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CO N N E L LY CONTACT Winter 2017-2018

THE MAGAZINE OF CONNELLY SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD â€¢ POTOMAC, MD

Winter 2017-2018 - Connelly Contact

A place to believe. A place to belong. A place to become. These words are emblazoned on the wall of St. Mary’s Catholic Academy in Blackpool, England – a school founded by Cornelia Connelly’s guiding principles. For the past few years here at Connelly School of the Holy Child, our community has embraced the BELIEVE theme. This motto inspires our students to have faith in their own unique God-given gifts and abilities and what they are capable of conquering as individuals and as a school. It is only natural that our theme for this year expands to BELIEVE in something greater. BELIEVE. Cornelia Connelly believed in valuing the uniqueness of each student. She believed in the joy that comes from learning and creating a culture that develops well-rounded women of faith and action. In that spirit, our newly formed Diversity Program works for the Christian principles of justice, peace, and compassion. It strives to foster a climate based on trust and reverence for the dignity of each wonderfully unique person. Holy Child believes in excellence through balance, providing students an opportunity to explore new interests, to be curious, and to challenge themselves. Our fine arts program, myriad service opportunities, athletic teams, and rigorous curriculum all provide ways in which these young women can learn about the world around them and truly discover who they are. BELONG. One of the strengths of Holy Child is its sense of community, which is demonstrated in so many ways year after year. In January, we saw a raucous, packed to the rafters gymnasium cheering on the Tigers to a victory over Georgetown Visitation. We have a community that generously donated over $1 million to the Annual Fund, Fund Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

Forward, and Innovate the Space campaigns. Those donations allowed us to make campus improvements, fund professional development opportunities, transform ten more classrooms into creative and collaborative learning spaces, and make a Holy Child education possible for talented students. This community bond is not broken with the awarding of a diploma. Our newly formed Alumnae Council will work to connect with former students, now spread across the globe, to rediscover their Holy Child roots. Our graduates and their families will forever be part of the Holy Child family. BECOME. A Holy Child education sets the stage for what these young women will become when they leave our campus for the last time. Cornelia Connelly’s wish was to create lifelong learners who enjoyed experiencing the world around them with joy, zeal, and compassion. The Class of 2017 is well on their way to taking the world by storm. They received $6.5 million in merit scholarships and were admitted into impressive schools, such as University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, Boston College, Villanova University, Tulane University, Bucknell University, College of the Holy Cross, and Marquette University. It is an honor to lead this wonderful school community once again this year. Each day, I am continuously impressed by the creativity, kindness, and determination of our students, the unwavering dedication of our faculty and staff, and the warmth and loyalty of our extended family. As Cornelia Connelly said, “My God, bless us and fill us with thy Spirit.”

Dr. Shannon Gomez

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Student Accomplishments Mission Effectiveness Faculty News Innovate the Space Alumnae News Annual Report

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GRADUATION 2017

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GRADUATION AWARDS

Goal awards recognize upper school students who, in their day-to-day interactions with their teachers and their peers, exemplify the ideals in which Holy Child schools hold most dear. These students strive everyday to live out the values of Cornelia Connelly. We would like to congratulate these students for their dedication and commitment to the Holy Child mission.

Katherine Byrnes

Goal 1: Faith Students who receive this award dedicate themselves to fostering a faith commitment that engenders a personal response to God in addressing the challenges of the world.*

Gabriella Corral

Goal 2: Community Students who receive this award dedicate themselves to deepening their understanding of the Christian community by living, learning, and worshiping as a dynamic Christian.*

Kendall Goetzenberger

Goal 3: Curriculum Students who receive this award embrace creative, intellectual challenge, fostering a love of learning and academic excellence for themselves and others.*

Kaiya Robinson

Goal 4: Justice Students who receive this award dedicate themselves to working for Christian principles of justice, peace, and compassion in every facet of life.*

Molly Reyda

Goal 5: Dignity Students who receive this award dedicate themselves to creating a learning climate based on trust and reverence for the dignity and uniqueness of each person.

Elena Yeutter

Goal 6: Fulfillment Students who receive this award dedicate themselves to personal growth and the development of all who participate in the life of the school.*

Grace Kavanagh

The Student Council Award Presented to a senior for outstanding participation in all aspects of school life. Recipient is chosen by the members of the Student Council.

Katherine Byrnes

The Prize for General Academic Excellence presented to the senior who has achieved the highest grade average over four years. Recipient is chosen on the basis of GPA.

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Carly Rivers

The Award for Leadership in Christian Social Action Presented to the senior demonstrating Actions Not Words.*

Colleen Whitcomb

The Karen Elizabeth Noonan Award Presented to a senior for outstanding community service.*

Olufunmilayo Ojo

The Cornelia Connelly Award Presented to the graduate who has exhibited Holy Child spirit by participation in school activities and a spirit of service to others, and has demonstrated a special appreciation of the Fine Arts.*

Jennifer Gribble

Kosch/Craig Award This award, which is the highest award given by the athletic department, is named after two women (Mary Kosch and Sr Connie Craig) who dedicated their lives to Holy Child. This award is given to the sportswoman who is enthusiastic and dedicated to athletics, hardworking, and exhibits leadership and embodies the spirit of Holy Child.

Cecile Paquette

Alumnae Association Award Presented to the senior who has exemplified generosity of spirit and personal growth together with a genuine concern for others during her years at Holy Child.*

Kaitlin Mann & Madeline Moore

Christian Valor Award Presented to a senior who reflects Godâ€™s Word and Love despite adversity, and who exemplified Christian character despite significant obstacles and has proven the ability to rise above hardship, exhibiting strength, and courage.

Marley Burgess & Elizabeth Pothier

The Sr. Connie Craig Award Presented to a senior who in her daily life exemplifies the spirit of the Holy Child, simplicity, humility, charity and joy. Recipient is chosen by Sr. Connie.

Margarita Tomon

The Cardinal Hickey Award Presented to a senior in recognition of leadership, contribution to the common good, and participation in church, school, and community activities.*

Caitlin Grant

The Mary C. Crivella Prize Our most distinguished award which is given to the graduate who has exhibited outstanding character, service, and loyalty to the school over four years.* *Recipient is chosen by faculty vote.

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COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

GIVEN BY MARY HOPKINS, FORMER ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Good morning and thank you, Dr. Gomez, Holy Child board of trustees, distinguished members of the faculty, the alumnae of the class of 1967, special guests, family members, and friends who are gathered here today. Congratulations to the class of 2017. it is an honor to be here with you all. I do know that in 1967 the graduation speaker was Robert Kennedy and, while I know I’m no Robert Kennedy, I will do my best today to impart some wisdom and dignity to this tremendous occasion. Ladies, I have known and admired some of you since you were little sixth graders starting out at Holy Child. Some of you I have gotten to know only fairly recently. I have been impressed with all of you, with your knowledge of history, your ability to graph an equation, your fine Spanish accents, your equestrian expertise, your athletic prowess, and, of course, your unbelievable dance moves. Most importantly, though, I have been impressed with your love and care for one another. When one of you hurts, all of you hurt. When one of you celebrates, all of you are ready for a party. For you, this is a day that is a little of both – a little bit celebration, a little bit sad. I get that. You and I are in very similar positions today which is why, I imagine, I’ve been asked to speak to you. All of us are about to leave a place that has been like a home to us. A place where we have learned a lot, laughed a lot, eaten a lot, hugged a lot and even cried sometimes. For all of us this is place where we have felt comfortable and comforted. Here we’ve been surrounded by people who know us well and, while we may be excited to see what comes next on our journeys, we are also a little scared to move forward. I must confess, however, that I’m sure I’m not as nervous as you are. In fact, I know something which I am confident you don’t understand quite yet. As your graduation speaker, I have been entrusted with the duty of teaching you something today. So here it is – the big lesson: You (and I) will not leave here alone. I promise we will take all the people who matter to us today with us on our journeys through the years to come. The friendships we have forged

here will not go away. They will stay with us and remind us of the people we are right now, at this moment in time. These Holy Child friendships will give us the stability we need to lift off and soar beyond our wildest expectations. I can be certain about this statement because 35 years ago I was sitting where you are right now, in my white dress with my red roses surrounded by my friends. I couldn’t imagine what the next month would be like, let alone the next 35 years, without my classmates. Who would support me and challenge me and make me laugh the way they had? I was pretty scared that day. Fast forward to just this past weekend when I celebrated the wedding of one of those friends’ daughters. Out on the dance floor I was surrounded by those same friends who had sat with me at my graduation. We laughed, we jumped up and down, we sang badly at the top of our lungs, and, most importantly, we celebrated our years of acquaintance while supporting our friend at a very significant event in her life, the wedding of her daughter. The moment didn’t surprise me. We have never stopped celebrating and supporting one another, even when we’ve been miles apart. I’ll admit it hasn’t always been easy to stay in touch. We’ve lived in different states, we’ve had busy jobs, we’ve gotten married, and had children, all of which have kept us distracted and focused on things other than our friendships. The great thing about true friendships, though, is this, a true friend understands when she is not your top priority. A true friend celebrates the times that can be carved out and savors those precious moments, even if they’re few and far between. Take this incident, for example. Two years ago, my husband and I traveled to New York to have dinner with my high school friends and their husbands. We hadn’t all been together in quite some time. In the car, I was on directions’ duty, traffic was bad, and it was getting closer and closer to the time we were supposed to meet up. Tensions in the car were running high. I texted and said we wouldn’t be coming. The answer I got back: “No way. We’re waiting.” We got there finally – but we were more than an hour late. I was embarrassed, tired, and cranky. Immediately, my

friends enveloped me in their warmth. Vicki cracked a joke. Mary gave me a big hug, and Nancy patted the seat beside her and said, “Come here, I want to hear all about how Maddy’s doing in college.” I remembered why I loved them and why I battled traffic to get to them. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” I said. “No worries,” said my friend Mary, “you’re here now.” That moment, when I was welcomed by people who had been waiting just for me exactly the way I was (tired, cranky, disheveled) was one of the most affirming moments of my life. My friends wanted me to be with them and they were willing to wait for me to get to them. They didn’t care what I looked like or what it took for me to get there. They were just glad I made it. Because of their support and friendship throughout the years, I have had the confidence to travel away from home and live in states where I didn’t know anyone. I’ve tried out for sports teams and auditioned for plays. I’ve taken on jobs which I didn’t think I could do. I went to graduate school. I’ve gotten married, raised children, and lost a parent. Throughout it all, every time I’ve wanted to take the easy path, they’ve reminded me of who I wanted to be when I was 18, how I wanted to live my life. Their support has kept me moving forward and challenging myself to be the best I can be. My friends have helped me become the person you see standing before you today. Let me tell you about my favorite movie, some of you may have seen it. It’s called It’s A Wonderful Life. It stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. As the movie begins, George Bailey is having a terrible day. It gets so bad and George feels so guilty about his actions that he runs away from the people who love him most and finds himself alone at night on the railing of a bridge wishing he had never been born. What happens? His guardian angel Clarence appears and grants his wish. George is allowed to see what life would have been like had he never been born. What he is shown is a completely different world from the one he has known. His hometown even has a different name What is most amazing to him, though, are the changes in the people he knew. Without him, his wife has never married and has become quiet and sad, without him his neighbors are angry and Winter 2017-2018 - Connelly Contact

greedy, without him his boss has gone to jail. George realizes that, even with all its bumps and difficulties, his life has been worthwhile because of all the lives he’s touched. As Clarence, the guardian angel reminds him, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

Look around you, these are the friends God has chosen for you. And you have been chosen for them. Know that as you go forward into your lives, God will continue to put the right people in your lives to be friends for you. Listen to His advice. Remember what you have learned here about true friendship and take care of the people you have been given to travel with you. Make their friendship a priority and you will be rewarded in immeasurable ways.

