MESSMER CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
MILWAUKEE,WISCONSIN
KNOWLEDGE. FAITH. LEADERSHIP.
VOLUME 48, ISSUE 2 OF 3
SPRING 2015
TAKING LEARNING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT INSIDE MESSMERMINI
MESSMER CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patrick Byrne, Secretary Sr. Shawnee Daniels-Sykes,SSND,Ph.D. William Goldammer ’52, Director Emeritus Mikel Holt, Vice Chair Dr. William Hughes Alfred Mattacotti ’58 Bob Monday Bill Otto ’74 Peter Salza ’60, Chair John Scheid, Treasurer
MESSMER MINI CONTRIBUTORS Richard Anderson ’92 Jeremy Armstrong ‘99 Kris Bartels Mike Bartels Mike Brauer ‘80 Laura Hancock Mary Harwig Heidi Herro Peter Herr Kristen Lofstrom Theresa Marsicek Gabriela Moreno ‘15 Nancy Plichta Jim Piatt Donna Schmidt
Messmer Mini is published for and about the Messmer Catholic Schools’ community. For more news and updates, please visit www.messmerschools.org Comments and questions about the Messmer Mini may be directed to Heidi Herro. 414-264-5440 or hherro@messmerschools.org
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A Message From The President
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Literacy Initiative Sharp Literacy Inc.
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Student Achievement
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Faith Story
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Dear Friends of Messmer, As we walk the journey through Lent into the Easter season, we guide our students toward understanding the power of sacrifice, toward a future of promise. Their efforts, often without ample economic resources, build upon the steadfast support of the wider Messmer family--a decades-long legacy of prayer and generosity. What an honor for me to write to you in this space where we celebrate more remarkable Messmer students, alumni, staff, and volunteers. As you read about Gabriela, Nancy, and Lewis--along with the collective dedication of our literacy and retreat leaders--I hope you recall your own place in the Messmer story, along with the teachers, classmates, and benefactors that made your Messmer experience a fundamental part of your life story.
Gabriela Moreno “Symphony”
Student Retreats
Staff Profile Nancy Plichta
Messmer Thanks Lewis Lea
ABOUT THE COVER: Our Messmer educators are excited about the quality programming that is made available by our partnership with Sharp Literacy, Inc. Together, our teachers and students are committed to making a substantive impact in the Milwaukee community and beyond.
BASEBALL GLOVE DONATION
GOD, THE FRIEND OF THE POOR Jesus, It is not such a bad thing for us to be disregarded by the rich and the powerful. But we cannot afford to be disregarded by the poor, by the powerless, by those who “have no one.” You say, “Their fate is My fate as well. Their need is my need as well.” They are your closest friends and must, therefore be our friends too. Their poverty must not be alien to us, their need must not frighten us away. Jesus, Friend of the poor, let us live in such a way, that no poor person can doubt our sincerity. Let us share in such a way that the poor may once again find hope. Let us love in such a way that the poor may sense this love and may realize that at Your table there are only sisters and brothers.
The days in our Messmer schools in 2015 draw upon new educational initiatives, but the foundation is ever familiar. When the hallway echo of “Amen” closes morning prayer, our teachers focus on literacy in all grades and subjects. The job is never over: vocabulary, phonetics, fluency, reading strategies, comprehension, critical thinking, composition, grammar--writing, rewriting, and rewriting again. As you may have read in our last Messmer Today, Messmer has now raised expectations for mathematics achievement through substantive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programming. You will read a lot more about those new initiatives in the next issue of Messmer Today--stay tuned! As we publish this Messmer Mini, I offer my deepest personal and professional gratitude by mentioning National Catholic Sisters’ Week, from March 8-14. While this may reach you later in March, it’s not too late to note that this week of tribute honors the incredible lives and legacies of women religious. Simply put, Messmer Catholic Schools would never have existed without these selfless and brilliant women, whose impact has shaped not only Catholic education, but has extended to lasting contributions to public education and the economy. The history our three Messmer schools boasts over seven decades of dedication from the School Sisters of Notre Dame and the Sinsinawa Dominicans. I met recently with Sister Rosie Bonk, SSND, with whom I was blessed to teach at Messmer High School in the early 1990’s. She shared some prayers of Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. I thank Blessed Sister Theresa for this inspired prayer, “GOD, THE FRIEND OF THE POOR.” (shown left)
Jim Piatt President
THE MESSMER HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM IS NEED OF NEW OR GENTLY USED GLOVES FOR THE SPRING SEASON. If you would like to donate to the Messmer High School baseball team, please contact the Development Office at 414-264-5440 or development@messmerschools.org MESSMERMINI
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LITERACY INITIATIVE
vocabulary and exercises.
