31 minute read
The Power ofMercy
POWEROF MERCY
“Thepoorneedhelptoday,
VENERABLE CATHERINE MCAULEY
Catherine’s spirit of outreach and service that was instilled in our students here continues throughout high school, college, and beyond.
The Spirit ofMercy Shines Through COVID-19
FEEDING THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
Itwasnosurprise toseetheWaldron Mercyfamilystep uptosupport communities throughoutthe DelawareValley duringthefirstfew monthsofCOVID-19!
SUPPORTING ESSENTIAL WORKERS
The Parents Association’s Outreach Committee rallied our families to fund a full seven nights ofmeals for the men at Project HOME’s St. Columba residence at 41st and Chestnut Streets. The meals were prepared and delivered by Jack's Firehouse, owned by the parents ofMichael Houston ’18.
In just a month and a half, Elizabeth McCauley McCall ’00 gathered more than 2,000 masks, thousands ofpairs ofgloves and foot covers, 100+ protective goggles, several dozen lab coats, and even cleaning supplies for healthcare workers and first responders in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. “This was our very small way ofsupporting healthcare worker efforts and trying to do our part to make their jobs easier,” she explained.
Trustee Beth Delaney (parent ofKatie ’02, Colleen ’06 and John ’07), Mary Beth Connors (parent ofDanielle ’00), Debbie Corr (wife ofJames ’82) and a group of Associates in Mercy funded weekly pizza nights for residents at Project HOME’s Women of Change shelter at 20th and Arch Streets in lieu ofmonthly in-person dinners.
Jenny Spinner and the rest ofthe McGahey family (including Quinn ’20, rising fifth grader Ciaran, and rising second grader Finn) collected more than 1,200 bagged lunches for St. John’s Hospice and four oversized tubs ofnutritious food items for the Green Light Pantry. “We decided to focus specifically on people experiencing homelessness as an acknowledgment ofour privilege ofhaving a home in which to shelter,” explained Jenny.
After our doors closed in March, Principal Ann Marie Braca wanted to make sure the extra masks WMA had on campus were put to good use. She reached out to one ofour physician families and, along with Merion Mercy Academy, donated 500 masks to Penn Medicine and CHOP. Mrs. Braca was later informed that due to the critical mask shortage at the time, WMA’s masks replaced those worn by medical stafffor multiple days in a row.
We put out a call to our families to see if they had masks to donate; Maria Cacia and Michael Carosella, parents ofrising third grader Chase Carosella, answered. They gave masks they had in stock at their South Philadelphia business, C&RBuilding Supply, to physician parent Dr. GeoffHayden, who works at Jefferson Hospital (pictured with his daughter Anderson on the day he picked up the masks). Overall, the couple says they donated hundreds and hundreds ofmasks to different doctors and hospitals. “It was the least we could do,” Maria declared.
Carrie Santoro, mother ofrising eighth grader Jake, coordinated an effort that raised nearly $22,000 to fund 3,950 meals for essential workers -- including sanitation workers, medical staff, and grocery store employees throughout the region. The meals were intended to lift the morale ofrecipients, while supporting small businesses at the same time; all meals came from local restaurants, such as Campo’s Deli, run by Mia Campo ’98, Michael Campo ’97 and their parents. Carrie gives a lot ofcredit to the WMA community. “So many WMA families contributed money, and suggested places that could use meals and restaurants that could use our help,” Carrie said.
Beyond our Walls
Our alums know a thing or two a bout giving back... Maeve Pinheiro ’17 raised $32,818 in just seven weeks for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! S he was selected to participate in LLS’s nationwide philanthropic leadership program called Students ofthe Year. From January to March, Maeve used her Mercy Spirit to raise money for the organization. The funds will be used to further research and treatment ofblood cancers and to provide assistance to patients and families.
Maeve
Lauren Starker ’14 was part ofthe Public Relations Committee for THON at Penn State, helping to raise awareness about THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.
The year-long effort culminates in a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon each February to stand against childhood cancer. As part ofher duties this year, Lauren escorted student press and national press representatives around during the dance marathon. “Outreach has been important to me
Lauren since hono I attended red that Pe Waldron nn State Me still rcy and gives m I e am the opportunity to serve the community,” said Lauren, who also helped throughout the year with THON fundraising events through her sorority.
