Traditions
50
Fall 2016
PREPARE The High School of Tomorrow 6
ENGAGE
A Journey of Global Understanding 28
IMPACT
A Transformational Volunteer Experience 42
An Immaculate High School Annual Publication
Traditions Magazine Fall 2016 PRESIDENT Mary R. Maloney PRINCIPAL Joe Carmen ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Mary Ann Foncello ‘70 MANAGING EDITORS Theresa Ludanyi Ryan Nolan ‘09 DESIGN PRODUCT MANAGER Ryan Nolan ‘09 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Debbie Basile, Tom Burns, Jeff Castaldi, Lynn Loya, Theresa Ludanyi, Mary R. Maloney, Ryan Nolan ‘09, Denise Suarez ‘87 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Maureen Arsenault ‘69, Ryan Nolan ‘09, Carol Stone, Robert Taylor Photography ON THE COVER: Celebrating 50 Years www.immaculatehs.org/coverchallenge Traditions Magazine is published for alumni, parents, alumni parents, and friends of Immaculate High School. Send address changes to the Office of Advancement, Immaculate High School, 73 Southern Boulevard, Danbury, CT 06810 or info@immaculatehs.org Immaculate High School admits students of any race, creed, national or ethnic origin, and handicapped status to all the rights, privileges and activities generally does not discriminate in these areas in the administration of its education policies scholarship and loan programs, athletic or other school-administered programs.
PREPARE
10
The High School of Tomorrow 6
ENGAGE
26
A Journey of Global Understanding 28
IMPACT A Transformational Volunteer Experience 42
42
OUR MISSION
I
n the Roman Catholic tradition, Immaculate High School fosters the development of the whole student by nurturing individual moral, intellectual, physical and social growth through an academically rigorous college preparatory curriculum that encourages respect, responsibility, reverence, creativity and leadership.
School Advisory Board CHAIRMAN Mr. Anthony Rizzo, Jr.
BOARD MEMBER, FINANCE Mrs. Shaun Budnik
EX-OFFICIO, FACULTY Mr. Thomas Mertens
VICE CHAIRMAN Mr. David Cappiello
BOARD MEMBER, SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Mr. Joseph Carmen
BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS Mr. Stephen Piccolo, Jr.
FINANCE BOARD CHAIR Mr. Anthony Cirone TECHNOLOGY BOARD CHAIR Mr. Brian Crotty FACILITIES BOARD CHAIR Mr. Gerry Hatcher ENROLLMENT BOARD CHAIR Mrs. Lisa Lanni ALUMNI BOARD CHAIR Mr. Brian McGovern DEVELOPMENT BOARD CHAIR Mr. Anthony Mercaldo CATHOLIC IDENTITY BOARD CHAIR Msgr. Robert E. Weiss
BOARD MEMBER, AT LARGE Mr. Joseph Draper BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS Mrs. Isabelle Farrington BOARD MEMBER, ENROLLMENT Dr. Jack Fong BOARD MEMBER, DEVELOPMENT Mr. Anthony Giobbi
EX-OFFICIO, IPA Mrs. Dawn Ringes BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS Mr. Gerard Robilotti BOARD MEMBER, AT LARGE Mr. Thomas Saadi EX-OFFICIO, ALUMNI Mrs. Denise Suarez
BOARD MEMBER, SCHOOL PRESIDENT Mrs. Mary R. Maloney BOARD MEMBER, FACILITIES Mr. Michael Mazzucco
Immaculate Parents Association CO-PRESIDENTS, IPA Jen Cirone Dawn Ringes SECRETARY, IPA Linda Hatcher TREASURER, IPA Paul Schaffer
PRESIDENT, MASC Joe Bischof
TREASURER, MASC Dean DiMauro
VICE PRESIDENT, MASC Linda Hatcher
SPIRIT WEAR COORDINATORS Mark and Michele Brooks
SECRETARY, MASC Carolyn Schlichtig
▶ MASC = IPA’s Mustang All Sports Club
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• CELEBR T S A A T PAST, HONORING THE P
50
GT HE
An opportunity to celebrate who we are as a school community was realized thanks to an amazing team of an extraordinary number of volunteers comprised of teachers, students, parents, alumni and community members who contributed to the successful marking our 50th Anniversary. Everyone involved in planning the PRESIDENT multiple events throughout Mary R. Maloney the year, had something very unique to contribute yet shared one mutual connection, each had a personal allegiance to Immaculate. The culmination of this year’s “Coming Home” theme was at our Commencement Mass. Stepping away from tradition and acknowledging this significant moment in our school’s history, the Class of 2016 shared their special day of being the fiftieth graduating class of Immaculate High School with members of the Class of 1966, our first graduating class, at the Western Connecticut State University O’Neill Center. Although every commencement ceremony is a joyful underscoring of student achievement and success, this year was exceptional. Students from both generations shared their stories, rekindled connections and attributed their success stories to the opportunities afforded them at Immaculate High School. The unrehearsed standing ovation by the Class of 2016 to the Class of 1966 was a tribute to the authentic significance of the intangible attributes that bond us as an Immaculate family.
providing personal freedom to make a difference in our world.
A MATTER OF COURSE While our students are with us, the administration, faculty and staff are their anchor and sails. Beginning on the first day of school, guided by our school mission, all work collaboratively to meet the needs of our individual students. Grounded in our faith, we encourage embracing the Word of God through service to others and epitomize the process of self-discovery with the intent of
COURAGE TO SEEK THE TRUTH Managing the present requires formulating and promoting the spirit of seeking the truth in all things and taking unknown risks with conviction. It is our vision and belief that we are responsible for ensuring that student self-efficacy includes strong foundations of faith, mastering skills and achieving goals that matter.
FU T U R THE E
H
th
G IN
CELEBRATING THE THE FUTURE
mmaculate High School
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Creating programs that will benefit students means providing innovative opportunities. That means being able to selectively adapt certain beliefs, assumptions, and practices of our predecessors into an essential, more complex course of study that meets or exceeds national and state standards. Notwithstanding the challenge of limited facility space, Immaculate provides a broad and diverse program and is offering new courses such as forensics and graphic arts as well as professional computer certification classes and an internship program for seniors. In order to properly expand academic offerings and continuity for student opportunities, the school has become close partners with both the University of Connecticut and Western Connecticut State University. Assistant Principal, Mary Ann Foncello ‘70 validates the progress that has been made since she was a student and teacher at Immaculate. “We’ve witnessed the evolution from slide rules, calculators, hard cover books, blackboards and science classrooms into iPads, e-books, smart boards and technology labs. Our curriculum and teaching methodologies take advantage of the latest technologies and have prepared our students to successfully perform at the collegiate level. We continue our mission of developing the whole student by providing them with a solid educational foundation and instilling in them a strong sense of morality, a solid work ethic and a willingness to serve others.”
Our students feel confident, are successful, and optimistic, and persevere to create the framework needed to meet the challenges of future unchartered waters. The Class of 2016 is an example of how a group of students welcome a culture of excellence and opportunities to develop their skills. Individual members reached all-time highs in athletic accomplishment and were recognized for academic and fine arts achievements including AP Scholars, the Governor’s Service Award, the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and National Merit Commended Scholar awards. Students will attend some of the finest colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Collectively, they received over $18 million in scholarships, grants and merit awards.
proven throughout the years, that we provide an excellent Catholic education experience and positive outcomes on a bare bones operating budget. We envision that positive student outcomes will continue in the years ahead with the understanding that we can not provide for our students without the support of so many. What has been critical and unique to being able to sustain moving forward is the extraordinary support of our pastors, our alumni, school Advisory Board members, parents and local business community leaders. Named-scholarships, donations to our facility projects, contributions to our Adopt-AMustang, fine arts and athletic programs and record-high participation at our golf outing and gala events solidify the substantial improvements we have been able to accomplish this year! The indelible mark of stewardship is immeasurable. Students appreciate the diverse improvements and value their education; teachers feel affirmed for their selfless energy and distinctive professional resourcefulness.
Next year, we will not only be offering a significant number of new, competitive academic courses, we will also have a new facility infrastructure that includes solar panels, a new roof, HVAC system, a new physics laboratory/classroom, and an updated kitchen and service area. Our security Principal Joe Carmen explains that, “We continually initiatives continue to expand and our safety review and expand our course offerings to keep measures for everyone while on campus are under them current and relevant to producing successful continuous review. To accommodate our growing student outcomes.” Carmen, the administrative student population and aging building, we have team and faculty work with colleges and conduct created a three-year capital plan that will rely on meaningful research to identify how academic seeking new resources, grants and stewardship classes should be revised and updated. Their while maintaining affordable tuition. success is evidenced by the addition of 21 new curricular offerings in the past five years. This special edition of our annual Traditions “Strategically, we emphasize embedding the Magazine recognizes that although we have individual skills of critical thinking, teamwork and evolved over these past fifty years, our communication in all of our course offerings. It is commitment to provide a Catholic school with this dynamic approach to education that we environment that educates the whole person and give our students the abilities to succeed no matter creates successful leaders remains steadfast. the types of challenges they face in the future.” Thank you for being a part of our journey of exploration and celebration. The appreciation that OUR JOURNEY OF EXPLORATION AND all of us who serve at Immaculate have for you is CELEBRATION immeasurable. May God’s blessings continue to be We are an extremely fortunate and very blessed with us as we carry forth the mission entrusted to Immaculate family. From its founding, Immaculate our care. has continuously benefited from the people who believe in our mission. Our student enrollment and programs have grown tremendously. We have immaculatehs.org | 5
THE HIGH SCHOOL OF TOMORROW FORWARD Principal Joe Carmen and President Mary Maloney see the future beyond the cranes and building materials loaded on the roof and in the hallways. They envision an Immaculate fully prepared to meet the needs of the student; a vision launched by the Principal-President team of Dan Murphy and Kathleen Casey over six years ago.
PREPARING STUDENTS THROUGH INNOVATION Focusing on programmatic and facility improvements is vital. “Anticipating the future is key to planning for tomorrow’s high school,” says Joe Carmen, IHS Principal. “The challenge educators face today is how to develop the skills necessary for our students to succeed in careers and jobs that have yet to be created or imagined.”
To continue offering an extraordinary program, ongoing enhancements to curriculum and updates to facilities are necessary. Some exciting developments have recently occurred and others are currently underway. The resulting impact can be seen in increased enrollment, additional well-trained faculty, successful extracurricular programs, and outstanding college placements.
In meeting the challenge of teaching what has been described as basic 21st Century skills, Immaculate has focused not only on core subjects, but has infused and promoted global competitive awareness, multi-dimensional literacy, information and media technology as well as life and career skills. The result is a five-year planned addition of new innovative curricular offerings such as computer programming, computer forensics,
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Immaculate High School continues its growth with facility and programmatic enhancements - an investment in our future. graphic design, digital sound design, principles of engineering and biomedical sciences. Curriculum enhancements also include virtual high school courses, providing students with an in-house independent learning experience beyond the classroom. Partnerships with the University of Connecticut and Western Connecticut State University enable students to earn Early College Educational credits that are applicable towards a bachelor’s degree at a majority of colleges and universities. Implementing one of the first national and state 1:1 iPad initiative gives our students access to resources as well as practice in operating in a technologically enabled environment. Our new Mentor a Mustang program will connect students
with alumni and community leaders who can advise and inform them about selective career and post secondary school choices. ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH ENHANCED FACILITIES The Learning Commons made its debut in 2014. This is a lively interactive space with comfortable, inviting chairs, digital media access, and spaces for group study. The Learning Commons brings together the functions of libraries, labs, lounges, and seminar areas. This face-to-face forum supports the sharing of student ideas outside the classroom, complementing the shift in pedagogy toward collaborative media and team efforts.
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Security enhancements featuring a double door entry, a fob system for staff and electronic screening for visitors are proactive measures taken within a beautifully designed front entrance. Thanks to being approved for a state energy savings program, the summer of 2016 will see the replacement of an over fifty-year-old roof, partial HVAC upgrades, the addition of solar panels, the conversion to LED lighting throughout the building and a new physics laboratory/classroom.
“Immaculate High School is focused on preparing students for the world as it’s going to be.” - Joe Carmen The combination physics laboratory/classroom is more in keeping with the best practice recommendations for science instruction where laboratory activities are freely intermingled with classroom instruction. This combination requires a larger room, but it has several advantages over a stand-alone laboratory, including providing maximum instructional options and the most 8 | immaculatehs.org
flexible use of space. The Pave the Way campaign, spearheaded by the Class of ’66, will provide a beautiful approach of pavers to complement the new front entrance, extending a safer welcome to our students, visitors and staff. CREATING IMPACT THROUGH COMMITMENT We don’t know exactly what the future will bring. But we do know that the future will always bring opportunity. Our vision includes renovating classrooms, updating the cafeteria, and building a fine arts center. We will continue ongoing academic development to provide opportunities with a 21st Century focus that will prepare and engage students to make a meaningful impact in their future endeavors. The projects already completed have been accomplished through the generosity of many alumni, parents and friends and through prudent funding decisions made by the administration with the support of the School Advisory Board. You can have a positive impact on students’ lives. Your commitment of time, talent and treasure will make our vision a reality. We are steadfast and are proud to say that it’s an exciting time to be a Mustang!
MAJOR IMPACT A snapshot of the benefits of the
Facility Improvements
Key fobs, electronic sign-in, and double-door entrance provide heightened security
Solar Panels and LED Lighting generate over $20K in savings annually
Updated food prep and serving area creates lunchtime efficiency
State-of-the-art physics lab enhances college-readiness in STEM disciplines
IHS GROWTH: 2006-2016 2006 2016 397
Total Enrollment
475
International 0 Enrollment Full-time Faculty
46 31 40
21%
460% 29% immaculatehs.org | 9
PREPARE
Class Of 2016 BY THE NUMBERS 113 $18MIL 6,400 GRADUATES
IN SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS HOURS OF COMMUNITY & MERIT AWARDS SERVICE PERFORMED
% 30 PRIVATE
37%
% 33 CATHOLIC
PUBLIC
POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS 10 | immaculatehs.org
99%
ATTENDING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
46
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS
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MA WI
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NY MI
WY IA
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NV CO
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PA IL
UT
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OK
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IN
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TN AR
SC MS
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Adelphi University American University Arizona State University Assumption College Auburn University Ave Maria University Baylor University Bentley University Binghamton University Boston College Boston University Bryant University Buffalo State College of SUNY Canisius College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Central Connecticut State University Champlain College Clark University Coastal Carolina University Colby College Colgate University College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary Cornell University Curry College Denison University DeSales University Dickinson College Drew University Drexel University Duquesne University Eastern Connecticut State University Elon University Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fairfield University Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan Campus Fordham University - Lincoln Center Campus/Rose Hill Campus Franciscan University of Steubenville Franklin and Marshall College Franklin Pierce University George Mason University Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College Green Mountain College High Point University Hobart and William Smith Colleges
DC
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78% 23%
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STATES OUT OF STATE IN STATE
LA FL
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NJ DE MD
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ATTENDING...
Hofstra University Hood College Indiana University at Bloomington Iona College Ithaca College James Madison University Johnson & Wales University (Charlotte) Johnson & Wales University (Providence) Keene State College Keiser University - *Flagship Campus, FL Le Moyne College Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Manhattan College Manhattanville College Marist College Marquette University Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Merrimack College Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Monmouth University Mount Saint Mary College Mount St. Mary’s University Nazareth College New England College New York Institute of Technology Manhattan Campus New York University Northeastern University Pace University, New York City Pace University, Westchester Campus Pennsylvania State University - All Campuses Pennsylvania State University, Erie: The Behrend College Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg Pepperdine University Post University Providence College Purchase College State University of New York Purdue University Quinnipiac University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Ringling College of Art and Design Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology Roger Williams University Rutgers University-New Brunswick Rutgers University-Newark Sacred Heart University
ACCEPTED AT... Saint Francis University Saint Joseph’s University Saint Leo University Saint Louis University Saint Michael’s College Salisbury University Salve Regina University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design School of Visual Arts Seton Hall University Siena College Simmons College Simon Fraser University Skidmore College Southern Connecticut State University Southern Methodist University Springfield College St. Bonaventure University St. John’s University - Queens Campus St. Lawrence University State University of New York at Albany State University of New York at New Paltz Stevenson University Stonehill College Stony Brook University Suffolk University SUNY College at Cortland SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY Delhi SUNY Oswego Syracuse University Temple University The Catholic University of America The College of New Jersey The George Washington University The Ohio State University The University of Alabama The University of Arizona The University of Iowa The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Scranton The University of Tampa The University of Texas, Austin Thomas College Tulane University University at Buffalo The State University of New York University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Cincinnati University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Connecticut at Stamford University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Hartford University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Kentucky University of Maine University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston University of Massachusetts, Lowell University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of Nebraska at Lincoln University of New England University of New Hampshire at Durham University of New Haven University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Notre Dame University of Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown University of Rhode Island University of San Francisco University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Southern Maine University of St Andrews University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Toronto University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech Wagner College Wesleyan University West Virginia University Western Connecticut State University Wheeling Jesuit University Williams College Woodbury University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Xavier University York University
▶ Bold type indicates the college/university that members of the Class of 2016 have chosen to attend this Fall. immaculatehs.org | 11
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT RON GLEISSNER ’86
Ron may have graduated from IHS 30 years ago, but in countless ways he has remained connected to his alma mater. As a student, Ron was involved in many aspects of student life, but he left his mark most notably on the football field. Ron was an AllAmerican his senior year and an Academic All-American for two years. He is a Hall of Fame athlete at Immaculate and at Western Connecticut State University. Soon after graduating from college, Ron returned to Immaculate to assist in coaching the football team.