The lesson of It’s a Wonderful Life is clear: each one of us makes an impact on the lives of those surrounding us. Think of those people you have here, sitting beside you in white dresses or sitting in the audience supporting and celebrating you. Imagine your life if one of them had never existed. Completely different, no? The same is true of each one of you. Without you, Holy Child would have been a different place. Without you, your classmates would have been different people.

I too have learned about friendship at Holy Child from the most wonderful group of people, the students, faculty, staff, board members, and parents here. I want to take a moment to thank you all of you for your friendship, for sending encouraging emails, for making me laugh, for asking me pointed questions which require me to think, for supporting my dreams of colorful furniture on wheels. Thank you for all you have given me. Here at Holy Child I have grown both professionally and spiritually. Here at Holy Child I have become a better me.

So friendships are so much more than just people to celebrate with. They are people who help you become the person you were meant to be while you help them become their best selves as well. That’s so much more important than a good party or even a snapchat streak. What did Jesus do before He left His home in Nazareth? Before He ventured out from the place He was known and comfortable? What did He do to make sure His journey would be successful? He collected a group of friends and brought them along to support and challenge him. In fact, His first miracle happened at a wedding surrounded by His friends. He tells them, “I no longer call you servants. Instead, I have called you friends.”

Throughout my life It is my friendships that have sustained me. I have worked to keep the people I love close because they are the ones who have consistently called me back to my best self. What I’m going to ask you graduates to do as you leave Holy Child this afternoon and in the years going forward is to keep in touch with one another - and not just through Facebook. Be honest with one another. Ask for help when you need it. Give support when it’s asked for. Celebrate each other’s successes, but also be there for the disappointments. Understand that life happens and that you may not always be one another’s top priority at every moment. Forgive one another. Savor the moments you have together even if they’re less often than you would like.

C.S. Lewis, a wonderful writer who you probably know as the author of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, says, “In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.” Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

Today I also make a commitment to you – that I will keep in touch will all of you who have been so important to me during my years at Holy Child. I will remember you. I call you my friends.

Please see the feature story about Mary's tenure on page 30. 10

â€œI want to thank Holy Child. Thank you for nurturing and preparing us for this moment and milestone in our lives, but more importantly, thank you for being our home.â€? - Jen Gribble, Senior Class President

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COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

Allegheny College American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) American University The University of Arizona Auburn University Becker College Belmont University Boston College Bucknell University Butler University The Catholic University of America College of Charleston Christopher Newport University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University University of Colorado at Boulder Columbia College Chicago Cornish College of the Arts Dalhousie University University of Dayton Delaware Valley University Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

University of Delaware Denison University University of Denver DePaul University Dickinson College Drexel University Eckerd College Elon University Fairfield University The University of Findlay Florida Institute of Technology Florida Memorial University Fordham University Franklin & Marshall College Furman University George Mason University The University of Georgia Goucher College Hampton University High Point University Hofstra University College of the Holy Cross

Howard University Indiana University at Bloomington James Madison University University of Kentucky Kenyon College Lafayette College Longwood University Louisiana State University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Lynchburg College Lynn University University of Maine Manhattan College Marquette University University of Mary Washington University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Boston McDaniel College

Miami University, Oxford University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Mississippi Mount St. Mary’s University Muhlenberg College University of New Hampshire at Durham University of North Carolina at Wilmington Northeastern University University of Notre Dame Pennsylvania State University - All Campuses University of Pittsburgh Prince Edward Island, Univ of Providence College Quinnipiac University University of Rhode Island University of Richmond Roanoke College Rollins College

Saint Francis University Saint Joseph’s University Saint Peter’s University Salisbury University Salve Regina University University of San Diego Santa Clara University Sarah Lawrence College Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College University of South Carolina Southern Methodist University Spelman College St. John’s University, Queens Campus St. Mary’s College of Maryland Stetson University Stevenson University Stockton University Stonehill College Suffolk University Syracuse University

The University of Tampa Temple University Texas Christian University The New School - All Divisions The Ohio State University Towson University Tulane University University of Vermont Villanova University Virginia Tech University of Virginia Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington College West Virginia University College of William and Mary University of Wisconsin, Madison Wofford College Xavier University

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MARLEY BURGESS

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Basketball MCDANIEL

TORI SAYLOR Lacrosse WOFFORD

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LILLY KISHORE Lacrosse SKIDMORE

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STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2016-17 NHS MEMBERS AND INDUCTEES

Vivi Alpizar Gabrielle Brault Audrey Brown Marley Burgess Katherine Byrnes

Geritza Carrasco McKenzie Crafton Noor Daneshvar Anastasia Furman Kendall Goetzenberger

The NHS Cornelia Connelly chapter demonstrates the four pillars of this honor: character, service, integrity, and scholarship.

Caitlin Grant Molly Grant Jennifer Gribble Alexis Hartranft Kathleen Jaeger

Meghan Karanik Lilly Kishore Maggie Koch Elena Lockland Sheila McGuinness

ATHLETIC AWARDS UPPER SCHOOL THE RASKAUSKAS FAMILY VARSITY HIGH POINT RIDER (EQUESTRIAN) Audrey Fischbach

BASKETBALL Jada Welbon ‘18 & Jada Dapaa ‘18

ALL-ISL

LACROSSE Allaire Kotz ‘19

VOLLEYBALL Layo Ojo ‘17

WOOTERS TIGER CLUB AWARD Sarah Strachan

SOCCER Hanna Sellinger ‘19 & Corinne Kulik ‘20

UNSUNG HEROINE Carly Rivers

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KOSCH/CRAIG Jennifer Gribble

FIELD HOCKEY Mercy McCarthy ‘18

FRESHMAN ATHLETE Jillian Geils

TENNIS Ella Sullivan ‘17 (Honorable Mention)

Cecile Paquette Elizabeth Pothier Karol Sadek Ella Sullivan Kayla Wood

MIDDLE SCHOOL TIGER Zoe Wexler UNSUNG HEROINE Macie Millard ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Anne Slabaugh

7TH GRADER NAMED ALL-STAR

Congratulations to Sydney Tepper '22 for being named a 2017 National Lacrosse All-Star! Sydney represented the State of Maryland at the National Lacrosse Academy and the National Lacrosse Classic this summer.

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS GOAL 1: FAITH Norah Brotons (6), Amanda Allen (7) and Eva Price (8) GOAL 2: COMMUNITY Maggie O’Boyle (6) and Kelsey Kley (7) GOAL 3: CURRICULUM Nicky Arita (6), Jamie Anderson (7) and Ava Humler (8)

8TH GRADE AWARDS

GOAL 4: JUSTICE Brooke Entwistle (6), Rosa Caterina Manuel (7) and Georgia Beebe (8) GOAL 5: DIGNITY Addie Hickey (6), Corinne Eckel (7) and Kate Gold (8) GOAL 6: FULFILLMENT Tanner Marshall (6), Peyton Shreves (7) and Teenie Venable (8)

The Mary Pat Siemien Award - Zoey Wexler

The J. Robert Walsh Award - Noelle Sommerville The Head of School Award - Julia Grisius The Legacy Scholarship - Lola Hill

THE WHOLE MIDDLE SCHOOL RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN THEIR ANNUAL DAY OF SERVICE. They visited sites including Little Workers of the

The Actions Not Words Scholarship - Macie Millard The Mary Kosch Scholarship - Kendall Kley

Sacred Heart Convent, Little Workers of the Sacred Heart Daycare, A Wider Circle, Dorothy Day Place, New York Avenue Men’s Shelter, and Martha’s Outfitters.

The Cornelia Connelly Scholarship - Lauren Zukiwski

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NHS HAIR DRIVE (ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY)

Students celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017, by collectively donating over 300 inches of hair for cancer patients through the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign. Each student that participated donated between 8-16 inches of their hair to create natural hair wigs for women in need.

JORDAN PHELPS ‘18 National Gallery High School Seminar - a 10-session program at the the National Gallery of Art. The competitive program, which only accepts 15-18 applicants per year, introduces DC-area high school students to art history, museology, and museum careers. Jordan studied the theme of Self-Portraiture as seen in Janine Antoni’s Lick and Lather (1993) and Rembrandt van Rijn’s SelfPortrait (1659). Jordan is pictured with Janin Antoni’s work at the program’s culminating event. **This is the third year a Holy Child student has participated in this program.

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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student of the Year Campaign (LLS SOTY), a leadership development and philanthropy program in which high school students participate in a fundraising competition to benefit LLS. Hanna Sellinger ‘19 and Julia Strittmatter ‘19, along with their classmates, Winnie Beaudet ‘19, Gigi McBride ‘19, and Gabby Hanley ‘18, raised over $126,000, exceeding and almost tripling their goal of $50,000! Hanna says, "it was truly an amazing experience to be able to fight against a horrible disease that has affected so many people in my family." Julia says, "it was extremely rewarding to know that the money is going to help so many people. This campaign was one of the best experiences I have had." Both girls agreed the campaign taught them that, "together we are stronger than cancer!"

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PERFORMING ARTS

James and the Giant Peach James and the Giant Peach Jr. proved to be another great Middle School production last Fall. James and the Giant Peach tells the story of James, who is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree. As heâ€™s chopping the tree down, he discovers a magic potion that grows a tremendous peach, rolls into the ocean and launches a journey of enormous proportions. James befriends a collection of singing insects that ride the giant piece of fruit across the ocean, facing hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements along the way. The special part of our Middle School productions is each member of our Middle School community plays a role in putting on a great show. Whether the Middle School art classes are painting the sets, our behind the scenes crew is working with Mrs. Whitaker to ensure all props, lights, and sounds are in place, or our actors are made up, micâ€™d up and ready for the curtain call, James and the Giant Peach Jr. was another example of a successful performance guided by collaboration and community.

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Our Upper School talents in the arts were in full force for our musical production of The Wizard of Oz last Spring. Our cast and crew of over 50 students and faculty brought the classic story of Dorothy Gale and Oz to life. It was all hands on deck as our community stepped up in every aspect of this production including Geometry classes building the yellow brick road with Ms. Valis and Mr. Owen, Mrs. Payne working with the props crews and Parent of Alum Mrs. Joanie Brady Rios working with students on the costumes - all to perfect each and every detail, and director Ms. Fager working with each student to ensure a great performance.. with a packed house for all three performances, The Wizard of Oz was another great success on the Holy Child stage! Don't miss this year's performance of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat on March 2 and 3!