Maya Murray ’17 recently finished her term on the Teen Board ofThe Starfish Project for Children, a program aimed at inspiring children and young adults to get involved in service. As a member, she helped imagine and plan community service projects. Her next step is to finish organizing a designated, wide-reaching service club in her high school.
Maya, a rising senior at The Baldwin School, also participates in a Project HOME program in the summer, engaging in projects to fight hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Philadelphia, and plans to join an outreach organization in college.
“I always want to give back to my community somehow,” Maya revealed.
Maya
F a m i l i e s o f
Each WMA family brings a unique value to our school and has been a part ofmaking WMA what we are today. This overwhelming sense ofcommunity lives within WMA. The contributions ofour families’ time, talents, and resources are generous and greatly appreciated; even more importantly, the presence of each family adds to the blessings ofthe Circle ofMercy here at WMA. We’d like to introduce you to a few ofour families...
M u l l e n
It’s no hyperbole to say that ifyou are part ofthe WMA family, you have been impacted in some way by Jeffand Suzanne Mullen. Jeffhas served on the Board ofTrustees for nine years, and Suzanne has helped outfit our students in Spirit Wear for about seven years. Their family has seen four kids graduate from WMA with one still to go!
Connor ’11 is a St. Joseph’s Prep grad in 2015, Penn State in 2019, and is now working for Deloitte in Philadelphia. Kelsey ’12 attended Merion Mercy Academy and graduated from Penn State this year. She entered Temple University’s Occupational Therapy Program in June! Just like her sister, Noelle ’15 graduated from MMA and just completed her freshman year at the University of Delaware. Shane ’17 is a junior at St. Joseph’s Prep, and the youngest Mullen, Kevin, is a rising sixth grader.
Suzanne says that the Mercy charism has become an important part oftheir lives. “It’s everywhere that Waldron touches. We saw it being nourished in our children. They each have Mercy in their hearts and for that we will be forever grateful.”
M c G i l l
Adrian and Dr. Alana McGill and their children, rising seventh grader AJ, rising first grader Ava, and rising kindergartener Avery, are a proud WMA family. Alana says that Waldron Mercy challenges their children every day to learn more and reach their highest potential. Through this, she says, all three have gained a motivation to learn.
“We love that they are so excited about what they are learning and all ofthe friendships they have made over the years,” said Alana.
W a l d r o n
“TheTenderMercyof Godhasgivenusoneanother.”
VENERABLE CATHERINE MCAULEY
A v i t a b i l e
Charlie (rising third grader) and Emily (rising kindergartener) both began their Waldron Mercy education at our Child Care facility - “up the hill.” Their younger brother, Teddy, will enter preschool in the fall. “He can’t wait to go to ‘big school’,” Dr. Kate Avitabile proclaimed.
There is a lot that Kate and her husband Mark love about WMA, including the Mercy charism, the focus on social justice, and the art and music programs. They are great supporters ofthe school - Kate, a cardiologist at CHOP, has also lent her expertise to teach our youngest students about having healthy hearts, and they say they love bidding at Tigerfest!
C a r t e r
Meet Joan, Bryan, and rising eighth grader Elaina Carter! They have been part ofthe WMA family since Elaina started preschool 10 years ago, thanks to a family friend with a then fourth grader. “When we moved from Chicago to Philadelphia, a friend insisted that we live in Narberth, near her, and that we enroll Elaina at Waldron Mercy Academy,” explained Joan. “Our due diligence revealed that Waldron Mercy had a stellar reputation.”
The family is very involved at WMA. Elaina can be seen onstage in our performing arts programs, which her parents also love because they develop performance skills and confidence in students. Bryan is an active member ofour Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
S h o r t
Jill, Adam, and their daughters became part ofthe Waldron Mercy family when they enrolled Ainsley and Marlowe in pre-k and preschool.
“We felt an immediate connection with the faculty and those teachers in preschool and pre-k that helped us and our kids with the transition to a new school where they did not know anyone. That connection has carried through all the years and we have found the faculty and administration create a very supportive environment for our girls,” reflected Jill.
