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Eagles Prove Motto ‘Sharing Is Caring’

Sammie Paris The Christmas season is all about helping others and spreading joy and love to all, but especially those who don’t have a lot of it. Notre Dame Academy girls are blessed and kind enough to be able to share what they have and make sure everyone in the community has a merry Christmas. Many of NDA’s girls are using the Christmas spirit to give back to the community and ensure that everyone is taken care of and spending the holidays with enough resources and happiness. This is being done by giving back to others through various ways, and here are some examples that NDA girls have shared with The Vista staff.

What are you doing this season to give to others?

* “This season to give to others, I am planning on donating old clothes and toys to those in need.” junior Bella Hsia said. * “This season, my family helps set up a giving tree at our church and donates items to all members of a certain family,” junior Megan Sturgeon said.

* “My family and I adopt a family from a local homeless shelter to buy Christmas presents for each year,” junior Emi Rindler said.

* “Elena, Grace, and I are helping Campus Ministry run the Appalachia mission trip that will grant families in need with a beautiful Christmas and presents for their children that they might not have otherwise had,” senior Killian Hoyt said.

* “My family and I took some Thanksgiving dinners down to the homeless shelter in Toledo; we love seeing how the smallest acts of kindness can impact the community as a whole,” junior Morgan Szozda said.

* “My family and I volunteer to set up the main Christmas tree at my church,” senior Marcel Gammoh said.

* “Julia and I are going on the Appalachia Mission Trip and can’t wait to see all the lives we are going to affect by giving them some necessities and fun gifts. The look on the kiddies’ faces when we give them their presents is instantly going to make this a great Christmas,” sophomore Addy Gordy said.

* “My hockey team and I pick a family and after they give us their Christmas list we give them all their top Christmas presents. We all love spreading Christmas joy and playing Santa,” sophomore Reece McMahon said.

* “I am donating to the Appalachia Mission Trip and giving money for Giving Tuesday to make sure Notre Dame Academy gets plenty of new girls that can make our school even better,” Mrs. Alison Nicholson said.

Sophs Pick Mom’s House for Mardi Gras

Sammie Paris

Giving back is such an important part of the Christmas spirit and the mission of Notre Dame Academy. With this being said, sophomores choose a charity every year to support by donating the Mardi Gras proceeds. This year, the sophomore student council chose Mom’s House of Toledo as it is such an important part of the community. “We chose Mom’s House because when researching for charities, we found it and liked what they were doing, which is not only helping young moms so they can still go to school and have a future, but also making sure the kids who are being brought into this world can have a good home and education. Their mission statement stood out to us because it was so captivating; they make it clear what they are providing to help these women,” Sophomore Class President Kaitlyn Diggins said. Mom’s House was started 30 years ago by Christina Rodriguez and is a 5-star childcare center that helps low-income, single moms graduate from high school, technical school and college.

The people of Mom’s House give these moms the support necessary to gain their education and career while also caring for their children. Mom’s House of Toledo ensures that these moms are caring for themselves, as well as their children. With this charity being a 5-star childcare facility, that gives these moms the safety and security they need to feel comfortable leaving their children with childcare professionals to get what they need to get done and ultimately give their kids the best life possible.

This charity is working hard to break the cycle of poverty for working moms and their children, and this is why donations from the community are so important.

“Mom’s House depends on our community to ensure we are able to offer services at the highest level possible. Without our community of supporters, we would not be able to do the work we do,” Mom’s House of Toledo Executive Director Mrs. Christina Rodriguez said.

This money is extremely important to this charity as the more donations and service they get, the more people they can help. However, money donations are not the only way to help Mom’s House and their community.

The NDA sisterhood can also help by just spreading the word about Mom’s House to anyone who will listen; family, friends, through social media or social gatherings. Some other options are scheduling service projects or doing a fundraiser drive with items from the wishlist.

The donations from Mardi Gras NDA girls are giving will go directly towards programming at Mom’s House. Mom’s House has two main programs, the Early Childhood Education and Family Wellness. The money will be able to purchase food, supplies, counseling, and much more that would not otherwise be possible to these families without donations from those in the community.

“Thank you so much! We appreciate your support,” Mrs. Rodriguez said.

The Rant: GPA? Don’t Worry!