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SUMMER SERVICE 1

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1 Sanari Bryan-Chavis ‘19, Khoudia Diop ‘19, and Dulce Romero ‘20 all took part in our Costa Rica exchange program. The three-week program is a global learning experience allowing our girls to learn firsthand about the Costa Rican culture by staying with host families, attending classes at Saint Francis High School, and serving with a before and after care school for underprivileged children. Check at their blog at http://exchange-2017.tumblr. com. 2 Addie Robinson ‘20 interned at the National Aquarium as part of their Student Summer Intern Program as an Exhibit Guide. Addie greeted guests and educated them about the exhibits during her internship! 3 Mrs. Pablo, Julia Strittmatter ‘19, Maeve McCaffrey ‘19, Rachel Russell ‘19, Kaitlin Geary ‘19, Margaret Maloney ‘19, Grace Carlsen ‘19, and Lucia Aguiar ‘19 spent a week of their summer helping to prep 5000 meals for the homeless at DC Central Kitchen. 4 Maggie Koch ‘18 participated in the National Youth Leadership Forum for Medicine at the University of Maryland. Maggie learned how to be a leader in medicine and everyday life during her time at the Forum. 5 Izzy Gilday ‘18 spent two weeks in the Domican Republic with Gap Medics a program that provides medical internships abroad for high school students. Each week Izzy was assigned a mentor at a hospital that she shadowed. Izzy also volunteered at the local orphanage. 6 Gia Brucker ’18 interned with the Honorable Shana Frost Matini, Magistrate Judge of the Superior Court of Washington, D.C. While Gia worked on case files related to Judge Matini, who oversees the D.C. Misdemeanor Court, she had the opportunity to observe hearings and trials in criminal, civil, and family court. Overall the experience was extremely valuable and gave Gia an appreciation for the opportunity that the court system brings to change the lives of those in need for the better. Gia is interested in pursuing a career in law and is considering a pre-law major next year as a freshman in college. 7 Ally Langston ‘18 participated in a Young Life camp called Wilderness, a six day backpacking trip through the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. The purpose of the camp is to encounter God in different ways through his untouched creation. 8 Sofia Aguiar ‘18 attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference. As the new Holy Child Best Buddies Chapter President, Sofia learned how to take her responsibilities to the next level through various workshops and inspirational speeches. 25

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DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL LEARNING

Five students (Vivi Alpizar ‘18, Cara Price ‘19, Sanari Bryan-Chavis ‘19, Jada Welbon ‘18, and Lola Hill ‘21) and two teachers (Ms. Vargas and Mrs. Kerley) participated at the Outward Bound with 40+ students and faculty from 14 area Independent Schools in August. It was a day long team building program meant to support and channel students’ energy as they begin to prepare for the upcoming Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Diversity Conference. The mission of our school explicitly expresses Holy Child's dedication to welcoming "students and families of different faiths and diverse backgrounds," while valuing "the uniqueness of each individual." In an effort to create a more diverse and inclusive community that appreciates and supports all, Holy Child identified the need for a Cultural Diversity Coordinator to spearhead multiple initiatives within our community and beyond. This school year, Katia Vargas, former member of the Admissions Department and mother of Sofia ('16) and Vivi Alpizar ('18), became the first Holy Child Cultural Diversity Coordinator and quickly immersed herself into her new role, which includes leading students, faculty, and staff in diversity and equality related issues and expanding Holy Child's global learning opportunities. Ms. Vargas hit the ground running in her new position by forming a Teacher Diversity Committee, a group of 17 faculty and staff that meet monthly to discuss general school topics and support our diversity mission. During their meetings, the committee discerns a multitude of topics specific to Holy Child, including ways to become an ally for culturally diverse students, opportunities to improve the social environment for our diverse students, and strategies to speak up in the moment when faced with diversity Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

challenges. Ms. Vargas has also led the charge in finding great opportunities in Professional Development for the faculty and staff to take part of, one being an afternoon with Rodney Glasgow, President of the Glasgow Group, LLC, a consultancy agency that provides diversity training, among other things, to schools. During the Diversity Professional Development afternoon, Glasgow led the faculty and staff in understanding the current Holy Child culture and climate and in exploring the future of Holy Child regarding various cultural indicators, including race, religion, gender, ability, and socio-economic status. Keeping in mind the Mission and Goals of Holy Child, the adult members of the community considered the most pressing issues the students of Holy Child face in regards to diversity and began discussing ways the community can support these issues. Most importantly, Ms. Vargas constantly includes the students in her work encouraging them to develop and lead student activities, act as role models for their peers, and experience global learning beyond the walls of Holy Child. Consisting of over 30 students, the Holy Child Diversity Club, founded by Ms. Vargas, focuses on promoting awareness on the different diversity identifiers such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc., and creates dynamic cultural activities

for the entire student body. They consistently conduct informative and interactive presentations with topics ranging from Chinese New Year to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Their most popular experiences at Holy Child included a Mardi Gras Celebration, a round table discussion about "Breaking Down Stereotypes," and an African American Leaders and Cultural Intelligence talk led by Dr. Leona Ba. Dr. Ba, a former Holy Child parent, is an organizational development and evaluation consultant. She has extensive experience as an evaluation practitioner in a wide variety of cultural contexts and integrates cultural responsiveness throughout her work. Ms. Vargas learned the Holy Child community represents 33 countries, so she reached out to parents and students to create an international experience for the school. In April, Holy Child students, faculty, and staff tasted food from across the globe, danced to music from a variety of countries, and toured the world during International Week â€“ a week of celebrations organized by the World Language Department, parents, and the Diversity Club. Much like their faculty counterparts, members of the Student Diversity Club participated in a number of leadership

opportunities within the DC community. Two students attended the AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools) Student Diversity Leadership Conference at Garrison Forest School, six students participated in NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and ten students represented Holy Child at the "Seek Justice, Find Peace: A Town Hall Event," at Sidwell Friends School. When the Administrators of Color hosted the Fourth Annual Diversity on D.C., Maryland and Virginia Area Conference, at St. Andrews Episcopal School, eleven Holy Child students engaged in activities with other students from the area, learning ways to enhance Holy Child's mission. The Administrators of Color is a professional collaboration designed to support independent school administrators of color in our respective roles, promote cross/school sharing within a regional network, and cultivate a professional learning community for sharing best practices and engaging in leadership development. Besides their leadership in the community, Holy Child students ventured outside of their community to explore the world, learn from others, and share their gifts. Ms. Vargas orchestrated the first Costa Rica exchange program in the

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summer of 2016 where five Holy Child students traveled to Costa Rica for two weeks. During their first week, the students lived with their host families, attended classes at Saint Francis High School, played with the band and music ensemble, and participated in a volleyball match against another group of visiting students from the U.S.. The second week, the students volunteered at an after-and-before care center for under privileged children (ASONI), playing with the children, serving them food, and chaperoning a Kindergarten field trip. In January, the Holy Child exchange participants hosted their Costa Rican hosts here at Holy Child where they attended school and shared their culture with us highlighting unique features of their country. Due to the success of the program, the Costa Rica exchange program just completed its second year this past summer. Our students not only immerse themselves in the cultures of others, but they also live the Holy Child motto of "Actions Not Words." During Spring Break, teachers Meg Russell and Mary Sample traveled with seven students to Jamaica with Food for the Poor,

encouraged by Wolly Devine, a member of Holy Child's class of 1979 and a volunteer with the organization. Halle Fralin, Elena Yuetter, McKenzie Crafton, Julia Strittmatter, Addie Robinson, Maggie Koch, and Katie Campbell visited an elderly home, played with children in an orphanage, and, most impressively, built a house for a family. Beyond giving themselves to others, the Holy Child students recognized the blessings in their lives, as Maggie Koch reflected, "I learned I should be more grateful for what I have." Furthermore, they appreciated learning about the lives of others, as Julia Strittmatter said, "Going on the Jamaica trip gave me a new perspective on how other people live." Another highlight of Holy Child's diversity initiative is Louise Gao, a junior from China, who lives with Ellie Wall ('20) and her family. She feels Holy Child resembles a family more than a school and appreciates that "everyone helps each other," highlighting our motto "Actions, not Words." As a junior, Louise quickly embraced the Holy Child community, utilizing the Writing Center and Math Lab, participating in

Holy Child’s Dance Team and Student Diversity Club, and performing in Acting Class and The Wizard of Oz. Louis believes “Holy Child always finds ways to give support" to students, "encouraging girls to develop their own interests." While the Holy Child Diversity Program was in its infancy this year, in true Tiger fashion, Katia Vargas and the faculty, staff, and students demonstrated a true commitment to our mission by broadening our students' understanding and appreciation of themselves, others, and their world. Entreating the help and expertise of our students, faculty, staff, and other community members, Ms. Vargas successfully created lasting, impactful, and meaningful opportunities and programs to continue the mission of Cornelia Connelly and Holy Child, encouraging and valuing each individual in our school and beyond. We look forward to seeing what she accomplishes this year! For more information on Holy Child’s Diversity Program please visit www. holychild.org/diversity.

Students represent Chile in last year’s Model Organization of American States for high schools conference.

Middle Schoolers enjoy a Chinese New Year party hosted by classmate Grace Stein ’22 (fourth from left). Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

McKenzie Crafton ’18 smiles alongside two children in Jamaica during the Spring Break service trip.

Our community celebrates Hispanic Heritage month with information and food tastings that represent that various countries members of our community come from including Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, and Venezuela.

Holy Child students, Dr. Gomez, and Ms. Vargas with students from Saint Francis School in Costa Rica. Both groups of students participated in our Costa Rican exchange program.

Connecting with our Holy Child Network of schools, sophomores Lily Hagerup and Charlotte Bell traveled to Dublin, Ireland, and attended Holy Child School Killiney for three weeks while staying with a host family. During the school day, Lily and Charlotte took life skills classes, such as Self Defense and Cooking, as their Irish counterparts spend their 10th Grade year as a gap year waiting to begin their pre-college studies. In the evenings, Charlotte and Lily interacted with friends from Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, and other Holy Child schools in the US, using their phones to translate conversations and appreciating the universal language of laughter. They spent their weekends exploring Dublin and more Irish cuisine, which they realized consists of a variety of potato dishes. Lily enjoyed the similarities both Holy Child schools share, especially the students' love for learning and their school community and the sisterhood among classmates. The experience encouraged both Charlotte and Lily to foster their sense of curiosity and cultural appreciation. As Lily stated, "This experience has made me want to go see new places and venture into new countries even more than I had wanted to before. I learned to come out of my comfort zone by trying new foods, jumping on the train and going to explore a new place, or trying to learn some Irish slang.â€? While this exchange program with Holy Child Killiney has existed for a few years, Ms. Vargas hopes to expand to other Holy Child schools, including New York and California. With 10 schools in the United States and over 30 in England, France, Ghana, Ireland, and Nigeria, the Holy Child network includes endless possibilities in providing culturally diverse and rich experiences for students.

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On June 12th, after a month of fun-filled celebrations and heartfelt tributes, Mary Hopkins walked out the doors of Connelly Hall for the last time as a Holy Child employee. This past summer, Hopkins and her husband, Chip, moved to Richmond, VA.

willingness to serve the Holy Child community the best way she knew how – with her whole heart. As Head of School, Dr. Shannon Gomez said in her introduction to Hopkins’ commencement address at graduation “Mary has never been the kind of teacher or administrator who sits idle. She’s an innovator; someone who is invigorated by new ideas, opportunities, and experiences that can benefit the student body, but also enrich the careers of her colleagues.”

Mrs. Hopkins’ history at Holy Child is a long one. Well before she began her own career here, Mrs. Hopkins’ mother, Mary Kosch, was a beloved Holy Child teacher who also served as Headmistress in the early eighties. (Mrs. Hopkins’ daughter, Maddy, graduated from Holy Child in 2014.) Throughout a career spanning twenty-four years, Mrs. Hopkins fulfilled many roles at Holy Child: mentor, administrator, innovator, teacher, colleague, and friend.

In fact, Hopkins’ last several years at Holy Child were exceptionally creative and forward thinking, with the establishment of three landmark programs that have revolutionized the school including the Senior Internship Program, the Junior Entrepreneur Program, and the Innovate the Space initiative.

Hopkins remembers, “I came to Holy Child as an eighth-grade language arts and social studies teacher, and each year was encouraged to keep growing and learning and challenging myself. I taught theatre, physical education, and photography.” The roles and responsibilities Mrs. Hopkins took on over the year, attest to not only her diverse interests, but also her Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

Two years ago, Hopkins established the Senior Internship Program, which provides soon to be graduates an opportunity to explore career interests and gain experience working in a professional environment. The internship also gave the opportunity 32

for current students to intern closely with local alumnae as their sponsor. Past alumnae that have participated include Robin Witowski Kramer ’78 with The Christ Child Society, Erica Tokar ’01 with the law firm Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty, & Bennet, and Brynn Mayo ’10 at Discovery. Launching the program to students and parents, Mrs. Hopkins reflected on an internship she had in college with a newspaper. As an English major and voracious reader, Hopkins dreamed of being a journalist. After an internship with a local paper during college, she realized journalism was not the career for her. The real-world experience of working in a field before committing to a major and career track adds incredible value.

ways to furnish a classroom. She collaborated with the faculty to create, as she puts it, “optimal learning environments.”