LITERACY INITIATIVE
a new layer of learning
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n 1996, a new elementary language arts initiative began in Milwaukee with the mission of enhancing “future life success by energizing urban children, motivating them to identify themselves as confident, capable scholars and lifelong learners by inspiring engagement in reading, writing, and research through hands-on interaction and visual arts.” This program is the SHARP Literacy program and it serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade in thirty-one Milwaukee schools, serving 7,000 students. In the fall of 2014, Messmer Preparatory Catholic School and St. Rose and St. Leo Catholic School became two of those SHARP schools. SHARP stands for Student Historical Art Resource Program. It aims to develop students’ reading, writing, oral communication, research, creative thinking and problem solving. By building a solid foundation at the elementary level, future success in learning is established. It also sparks interest in science and engineering and begins to prepare very young students for their future careers.
Comprehensive Literacy Plan and the Common Core Standards. All materials are provided by SHARP Literacy, Inc. and are integrated into the teachers’ lesson plans each year. Before the start of the 2014 school year, teachers were trained to use the SHARP program’s tools and resources, including lesson plans, visual materials, and academic vocabulary word lists. Teachers incorporate the SHARP program supplies, books, workbooks, and planning resources with their current literacy, science, and social studies curriculum. While students still receive their full literacy program in the mornings, SHARP adds another layer of literacy in the afternoon with the integration of science and social studies
Learning involves more than classroom lessons. It often requires getting students involved and engaged. As part of the SHARP Literacy program, students participate in “inhouse” field trips each semester. Special speakers and presenters come to the schools and each lecture relates to the specific topics studied within the classroom. The presenters engage our younger students with role-playing activities, movement activities, etc., while simultaneously building their knowledge of science, social studies, and vocabulary words. Each grade level has the opportunity to go on one field trip per year. These field trips are consistent with classroom curriculum and create learning opportunities outside of our school buildings. Some of the field trip destinations include the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Lynden Sculpture Garden, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, Discovery World, and the Jewish Museum. One of the reasons that the SHARP Literacy program is so successful is because it uses the visual arts as the primary tools for learning. SHARP Literacy has been in partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum since it began almost eighteen years ago. The museum has trained docents that help students associate vocabulary
words with specific pieces of art. The students see and associate vocabulary words with the art and they then have a better understanding of how to use those words. By doing these activities and incorporating the visual arts, students are taught to be readers, writers, and researchers. These experiences improve the reading and writing skills of students. SHARP learning causes an impact that can be seen in the hard numbers it produces: 72% of all SHARP students improve their vocabulary by four or more words. SHARP Literacy thrives by utilizing the visual arts as a learning tool and it is making an impact on student achievement at Messmer. This method of learning teaches students to connect what is being taught in the classroom to their research projects, to experience them locally, and to consider the impact of their learning in their everyday lives. The students feel empowered when something they learned at school appears in their daily lives. They are appreciating the arts, science, and social studies more deeply and, in the process, becoming more literate.
This year-round program works with Messmer’s current school curriculum and is in alignment with the Milwaukee Public Schools’ 4
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
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“I tell my story through my music without having to say anything.”
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essmer High School senior, Gabriela Moreno’s musical career began by chance, a literal “luck of the draw.” When she was six years old, her name was chosen out of a hat as the recipient of some free instrumental music lessons. It was then that Gaby picked up a violin for the very first time and began her musical journey.
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GABRIELA MORENO
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ALSO CONSIDER ATTENDING THE HALL OF FAME DINNER ON R.W. Baird SUNDAY, JUNE 28TH, 2015 Club Paragon Comedy Cafe AT THE WISCONSIN CLUB Comedy Sportz Cooper’s Hawk David Graczyk DeRosa Corp. Dick Callan Discovery World Evergreen Golf Club Festa Italiana First Stage Fred Astaire Dance German Fest
Proceeds to support high quality athletic programs for Messmer students.
PLEASE CONSIDER A SPONSORSHIP OR AUCTION ITEM See www.messmerschools.org forDRIVE more event DONATION FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL CAPITOL and sponsorship or to register online. GOLFinformation, CLASSIC!
While in elementary and middle school, Gabriela began her musical education as a member of The Latino Arts Strings Program at Bruce-Guadalupe Community School. This program teaches fundamental classical music while exploring the music of Latin America. As the students’ musical abilities progress, they begin to perform solo recitals as well as perform for a judge that evaluates playing abilities. Athletics are a vitaltheir component in Gaby a remembers, “Part of this process is developing your skill and the young person’s education. Proceeds other is gaining the confidence to get in front of a judge and play. As confidence and skills grow, we have the opportunity to go to state and receive medals.”
