mothers and daughters saw a
buffet, waiting for them. As soon as they
entered the room, their gazes immediately
meet the chocolate fountain. Many people
lined up and looked at the layers of choco-
late, oozing from the fountain. They
grabbed a stick and dug into strawberries,
pound cake, and pineapples. Finally, this
wonderful event came to an end. “I will
definitely be going next year!”
Spring Sports
Softball
Cayla Preston
Parents, teachers, and friends sup-
port the Notre Dame Junior School softball
team. The team is always eager to play, and
loves the game of softball in general. They
are a joy to watch, and even though the team
isn’t always winning, they pull together and
play their best on the field. This spirited team
consists of 5 eighth graders: Gillian Chan-
dler, Karen DiGuiseppe, Kayce McCue, Tay-
lor Mordy, and Mackenzie O’Keefe; 8 sev-
enth graders: Julia Barry, Madi Brennan,
Vicky Brooks, Emily Brown, Nicolle
Hughes, Vriti Khurana, Bridget Malloy and
Cayla Preston; and 2 sixth graders: Casey
Phelan and Mercedes Sloan. The team con-
sists of girls who have played for years, girls
who have never been on a team before, and
some girls who have never played before in
their lives, but everyone gives their full ef-
fort, no matter what. Keep it up!
Hole in One
Anna Noblitt
Golf is such a great game, that at
Notre Dame we added it to our Junior School
sports-program so that all girls have the op-
portunity to enjoy this very pleasurable game
with their classmates and friends.
The golf club consists of 8th grader:
Abby Wolanin; 7th grader: Gabby Morganti;
and 6th graders: Meghan Fahey, Quinn
Flannery, Anna Noblitt, Bridget Pyott, Leni
Sullivan. We are assisted in playing this fun
sport by our moderator Mrs. Desendorf.
Though the team I currently small in future
years we hopefully will expand our golf pro-
gram so more junior school kids can enjoy
learning how to play this entertaining sport.
Our first time to the greens, we went
on a stroll around the golf course, while we
talked about water hazards. Our instructor
then gave us golf clubs, and we started hit-
ting golf balls. We chipped into the area
where we thought we had to work on. This
practice really improved everyone’s skills,
and we all enjoyed it. Despite rain, which
prevented us from attending many practices,
it was always sunny and fun when we get to
spend time on the green.
Junior School Lacrosse
Meredith Hughes
Thus far in the season, the Junior
School Lacrosse team has successfully defeated
an abundance of other middle school teams. The
team’s two coaches, Allie Talucci and Nicole
Musto, have coached the teams to these victo-
ries. Four days a week, these two dedicated col-
lege lacrosse players travel to Villanova and
hold rigorous practices that often involve intri-
cate plays, fast-paced sprints, and innovative
drills. Notre Dame’s coaches instruct both the
varsity and junior varsity teams.
The varsity lacrosse team consists of
seventeen eighth graders: Sarajane Bradley,
Julia Devine, Katherine DiMeo, Sophia Gal-
antino, Kelsey Glancy, Sophie Graeff, Marie
Guyer, Steph Haenn, Mary grace Hallinan,
Meredith Hughes, Kat Land, Kirsten Mansfield,
Hailey Pohlig, Meghan Reckmeyer, Carolyn
Riegel, Rachel Smith , and Jenny Zack. There is
also one seventh grader on the team: Margaux
Paolino. The Varsity team currently has a record
of 3 wins, 2 ties, and 2 losses with three games
left in the season.
The Junior Varsity lacrosse team is
made up of twelve seventh graders: Reilly Bon-
ner, Julia Dambly, Avery Dent, Julia Fratoni,
Allison Magee, Brenna McStravick, Hannah
Palczuk, Hattie Schroer, Milahn Shurelds,
Brooke Smith, and Claire Sutherby. The team
also has seven sixth graders: Erin Bruder,
Sophia Bonini, Kelly Boyce, Grace Leasure,
Kennedy Monaco, Julia Scanlon, and Grace
Smith. The Junior Varsity team presently has a
record of 4 wins and 2 losses. They, also, have
three games yet to play.
Another key member of our team is
Rachel Adler, our team’s manager. Rachel trav-
els with the team to each and every game,
whether it is home or away, and keeps track of
the score, controls the timer, and helps out in
any way possible. Rachel is truly a crucial mem-
ber of the Junior School lacrosse team and tries
her best at every game.
