Last School Year (2006-2007)
Summer 2007
Upcoming Dates For Beginning of 2007-2008 School Year...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
May 2007
OLA CLASS Of 2007 GRADUATION:
Five OLA graduates from the Class of 2007 received special awards at graduation on May 26, 2006 (pictured left to right):
Sydney Chevis, the American Legion Award; Victoria Romano, the OLA Principal’s Cup; Morgan Ladner, the Hancock County
Chamber of Commerce Award; Leah Tucker, the Mary Patricia Schmidt Character Cup; and Andreia Domingos, the
OLA Achievement Award
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
April 2007 Newsletter, Reflection, And Calendar
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
March 2007 Newsletter, Reflection, And Calendar
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
February 2007 Newsletter, Reflection, And Calendar
____________________________________________________________________
Booster Club Meeting on January 14, 2007
Read more about this important meeting where we will elect new Booster Club Officers...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 2007 Newsletter and Reflection From Sr. Jackie
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
December 2006 Newsletter and Reflection From Sr. Jackie
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLA Takes 3rd Place in State Cross Country Meet
Click here to read more from the Sea Coast Echo....
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sports News and Basketball Openers For OLA, Rocks, and Others
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLA Senior Is State Finalist For Wendy's High School Heisman Award
Victoria Romano, OLA's nominee for Wendy's High School Heisman Award, was recently selected as a state finalist.
One male and one female from each state will be selected in early November, and those selectees will go on to regional and then national selection competition. Two national winners, one male and one female, will be selected from 12 national finalists, and will honored during ESPN’s national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy on December 9.
Wendy’s High School Heisman Award (created by Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurant) is presented annually to one male and one female high school senior who best exemplify the designation of scholar-citizen-athletes. To be eligible for the award, men and woman entering their senior year of high school must have a high grade average, and participate in at least one of 32 sports officially sanctioned by the National Federation of State High Schools. Students are judged on their academic achievements, community and school service, and athletic accomplishments.
This award was created for high school seniors in 1994, based on the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award, a name and award which has signified excellence, determination, and prestige in college football.
More information on Wendy's High School Heisman Award and Program can be found at:
http://www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com/about/eligibility.asp
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLA Swimmer Alyssa Walter Medals, Sets State Record In State Championship Meet
OLA's Alyssa Walter
sets new state record at swimming championships
By JOSEPH W. GEX, II (Sea Coast Echo)
Nov 1, 2006, 08:54
Our Lady Academy senior swimmer Alyssa Walter set a new state record
in the girls 200-yard individual medley with her winning time of
2:08.67 at the State Swimming Championships in Laurel on Saturday.
Walter also medaled in
the 100-yard breaststroke finishing second overall with a time of
1:07.43. The winning time was 1:07.21.
OLA placed 13th overall out of 23 teams with 69 points.
Tupelo won the girls title with 394.5 points followed by Oxford with 260.5, Madison Central 241, Starkville 187, Cleveland 117, Purvis 109, NW Rankin 104, Biloxi 99, Amory 89, Clinton 78, Ocean Springs75, PRC 74.5, OLA 69, West Jones 64, St. Aloysius 61, St. Joe 57, Oak Grove 31, St. Andrews 20, Columbus 13, Warren Central 11.5, Gulfport six, Picayune five and Meridian with four points.
Other top ten finishers for OLA was the 200-yard medley relay team in ninth and the 200-yard freestyle relay team in tenth.
Walter was recently named a Scholastic All-American and is being hotly recruited by the University of Arkansas, Southern Illinois, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, North Florida University-Jacksonville and Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Meyers. If Walter signs with a Division I-A school, she will be the first OLA athlete to do so in school history.
The St. Stanislaus swim team placed 10th overall in the boys standings with 74 points. Picayune won the team title with 268 points followed by Madison Central 248, Tupelo 233, Biloxi 196, Oak Grove 174, Starkville 118, Cleveland 110, Amory 101, PRC 89, SSC 74, Brandon 70, Clinton 59, Oxford 55, St. Joe 53, St. Aloysius 49, NW Rankin 45, West Jones 45, Lafayette County 40, Ridgeland 32, Laurel 29, West Point 25, NE Lauderdale 18, Warren Central 15, Hancock 11, Harrison Central six, Ocean Springs five and Mercy Cross two points.
The top ten finishers
for SSC were Sherman Necaise (7th in the 50-yard freestyle, 8th in
100-yard butterfly), the 200-yard freestyle relay team which
finished eighth overall and the 400-yard freestyle relay team that
placed seventh overall.
The top finishers for Hancock were Jameson Sacco who finished 16th
overall in the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard boys
medley relay team that placed 12th overall.
© 2005 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ferry Service Begins Between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Swim Team To Compete In South State Championship
The OLA and SSC will compete in the South State Championship Meet in Laurel, Mississippi on Saturday, October 21.
The meet begins at noon at the Laurel Natatorium.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Volleyball Team Wins 3rd State Championship
(pictured above left) OLA team with state championship trophy; (above right) The team's only Seniors, Victoria Romano and Amanda Meyers
The OLA Crescents Volleyball Team won their 3rd state title this past Saturday, October 14th, in Madison MS.
Click on the link below to read more in a Sun Herald newspaper article:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLA Fall Fundraiser -- Hooray For The Bay!
OLA's fall fundraiser on October 28th was a smashing success!