Now rising fifth and fourth graders, their daughters have participated in everything from H.O.P.E. lunches to BetterBall. The two are also big fans ofpizza day in the cafeteria!
The last three months of school were unlike any other in Waldron Mercy’s history as our community navigated the COVID-1 9 pandemic. Students and teachers rose to the challenge of performing their usual in-classroom tasks from home.
For the oldest students, distance learning was the culmination of their efforts over the past eight years, and proof of how far they have come. “WMA set the stage very beautifully for this experience,” reflected Alex Parson, mother of 2020 graduate Henry Parson. “Time management and independence was so ingrained in him already. So I think the kids took what they learned and used that during virtual learning. The original tools were just enhanced in the last few months.”
This was all possible thanks to the creative thinking of the Waldron Mercy faculty, who found ways to be flexible around students’ at-home limitations. As part of a research project on the Saints of Mercy fifth grade teacher Dan Kane assigned a paper, but also asked students to complete a creative project. Some students chose to dress as the Saint and act out a presentation, while one created a stop-motion LEGO animation.
Creating clear expectations was crucial to this self-sufficiency. “With time, I got better at making sure students and parents knew exactly what was expected of them by providing detailed rubrics. With that consistency, I saw a lot more participation and a lot more success,” said Dan.
Faculty members fostered independence across all grade levels as they worked hard to keep classrooms connected and on top of the curriculum. “My daughter learned how to adapt quickly to significant change and maintain independence in her learning. She also learned the importance of building self-confidence and trust amongst her peers, teachers and parents as she worked to complete the assignments with limited oversight,” relayed Eboney Oliver, mother of rising seventh grader Téa Oliver.
Innovative teachers were the keys to instilling and introducing independent behaviors in the youngest students. Rachel Gilbert and Rachael Jordan quickly recognized that their kindergarteners needed constant parental supervision to complete daily lessons plans. They decided to change that by putting technology to the test -- narrating the instructions for every single daily lesson and embedding the recordings into their teacher website.
“For example, I’d tell them to click the blue words to watch the next video lesson. It was all detailed so they could follow along,” Rachel explained. “The parents said kids liked hearing my voice, too; that it brought them some comfort.”
The second grade team used a similar technique to enable students to finish a biography research assignment started prior to the building closure. Already armed with the basic knowledge of PebbleGo and other research websites available to them, students followed step-by-step videos created by their teachers to complete their research and fill out graphic organizers.
For some, it was a blessing in disguise to be challenged to use technology in a new way. The fourth grade social studies curriculum covers U.S. geography, and, unable to use her originally planned lessons, Meg Kinson found a new way to teach her students: virtual tours of the
SCHOOL’S OUT:
National Parks. “In real time, we watched Old Faithful erupt as a class. We also climbed glaciers in Alaska and went into volcanoes in Hawaii,” Kinson remembered with excitement on her face. The students had so much fun with these experiences that Kinson plans to incorporate these virtual tours into her future in-classroom lessons.
TEACHING AND LEARNING DURING A PANDEMIC
The resourcefulness of teachers truly shined when it came to student assessment. As a preschool teacher, Sandy Evans typically assesses her students based on what she sees in the classroom. So she turned to the next best thing: pictures. She asked parents to send her photographs of their children working with scissors and crayons, and she would give feedback on how to help their child manipulate the objects. She also had the students play virtual musical chairs as an evaluation tool during all-classroom video meetings. “When the music stopped, I would ask questions to make sure that they were doing their assignments at home,” she explained. In Middle School, teachers also found new ways to measure student knowledge.
Eighth grade teacher Katie DeSanto transitioned to small weekly projects after realizing her weekly vocabulary quizzes were not going to be effective in a digital format.
“I tried to find creative assignments that wouldn’t have them in front of the computer the whole time and encouraged them to think outside the box,” she said. One of her favorite assignments was asking students to use vocabulary words while creating a Weird Al-style parody of a song about their experiences in quarantine. Teachers also cut down on screen time by sending students home the day the building closed with backpacks full of workbooks and textbooks. In early May, Lower School teachers provided students with additional physical materials. “Being able to go to school and get hard copies of the novel they read in third grade, and teacherdesigned work packets which included spelling, grammar and reading comprehension activities was an excellent idea!” enthused Maria Olivero Aliaga, mother of Ignacio Aliaga. “For the kids, it was like a little gift coming from school for them.”