Today, Ron lives with his wife Marnie (Wichman) ’82 and his 3 daughters in Bethel. They currently have a junior and incoming freshman at Immaculate. Ron commented, “My daughter Molly has totally embraced so much of what IHS has to offer, including soccer, lacrosse, concert choir and the spring musical. She is thriving and could not be happier with the friends she has made and the experiences she has had being a Mustang.” Ron has helped to prepare our school for many important events, especially over the course of the 50th anniversary year. Ron and his brother Eric ’87, are co-owners of Dreamco Gleissner Brothers Landscaping in Danbury.
Ron has graciously shared his business talents with Immaculate by drawing up various landscape designs for review. He also has many other talents, which he willingly shares with his alma mater. He may have been one of the toughest defensive and offensive tackles that has ever stepped foot in Mustang Valley, but he is also extremely creative and has an amazing ability to transform a space into a beautiful environment for a special event. He has spent countless days, and many late nights, working at Immaculate to make the experience of our 50th Homecoming Reunion and our recent spring musical, Oklahoma! memorable. He also volunteered to create a float for our students in order for Immaculate to be represented in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Danbury. When asked why it has been important for him to help prepare the school for events and performances he simply says, “I love to make memories and want the students of today to have the same type of amazing experiences that I had as a student. I also want to partner with the Alumni Association in creating memorable moments for our alumni when they come back to IHS.” Ron has recently joined the Alumni Association as the ’86 Class Representative. We are grateful for his service to his alma mater and his willingness to tirelessly share his talents in helping to prepare Immaculate for another 50 years of creating memories for our students and alumni.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE The purpose of the Immaculate High School Counseling Program is to aid in the fullest development of the God-given talents of each student. Resources include school counselors, a consulting Special Education Specialist, Academic Support Tutors and a Spiritual Director. Students are assigned to a counselor at the start of freshman year and remain with that same counselor for all four years. Students are encouraged to meet with their counselor as their schedule permits, and parents by appointment.
FOUR YEAR SCHOOL COUNSELING PROCESS FRESHMAN YEAR During the freshman year, counselors help students make a successful transition to high school both academically and socially. Students meet together with their counselor in small groups to discuss transition issues and study skills. They also meet individually to review their academic progress. An Academic Support Program is available throughout the year that students can take advantage of during their study hall periods.
SOPHOMORE YEAR Counselors monitor academic progress and assist students to further define long-term goals. Counselors discuss the need for academic challenge and strong curriculum choices. Students meet as needed with their counselor for support and assistance in developing effective skills for coping with social and emotional issues impacting school life. Special programs are presented on different aspects of teen development. Students are also encouraged to participate in our Peer Leadership and Peer Mentoring Programs.
JUNIOR YEAR Emphasis is placed on continued academic achievement and the building of a strong and challenging academic profile. Students further explore their personalities, skills and interests in terms of college majors and career options. NAVIANCE, a web-based career and college search program is introduced. Counselors continue to provide individual support to students on personal, social and emotional issues. Special programming/activities focus on promoting positive peer relationships, making positive life-style choices and performing acts of kindness for the greater community.
COLLEGE COUNSELING PROCESS • Meet counselor to discuss the concept of a cumulative GPA, the importance of regular study, homework & preparation for cumulative exams. • Discuss academic goals & future plans. • Prepare for the PSAT 8/9 and complete on site to practice for college admission testing.
• Meet with counselor to discuss transcript development, rigorous course selection, need for extracurricular/sports activities & community service. • Prepare for PSAT/NMSQT and complete on site to practice for college admission testing. • Review PSAT test results, receive SAT Study Plan, complete personality inventory & explore majors, colleges & careers.
✓
SENIOR YEAR Students are guided in developing a senior academic schedule that best supports their college/career goals and maximizes their academic potential. Families are also guided through the challenging college application process with a great deal of personal time and attention. Counselors coach students regarding applications, resumes, interview technique and support students through the emotional challenges of the process. Individual student interviews are conducted to enhance counselor recommendations. Students are also encouraged to maximize their extra-curricular/leadership opportunities.
✓
• Complete 2nd PSAT/NMSQT on site. • Attend College Alumni Panel • Attend College Planning Night • Attend Individual Student/ Parent College Conference • Attend Individual Student & Parent Conferences • Take SAT & ACT on site • Evening SAT Prep Class available on site • Summer College Essay Writing Seminar available on site
• Attend Senior Application Night • Attend Individual Student/ Parent College Conference • Attend Meetings with College representatives on site • Attend Meetings with College Representatives on Site • Attend Financial Aid Night • Take SAT/ACT on site • Attend Alumni College Panel
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PREPARE
Our Mission
MUSTANG LEGACIES
THE MURPHY FAMILY CONNECTION For those of you who attended summer camp, you know that the friendships that are formed during the first year at summer camp are often the closest. Traditional games and team bonding not only teach valuable lessons and create memories but also foster an opportunity for individual campers to gain an understanding of how each person contributes something beneficial to the camp family. For the Murphy family, the annual Immaculate High School basketball camp has its family connections. 14 | immaculatehs.org
PREPARING THE THIRD GENERATION This more than fifty year-old Immaculate High School legacy family began with Dan’66, his wife Cathy ’66, and her brother Jim ’66. This year, they find themselves celebrating the youngest family Mustang, Liam, who will be joining the Class of 2020. Liam and his father, Mike Murphy ’92, were caught leaving this year’s summer camp with smiles on their faces. They agreed to share their excitement about continuing the Murphy legacy
at Immaculate. Mike’s memory of growing up in Danbury became particularly exciting after his years at Saint Joseph School. It wasn’t that he did not enjoy his early school years, he was simply elated that he would finally be able to attend Immaculate High School. As the son of former student, basketball and head camp coach, Dan Murphy ‘66, Mike recalls being coached by his father at summer basketball camp. “I grew up at Immaculate. Even before I was of age to attend the school, I remember riding the buses to the basketball games, attending practices and games and knowing that Immaculate was my family.” When reminiscing about his experiences as a student at Immaculate, Mike recalls how summer basketball camp confirmed his aspiration to become a teacher. “My camp experience was so positive. My teachers were always supportive. Coming from a family of educators, I knew by my junior year that I wanted to teach.” He attended Mount Saint Mary College and has spent the past twenty years as a special education instructor. Today, he is the department head of special education at Carmel High School. Mike thanks his Immaculate High School teachers for his successful teaching career. “I was a lazy student. Coach Plumb always looked out for me. Mr. Couch was that one teacher who was all business. In a very professional, caring way, he made sure that I lived up to important expectations.” The combination of being involved with sports and recognizing that the student body and the faculty were always supportive of each other, made an indelible, lifelong positive impression. “I had four good years of bonding, friendships and family.” Like all fathers, Mike hopes that Liam will thrive at Immaculate. He explains that part of his parental decision to have Liam attend included small class sizes, diverse activities and technology. “Everything is accessible through the iPad and being able to access information for Liam is very important to us.” THE MURPHY LEGACY CONTINUES After listening to his father’s story, Liam enthusiastically expresses his amusement at the news that he was the first student to enroll in the Class of 2020. Like his father, Liam already feels as if he is a part of the Immaculate family. “I went
to all of the state and championship basketball games this past year. Watching the team win the 2016 CIAC state championships was the best.” Liam likes to play sports. He hopes to be able to play basketball as well as baseball and has some interest in becoming involved in the Midnight Run and Student Ambassador programs. “I know that I will be more involved with clubs and activities than I have been at my middle school.” Liam contemplatively explains why he chose to continue the family legacy and attend Immaculate. “When I was a Mustang for A Day and shadowed with a freshman student, I saw how everybody just helped everyone. If someone needed something, there was someone there to help. Everyone was very friendly. I like the smaller classes. It was easy to concentrate.” Liam further explains that not only is he happy that he will be attending Immaculate, but also, “my great-grandfather was very excited! He will be the first one that I call after my first day of school.” Liam’s grandfather, Dan Murphy, who also served as IHS Principal, shares that “I think Liam is the type of young man who will flourish at Immaculate. Both of our sons liked it. It was a tremendous positive experience for me as a student and I hope that he will make fond memories similar to the ones that I created over the years.”
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PREPARE
Historical MILESTONES PAVING THE WAY In 1966, the first graduating class of Immaculate High School paved the way for future students. Their success would begin Immaculate’s legacy of individuals who possess trained minds, moral characters, disciplined wills and strong faith. The opening of a new Catholic school in the heart of Danbury was not easy. Families from the Danbury area parishes gave funds and other inkind donations to found our school. Yet despite these gifts and much emotional support, the progress of building the school was delayed due to lack of materials and financing. Students had to
attend their first semester at nearby St. Gregory the Great School prior to being able to walk through the doors of Immaculate High School. The first school principal, Father John Hossan, now Msgr. John Hossan, shared some of his experiences while building the school. “I remember when I had to negotiate getting more dirt for the back and when I was able to work with an artist to commission the statue of Mary which is still positioned at the top of the campus front yard.”, explains Msgr. Hossan. He worked to ensure that, once the front doors opened, his vision of Immaculate High School as a school that embraced the concept of family would become a reality. In June, 113 graduates of the class of 2016 stood up to applaud the members of the first graduating class who attended their commencement ceremony; testimony that Msgr. Hossan’s vision continues to be shared and valued. The long-standing
1962
1976
1980
1990
IHS welcomes its first class
Boys Basketball wins first state championship in school history
IHS replaces its uniform with dress code
IHS builds technology/science lab
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foundation that he laid was also affirmed by over seventy graduates from the Class of ’66 who traveled from as far as Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Texas and Kentucky to join together for their 50th reunion weekend. It was a weekend that was filled with sentiment. In 1974, math teacher Robert Gerwien began his more than 20 year service as the school’s principal. His profound leadership continued the vision and mission of upholding reverence, respect and responsibility. CARRYING CATHOLIC TRADITIONS In 1988, the Most Rev. Edward M. Egan was installed as the third Bishop of Bridgeport and oversaw the regionalization of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. The decade of the 1990’s saw significant change at Immaculate High School. The Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic of Newburgh, New York, who had played a key role in the founding of the school, closed their convent on the grounds in 1994. To carry on their mission, the building is now being used as a retreat house for teens and adults.
Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York. Embracing the tenets and vision of a renewed call to Catholic education for the third millennium, Bishop Lori began to initiate the President/Principal model of stewardship in the diocesan high schools, starting with President Michael Charecky in 2006. AN INNOVATIVE FUTURE In 2007, Immaculate built and dedicated Mustang Valley. A multi-purpose artificial turf field with grandstands and scoreboards. In 2010, under the leadership of President, Kathleen Casey and Principal, Dan Murphy, IHS developed an International Student Program that now houses over 40 students. IHS also underwent a huge gym renovation with new bleachers, hoops and hardwood floor. IHS enhanced its baseball and softball facilities with the addition of new fencing, dugouts, backstops and scoreboards. In 2012, Immaculate High School started one of the first national and state 1:1 iPad innitiative. Today, our fifth Bishop of Bridgeport, Most Rev. Bishop Frank Caggiano supports fully the foundational beliefs of our school and welcomed our youth to become actively engaged in a two year SYNOD to assist with further reflecting on how we can continue to best serve our students and their families.
In 2001, the fourth Bishop of Bridgeport, Most. Rev. William E. Lori, succeeded His Eminence, Edward 2001
2007
2012
PRESENT
Bishop Lori introduces the President/Principal model of stewardship
IHS builds Mustang Valley
IHS implements its 1:1 iPad Initiative
IHS continues to grow with many facility enhancements
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THE ROAD GUTH
TWO
1 000
SMITH
Darius Smith ’16 Taylor Guth ’16
Q & A WITH IMMACULATE’S NEWEST 1,000 POINT SCORERS Q: At which elementary school/middle school did your basketball career begin? TG: My basketball career really started at St. Joseph School in Brookfield. My Dad was the coach and he introduced me to the sport. I loved playing for him. I was part of two undefeated parochial league championship teams. DS: I started playing basketball at Park Avenue School as well as being a member of the Rogers Park Middle School team. My Dad taught me the game and I remember him correcting me every time I made a mistake. There wasn’t much room for error. Q: When did you decide to attend Immaculate High School? Explain some factors that led you to decide on attending Immaculate. TG: I made my decision to attend Immaculate towards the end of my eighth grade year. I felt right at home in the small, Catholic environment during my “Mustang for a Day” visit. Moreover, it was quite clear to me that the Immaculate community was a family that would not only equip me with the knowledge and academic enrichment I would need for college, but also foster and strengthen my faith in God. DS: I attended the 2012 State Championship at Mohegan Sun soaking in every minute of their winning performance. I decided right then that I wanted to attend Immaculate, as it seemed the right combination of academics and athletics. Q: Taylor, you were also a member of the first undefeated team in the regular season in field hockey and were named All State and All Conference in that sport. Do you think that playing multiple sports helps your development as an athlete and how do you feel about studentathletes who specialize at an early age on just one specific sport? TG: I definitely believe that playing multiple sports has helped my athletic development. There are several aspects of field hockey (speed, footwork, agility) that also carry over to basketball, and thus
I had the chance to further develop those skills for two consecutive seasons. This is one of the main reasons why I believe athletes should try multiple sports. Specializing in one sport at a young age is great if you are truly passionate about that sport. However, I believe young athletes should also keep an open mind and try any and every sport that interests them, as you may discover a new talent or love. Q: Darius, you were a member of ATI United football team which had a record of 8-1 and qualified for the Class M State playoffs. Talk a little about the co-op experience with Abbott Tech and the success the team had over those two seasons. DS: When the co-op was formed it gave us the opportunity to compete in a sport I love. We had to start over again with new coaches and new teammates. We were able to work hard and improve week to week. I also had the opportunity to work with athletes from another school who are now some of my closest friends. The fact that we qualified for the Class M State playoffs and hosted the first state playoff game in Danbury history was huge for both schools. Q: Taylor, in your junior year, the basketball team advanced to the Class S semifinals losing to eventual champion Thomaston. What part of that memorable ride stands out and explain why. What effect has Coach Tom LaPorte had on the progression of our basketball program? TG: The most memorable aspect of our run in the state tournament was upsetting St. Paul’s in the quarterfinals. We were undoubtedly the underdog, and St. Paul stepped onto the court thinking they had already won the game. Losing by nearly double-digits headed into the fourth quarter, we rallied, hitting several key free-throws to seal the victory. It felt great to come into their gym, completely filled with their fans, and unexpectedly end their season. I believe that our success that season is owed to Coach LaPorte. He loves basketball, and has more knowledge about the sport than anyone I have ever met. His dedication to the girl’s basketball team is evident day-in and day-out, and I see great things ahead for his program. immaculatehs.org | 19
Q: Darius, winning a State Championship is a feat that all high school athletes aspire to. Coginchaug was a worthy adversary. At what point during the game did you feel that you sealed the win and how did that feel? D.S. With ten seconds to go, I knew that we secured the win. To be out on the court celebrating with my teammates and coaches was a feeling I’ll never forget. It felt amazing to know that we accomplished a goal that I’d had since the eighth grade. It was a great way to end my high school career. Q: Name some mentors who helped you along the way and explain how and why they helped you succeed as a student-athlete. TG: In field hockey, coaches Shannon, Matt, and Chelsie stressed the importance of strong moral character in addition to teaching me everything I know about field hockey. They also pointed out the idea of prioritizing the important aspects of my life-my family, religion and school. In basketball, Coach LaPorte, who coached me for many years in AAU, helped me develop my basketball skills before coming to high school. In addition, Coach Henley for having faith in me as a young and inexperienced freshman and allowing me to play in many varsity minutes. Also, Coach Richardson for going above and beyond her role as a coach, always offering advice and supporting my academic endeavors. Lastly, our previous athletic trainer Casey, for taking care of my knees, allowing me to play the sports I love and offering career advice in the medical field. DS: Coach Nelson was a really big influence in my life. He made sure that I made the right choices, helped me in the college process and treated me like I was one of his own. Q: Taylor, as the team advanced to the SWC playoffs and also advanced to the Quarterfinals of the State Tournament you got closer and closer to that 1000 point total. How did you prevent that from interfering with the team goals and did it ever become a distraction? 20 | immaculatehs.org
TG: When I found out that I was very close to scoring my 1,000th point, it was of course on my mind. However, I felt that the success of the team was of greatest importance; we wanted to win a state championship first and foremost. Therefore, I tried to take it one game at a time, and focus on doing everything I could to help the team win. Q: Darius, when you scored your 1000th point Coach Mingachos came running out to the court as the game was stopped. You seemed to have no idea what was happening. Explain what you were thinking when you saw the balloons and your parents joined you on the court. DS: I was shocked since no one told me that I was so close so I had no idea what was going on. When Coach came running on the court and the game was stopped I got very emotional. When I took the photo on the court with my parents it was a great feeling. Q: Darius, you have decided to attend Eastern Connecticut State University where you will continue your basketball career. What do you think will be the biggest difference between the college game and the high school game? DS: The college game moves so much faster than the high school game and the addition of the shot clock will take some time to get used to. I know that I will have to work very hard to improve certain aspects of my game but I’m very excited for the opportunity to continue what I love doing for the next four years. Q: Taylor, you will be attending Notre Dame in the fall. Why was that your first choice and was this always your goal? How did it feel when you were accepted? TG: Attending the University of Notre Dame has been my goal since I began high school. Notre Dame has everything I want in a school and more: outstanding academics, competitive sports, a rich culture and tradition, a foundation rooted in the Catholic faith, and a community of students, faculty, and alumni that genuinely care about one another
and go out of their way to help one another succeed. I just love Notre Dame, and there is no other place like it. The day I was accepted was one of the greatest days of my life. I feel like that moment was the culmination of four years of hard work and determination. I am truly blessed and honored to have the opportunity to attend Notre Dame, and I can’t wait to get to South Bend this fall. Go Irish! Q: Immaculate alumni always talk about Immaculate being one big happy family. Talk a little about how it feels to be a part of that family and what you will miss most about Immaculate.
you think that will feel the first time you look up on the wall and see your name up there for all to see? TG: It will be an awesome feeling to see my name on the 1,000 point scorer banner for the first time. I’ll think of all of the time and effort I dedicated to playing basketball, and I’ll think of the moment when the ball went through the net and I reached that milestone, but more so I’ll think of all of the people who have helped me along the way. An achievement like this is not possible without the help and support of great teammates, coaches, friends, and, of course, my family. DS: I’ll feel proud of my accomplishment and the recognition that I’ve received. I also realize that I could not have achieved this without the support from my teammates and coaches as well as my classmates. It was a lot of hard work and it’s a great honor to know my name will be on that wall forever.