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Gabriela has had the opportunity to play with Mariachi Classic support high quality athletic Juvenil (an ensemble group within the Latino Arts Strings Program) and perform at the Pabst Theater, Fiesta, and other local events. As her skill level Classic Mexican is a great way to invest in a increased, her performing opportunities also grew and she recently played for the Martin Luther King festivities at the Capitol in Madison. In addition, the ensemble recently released an album entitled “Los Viajeros.”
Gaby came to Messmer High School as a freshman and she maintains her Honors status. She admits that it is sometimes hard to juggle her activities and her school load. “Managing my time has been a struggle, but it’s doable,” Gaby says. “I just have to stay organized.” Last fall, Gabriela performed with the Mariachi Juvenil ensemble at Messmer High School during an assembly celebrating Hispanic Heritage month. She also performed with Chris Kolanko ’65 and Janet Schiff ’93 during the pre-dinner social hour at the Portraits in Leadership event at the Wisconsin Club. In addition to writing her own music, one of Gaby’s passions is art. This semester, she is taking an Artist Portfolio class that prepares and builds each student’s art portfolio for college. After graduating from Messmer, Gabriela plans to study art and music education at UWMilwaukee. Gabriela says that the most rewarding part of her musical journey is sharing her talent with her family. “Playing violin has also been a way to connect with my family near and far. Through learning mariachi music, I was able to play songs we all know and love when we came together. When I play, I always remember my grandmother from Mexico because while she was alive, I used to play violin for her over the phone.”
For six years, Gaby has been a member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO). MYSO is one of the most successful youth orchestra training programs in the United States. It is comprised of approximately 1,000 students ages 8-18. As a member of the most accomplished ensemble at MYSO, the Senior Symphony, Gabriela will travel to Vienna and Budapest in June to tour and perform with the group. “My parents always encouraged me to stick with it. They said, ‘It will take you places,’ and they were right,” Gaby says.
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FAITH STORY
FAITH STORY
STUDENT RETREATS
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ne of the most time-honored traditions at Messmer High School is that of our annual student retreats. Each October, our students receive an opportunity to step away from the daily classroom grind and to work on other important aspects of Christian life. The retreats provide the students with the opportunity to develop a better sense of self, to build relationships with others, and to grow closer to God. Through talks, small group discussions, personal and communal prayer experiences, and recreation, students are able take a break from the grind of their everyday class schedule and allow for the quieting of the heart. Our retreats are organized by grade level and each level has a different focus. The freshmen retreat takes place at the high school. There, the first-year students focus on what it means to belong to a community and what it means to be a part of the Messmer family. This ultimately translates into the spiritual significance of finding community in one’s relationship with God. Freshmen are reinforced during their retreat activities with a sense of Christian community. New friendships and relationships begin to develop. The sophomore class travels to Nashotah, Wisconsin, where the focus of the retreat is to learn about relationships. During their retreat, the sophomores learn about healthy relationships and who God calls us to be in those relationships.
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retreat also takes place at Camp Minikani, but the seniors have the added experience of staying overnight in cabins. For many of our students, some of whom have never left the city, this is an exciting opportunity. During their time at the retreat, the seniors reflect on the experience of their high school careers thus far. They ponder what they have learned, how they have grown, and how their future will look. A favorite part of the retreat is when each student receives love letters from their family, friends, and teachers. They also receive a letter that they wrote to themselves during their freshman year that has been stored in a time capsule until the senior retreat. The retreat provides the seniors with an opportunity to bond with each other and reconnect with and grow closer to those they love and who are such significant parts of their every day lives. These young men and women then leave the retreat to return home with a charge to become better servant leaders within the school, the church, and the world. Retreats are designed as an opportunity to explore students’ faith and spirituality, spending their days filled with creative activities, group discussions, quiet time, prayer, and prayer services. The retreats have
a positive and meaningful impact on our students. Our graduates often tell us how meaningful their retreats were to them. Upon returning to school, students are refreshed and revitalized from their time of reflection and community. For the rest of the school year, students look back at their retreats and remember what they learned and how they worked together to overcome challenges.