This past year, Mrs. Hopkins created the Entrepreneurship Program for juniors, which focused on innovation, leadership, and collaboration providing juniors opportunities to engage in a truly hands-on learning experience.

This approach fit perfectly with Holy Child’s history of thinking outside the box. To date, Holy Child has innovated 20 classrooms with chairs on wheels, configurable desks, and moving whiteboards. Teachers can be more flexible and creative with lessons, knowing that they can reinvent a classroom at a moment’s notice.

After a week of exercises and lectures, including team building outings and advice from experts on a variety of topics (determining strength, prototyping, business modeling, and telling your story), teams ventured out into local startups to see innovation in action. This year’s start-ups included Catalylator Makerspace, Artists Fine Circle Art, CHROME, and Emily Cook Therapy. Throughout all of this, the students created their own mini start-ups, conceiving a product, bringing it to life, and finally presenting their project in Holy Child’s own Shark Tank. One of Mrs. Hopkins’ greatest legacies at Holy Child is the Innovate the Space initiative, which is currently in its final year. Throughout her career, Mrs. Hopkins “began to draw parallels between and among subject areas and started asking how the brain learns. Exposure to more information and ever curious colleagues led me to look at the influence of the environment on learning.” Research conducted by Steelcase Education motivated Mrs. Hopkins to consider new

The classroom of yesteryear – rows of desks facing the teacher at the front of the room – is an archaic way of teaching, which focuses more on the instructor rather than the needs of the student. This method does not in any way prepare students for 21st century workplace where collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are keys to success. Hopkins instantly found the parallel between this modern way of thinking and Cornelia Connelly’s focus on the uniqueness of each student and always working to meet the wants of the age.

The key to Mrs. Hopkins’ vision was the professional development that accompanies the renovation. Mrs. Hopkins’ stressed that without instruction behind the thinking, the furniture is meaningless. The redesign of each classroom had an intentional purpose to meet the unique teaching style and learning that happens in that space. In order to receive new furniture, Mrs. Hopkins required teachers to submit a proposal explaining their personal vision for their space, and how it would enhance their teaching. Each room’s design is specifically to that teacher’s needs and subject matter to further innovative practices and student engagement happening at Holy Child. To continue Mrs. Hopkins’ legacy, Wooly (Rita W.) Devine ’79, Becky Ward ’14, and C. Maury Devine initiated a fund in her honor, the Mary K. Hopkins Fund, which will continue to support improvements in the program and for the professional development required to keep the program leading edge 33

for faculty and students alike. When Mrs. Hopkins departure was announced, good wishes from former and current students and colleagues began pouring in. Each message seemed to carry common themes: always believing in the abilities of her students to succeed, unwavering support of parents and colleagues, her deep faith, and her booming laugh. Katia Vargas, Holy Child’s Multicultural Diversity Coordinator wrote, “I truly believe that your honesty and going straight to the point attitude is one of your strongest qualities. You are funny, respectful, and supportive; a great role model, and always willing to challenge and encourage us to give the best we can give.” Andi Elliott, mother of Faith, Class of 2018, said that Mrs. Hopkins was “a big part of why we chose Holy Child for Faith. Your speeches at admissions events made us realize that this school is a place where students can be seen and appreciated for being themselves. You are not only an excellent administrator, you are a Holy Child Mom who understands teenage girls and the growing pains of the high school years. That was comforting to us as parents.” “Mama Hops,” as many students and faculty called her, generosity, creativity, and compassion are missed every day by her former students and colleagues, and it is evident that she treasures the time spent in Potomac where she made an impact in the lives of countless people. “Thanks to the support of the Holy Child administration, the encouragement of my colleagues, and the generosity of the Holy Child community, I was able to learn and grow for 24 years,” Mrs. Hopkins said. “What I will miss most about Holy Child is the people. I am who I am as an educator because of all of you.” For more information on the Mary Hopkins Fund, please visit www. holychild.org/hopkins-fund.

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MISSION EFFECTIVENESS

The mission of our school explains who we are and what we value: • • • • • • •

Joy in the students and the faculty and staff Reverence that is given to everyone in the community A trusting environment An openness to new ideas Love that does for others Creativity Critical thinking

These are some of the values that give Holy Child its unique spirit. We are guided by the Goals and Criteria of the Holy Child Network of Schools, which is governed by the Mission Effectiveness Process. Every six years, the school’s constituents evaluate our institution according to the

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Goals and Criteria. This selfevaluation is affirmed by a visiting committee that determines major recommendations related to the self-study and their observations of the school that they pass on to the Provincial Leadership Team (PLT). The PLT approves or alters these and passes them back to the school. Upon their receipt, the school determines an action plan with specific steps on which they will work over the remainder of the period until the following self-evaluation. This year, we joyfully kicked off the self-study process of Mission Effectiveness. The participation of faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents, alumnae and the Board of Trustees demonstrated a strong

commitment to celebrating and evaluating our fulfillment of the mission of Cornelia Connelly and the Holy Child Network of Schools. What is the Holy Child Educator? Living our mission as members of our community is the most important contribution we can make to ensure Holy Child maintains the charisma set forth by Cornelia Connelly. Read excerpts from reflections given by teachers during the year at Prayer Block, and you will discover how our teachers carry this spirit to students.

GOAL REFLECTIONS “THE HOLY CHILD SPIRIT IS WITH YOU ALWAYS. AS WE PRAY SO OFTEN IN THE WORDS OF CORNELIA CONNELLY, LET US PRAY, LET US BE FAITHFUL, LET US BE HUMBLE AND CHARITABLE, LET US DO ALL OF THIS ALL WHILE LOVING ONE ANOTHER TO NO END. I FIRMLY BELIEVE IF WE CAN LIVE BY ACTIONS, NOT WORDS FULFILLMENT IS BOUND TO BE OURS, IT IS BOUND IT BE YOURS.” - Kristen Woo ‘08 (re: Goal 6-Fulfillment)

“TO PASS THE TORCH ON, I NEED TO SEE THAT MY STUDENTS CAN HANDLE THE TORCH. TO HANDLE THE TORCH, TO CHANGE THE WORLD, MEANS TO CHANGE AND BE BETTER. BUT THAT IS NOT EASY IF YOU DO NOT THINK YOU CAN DO IT.

“GOD DOESN’T CALL US TO TALK A GOOD TALK, BUT TO BE THE LIGHT TO THE WORLD THROUGH OUR ACTIONS. OUR SCHOOL MOTTO ACTIONS, NOT WORDS EMBODIES THIS IDEA PERFECTLY. WE CAN SIT AROUND AND TALK ABOUT THE INJUSTICE, SUFFERING, AND VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD BUT ARE CALLED TO ACTION... THIS MISSION EFFECTIVENESS GOAL CALLS US TO WORK FOR CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE, PEACE, AND COMPASSION.”

I NEED YOU GIRLS TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES FIRST. TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE THAT YOUR PROJECT THAT TOOK YOU 1.5 WEEKS TO MAKE IS AWESOME, MAKES YOU THINK YOU ARE AWESOME! THAT YOU CAN DO THINGS, EVEN DIFFICULT THINGS.

- Kaitlyn Valis, Upper School Math Teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist (re: Goal 4 (Justice, Peace, and Compassion)

SO THE NEXT TIME YOUR TEACHER CHALLENGES YOU, TELL YOURSELF, YOU CAN DO IT. BELIEVE.” - Ida Pablo, Middle School Math Teacher (re: Goal 3-Curriculum)

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FOLLOWING CORNELIA CONNELLY’S FOOTSTEPS BY ASHLEY LOWRY, UPPER SCHOOL DEAN OF ACADEMICS AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER Getting to know Cornelia Connelly over the past six years, I’ve found her to be a source of inspiration, strength, and pride. So, when Dr. Gomez asked that I travel in her stead to England along with the nine other Holy Child Heads of School to rendezvous with the other Heads from the international provinces, I was thrilled to accept the opportunity. Traveling with Sr. Eileen and the other Heads gave me an even deeper sense of the commitment and mission that Cornelia laid out for all of us. And, when we convened with the other school leaders at our first stop in Blackpool, England it was as if we had all known each other for years. Sharing this common mission, shared goals and philosophy bonded us instantly and joy permeated the conference, much like it does in all Holy Child schools.

artifacts and a thorough history of Cornelia’s life that gave us all a profound sense of her presence with us in the small basement of the convent on Cherwell St. After the day exploring the archives we boarded a bus for St. Leonards-on-Sea in the south of England to visit Mayfield where Cornelia spent much of her life and was laid to rest. Being at the site of Cornelia’s burial was moving and awe-inspiring. Sharing this moment of reverence and reflection on Cornelia’s vision, laid out over a century ago, with other educators equally as passionate about Cornelia’s mission, affirmed the work that I do each day at Holy Child, Potomac. I seek to continually be inspired and moved by Cornelia’s forward-thinking and pioneering spirit and wish the same for each of our students and the whole of our community.

After our time in Blackpool, we traveled to Oxford, England where the Society’s archives are housed. The historian of the convent, Sr. Judith Lancaster, shared

Cornelia Connelly, pray for us.

ELSBETH FAGER, OUR DIRECTOR OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, RECEIVED A NEW GALWAY CRUSADER HEADJOINT AND FLUTE BY GEMEINHARDT AT THE GALWAY FLUTE FESTIVAL IN SWITZERLAND THIS SUMMER!

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INTRODUCING NEW CAMPUS MINISTER This summer, Holy Child was thrilled to welcome back Catherine Albornoz to the Bradley Boulevard campus. A graduate of the class of 1998, Catherine is happy to be back home, in the place where her love of service flourished. For almost a decade, Catherine has been working as an independent consultant committed to social justice, Catholic social teaching, and serving those who live in poverty. During her career, she has worked for the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, The Langley Park Parish Partnership, and the Archdiocese of Washington, among others. Catherine’s commitment to service, experience in

program and volunteer management, as well as communications and fundraising will make her an incredibly valuable member of the Holy Child team. “I am honored to come back and join the Holy Child community as Campus Minister. Holy Child nurtured in me the values of faith, spirituality, love of neighbor, ministry, and community service, and I look forward to continuing this tradition at the school. I’m excited to meet students and families and to be of service to the young women of Holy Child and to our wider community.” Welcome back, Catherine!

BABY NEWS UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER MARISSA BULGER AND HUSBAND CHRIS BORAGNO WELCOMED BABY GIRL CORA JAMES IN APRIL 2017.

UPPER SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER KAY Y’BARBO AND HUSBAND BRIAN WELCOMED BABY GIRL CORA JANE IN APRIL 2017.

HEAD OF SCHOOL SHANNON GOMEZ AND HUSBAND ART WELCOMED BABY GIRL LENA GUADALUPE IN MARCH 2017.

UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMIC SUPPORT MEAGAN WENSTRAND AND HUSBAND JOHN WELCOMED BABY ABIGAIL SUZANNE WENSTRAND IN JULY 2017.

UPPER SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT CHAIR KRISTIN ROBERTS AND HUSBAND CHRIS WELCOMED BABY BOY WILDER PHILIP IN MARCH 2017.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS CAITLIN CHALKE AND HUSBAND CHRIS WELCOMED BABY JOAN ELIZABETH OCTOBER 2017. 37

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INNOVATE THE SPACE

WE ARE ALMOST THERE!