A Waldron Mercy education is not only about imparting knowledge -- it’s about building connections and looking after the emotional wellbeing of students. The imaginative faculty worked hard to meet these needs despite the physical distance required by the pandemic. Katie DeSanto used a program that started every Language Arts class with an emotional check so she could follow up with students as needed. Fifth grade hosted an afternoon virtual recess for the students once a week that was purely social by design.
“It was important to have that time and prioritize it. We’d play Pictionary, trivia, Scattergories, etc. Isolation and social distancing was hard for the kids, so we wanted to try and ease it for them,” Dan Kane explained.
Teachers also used their Zoom video calls not only as a time for instruction, but a time to bond.
“My favorite way to stay connected was by talking in Zoom classes,” relayed Téa Oliver.
Rising fourth grader Ignacio Aliaga agreed. “We would do riddles with Mrs. Flatley during our meeting, which made it super fun.”
Bonding was especially important to the eighth grade and kindergarten teachers, who had worked all year to build relationships among their students through the Big and Little Buddy program.
“Kindergarteners loved connecting with their eighth grade Big Buddy, so we didn’t want to leave the year without doing it again,” said Rachel Gilbert. Together, the kindergarten and eighth grade teams created a scavenger hunt that the Big and Little Buddies completed together over a video call.
Some used Zoom as a way to connect students in Mercy. “I would give my fifth graders tasks to do, tell them to do something for their mother that she didn’t ask them to do, and tell the class about it over Zoom,” Dan said. “In Mercy, it’s a social thing -- giving them tasks to make other people happy, especially those closest to them.”
Of course, the teachers’ ability to innovate and foster independence skills already taught at WMA would not have been possible without the help of the wonderful parent community.
“We appreciate the school surveying parents for input and that the teachers acted on our suggestions,” said Eboney Oliver, a sentiment echoed by many parents who reached out to administrators by email.
The parents also helped one another through their experiences at home.
“A group chat kept us all engaged and happy,” said Maria Olivero Aliaga. “We had so much fun as parents sharing how our techsavvy 9-year-olds knew better than us what to do.”
As the pandemic continues to change the world, one thing is certain: together, the WMA family is prepared to tackle whatever challenges come its way.
“ Drawpersonsto Godbyyourwords, byyourexample, and bytheworksofMercy. VENERABLE CATHERINE MCAULEY ” congRAtulAtio Newswor ns, hy
The day was beautiful, the sky clear...the perfect day to hold the clAss of 2020! first WMA drive-up graduation! Families parked in two rows to watch our administrators and faculty members announce recipients of scholarships and awards while also listening over a radio broadcast.
Students walked in a socially distanced procession to pick up gift bags containing their diplomas, academic awards, and sports awards.
OUR GRADUATES WILL CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION: Merion Mercy Academy Central High School St. Joseph’s Preparatory School The Episcopal Academy LaSalle College High School Haverford High School Sacred Heart Academy The Shipley School The Agnes Irwin School
OUR STUDENTS RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING SCHOLARSHIPS: Afull-tuition, Academic Scholarship from Academic Scholarships from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Merion Mercy Academy Two Mercy Scholarships from Archbishop Carroll HS Merion Mercy Academy St.ThomasMoreAlumni Scholarshipto Honorable Mention Mercy Scholarship from Merion Mercy Academy Merion Mercy Academy The Ignatian Scholarship from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
WMA Receives Middle stAtes AccReditAtion
We are proud to announce that Waldron Mercy once again received accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education! Representatives from the organization visited our campus in the fall to interview students and faculty members as part of the process to become re-accredited. Part of the process also required the creation of an Action Research Plan that will sustain excellence in the school for years to come. Our faculty and staff chose to focus on a plan to benefit the mental health of our students: building grit and resilience. Faculty members began creating changes in educational strategies and curricula in the fall of 201 9 and will continue to do so until 2022. P r i n c i p a l ’ s S c h o l a r s h i p f r o m S t . J o s e p h ’ s P r e p a r a t o r y S c h o o l X a v i e r S c h o l a r s h i p f r o m S t . J o s e p h ’ s P r e p a r a t o r y S c h o o l M u s i c S c h o l a r s h i p f r o m S t . J o s e p h ’ s P r e p a r a t o r y S c h o o l
legAcy students Our alums have so much confidence in a Mercy education that they send their children here! Pictured are students who have a parent or grandparent who graduated from WMA or Merion Mercy Academy.