The junior class journeys to Camp Minikani in Hubertus, Wisconsin. There, the students are faced with overcoming challenges. During their time at camp, students engage in outdoor challenges including ropes courses, balancing on wires, and climbing a rock wall. Students learn how to overcome obstacles, sometimes independently, sometimes collaboratively, to conquer a challenge. The retreat is an opportunity for students to grow friendships and strengthen the Messmer community bond by collectively navigating through some of these group exercises. The senior retreat is unique and it is something the students look forward to from the first day they arrive at Messmer High School. This MESSMERMINI
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STAFF VOLUNTEER PROFILE
STAFF VOLUNTEER PROFILE
MESSMER THANKS “DOUBLE TRIPLE” ALUM
NANCY PLICHTA V
olunteers make a tremendous impact to any community in which they choose to serve. In many ways, they make meaningful connections with those they assist. For the past five years, Messmer Catholic Schools has been fortunate to have volunteer, Nancy Plichta, support our students at the St. Rose and St. Leo Catholic School campus. After retiring from her job with the City of Milwaukee, Nancy was looking to do some volunteer work. “I had to decide if I wanted to work with the elderly or with kids,” says Nancy. “I have always believed that literacy and education changes lives, so I decided to work with young students.” She found the School Sisters of Notre Dame volunteer program, Rising Stars Volunteer Tutors, and decided to serve in their mission of strengthening reading and math skills of at-risk students in the city of Milwaukee. Nancy was delighted to see both Messmer Preparatory Catholic School and St. Rose and St. Leo Catholic School on the list of schools they serve. Over five years ago on her first day of volunteering, Nancy knew that this was where she should be. “When I walked in, I was immediately struck with the atmosphere: doors were open, kids were under control, I could hear teachers giving their lessons in the classrooms. And I was blown away by the artwork that covered the walls. The teachers and counselors are very professional, supportive, and available.” Nancy has worked with our second graders in both reading and math. She helps students that are struggling and who need 10
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some extra one-on-one support. Nancy volunteers once a week and spends the mornings working one-on-one with six to eight second graders for 20-30 minutes each. “Meeting with the second graders is a lot of fun and always make me laugh. They want to know about me and about my husband.” Nancy takes the time to connect with each student she tutors through conversations about their lives, likes, dislikes, and extra-curricular activities. Not only does Nancy get to know her students well, but she also gets to know their family members. The personal relationships she has formed with the children is cherished long after they move on from second grade. Many of her former students often stop in to say hello and give her a hug when they see her in the hallways. At the end of each tutoring session, Nancy often gives the students a small incentive, such as a fun pencil, books, individual packs of tissues, etc. Nancy finds that these small tokens increase their positive self-images. She brings books with her from the School Sisters of Notre Dame so each student in the class has a book of his/her own by the end of the semester. “What is most rewarding is the changes and growth shown in the kids,” Nancy says. “Once they open up and give you a hug, they always want a hug.” Nancy always finds the positive qualities in the children that she tutors. She is a wonderful asset to our school community, and we feel blessed that she has chosen to become a vital part of our Messmer family.
LEWIS LEA
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any of you have heard the terms “double-double” and “triple-double” during basketball season. We give thanks here to a “doubletriple” Messmer alumnus, Lewis Lea. Lewis is a 1992 graduate of Messmer High School. He returned to Messmer ools in 2008 as the Sch olic Cath r Messme Lewis Lea with current t coach) Jim Piatt. Principal of St. Rose President (then assistan and St. Leo Catholic School. Lewis was the Director of Elementary Education for Messmer Preparatory School and St. Rose and St. Leo Catholic School when he left to accept another educational position in the fall of 2014. As with his student years, Mr. Lea’s tenure of service to Messmer Catholic Schools coincided with another period of great need and new opportunity at Messmer. His four years as a student at Messmer, from 1988 to 1992, came between Messmer’s history under the management of the Archdiocese and Messmer’s eligibility for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Likewise, his tenure as an educator and administrator for the elementary operations of Messmer Catholic Schools came during another period of considerable challenges. During his service, Messmer was enlisted to take over the operation of more struggling Catholic elementary schools and would do so facing
the unprecedented effects of the Archdiocesan bankruptcy. Mr. Lea worked tirelessly to provide stability in environments experiencing the highest degrees of change and uncertainty. Messmer President Jim Piatt stated, “I have the fondest memories of Lewis as a senior student when I arrived as a teacher at Messmer in 1991 and also of his sister, Tangela, and brother, Tryson. I also have the highest regard for their parents, Lewis and Barbara Lea. I have deep gratitude to him for the dedication and loyalty he again showed to Messmer when he returned as a professional educator and administrator. I attest that the responsibilities placed upon him were as extensive as any administrator I have known in my 25 years in education. Mr. Lea really ‘took the point’ to establish Messmer’s leadership at Saint Rose and Saint Leo. Our present and future work moving forward at both our St. Mary Czestochowa (Messmer Prep) and St. Rose campus sites includes his determined service as a foundational contribution. We look forward to Lewis’s future visits to Messmer’s schools, where he arrives with the well-earned honor as “double alum” with two terms of study and service, and as a “triple alum” having learned and worked at all three Messmer Catholic Schools’ campuses. Thanks Mr. Lea!!!
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