A study in 2020 showed that 76 percent of students are often worried about the possibility of not doing well in school. This ties into a student’s academic performance and GPA. One’s GPA is often a number that represents stress and personal value to a student. Whether that number be high or low, students find a way to overwork themselves in order to boost their GPA and self-confidence. According to a recent survey by The Vista staff, about 70 percent of students stress over their GPA’s. Some of these students also said parental figures have a large influence over their academic achievements, creating high stress levels and increased GPA anxiety. However, it is okay to not stress over your GPA. Student GPA’s do not reflect personal value or worth. It is a factor of a student’s academic career; however, it is not the most important quality about the student. Because of these beliefs, students at Notre Dame Academy cannot view their GPA until the end of the semester. Although this might sound alarming to some students, a student who responded to a school survey said, “If I were able to see my GPA, I would constantly stress over it and worry about getting it higher. Also, I feel that NDA students would want to compare theirs with others.” Dean of Academics Mrs. Beth Corrigan agrees with that assessment. “If students could see their GPA’s, they would feel the need to compare one another. A GPA should not define you,” she said. Another reason students stress so much over their GPA is because it affects college acceptance. However, colleges review more than just academic performance. “Colleges use a holistic approach. Colleges like to see long term involvement, so it’s important to start participating sooner rather than later,” College Counselor Mrs. Erin Young said. Extracurricular activities, clubs and service opportunities are great ways to get involved, have fun and create an impressive application. A GPA does not define a student and her personal worth. In the words of Mrs. Young, “A student’s GPA is just one piece of the puzzle.”

Roving Reporter Teacher Edition:

What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?

Gina Napoli

“My New Year's Resolution for 2023 is to value myself and show myself the care that I try to give others. As a people pleaser, I tend to prioritize what will satisfy others above my needs. This is something I want to focus on as I continue to better myself and become the woman I aspire to be.” - Ms. Amanda Meek

“I'm going to keep a mood diary so I can see what factors impact my mental health. I also want to meet or exceed the number of books I read in 2022.” - Mrs. Kelly Wood.

“I'd like to get outside more.” - Mrs. Amy Johns

“My resolution for 2023 is to take walks as much as possible.” - Mr. Casey Feldstein

“Oh, I haven’t even started thinking about that yet; ask me on December 31.” - Mrs. Andrea Zimmerman

“Last year in Florida for New Year’s, I wrote down all worries and concerns, lit the list on fire and let it go in the water. I might or might not do that this year.” - Mrs. Kim Grilliot

“Get more sleep because my daughter keeps me up all night.” - Mr. Mark Richards

“To approach life from a center of peace and calm.” - Mr. Josh Mocek

“I don’t like resolutions because I work on myself daily.” - Mrs. Jessica Beaverson

“My New Year’s Resolution is to start playing piano again.” - Mrs. Kathy Wilkens

“My New Year’s Resolution is 1080p.” Mr. Matt Gruenwald

“I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I like to take action now and not wait for a specific date to do something.” - Mr. Travis Galloway

Roving Reporter Student Edition:

What Are Your Exam Study Tips?

Sammie Paris

“My study tip that I would pass on to someone is making Quizlets and then using them to study with, especially the Learn aspect on Quizlet.” - junior Lauren Heerdegen “My number one priority when it comes to studying for exams is sleep. A good night's sleep is the first step in properly preparing for exams, and after sleeping, I am able to study hard and well for my exams.” - junior Marin Gaubert “My best tip I can give to someone is to rewrite all the notes and look at study guides.” - sophomore Dylan Meyer “I definitely think that the best tip is to read the notes like I am teaching them to someone else and to look at the chapters you did the worst on and go over those.” - sophomore Ava Napoli “I write my own study guide and rewrite all my notes in a graphing notebook, but it has to be a graphing notebook because there is just something about it that makes the studying process so much easier.” - sophomore Hailey Gomez said. “Study a little bit of every subject every day leading up to exams, because that will make it all seem less stressful. Also find yourself a place that you feel comfortable and awake and make sure you have lots of snacks.” - senior Ava Foor

“My biggest tip is to physically write out study materials by hand because handwriting is significantly better for retention than typing,” - senior Carly McMahon

“Rewrite all your old homework and notes in blue ink because that improves your memory of it.” - junior Siona Naik “Make sure not to use other people’s study guides or Quizlets because you actually, physically making them is what builds your learning and memory of the information. Also, definitely do not wait until the night before to study, and rather make a chart or schedule so you feel prepared when the exam day actually comes.” - senior Molly Poitinger