TG: Sending me to Immaculate High School, allowing me to be a part of the Immaculate family and receive a Catholic education, has been the greatest gift my parents have ever given me. I have met the most amazing people here. I have established life-long friendships and been inspired by my teachers. One of the things I love most about Immaculate is that because of the small size of the school, each person in my class has had an effect on me in some way or another, whether that is making me laugh or smile, or greeting me as I walk down the hallway. I am sad to leave Immaculate, but I know that my time here has prepared me very well for the future. As I think back to all of the great times and memories I’ve had at Immaculate, I know I would not trade my four years as a Mustang for the world. DS: Everyone is so welcoming at Immaculate. I always wanted to attend Immaculate even at a young age and it’s everything I imagined it would be and then some. I felt at home the first time I stepped in the door. What I will miss most are my friends and the relationships I’ve formed. Q: You will be preserved in posterity for years to come as your names will be added to the list of 1000 point scorers on our Wall of Fame. How do
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PREPARE
OKLAHOMA! READY TO TAKE ON THE ROLE
This year’s spring musical was Oklahoma! A new production team and a cast and crew seventy strong wowed audiences and earned eight Seven Angels Theater Halo Award nominations and four Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards (CTHSMTA) nominations. Not bad for a transition year. START WITH A LEGACY Immaculate spring musicals have earned a reputation for excellence, with recent shows such as Miss Saigon, In the Heights, Les Miserables and West Side Story receiving numerous accolades, awards and nominations. Key to theatrical success is the production team, whose creativity and leadership draw out each student’s best as a performer and as a dedicated, responsible cast member. Director, Mary (Briscoe) Raymond ‘77, Choreographer, Matt Farina, Producer, Peggy Gavin, Set Designer, Joe Loya and Costumer Designer, Anne Brown accomplished this year after year, teaching and mentoring cast and crew as they prepared for their performances. Then came change. Retirement and new professional responsibilities meant that most of the production team would not be returning. What now? Enter the next generation – a new production team with deep roots in Immaculate Fine Arts. 22 | immaculatehs.org
BUILD ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS Matt Farina has taken the helm as Director and continues as Choreographer. Matt had choreographed the previous seven musicals at Immaculate, as well shows at Musicals at Richter and Joel Barlow High School, and he had directed Musicals at Richter’s Hairspray in the summer of 2015. Of the opportunity to direct at Immaculate, Matt said, “Taking the reins from Mary Raymond was a task I was honored to inherit. I learned so much from her in terms of integrating all aspects of a production in the storytelling of a show. I was excited to work with the students in my new role as director.” Samantha (Mingione) Murtha ’07, IHS’s new choral music teacher, is Musical Director. As a student, Sam was a notable participant in Immaculate musicals as Rizzo in Grease, as well as starring as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Maria in The Sound of Music. She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in Music Education. About coming back to Immaculate, Samantha says: “My predecessor was incredible on all levels and having been a student of hers, I knew what I had to live up to. I inherited a program filled with students who hold high standards, are eager to learn, and work hard. What more could I have asked for?”
Aislinn Gavin ’07, Oklahoma!’s Producer is also an alum of Immaculate musical productions, having performed in The Sound of Music (Leisl), Grease (Patty Simcox), Footloose and Beauty and the Beast. As producer, Aislinn is following in her mother’s footsteps. “I had a good sense of the scope of the producer’s job from watching and helping her all those years,” she says. Student Stage Manager, Katie Girardot ’16 rounded out the production team. Katie has worked on five Immaculate productions, three of which she stage-managed. “Working with the adults was a huge learning experience for me. At times it felt overwhelming balancing school, the show, and other extracurricular activities, but I soon realized that every member of the production team was there to support me.” Matt and his team selected Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1943 classic Oklahoma!, a cornerstone of modern musical theater, as their show. Matt shares, “I wanted to pick a show that would challenge the students and production staff, would incorporate a lot of dancing, and was appropriate for high school-aged students. Oklahoma! had the perfect blend of story-telling through song, dance, and scene work; a show into which I could infuse my own interpretation and the students would be able to develop their own take on the layered characters. BRING THE VISION TO LIFE A production team with a show needs a cast. Samantha says, “Selecting the cast was no easy task. In addition to the challenge of finding the right person to fit each role, there was just so much talent to choose from!” Matt adds, “The production team set expectations high and the students rose to the occasion. The quality of singing and movement, as well as comedic timing and the depth of emotion the students displayed as early as December told us we had a special cast with which to create an exceptional theatrical experience,” During the months of rehearsals, cast and crew learned the music, the dances, where to stand, how to set the stage, where props need to be. “The students worked hard, and they built off of each other, too, setting the bar higher each day. That’s the cool part. We show them their
potential and watch them soar,” says Samantha. Producing a show is not the only goal. Samantha relates, “The part of the show that everyone sees is the end result. The unseen part is what truly makes a great production: commitment, discipline, respect, community, passion and work ethic. These are skills that will transfer into all areas of students’ lives and future success.” Matt agrees, “Thinking through the perspective of their characters builds creativity. Learning from mistakes and coming to command the stage builds confidence. The long hours of rehearsing teaches perseverance. Sharing responsibility for a common goal teaches collaboration. Seeing that others suffer when they are late or not prepared teaches accountability. Feeling the sense of accomplishment after following through on their commitment teaches dedication. “ The cast and crew’s efforts were supported by a cadre of enthusiastic parents, who assisted with set construction, theater and lobby decor, sewing, and costuming. Support also came from numerous generous sponsors. “Putting the spring musical together is truly a community endeavor,” says Matt. “The hours, energy and talents that the students, production team, and parents put in behind-the-scenes is a commitment that is rewarded with each burst of laughter, spontaneous applause, and tears shed from the audience.” Just before the curtain goes up each night, the cast, crew and production team gather to go over last minute notes and pray the Hail Mary. They have prepared. They are ready.
THIN SLICES Sean McCoy ‘16 was awarded Student of the Year. McCoy was Class Salutatorian, Student Council President, National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar, founder of Debate Club, peer tutor, student ambassador, and much more. He will be attending Cornell University in the Fall. Martha Haddad ‘17 was one of nine Connecticut students to take home an award at the 2015 GENIUS Olympiad. Haddad was awarded a silver medal in the science category for her project Novel Glycerol Free Biodiesel Production Using Enzyme Catalysis.
Seniors, Sean McCoy, Taylor Guth, Victoria Kirkman, and Shannon Ducey have been named Commended Students in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program placing among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students.
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS Taylor Guth ‘16 and Alex Gerbo ‘16 were named Immaculate’s recipients of the CIAC Scholar Athlete award. They were among the 350 student-athletes honored from across the state. This award is given to those exemplary athletes who also excel in the classroom as well as community and school endeavors. Seniors Jack Garvey and Isabelle Camillo were honored at the 2016 CT High School Outstanding Arts Awards Banquet. Garvey was honored for his performing arts, while Camillo was recognized for her visual art. Top Ten students were Taylor Guth - Valedictorian, Sean McCoy - Salutatorian, Stephanie Pellegrino, Victoria Kirkman, Mackenzie Mitchell, Shannon Ducey, Alex Gerbo, Siyan Cai, Maren Brady, and Lorena Curtis. Collectively they were awarded $3.7 million in scholarships, and grants.
ENGAGE
Pearl
MEETS DEACON JEFF
PRAYER, PURPOSE AND PEARL Everyday Deacon Jeff Font waits for eighty-two year old Pearl Bockisch to arrive in her silver Toyota Camry. With her Magnificat and rosary beads in hand, Pearl sits and prays for one hour while students participate in daily Adoration of Our Lord. While waiting for the rain to subside before leaving for home, Deacon Jeff and Pearl find themselves in conversation about her life and her faith. A RARE GEM Born in St. Ann de Prescott, a small town on the border between Quebec and Ontario, Canada, Pearl grew up saying the rosary with her family every day after dinner “while kneeling on our hardwood floor.” Reflecting upon her own school years, Pearl proudly shared with Deacon Jeff, that even though she attended the town’s local 26 | immaculatehs.org
school, “they taught the rosary, prayed and we learned about religion.” Her high school years were fragmented as a result of wanting to leave the English-speaking school with her sister and attend the French speaking school. “We did not want to lose our ability to speak our French language.” When Pearl graduated from high school, both she and her twin sister, Gloria, decided to become teachers in Ottawa. They were quickly recognized as exemplary language teachers and were recruited to teach the children of the Canadian Air Force stationed in Germany. “It was an amazing experience. They treated us like royalty. We went first class by boat and they paid my rent.” Pearl stayed three years in Germany. “My sister Gloria joined me and we began to study and teach the German language.”
heritage, Catholic education and her children, Pearl expressed a desire to do something more meaningful for others. Before she knew it, she had agreed to take on the responsibility of volunteering her service at the Immaculate Chapel everyday between 11:15 am and 12:30pm.
Pearl first met her now husband, Karl, in Quebec City. “He came from Germany on business and stayed at the small local inn where I worked parttime while in high school. He stayed for two weeks but then left to go back to Germany.” When she arrived in Germany, they began dating. Karl’s business transferred him to New Jersey. “At the age of 35, I played a trick on my sister and went to the United States without her to marry Karl. We had to both become United States citizens before getting married.” Karl’s work as an artist for magazines, took him to Stamford, Connecticut. Neither Pearl nor Karl liked living in New Jersey and decided to move with their twin five year old boys, Paul and Bernie, to buy a new home in Bethel where they have been for the past 40 years. Both boys attended St. Mary School in Bethel and are 1983 graduates of Immaculate High School. Pearl remembers that in 1979, “the boys were placed on the Immaculate High School’s waiting list. I was so worried but before I knew it, the school took both of them! Their education at Immaculate was important to me and to Karl. Both boys have wonderful families and are very successful. Paul is now a senior software engineer and Bernie is an environmental engineer.” A JOURNEY OF COMMITMENT Pearl shares her warmth, optimismand sincerity with the entire school community. She brings a smile to everyone’s face as soon as she walks through the doors. So, how and when did Pearl decide to return to her Immaculate family? It all began when she met Father Jeff Couture in 2014 at St. Mary’s Church, Bethel. As they spoke about their French
Pearl explains that “I love to pray and am quite religious. I feel that I am being useful for the students and giving them the opportunity to speak with our Lord. They are so reverent when they enter the Chapel. I want their time with our Lord to be special.” Deacon Jeff acknowledges that something special happens when Pearl is in the Chapel. “Students pray for her and her needs. For instance, when her sister, Angelica, was ill or when her two nephews died unexpectedly, the students missed her presence at the Chapel and used their time to pray for her and her family. They want to be there for Pearl as much as she is there for them.” In addition to her close relationship with God and with the students, Pearl says Deacon Jeff is a very special person. “It is because of him that unlike my twin sister, I can still see. Everyday Deacon Jeff blesses my eyes using the Blessed Sacrament.” Quietly, Pearl closes her Magnificat in anticipation of her conversation with Deacon Font ending. But, with her most endearing voice she waits a moment, smiles her soft smile and says, “There is nothing more important than the Lord’s presence in our lives. The Blessed Sacrament reminds us of how much God loves us. We need to appreciate God everyday. I pray and hope that all Immaculate students know the significance of their Catholic high school education.”
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ENGAGE
A JOURNEY OF
GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING: CREATING A PATH FOR SUCCESS WHEN THE JOURNEY BEGINS Robin Moravsky joined the Immaculate High School staff as the full-time International Student Coordinator and Counselor in September 2015. New to the school, she found herself experiencing some of the freshman feelings that her new international students, mostly from different provinces located in China, were encountering and more. “I am impressed that these young students come to a new country, learn a new language, and live with a new family for four years. When I ask them individually how they are doing, the repeated response is that everyone at the school is so warm, 28 | immaculatehs.org
caring and welcoming. I am proud of Immaculate High School for being there for these students.” THE PATH OF SUCCESS Moravsky finds it amazing to be an integral part of their transition and growth as members of our school community. She supports and encourages students to be involved in the fine arts, competitive clubs, and athletics. As their counselor, it is important for her to be an advocate for the needs of these students. “We recognized that our freshman level English and religion classes were the most challenging for the international
During her visit, Moravsky found that everyone was extremely kind and “wanted me to understand so much of who they are as a people.” It was a tremendous learning experience that she will never forget. As Immaculate’s counselor, she was able to meet a variety of parents who were interested in sending their child to the United States to experience high school and college. In her conversations, she recognized that “their hearts as parents are fundamentally the same as ours.” She explains that they were concerned about how well their child would be cared for, how safe they would be while in our care and they expressed a desire that their child fulfill his or her potential to be a successful student and have an opportunity to attend a college or university in the United States.”
students.” As a result, the administration agreed to offer a fundamentals program in both subjects so that we were allowing these students to become successful. In addition, Immaculate provides an academic support course for first year international students followed by individual support for those students who are identified with needing additional LOOKING AHEAD With an improved lens, Moravsky has many plans help in certain subject areas. to further enrich her professional services for international students, particularly those who are The path to success for these students begins from China. For the first time, Immaculate will be when they arrive at Immaculate. “The college offering an Orientation Week for first year students application process begins during their freshman who have been accepted to attend the school. year’, explains Moravsky, “so that it is not so It will be a program that will offer opportunities overwhelming during their senior year. As the for the students to experience the similarities contact person for student host families and the and differences between our cultures as well international recruiting agencies, Robin provides as assist them with the transition into a new the students with the same attention and loving school environment. Coupled with that program, care when they are not at the school. Moravsky will be researching additional resources for teachers so that they may further understand THE ROAD TO UNDERSTANDING some of the adaptive skills that the international As advisor to the school’s International Club, students can use to achieve success outside their Moravsky recognizes that it has been successful academic learning. not only for the international students because it provides an opportunity for them to come together as a group but also satisfies the desire of domestic student members to learn more about other cultures, customs and traditions. In hope of wanting to learn more about her international students from China, Moravsky took an opportunity offered to her by one of the international recruiting agencies and visited serveral provinces in China. Prior to leaving, her students encouraged her to enjoy the food. “After being there I realized why. It was good but I missed my American food. It is a parallel feeling that they have here in the United States. They love the hamburger but miss their homemade favorites.”