Thank you to all who helped with planning, and thanks to all who attended. It was a great time for all!
Pictures from the event will be posted soon.
For any additional informationm, contact Anna DeMarco Kalom (Class of '91), Director of Development, 228-547-5556.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
October 2006 Newsletter From Sr. Jackie
*Click here to see the October Calendar
OLA MEETING AND GATHERING - MONDAY, OCTOBER 9th AT OLA COMMONS, 6:30 PM!
COME….. SOCIALIZE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
COME….. TOUR REFURBISHED OLA.
COME….. VISIT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER’S TEACHERS.
COME….. CELEBRATE OLA!
The “BRIDGE”
Mrs. Kalom, our Development Director, attended the Rotary luncheon last week. A report on bridge progress was shared during the business part of the meeting. Work is ahead of schedule. There should be no problem making the May 16th deadline for two lanes and next November for four lanes. All of us coming from the Pass and Long Beach can rejoice! Our 45-minute tour of I-10 every morning will soon be over! AND, according to the Sun-Herald, the ferry will be operational on November 1st. Won’t it be fun to take a ferry every day?
“Hooray For The Bay”
The OLA fall fundraiser, “Hooray For The Bay,” is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th, at the Hollywood Casino. Entertainment will be provided by the Molly Ringwalds. CNN Anchorwoman, Kathleen Koch will be honored.
Technology
We are installing the technology as I write this newsletter to you. Hopefully, there won’t be too many “roadblocks” and we can get OLA up and running in a week or two. It is simply a massive job. We have over 85 boxes of equipment to unbox and set up, miles of wire to pull, and seventy computers to configure. We ALL want PowerGrade! It is coming!
Math Teacher
We are desperately searching for a math teacher. Mrs. Goggins and I are teaching too much; Mr. Kolodziej leaves us at Christmas. But….. we don’t want just anybody. We want a GOOD math teacher. Do you know anyone? Please help us with this. I have exhausted all my contacts.
Volleyball
Our volleyball team is extraordinary, as always. To date, their record is 26-4. (The JV team has a record of 11-1.) Steve and Mike are enjoying this season. Each girl steps “up to the plate” and does her job. The two seniors, Amanda and Victoria, are providing wonderful leadership for the team. The district tournament begins on Saturday, October 7th. We expect to go deep into the tournament and, hopefully, ALL THE WAY!
Student Council Store
Victoria Romano, the OLA Student Council President, and her family have been working diligently to fulfill a campaign promise made by Victoria to get a student council store up and running. It is located just outside the Commons. The little building is up. Windows and doors were installed last weekend. Now, we need power and we will be “good to go.” Our hope is to make a picnic area just outside the Commons for the girls to use for lunch on good weather days.
Cross Country
Mr. Hull and the OLA Cross Country Team are doing very well. The highlight, so far this season, has been a second place finish at the East Central Meet a couple of weeks ago. Nineteen teams competed.
Swimming
Under the capable leadership of Nancy Loftus, our swimmers are excelling again this year. Our team is undefeated after four meets. Alyssa Walter is the current state record holder in the 200 IM. We already have five qualifiers for the state meet – Alyssa Walter, Madeleine Loftus, Samantha McLeod, Nikki Vaught and Annabelle Kelly. Hopefully, there will be more!
Mock Trial
And…… just in case we don’t have enough going on around here, OLA will be fielding a Mock Trial team this year. Two OLA alums, who are both attorneys, Anna Dean Farmer (OLA, ’90) and Jeanne Williams Baxter (OLA, ’92), will prepare and lead our team into competition in February. I think our team will be DYNAMITE! Look out MS – here comes OLA!
PARENT –TEACHER CONFERENCES, FRIDAY, OCT. 27TH, 2:00 PM, AT OLA!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLA Ladies Selected to 2006 St. Stanislaus Homecoming Court
(Pictured above) Young ladies selected to the 2006 Saint Stanislaus College Homecoming Court are, from the left, Courtney Klein, Kaitlyn Bosley, Leah Tucker, Victoria Romano, and Kelsey Ann Cannon.
Five students at Our Lady Academy have been selected by the SSC student body to the 2006 Homecoming Court. They are senior Kaitlyn Bosley, nominated by David Grapusa; sophomore Kelsey Ann Cannon, nominated by James Abraham; senior Courtney Klein, nominated by Taylor Blanche; senior Victoria Romano, nominated by Stephen Passman; and senior Leah Tucker, nominiated by John Hadden.
Homecoming Queen is Kaitlyn Bosley.
More about the Homecoming Court can be found at the Sun Herald news article link below:
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/living/community/15920823.htm
Homecoming Dance -Tickets for the Homecoming Dance are $20 and are on sale in Mrs Estrade's office.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alumna News
Melissa McPhail, Class of '98 is getting married on December 30th 2006 to Jason Fetter of PA. Maid of honor is her older sister Amanda McPhail, Class of '95. Bridesmaids include her OLA classmate Kristin Cannon, Class of '98, her OLA "Big Sister" Aimee Geary, Class of '95, and her OLA "Little Sister" Jill Rutherford, Class of '01. Melissa met her fiance at her sister's wedding in 1999.
20-year reunion planning for Class of 1996 and 1997 is underway. Read more....
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
September Newsletter from Sr. Jackie
"We've come so far and yet we've just begun."