Hopefully, the lacrosse teams’ last
three games will end victoriously, and the play-
ers’ confidence can be boosted. My fellow team-
mates and I have had loads of fun playing a
sport we love and bonding with players in other
grades.
Competitions
The Junior School Talent Show
Allison Magee
The Junior School Talent Show
was a spectacular event! The amazing
gifts of the sixth, seventh, and eighth
grade students were on display. The show
began with Erin Bruder, Meghan Fahey,
Quinn Flannery, and Cami Osborne who
sang and danced to Don’t Stop Believin’.
After they performed, Jackie Joyce played
The Girl in the Flaxen Hair on the piano.
Next, Nicolle Hughes sang Unthinkable.
Then, Sophia Bonini and Kennedy
Monaco sang For Good. After they sang,
Cami Osborne and Mary Tomcavage did
an improvisational act. Next, Christina
Adams, Alexa Andrisani, Mia Colona,
Ariah Fish, Sophia Galantino, Kelly
McDevitt, and Isabel Pellegrino “danced”
to What Dreams Are Made Of. Then, Jor-
dan Pietrafitta sang I Never Told You.
Afterwards, Alison Lorenz tap-danced to
It Happens. Kaitie Daugherty then per-
formed a stand-up comedy act that tickled
the audience’s funny bone. Next, Kim-
berly Schmidt sang Landslide. Then,
Mary Tomcavage took the stage again to
perform Don’t Stop Believin’ on her saxo-
phone. Next, Sophia Bonini and Kennedy
Monaco put on another act with Sophia
singing and Kennedy on the piano playing
the song Defying Gravity. To end the
show on a spectacular note, Stephanie
Haenn sang and played her guitar to Back
to December. Overall, the talent show
was great!
The Geography Bee:
Global Cultures in an Hour
Alysa Dinh
At two o’clock one afternoon,
eight Junior School students assembled in
the Cuvilly Gym in front of their peers to
begin the Geography Bee. Each year, the
social studies classes take a trivia quiz dur-
ing their class period to see who the winner
is. Then, the winners compete against each
other in the Bee to distinguish the school’s
grand champion. The champion then takes
a test to see if she qualifies to participate in
Pennsylvania’s Geography Bee.
The questions were hard and
ranged from cultural traditions to latitude
and longitude, and befuddled many of the
participants with seemingly ambiguous
questions. Many of the contestants lost
their chance among the many questions.
Once they
missed two
questions,
they were
eliminated
from the
c o m p e t i -
tion, the
crowd ap-
plauded and said, “Good job!” At the end
of the Geography Bee, there was a long-
awaited champion: Hannah Palczuk, and
her runner-up, Kaitie Daugherty. They
bowed as the crowd erupted into cheers
and yelled for the new School Champ!
Spelling Bee
Nicole Hughes
On the tenth of May, during homeroom the Junior School “class winners” par-
ticipated in the annual spelling bee. The sixth graders were: Rachel Adler, Sophia Bonini,
Kennedy Monaco and Bridget Pyott. The seventh graders were: Nicolle Hughes, Stepha-
nie Nepa, Alison Lorenz, and Jordan Pietrafitta. The eighth graders were: Steph Haenn,
Amanda Lafferty, Mary Kate Moran, and Meredith Warchol.
Next, each of the spellers was asked to spell a word. If they
messed up a letter, they could not change it. They would be out.
Everyone spelled each word correctly, until it came down to the
“Champion Spelling Words.” These words were very hard, and
got a lot of students out. Finally, the last two people were
standing-Rachel Adler and Jordan Pietrafitta. Jordan spelled
asceticism and fracas to become the Spelling Bee Winner!
Current Events
Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami
Mackenzie O’Keefe
On March 10, 2011 at 2:46pm,
Japan experienced a huge earthquake fol-
lowed by a tsunami which left the island
nation in wreckage. At an 8.9 on the
Richter scale, it was Japan’s largest earth-
quake in more than 100 years. Since the
earthquake, the death toll has been
quickly rising as rescue workers from
many countries frantically search for sur-
vivors of this disaster. On March 15, the
death toll had reached 3,373, but this
number is expected to grow.