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ENGAGE
“CO-OPPORTUNITY” FORMING LASTING BONDS
A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS A co-op affords the participant schools the ability to field a team due to the combined numbers of both schools, giving those student athletes an opportunity to compete in a sport that many of them love. When Jeff Castaldi became the school’s Athletic Director in 2012, the school was faced with a problem that was not going away anytime soon. The football program had lost over 40 games in a row. The season was so challenging with so few student players, that Immaculate had to forfeit the last five games of the 2012 season. The prospects for having a team the next season were very doubtful. Knowing that neighboring school Abbot Tech was experiencing similar problems with fielding their football team, Castaldi, met with the school’s Athletic Director. Although the schools have two very different educational cultures, the missions of both schools have much in common. The decision to move forward with creating one co-op team was approved by school administrations, board members and the CIAC. Immaculate was fortunate to have veteran leadership in Head Coach Rich Holmes and Defensive coordinator Roger Hancock. The co-op was appropriately named Abbott Tech-Immaculate United (ATI) and moved forward with that theme in mind. ATI senior co-captain Steve Bohling of Immaculate explains, “We meshed really well. They are like my best friends now.” 30 | immaculatehs.org
A WINNING APPROACH For many of the parents, who in years past could only watch helplessly from the sidelines while players struggled mightily to compete on the gridiron, the ATI football alliance has been a blessing. Lisa Henley, mother of Immaculate senior football player Griffin Henley had some apprehensions, but explains, “It’s been fantastic. The kids are great, and they’ve all bonded. It’s a good, positive thing. They get along on the field and outside of football.” Tim Bohling, father of Williams College bound Steve Bohling, where he will play football, shares ”that it gave the students from both teams the ability to compete and achieve success on the field where otherwise they would not have that opportunity.” The success of creating a co-op football team with Abbott Tech, had dovetailed nicely with the success of the boys ice hockey co-op already in place with New Fairfield. This led to additional plans for the formation of our girls swimming program with Bethel High School. With positive planning and working with other local Athletic Directors, Castaldi became know as the ‘Co-Op King’ as Immaculate now has co-op teams for boys ice hockey, wrestling, football and girls swimming. While a co-op can be used to “save” programs, it can also be used to start programs between two schools where a desire to start a team exists but the numbers in each school are too low to start a team on their own.
New Fairfield Boys Ice Hockey team has achieved tremendous success in the past three seasons. NFI, which is led by Head Coach Larry Vieira, has won two of the last three SWC/SCC Division III conference championships. The 2015-16 season team advanced to the Division III semifinal at Yale University’s Ingalls Rink, losing to eventual State Champion Westhill-Stamford 4-1. The team is moving to compete in Division II next season.
The Girls Immaculate-Bethel Swimming was revitalized as a team of one three years ago when Ayanna Simmons of New Fairfield High School inquired about swimming as a “team of one”. The “team of one” swelled to four and New Fairfield was gracious enough to allow the Immaculate High swimmers to practice there. Caroline Beal ‘17 recalls “We would end up swimming with the New Fairfield team, but it wasn’t yet a co-op. My coach couldn’t come with me to states because I was in Class S and they were in Class M. I ended up going with my mom and Father Jeff Couture. It was scary being so alone. I ended up making it to state finals.” The co-op with Bethel High School started and the swim meets/practices were held at the Dive Shop in Brookfield. Kristen Rotherham, Elizabeth Krysiak and John Jurkowski have coached our team of about 16. It has been an unqualified success. Beal said, “I met a ton of new girls and the team went from four to ten. This year it grew to nineteen! I couldn’t have asked for more! It was awesome.”
The difficulty with creating a co-op is the eventual disbanding of the team. The purpose of a co-op, while allowing athletes from both schools to compete, is for both schools to eventually develop their program to eventually have enough athletes in place to field their own teams. If one of the two teams has sufficient numbers to be an independent team, there is a phase out year in place to allow the other school the ability to either find another team to co-op with or possibly disband their program. Immaculate has been able to afford our student body the ability to compete, bond with students from another school, meet and work with diverse, talented coaches and succeed in accomplishing season record standings in all sports. The success of our student athletes transfers to their academic success at our college-preparatory school. Castaldi states, “I will continue to seek any opportunities that allow our student-athletes to compete if those opportunities do not already exist. Go Mustangs!”
The first two years of the co-op Caroline excelled as she placed 2nd in SWC’s in 100yard backstroke as well as a 4th place finish in the Class M State Championships as sophomore. This past season she placed 2nd in the Class M State Championships in the 100 yard backstroke as teammate Sara Al Khatib won both the 200m and 500m freestyle in the championship meet. To say that the co-op worked well for Sara would be an understatement as she will attending Georgia Tech University in the fall on a swimming scholarship. In addition to our newer co-ops, the Immaculateimmaculatehs.org | 31
ENGAGE
Refining
FINE ARTS
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
A NEW BEGINNING What happens when you have four new teachers join the Fine Arts team? A combustion of creative talent, energy and remarkable student outcomes.
laudable, just keeps getting better each year. Those in the Immaculate H.S. community who have never attended one of their plays are missing out on a theatrical treat.
This year, team members Samantha Murtha, Niall Reynolds, Samantha Kohler and Leslie Quinn began their freshman year at Immaculate with enthusiasm and a new vision for students. Department meetings were filled with amazing cross-curricular plans, expansive ideas and reporting of successful events: from the opening celebration days of our fiftieth anniversary student Mass to Veteran and Christmas concerts, award winning drama play, school musical, Cabaret and Arts in the Park event. Assigned Department Chairperson, Maureen Arsenault, witnessed the remarkable energy of the foursome.
Mrs. Wild usually selects a Shakespeare play and, rather than creating a yearly parade of doublets and tights, she chooses an evocative setting for each play that enhances the background feeling of the story. Recent examples include: Romeo and Juliet - the 60’s era of hippies/military ideological feud; Macbeth – a steam punk perspective of the un-yielding machinery of fate and ambition that draw Macbeth to his doom; A Midsummer Night’s Dream in fey Ireland – where else would you find fairies?; The Tempest – a Chinese setting gave an exotic eastern flavor to the castaway existence of the conjuror Prospero and his plot of revenge.
As they were cleaning their art rooms in June, Quinn and Kohler were found laughing and reflecting about the fun that they had throughout the year. In addition to beginning a photography and scenery club, Kohler states that “it was exciting to witness how well the graphic arts students grasped the principles of art design and their understanding of how balance, movement and patterns could relate to creating unique graphic art designs using the Adobe Suite.” Quinn remarked that “we are both looking forward to the new school year. We have watched students progress in their abilities to understand the process of creating a product and feel encouraged that the Fine Arts team will continue to collaborate with the intention of letting students discover their talents.” DRAMATIC SUCCESS The fall drama production, presented each November by the Drama Club under the direction of teacher Alexa Wild, always
This year’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar was set in a post apocalyptic world where a coup perpetrated by Caesar unleashes darker events. The cast and crew brought the characters and scenes to life with an amazing level of success. The production earned twelve Seven Angels Theater Halo Award nominations and won in three categories: Isabelle Camillo for Best Original Program Cover Design or Artwork; Logan Monaco for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play for Brutus; and The Tragedy of Julius Caesar for Best Classical Play. Alexa Wild congratulated the winners, saying, “We are ecstatic for Isabelle and Logan and the Best Play award means that everyone in the cast and crew did an exemplary job. They each own a piece of that Halo.”
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ENGAGE
JOIN A CLUB DAY
I
BECOMING INVOLVED
s service to others in need most important to you? We’ve got Habitat for Humanity, Campus Ministry, Student Ambassador Club, and Peer Leadership, waiting for students to join. Looking for something with a little competition? History Quiz Bowl or Math League might be the answer. Those looking for a real intellectual challenge are gravitating to the Debate Club, Mock Trial, Yearbook, Literary Magazine, and Cyber Patriots. Leadership is of great interest to our students. They hold positions on the Student Council and as class officers. Those looking for a new role, join the Drama Club. Everyone loves to cheer on our Mustangs and participate as a member of the IHS Stable. Students at Immaculate are active in not just one club or even two. Most are involved with
34 | immaculatehs.org
three or more activities through the year. These include athletics, fine arts, campus ministry and student life. The IHS activity advisors are excited to provide enrichment experiences to nearly all of the students. These activities offer opportunities for students to learn the values of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, physical strength and endurance, competition, diversity, and a sense of culture and community. Extracurricular activities provide a channel for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom, offering students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of a well-rounded education. IHS Student Leadership and the Office of Advancement hosted “Join A Club Day” Information Fair, one of the largest student lead events of the
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
year. At this lunch time gathering, students of all grades and interests browsed through the dozens of booths set up in the gymnasium of the school, looking for clubs that might interest them. Clubs also did their very best to recruit new students by designing posters and booths to try to catch the eyes of potential members. Clubs are a great way for students to find their niche at Immaculate High School, and many students make their closest friends through clubs. At Immaculate we have a very diverse set of clubs and student groups, and the club fair is one of the only times you can see the whole assortment of groups in one place. immaculatehs.org/clubs
Art Club Baking Club Brain Trust Club Campus Ministry Chorus Class Officers Concert Band Concert Choir Cyber Patriots Debate Club Drama Club Guitar Ensemble History Quiz Bowl Housatonic Habitat for Humanity Instrumental Music Club International Club Key Club Literary Magazine Math League Midnight Run Ministry Mock Trial Model UN Morning Glory Musical Theater National Honor Society Newspaper Club Peer Leadership Peers Assisting Student Success Rock Band Rosary Club Scenery Crew Science Club She’s the First Ski Club Student Ambassadors Student Council Students Against Destructive Decisions The Stable Tri-M Music Honor Society Weight Lifting Club Yearbook immaculatehs.org | 35
ENGAGE
STUDENT
PRAYER
BOOK I
n the fall of 2014, President Mary Maloney and Msgr. Robert Weiss, IHS Advisory Board Catholic Identity Committee Chair, were conversing about the school’s upcoming fiftieth anniversary and some possible ways to mark the milestone. One of the ideas Msgr. floated was a prayer book for the students, made by the students. “We are always looking for ways to support the students’ spirituality,” said Mary Maloney, “Because students 36 | immaculatehs.org
would be selecting or writing the prayers, the book would speak to students’ needs and concerns. “ Mary Maloney reached out to a group of freshman girls to take the lead. Katy Cassetta ’18, Ilona Ludanyi ’18, Arianna Shovak ’18 and Caitlin White ’18 would encourage their fellow students to contribute to the prayer book and compile the collected prayers for publishing. The girls
developed outreach posters and announcements inviting submission of original compositions or traditional prayers that had special meaning. Over the 2014-2015 school year prayers trickled in – not as many as they had hoped, but a respectable number and variety. Ilona remembers feeling honored by the invitation to be part of the committee, “I liked being given the responsibility yet at the same time it was challenging to figure out how to motivate people to submit prayers.” By summer break, the prayer book was coming together but was not quite ready for printing and so it stayed on hold until 2015-2016. Religion teacher Gina Donnarummo heard about the project and asked her religion classes to submit prayers. Many did, which significantly increased the size and scope of the book. Senior, Isabelle Camillo ’16 contributed an inspiring illustration and graphics arts student Isabella Cipollone ’18 put all the prayers into a publishing program. The leadership team, now sophomores, gathered additional pictures to illustrate the book. As the academic year came to a close, the leadership team met to decide on the final arrangement of the prayers and pictures. Graphic arts teacher, Samantha Kohler, provided guidance and layout assistance. By fall, the prayer book will be printed and ready for distribution. Katy sums up for the committee, “It was great to see how many students and faculty contributed to the prayer book - whether it be their favorite prayer or one that they wrote. Our hope is that everyone at the school will read and appreciate these prayers.”
“Our hope is that everyone at the school will read and appreciate these prayers.” - Katy Cassetta ’18
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT DEIRDRE DOLAN-NESLINE ’79
Deirdre graduated from Immaculate in ’79 and in many ways has never left. She currently lives in Hillsboro Beach, FL and New Milford, CT with her husband David. She has worked tirelessly through the years to engage alumni and keep them connected to IHS, by serving on the Alumni Board of Directors, assisting with alumni events such as Casino Night, golf tournament and IHS 2000. “I value the education, friendships and spirit of camaraderie that I experienced at Immaculate and want to see that continue for generations to come,” Deirdre enthused. She added, “I consider my fellow alumni as part of my extended family, not just my classmates. That is a gift! I would not continue to be involved if I was not strongly influenced by every aspect of my 4 years at Immaculate.” Deirdre currently serves as the ’79 Class Representative in the Alumni Association and stays in touch with countless Immaculate alumni. She is an invaluable resource to the current Association, having twice served as President. Deirdre shared, “When I greet others who attended Immaculate, I feel an immediate sense of family: a shared knowledge that we had the privilege of attending a school which stands for a philosophy that we all believe in.” Deirdre is an accomplished entrepreneur, starting her own very successful business DeClutter by Deirdre, a move management company, which assists people when they are downsizing or rightsizing. She will be spearheading a new quarterly Alumni Speaker Series beginning in September and will be our first presenter. Thank you, Deirdre for your work through the years in engaging our alumni and keeping them connected to IHS and each other. immaculatehs.org | 37
ENGAGE
Destination IMMACULATE AT IMMACULATE, YOUR JOURNEY MATTERS. START YOUR EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE NOW! DESTINATION IMMACULATE (OPEN HOUSE) Sunday, October 19, 2016 Check-In at 11:00am // The event ends at 1:00pm
MAKE RESERVATIONS Learn more, see the day’s agenda, and RSVP online at www.immaculatehs.org/Destination
MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE You’ll have the chance to meet current Immaculate students, faculty, and administration (many with backgrounds similar to yours) and learn what it means to be a Mustang!
MAKE IT GREAT Destination Immaculate is the perfect first step for you to ease into your high school experience. We’ll be here to show you around, answer all your questions, and most of all, make you excited about becoming a Mustang.
MAKE PLANS Ready to make plans for a successful future? Come to Destination Immaculate and let us show you what it means to be a Mustang. You and your family will: ■ Experience student life and find out more about our academic programs. ■ Tour campus ■ Enjoy refreshments with future classmates, current students and faculty ■ Hear student vocal and instrumental performance groups ■ Go home with a taste of what life at Immaculate is all about
At Immaculate, we encourage our students to find success in academics, athletics, fine arts, and clubs. IHS students come together from all walks of life to seek academic challenge, discover leadership and use the latest technology. Students practice their faith everyday. And the best part? Everyone is doing it together. Everyone fits in, your classmates are family. HOW DO I APPLY? IHS accepts only the Online Application for admission found at www.immaculatehs.org/apply FINANCING YOUR IHS EDUCATION Good news, there are many ways to make Immaculate High School your destination. IHS offers academic and need-based scholarships and financial aid. DIRECT EXPENSES Tuition
$12,250
Ebook Class Fee
$470
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES Uniform (estimate)
$250-$300
iPad
$458-$558
CLASS OF 2020 BY THE NUMBERS 206 APPLICANTS // 130 ENROLLMENTS SCHOOL OF ORIGIN 45
77 8
AREA COMMUNITIES
15
AREA MIDDLE SCHOOLS
28
Public Parochial Independant
GENDER
75 55
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Academic (Merit) Scholarships 14 awarded to members of the Class of 2020 Range from $1,000 to $5,820 Need-based (Named Scholarships) 19 awarded to members of the Class of 2020 Range from $500 to $5,820 Self Help IHS is approved to offer K-12 Family Education Loans through Sallie Mae. Your Tuition SolutionsSM offers loan programs ranging from 24 to 84 months.
IMPORTANT DATES THU • SEP
22
SAT • SEP
MUSTANG FOR A DAY VISITS BEGIN
HSPT PREP AND PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
SUN • OCT
16
FRI • OCT
DESTINATION IMMACULATE (OPEN HOUSE)
HOMECOMING WEEKEND WITH THE MUSTANGS
SAT • OCT
29
SAT • NOV
HSPT AND PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
HSPT AND PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
SAT • NOV
THU • DEC
19
24
21
19
15
ENROLLMENT & ENROLLMENT FINANCIAL AID & FINANCIAL APPLICATION AID DECISION DEADLINE LETTERS SENT For more information visit: immaculatehs.org/importantdates Or follow: @ihs_admissions immaculatehs.org | 39
THIN SLICES We launched this milestone year with an opening school Mass dedicated to Rebecca Draper Townsend ’15, followed by a Time Capsule Ceremony. The contents of the time capsule were assembled by a student committee and buried in the front of the school. It will be opened on the 100th anniversary of IHS! The 3-day Homecoming celebration of Immaculate’s 50th anniversary began with a football game under the lights. Over 150 alumni enjoyed a great night at Tarrywile Mansion, followed by a special 50th anniversary fireworks show making the night memorable for all!
Saturday morning, October 10 saw many returning for a Fun-Run in Tarrywile Park, a pancake breakfast and school tours, and a fun-filled family MustangFest on the lawn.