The Physical Plant:
McAuley Hall is up and running. Mercy Hall is up and running. The
Commons and gym are up and running. We have obtained an occupancy
permit for Johnson Hall; it is partially up and running and will be
fully functional by Labor Day.
Plans for the Physical Plant:
The gym will get a complete overhaul at the end of October, after
volleyball season. A new floor will be laid; new bleachers will be
installed. The gym will be "down" for about three weeks. But it
will be worth it!
Plans to replace St. Joseph Hall are all tied up with FEMA at this
time. Need I say more?
Equipment:
Classroom equipment has begun to arrive, compliments of Re-Start,
the federal program designed to get the schools up and running. The
non-public schools are included in this program; this is a famous
first! Fifty-one boxes of science equipment arrived two weeks ago.
Mrs. Cranford thought it was Christmas; then she had to unpack and
inventory everything! Her enthusiasm waned! Classroom furniture
has begun to arrive. Mrs. Bartels has the unenviable task of
keeping track of all of it. Textbooks are almost all here; we are
waiting on just a few extra books for classes with larger
enrollments than we anticipated and a few teachers' editions. Mrs.
Bartels is also in charge of this. She thinks she is overworked;
she is probably right!
Enrollment:
We began school with 237 students. That is 18 more than we ended
with last year. We are pleased with the number, but, of course, we
still have a way to go to attain our pre-storm enrollment of 280.
Technology:
I know you are all missing Power School and the ability to check on
your daughter's progress each evening through our Web site. I wish
I had an answer to the question of "When." We are waiting for the
federal Re-Start program to OK our request for computers. And,
after we get approval, they must be shipped. And, after they
arrive, we must get it all installed and up and running. A mind
boggling task to say the least! I get a headache just thinking
about it all.
Student Activities:
We began our school year at OLG Church with a challenge to each
young lady to "BE"
BEgin......BElieve.....BElong.......BEcome
BEgin the year with enthusiasm and a commitment to do your best.
BElieve in yourself and what you can accomplish.
BElong to the Faith Community that is OLA.
BEcome the best you can be.
OLA volleyball is off to another great start. It is just like we
didn't skip a beat. The team won the Gulf Coast Classic Volleyball
Tournament last week. The girls have not lost a game to a Coast
team (as of 8/22, when I wrote this note). They look great!
Victoria Romano and Amanda Meyers are providing wonderful senior
leadership. And Mike Meyers is amazing!
The Back-To-School Dance was well attended. The luau theme was
enjoyed by the students. You should have seen some of the outfits!
I think a good time was had by all.
Bishop Rodi joined us on August 29th, for our Katrina anniversary
remembrance. Fr. Carver officiated at our opening school liturgy.
SSC football is off to a good start. Isn't it nice to have
something to do on Friday evenings?
Sign-up is complete for the 2006 Youth Legislature session . Fifty
young women will represent us in Jackson. I have absolutely NO
doubt that they will make us proud!
Swimming and Cross Country begins soon. Good luck, Crescents. Good
luck to our coaches, Mr. Hull and Mrs. Loftus!
Sr. Jackie
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remembering Hurricane Katrina A Year Later
On August 29, OLA will join Our Lady of the Gulf Parish, St. Stanislaus, and Holy Trinity in a prayer service in the OLA gym at 10:00 a.m. Afterward, OLA, Holy Trinity and OLG will plant a tree on one side of the street and St. Stanislaus will plant one on its side.
* * *
From Biloxi Sun Herald on August 30, 2006
Day of tears, day of joy - A Year the Coast Will Never Forget
"Remember, and believe" by Jean Prescott
Sister Jackie Howard, principal of Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis, Tuesday morning charged an assembly of 1,100 students to "remember, celebrate and believe" to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The venue was the OLA gym in Bay St. Louis. Special guests were Bishop Thomas J. Rodi and the Rev. Dennis Carver, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Pass Christian, and the students represented OLA, St. Stanislaus College and Holy Trinity Elementary School, which comprises the student bodies of what formerly were Bay Catholic, St. Clare and St. Rose de Lima elementary schools.
With causes for reflection and joy, Rodi said, "We come together with gratitude in our hearts. We are grateful for our leaders - in government, the military and public service. We are grateful for the thousands of volunteers... and to God for being with us every moment."
He pointed to four oak trees which would be planted later in the morning, one for each school and one for the parish, and declared them "living memorials to those who died" but also a great sign of belief that life will go on.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"The Shock Returns With Each Homecoming"
(newspaper article from Biloxi Sun Herald newspaper, August 25, 2006)
Michelle Lady, OLA alumna from the Class of 2003, shares how she felt a year ago after Hurricane Katrina and each time she returns home to visit Bay St. Louis . Read more here....
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Margaret Heitzmann Damborino, age 100, of Bay St. Louis, MS passed away on Sunday, August 20, 2006 in Panama City, FL.
Until her death, she was the oldest living graduate of St. Joseph's Academy (SJA) in Bay St. Louis. SJA was an all-girls Catholic school which operated from 1855-1967 on the property where OLA now stands.She was a member of Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church.
