THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
“His Lordship” Dr. Stephen Marino ‘71, a Prep alumnus and chair of the English Department at SFP, poses with students at the “royal banquet” which was held in an east wing classroom.
Fostering a love for the arts and sciences has been part of the Franciscan tradition since the Prep was founded more than 150 years ago. “Among the many things that sets us apart and makes the Prep learning experience unique, is the dedication and passion of my colleagues on the faculty, and the availability of many interesting course electives.” said Dr. Stephen Marino ‘71, Chair of the English Department. In addition to the state mandated requirements, Prep also offers many other electives including Drama, World Literature, Shakespeare, and Poetry. On April 29, students in the freshman English Honors class held a Renaissance Festival to celebrate their reading of Shakespeare’s Othello. Prepsters conducted research on life during Elizabethan England, including the types of clothes worn by all classes of people and the kinds of food they ate. They dressed up and even went so far as to prepare food for a “royal banquet.” In keeping with old traditions of the time, this celebration was presided over by “his lordship” Dr. Marino, to whom the students gave “proper homage.” “Several research studies show that students who periodically have a little fun during class end up learning more because there minds are actively engaged.” said Marino.
SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM Congratulations to Kelly Corrigan ‘10, (pictured at right) who presented her work at the The Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) national competition, and placed first in the Biological Sciences category for her research on childhood neuroblatoma. JSHS invites high school students to submit a paper on an original research investigation in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics. Additionally, Elizabeth Matamoros ‘10 placed first in the Engineering category of the JSHS competition and Dana Hemlall ‘10 placed third in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category. St. Francis Prep is the only Catholic school represented among the JSHS winners. Elizabeth Matomoros ‘10 placed first in the Engineering category of the JSHS competition. She will be attending Harvard University in the Fall.
Dana Hemlall ‘10 placed third in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category. She will be attending Chestnut Hill College.
In addition, 13 members of the senior class of 2010 participated in the New York City Science and Engineering Fair and five were named Finalists; Kelly Corrigan, Matt Kraljic, Elizabeth Matamoros, Shelly-Ann Rohitsingh, and Carlos Sanchez. Once again, the Prep was the only Catholic school in the city with finalists. Congratulations to all of these fine students, and to the Science Department faculty members whose support and encouragement led to the high level of participation and achievement in these competitions. 15