With only three (3) of the six (6) remaining classrooms needing funding to ‘innovate’, we have much to celebrate! Twenty (20) instructional rooms* have been transformed since summer 2016 thanks to the generosity of our pioneer donors. These new rooms have changed the classroom environment, teaching practice, and student learning experience for all teachers and students in those spaces. The flexibility and mobility of an innovated classroom allows for transition of physical space to meet the needs of learning activities at hand. Proposals for our final classroom spaces are in process. Let us match your commitment to empower and educate our young women with the vision of one of our exceptional faculty. Fully Funded Innovated Classrooms Veronica Ahern Anonymous The Bosch Family Patrice and Scott Brickman Karen and Chris Donatelli Elizabeth and Charles Garner Lorraine and Peter Plamondon, Sr. & Gail and Peter Plamondon, Jr. Anne and Rick Rudman The Strittmatter Family Kathie and Mike Williams & Jessica Williams Frend ’01 and Tim Frend Megan and Ned Williams The Beebe, Bunch, Kley, Price and Zukiwski Families

“WE ARE THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THE INNOVATION CLASSROOM CAMPAIGN FOR MANY REASONS. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY OF HOLY CHILD, IN TERMS OF INNOVATION AND LEADING BEST PRACTICES. WE APPRECIATE AND TRUST THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. GOMEZ, AND THAT OUR DAUGHTER KENNA GETS TO BE A PART OF SUCH A SUPPORTIVE, COLLABORATIVE AND ENRICHING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.”

Pledge to Fully Fund an Innovative Classroom The Butz Foundation C. Maury Devine, Dr. Rita ‘Wooly’ Devine ’79, and Becky Ward ‘14 Mary and Brendan Magner Ms. Chris Noel and Brett MacInnes Nancy and Patrick Noonan The Kley, Price and Zukiwski Families (for a 2nd classroom) Additional Leadership Level Donations Shannon Hanley ‘86 Anita and Tim McBride Courtney and David Straus

- Patrice King Brickman P ’14,’20

* Two classrooms funded by Steelcase

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PHASE 1

Revolutionizing the Educational Experience at Holy Child Goal: $650,000

A three-year initiative to transform all teaching spaces into flexible, interactive, and highly engaging learning spaces that embrace the latest available technology. Completed

Open for Completion

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PHASE 2

PHASE 3

Reimagining our space on the lower level of our upper school to create a bright, inviting and highly functional place for the community to gather for conversation, meetings, work or retreats throughout the day, not to mention food! The new cafeteria, The Connelly Commons, will be designed to seamlessly flow in and out of our Hanley Courtyard, extending the room and bringing the outdoors, inside.

Reallocating areas to enhance and improve our studentsâ€™ health and wellness activities and provide a more seamless flow for students. Beginning with relocating and reconfiguring our Fitness Room to offer more strength and conditioning stations in a space where students can easily access showers and dedicated training and team rooms, where our athletic teams can gather, pre- and post- games.

Goal: $625,000 Transforming student common areas to create connections

Goal: $675,000 Optimizing the importance of team space in The Tigersâ€™ Den

Additionally, the senior lounge will be reconfigured and refurbished, continuing the legacy by recognizing the importance of a cherished tradition for the senior class to strengthen their bonds before heading off to college.

Bringing all of these areas together, a student lounge, study rooms and reconfigured academic lockers will create opportunities for students of all grades to come together, creating connections between classes and during free periods. For more information about these Innovate the Space phases, please contact Laura Volovski, our Chief Advancement Officer at (301) 3650955 x 2123 or lvolovski@holychild.org.

HANLEY COURTYARD DEDICATED FALL 2016

MAIN BUILDING LOWER LEVEL

PROPOSED NEW CAFETERIA "CONNELLY COMMONS"

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INNOVATE THE SPACE NEXT STEPS: STUDENT COMMON AREAS

PHASE

REFRESHED BATHROOMS WITH SHOWERS AND CHANGING ROOMS

3 SENIOR LOUNGE

PH A S E 2 TEAM ROOM

TRAINING ROOM

FITNESS ROOM RECONFIGURED ACADEMIC LOCKERS

STUDENT STUDY AREA

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HOLY CHILD CONNELLY SCHOOL OF THE

ALUMNAE COUNCIL

Dear Holy Child Alumnae, The Networking and Events Committee seeks to have at least one, if not two representatives designated per graduating class, to be known as “Class Reps,” and one or more alumnae for each of the major regions of New York, Florida and Northern and Southern California, to be known as “Regional Reps.”

We are thrilled to inform you about Holy Child’s newly formed Alumnae Council, comprised of 28 alumnae, two rising seniors, and Sr. Connie Craig. The Council’s Mission is to re-engage alumnae, connecting them with each other and Holy Child. This will be achieved through the work of three Council Committees: Archives and Education, Alumnae Achievement and Recognition, and Networking and Events.

The Alumnae Recognition and Outreach Committee will review and reassess how contact information is collected. This committee will explore opportunities to showcase and recognize alumnae who have made a significant impact in business, arts, athletics, community, education, or philanthropic endeavors. Members of this committee will determine ways to ensure Holy Child keeps alumnae informed of current happenings both on campus and with alumnae.

Since our first Council meeting in late March, each committee has met to collaborate about various ways to maintain a strong relationship between our alumnae and the school. We want to make sure Holy Child remains an important part of your life. Here is a snapshot of each committee’s work: The Archives and Education Committee is looking at options available to digitize photos and memorabilia, creating a collection to celebrate Holy Child’s history. This would include gathering an oral history of the school for students and families in the years to come, and posting historical information on our Alumnae website page and social media outlets.

We appreciate any suggestions you may have for the Alumnae Council, and encourage participation on one of the Council’s committees. We look forward to seeing you around campus! Best, Lauren Phifer Robinson ’08 Kelly Decker Shires ’08 Co-Presidents of the Alumnae Council

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Our Alumnae Council pictured from left to right: Liz Palka Minukas ’04, Joelle Slye Flynn ’89, Lolly Straus Heller ’03, Christy Weschler Scango ’92, Debbie Cronin Kissinger ’66, Carol Pender Sinwell ’66, Ericka Rojas ’05, Alicia Ryan Karanian ’74, Charlotte Manders ’06, Riley Fisher ’07, Sr. Connie Craig, Martine Bernard ’86, Kate Everngam Muffels ’98, Molly Grant ’18, Caitlin DeLaurentis ’08, Chesney Lynch ’18. Kneeling: Alumnae Council Co-Presidents Lauren Phifer Robinson ’08 and Kelly Decker Shires ’08 Not pictured: Colleen Jones Johnson ‘74, Suzi Norris Montes de Oca ‘74, Kathleen Cooney-Porter ‘82, Ann Bouchard Kerrigan ‘84, Angela Howley ‘87, Stephanie Tomasso ‘91, Alli Bigelow Lumpkin ‘92, Susan Decker Raff ‘99, Meghan Everngam ‘00, Jessi Williams Frend ‘01, Jillian Bastow ‘02, Alex Guntle ‘08, Caroline Hodgson ‘09, Shannon Gomez, Laura Volovski

ATTENTION ALL ALUMNAE! We want to hear from you! If you have not completed the Alumnae Survey, please do so. Share your ideas; tell us what you think.

GO TO: WWW.HOLYCHILD.ORG/ALUMNAE-SURVEY 43

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CARRYING FORTH HOLY CHILD VALUES

Caitlin ’17, Molly ’18, and Maureen Mccormick Grant ‘87 It’s a Thursday morning, the eve of Graduation day, and the Class of 2017 is flipping through the pages of their new yearbooks. Students laugh with their mothers as they recall the memories of the last year and re-live them through the photos spread across the pages in front of them. Maureen Grant is sharing this moment with her daughter, Caitlin, who was just one day shy of becoming a Connelly School of the Holy Child alumna. This particular moment and feeling is not entirely new to Maureen. She felt it herself just 30 years ago, when she experienced the days leading up to her graduation, the days that would officially begin a new chapter in her life as an official alumna of Holy Child. You will often see Maureen in our hallways today being a part of the parent community and volunteering her time to the school. As chairs of the Annual Fund this past year, Maureen and her husband, Rick, led the charge in asking parents to give back in any way they can whether it be through donation or their time. Maureen and Rick’s dedication to giving back to the school has emulated throughout each year they have been a part of the parent community. To name a few, their volunteer efforts include support for the Swim and Dive Team, Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunches with Maureen as the co-chair, Mother’s Morning in May, providing snacks for the Kairos retreat, helping run booths during Mayfield Market, wrapping toys for children in need Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

during the Christmas season, and so much more. With the amount of days spent on campus, the most pivotal day for Maureen and Rick this year was June 2nd, when their eldest daughter, Caitlin, accepted her diploma. “I was so emotional. It was a hard day, but a wonderful and beautiful day. It was a great celebration of all the girls. I was very proud of Caitlin. We went home and made grilled cheese to take a moment to soak it all in,” said Maureen in a recent interview on campus. The week of graduation is stacked with nostalgia and celebration, much of which matched Maureen’s experience in her high school days. Maureen graduated from Holy Child in 1987 and only hoped that one day both her daughters would become Holy Child girls and be a part of a community deep-rooted in tradition and support while following the mission of our foundress, Cornelia Connelly. “I was nervous. It was 44

important to me for my daughters to make their own decisions, not just based off my experience. I knew that had the potential to backfire so I did not pressure them. However, Caitlin knew. She came on campus and she knew right away that it was the right place for her. My youngest daughter, Molly, didn’t want to apply anywhere else after her shadow visit.” Little did Maureen know that eventually both of her daughters would follow her footsteps as a Holy Child girl student and join her as members of the National Honor Society in the Cornelian chapter of the NHS, which focuses on character, service, leadership, and scholarship. Maureen often finds a common thread between her experience and her daughters’ experiences at Holy Child, and that is community. Both Molly and Caitlin, when asked, mention community as one of the pillars of Holy Child and that has echoed even in their home life. “It’s very important for us to all have dinner together and more times than not, we always wind up talking about Holy Child and I love seeing the girls sharing their experiences. Caitlin’s friends are great to Molly, Molly’s friends are great to Caitlin.. it’s truly a gift being able to see them both grow in such a supportive community. And to experience it together.” With her first semester in college complete, Caitlin is excited for what her future brings at the College of the Holy Cross. Caitlin reflects on her experiences at Holy Child and why the school has prepared her for the next chapter in her life. “I am incredibly excited to start college in the fall. I feel very prepared and have preemptively placed into advanced courses. I chose Holy Cross because of its academic rigor, sense of community, and traditional liberal arts education. It is a great fit as I continue to push myself in learning about a variety of subjects and worldly issues while I continue to serve others.”

Caitlin has been an active part of the Holy Child community since the second she stepped on our campus as a new freshman 4 years ago and has never shied away from grasping all Holy Child has to offer. “The sense of community was so unique and no other school had anything to compare. What really stood out to me was the balance that the students were able to maintain by working hard academically and participating in extracurriculars.” Balance is often a theme for our students, especially since the community pushes each individual girl to be the best she can be in all aspects. Caitlin was involved in athletics, service, student government, the photo team, and even the play, which may have been the most out of Caitlin’s comfort zone, but she is extremely grateful for all of her experiences. “Something that I think will resonate with me the longest is the power of believing in yourself. I went out of my comfort zone countless of times while at Holy Child and it provided me with fantastic experiences., I don't think I would have been able to experience so many of these things if Holy Child hadn't encouraged and instilled a belief in myself that I can do anything I set my mind to. This is something I will take with me as I continue my education and I believe it is a vital quality in order to achieve success in life. It also taught me to believe in others and encourage their successes.” Maureen’s second daughter and current senior, Molly, has contributed her fair share of time and dedication to Holy Child whether playing volleyball, spending her weekends serving others, or helping behind the scenes. More recently, Molly has expanded her role in Holy Child’s community through our newly formed Alumnae Council. Molly explains, “The Alumnae Council is an organization that is trying to expand the alumnae network of Holy Child. They have 45

different representatives from each Holy Child graduating class that help provide counsel on how to each and engage alums.” As one of the two current student members participating in the Alumnae Council, Molly helps relay information about campus happenings among other items. She believes the council will help develop a more successful way of organization and communication with all of our alumnae around the world. She’s also looking ahead to college and credits Holy Child for always pushing her to try her best, something that she believes isn’t emphasized as much anywhere else and is truly special to our community. As Molly begins her senior year and takes one-step closer to becoming a Holy Child alumna, she’s excited for what the future holds and knows Holy Child has ultimately prepared her as a well-rounded woman of faith and action, rightfully following the steps of her Mom, sister, and of course, Cornelia Connelly.