She and her late husband were former owners of the Hancock County Eagle. She is preceded in death by her husband, John Damborino; infant daughter, Johnell Damborino, her parents, George and Pauline Cattanaro Heitzmann; 4 brothers, Cedric, Henry, Carl and Roger Heitzmann.She is survived by 2 daughters, Margalo Quintini of Bay St. Louis, MS, Honorine Brown of Panama City, FL; sister, Adelaide Sternecker of Kansas City, MO; 9 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Senior Class Breakfast - First Day of School
The Class of 2007, OLA's Seniors, start off the first day of the new school year with a breakfast together at Amy Gemelli's house.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
August Newsletter from Sr. Jackie
Dear Friends of OLA,
Before we put a "period" at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year
and begin the 2006-2007 school year, I thought you might like to
know what the OLA girls have been doing this summer. The girls had
some really neat experiences!
Amy Gemelli, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gemelli and a parishioner
at OLG, spent three weeks at Governor's School at MUW in Columbus.
She received three hours of college credit for this experience.
Jessie Elizabeth Shifalo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Shifalo and
a parishioner at OLG, attended the Coast Guard Academy Introductory
Mission program in New London, CT.
Sydney Chevis, daughter of Karen Chevis, grand-daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. Sidney Chevis, and a member of OLG, attended Girls' State at
USM. She was one of only TWO young women selected from among the
250 participants at Girls' State to represent MS at Girls' Nation, a
week's program in Washington, DC.
Rebekah Kennedy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Basil Kennedy and a member
of OLG, spent a week at Millsaps representing OLA at the Hugh
O'Brien Youth Leadership program.
Erin Kergosien, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pat Kergosien and a member
of OLG, Madeleine Loftus, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Loftus and a
member of Holy Family Parish, and Amy Ashley, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Mark Ashley and a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, spent
five weeks at MS State attending the Rural Medical Scholars
Program. It was for students who are bright and interested in the
medical profession. They shadowed a physician one day a week and
attended classes the rest of the time. Each young woman earned
seven hours of college credit for their work.
Victoria Romano, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Romano and a member
of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Diamondhead, who holds the title
"Hancock County Junior Miss", represented our area at the MS Junior
Miss Competition in Meridian this summer. She says it was a
FABULOUS experience! Victoria also spent three weeks in Oxford and
a week in Washington, DC at the Lott Leadership Institute; for this,
she earned seven hours of college credit.
Laura Kergosien, daughter of Drs. Bill and Carolyn Kergosien and a
parishioner at OLG, Victoria Romano, and Jessie Elizabeth Shifalo,
attended CONA (Conference on National Affairs), a national Youth
Legislature, in Ashville, NC. Over 600 young people were in
attendance. From that number, six were selected to be presiding
officers for the 2007 conference; Laura Kergosien is one of the
six. Laura is only the second person from MS to ever be selected
and the FIRST woman.
Sarah Holland Bacot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Grannon and a
member of Christ Episcopal Church, attended the Junior Statesman of
America program at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. It
included three weeks of debate, two college courses and well-known
political speakers.
Kaitlyn Stovall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoi Stovall and a member
of St. Thomas Parish, attended the Ole Miss Summer College, where
she earned seven hours of college credit for her month's work.
A group of OLA girls made the annual trip to Saltillo, MX again this
summer. The group included:
Danielle Gargiulo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Garguilo and a
member of St. James Parish,
Megan Gargiulo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garguilo and a
member of St. James Parish,
Corey Davidge, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Davidge and a member of
Holy Family Parish,
Ali Phares, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Phares and a member of Holy
Family Parish,
Jessie Elizabeth and Stephanie Shifalo, daughters of Mr. and Mrs.
Jesse Shifalo and members of OLG Parish,
Leah Tucker, daughter of Mrs. Anne Tucker and a member of Holy
Family Parish.
And then there were the OLA CHEERLEADERS and the OLA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
that also did great things. Look for info about them in my next
newsletter. Have a great year!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
July Newsletter from Sr. Jackie
Dear OLA Students,
Summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close. Have you finished
your summer reading yet? Get with it! School begins on August
10th. Are you ready?
An up-date on OLA. Mercy Hall needs carpeting and it will be
finished. Installation should be going on when you get this
letter. Johnson Hall also needs carpeting; it will be done at the
same time. All wiring for technology is being installed now. PA
system is in route to the school. Labs and fine arts department are
under construction. All SHOULD be ready for the first day of
school. Pray hard! A new gym floor and bleachers will be installed
in late October and early November; maroon bleachers and a gym floor
with the OLA crest at center court is the plan. It should look
really different and really nice!
The good news. We have a WONDERFUL faculty for '06-'07. All are
experienced. Five are alums of OLA. All are certified to teach in
MS. All are excited and ready to go. Teachers include:
English Department - Mrs. Benvenutti, Mrs. Bradbrook, Mrs. Kalom
(Anna
DeMarco, OLA Class of 91), Mrs. Guichet, Mrs. Bartels
Math Department - Mr. Kolodziej, Mrs. Goggins, Sister Jackie, Mrs.
Hoelzel (Nancy Martinolich, OLA Class of '80), Mr. Hull
Science Department - Mr. Kolodziej, Mrs. Cranford (Julie Martinolich,
OLA Class of '77), Mrs. Hoelzel, Ms Elias
History Department - Mrs. Deano, Ms Burge, Mrs. Collins (Shannon
O'Brien, OLA Class of '88)
Language Department - Mrs. Bartels, Sister Elisa
Fine Arts Department - Mrs. Mehrtens
Religion Department - Mrs. Burch, Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Munger
Business/Technology Department - Mrs. Kergosien (Hope Chiniche, OLA
Class of '82)
PE Department - Mrs. Lisa Gauthier Clark
Support - Sister Jackie and Mrs. Goggins - Administration; Mrs.
