WINTER2012‐2013

Tolle Lege Regina Angelorum Academy Classical Curriculum—Catholic Formation

Events

January 7 Classes Resume 21 Open House 24 Family Movie Night 25 March for Life No School 28 Catholic Schools Week Begins February 1 Catholic Schools Week Concludes 2 Jamie Thietten Concert 9 Valentine’s Dinner 11-12 Winter Break 13 Ash Wednesday 15 Butterfly Project 18 Open House 28 Philadelphia Orchestra Fieldtrip Inside This Issue Answering the Call to Catholic Engagement

CatholicSchoolSpiritatReginaAngelorumAttheendofJanuary, weekfromSt.Ignatiousof TheacademichighpointofReginaAngelorumAcademy LoyolaElementaryin theweekwastheThirdCelebratedCatholicSchools NorthwestPhiladelphia. AnnualDeclamationContestWeekwithahostofactivities Studentsgatheredinthe onFriday,Februaryfirst.supportedandorganizedby auditoriumtoreciteaLiving RebeccaLorenz,JacquelineReginaparentKathyRanieri. Rosaryaroundanenormous Guerra,JosephHaydenandTheRAAcommunitygota rosaryfashionedoutof OliviaGuerracompetedwithheadstartonThursday,the balloonsbythePeterand fourththrougheighthgraderstwenty‐fourthwithaFamily KathyRanierifamily,and gradersfromReginaCoeliMovieNight.Snackswere everyoneenjoyedaspecial AcademyinAbingtonandProvidedbythegirlsof softpretzeltreatbefore ReginaLuminousAcademyinTroopKateriTekakwitha,and headinghome. Downingtown.CompetitionTheSoundofMusicwas PastriesforParentsand wasinthemorningandshownonanew,bigscreen plentyofhotcoffeegreeted studentsfromtheotherdonatedbytheTroopwith parentsinthelibraryduring Reginaschoolsreturnedtheproceedsfromprevious morningdropoffon homeafterjoiningusforbakesales. Wednesday.Itwasabig lunch.IntheafternoonMr.Theweekofficiallyopened “Thankyou”forthe Thomsonledstudentsandwithaspecialmassforthe sacrificesourparentsmake teachersinalessformalschoolatSt.Colman’s toprovideaCatholic competitionof“spiritday”ChruchonSunday,January educationfortheirchildren. Activities.27.AHospitalityHour OnThursdaythestudents Findingwehadtoomuchfollowedintheschool wereinvitedtowear spiritforourschooltoauditorium. appropriateplayclothesto containthecelebrationinaDecorationsonthedoors school,thebettertoenjoy singleweek,parentsofeveryclassroom MovieDay.Teachersand organizedaspecialthankestablishedafestivetoneas studentsgatheredinthe youluncheonforteachersstudentsaccessorizedtheir auditoriumforpopcornanda thefollowingTuesday.uniformswithcrazysocks specialshowingofThe TheextendedweekwasandhatsonMonday. MiracleofMarcelino.“I energizingreminderofhowTuesdaywasaDayof rememberthismoviefrom blessedweallaretobepartService,andstudents mychildhood,”remarked ofsuchavibrantCatholicbroughtinnon‐perishable OfficeManagerChristine community.fooditemsforSt.Ignatious Simeone,“andlatersharedit foodpantry,which withmyownchildrenwho Below:SecondGraders distributesfreefoodevery loveditasmuchasIdid.” displaytheir“crazies”

“AGoodDay”withJamieThiettenOnJanuary26ReginaAngelorumAcademywasdelightedtowelcomeCatholicChristiansingerandsongwriterJamieThiettenforanintimateconcertmadepossiblethroughthegenerosityofReginaAngelorumsupportersMr.andMrs.LarryMeigs.InterspersedwithstoriesofthefaithandprofessionaljourneysthathaveshapedMs.Thietten’scareerandhermusic,Jamieperformedthehighlypersonalsongs,“Yesterday’sNews”and“IWouldDieForThat,”asongthatconsidersthepainofinfertility.Theconcert

includedMs.Thietten’snumbertworadiohit,aslightlyadaptedversionofCeleneDion’s“BecauseYouLovedMe,”whichcelebratesJamie’smessagethat“God’sloveneverfailsusandbecauseofthatthereishope.”Ms.Thiettenalsosharedthestorybehindthesongandmusicvideofor“MyChance,”apowerfulballadthathasinspiredthepro‐LifecommunityaroundtheworldandmadeMs.Thiettenaninternationalstar.ConcertorganizersJasonandNicoleCampuzanoandJimandFeliciaCoffey