tigeRfest tuRns viRtuAl
Our favorite spring fundraiser looked a little different this year! Dressed in everything from casual attire to their finest, our families logged on to raise a glass to WMA from their living room! Attendees bid on old favorites and new items, competed in virtual trivia, and cheered as raffle ticket winners were announced live.
1990s
lauryn overbey ’94 was published in the May 2020 edition of Tablets & Capsules magazine, a technical publication for the pharmaceutical industry. Lauren is a pharmaceutical sales representative for ACg World. She is a graduate of Merion Mercy Academy, and earned an undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University and her master’s from St. Joseph's U niversity.
2000s
Jim flowers ’01 married Alana Tomarchio on September 7, 201 9. The couple lives in South Philadelphia. Jim is also the son of current WMA nurse Candace Flowers.
gianna spignardo ’07 was recently promoted to Learning & Development Specialist at PFM in Center City, w here she works closely with the Human Resources team and PFM’s Diversity & Inclusion Council. gianna graduated from Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in 201 1 and received her bachelor’s degree from Drexel University in 201 6.
Kate Brennan ’95 and husband gregory DeCandia welcomed son Ignacio Charles DeCandia to the world on September 20, 201 9. In November, Drexel University premiered Kate’s musical, ALiEN8, co-written with NJ playwright David Lee White. Antoine Albert ’04 received a Juris Doctor from georgetown University Law Center where he was part of the global Law Scholar program. He is a graduate of LaSalle College High School and Morehouse College.
Justin Montague ’11 will spend ten months in Chile on a Fulbright Scholarship to research obesity in children. Upon his return from Chile, Justin will attend Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is a graduate of Loyola University ’1 9 and St. Joseph’s Preparatory School ’1 5.
Michala Maciolek ’13 is spending her summer interning in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Analyst Development P rogram, which is known as one of the top 1 0 most prestigious internships in the country. Michala is a student at Syracuse University where she is majoring in Business Management a nd also working towards a minor in Political Science. She is a 201 7 graduate of The Agnes Irwin School.
nicoleta Arcidiacono ’16, a 2020 graduate from Merion Mercy Academy, was honored by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for being part of the top three percent of the Class of 2020 from all Catholic high schools in the Philadelphia area. She will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall.
lauren Zarro’16 is attending Drexel University in the fall afterreceiving early acceptance into the ComputerScience Program. She is a 2020 graduate from Merion Mercy Academy.
Jimmy King ’17 and nile Andah ’17, members of St. Joseph's Prep Mission and Ministry Leadership Team, spent time with noted Jesuit priest, Father James Martin, SJ, after he spoke to the high school students.
Opera singer donata cucinotta ’96 is teaching voice and piano lessons online after the pandemic cancelled her operas and concerts until 2021 . She has also used her talents to raise money for the Indianapolis Opera’s education programming by performing in a live streamed concert in June.
y H P A R g T O O H P R E v E R O F
Harry gaffney ’04 wed sweetheart Mellana at a ceremony in Brooklyn in November 201 9. Cousin frank dilella ’98 officiated while 2004 classmates Kelvin Johnson, Brannen liang, and Andrew tyron were in attendance. In June 2020, Harry started a new job as the Sales Operations Manager at the tech company Megaphone. daniela colavita ’12 graduated from Loyola University this spring, where she was awarded the Carrell Biology Medal for highest gPA in Biology, the Forensic Studies Medal for Highest gPA in Forensic Studies, and the Whelan Medal for the highest gPA in all subjects. Daniela, the daughter of current staff member Sonia Colavita, is also a 201 6 graduate of Merion Mercy Academy.