McCormick, circa 1987

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Marie Tigani Stiles â€™79 and daughter Elizabeth Stiles McNevin â€™04

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For many of our legacy families, they can think of no better gift to give the young women in their ranks—be they daughters, granddaughters, nieces or siblings—than the gift of a Holy Child education. Since the school’s founding in Potomac in 1961, the mission and beliefs of the Society’s founder, Cornelia Connelly, represent the foundational core that informs all faculty, students, families and programs. Those intangibles that make Holy Child special are what make our graduates unique and part of a special group of women who go forth and work to make their corners of the world better[1] . Take Marie Tigani Stiles and Elizabeth Stiles McNevin, a mother and daughter legacy of Holy Child from the classes of 1979 and 2004 respectively. Hands down [2] both Marie and Elizabeth are grateful to have gone to Holy Child. For both, the abiding gifts they feel they received are the strong community, life-long friends, and wonderful teachers who provided an excellent education. Neither Marie nor Elizabeth would ever want the school to go co-ed: the all-girls’ community, size, and values-based foundation made all the difference in the quality of their education and experience. Marie, who attended a co-ed Catholic School, found Holy Child in 8th grade when it was time to start thinking about high school. Her parents took her to tour Georgetown Visitation and Holy Child: Marie chose Holy Child. Turns out Marie’s close grade-school friend, Emily Berube Ederer, also chose Holy Child. Back in the 70s, Holy Child was still a fairly new school. Marie recalls there was a big emphasis on social responsibility, that everyone was very service focused. Marie loved that she could be herself— which, according to her, was a ‘total nerd.’ And that was fine at Holy Child! Although she loved math and science where, by the way, she dissected an armadillo (!) with Mrs. Levy, she joined drama, the Spanish club, and yearbook staff. Marie recalls, “there was something for everyone.” Mrs. Kosch was Vice Principal, and everyone sang ‘Barbara Ann’ [3] to Sister Barbara Ann…she put up with it, as you would imagine, gracefully. After Holy Child, Marie went on to study at Vanderbilt for one year before transferring to Georgetown and then Georgetown Dental School, where she met her husband, Dennis. Marie, like her father and brother, also found her calling to become a dentist. “It’s the people part about being a dentist that I love. Helping people.” Marie and Dennis practice comprehensive dental care in the Kentlands at Stiles Dentistry.

Elizabeth’s interests have taken her on a different career path from medicine, one that she credits her parents and grounding at Holy Child to have given her the confidence and drive to succeed and take on challenges. Elizabeth is a young entrepreneur, recently launching her own firm —sociale consulting —which is a boutique social media agency helping brands discover their voice and vision in order to implement their social media plan to increase business successes. https://www.socialeconsulting.com/ In considering her daughter’s educational path, Marie wanted Elizabeth to go to Holy Child. Marie had read Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher, Ph.D., and she could think of no better environment for her daughter than Holy Child. What better school environment and culture for Elizabeth to come into her own, where all leadership roles are for all girls? Mrs. Kosch and Sister Connie continued on the faculty roster and welcomed Elizabeth into the community starting in 7th grade. Elizabeth loved the community and the strong friendships she found at Holy Child, sharing that the great teachers that she had gave her the ability to flourish in such an encouraging environment. Though she really did not like history, Elizabeth felt that her history teacher, Mr. Woodard, worked with Elizabeth to make sure history was fun. Mr. Woodard even added an extra credit question about a Justin Timberlake concert—knowing Elizabeth had gone to the event the evening before. Favorite tradition? Spirit Week, when everyone came together and engaged in competition. While Elizabeth recalls that she had been shy in front of people, by the time she graduated, she was much more confident. At Elon University, Elizabeth joined a sorority. Turns out her ‘Big’ was a Holy Child graduate, Amy Ruddell, class of 2003. Elizabeth’s class of 2004 is incredibly connected with each other since graduation. It certainly helped that Facebook was launched that same year, giving the girls a medium to keep the special bond going beyond Potomac. Both Marie and Elizabeth hope that Holy Child stay focused through ‘Actions, not Words,’ stays small(ish) with middle and upper schools, and most importantly, remains all-girls. With such loyal and accomplished alumnae such as Maureen, Caitlin, soon-to-be Molly, [4] Marie and Elizabeth, Holy Child will continue to flourish, educating the next generation of women leaders.

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Alumnae News

CLASS OF 1969 In June, many of Holy Child’s 1969 classmates had a minireunion in Centerville, MD, at their sophomore biology teacher, Zina Greene Lichaa’s home to celebrate their 65th birthdays and Zina’s 75th.

Flavia Scalzitti Zara is a member and an active volunteer at the Italian Cultural and Community Center of Houston. In June, she taught a series of hands-on cooking classes, where her students made authentic Italian recipes from scratch based around a theme. Her classes were so popular that more are being planned for late summer. Flavia is currently working on establishing her own business as a private cooking class instructor and personal chef in Houston. She continues to author her food blog, Flavia’s Flavors.

CLASS OF 1973 Tracy Pagenstecher Board and her husband, Jim, have relocated to St. James Plantation in Southport, NC to enjoy fishing, golfing, and boating.

CLASS OF 1995 Jennifer Baumgartner was interviewed by a national Emmyaward winning show, THE LIST, about three fashion tips to look more attractive.

CLASS OF 1979 Stephanie Joyce Farrell received the Christ Child Society’s Cum Laude Award for Volunteer Services in April at their Founder’s Day Mass.

Thara Matthew Taylor was named to the Baltimore Business Journal’s “40 under 40” list.

CLASS OF 1982 Connie Coakley Caulfield and her family have started a new business, Caulfield Provision Company, manufacturing various hot sauces.

CLASS OF 1996 Robin Pass Tucker finished her Master of Science degree in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University in 2016 and is practicing as a Certified Nurse Midwife. She works in a clinic for the uninsured and is in the process of opening a free clinic in Washington, DC. Robin serves as Secretary of the American College of Nurse Midwives, Washington DC chapter and lives in the city with her two cats and two kids.

CLASS OF 1985 Jennifer Ralston Kress is the proud mother of Ellie Kress, who graduated in Holy Child’s class of 2017 in June and is now a freshman at University of Colorado, Boulder. CLASS OF 1987 Heather Warfield Cooke is a chairwoman of Wake County Nursing Home Citizen Advisory Committee (WCNHCAC). The WCNHCAC, as Resident Rights advocates, are under the auspices of the Ombudsman program and commissioned by Wake County (NC) to visit nursing homes to evaluate and observe.

Heather Yuhaniak is the Co-Coordinator of McDaniel College’s Equity and Excellence in Education graduate certificate and master’s programs. Edutopia recently published a feature on the program. She and her partner also published a chapter (“Creating Equity Warriors in the Face of White Fragility”) about their experience founding the program in the compilation “Confronting Racism in Teacher Education.”

CLASS OF 1988 Joelle Slye Flynn invented & patented a new product FunkkOFF! TeethRefreshers™. Why the name? Joelle loves red wine but hates the purple “funk” left on her teeth. She wanted it “OFF”! The TeethRefreshers™ is the only all-in-one (toothbrush+toothpaste) reusable product that is the size of a lipstick to easily carry. Joelle partnered with her Holy Child classmate Sonia LaRosa Hounsell who has a marketing services consultancy that she has owned since 2009 and her clients include Kraft, Cadbury and Bayer.

CLASS OF 1997 Gina Petrucelli Whitney works at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a Renal Transplant Coordinator. CLASS OF 1998 Graziella Bianchi married Dr. Matthew Pauli in New Jersey on July 22. Kate Connor MD, MSPH is Medical Director of the Rales Health Center at KIPP Baltimore and a member of the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

CLASS OF 1989 Jennifer Dormant Campbell is a Senior Financial Analyst at Viavi Solutions.

CLASS OF 1999 Emily Walsh Elphick and her husband, Derek, welcomed their second daughter Grace Frances Elphick on September 6, 2016. Emily states, “She loves brother Colin (2) and sister Taylor (4) very much!” Grace is granddaughter to Kate Burke Walsh ‘69 and niece to Libby Walsh O’Donnell ‘03, and Therese Walsh ‘04.

CLASS OF 1991 On June 6, 2017, Nicola Y. Whiteman, Esq. became a proud graduate of Leadership Montgomery’s Core Class of 2017 and joined a network of more than 2000 Montgomery County leaders. CLASS OF 1993 Noreen S. Miyake-Char was awarded the prestigious Five Star Wealth Manager award for the Washington, D.C. area. The award is considered “the largest and most widely published wealth manager award program in the financial services industry.” She was featured in the October 2016 issue of The Washington Post Magazine. Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

Amy Faulring is a partner with The Management Center in Philadelphia, a company that helps social justice leaders learn how to build and run more effective organizations. Kathleen Hannan Fullenkamp and husband Josh welcomed Allison Donahue Fullenkamp, born May 20, 2016.

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14 1. Class of 1967 alums Gerry Kavanagh, Ming Ivory, and Ellie Robertson Holdridge with Sister Connie Craig at their 50th Reunion in June. 2. Margot CulottaNorton ‘71 speaks at the FatherDaughter Communion Breakfast after receiving this year’s Distinguished Alumna Award. 3. A number of the Class of 1972 together

the Food for the Poor spring service trip in Jamaica. 5. Juliana Slye ‘88 married Michael Valentine on June 10, 2017 in Sonoma, California. 6. Anne Cummings Force ‘89 and her family. 7. Kimberly Burgess Duffy ‘89 and her family on vacation in Turks and Caicos. 8. Flavia Scalzitti Zara ‘93 is a member and an active volunteer at the Italian Cultural and Community Center of Houston. 9. Noreen S. Miyake-Char ‘93 gave birth to her second son Nolan Miyake Char on May 8, 2017. She, along with husband Christopher and son Calvin, welcomed Nolan with love and happiness. 10. Noreen S. MiyakeChar ‘93 was awarded the prestigious Five Star Wealth Manager award for the Washington, D.C. area. 11. Class of 1994

15 during their 45th reunion. Seniors Mackenzie Whipp and Olivia Welsh gave the group of alumnae a tour of the school during their reunion on campus. 4. Rita ‘Wooly’ Devine ‘79 with students during

Joanna Smith-Ramani, Jessica Colburn, Ginger King Shaw, and Patricia Parada. 12. r. Shannon Gomez, Ginger King Shaw ‘94, Patricia Valado Parada ‘94 and future Holy Child students at the Alumnae Brunch in January. 13. 1997 alums gather together for their 20th reunion this summer! 14. Emily Walsh Elphick ‘98 and her husband, Derek, welcomed their second daughter Grace Frances Elphick on September 6th, 2016. 15. Julie Purcell Crafton ‘98 joined Silver Oak Cellars last September as Content Marketing Manager. She lives in Napa Valley with her husband Matt Crafton and two sons, William (5) and Ben (2).