Emmel - Guidance; Mrs. Kalom - Development; Steve Reboul -
Athletics; Sister Elisa - PR, Sister Anna Louise - Finance; Mrs.
Gleber - Administrative Aide; Janie Lasseigne and Teresa Parnell -
Physical Plant.
More good news! Textbooks are in - almost $100,000 worth! So.. you
will have a great teacher, a room, a blackboard, a textbook, and a
roof over your head. You just won't have a desk for the first two
days of school; they are scheduled for delivery on August 14th.
But.. there will be brand new carpeting in all classrooms; you will
survive! The floor isn't so bad! Also, technology will be
late in arriving. We are ordering almost $150,000 in computers,
servers, printers, copiers, etc. It will be GREAT, but it will
arrive LATE. GREAT and LATE - isn't that the story of our lives
recently?
I just got off the phone with the finance department at
Bay-Waveland. The Displaced Student money that we have all been
waiting for has been approved in Jackson. Bay-Waveland will approve
the disbursement of it at their monthly school board meeting at the
end of the month. We should receive a check in the middle of
August; Sister Anna Louise will then issue a check to you; you
should get it by the end of August. (I was hoping to have it for
you at final registration on August 7th, but it looks like it will
be a week or so later than that.)
Some important dates:
Sunday, August 6th - New Student Orientation - 2:00 - 3:30 - OLA
Commons
Monday, August 7th - Final Registration - See calendar on back of
July
Reflection for times - McAuley Hall
Thursday, August 10th - First day of school
8:30 - 12:00 - FULL UNIFORM IS TO BE WORN - SKIRT NO SHORTER THAN 2
INCHES ABOVE THE KNEE; SHIRT TAIL TUCKED IN - DON'T MESS WITH ME
ABOUT THIS!!!
Friday, August 11th - Second day of school - 8:30 - 12:00
Monday, August 14th - First full day of school - 8:30 - 3:30
It will be good to see you, my Darlings. I have missed you! I
especially look forward to seeing the senior class, the OLA Class of
2007. They are the PERFECT group to lead us back to our side of the
street! AND, welcome new seventh graders - the OLA Class of 2012!
It will be good to have you on campus!
Sr. Jackie
Class of 2006 Graduation
After hurdling post-Katrina challenges and obstacles in the 2005-2006 school year, OLA's seniors were triumphant. OLA graduated 45 seniors on May 27th in Our Lady of the Gulf Church in Bay St. Louis. More news about the Class of 2006 is below.
|
Star Student, Laura Kergosien
|
Seniors Graduate on May 27, 2006
Our Lady Academy graduated forty-five seniors at
its thirty-second graduation ceremony on May 27.
Graduation was held at a 3:00 pm Eucharistic Liturgy in Our Lady of
the Gulf Church in Bay St. Louis.
Most Rev. Bishop Thomas J. Rodi was the principal celebrant of the Liturgy assisted by Father Michael Tracey, pastor of OLG, and priests from the neighboring parishes.
Margaret Erin Casey presented the Salutatory Address, and Molly Margaret Hadden delivered the Valedictory Address.
Members of the Monsignor Martin Maloney National Honor Society wore blue stoles with their white graduation gowns.
The Class of 2006 received their diplomas from Bishop Thomas Rodi and Sister Jackie Howard, OLA Principal, following the Liturgy.
The OLA 2006 Graduates are:
Lindsay Benvenutti
Mary Li
After the distribution of diplomas, five seniors were named as recipients of the following OLA Awards: (1) The Mary Patricia Schmidt Character Cup, (2) the Principal's Cup, (3) the American Legion Award, (4) the Chamber of Commerce Award, and (5) the Achievement Award.
Prior to graduation, members of the Class of 2006 were inducted into the OLA Alumnae Association and received Academic Awards, Scholarship Certificates, and Participation Awards in clubs and organizations.
Students are shown below before school (left), during the school day (center), and enthusiastically participating in science lab (right).
May 2006 News
ATHLETICS
Congratulations to the OLA Track Team and Coach Harry Hull, District Champions, 2006 and Regional Champions, 2006. There were many, many winners; too many to mention. However, the first place winners include:
Leah
Seal -- 400 m dash, first in district
Annette Allard -- 100 m hurdles, first in district and 300 m
hurdles, first in district
Victoria Romano -- Discus, first in district
Mischa Tice -- 200 m dash, first in district
Erin Kergosien -- pole vault, first in district, first in
regionals
Alyssa Walter -- 1600 m run, first in district, first in regionals
Lauren Seal -- 800 m run, first in district
Congratulations to the OLA-SSC Tennis Team
and Coach Linda Emmel, District champions, 2006! Congratulations,
all! Individual winners include:
Megan Terrell, first place in ladies singles, Henderson Hewes, first place in gentleman's singles, Amanda Meyers and Victoria Rafferty, first place in ladies doubles
Josh Ellis and Joel Gregory, first place in gentlemen's doubles, Lizzie Milner and Charlie Prichard, second place in mixed doubles.