Paige Hodges ’12 will attend Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry in the fall, after also being accepted to Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Paige graduated from Howard University this year with a 4.0 gPA, where she was also inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Andrea-Rose oates ’18 competed in the National American Miss Pageant, Junior Teen Division, held in Anaheim, CA. Andi, a sophomore at The Agnes Irwin School, placed first in the oratory and actress segments and was second runner up among 91 contestants from across the country. Marcus Miller’19 was recognized as a Class of 2023 Rising Star at St. Joseph’s Prep Bakari Awards, an annual celebration recognizing the achievements of Black, Brown, and multiracial students.
John Avicolli ’91 and wife Meredith w elcomed the arrival of son Jack Thomas Avicolli on March 3, 2020.
Michael Mcginley ’95, his wife A ndrea, and their daughter Elise, welcomed baby Michael on November 24, 201 9. eddie Keels ’98 and his wife Elise w elcomed daughter Sydney Louise on January 28, 2020.
Noelle Elise Pagano was born on M ay 1 4, 2020 to K risty constantino Pagano ’00 and her husband Mark. Noelle has a big sister, Nicolette.
izzy Boucas-neto ’94, her husband Edward Lyons, and big brother Eddie welcomed baby sister Eloise on March 26, 2020. A graduate of Merion Mercy Academy and Fordham University, Izzy and her family are residents of Ardmore, Pa. Cameron grace was born to dana cairone iacono ’98 and her husband Thomas on March 3, 2020.
Rory Killian was born to sean vincent ’01 and wife Anne Elizbeth on August 25, 201 9 at noon sharp. Sean manages the Legal Affairs department at Health Partners Plans and Anne Elizabeth is a Senior Consultant at Deloitte.
Rachel Bowe Paley ‘02, her husband Chris Paley and their son Benjamin welcomed Clara Jane Paley into their family on July 7, 201 9. After 8 years in NyC and Hoboken, Rachel and her family relocated back to Newtown Square, Pa. in October.
InMemor am
nick Augustine
Brother of faculty member
Mary Augustine John Baxter
Father of Kim Baxter, Former Trustee
James Bracken
Father of Jim Bracken ’75, Grandfather of Megan Mcinnes ’00, garrett Mcinnes ’01, and erin Mcinnis ’04
samuel colucci
Uncle of lily and grace colucci ’19
diane conwell
Wife of charles conwell ’53
Alice Bateman doyle
Mother of Alice ’89, nell ’90, Bob ’91, liz ’94, Agnes, and Molly Bateman
dr. Robert falbey ’64 Patricia fitzPatrick
Grandmother of Meghan fitzPatrick ’04,
Burk fitzPatrick ’07, tricia Markey ’11,
and Mary cate Markey ’13
Antionette gallone
Grandmother of Katie gallone ’18
Jean grandizio
Mother of staff member fran gallagher, grandmother of lizann gallagher
Mclaughlin ’94, caroline gallagher
finnegan ’02, christine ’00, and
charles ’05 gallagher sr. virginia Hasson, RsM
Sister of Sr. Mary Hasson, faculty
Anne Kakos
Grandmother of frank Kakos ’12, Mother-in-law of faculty member
carolina Kakos sr. elizabeth Ann Kelly, RsM
Former faculty member
Annabelle logue
Grandmother of caitlin curran ’00,
Patrick curran ’02, Jack curran ’05, JJ
Berenato ’99, and lauren Berenato ’01
Maureen stumm lucas
Mother of Misty stumm Rice ’95
Paul leach
Father of Patrick leach ’90
Kittie Mae logan
Mother of steve logan, former faculty; mother-in-law of staff member
sharon logan terry J. McHugh, iii ’49 douglas and Mary Ann Miner
Grandfather and grandmother of Brendan ’03 and Katie ’06 smith; mother-in-law of faculty member
Mary Pat Miner Kerry Pacifico
Stepfather of William frio ’84 and grandfather of Joey frio ’11
cheryl Monzo
Mother of louis Monzo ’93 and
Marissa Monzo Harrow ’99 Meg Panas
Former Faculty
eugene Piccolo
Great-grandfather of colin cahill
dr. William Purner
Father of Andrea Purner orsini ’91
Angelo victor emanuel Rucci
Father of Ralph Rucci ’71
Mildred Ricchiuti
Grandmother of samantha ’07; mother-in-law of lisa Ricchiuti, faculty
Mary schwab
Grandmother of christina schwab ’17
Marie Antoinette turzo*
Grandmother of christian turzo-egan ’10
Meredith young ’96
Sister of Matthew young ’95 and
Meghan young ’05
*We appreciate the generosity ofthe family of Marie Antoinette Turzo who requested that, in lieu offlowers, donations be made to the Montessori Program at WMA.