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1. Jessica Dillon Bieligk ‘00 and classmates Pierce Resler Coffee, Jen Masi, and Jaci Appel spent Memorial Day weekend together in Bethany Beach, DE. 2. Margaret Harker ‘02 was confirmed as a Catholic during the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, VA. 3. Kerry Shea Offterdinger '03 and Bobby Offterdinger were married on September 24, 2016, at Saint Aloysius Gonzaga's church. 4. Kerry Shea Offterdinger '03 and her her Holy Child guests at her wedding in September 2016. 5. Marisa Gonzalez '03 featured in the March 2017 issue of Marie Claire magazine. 6. Alicia Easby-Smith Barton '04, husband Joe, sons Joseph (5), and Tommy (3) welcomed Lila Anne to their family on July 25, 2016. 7. Lauren Wood '04, Melissa Mullaney '04 and Michele Mullaney '08 at Melissa's wedding in May 2016. 8. Andrea Martinez '06 with Brianna Romano of Connelly High School in California together in South Africa. 9. Isabel Wallisch Klingshirn ‘07 with Team Olivia - a group of her and family members in support of her daughter who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 21 months old. 10. Lucy Boyce Kennedy '07 kayaking in the Balkins in April.

Entrepreneur, Daina Slekys Trout, started her Kombucha business, Health-Ade, in California in 2012, and it has grown to over 75 employees since its inception. Kombucha is fermented tea, naturally containing probiotics and healthy organic acids. Health-Ade products are available in many Whole Foods Markets.

Lindsey Kane is a Physician’s Assistant at Suburban Hospital’s Emergency Room. Natalie Pascale Catliota is Vice President of Operations at NetCentrics Corporation. Katey Scanlon is Senior Brand Impact Manager at enso, a social innovation firm that builds mission-driven brands, located in Santa Monica, CA.

CLASS OF 2000 Jessica Dillon Bieligk leads a Product Development team for Capital One’s Small Business Credit Card division. She was named one of Working Mother magazine’s 2016 Working Mothers of the Year in August 2016. Jessica lives in Washington DC with her husband and two daughters, Lily (3) and Maren (1).

Lauren Stewart is a Law Clerk with Eversheds Sutherland. Allie Townshend is Director of Development at Little Helping Hands (LHH) in Austin, TX. In her position, she pursues individual, corporate and private foundation funding to sustain and grow LHH.

Pierce Resler Coffee is Vice-President of Public Affairs and Marketing at Transurban.

CLASS OF 2006 Catherine Buckingham is Global Development Coordinator at Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Alexandria, VA.

CLASS OF 2002 Jessica Alderdice and her mother and real estate partner, Andy Alderdice, were named the Top Regional Team in 2016 with her company W.C. & A.N. Miller, a Long & Foster Company.

Meghan Connor Miller is a Certified Nurse Midwife working and living in Delaware.

Lindsay Pesacreta is a Nurse Practitioner at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Christina Ganassa married Drew Somerville, brother of Stephanie Somerville ’10.

CLASS OF 2003 Jenna Daniel has been accepted into the Global Executive MBA Program Class of 2019 at UVA’s Darden School of Business.

Andrea Martinez is a Speech Language Pathologist with Theracare. Alexi-Noelle O’Brien-Hosein is a producer for TRT World and moderated a panel of four at the National Press Club that included the former ambassador to Turkey in July titled, “The July 15 Coup Attempt in Turkey.

Liz Delahay Wojno and her husband, Tom, welcomed their firstborn, son, Nick, on March 9. Marisa Gonzalez was featured on page 173 of the March 2017 issue of Marie Claire magazine! Marisa stated, “Marie Claire asked stylish DC women to talk about all things beauty and what makes us feel confident.” Marisa is a stylist and personal shopper. She launched a personal style blog several years ago and now has several thousand followers.

Katherine Stinson is an Archives Technician at the National Archives and Records Administration. CLASS OF 2007 Lucy Boyce Kennedy is in her third, and last, year of Internal Medicine Residency at Vanderbilt Hospital and the VA Hospital in Nashville. Her research on vaccinations in patients with stem cell transplants, Measuring Immune Response to Commonly Used Vaccinations in Adult Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, was published in the June 2017 edition of The Journal of Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

CLASS OF 2004 Christine Colburn completed her first year of graduate studies at the University of Denver. She moved to Geneva, Switzerland for five months in August to continue her graduate coursework and serve as the Emergency Programme Support Intern for UNICEF’s Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States.

Jillian Geletka is an Associate Manager, Global Sourcing, Dresses and Skirts for White House Black Market in Ft. Myers, FL.

Melissa Mullaney married Jon Swanson, whom she met in college, in May, 2016. Classmate Lauren Wood and Melissa’s sister, Michele Mullaney ’08 were her bridesmaids. Melissa is a Pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH.

Isabel Wallisch Klingshirn and husband Michael Klingshirn are both active duty Air Force Officers recently returning back from their dual deployments supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. Isabel, a Logistics Officer, was deployed with Special Operations Command Central and Michael, an Epidemiologist, was deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Their daughter, Olivia, stayed with grandparents in Bethesda, MD and upon their return The Klingshirn Family returned back to Sumter, SC, where they are stationed at Shaw AFB. Michael was recently promoted to the rank of Major in February. Isabel will run her first marathon at the NYC marathon under The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Marathon team for Olivia, her daughter (3) who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 21 months old. Team Olivia is a group

Lauren Wood is a Trauma Nurse Practitioner at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Class of 2005 Margaret Bush is an Operating Room Nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Jenna Hamilton Tasman is a Senior Proposal Writer at RSM in Louisville, KY.

Winter 2017-2018 - Connelly Contact

Ashley Paulos was promoted to Senior Community Manager/ Senior Influencer Coordinator at Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM) in November 2016.

of 10 family members that have joined to raise $30,000 for JDRF. Nicole Wilhelmi changed her last name to Rosetti after high school to honor her late grandfather. She graduated summa cum laude from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Nicole is now pursuing her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archival Studies through Drexel University.

Erica Vassos is a Third Grade Teacher at The Woods Academy. Kelly Whelan graduated law school from Catholic University in May with fellow Holy Child alum Lauren Stewart ‘05. Theresa Yenouskas is a Special Ed Teacher in the Fairfax County school system.

CLASS OF 2008 Rachel Karanian is a One-on-One Yoga and Nutrition Instructor at Fusion Academy, a private school in Tysons Corner, VA.

CLASS OF 2011 Casey Dell’Isola is working in Public Relations and living in downtown DC and loving it.

Amelia Kennedy is a Medieval History Phd candidate at Yale University. Amelia spent this past year in Germany and Poland doing dissertation research on Cistercian Monasteries.

Luciana Giorgio is a Research Assistant with the Sleep, Mind and Health Research Program at Columbia University School of Social Work.

Michele Mullaney is a PhD student in Accounting at UNC Chapel Hill.

KT Prominski has finished her second year studying for her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Columbia University in New York. She completed a two-month paid rotation at the Cincinnati Reds Rehabilitation Training Camp in Phoenix, AZ. KT is in her final semester of classes at Columbia and will begin another rotation in January of 2017.

Romina Nally is a Talent Acquisition Specialist with Next Century Corporation, responsible for building software engineering teams. Lauren Omelchenko is a Front-End Developer at Deloitte Digital.

Patty Yoritomo graduated with her Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame this summer. She recently got married in July and has since moved back to the DC area. Patty was living in Peoria, IL working as a high school Science Teacher as part of the Alliance for Catholic Education program through the University of Notre Dame.

Jordan Quinn is Associate Director of Government Affairs at the Hartford Financial Services Round Table. Katharine Still is the Marketing Coordinator at Camuto Group.

CLASS OF 2012 Ingrid Gooch is currently a Master’s of Science Candidate in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Hood College in Frederick, MD. After earning her BA at Hood with a double major in Psychology and French in May of 2016, she accepted a position with NIH where she conducted research of neuroscientific perspectives of brain-behavior relationships in the context of cancer survivorship, which ultimately culminated in a neuroimaging review of cancer-related cognitive impairment.

Kelly Wilson recently moved to Charleston and started working at Nectar Sunglasses. A portion of all sales go to repopulating honeybees. CLASS OF 2009 In March 2017, Katherine “Kat” Eisenberg became the Activities Coordinator at the Kensington, Falls Church Assisted Living Facility in Falls Church, Virginia. CLASS OF 2010 Claire DeLaurentis is finishing her 3rd year of medical school at University of Maryland.

Sophia Motta is a pediatric nurse at Fairfax Children’s Hospital, working in the Intermediate Care Unit.

Michelle Famulare is in a Clinical Nurse Leadership Program at University of Maryland.

Anna Smith married Douglas Brisbane at St. Raphael`s Catholic Church on Saturday, January 7, 2017. Classmate Emma Bulleit was Anna`s maid of honor. Classmates Trisha Sobrino and Caroline Greene attended the wedding.

Laura Ganassa is a Fifth Grade Teacher at Wayside Elementary School.

CLASS OF 2013 Amanda Arcidiacono is working for the architect of the U.S. Capitol in the Archives Department.

Mary Katherine Green is the Middle School Librarian and a Learning Support Coordinator at Calvert School in Baltimore, MD. She is engaged to Chris Wienecke and will be married at Our Lady of Mercy in July 2018.

Mary Frances Gumbs graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with her degree in Film and Media Studies.

Erin Kale is a Senior Operations Analyst at Korn Ferry Hay Group in Philadelphia, PA.

Brietta Haynes graduated from Ave Maria University on May 6, 2017. Prior to graduation, Brietta accepted a job at Students for Life of America. Brietta has continued to live out her calling to the Pro-Life Movement. Brietta was recently featured in an article for Lifesitenews.com.

Erin Norcross is studying at the University of Maryland’s Dental School. Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

10 1. Amelia Kennedy '08 and sister Lucy Boyce Kennedy '07 toured and hiked the Balkins in April. 2. Andrea Santelices Zawatsky '08 and her husband, Jason, welcomed their daughter, Zoe, on November 29, 2016. 3. Kelly Wilson '08 with classmates Nicole Genevieve and Meghan Horn in Charleston, SC. 4. Lauren Phifer '08 married Jeff Robinson September 10, 2016 in Chestertown, MD at Brittland Estates. 5. Alex Patterson '10 and Jennifer McCloskey '80 pose with the winners of this year's Junior Entrepreneurship Program after standing in as judges during the Shark Tank presentations. 6. 2010 Alums went to the VA Gold Cup Horse Races for fun! 7. Kelly Whelan '10 won a silver medal in the first ever National Women's Ice Hockey Championship of Ukraine with her team Ukrainochka and was the first American woman to play in Ukraine. 8. Alex Guntle '11 ran the Philadelphia Marathon in November of last year. 9. Patty Yoritomo '11 married husband Michel in July this summer. 10. Ingrid Gooch '12 on the homepage of the NIH National Cancer Institute website.

Winter 2017-2018 - Connelly Contact

Kylah Simmons graduated from Kalamazoo College this spring with a Psychology major and a Media and Films Concentration. This upcoming fall, she will be receiving her Masters in Television with a focus in Producing and Management at Boston University. This summer, she spent time interning at Sean ‘Diddy’ Comb’s Revolt TV in New York City as their Cultural Insights Intern.

Avery Luck is a Political Science major, with a minor in Art History at Loyola University of Chicago. She did a summer internship with Congressman Mike Quigley, 5th District in Chicago, who heads the Appropriations Committee. Hope Thomas interned with BBDO, an advertising agency, this summer at their San Francisco office. Hope helped as a Copywriter in the Creative Department on brands like Barbie, HP, and Wells Fargo.

CLASS OF 2014 Ashley Arcidiacono is a senior Chemistry student at Villanova University. This summer she received an REU grant from the National Science Foundation to participate in a research program focused on nanoparticles for drug delivery at Purdue University. She will be pursuing a PhD in Chemistry beginning the Fall of 2018.

