CORETTE
Volume #9, Issue #1
Cor Jesu Academy, St. Louis, Missouri
October 1, 2026
YAG PRESIDING OFFICERS
by Martha Goldkamp
judicial, or if you want a less
Anna Judkins to serve as Chief Justice
stressful approach, you can do
for the 2026 Missouri Youth and
media.”
Government Conference. She is an expert in the judicial Leaves are falling, temperatures are
branch specifically, having done it
dropping, and UGGs are coming back
all four years. When asked to go
out of our closets. What could this
into detail about what the role of
mean? That YAG season is upon us,
the judicial branch is, she explains,
of course! To celebrate the upcoming
“So, within the judicial branch you
conference, we brought in Anna
can choose to be an attorney or a
Judkins, one of the YAG conference’s
judge. You can only be a judge
presiding officers from Cor Jesu, to
junior or senior year and you have
tell us all about YAG!
to apply and get accepted. I was a judge last year, but this year I am
So what is YAG exactly? In Anna’s
chief justice, which means I am the
words, “YAG is Missouri Youth and
head of all judges.” The chief justice
Government. You get the opportunity
is an integral role, leading and
to immerse yourself in the world of
overseeing the judicial branch for
government with other delegates
the entire YAG conference!
Congratulations to our other Cor Jesu
City for 3 days. Participants get to
Congrats to Anna Judkins! We are
in
choose which branch of government
so excited for this YAG season and
Floodman and Media Director, Mary
to work within, either legislative,
it’s sure to be a great one!
Hogan.
students selected for leadership roles
from all over the state in Jefferson
CORETTE STAFF Amanda Missey ‘27.............Editor Mia Eickhoff ‘27.......Layout Editor Marchesa Dalton ‘27...........Writer Martha Goldkamp ‘27.........Writer Mary Sotiriou ‘27.................Writer Cecelia Hof ‘28.....................Writer Mary Damazyn ‘29..............Writer
Cor Jesu Corette
Photo courtesy of Anna Judkins
YAG.
Lieutenant
Govener,
Elle
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR by Amanda Missey As this year has kicked off, so too has a new era for the Corette. Having published only a couple of issues each year for the past few years, my goal as editor-in-chief this year is to publish each and every month,
bringing
updated
and
current news to the Cor Jesu community. With a strong and consistent group of writers this
year, we have started stronger than ever. Going forward, we are looking to expand our audience and be more active in bringing important news to the school through both our monthy newsletter
and
instagram,
@corjesucorette, which we are working on revamping. I am so thrilled to have this position, and am looking forward to the year to come!
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2026-2027: THE NEW FACULTY MEMBERS by Mary Damazyn
Mr. John Souris Mr. John Souris is joining the teaching staff as an Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Statistics teacher. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Souris loves to travel, work out, cook, and read about business and current events. He has one son, one daughter, and a cute border-doodle. His favourite food is BBQ Ribs, which is perfect for a barbeque city like St. Louis! Ms. Mary Jo Bauer Welcome Ms. Bauer to the CJ history department! She teaches AP/ACP US and Comparative Government and World History. She has two sons who have graduated from Mizzou! Ms. Bauer also has two dogs: Josie, a 10year-old husky and Frankie, a 6 year old chihuahua mix. Outside of school, you can catch Ms. Bauer teaching yoga!
Mallory Ronshausen ‘21 Welcome back to CJ Ms. Ronshausen! Mallory graduated from Cor Jesu in 2021 and is the assistant Varsity Basketball coach. She is joining the faculty as the Spirit Shop coordinator! Outside of the Spirit Shop you can find her enjoying the outdoors by hiking, playing pickleball, and baking. Welcome to CJ, Ms. Ronshausen. Andrew Weiss Welcome to CJ Mr. Weiss! He is joining the faculty as the facilities technician. He enjoys playing outdoor sports and strategy games! He loves all food as well. Fun fact: Mr. Weiss has a sister that graduated from Cor Jesu in 1998 and teaches here at CJ. Sr. Lisa Retort ASCJ Sr. Lisa has returned to CJ! In the 90’s, she worked at CJ, so she might have
taught some of your parents! She teaches Theology I and Theology II. She is a member of the ASCJ, and has taught at CJ’s sister school, Sacred Heart Academy! Ms. Margaret Feder ‘17 Welcome Ms. Feder to the teaching staff at CJ! She teaches handbells and orchestra. Ms. Feder also plays the cello. She graduated from Cor Jesu in 2017. She previously taught at Ursuline Academy. Ms. Feder is about to get married. Welcome to Cor Jesu Ms. Feder! Dr. Leslie Howard Dr. Howard is the new french teacher here at CJ. Outside of the classroom, you can find her playing pickleball or listening to music. She loves to travel, and also lived in France for twelve years. Her favorite foods are ice cream, yogurt, and cheese.