50TH ANNIVERSARY The IHS gymnasium was transformed to create a nostalgic atmosphere filled with memorabilia from each decade, along with 300+ alumni sharing stories of years gone by, hugging old friends and teachers, laughing and dancing the night away to music performed by an alumni band! At our Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony in March, we acknowledged the ‘86 State Championship football team, Mrs. Maureen (Brew) Arsenault ’69, Nicole Baker ’06, Moira (Deakin) Finney ’93, Amanda (Genova) Johnson ’06 and Paul Myott ’86. The first graduating class of Immaculate High School celebrated their 50th reunion in June. Approximately 70 alumni from the Class of ‘66 came “home” and were officially inducted as Golden Mustangs. They paved the way once again by raising over $20,000 for their reunion class gift!
IMPACT
A TRANSFORMATIONAL
★ VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE
BEGINNING THE TRANSFORMATION Students who participate in acts of service gain a greater understanding of their personal identity and what they want to do with their lives. Service away from the comforts of home brings volunteers to new paths of discovery in which they gain insights into their lives. As with all IHS students, Melissa Schirmer ’19 began her personal path of discovery during her freshman year. In January 2016 she became an Appalachia Service Project (ASP) volunteer. With the help of thousands of volunteers each year, ASP repairs homes free of charge for families in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Most of the work is done in the summer. ASP provides one of the most rewarding structured service opportunities in the nation, bringing thousands of volunteers from around the country to rural Appalachia to repair homes for lowincome families. For 47 years, ASP has made homes warmer, safer, and drier for families and 42 | immaculatehs.org
provided transformational service experiences for volunteers. Teams of seven volunteers, many who are high school students, do the repairs. Volunteers work for one week at a time in a united spirit committed to helping others less fortunate. Melissa trained for six months prior to leaving home or setting her eyes on the work site and meeting the family that she was helping. It began last winter and continued through the spring as she raised funds to purchase supplies through organized car wash events and the sale of stock to support her trip. She also participated in two full days of hands on skills training. While she acquired the basic skills of construction safety, tool usage, and getting on and off a roof, Melissa also put those skills to work and built benches, the proceeds from the sale of which went towards the purchase of supplies and tools for the trip. This training helped her to get to know the other student and adult volunteers. It also ensured that she would make a significant contribution while onsite. Melissa was prepared!
Melissa and her team of five volunteers and two adult leaders didn’t have to drive far to arrive at the site and meet the family they would be helping. Standing before them was an older woman on crutches in front of a house that needed repairs. Most striking was the dilapidated condition of the home’s shingle siding.
EMBARKING ON THE JOURNEY On July 2, 2016, Melissa and 43 other volunteers from the Danbury area left home for seven days and traveled to Pocahontas, Virginia, one of the many active ASP project sites. Every volunteer had the same mission, to make homes warmer, safer and drier. Located in western Virginia near the West Virginia line, Pocahontas has a population of 389. Until the early 1960’s, residents made their livings in railroad and coal mining jobs. Since the collapse of the coal mining industry, the area has been impoverished and left with little or no economy. Once the volunteers arrived, they immediately started work and their personal discoveries began. Melissa, like other student volunteers, was apprehensive. She wondered what the other volunteers, the evening accommodations, and most of all, what the family she would be helping would be like. While ASP provides several pretrip briefings on logistics, it’s not until volunteers get to the location that they fully discover their potential impact. Days are filled with prayer, work, fellowship and praise offering Melissa the chance to build new friendships and strengthen her team.
“After this experience, fear was outweighed by what we did for this family.” - Melissa Schirmer ’19
DISCOVERING THE IMPACT The weather was 90 plus degrees, rainy and humid and continued that way for the week. But, the volunteers moved forward each day with an increased mission and understanding of the task at hand. Each day Melissa’s eyes opened wider as she grew to understand the poverty in the area. She began to see this from a personal perspective. These were real people. Aside from the primary task of replacing siding, each volunteer had a secondary role. These roles ranged from preparing meals and clean up to organizing tools and serving as a family liaison. Melissa said, “The day that I served as family liaison really stood out for me. I got to really know the family as individuals. I got to know them as people. I talked with them about what we would do that day. Each day the homeowner broke down and cried out of gratitude. That’s when I really understood the impact that our work made.” When asked, what was your personal discovery, Melissa said “I wish that I could have stayed longer so that I could work on other repairs. Before I arrived, I was scared and didn’t know what to expect. After this experience, fear was outweighed by what we did for this family.” Last year, 16,267 volunteers served with ASP, providing critical repairs for 562 families. Melissa Schirmer was one volunteer who was personally transformed while she made an impact on one family’s life!
immaculatehs.org | 43
IMPACT
Annual GOLF OUTING E
very year when the members of the Annual Golf Outing Committee meet, the plans for the annual event are created assuming that the skies will be blue and that the wind will be minimal for all who enlist to hit the links on behalf of Immaculate High School. This year, the weather was an exceptionally beautiful, crisp September day for the 36 foursomes at Richter Park in Danbury. In addition to hole-in-one challenges, hand-made cigars, raffle prizes and excellent camaraderie and fare, each golfer received a golf shirt and golf balls inscribed with our fiftieth anniversary logo in celebration of Immaculate’s 50th Anniversary. While golf outings as fundraisers generally seem to be on the wane, the Immaculate Golf Outing is 26 years strong. The event has been sold out for the last three years. We can boast of annual regulars some of whom have been participating since year one, as well as new golfers and sponsors every year. The 11 alumni foursomes golfing at this year’s event, joined in play with community business leaders, school board members, our parents and faculty and staff. As one of two major fundraisers for the school, 44 | immaculatehs.org
the importance of the success of this event is monumental. In making every attempt to meet the expectations of raising the annual budgeted amount of $50,000, Director of Development, Debbie Basile and Chairperson, Ross Rizzo are on the phones and sending emails to raise support and awareness for the school. As a result of the 94 businesses who sponsored this event and the efforts of the many school parents and community members who volunteered, the outing was able to reach its goal of $50,000! Golf Chair, Ross Rizzo remarked, “The Immaculate High School Annual Golf Outing is our school’s second largest fundraiser. Held in the fall every year at Richter Park in Danbury, it brings alumni, parents, teachers, and friends together for an outstanding event. With 144 golfers, prizes, excellent food, and a top notch golf course, you are guaranteed a great time!” He and his dedicated team put in long hours planning and marketing the event to ensure a great day for the golfers and a great outcome for the students.
SAVE THE DATE September 21, 2016 Richter Park Golf Course 100 Aunt Hack Rd., Danbury, CT www.immaculatehs.org/golf
Golden Gala
DINNER & LIVE AUCTION
T
he Amber Room Colonnade never looked so beautiful as it did at this year’s 50th Golden Anniversary Gala.
As 450 friends and supporters of Immaculate High School entered The Amber Room Colonnade on Saturday evening, April 2, the warm, golden surroundings set the mood for an evening of celebration, honor, generosity and above all, community. Gala chair, Bonnie Zuccala and her energetic team of twenty-five committee members transformed the Amber Room into the perfect setting for this convivial gathering with golden touches everywhere from the shimmering gold foil chandeliers, to the glittery centerpieces complete with fairy lights and champagne flutes encrusted with gold sugar.
The evening began with a champagne toast in honor of these two very special individuals who selflessly contribute to the goals and objectives of our school mission: Mr. Landegger through his scholarship and mentoring program that helps less advantaged students be successful at Immaculate so that they may attend college; and Mr. Rizzo who has served Immaculate in many capacities on the school’s Advisory Board, most recently as chairman, and who has also “Rizzo’d” many to action on behalf of the school. His mantra has always been “It’s all for the kids.”
Throughout the evening there was an uplifting sense of good friends enjoying a good time and sharing a desire to support our school. Parents, alumni, board members, faculty, staff, coaches, community leaders and friends brought with them energy, commitment and a strong belief in Immaculate High School. There are no words that This year’s Gala fundraiser, “The Golden Gala,” saw can adequately describe our sincere appreciation for the commitment of those who expressed a record attendance due in part to 2016 being the fiftieth anniversary of Immaculate’s first graduating strong desire to assist with supporting the needs of class but in larger measure to the two men being our school. In addition to a record 450 attendees, honored that evening, George Landegger and Tony all of the $10,000 raffle prize tickets were sold and we had over 200 supporters in either advertising, Rizzo. 46 | immaculatehs.org
sponsorship, corporate and personal donations totaling an initial estimate of $100,000 in Gala event fundraising. As a result of the tremendous number of guests who raised their paddle to help us reach our I Am Immaculate Fund goal, a record high of $84,000 was collected for the fund. We thank all who had a hand in making the Golden Gala so successful and all of you, whose continuing support and generosity ensure that Immaculate will continue to thrive for the next fifty years!
BY THE NUMBERS
450
117
$84K
71
ATTENDEES
DONORS
RAISED FOR ANNUAL FUND
SILENT AUCTION PACKAGES
1
27
$10,000 CASH RAFFLE WINNER
GENEROUS SPONSORS
SAVE THE DATE April 1, 2017 Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Rd., Danbury, CT www.immaculatehs.org/gala
THIN SLICES The IHS Student Council teamed up with the Red Cross to host the first Blood Drive at IHS in over five years. 45 donors were treated and over 30 pints were collected. A hearty breakfast and complimentary snacks were offered to donors. The Red Cross representatives complimented our organization and participation. Over 200 active Student Ambassador’s volunteered 1,400 hours to assist the Admissions Department. They participated in over 30 school-wide events this year including Open House, Discovery Days, High School Fairs and much more!
The IHS Chapter of She’s The First hosted it’s First Annual 5K Fun Run in memory of Rebecca Draper Townsend ‘15. The event raised over $5,000 for She’s The First, a program that provides scholarships to girls in lowincome countries.
STUDENTS MAKING AN IMPACT Students have served over 2,500 meals at Morning Glory, serving hot healthy breakfast to the neediest members of the Greater Danbury Community. They totaled over 420 hours of community service through this ogranization.
Key Club, students and staff collected over 500 boxes of cereal for the Dorothy Day Center to help serve breakfast to those in need in the local Danburt area.
Forty-three students and six chaperones had the privilege of traveling to Washington D.C. for the 2016 March for Life. Students attended the worship concert, kick-off rally and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at George Mason University.
LEGACIES A FAMILY TRADITION Immaculate High School has become a tradition for many of our families. The Class of 2016 had 13 legacy families - students having one or more parents who graduated from Immaculate. These second generation students know that their parents wanted them to have the same gift of a Catholic secondary school education that they received as Mustangs. This brings a wonderful sense of tradition to our school and we look forward to seeing the number of legacy students continue to grow!
’88 KATELYN
KATHLEEN (GRIBBIN) DEMARCO
’79 EMILY
’90 JOSHUA
TANIA (BOURDEAU) PORTA
SEAN
ISABELLA
’79 KIERAN
DEBRA (DRURY) MCCOY
MATTHEW
JORDAN
ISABELLA
’75
CLAIRE (MAHONEY) ANDERSON
MICHELE (LAJOIE) CHIPMAN
’81
ROGER HANCOCK
DEVINNE
JENNIFER (SULLIVAN) ST. JEAN
’82
’92
MARTIN & JENNIFER (BROCKELMAN) RYAN LYNCH
50 | immaculatehs.org
’89
NELSON MINGACHOS
’79 ABIGAIL
MICHAEL
’89
JANINE MURPHY
DEBBIE (CARAVETTA) BURKE
MIKE SEAMAN
’87
’82 SHAUNY
’84
MATTHEW GALLAGHER
REBECCA (DZUBAK) MERCALDO
’78 TYLER
LISA (BRISCOE) PLUMB
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT JO-ANNE (TOMANIO) PRICE ’66
Jo-Anne is a member of Immaculate’s first graduating class – the Class of 1966! She and her classmates paved the way for future generations of Mustangs and Jo-Anne has enthusiastically returned to her alma mater to share her time, talents and treasure to help ensure another 50 years of excellence at IHS. Jo-Anne and her late-husband Louis have generously given back through the years in support of the Immaculate Fund. Since returning to Immaculate a few years ago for a Mass and luncheon for ‘60’s alumni, she has not left and we could not be happier that she hasn’t! “Until I returned to Immaculate High School to attend the Memorial Mass in 2013, I had not given a great deal of attention to my alma mater. My time spent as a student there had prepared me for my adult life and sparked a curiosity to study and to learn that continues to this day. But as I witnessed the students on that September day at lunch and then in their classrooms, I was struck by the jubilant and electric atmosphere in the hallways. It made me want to learn more about the school,” said Price.
ourselves planning the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1966.” Jo-Anne led a wonderful committee of ’66 alumni in a year-long effort, culminating in early June with the school’s first 50th reunion and Golden Mustang induction. Jo-Anne’s enthusiasm, organizational skills and ability to work with former classmates and IHS allowed her to make a meaningful impact on a 50th reunion weekend. The event has set the bar for future reunions and will not soon to be forgotten by the 70+ alumni who attended from all over the country. Jo-Anne shared, “The reunion was a great success. One of the many memorable moments was walking with the Class of 2016 at their graduation and then being recognized by Bishop Caggiano. As we stood, the Class of 2016 spontaneously gave us a standing ovation, which was soon joined by the entire auditorium. Working together with the school, I witnessed the boundless hard work and dedication of the staff and faculty. It is all part of the amazing vitality the students demonstrated in those hallways that September morning in 2013.” As Jo-Anne spent more time at Immaculate, she began to also see the needs of Immaculate’s 50 year old campus, which thus led her to become a member of the Development Committee. Her first step in making an impact on Immaculate’s aging infrastructure was by leading the Class of 1966 and 2016’s (the first and 50th graduating classes) Pave the Way campaign, which todate has raised over $20,000.00 towards the $80,000.00 project cost of constructing a walkway up to the front doors of the school. Jo-Anne shared, “As I continue my involvement, I hope that all of our alumni will come back and see the outstanding performance of today’s students in the areas of academics, athletics and the arts. Immaculate is on the move and I see first-hand how alumni can have an impact on the school’s success.” Thank you, Jo-Anne for your impact in paving the way for Immaculate’s future!
She added, “I became involved with the Alumni Association along with fellow classmate, Doris Fontaine Peterson and we quickly found immaculatehs.org | 51
CLASS NOTES 1976
1979
1979
1989 & 1990
Kathi (Bohan) Hlavac ’76 and her husband Bill became first time grandparents on Memorial Day to Hunter Grey Hlavac.
Lysa (Burrell) Molnar ’79 works at Archambault Insurance, Putnam CT and has received CT Magazine's 5 Star Insurance Customer Service and Satisfaction Award for the last 5 years. Dr. Mark Sanna’s ’79 latest book Break Through the Insanity: Embrace Positive Change in Business and Life was published in July. It is available in bookstores and on Amazon.com. Congratulations Mark!
Jimmy ’90 and Nicole (Randazzo) ’89 Cipriani recently relocated from CT to Nashville, TN
1991
Lynne (Wekerle) Stieger ’91 took her daughter Merrill on a "victory tour" after open heart surgery in April with one of her stops being to meet up with fellow IHS alumna Megan Mitchell ’10. Megan recently relocated to the Stieger's hometown of Cincinnati, OH to begin her new job as Weekend Morning Anchor/Reporter with the WLWT news team.
52 | immaculatehs.org
1993
2002
2005
2008
Erin Maguire ’93 is the founder of Natural Marketplace, LLC which recently celebrated nine years of doing business in New Milford. Erin opened one storefront in 2007 and was able to expand in 2013.
Melissa Lopes ’02, Alumni Association Class Rep., will marry Greg Haynes on August 27 at St. Peter’s Church in Danbury.
Bobby Plumb ’05 and his wife Kathleen welcomed the first child Jackson Thomas Plumb on May 13, 2016
Chelsie Rizzo ’08 and Michael Kaptein were engaged on Wednesday, April 6th and look to get married in the summer of 2017.
2008
Jacquelyn (Sholtes) ’08 and Nicholas Vasquenza were married on June 18, 2016. Chelsie Rizzo ’08 was maid of honor, and Marina Salom ’08 was a bridesmaid. The two married at Saint Mary’s Church in Bethel and their wedding was photographed by Samantha Burkardt ’08.
2009
Yiannis Kapetanopoulos ’09 opened The Iron Rail, a restaurant in New Milford, CT. Located on Railroad St. in the historical Thomas F. Young new Milford House, The Iron Rail serves All-American food in a wonderful atmosphere.
10 TOP
Ten ways you can be a resource for Immaculate High School and our students:
Whether it’s your time, talents, or treasure, every contribution is significant. Here’s how you can help:
1
Talk about your Immaculate High School experience with friends, coworkers, children, and grandchildren. As successful professionals, alumni are our best recruiters!
2
Support the Annual Fund. Every gift counts!
3
Network with fellow Mustangs – attend IHS Alumni events, Gala and Golf Outing!
4
Share your professional experience with current Immaculate students in the LinkedIn Immaculate High School group.
5
Stay involved – follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ihsmustangs
6
Follow and interact with us at Facebook.com/Immaculate High School
7
Help us recognize outstanding alumni and friends of Immaculate through our awards programs.
8
Stay connected – when you see “IHS” calling, pick up the phone and learn what’s new on campus from our student callers.