sponsoredanessaycontestinwhichstudentswereaskedtoconsiderthequestion:“HowhasmusicinfluencedmyFaith?”WinningessaysbyOliviaGuerra,ElenaCoffeyandEliseFitzgibbonswerereadduringintermission,andthestudentsreceivedfreefamilyticketstotheperformanceandanautographedgiftpackagefromthestar.“Thenightwasawonderfulsuccess,”enthusedconcertorganizerNicoleCampuzano.“TheHolySpiritwascertainlypresent.”Ms.Thiettenconcludedtheconcertwithtwopieces

fromhernewestCD.aselectionofCatholichymns.HavinglearnedthatJamietraveledtousonherbirthday,FeliciaCoffeypreparedabirthdaycake,andtheeveningclosedwithachorusof“HappyBirthday”andJamie’sbirthdaywishforthecomingyear.

AnnualValentine’sDinnerSaturday,February9sawourauditoriumtransformedforReginaAngelorum’sannualValentine’sDinner.Parents,teachersandfriendsoftheschoolcametogetherforaneveningoffinefoodandfellowshiporganizedbyReginaparentsDanandJenniferLorenz.TheeventincludedrafflesforticketstoPhiladelphiaFlyers,Sixers,PhilliesandEaglesgamescourtesyofHaydenRealEstate.TherewasalsoaraffleatthedoorforaweekendstayatabedandbreakfastinCapeMay.“WhileyoucanalwaysfindrestintheLord,youcanalsofinditatthebeautifulPeterShieldsInn.Maythemosttiredcouplewin!”encouragedMrs.Lorenz.“Somanyparentscontributedtomakethisnightspecial,”sheadded.“Wenevercouldhavedoneitalone!”ThefeaturedspeakeroftheeveningwasFatherShaunMahoney,acclaimedretreatmasterandDirectoroftheNeumanCenteratTempleUniversity.Fr.Mahoneyspokeabouttheimportanceofsacramentalmarriageasbothasourceofstrengthandalivingexampleintoday’sworld.

JamieThiettenposeswithessaycontestwinners(fromleft)OliviaGuerra,EliseFitzgibbonsandElenaCoffey.

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Headmaster’sCorner‐‐‐AnsweringtheCalltoEngagementDearFriendsofRAA,AsIreflectontheeventsofthepastmonthshereatReginaAngelorumAcademy,IamremindedofArchbishopChaput’scalltorenewtheChruchandherMissioninthisYearofFaith:“[O]urpurposeandtaskasChristiandisciplesis...tobringJesusChristtothewholeworld,andthewholeworldtoJesusChrist.”ThiscalltoengagementhasbeensoundedrepeatedlyhereatRAA,beginningwithBillMcGurn’stalkon“TheCatholicGifttoAmerica.”Fromhisyearsofexperiencereportingworldeventsasajournalist,andthenshapingthemasaspeechwriterforPresidentGeorgeW.Bush,Mr.McGurnhasdiscernedauniqueroleforCatholicsinAmericansociety.TheunshakableTruthencapsulatedintheMagisteriummakesCatholicismaclear,constantvoiceamidthechaosofpopulardiscourse.WehaveonlytospeakasCatholicstomakethisvoiceheard.Inaverydifferentcontext,FatherShaunMahoneyaddressedthepowerfulexampleofsacramental

marriageasarealalternativeto modelforstudentstoorder canhappenwhenFaithfulthedisordersurroundingthis theirlivesaccordingtotheir peoplefailtoresistthetidevenerableinstitutiontoday. Faith.TheDeclamation ofevilintheworld.AsanindependentCatholic Contestwehostedduring Wearehumbledtobeschool,wehavetheabilityto CatholicSchoolsWeek entrustedwiththetaskofbringthismessageofsocial showcasedoneofthewaysa helpingtoformyoungengagementhometoour CatholicClassicalEducation Catholics,andaskforyourstudentsinmanyways.By trainsstudentstoaddressthe prayersforthestudents,closingtheschoolforThe errorstheyencounterinthe teachersandfamiliesofRAAMarchforLife,wesenda largersociety.Finally,the aswecontinueourmission.clearmessageaboutwhatwe, performanceofTheButterfly asCatholics,thinkis Projectservedasacompelling GodBless,important,andprovidea remindertostudentsofwhat RobertA.Touey

BillMcGurnwithReginaSchoolsco‐FounderMrs.BarbaraHenkles.