Ways toGive
GIFT OF TIME
Dave DeAngelis ’91 is not only a graduate, but is also the father of rising sixth grader Annalise DeAngelis. Since he and his wife Jen enrolled their daughter in our Montessori program, they have donated countless hours of their time to WMA.
Dave just wrapped up his year as the President of the Parents Association, and he deserves extra thanks as he en ha Co led d of ve b mm the group through a year than expected! een members of the ittee for the last thre much different He and his wife Tigerfest e years, attending “i think sometimes people forget how much of an impact meetings, giving input and ideas, and helping their elementary with the sometimes arduous task of set up school, especially and breakdown for the one like WMA, had event. He especially on their early helped make Tigerfest a foundations. ” success this year when it had to turn virtual! volunteering his time to Waldron Mercy appears to be second nature. Dave steps up wherever needed to further the mission of the school and is very humble about accepting praise for his work.
“I went to school here and a lot of my life's values and morals were formed here with teachers and coaches,” he explained. “Now I have a chance to give back and give my daughter the same experience.”
Dave has also brought his extensive experience to the Facilities Committee of the Board for the past two years, helping make sure that our building is the best it can be for our students.
On most spring weekends you can find Dave, assisted by Jen, painting or building sets for both the Lower School and Middle School plays - even this year, he was well into prep work for both events before COvID shut down both performances. It’s not all meetings and manual labor -- Dave does allow himself to have some fun. Dave and Jen are almost permanent fixtures at all on campus events, from parent centered events like Tigerfest to our alumni reunions and happy hours.
“I would love to see more of my fellow alumni at some of these events, whether they are visiting or helping,” he explained. “I think sometimes people forget how much of an impact their elementary school, especially one like WMA, had on their early foundations.”
GIFT OF TREASURE
THE WALDRON ANNUAL FUND The Annual Fund campaign provides support for general operating expenses such as student and faculty programs, curriculum, technology, and building and grounds improvements.
MATCHING GIFTS You can double your support by designating Waldron Mercy Academy as the recipient of matching funds ifyour employer has a matching gift program.
THE UNITED WAY WMA is approved to receive donations through United Way’s Giving Program. Ifyou already use this as a way to give, please consider WMA as a recipient when choosing where to allocate your funds through United Way. Our designation is: Waldron Mercy Academy #14245.
GIFTS OF STOCK You can also give appreciated stock, which is easily transferable and provides special tax benefits. Please contact us for more information.
PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS OWNERS
Ifyour company pays Pennsylvania state income tax, it may be possible to give the funds to WMA instead. Through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, your company can receive a substantial tax credit while supporting WMA’s Student Aid Fund. Certain individuals may now direct their tax dollars, too! Review this opportunity with your tax adviser and contact our advancement office.
THE EDGAR H. GRIFFITHS ’35 PLANNED
GIVING SOCIETY Even after his death, Edgar made sure that his generosity to Waldron Mercy would continue by remembering Waldron Mercy in his will, which noted the impact the Sisters ofMercy had on his life. We hope that you will be inspired to follow Edgar and Mary Griffiths’ example and include Waldron Mercy in your estate plans. Your gift will have a significant effect on the education Waldron Mercy Academy provides to present and future students.
THE GUZZARDI SCHOLARSHIP FUND
This fund was established by brothers Robert ’58, Lawrence ’60, and Michael ’64 Guzzardi in memory of their parents, Salvatore and Tina Guzzardi. Your gift to this fund will enable WMA to provide financial assistance to deserving students.
513 Montgomery Avenue Merion Station, PA 19066
A DDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
CONNECT WITH WMA IN 2020-2021! Keep an eye on our website and social media pages to learn how to connect with and support Waldron Mercy during the 2020/2021 school year! Do you know a family that would be a www.waldronmercy.org great addition to WMA? Send an email to admissions@waldronmercy.org and a member of our Admissions team will get in touch with them!