9
Get involved through corporate matching gifts, Mentor A Mustang program, event sponsorships, or Career Day participation.
10
Stop by and visit our campus – anytime! Make Immaculate your Destination!
Have a unique skill or area of interest? Let’s explore potential opportunities to be of service to an IHS program, student organization, or your class. Contact one of our Advancement team members today! Director of Advancement - dbasile@immaculatehs.org - (203) 744-1510 ext. 148 Director of Alumni Relations - dsaurez@immaculatehs.org - (203) 744-1510 ext. 158
immaculatehs.org | 53
ALUMNI GIVING BY YEAR 1966
Joseph Abdella John McAvoy Joan (Honan) Bohlin Brenda (Culhane) Cleary Judith Corbett David Deakin Nancy (Milot) Duhamel Carol (Salvatore) Ferguson Mary Kathleen (Mason) Fitzgerald Brian Fitzgerald Giulio Grilli Carol (Lynch) Guertin Mary Gulya Victoria Hickey Robert Jedzinak Gordon Juhl Allan Kaulbach Carole (Williams) Kilcran Elizabeth (Walter) Kimmey John McAvoy James Murphy Bridget Murphy Jean (Culhane) O’Keefe Robert Paust Maryann Perrini Jo-Anne (Tomanio) Price Richard Robbins Colleen (Shea) Santaniello Elaine (St. Georges) Schmeltz John Schmuecker Mary (Ehrhard) Shooshan Denise Sullivan Kathleen (McKenna) Tauro Jean (Ryan) Tepas Gary Zarcone
1969
Anonymous Maureen (Brew) Arsenault Robert Brunetti Catherine (Richardson) Murdock Michael Palmer Nancy (Buzaid) Palmer Devin Stilson
1970
1971
Nancy Baldaserini Patricia Daly Gene Eriquez Kathleen (Draper) Mount James Purcell Donald Ragaini Mark Vaghi Margaret (Reese) Williamson
1972
Terry (Miller) Bourque Susan (Murphy) Carbone Robert Drumm Patricia (Curran) Ellsworth Susan (Cavanaugh) Elmore Michael McNamee Michael Sturges
1968
1973
Raymond Doolan Michael Fagan Regina Gardner Paul Hiro Cathleen Kowalski Lockwood Lyons Jacqueline (Hegarty) Newman Patricia (Stankaitis) O’Neil Chris Palmer Dean Tarsi Michael Zarcone
Patricia (Comer) Cochran Joseph Grana Gary Hartell Peggy (Shea) Hewett Loretta McGahran Steve Palmer
1975
Arnold Anderson Eugene Casagrande Timothy Dennehy James Foley Peter Gallagher Barton Vos Winkel
David Bennett Paul Brown Norman Clarkson Kathleen Dunne Mary Ann (Grandieri) Foncello Patricia Grandieri 1976 Kenneth Kowalski Anonymous Barbara (Pawlisak) Mahoney Laurie Albano John Mulvihill Cynthia Clarke Robert Nolan Anne (Delsignore) DiMauro Catherine (Gerwien) Pinto
Maria (Tenreiro) Boa Marie Connors-Gilmore Edward Durkin Michael Frank Kathleen (Flanagan) Grabert Gary Gramling Marta Keane Robert Mahoney Jeanne (Bennett) Merola Robert Van Houten Monica Weber Alice (Motta) Wells
1967
1974
Elizabeth (Wierengo) Moran Eileen Murphy John Neville Kevin Palmer Patricia (McGrath) Palmer Diana (Fadus) Paproski Eleanor Staib James Vaccarelli
1977
Ronald Costa Maureen (Elston) Kerins Dennis Palmer Joan Pryde Gary Raymond Mary (Briscoe) Raymond
Stanley McKenney Meg (Losee) Riefberg Catherine (Foley) Saenz Peter Scalzo Margaret Spinella Heather (Lasorso) Streeter Lawrence Thalmann Robert Wishtischin
1981
Salvatore Chieffalo Christopher Coyle Lisa (Broadbridge) Coyle Carl Demers Jean Garavel Patricia (Bongo) Gustavson Richard Honeck Mary Mazzucco Patricia (Foley) McFarlin Rebecca (Dzubak) Mercaldo Scott Mitchell Marianne (Urkiel) Mitchell Joseph O’Connor Kathleen O’Rourke Kathleen Powers Jose Rios Karoline Rossini Mary Elizabeth Salame Laurie (McKenzie) White
1982
Joseph Biraglia Jennifer Boyce Michele (Lajoie) Chipman John Cameron Ronald Comizio Anthony Caraluzzi Jr. Joseph Draper Mark DePaul Daniel Hall Jean Gallagher Suzanne (Berger) Greenwood James Hawk Kathleen LiVolsi Thomas Hefferon Christopher Mango Joan (Wixted) Kiely Donald Morrissey Douglas Polistano Janine Murphy Robert Putnam Denis O’Hara Thomas Sansone Peter Ruppert Kevin Walsh
1978
1979
1983
Catherine (Spak) Amodeo Debbie (Caravetta) Burke Michael Loya Jennifer (Brokelman) Lynch Martin Lynch Joseph McCann Ann (Lucian) Walsh
Christopher Bruno Lori (Ryan) Bushing Felicia (Myott) Dixon Dennis Fulling Robert Morse Mark Motyka Eileen O’Marra Christopher Setaro
1980
1984
Marianne Daly Mary (Deakin) Johnson Cynthia (Campbell) McHugh
Pamela Bongo Andrea Dolan Pamela (Dolan) Spiewak
Mike Halas Colleen (Walsh) Mars Steve Merkel M. Kathryn Peters Michael Seaman Martin Tuite
1985
Bridget Corkery William Dolan Lynn (LaForte) Dudas Becky (Gage) Johnston
1986
Raymond Baker David Cappiello Lisa Curesky Brendan Deakin Joleen (Garofalo) Dennison John Drohan Karen (Houser) Johnston Kevin LiVolsi Paul Myott Michele Randazzo
1987
Sean Deakin Thomas Frizzell Debra (Drury) McCoy Elsa (Hofer) Pine Dana (Henry) Saidman Denise (Henry) Suarez Richard Werdann
1988
Maureen (Mango) Austin Anthony Borrelli Kathleen (Gribbin) DeMarco Jeanne (Coleman) Demko Faith Hickey Thomas Saadi
1989
Geroge Aiello Barbara (Dominakus) Braatz Marcey (Chapman) Briscoe Jane (Greene) Cipriano Jennifer (Caraluzzi) Dimyan Ann Marie (Waupotic) Donohue Michelle (Lentner) Foye William Foye Jeffrey Goethals Christy (Green) Hickey Jennifer Hussey Margaret (Pendergast) Keayes Jennifer (Merkel) Lipari Beth Anne LiVolsi Brian McGovern Nelson Mingachos
Robert Mitchell Nicole (Randazzo) Cipriani Bernard Reidy Joseph Ryan Bob Schlichtig Mary (Ordway) Sorrentino Jennifer (Sullivan) St. Jean Timothy Vale
1990
Mark Baker James Cipriani Patrick Gribbin Thomas Hogan Andrew Morgado James O’Sullivan Sarah (Nadeau) Pineault Tania (Bourdeau) Porta Cheryl (Amaral) Shea Monika (Gronlund) Shubert Kelly (Moffa) Whalen
Tom Pesce
2000
Joshua Critelli Kathleen Vannucci
2001
Dana (Krupinsky) Pinckney Molly Vannucci
2002
Joseph Mohn Robert Nelson
2003
Bridget Holmes Patrick Nalley
2004
Michael Mingione
1991
Thomas Dominakus Kate Alice Drohan
1992
Robert Stanley
1993
Jack Bouffard Marc Ennis Moira (Deakin) Finney Erin Maguire Robert Mather
1994
Arthur Amend Jason Lareau Maureen (Gribbin) Maguire Teresa Anne (LiVolsi) Poulos
1995
Brian Melody
1996
Martin Foncello
1997
Eileen Gribbin Megan LiVolsi
1998
Paula Boa Sousa
1999
Colin Gehan Dave Parks
2005
Stephanie Rebeiro
2006
Nicole Baker Amanda (Genova) Johnson Matthew Stevens
2007
Aislinn Gavin Samantha (Mingione) Murtha
2008
Nicholas Rebeiro
2009
Yiannis Kapetanopoulos Ryan Nolan
2010
Anthony Mazzucco Gregory Monahan
2011
Dennis Sharp Jr.
2012
Christopher Nolan
2014
Olivia Dalmedo Monica Engelbrecht Michaela Natal
2015
Andrew Rosenblum
2016
Ryan Anderson Gina Arconti Kiley Banks Stephanie Bischof Steve Bohling Katherine Brady Gabriel Correa Gabriela Corte-Real Anastasia Deluca Katelyn Demarco Justin Di Bari Shannon Ducey Kevin Finnegan Mitchell Frizzell Jack Garvey Alexander Gerbo Edward Godino Taylor Guth Julia Haley Clare Head Patrick Heinlein Liam Henderson Victoria Kirkman Katherine Kwiatkowski Julia Lagas Abigail Lenz Caitlyn Linden Sean McCoy Ryan McFarland Isabella Mercaldo Isabella Mingachos Ryan Mingachos Brendan Mitchell MacKenzie Mitchell Jack Nevin Alexandra Oskam Joanna Pitrelli Tyler Plumb Patrick Relator Marina Renzi Katerina Ringes Julia Rist Nicole Rossman Michael Seaman Faith Whitmore Zhaohui Yang
GOLDEN MUSTANGS PAVING THE WAY Fifty years ago, the Class of ‘66 paved the way for future generations of Mustangs as the first graduates of Immaculate. As they celebrated their 50th reunion in June and were inducted as our inaugural Golden Mustangs, they have paved the way again by raising over $20,000 for their reunion class gift. This campaign was a wonderful opportunity to give back to Immaculate and to help accomplish a goal to improve our aging front entrance walkway (Summer 2017) which is estimated to cost $80,000. We look forward to working with the Class of ‘67 to celebrate their 50th reunion in 2017 and continuing the Pave the Way campaign. As shared by one of our donors, Jean (Ryan) Tepas ’66, “Our reunion was wonderful and I am happy to hear of the great results of the ‘Pave the Way’ campaign. My days at Immaculate High School inspired a love of life-long learning and instilled in me the importance of a values-based education. The memories of the many dedicated and inspiring teachers and the happy days spent in the IHS halls made me the confident and accomplished person I am today.”
IN MEMORIAM
Please remember our recently departed alumni and faculty in your prayers. Christopher Lynch ’67 Karen Selelonis Todd ’67 Leonard Hurgin ’72 Robin Erhard Canestrari ’74
Thomas George ’74 Dennis Taylor ’84 Rebecca Draper Townsend ’15 Jean Ryan - former faculty
If we have inadvertently missed a recently deceased member of the Immaculate family, please email us at dsuarez@immaculatehs.org, so that we can remember and pray for them at our annual Mass of Remembrance. 56 | immaculatehs.org
“Immaculate provided me with the opportunity to try new things and meet new people.”
David “I am fully inspired by our school spirit. I am happy to be a Mustang!”
Your support helps our students create the future.
Wendy “Immaculate provides the opportunity to discover my very best, both academically and athletically.”
Immaculate High School
Caroline
Impact a student’s Immaculate High School experience by making a gift today. immaculatehs.org | 57
SUPPORTING IMMACULATE’S MISSION With great appreciation, we recognize the generous support from our alumni, parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff and friends. Everyone at Immaculate appreciates the unwavering commitment to Immaculate made by all those who made contributions during the 2015-2016 year. Their dedication to the Immaculate Mission is an inspiration. Gifts listed here reflect contributions to the Immaculate Fund, Gala, Golf Tournament, Wine Tasting, Fine Arts, Athletics, and Scholarships between July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016. As we look ahead, we reflect on the past year, celebrate its success, and honor those who have helped ensure a strong future for Immaculate. The NY-CONN Corp Pathways Academy Catherine (Gerwien) Pinto ‘76 Mr. George Landegger Jo-Anne (Tomanio) Price ‘66 Anthony & Joan Rizzo, Sr. (GP) LEGACY SOCIETY Rizzo Companies ($75,000 - $99,999) Rose and Kiernan, Inc. David R. Couch Education Foundation Saint Mary Church, Ridgefield Western Connecticut Health Network
FOUNDERS SOCIETY (100,000+)
LEADERS OF THE MISSION ($50,000 - $74,999)
PRINCIPAL’S CIRCLE ($2,500 - $4,999)
Mr. & Mrs. James J. Arconti (P) Donald & Maureen (Brew) Arsenault ‘69 * Mr. Joseph Draper ‘82 Mr. & Mrs. Greg Broderick (PA) Mrs. Isabelle T. Farrington Cynthia Clarke ‘76 Danbury Grassroots Academy Mr. & Mrs. Brian Crotty (P, PA) Carl & Lauren Bailey ‘71 Brendan & Diane Deakin ‘86 (P) Saint Rose of Lima Church, Newtown Dean & Anne (Delsignor) DiMauro ‘76 (P) PARTNERS OF THE MISSION Diversified Printing Solutions, Inc. ($15,000 - $24,999) Nancy (Milot) Duhamel ‘66 Anonymous (GP) Patrick & Marianne Fahey (P, PA) The Archer Engineering Company Mr. & Mrs. Norman Gage (PA, GP) William & Rebecca (Gage) Johnston Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gribbin (PA, GP) ‘85 (P) Raymond & Kathleen Henderson (P) Mr. Michael J. Mazzucco (PA) MCCA, Inc. OUR LADY’S CIRCLE Brian & Janet McGovern ‘89 ($10,000 - $14,999) Raleen Medrano (P, PA) Andrew & Michelle Adams Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Mertens * Michael & Debbie Basile (P, PA) * Mustang All-Sport Club Gerry & Linda Hatcher (P, PA) Newtown Savings Bank Immaculate Parents Association Mr. & Mrs. Robert Nolan ‘71 (PA) * Robert & Barbara (Pawlisak) Mahoney Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Piccolo (PA) ‘72 & ‘70 Larry & Meg (Losee) Riefberg ‘80 (PA) The Mercaldo Family ‘81 (P) Mr. Richard Robbins ‘66 Rizzo and Rebeiro Families (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Sam Rosenblum (PA) Seaman Mechanical Services, Inc Saint Mary Church, Bethel Westchester Modular Homes Saint Peter Church Mr. Albert Salame, Sr. PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Silent Watchman Security Services ($5,000 - $9,999) Mr. & Mrs. Vinnie Dascano (P) Anonymous Kristian & Cheryl Taylor (P) Anonymous (P) Two Steps Downtown Grille Anonymous ‘76 Union Savings Bank Tony & Patty Bisbano (PA) Mr. & Mrs. James Vigar (P) Greg & Shaun Budnik (P, PA) John & Kathy Witek (PA) Vincent K. Chesto Scholarship Fund Tony & Jen Cirone (P, PA) MUSTANG CIRCLE Mr. & Mrs. John Di Bari (P) ($1,000 - $2,499) James P. and Nancy K. Dolan Trust Active Network Peter & Nancy (Milot) Duhamel ‘66 AIEP Host Families John & Carol Goode (P, PA) Michael & Chris Ann Allen (P, PA) Knights of Columbus McGivney Ancient Order of Hibernians Council 29 - Thomas Foley Erik & Ruth Apotheker (P) Scholarship Fund Mr. & Mrs. John Baker (PA) Kevin & Mary Maloney * Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Bischof (P) * Nelson & Kellie Mingachos ‘89 (P) Joseph & Maria (Tenreiro) Boa ‘72 Scott & Marianne (Urkiel) Mitchell Dr. & Mrs. Anthony Camillo (P) ‘81(PA)
GUARDIANS OF THE MISSION ($25,000 - $49,999)
Mr. & Mrs. John Capilli (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. David J. Cappiello ‘86 Tony & Roberta Caraluzzi (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Frank Carroll III Dr.’s & Staff of the Center for Pediatric Medicine, P.C. Coastal Connecticut Athletics, LLC Collins Hannafin, P.C. Congregation de Notre Dame Chris & Lisa (Broadbridge) Coyle ‘81 & ‘82 (P, PA) Mrs. Elsie Craig (PA) Dennis Uniform Mr. Patrick Gribbin ‘90 Stephen & Kathleen (Gribbin) DeMarco ‘88 (P) Mr. Mark DePaul ‘78 Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Draper (GP) Mr. William Dunigan Earthmovers, Inc. - Ed Kilian ‘99 Electrical Wholesalers Mr. & Mrs. James Fahey (P) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Fanelli, Sr. (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Frank ‘72 Mr. & Mrs. Todd Garvey (P) Mr. & Mrs. James Gerbo (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Giobbi Mrs. Rosalie Green (GP) Mr. Richard Honeck ‘81 John & Diana Hooker (PA) IBEW Local 488 Iovino Brothers Allan & Linda (Coleman) Kaulbach ‘66 Dr. & Mrs. Fredrick A. Kayal (PA) K-Man Glass Corp. Kinsley Power Systems Peter & Sam Kohler * Mr. Kevin LiVolsi ‘86 Hal & Rebecca Mayerson Ms. Mary Mazzucco ‘81 Mr. & Mrs. Thomas McCarthy (PA) James & Mary McCormack Mark McGetrick Scholarship Fund Mr. & Mrs. Kieran McGrath (PA) Norbert E. Mitchell Co. Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Michael Monahan (PA) Mr. Matt Micros Mr. & Mrs. Jeffry Mullins (P) Ms. Bridget Murphy ‘66 New England Traffic Solutions North America Equipment Northeast Carpet & Flooring North East Electrical Distributors Mr. & Mrs. Don Odell Old Timers Athletic Association of Greater Danbury Open Systems Metro Renzo & Monica Ortega * Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Ms. Helen Pantuso Mary Pinaha Wasil Pinaha