Many shelters have been set up
throughout Japan to accommodate the
hundreds of thousands of people left
homeless after the tsunami destroyed their
homes. The government and several for-
eign relief agencies, such as Red Cross
and Save the Children, are struggling to
provide basic supplies such as food, wa-
ter, and shelter to the victims of this terri-
ble earthquake. After this tragedy, the
world reached out to provide relief to the
people of Japan. Over fifty countries
rushed rescue crew toward Japan to search
the rubble that was once homes, schools,
and hospitals. If it wasn’t for the determi-
nation of these workers, the death toll
would have been much higher. Their per-
sistent work is providing hope for the peo-
ple of Japan who have lost so much in-
cluding their homes, jobs, as well as their
loved ones. Many Japanese citizens have
not given up hope, and are still searching
for their loved ones lost during the earth-
quake and the commotion that followed.
The country of Japan is located on
the Ring of Fire, a fault line that has
formed many volcanoes, which increases
their risk of experiencing a large earth-
quake. The Japanese know this well, and
their constant earthquake drills saved
many lives during and after the quake.
Though they were prepared in that man-
ner, no house is made to withstand an
earthquake of that severity.
The event that caused the most
damage on the coast was not the earth-
quake itself, but the tsunami that followed.
After the earthquake took place, the Japa-
nese people had about 10 minutes to evacu-
ate the coastline because they knew the
tsunami was coming. The forty-five foot
colossal tsunami washed away many build-
ings and cars. It ripped across the Japanese
coastline destroying cities, igniting ravage
fires, and killing hundreds of innocent peo-
ple.
On the shore of Japan there are
four power plants producing nuclear en-
ergy. Though three of the four were not in
operation during the earthquake, scientists
are scared that the earthquake might have
damaged the power plants. If this hap-
pened, radiation, which can cause cancer
and radiation poisoning, may have leaked
into the atmosphere. Several people in the
area have been treated to prevent the radia-
tion poisoning, and they will continue to
treat others, if needed.
Though you can do nothing to pre-
vent natural disasters, when one occurs, it
not only affects the people of that country,
but people around the world. After the
quake, the world reached out a helping
hand to the people of Japan to aid them in
their time of need. This disaster provides
evidence that, despite differences, the
world can come together to help another
country.
Field Trips
Franklin Institute
Olivia Chow
A rumbling filled the hallways.
At first, one would think that the sound
belonged to a herd of rhino stampeding
down the halls. As it turns out, it was a
stampede…of 7th graders. With flying
hair and smiling faces, we ran toward the
bus, racing to get the back seats, despite
warnings not to run. After we settled
down enough so the bus could start mov-
ing, our journey commenced. Loud chat-
ter filled the air as we sped towards our
destination. When we arrived, we im-
mediately gathered into groups. A staff
member arrived to greet us, and we were
led to the dinosaur exhibit. A scavenger
hunt waited for us. With pens in hand,
we attempted to find answers which led
us to a grueling 40 minute search. After
pulling our hair out and running around
like lunatics, we finally finished the
search. A visit to the gift shop lightened
our moods and after buying our goodies
and whatnot, we took off. Dioramas
filled with stuffed animals (not the cud-
dly kind, mind you) proved to be ex-
tremely interesting. Afterwards, we
watched a movie about hoppers, an in-
sect that, as the name insinuates, hops
about. Our stomachs growled rather
loudly, so we headed outside to eat
lunch. After scarfing down our food, we
boarded the bus. As we departed, we all
hoped to visit it again.
The Vanishing Wetlands
Alysa Dinh
On a cloudy morning on April 8,
2011, 28 sixth graders and three teachers
eagerly boarded a bus, ready to travel to
their first sixth grade field trip to the
Morris Arboretum--the wetlands. They
raced with each other to grab a back seat
for themselves and their friends. On the
way, they
listened to
t h e i r
iPods and
talked to
t h e i r
f r i e n d s
a b o u t
what they would see at the Arboretum,
and if the rain was going to affect their
day.
When the students and teachers ar-
rived, rain was drizzling, and the ground
was slippery and muddy. They made their
way to a clearing, where three tour guides
were waiting for them. The students had to
divide into three groups and headed off with
their designated tour guide, eager to see
what the wetlands had to offer. Two groups
walked around the wetland, and one group
stayed behind to play a few games before
heading off. After experiencing a nature
walk around the wetland, stopping at an ar-
ray of statues, and walking through hilly
woods, the students ended up at a park up in
the trees. There were two paths: one went to
a human sized nest with three eggs and the
nests of two birds, and the other went to an
open hole covered with three nets so people
could walk on them and not get hurt. The
students could also leave the park and ex-
plore more of the wetlands than they did
before. After an hour or so, the students
stopped by the gift shop to buy little good-
ies. There were books, magnetic butterflies
in a cage that fluttered from wall to wall,
wooden sporks, jewelry, and other garden-
ing items.