“… behind the truths Grandma tried to hand down was wisdom that we ought not to have tossed out so easily, a wisdom that might help explain why it is that men and women living a culture given over to the 24/7 pursuit of happiness seem to enjoy less and less of it these days.” Excerpted from Bill McGurn’s Great Defender of Life 2010 Acceptance Speech

TheCentralPlaceofDeclamationWithinaClassicalCurriculumTheDeclamationContest andpracticerecitingtogether them.”Yearbyyear,the sophisticated. thatcappedCatholicSchools withtheirteacher,whomodels literaryselectionsbecome AllofthisisinvaluableWeekatReginaAngelorum properform.InKindergarten longerandmorecomplex, groundworkforthefinal,pointstothecentralroleof theybegintopracticeas untilbyfourthorfifthgrade rhetorical,stageoflearning.thisexercisewithinaClassical individuals. studentsarereadyforpublic WhenourstudentsbegininCurriculum. Throughthisearly, competition. theirhighschoolyearstoYoungchildrenarenaturally grammaticalstageof Byseventhgrade,students fashiontheirowninclinedtomemorizationand development,studentsare enterthelogicalordialectical arguments,theydosowithrecitation;aclassical accumulatingbuildingblocks stageoftheClassical atremendousculturalwell‐educationcapitalizesonthis fortheirowncompositions. Curriculum.Theybeginto springfromwhichtodraw.inherentstrength.At “Youngstudentsabsorbthese questionandtounderstand Inthisway,aCatholicReginaAngelorumAcademy examplessoreadily,”says4th causativerelationships,and ClassicalEducationgivesthisworkbeginsinpre‐K and5thgradeteacherKim theirfeelforthepiecesthey studentsthetoolstheyasstudentslearnsimple, McBryan,“thisgreatliterature declaimbecomes needtorecognizetheTruthclassicsongsandpoetry reallybecomesapartof correspondinglymore andtodefenditeffectively.

Regina Angelorum Academy 105 Argyle Road Ardmore, PA 19003 Phone: 610-649-1730 Fax: 610-649-1739 Email: reginaangelorumacademy@yahoo.com

REGINAANGELORUMACADEMY.COM

OnFriday,February15,Mr. TheresienstadtConcentration accountofthe representedbyBrandiKeefe’ssixth,seventhand Campinwhatisnowthe children’sexperiencein Burgess,thechildrenof eighthgraders,andselect CzechRepublic.Constructed Terezin.ReginaAngelorum Terezinwereabletosubvertotherswithparental withinthewallsofthe AcademyalumnaMonica Naziprohibitionsagainsttheirpermission,weretreatedtoa medievalfortresstownof Altomaregaveasensitive studyingacademicsubjectsperformanceofINeverSaw Terezin,thiscampwasused performanceasYoung orcreatingvisualart.TheAnotherButterfly,writtenby bytheNazistoshowcasetheir Raja,balancedintheshowby butterflybecameasymbolforformernunCelesteRaspanti. treatmentofJewishdetainees thecharacterofOlderRaja, thechildrenoftheirdefianceAftertheshow,audience duringtheWar.This skillfullyplayedbyDana ofNaziauthorityevenastheymemberswereabletospeak deceptionnotwithstanding, Handelman,lookingbackon awaiteddeportationtowiththeWolfPerformingArts conditionsatTerezinwere theeventsofherchildhood. Auchwitz.Center’sdirectorandthe miserable.Fifteenthousand Althoughthechildren’s “Itisalwayscontroversialyoungperformersaboutthe childrenundertheageof15 lettersanddiaryentriesattest topresentmateriallikethistohistoryofthisextraordinary passedthroughthecamp. totheinhumanityofdailylife students,”concedesReginaplayandtheirexperience Fewerthan100survived atTerezin,theenduring AngelorumHeadmasterBobworkingonit. theWar. messageoftheplayisoneof Touey,“butwhenitcanbeThishauntingshow,based Oneofthesesurvivorswasa hopeandthetriumphofthe accomplishedwithsensitivityonabookofthesametitle,is girlnamedRajaEnglanderova. humanspirit.Thankstothe appropriatetothesubjectbuiltfromthewordsofreal Herstoryprovidesthecenter effortsofintrepidteachers matter,itistooimportantforchildrenfromthe pointfortheheartbreaking likeIrena,engagingly usnottomakeitavailable.”

TheButterflyProjectVisitsReginaAngelorumAcademy