Preferred Maintenance, Inc. Jo-Anne Tomanio Price ‘66 Randolf, Keeler & Magruder Families Ridgefield Supply Company Ring’s End Dr. Ronald Ripps Rite-Way Internal Removal, Inc. Rosy Tomorrow’s - Mr. Sean Deakin ‘87 (P) Mr. & Mrs. Bob Rossman (P, PA) H. David & Linda Sabel, Jr. * Saint Gregory the Great Church Saint Joseph School, Danbury Saint Mary School, Ridgefield Mr. & Mrs. Michael Seaman ‘84 (P) Mr. & Mrs. Scott Scriven (P) Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Sedensky (P) Ms. Cheryl (Amaral) Shea ‘90 Mr. Robert Stanley ‘92 Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Steinerd (P, PA) Veronica Szewczuk Mrs. Jean (Ryan) Tepas ‘66 Thomaston Printing United Alarm Vision Designs Mr. & Mrs. Kevin P. Walsh (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Walsh ‘78 Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Ward (P) Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Williams (GP) Wine and Roses - Steve Merkel ‘84 Mr. & Mrs. David Woods (P, PA)
SILVER CLUB ($500 - $999)
22Y Consulting, LLC All Seasons Party Rentals Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Archer (PA) John & Linda Barbosa * Mr. & Mrs. Peter Beal (P, PA) The Bellone Family (P)* Atty. Joseph Biraglia ‘82 Dr. & Mrs. Timothy R. Bohling (P) Dr. Jennifer Boyce ‘82 (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Brooks (P) Bruen Deldin Didio Associates, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Joe Carmen * Mr. & Mrs. Fil Cerminara (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Chamberlin (P) Mr. & Mrs. Frank Chieffalo (P) Norman & Susan (Lombardi) Clarkson ‘70 & ‘69 Class of 2016 UCONN School of Medicine Ms. Judith Corbett ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Brian Cronin (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Bernardo Curra (P) D&M Construction Services Mr. & Mrs. Robert DeBartolo (P) Ken & Maureen Decker (P, PA) Mr. Myles Dempsey (P) Mr. Adrian DeWind & Ms. Dona Ratterree
Mr. & Mrs. Brian Dinatale (P) Mr. Michael Discala Mr. & Mrs. Don Doering (P, PA) Ms. Kate Alice Drohan ‘91 Mr. Kevin Dunleavy (PA) * Frank & Noreen Fanella (P) Mr. & Mrs. Carmine Fardella (P) Ferris Mulch Products Fibre Optic Plus, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Finnegan (P) Brian & Mary Kathleen (Mason) Fitzgerald ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Fletcher (P) Mr. Stephen Fogarty Mr. & Mrs. James Foley ‘75 (PA) Mr. & Mrs. David Fredette (P, PA) Mr. Dennis Fulling ‘83 Mr. & Mrs. John Gasparrini (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Keith Goodwin (P) Ms. Mary Gulya ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Guth (P) Mr. & Mrs. Edward Guydan (P) Halloran & Sage LLP Halas Farms - Michael & Laura Halas ‘84 Mr. & Mrs. James Hawk ‘82 (P, PA) Mr. & Mr. Christopher Henn (P) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Hogan ‘90 Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Jarboe (P) Knights of Columbus Mr. & Mrs. John Kortze Mrs. Nancy Labonne (PA) Geoffrey A. Lagas Associates Inc. Mrs. Lisa Lanni Mr. & Mrs. John Leonard (P) Lighting Affiliates Ms. Kathleen LiVolsi ‘82 Erin Manning Mr. & Mrs. Richard Martino (PA) Steve & Patricia (Foley) McFarlin ‘81 (P) McKenney Mechanical Mr. & Mrs. Jeffery McKenzie (P) Fr. Greg Mecca Adriana Mercaldo ‘18 (GP) Isabella Mercaldo ‘16 (GP) Francis & Jeanne (Bennett) Merola ‘72 Steven & Kathleen Mount Mulvaney Mechanical, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. James Murphy ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Myott ‘86 Michael & Aimee Natal (P, PA) * Notre Dame Club of Fairfield County Marie Nugent Temporary Services, Inc. Nutmeg Discount Liquors Chris J. & Donna (Begg) Palmer ‘68 & ‘67 Mr. Dennis Palmer ‘77 Kevin & Patricia (McGrath) Palmer ‘73 Mr. & Mrs. John Pannese (P) People’s Petroleum Products, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Philip Petrosky Gary & Mary (Briscoe) Raymond ‘77 (PA)* Mr. & Mrs. Bernie Reidy ‘89 Retired Pediatricians of Greater Danbury Mr. & Mrs. Mark Ringes (P) Romano Heating & Cooling, LLC Ms. Susannah Ruby Joe Ryan ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Arick Rynearson Mr. & Mrs. Tom Saadi ‘88 Sacred Heart of Jesus Church Safety Marking, Inc. Saint Edward the Confessor Church Saint Joseph Church, Brookfield Mr. & Mrs. Tim Schmidt (P)
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Hudak (PA) Ingersoll Auto J. Fusaro Plumbing & Heating Inc. J. Robert Folchetti & Assoc., LLC Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Jackson Jennings Oil Company JK’s Restaurant Amanda (Genova) Johnson ‘06 Mr. Yiannis Kapetanopoulos ‘09 Sean & Maureen (Elston) Kerins ‘77 (P, PA) Thomas & Joan (Wixted) Kiely ‘78 Mr. Joseph Kohut ‘87 Mr. & Dr. Nicholas Lang (P) Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Lattin (P) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas LeFebvre (P) Levine Auto & Truck Parts Mr. & Mrs. Allan Linden (P) BLUE CLUB Joseph & Lynn Loya (PA) * ($250 - $499) Paul & Theresa Ludanyi (P, PA) * Mr. & Mrs. Mark Allen* Michael & Maureen (Gribbin) Maguire Mr. Ray Boa ‘94 Mr. & Mrs. David Bono (P) Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Mancini (P) Boylan Chiropractic LLC Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Mango ‘82 Brookfield Lions John & Debra (Drury) McCoy ‘87 (P) Kevin & Lori (Dennehy) Burns ‘76 Loretta M. McGahran ‘74 Tom Burns and Lisa Lindblom (PA) * Mr. & Mrs. Thomas McGoldrick (PA) Capitol Hill Group McGraw Hill Companies Caraluzzi’s Markets Dr. & Mrs. Gregory McKenna Dick & Pat Carmen Mr. John McKenny Chris & Kathleen Casey Ms. Laura McNerney (P) Center for Pediatric Medicine, P.C. Ms. Maura Melody Mr. & Mrs. Philip Christe (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Steve Mitchell (P) Mr. Ronald Comizio ‘82 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Mohn ‘02 Como & Nicolson Mr. & Mrs. William Mok (P) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Coppola (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Donald Morrissey Mr. & Mrs. Todd Cropsey (P) Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Murphy (P) Country Paintworks, LLC Mr. Michael Nahom Da Costa Construction, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Ruben Nogueira (P) DeMets Candy Company Mr. Denis O’Hara ‘82 Mrs. Joleen (Garofalo) Dennison ‘86 (P) Mr. James O’Sullivan ‘90 Dental Associates of CT, PC Osimanti Masonary, LLC Mr. & Mrs. Fred DiMaria (P) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Oskam (P) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Dollins (P) P.F. Beal & Sons Mr. John Drohan ‘86 Mr. & Mrs. Michael Palmer ‘69 William & Lynn (LaForte) Dudas ‘85 (P) Mr. & Mrs. Steve Palmer ’74 & Family Tom & Renee Duff Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Palmieri (P) Mr. Edward Durkin ‘72 Mr. Tom Pesce ‘99 Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Dwyer (P) Mr. & Mrs. Philip Pilla Elmer’s Diner Inc. Mr. & Mrs. John Pitrelli (P) Mr. & Mrs. Gene Eriquez ‘71 (PA) Mr. Douglas Polistena Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Filippo Rankin Sporting Goods Mr. & Mrs. Fiorita Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Reelick Mr. & Mrs. Bartholomew Flaherty (P) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Reilly (PA) Martin & Mary Ann (Grandieri) David & Terri Ring, Jr. (PA) * Foncello ‘70 * Mr. & Mrs. Joe Rios ‘81 Dr. & Mrs. Jack S. C. Fong Mr. & Mrs. Scott Roberti (P) Mrs. Mary (Deakin) Fredlund (GP) Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Robilotti Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Giorgio (P, PA) Roche Inc. Mr. Jeffrey Goethals ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Peter Ruppert ‘82 Grand Prix Motors, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ryan (P) Ms. Eileen Gribbin ‘97 Ms. Marita Ryan Giulio Grilli ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Donald Sabo (P) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Grube (PA) Saint Joseph Parish, Danbury Mr. & Mrs. Terence Guiry (P) Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys Church Mr. John Haase ‘87 Fatejeet Sandhu Habeeb & Associates Architects Colleen (Shea) Santaniello ‘66 Mr. Daniel Hall ‘82 Savings Bank of Danbury Mr. Russell Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Richard Schickler (P) Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Head (P) Mr. Robert Schlichtig ‘89 Mr. Thomas Hefferon ‘78 Mr. James Schwanderla Dr. & Mrs. Jose Henriquez (PA) Mr. Leonard Schwartz Mrs. Carol Henry (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Shields (P) Mr. & Mrs. James Hess Smart Tuition Mrs. Christy (Green) Hickey ‘89 Paula Boa Sousa ‘98 Ms. Victoria Hickey ‘66 Ms. Eleanor Staib ‘73 Mr. Paul Hiro ‘68 Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Stankey (PA) Hollandia Nurseries, LLC Mr. Peter Steiwer Honda of Danbury Mr. & Mrs. John Schmuecker ‘66 (PA) Structural Consulting Services, P.C. Spin Doctor Entertainment - Dave Parks ‘99 David & Sarah (Nadeau) Pineault ‘90 Paul & Nanci Stockmann * Joseph & Denise (Henry) Suarez ‘87 (P) * Denise Sullivan ‘66 Taunton Wine & Liquor Mr. & Mrs. Robert Van Houten ‘72 Msgr. Robert Weiss Western Connecticut State University Western Connecticut State University - Catholic Newman Center Mr. & Mrs. Evan Zuckert (P)
Mr. & Mrs. Devin Stilson ‘69 Mrs. Mary Stocks (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Struski Mr. Martin Tuite ‘84 Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Tureaud (P) Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Vitarbo (P) Mr. & Mrs. Peter Vodola (P, PA) Mr. Phil Ziegler Dr. & Mrs. Keith Zuccala (P) Zucco Co. Inc.
PATRONS CLUB ($100 - $249)
Mr. Joseph Abdella ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. George Aiello ‘89 Ms. Laurie Albano ‘76 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Amend ‘94 American Irrigation Systems, Inc. Louis & Catherine (Spak) Amodeo ‘79 (PA) Arnold & Claire (Mahoney) Anderson ‘75 (P) Mr. & Mrs. William Anderson Bassem & Jeanine Antonios (P) * Apex International Education Partners Assad’s Food Service Eliana Assaf ‘19 Mr. & Mrs. Samir Assaf (P) Mrs. Kathleen Azzariti (PA) Mr. & Mrs. James Babcock (P) Mr. Ted D. Backer Bailey and Beatty Financial Services Raymond Baker ‘86 Nancy Baldaserini ‘71 Mr. & Mrs. John Barry (P) Dr. & Mrs. Robert Baughman (P, PA) Tom & Mary Ellen Bell (P) Mr. & Mrs. David Bennett ‘70 Mr. & Mrs. Scott Bennett ‘85 Mr. William Bennett Mr. & Mrs. Robert Blair (P) Joan (Honan) Bohlin ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Peter Bonfiglio (HP) Pamela Bongo ‘84 Mr. Jack Bouffard ‘93 Terry (Miller) Bourgue ‘67 Timothy & Barbara (Dominakus) Braatz ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Brady (P) Katherine Brady ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Frank Braza Ms. Colleen Brereton (P) * Mr. & Mrs. James Brew (PA) Broadway Records LLC Brookfield Health and Injury Center Robert & Maureen Brooks Mrs. Judith Brown (GP) Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Brown (P, PA) Mr. Paul Brown ‘70 Bruce Taylor Heavy Equipment Repair & Emergency Veh. Service Mr. & Mrs. Louis Brugnatelli Thomas & Debbie (Caravetta) Burke ‘79 (P, PA) Chris & Lori (Ryan) Bushing ‘83 Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Buxton Ms. Helen Buzaid Mr. & Mrs. Robert Calame (P) Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Camillo (GP) Mr. Mark Cammisa Mr. & Mrs. Paul Campagna (P) Mr. Gendiminas Campe Mr. & Mrs. Michael Capellaro (P) Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Caraluzzi, Jr. ‘78 Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Carboni (P) Lt. Col. William Carey
SUPPORTING IMMACULATE’S MISSION Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Casagrande ‘75 Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Cassella Dr. & Mrs. Michael Cassetta (P) Mrs. Veronica Casturani Mr. & Mrs. John Cataldo Mr. Salvatore Chieffalo ‘81 Mr. & Mrs. Matt Chila Mr. & Mrs. Mark Cinq-Mars (P) James & Nicole (Randazzo) Cipriani ‘89 Mr. Dave Cirella* Brenda (Culhane) Cleary ‘66 (PA) Ernest & Patricia (Comer) Cochran ‘74 Mr. & Mrs. David Collins (P) Mrs. Marie Connors-Gilmore ‘72 Consolidated Electrical Distributors Cooper Electric Supply Ms. Bridget Corkery ‘85 Mr. Joshua Critelli ‘00 Rita Crothers Ms. Lisa Curesky ‘86 Phil & Margaret Curran (PA) * Ms. Patricia Daly ‘71 City of Danbury, Office of The Mayor Mr. & Mrs. Jonathon Dayton DBE Enterprises Mr. David Deakin ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Antonio de Melo (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Ted Deisenroth (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Delfino (P) Mr. & Mrs. Carl Demers ‘81 (P) Mrs. Jeanne Demko ‘88 (P) Dr. & Mrs. Arthur Dobos (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Dodge ‘87 Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Doherty (P) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Dominakus ‘91 Mr. & Mrs. Michael Donovan Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Doolan ‘68 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Dowding Ms. Donna Draper Mr. & Mrs. Michael Draper Mr. & Mrs. Wiliiam Ducey (P, PA) Kathleen Dunne ‘70 Dr. Gregory Dworkin Elegant Banquets LLC Mrs. Joan Elston (PA, GP) Mr. & Mrs. Marc Ennis ‘93 Mr. Douglas Fachnie Mr. Michael Fagan ‘68 Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Falkenstein Agnes Carol (Salvatore) Ferguson ‘66 Mr. James Fisher (P, PA) Foley’s Pump Service Jeff & Lisa Marie Font (P) * Four Winds Hospital Partial Program Mr. William Foye ‘89 & Dr. Michelle (Lentner) Foye ‘89 (P) Ms. Karen Freitag (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Frizzell ‘87 Ms. Jean Gallagher ‘78 Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gamper * Ms. Jean Garavel ‘81 Ms. Joan Garofalo Mr. & Mrs. James Gavin (PA) Mr. Colin Gehan ‘99 Mr. & Mrs. John Gelinas (P) General Technology Group, Inc Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Gerics * Roger & Carol (Lynch) Guertin ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gerwien, Sr. (PA) * Mr. & Mrs. Chris Godino (P) William & Kathleen (Flanagan) Grabert ‘72 Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Green