When the students finished shop-
ping, they were taken to a restaurant to have
a hearty lunch and dessert. They could have
either a salad, a burger or a sandwich, and a
drink. The students loved being with their
friends, and when it was time to go back to
school, they sang a song together, laughing
and talking all at the same time.
The problem with wetlands is that
they are disappearing. And since many ani-
mals are disappearing with them, there were
few places where the Canadian geese could
settle for the winter. With the fading wet-
lands, the Canadian geese began to die out,
along with the other animals. All the wet-
lands might have been gone if it weren’t for
the government, trying to preserve them.
Everyone found a wax figure to obsess over and
take pictures of, whether it was Oprah, Leonardo
DiCaprio, or Brittany Spears. Also, inside the
exhibit was a “create your own wax hand” activ-
ity, which was quite fun for many girls. After-
wards, the group passed through the gift shop,
and after grabbing a souvenir or memento, they
were on the road again!
Following the wax
museum was the St. Pat-
rick’s Cathedral. After run-
ning through the city all
morning long, it was re-
freshing for everyone to
slow down and be grateful
for such a wonderful gath-
ering. The group looked around the magnificent
church for a few minutes and then was on their
way to their final destination.
The girls had seen so many attractions
already, but there was one more stop on the
checklist! The girls had been anticipating the
NBC Studios all week, and they were finally
there. After several minutes of exploring the gift
shop, the girls received a real treat: an exclusive
tour around the studios! Everyone learned about
the history of the network, while hoping to catch
glimpse of Tina Fey. The high points of the tour
were visiting the Saturday Night Live audito-
rium and the “green screen” rooms. And last but
not least, the girls got to participate in their very
own news report! In each group, someone read
the daily news, and another person would ob-
serve the upcoming weather. This was entertain-
ing for everyone, whether they were participat-
ing or watching.
This highly anticipated trip was over
too soon! After picking up a few last souvenirs
and snacks, the group said their forlorn farewell
to the unique city. Everyone could agree that this
trip was incomparable; it was just too amazing.
Special thanks to the chaperones and the tour
guides for making this trip possible. It was such
an unbelievable experience, and it is all because
of your hard work. Thank you so much for this
trip!
Field Trips (Continued)
New York
Meghan Reckmeyer
On Friday, May 6th, the Notre
Dame’s 8th grade class drove down to New
York City for a day of sightseeing, discov-
ery, and shopping. The trip started off at
7a.m. when the girls gathered at school to
load the coach buses. Despite the early time,
the girls were energetic and excited for the
anticipated trip. From there, the girls loaded
their designated buses and eagerly rode
down to the Big Apple.
When the group arrived in the city
two hours later, they made their way to their
first designation: Ripley’s Believe it or Not
Museum. This place was filled with unbe-
lievable sights, jaw-
dropping exhibits,
and surprises along
the way. Some en-
tertaining highlights
were the vortex, the
dinosaur skeleton,
bearded-lady, and
the black hole hall-
way. These sights
will definitely not be
forgotten any time
soon!
After the
Believe it or Not
Museum, our class
made our way down
to Times Square to
explore the giant
Toys R Us. No toy
store can quite compare to this one, as it
was four stories tall and filled with every
toy imaginable. The massive Ferris wheel in
the middle of the store captivated many of
the girls; others were amused by the life-
sized Barbie dollhouse. Either way, each
girl embraced their inner child during the
visit to this store, and had a blast. The next
stop on the schedule was one of the most
anticipated, for it
involved food. The
group dropped by
the Bubba Gump
Restaurant to grab a
bite to eat while
also enjoying the
many Forest Gump
references and sou-
venirs. Girls chose
from a variety of
choices; and the
menu satisfied eve-
ryone. Following
the meal was a quick Forest Gump trivia,
along with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice
cream. Yum! After the tasty meal, the
crowd traveled through the city to the Ma-
Editors: Mackenzie O’Keefe and Elise Hig-
gins
Staff: Meghan Reckmeyer, Meredith Hughes,
Cayla Preston, Nicole Hughes, Olivia Chow,
Allison Magee, Bridget Malloy, Cat Delany,
Alysa Dihn, and Anna Noblitt.
Moderator: Mrs V.
*Special Thanks to Mrs. Riley for helping us
while Mrs. V was out and to Mrs. Keck for
technical support!
The Class of 2011– YOU DID IT!