Photos courtesy of Tom Paule Photography and Cor Jesu Academy
THE RED SCARE! CJ’S IMPETIGO OUTBREAK by Katie McMaster
satire noun: wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly Leggings? In 90-degree weather? You know what that means: another impetigo outbreak! And you know who started it? The sophomores. During freshman welcome week, the sophomores thought, “How can we make this about us?” and oh boy did they pick the right way! We have them to thank for squatting over toilet seats and the shortage of Clorox wipes. But it’s not just the class of 2029. Last year it was the class of 2028, and the
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year before that the class of 2027. It seems to be a canon event that the sophomores continuously bring in impetigo at the beginning of fall. Has it really always been them? Probably not. But what are they gonna do about it? Now that the culprit has been caught, here are some measures you can take to prevent getting it yourself. First, stay away from anyone wearing leggings. Yes, it’s true, everyone wearing leggings does, in fact, have impetigo. Next, talk about people behind their backs and point fingers. If you want to go the extra mile, eavesdrop on conversations and misinterpret everything you hear.
Be sure to tell your friends, family, cousins, literally everyone all the information you gather. Feeding into the mass hysteria is the best way to go in any situation. Finally, whatever you do, do not shower. Soap is holding you back from building your immunity. Heck, while you're at it, toss out that deodorant too! This is definitely real medical advice that you should take and follow closely. Don’t listen to any emails sent out by the “nurse”; that's all fake news. The real experts here at the Corette did the digging and research for you. Thanks for tuning into the Corette’s new scientific column. Next time we’ll cover why the Earth is flat and how birds aren’t real.
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LIGHTING UP THE MUNY STAGE by Marchesa Dolton
between learning and being wellperformed and the times where you can laugh and have fun,” Abby explains.
Photos courtesy of Abby Hogan
11,000 pairs of eyes watch as professional actors and young performers alike light up the beloved outdoor stage known as the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, or The Muny. Being the nation’s largest and oldest outdoor professional theater, The Muny draws attention from Broadway stars, students across the country, and, of course, locals.
rehearsals till 10PM a lot of days, and it can add a lot of academic stress,” Hogan notes. However, she acknowledges that the hard work always pays off, saying, “At the end of it, I’ve met some of my best friends through Muny Teens. It’s such a great time, and I love performing with them. Muny always somehow finds a way to remind me of why I love to do what I do.”
For some of our Cor Jesu girls, this famous theater has become a second home. Senior Abby Hogan has been performing at The Muny since the age of nine. This past summer was her third year participating in the company’s competitive ensemble troupe, Muny Teens. When asked about her experience in the cutthroat world of Muny Teens, Abby shared both the difficulties and the beauties that the program withholds. “[Muny] Teens can be messy with my school schedule because rehearsals start in April and last until the beginning of June. We have
In addition to multiple pre-show performances with the Muny Teens troupe, Abby also performed in Shrek the Musical and Something Rotten over the summer. While rehearsing and performing Shrek, she recounts an important lesson that the show taught her. “[When working with Broadway performers and other professionals] I have to make sure I’m on my A-game and be respectful and practice at home. But of course, there’s a balance that I had to learn between coexisting with these performers while still having fun. Muny helped me find that balance
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The Muny offers opportunities that might not otherwise be available to performers across St. Louis at such young ages. Its networking avenues and real world experiences and connections are valuable for young performers like Hogan. “I do think it's unlike any other. It’s more chaotic and you have to be more locked in than shows at schools where you have at least a month and a half to prepare. In ten to eleven days we have to be ready to put the show on the stage, which is challenging and so unique,” she adds. Evidently, a Muny education is unlike any other theater experience in St. Louis, in the Midwest, or even in the country. As someone who personally saw four out of the seven shows this past season, I can confidently speak to the individuality and uniqueness of the Muny. Going to see a show that includes professionals that have performed for years–some on Broadway, some in other countries, some Muny alumni–and youth actors that are high school aged (and even grade school aged) will not be something you regret.