For more OLA and St. Stanislaus sports news, go to www.rockachaw.com
LATIN SCHOLARS
Congratulations to Sister Elisa and her Latin students. OLA/SSC had
five
winners on the National Latin Exam this year. The exam covers
vocabulary, grammar, Roman numerals,
mythology, Roman civilization, geography, derivatives, and Latin
sayings. Winners include:
Latin I:
Paul Hotard --silver medal and maxima cum laude certificate
Dailey Brannin -- magna cum laude certificate
Cody LeBlanc-- magna cum laude certificate
Latin II:
Kaitlyn Stovall -- gold medal and summa cum laude certificate
Megan Gargiulo --silver medal and maxima cum laude certificate
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY OFFICERS
Several months ago, the National Honor Society members elected their
officers
for this year. I have been remiss in not announcing their names to
you. Congratulations, ladies!
NHS Officers: President Katherine Guichet, Vice-President Rachel Cuevas, Secretary Kristen Abraham, and Treasurer Megan Robinson
NJHS Officers: President Amelia Simpson, Vice President Sarah Bacot, Secretary Audra Puffer, and Treasurer: Megan Chevis
STAR STUDENT
It is my pleasure to announce Laura Kergosien the 2006 OLA Star Student. She earned this honor by having the highest ACT score in the senior class. She has chosen Steve Flannery as her Star Teacher. Congratulations, Laura and Mr. Flannery!
VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
It is also my pleasure to announce that Margaret Hadden is Valedictorian of the class of 2006 and Erin Casey is the Salutatorian. Margaret and Erin had the highest GPA for credit courses taken in grades 8 through the third quarter of the senior year. They also met the criteria of being in attendance at OLA for their entire sophomore through senior years and have completed four credits of math and science.
NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS
Samantha Goodfellow, Colleen O'Brien, and Laura Kergosien are National Merit Finalists (among 12,000 students selected nationally). Laura Kergosien is a National Merit Scholar (among 2000 students selected nationally) and winner of a National Merit Scholarship. Samantha and Colleen are receiving other scholarships to the universities they applied to based on their Finalist standing. Congratuations, girls! We are very proud of you!
OTHER RECOGNITIONS
Amy Gemelli was selected to attend Governor's School this summer.
Victoria Romano was selected to attend the Lott Leadership Institute this summer.
ALUMNAE NEWS
Since we have lost all alumnae records, news of our graduates now
seems even more important to us. I saw Steve Kohl the other day and
he said that Karen ( an OLA graduate somewhere in the 1990s) has
finished her BA and her MA degrees in Computer Science at MIT and
will finish her PhD at Tulane this summer. Congratulations, Karen!
We also received an e-mail last week telling us that Jessica Bennett
Duke (class of ) was selected as "Best of Ringling" for
the junior class at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, FL. Her
work is being exhibited at the Shelby Auditorium, April 14 -May 6,
2006. Congratulations, Jessica (and Joy Mehrtens!)
Class of '95 alumna, Miranda Grass Hendrix and her husband Thad, welcomed their first baby, Helen Boyce Hendrix, to the world on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006. Baby Helen weighed 9 lbs and was 21 inches long. Congratulations to the Hendrix family! Classmates and friends can reach Miranda at (251) 661-1995.
< Note from the webmaster: If alumnae or their families want to share news or accomplishments for the website, please send it by email to: info@ourladyacademy.com>
March 22,2006
Our Lady Academy has lots of GREAT news to report. The greatest is the selection of one of our volunteer groups as an award winner of the “Make a Difference Day” contest. This group has been at OLA from the very beginning and continues to help. We are inspired by their generosity! We also have much to report as our students have jumped into the swing of things and are once again making great accomplishments, we are so proud of them.
"MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY”. In October, 2005, our friends from Pope John Paul II High School of Hendersonville, TN brought down the first “18-Wheeler” filled with equipment and supplies for OLA. They also worked for several days gutting and cleaning one of our teacher’s homes. After returning to JPII, they submitted a recount of how they helped in the efforts to rebuild OLA to the USA Weekend Magazine contest called “Make a Difference Day”. The newspaper was very impressed and selected JPII as a winner. The story will be published on Sunday, April 23, 2006 in USA Weekend or PARADE Magazine. Check out: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603220312.
The award includes a $10,000.00 check which they will donate to the OLA Rebuilding effort. JPII has helped our school so much by sending funds, supplies, materials, volunteers and many prayers. We at OLA are so appreciative of everything they have provided. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
BACK IN McCAULEY HALL. OLA students moved back into McAuley Hall in January. Five classrooms have been repaired and OLA teachers are conducting classes in Religion, Math, History, English and Science. The teachers are thrilled to be back, at least in part! The Art Room floor was painted by volunteers from Louisville, KY and donated picnic tables from Boston, MA were placed in the room. Viola! The art room is now the Senior Lounge! The Seniors love their space. Sr. Jackie and Sr. Elisa have office space in McAuley Hall and the conference room has a nice new table. Sr. Jackie has wall to wall shelves (which she loves) in the book room. We continue with an unexpected greater than 80% return of our pre-Katrina enrollment.
SCHOLARSHIPS. Margaret Hadden is a finalist for the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. This award is evaluates academic, community service and school involvement. 75,000 students from across the nation applied and Margaret has made it to the final 250 students. She is guaranteed a $4,000.00 scholarship. She will be flown to Atlanta on April 6 for the final competition. If she is selected as one of the final 50 recipients, she will receive a $20,000.00 scholarship. Let’s keep her in our prayers. Meagan Flynt, Lauren Renz and Annie Giardino have been offered and accepted scholarships to play soccer at William Carey College and will play for former OLA soccer coach Danny Owens.