Isabel Treichel is interning this summer with the House SubCommittee on “Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats.” She enjoys observing the workings of the US Congress after working for a Member of the German Parliament last summer. Isabel ended her summer with a 1-week service trip to Argentina before returning to University of Southern California for her junior year.

Emma Pachon is on the Dean’s List at St Joseph’s University where she is majoring in International Relations. She spent the Spring semester at the Irish Institute in Leuven, Belgium. As part of the program, she interned with a member of the European Parliament in Brussels. This summer she was on an SJU delegation to the JUHAN 2017 Youth Leadership Conference at the College of the Holy Cross.

CLASS OF 2016 Katherine Sadek performed selections from Handel, Wagner, Verdi, Orff and twenty-first century composers at UMBC with the Camerata Chamber Choir. Katherine just completed her first year at UMBC.

Kathrin Treichel interned at the Financial Industry Regulatory Agency (FINRA) this summer for the second year in a row. During Spring Break 2017, she traveled to Rwanda for a class in “International Development.” Her true passion is Accounting, though, and she loves being a Teaching Assistant at George Washington University, where she expects to graduate in May 2018. During her free time, Kathrin serves as Vice President of Phi Sigma Sigma at GW and she still finds time to ride her horse.

Carly Soistman was named to the president’s list for earning all A’s for the 2016 fall semester at The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL).

CLASS OF 2015 Holley Hickman is on the Ohio Weslyan campus this summer, working as an Orientation Counselor and Admissions Tour Guide. Anna Jorgenson is a Biochemistry major at Georgetown University and interned in Australia this summer, working with the Shark Bay Dolphin research project as a Summer Field and Laboratory Research Assistant located in Shark Bay and Queensland, Australia.

Suzanne Hohman Matan ’83, Meghan Carroll ’13 visited Karly Siciliano ’04 at her restaurant, Italian Taste, in Florence, Italy.

JOIN US AT THE 36TH ANNUAL GALA SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2018 AT HOLY CHILD

Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

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1. Kylah Simmons '13 graduated from Kalamazoo College in May. 2. Brietta Haynes '13 graduated from Ave Maria University on May 6, 2017. 3. Kathrin Treichel ‘14 studies Accounting at George Washington University. 4. Aoife Magner '15 is on the varsity riding team at Sweet Briar College and competed in the 2017 ANRC National Intercollegiate Equitation Championship in April in Savannah, GA. 5. Isabel Treichel ‘15 started her junior year at USC this fall. 6. Class of 2016 Alums Lauren Anastasi, Carly Soistman, and Caroline Dyer at the beach this summer. 7. Anne Plamondon McNamara ‘74, daughter Lorraine '17, and family on Lorraine's graduation day. 8. Spring Alumnae Happy Hour at Town Hall

Winter 2017-2018 - Connelly Contact

ACTIONS NOT WORDS: THERESA GARTLAND ‘99 CONTINUES TO GIVE BACK Theresa Gartland ‘99 is Executive Director at Operation Progress LA, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering underserved youth to become educated, capable, ethical and productive people who will in turn lead, mentor and contribute to society at large. Theresa was featured as a guest blogger on www.charity-matters. com, here is her post. As I am embarking on my 15th year of working in Watts in South Los Angeles and serving the youth of the community, I cannot help but reflect on what keeps me energized and going, of course two words… the kids! Everyday, I’m so grateful that I get to fulfill my life purpose by provide the most incredible, lifechanging opportunity for some of the most deserving youth. Attending Holy Child, I was taught Connelly Contact - Winter 2017-2018

the values of giving back through Action not Words. This rang true for me during my high school service trips to an afterschool program in Southeast DC. During my service, I would play with the children, help them with their homework, and spend time getting to know they. I quickly learned that they only difference between them and me was our neighborhood, and they were just as deserving as all the opportunities I was given. It was my actions that were making an impact. Through service and volunteering I had found my voice, it sparked my passion but I no idea it would ignite my career. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned through my work is that each child deserves to feel safe, validated and know that someone is proud of them. This has become my 56

mission, to make sure every student feels apart of something bigger than themselves, to feel validated, nurtured, and empowered. My biggest success thus far, has been watching two girls that I have known since they were in 2nd grade, now sophomores at an all girls catholic high school, flourishing and succeeding. To be apart of their journey and see how OP has literally changed their life trajectory has been of the biggest rewards of my career. It’s truly been a joy, honor and privilege to work at amazing schools and organizations in the Watts community that are so committed to inspiring, fostering and developing the youth. Being able to be there for a children, to motivate, challenge, and encourage them is no short of a miracle.

FEATURED ALUMNA: DELECE SMITH-BARROW ‘02 JOURNALIST, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT BY LUCY GILAK ’16 Ms. Delece Smith-Barrow, Holy Child Class of 2002, is a successful figure in the world of journalism and is currently the High Education Editor for U.S. News and World Report. Prior to this position, she worked for The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, and various other publications and news organizations. After graduating from Holy Child, Delece attended the University of Maryland at College Park, graduating in 2006 with a Journalism major and Spanish minor. She then travelled to Australia for a brief journalism fellowship before beginning her work as a web producer for The Washington Post. Throughout her seven years with The Post, Delece shifted from web producer to digital editor and writer for the publication. In 2013, she began her career with U.S. News and World Report as a higher-education reporter. This past year, Delece was chosen to participate in the Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan, a competitive program designed to enhance the work of mid-career journalists. For one academic year, fellows attend seminars on topics like innovation in journalism, personal development, and investigative reporting while attending classes at Michigan related to their own personalized study plan. Influenced by her work with U.S. News and World Report, Delece’s study plan focused on the efforts of top-tier research universities across the country to increase the number of faculty of color at their institutions. The KnightWallace Fellowship also gives fellows the opportunity to take their journalism study abroad; during her year with the program, Delece travelled to South Korea and Brazil.

She also enjoyed reporting on a local designer who designed a dress for Michelle Obama and whose line was to appear at New York Fashion Week in 2012. Despite her rise to excellence in her career, Delece holds onto lessons she learned at Holy Child. She especially attributes her appreciation for diversity to experiences she gained in high school; as a member of the Black Student Union, the track team, student council, and the student newspaper, The Willow, Delece interacted with students of different backgrounds and subsequently realized the importance of diversity of thought, heritage, and socio-economic status. Delece also considers her time at Holy Child as an instrumental part of her journalism success. “Because I worked on my writing skills as a high schooler,“ she reflects, “I had an easier time than others in my college English class.” Her time writing for The Willow helped her realize her passion for journalism and led her to pursue the academic and professional path that she did.

Reflecting on her time in this fellowship, Delece concludes that “the most valuable aspect of it for me was having eight months to step away from the daily grind, and focus on an aspect of education news that is largely under-reported.” She liked being able to focus on the minority experience in higher education, and also appreciated the challenges posed to her in some of her courses.

“I would advise Holy Child students to follow their natural interests and to work hard at pursuing their passion. I’ve always loved writing and I loved my English classes at Holy Child,” Delece responds when prompted for advice to current students. She took advantage of high school to foster her interests and develop her passion, and her hard work paid off. As a highly successful journalist who is enthusiastic about education, Delece Smith-Barrow has made the Holy Child community proud.

Throughout her journalism career, Delece has covered a diverse range of topics, from pop culture to personal finance to higher education. When asked which is her favorite field to write about, Delece replies that she “love[s] learning and understanding how other people learn and what innovations and transformations are happening in the education sector”; so far, she has most enjoyed writing pieces related to higher education. Her favorite story to cover has been one which analyzes the shift in the policies and curriculums of many historically black colleges and universities to become more inclusive of their LGBTQ communities.

Since this article was written, Delece has secured the jobs of Senior Editor at The Hechinger Report and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, teaching and advising graduate journalism students on how to produce long-form stories. 57

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IN MEMORIAM

The Holy Child community celebrates the lives of those who have passed away in the past year (as of 08/01/17)

Arty Alafoginis Father of Eleni Alafoginis ‘06

George Kley Grandfather of Kendall ‘21 & Kelsey ‘22

Laurent Auclert Friend of Mme Marie-Lise Bonneau

Loraine Kumm Mother-in-law of Ellen Kumm

Carol Ann Baker Grandmother of Emily Baker

Mary Donley Lacey '73 Sister of Kathy Donley McLaughlin ’72

Melvin Bandell Grandfather of Michelle Phebus

Smokey Lamond Step-grandfather of Grace Carlsen ‘19

Kay Bondehagen Mother of Ray Gergen ‘06 & Maggie Gergen ‘08

Kristen (Kris) Timbol LaTour '87 Paul Quinn Grandfather of Emily Boyd ‘19

Filomena Capobianco Grandmother of Rosina Falcone Mitchell ‘07, Stephanie Falcone ‘08 & Daniela Falcone ‘13

Susan Rueda Mother of Augustina Rueda Santucci ‘85

Philip Comerford Father of Cindy Gillette ‘79

Neil Parker Seigler Grandfather of Lauren Sims Risley ‘03

Lynne DeVoest Former Staff Member

Dan Shea Former Trustee, brother of Julia Shea Mantua ‘80, father of Katy Shea Pagano ‘01 & Kerry Shea Offterdinger ‘03

Meredith Edmunds Cousin of Molly Moore ’14 & Maddy Moore ’17 Mary Catherine Gallagher Grandmother of Ashley Paulos ‘10

James Chapman Slye Father of Jennifer Slye Aniskovich ‘83, Jill Slye King ‘84, Juliana Slye Valentine ‘88 & Joelle Slye Flynn ‘89

Beryl Hunt Mother of former Holy Child Trustee Jami Bjellos & grandmother of Blair Bjellos ‘04

Ivan Spangenberg III Grandfather of father of Katy Shea Pagano ‘01 & Kerry Shea Offterdinger ‘03

Paul Jackman Father of Shawna Jackman-Gangi ‘94

Charles Strittmatter Grandfather of Julia Strittmatter ‘19

Shirley McCartin Grandmother of Trish Fraser

Margaret Vorndran Mother of Maryann Vorndran Richardson ‘74

Joyce Nolan Jakubowics ‘72 Mother of Emily Jakubowics ‘05

Anne Whalen Mother of Honore (Nora) Whalen Wagner ‘98

James F. Jordan Father of Kathleen Jordan Baldino ‘84

Clayton Yeutter Father of Elena Yeutter ‘17

Geraldine Kane Grandmother of Lindsey ‘05, Meghan ‘07 & Jenna ‘10

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2018 EVENTS

ALUMNAE REGIONAL GATHERINGS February 21 Washington, DC March 14, 2018 Los Angeles March 15 San Francisco March 22 Florida OTHER EVENTS March 2-3 “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” Upper School Musical March 10 “Hear Us Roar” Gala April 1 Alumnae Challenge Begins! April 27 Career Day May 31 Class of 1968 50th Reunion Dinner/Baccalaureate Mass June 1 Class of 1968 Breakfast /Graduation

ALUMNAE REUNION WEEKEND! APRIL 27 – 28, 2018 Make plans now to join the celebration, rekindle friendships, share memories, and strengthen ties with your alma mater. Return to campus to discover ways in which life at Holy Child has changed and the ways it has remained the same. Friday, April 27 • Evening individual class get-togethers off-campus Saturday, April 28 • Alumnae Reunion Day on Campus 3:00 p.m., Student-lead tours of the School 4:30 p.m., Mass in the Chapel 5:30 p.m. Cocktails and Dinner on campus for all classes Welcome by Head of School Dr. Shannon Gomez Reunion classes (the 3s and the 8s will be recognized) Alumna of the Year to be announced 59

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Diversity Painting by Faith Elliott â€™18

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