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FILMS THAT HIT THE BIG SCREEN THIS SUMMER by Mary Sotirou Movie theaters were bustling this summer across many age groups. The Odyssey was released on July 17th Spider-Man: Brand New Day followed shortly after, premiering on the 30th. Both films dominated the box office,clearing $1 billion within weeks of release worldwide. The success of these films led to the most successful performance of movie theaters in over a decade.
The similarities of these films do not stop with their outstanding performance; they also share many actors. Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal were all featured in both of these hit movies, each contributing a phenomenal performance. Especially showcasing intense dedication through his roles in both films, Tom Holland dominated the cinema this summer. Holland appeared for his fourth solo spider-man movie and seventh movie in the Marvel franchise as the beloved Peter Parker. Holland also gave a moving performance as Telemachus and his quest for his long, lost father in The Odyssey. Both plots follow Holland, the main character, as he struggles to overcome the obstacles of the Greek Islands or the Marvel Universe.
Photo courtesy of Movie Posters, Rotten Tomatos
FALL PLAY PREVIEW by Cecelia Hof Cor Jesu's Little Theater has been turned into a place of laughs and surprises with this year's fall play, Madhouse! by Todd Wallinger. This play follows a family after the death of their father. They gather to hear the will read, only to discover that their father has not left any direct inheritance, instead choosing to turn his great fortune into one object and hide it. He leaves only one rule: whoever finds the object gets his entire fortune. The chaos increases as the house is slowly overrun by a crowd of people trying to avoid the storm that is raging outside. The strangers join in
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the hunt, turning the house into a place of complete madness. Brought to you by the hardworking cast and crew, it's sure to be a hilarious time for any who attend. Performances will be on October 1-3 at 7pm in the Cor Jesu Little Theater. Tickets can be found in an email from Mia Eickhoff and on OnCampus.
With the wide spectrum of films released this summer, it is without a doubt that there was something for everyone. The Odyssey and SpiderMan: Brand New Day are two wonderful examples of action-packed movies that are inspired from the past: in the case of Spider-Man, the previous movies in the franchise, and for The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s modern take. Both of these films are without a doubt very successful and helped the cinema industry. Movie theaters have been struggling since the pandemic, but the release of these films helped to reignite the industry. Their release will go down as one of the most successful cinematography summers worldwide, breaking many records and proving that cinema can bring people together.
UPCOMING Sunday, October 4th: Father/ Daughter Movie Night Friday, October 9th - Monday, October 12th: Fall Break Tuesday, October 13th: EXP3 Sunday, Oct 24th: Open House Monday, October 25th: No School Friday, October 30st: Halloween Activity Saturday, October 31st: Halloween
Photo courtesy of Pioneer Drama
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DO IT WITH HEART KICKS OFF by Amanda Missey
Photos courtesy of Cor Jesu Academy
Cor Jesu’s Do It With Heart Campaign Kicks Off, $11 Million Raised so Far
Focused on revamping the Cor Jesu experience, the campaign has raised over $11 million so far, which will be used to expand the athletic footprint through new facilities and grow the endowment fund.
will give sports a more consistent place to practice and play. The Cor Jesu endowment, which allows for over 50% of the student body to receive a Cor Jesu education based on merit and financial assistance, is also benefitting from this campaign. The strength of the endowment has been a longstanding focus for Cor Jesu, as it enables girls who would thrive at Cor Jesu to receive an education, regardless of financial status. With the incredible alumnae contributions, Cor Jesu will be able to continue to support every girl who steps onto campus athletically, financially, and academically.
8 hard-court tennis courts and a stadium complete with a track, a turf field lined for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey will be placed on the back of the property. The front field will be replaced with high-quality turf, including a softball field with removable fencing. These additions
The hope for this project is not only to improve the experience of the students who participate in a sport, but the experience of every single Cor Jesu student. Physical education classes will now be able to expand their curriculum, adding units that have been limited before by the
Whispers about the massive project to revamp Cor Jesu’s athletic facilities have been going around for months, but the official debut was made on September 8th with the announcement of the new campaign, Do It With Heart.
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facilities available. The spirit of Cor Jesu, which impacts all who walk on campus, will be even stronger, as each sport will now be able to play at home, hopefully generating more student and faculty participation in cheering on those playing.
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