Daniel & Suzanne (Berger) Greenwood ‘78 (PA) Richard & Patricia (Bongo) Gustavson ‘81 Mr. & Mrs. Nizar Haddad (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Haley (P) Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hancock Hantsch Electric Inc. Dr. & Mrs. Colin Harrison Mr. Gary Hartell ‘74 Mr. & Mrs. Donald Hassiak (PA) Mr. Gary Hawley Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Heinlein (P) Ms. Melissa Held James & Peggy (Shea) Hewett ‘74 Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Hewitt (P, PA) Ms. Faith Hickey ‘88 Ms. Jane Hill Mrs. Denise Howe * Jennifer Hussey ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Peter Hyland Mr. & Mrs. Donald Iannucci (P) Immaculate Baking Club Mrs. Lisa Inserra (P) Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Isola Mr. & Mrs. Sharad Jain Mr. & Mrs. William Jakubek (PA) Mr. Robert Jedzinak ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Peter Jeffrey (PA) Mr. Kevin Jennings Jewelry Designs Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Johnson Mary (Deakin) Johnson ‘80 Mrs. Karen (Houser) Johnston ‘86 JRFA South LLC Mr. Gordon Juhl ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Don Kallberg (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Jayson Karp (P, PA) David & Michelle (Mohacsi) Kase ‘87 Mr. Mike Kay Ms. Marta Keane ‘72 Mr. Dennis Keeler Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Keenan (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Kennedy (P) Mrs. Elizabeth (Walter) Kimmey ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kitson Mr. & Mrs. Robert Komar Ms. Cathleen Kowalski ‘68 Mr. Kenneth Kowalski ‘70 Mr. Ramon Kranwinkel Office Staff of Dr. Forrest Kuhn Mr. & Mrs Ronald Kwiatkowski (P) Mr. & Mrs. John Lambert Lang’s Auto Repairs Mrs. Katherine Larson Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lasco (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leggett (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Ian Lenz (P) Mr. & Mrs. Ernesto Leon-Gambetta Mr. & Mrs. Allan Linden (P) Ms. Beth Anne LiVolsi ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Jim LiVolsi (PA) Mrs. Ellin Patricia Llodra Mr. & Mrs. Paul Loftus Mr. Dan Lombardo Mrs. Fernanda Lopes (P) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Loya ‘79 (PA) Lockwood Lyons ‘68 Mr. Robert MacDonald Ms. Erin Maguire ‘93 Mr. & Mrs. Steve Mais (PA) Mr. & Mrs. John Maloney (P) Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Manning (P) Mr. Dave Martin
Mr. John Martocci Mr. & Mrs. Chris Mascetta (P) Mr. Travis Mastrogiannis Mr. Anthony Mazzucco ‘10 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McAdams (P) Mr. John McAvoy ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McCann ‘79 Mr. Lester McCarthy Mr. & Mrs. Thomas McFarland (P) Mr. & Mrs. John McGrade Mrs. Susan McGuinness-Getzinger (P) John & Cynthia (Campbell) McHugh ‘80 McKesson Foundation Mr. Michael McLachlan Mr. Michael McNamee ‘67 Mr. & Mrs. Albert Mead Mr. Dale Mello (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Fredrick Merkel, Jr. (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Robert Merrer Metro Land Services Mr. & Mrs. Luigi Mezzetta (P) Michael Angelo’s Pizzeria Mr. & Mrs. Joe Mingachos (P) Mr. Nick Minucci Mr. Robert Mitchell ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Tom Mitchell (P) Paul & Susan Mohn (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Richard Monaco (P) Mono-Crete Step & Vault, LLC Michael & Elizabeth (Wierengo) Moran ‘73 Andrew & Laurie (Shyloski) Morgado ‘90 MRC Unlimited, Inc. Mr. Joseph Muchanski * Mr. John Mulvihill ‘70 John & Betsy Murphy * Mr. & Mrs. Robert Nelson ‘02 The Network Support Company Mr. & Mrs. Edward Nevin (P) New England Signal Mr. & Mrs. Robert Newman Mrs. Patricia Niland (P) The Nixon Company, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Stephen O’Hara (GP) Jean (Culhane) O’Keefe ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. John P. O’Keefe (PA) William & Anna O’Rourke Ms. Kathleen O’Rourke ‘81 Mrs. Karen Olencki (P, PA) Alexandra Oskam ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Kendall Palladino (P) Mr. Darren Palmer Francis & Helen Palmer (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Colin Parris (P) Mr. Robert Paust ‘66 Pembroke Pumping Services M. Kathryn Peters ‘84 David & Dana (Krupinsky) Pinckney ‘01 * Mr. & Mrs. Charles Pizzo (P, PA) Alfredo & Tania (Bourdeau) Porta ‘90 Post Road Iron Works Teresa LiVolsi Poulos ‘94 Jeffrey Previdi ‘90 Mr. & Mrs. Brent Pruner (P) Joan Pryde ‘77 Mr. James Purcell ‘71 Putnam Automotive Group Llc Mr. James Quish, Jr. ‘90 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Ravo (PA) Mr. Richard Raymond (GP) Mr. Nicholas Rebeiro ‘08
Ms. Stephanie Rebeiro ‘05 Mark & Kristen Renzi (P) Ms. Shirley Ricart (P, PA) Mr. Michael Riccio Mr. Leon Richards Mr. & Mrs. Karl Roessler (P) Diana M. Rogers (GP) Mr. Edward Ronan Andrew Rosenblum ‘15 Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ross (P) Ms. Karoline Rossini ‘81 Nicole Rossman ‘16 Ms. Lynn Rowe (GP) Mrs. Maura Ruby Mr. Mikhail Rudinskiy Catherine (Foley) Saenz ‘80 Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Sahl Jeffrey & Dana (Henry) Saidman ‘87 (P) Saint Patrick’s Church Ms. Mary Elizabeth Salame ‘81 Mr. & Mrs. Don Sampson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Sansone ‘78 Mr. John Sansonetti Mr. & Mrs. Lucio Santander (P) Ms. Katherine Santuro Savings Bank of Danbury Mr. & Mrs. Peter Scalzo ‘80 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Schaffer (P) Ms. Antoinette Schiavone Mrs. Vittoria Crea and Mr. Duane Schirmer (P) Robert & Paula (Marconi) Scholz ‘67 Michael Seaman ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Schuyler (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. William Schweitzer (PA) Secure Eco Shred Mr. & Mrs. John Segreti (P) Mr. & Mrs. Peter Serencsics Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Setaro ‘83 Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Sharp (PA) Mr. Dennis Sharp, Jr. ‘11 Mr. & Mrs. Seth Shepard Mrs. Renee Sherrick (PA) Ship Shape and Village Green Cleaners Robert & Mary (Ehrhard) Shooshan ‘66 Mrs. Monika (Grolund) Shubert ‘90 Danielle Siecienski Mr.& Mrs. Ed Smith (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Mark Smith (P) Ron & Julie Sorcek (PA) * Mr. Christopher Spahn Mr. & Mrs. Mark Speiser Craig & Pamela (Dolan) Spiewak ‘84 Mr. & Mrs. Craig Stein (PA) Ms. Claudia Stephan (PA) Mr. John Stevenson Mr. & Mrs. John Stevenson (P) Carol Stone * Ms. Kendra Stout Lawrence Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Straiton (P) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Sturges ‘67 Mr. & Mrs. John Suchoski James S. Sullivan Cable Co., Inc. T. J. & Son Mr. & Mrs. Michael Talarico (P) Target Take Charge of Education Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Tarvin (PA) Kathleen (McKenna) Tauro ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Gregg Taverna (PA) Mr. & Mrs. J. Russell Teagarden (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Tomanelli (P) Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Townsend Mr. & Mrs. Donald Troiano (P)
Mr. James Vaccarelli ‘73 Mr. & Mrs. Mark Vaghi ‘71 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Vannucci (PA) Ms. Kathleen Vannucci ‘00 Ms. Molly Vannucci ‘01 Ms. Mildred Veltri Mr. & Mrs. Lupo Villega (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Al Vitello (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Barton Vos Winkel ‘75 (P) Ann (Lucian) Walsh ‘79 Susan Ward (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Keith Wax (P, PA) Ms. Monica Weber ‘72 Mr. & Mrs. Jonathon Wedvik (P, PA) Wells Fargo Advisors Alice (Motta) Wells ‘72 Mr. Eugene Wells (GP) Mr. & Mrs. Richard Werdann ‘87 (P) Thomas & Kelly (Moffa) Whalen ‘90 Mr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Whitcome Christopher & Laurie (McKenzie) White ‘81 Mr. Robert White Mr. & Mrs. John Whitehead (P) Faith Whitmore ‘16 Patrick & Alexa Wild (P) * Brian & Margaret (Reese) Williamson ‘71 Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Wise Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Woodhouse Mr. & Mrs. Tom Wroblewski (P) Mr. & Mrs. Gary Zarcone ‘66 Michael Zarcone ‘68 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Zielinski (PA)
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Ms. Regina Adducci (PA) AffinEco LLC Mr. & Mrs. Ignatius Alexander * Amazon Smile Foundation Ryan Anderson ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Aoyama Gina Arconti ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Fredrick Assaf Patrice Athanasidy Maureen Mango Austin ‘88 Mr. & Mrs. Mark Baker ‘90 Sarah Baker ‘15 Kiley Banks ‘16 Ms. Tammy Beatty Ms. Brenda Bergeron Stephanie Bischof ‘16 Steve Bohling ‘16 Ms. Brooke Bondur ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Borrelli ‘88 Mr. & Mrs. Denis Bouffard (PA) Mrs. Marcey (Chapman) Briscoe ‘89 Ms. Maureen McGovern Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Robert Brunetti ‘69 Mr. Christopher Bruno ‘83 Mr. & Mrs. James Buxton Cabrera Painting Service LLC Mr. John Cameron ‘78 Mrs. Susan (Murphy) Carbone ‘67 Ms. Kristine Cartee (P) Mr. Jeff Castaldi * Mr. Donny Chieffalo John & Michele (Lajoie) Chipman ’82 (P)
Mr. & Mrs. Dominic Cipollone (P) Mrs. Jane (Greene) Cipriano ‘89 Lauren Cirone ‘17 Ms. Joan Cirone Carol (Elston) Clarke ‘78 (PA) Suzanne Conlin Ms. Laurie Cornelio Gabriel Correa ‘16 Gabriela Corte-Real ‘16 Mr. Ronald Costa ‘77 Mr. Neil Culligan Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Cunningham (P) Mr. & Mrs. Fred Curtis (P) Ms. Olivia Dalmedo ‘14 Ms. Marianne Daly ‘80 Ms. Christie Daniels Mr. Richard Danisavage Mr. & Mrs. Robert Debacher (P) Anastasia DeLuca ‘16 Katelyn DeMarco ‘16 Mr. Mike Demko (P) Mr. & Mrs. Joseph DeNardis (P, PA) Mr. Jim Dennison (P) Ms. Kathleen Desilets Catty Diaz (P) Justin Di Bari ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Richard Diesso JoAnn Diotte Mrs. Andrea Dolan ‘84 Doyon Insurance Agency Mr. Robert Drumm ‘67 Shannon Ducey ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Denis Duggan (P) Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Durkin (PA) Mr. & Mrs. John Edmond, Jr. James & Patricia (Curran) Ellsworth ‘67 Paul & Susan (Cavanaugh) Elmore ‘67 Monica Engelbrecht ‘14 Ms. Mary English Mr. & Mrs. Robert Esposito Mr. John Fabbri Ms. Janet Fink (PA) Kevin Finnegan ‘16 Fiorita, Kornhaas & Vanhouten, P.C. Ms. Kathy Fitzpatrick Ms. Pam Fitzpatrick Mr. Martin Foncello ‘96 Mitchell Frizzell ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Sherm Gaffney Mr. & Mrs. Greg Gage (P) Mr. & Mrs. Peter Gallagher ‘75 Mr. & Mrs. Bob Gannon (P, PA) Ms. Regina Gardner ‘68 Jack Garvey ‘16 Ms. Aislinn Gavin ‘07 Alexander Gerbo ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Girardot (P) Edward Godino ‘16 Mr. Douglas Goetz Mr. Robert Goldkopf Mr. Gary Gramling ‘72 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Grana ‘74 Ms. Patricia Grandieri ‘70 Mr. & Mrs. Martin Guerrero (P) Taylor Guth ‘16 Julia Haley ‘16 Mr. James Halkett (P) Clare Head ‘16 Patrick Heinlein ‘16 Liam Henderson ‘16 Ms. Alice Henriques
Mr. & Mrs. James Hess (P) Ms. Lisa Holmes Mr. Ryan Holmes Ms. Jennifer Hussey ‘89 Diane Hyland Ms. Dawna Jones John & Margaret (Pendergast) Keayes ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Kelly Mr. Richard Kiniry Victoria Kirkman ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Carmelo Kish (P) Mr. John Kohler Mr. & Mrs. Kostandinos Kolitsas (P) Katherine Kwiatkowski ‘16 Julia Lagas ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Lagas (P, PA) Mr. & Mrs. Jay Lanza (P) Jason Lareau ‘94 Mrs. Mary LeBlanc Ms. Karen LeBlanc Abigail Lenz ‘16 Nicholas Leo ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Giuseppe Lifrieri (P) Lin Lin ‘18 Caitlyn Linden ‘16 Mrs. Jennifer (Merkel) Lipari ‘89 Ms. Peggy Liquori Ms. Megan LiVolsi ‘97 Wesley & Karen Loker * Martin & Jennifer (Brockelman) Lynch ‘79 Ms. Tamara Macuch Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Maewsky (P) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Maker (P) Colleen (Walsh) Mars ‘97 Mr. Robert Mather ‘93 Sean McCoy ‘16 Ryan McFarland ‘16 Ellen McKinley (P) Mr. & Mrs. James McNerney (GP) Mrs. Audrey Mango (PA) Dr. Nicholas Matarazzo Brian Melody ‘95 Mr. George Menzies Mr.& Mrs. Michael Meurer (P) Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Miller Isabella Mingachos ‘16 Ryan Mingachos ‘16 Mr. Michael Mingione ‘04 Brendan Mitchell ‘16 MacKenzie Mitchell ‘16 Ms. Katie Montoya Mr. Hal Morgan Mr. & Mrs. Robert Morse ‘83 Mr. Mark Motyka ‘83 Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Mulvey (P) George & Catherine (Richardson) Murdock ‘69 Ms. Janine Murphy ‘82 Mr. Patrivk Nalley ‘03 Michaela Natal ‘14 Paul & Elizabeth Naves (PA) Mr. & Mrs. John Neville ‘73 Jack Nevin ‘16 New York Life Foundation Ms. Margaret Newell ‘80 Mr. Ryan Nolan ‘09 Christopher Nolan ‘12 Mr. & Mrs. Francis Novachek Mr. Joseph O’Connor ‘81
Ms. Ann O’Hara (PA) Mr. & Mrs. Mitchel O’Hara Ms. Eileen O’Marra ‘83 Patricia (Stankaitis) O’Neil ‘68 Ms. Maryann Oley (P, PA) Ms. Diane Panzarella Ms. Maryann Perrini ‘66 Mr. & Mrs. Peter Pietras (GP) Elsa (Hofer) Pine “87 Joanna Pitrelli ‘16 Tyler Plumb ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Stephan Potpan Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Powell (GP) Kathleen Powers ‘81 Mrs. Leslie Quinn * Mr. Donald Ragaini ‘71 Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Ragan (HP) Michele Randazzo ‘86 Ms. Marla Rebhan ‘87 Rediker Software Patrick Relator ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Rowel Relator (P) Marina Renzi ‘16 Katerina Ringes ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. Edward Riofrio (P) Julia Rist ‘16 Mr. & Mrs. John Robertson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Roode (HP) Mr. & Mrs. L.R. Rubin Mr. & Mrs. David Rudolf (PA) Ms. Mary Jane Sabatini Saint Elizabeth Seton Parish Mr. & Mrs. Frank Salvatore Mr. & Mrs. Segundo Sanchez (P) Ms. Christina Saviano (P) Mr. & Mrs. Wiliiam Schlichting (P) Elaine (St. Georges) Schmeltz ‘66 Noah Schmidt ‘18 Mr. & Mrs. Edward Scirbona (P) Mr. Joseph Seri Ms. Laura Shail Mr. & Mrs. Peter Shovak (P) Mrs. Mary (Ordway) Sorrentino ‘89 Ms. Margaret Spinella ‘80 Ms. Chris Stanislawski Mr. & Mrs. Paul Stevens (PA) Heather (Lasorso) Streeter ‘80 Ms. Kelly Sullivan Ms. Marianne Tarby Target Take Charge of Education Mr. & Mrs. Dean Tarsi ‘68 Mr. Lawrence Thalmann ‘80 Mrs. Linda Toney Mr. & Mrs. Richard Tortora (PA) Tully Out Patient Rehab University of Connecticut School of Medicine United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Inc. Mr. Timothy Vale ‘89 Mr. & Mrs. Keith Varian (P) Mr. Jeffrey Vingo * Mr. Vincent Vollono Ms. Natalie Wagner Yinyu Wang ‘19 Mr. & Mrs. Brian White Zhaohui Yang ‘16
KEY: * = I.H.S. faculty/staff/coach (P) = Current I.H.S. parent (PA) = I.H.S parent of an alumni (GP) = I.H.S grandparent Immaculate High School makes every effort to ensure the accuracy in the Annual Giving Report. However, unintentional errors do occur. Please accept our apologies if we make a mistake and contact the Advancement Office at (203) 744-1510 ext. 159 to help us correct our records.
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