HANCOCK COUNTY JUNIOR MISS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. Victoria Romano, a junior at OLA, was selected as Hancock County Jr. Miss for 2007. In addition to the Junior Miss title, Victoria won the Scholastic and Interview preliminaries, the “Be Your Best Self” essay contest and was selected by the other contestants as Spirit of Junior Miss. She received over $8,000.00 in scholarships and will compete in the Mississippi’s Junior Miss Program in late July. Good luck, Victoria!
SPORTS. The volleyball team placed 1st in the district for the 8th straight year and advanced as far as the 1st round of state playoffs. The soccer team won district for the 9th straight year and came in second in the state tournament. In swimming, the girls all had personal best times at the state swim meet. Alyssa Walter won the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke events. In softball, the team is 2-0 in District Play. The first round of State Playoffs will be in April. The girls are playing well. The golf and tennis teams are in full swing. The track team won the varsity team title in the annual Rock Relays held at SSC on Thursday, March 16th. Congratulations, girls!
YOUTH LEGISLATURE. OLA was well represented with Jessie Shifalo elected as Lieutenant Governor and Erin Kergosien as Clerk of the House. Erin was also selected as Outstanding Committee Chair. Several students won outstanding senator and representative awards. A number of the bills presented by OLA students were signed into law. This is a BIG DEAL. Congratulations!
OTHER AWARDS AND HONORS. The awards go on with Sidney Chevis, named Colleen of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations; Erin Casey, recipient of the Eagle of the Cross Award from the Diocese of Biloxi; and Laura Kergosien and Erin Casey were selected to serve on the SEARCH retreat team for the Diocese of Biloxi.
SOCIAL. The Mardi Gras Masquerade dance was a huge success. The students are preparing for the Jr-Sr. Prom which will be held with St. Stanislaus in the Commons on May 6th. On Monday nights, coed Volleyball intramurals are being held at 6PM. The teams are made up of 2 SSC guys and 4 OLA girls. Everyone seems to be having a great time and exercising too. Check out http://www.ststan.com/ for information regarding our “Two Schools, One Spirit”
* GREATEST NEED. OLA has 2 buildings which still need major repairs (Mercy Hall and Johnson Hall). Through the donations of so many, funding is available to complete the rebuilding of Johnson Hall ($150,000.00) and most of Mercy Hall ($300,000.00). The estimate on rebuilding Mercy Hall is coming in at about $420,000.00. The roof is $64,000.00, the roof decking is $47,000.00, doors are $42,000.00, etc. We still need $150,000 to be able to finish Mercy Hall.
OTHER NEEDS.
Tuition assistance. Many of our students lost their homes and their parents are rebuilding their lives, businesses, etc. Some are even paying mortgages on the previous homes which have been reduced to concrete slabs. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a student this is an area of need. Tuition for one student is $4350.00 per year. Of course, partial sponsorship is possible - every little bit counts!
St. Joseph Hall. St. Joseph Hall was so badly destroyed by Katrina the building had to be bulldozed. This building will need to be replaced. Preliminary estimates are $500,000.00. OLA may have to take out a loan to replace this building. This is a very scary proposition to those making the decisions because we will be burdening future parents with a large financial obligation. OLA has been very, very prudent and frugal and has always operated “in the black”.
Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made through our website and PayPal or send check or money order to:
OLA Katrina Fund
222 S. Beach Blvd,
Bay St. Louis, MS.
Attention: Connie Chevis. *Please designate on check if intended for tuition.
Our school is a very special place and “Katrina may have CRUSHED our School but Not our SPIRIT.” Please keep us in your prayers, stop by, visit us and see why we love this school so much.
God Bless you. Thank you for your help and prayers.
Connie Chevis
Teresa Romano
Sr. Jackie Howard (Principal)
Update from Connie Chevis, OLA Advisory Board Secretary and Katrina Fund Treasurer
School opened Nov. 1 with 204 students returning from the pre-Katrina enrollment of 284. This is a fantastic 75% return. The local high school only had about 40% returning. We expect 210 students in January. The girls were very excited to be back in school.
|
We have had volunteer work groups coming down every weekend to help clean up and rebuild. Each group has brought many supplies and contributions. Major contributions included a commercial freezer, stove and refrigerator for the cafeteria (see photo at right). The stove was delivered today and we hope to be serving lunch by Thursday. We have received many student desks (see photo below) but still need more. We have received some teachers desks but again need more. The work groups have helped so much in cleaning up the school, painting, cleaning the grounds, landscaping. They make us feel loved and replenish our spirit with their kindness. |
 |
|
 |
McAuley Hall and Mercy Hall have been cleaned out. McAuley Hall has be repaired. St. Joseph Hall was demolished and the grounds cleaned. We will attempt to rebuild Johnson Hall using volunteer labor. Mercy Hall needs a new roof and rebuilding. This will have to be done using commercial labor and contractors. Estimated costs to rebuild Mercy Hall is $300,000.00. Estimated cost to rebuild Johnson Hall is $178,000.00. Estimated costs to finish the labs and furnish McAuley Hall is $52,000.00. |
|
|
This is a total of $530,000.00 needed to rebuild our precious school. Christmas is fast approaching, please think of Our Lady Academy and help us rebuild. The end of the year is also near and maybe some of you could use a tax write-off. Please think of OLA in your Year-End Giving. We can accept donations online at this website. Just click on the "Donate" item on the left-hand menu and follow the instructions. |
 |
Latest Update from Julie Martinolich Cranford
OLA and St. Stanislaus reopened their doors today for classes for close to 500 students! Attitudes were upbeat even though many students and their families suffered great personal losses and damages from the storm.
The day began with a morning prayer service. Later in the day, Mass was celebrated by Fr. Mike Tracey and Fr. Sebastian in the Peter Mockler Gymnasium,
A hot meal was served for lunch in the Commons Area.
Class schedules and other details were reviewed and discussed.
Supplies are continuing to come in (thanks to all who have donated).
OLA is working to put together a calendar of events that will be published soon at this website.
Students driving to school at SSC / OLA are reminded that the
Other updates:
The repairs to OLA’s McCauley Hall are almost complete.
There was a good turnout for the OLA Senior Retreat at the
Athletic Program Updates:
OLA and SSC soccer teams continue to practice and play.
The OLA Cross Country team will be participating in competition this Saturday.
Eight boys and four girls from SSC / OLA competed in the State Championship Swim Meet at
OLA junior Alyssa Walter edged out the competition to place first in both the 100 yard individual medley and the 100 yard breaststroke. SSC sophomore Sherman Necaise placed ninth in the 100 yard butterfly with a new SSC record time of 1:01.19.
Latest Update from Julie Martinolich Cranford
A comprehensive list of school and teacher supplies has just been received from the OLA administration. Please let us know if you wish to or plan to send anything from the list so we can mark it off and focus people on the remaining items. (*Note to readers as of March 22, 2006: no more supplies are needed at this time. We will post any new needs as they arise **)
Please send notifications to:Cranfam8@cs.com and info@ourladyacademy.com Many generous people have continued to donate their time to come down to OLA and help. We are very grateful for all of your support!
Anyone who would like to set up monthly allotments from a paycheck into the OLA Katrina Fund can do so by contacting:
Paul Guichet
Hancock Bank
paul_guichet@hancockbank.com
Phone: 1-800-522-6542 , 228-214-5242, 228-669-8394.
Donations can also be received through the mail, or by credit card or Pay Pal on our website.
The OLA Soccer team recently held tryouts, and are now busy practicing.
Dr. Connie Chevis and committee are now in place to oversee the OLA Katrina fund, as well as determine more fundraising steps that are necessary for the school’s longterm viability.
The school reopening date of November 1st is quickly approaching. We can’t wait to see everyone again!
October 10, 2005
Update from Julie Martinolich Cranford
Individual and group volunteers are continuing to come in and provide much-appreciated assistance in grounds and school cleanup, or helping with supplies. They are also helping with the surrounding community's needs. For anyone interested in helping, no advance notice is needed. Just show up every Saturday and our on-site volunteer coordinator will put you to work! If you are coming from out of town and need to ask about some details prior to traveling, you can contact Sr. Jackie (228-216-7048) or Julie Cranford (228-466-9140). We would like to post photos of these volunteers in the photos gallery section of this website. If any individuals or groups have pictures of your time at OLA and do not object to them being posted at our website, could you could send them electronically to info@ourladyacademy.com.
All students and faculty members have been accounted for either through direct communication or by receiving word through someone else. Not everyone is in the local area or will be able to return for awhile, but we feel blessed that everyone is safe.
Sr. Jackie and other faculty members are talking frequently and are working hard to handle the many tasks and issues necessary to reopen school on November 1st, and to continue on towards full recovery.
Re-enrollment at OLA and St. Stanislaus is now over 50%, with a much higher percentage enrollment of the senior class.
The OLA Volleyball Team won heir first game in district play. They play again on Tuesday (October 11th). We are proud of the team for overcoming major adversity to regroup and play well in district competition.
OLA Soccer Team tryouts and practice will be this Thursday (October 13th) at 4:30 pm at the SSC Soccer Field.
The Music Department has received a donation of a piano.
Gift certificates or gift cards to Walmart, Office Depot, and Office Max are also welcome. These will enable the faculty to purchase school and office items more easily as needs are better defined.
Many of the SJA and OLA graduating class photographs (composites) were destroyed in the storm. We will provide an update soon on the years that were lost. If alumnae still have a copy, we will eventually ask if we can get a copy of these from you to enlarge and re-hang these along the OLA hallways. The cost of reproduction, enlargement, and framing is something that graduating classes may want to think about covering or donating for their graduating year. This is not the highest priority right now, but something we will be working towards eventually. If your class composite is stored somewhere handy, please keep it there and we'll let you know when we are ready for your assistance.
We will have many projects to work on eventually to rebuild the school's history. For now, the immediate priority is to pull together and raise as much money as possible to get the current students and faculty back in school.
Please continue to spread the word that finanical donations are desperately needed to cover tuition assistance for girls whose parents have lost their jobs and homes, and also to rehire our teachers. Many of our teachers also suffered catastrophic losses and cannot return to their jobs if there is not enough money in the school operating budget.
We know many people are providing financial support to their families and close friends who suffered damage and losses from the hurricane. For any others who are in a position to do so, pease consider making a credit card or Pay Pal online donation, sending a donation directly to the school, or setting up a monthly allotment directly to the "OLA Katrina Fund" at Hancock Bank Mississippi. More information about monetary donations can be found on the "Monetary Donation" section of our website.