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We hope you enjoy our latest issue of Connections, a quarterly newsletter brought to you by The Epiphany School Foundation.
We thank you for reading and welcome you to share your feedback and suggestions by emailing
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A MESSAGE FROM KEVIN GREANEY
Chairman, Foundation Board of Trustees
It has been an exciting year at The Epiphany School Foundation. Our Annual Fund Challenge concluded on Tuesday and I want to thank everyone for your tremendous support. We are currently up to 81% participation in this great initiative. Whether you choose to make a small donation or significant contribution to The Foundation, every gift counts towards improving our school programs. The deadline to
make a gift for the 2016-17 school year is June 30, 2017.
I look forward to introducing you to our new trustees who will be joining me on The Foundation Board next year: Arun Banerjee, Jennifer Dowd, Pam Felenstein, Jennifer Monreal-Walsh,
Al Muzaurieta and Chris Tanoff. As we welcome our new members, I must thank Jessica Annunziata, Paul Bowden, Catherine Coluzzi, Franciscus Diaba, Kim Ettin and Kevin Puchert for your commitment to Epiphany and all of your efforts during your time served with us on the board. We will truly miss you but your influence, ideas and innovation will stay with us.
Please keep your eyes open for a survey from The Foundation next week. We would love to hear your feedback as we begin planning our events and campaigns for next year. In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful summer and thank you again for your support.
Warm regards,
Kevin G. Greaney, KM
Chairman, Foundation Board of Trustees
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NEWS FROM 22ND STREET
Mary Jane Higgins '80, Vice Principal
Dear Epiphany Families,
Spring has sprung at 22nd Street! Under the guidance of Ms. O'Mara and Mrs. Murphy, students created masterpieces that were on display at Epiphany's wonderful Art Show. Teachers and students in Grades K through 2 enjoyed a day of games and glee at their first ever Field Day at 22nd St, while our 3rd Graders traveled to St. Joseph's Seminary for a fun outing with Epiphany's older students.
In Kindergarten, the students studied farm animals and the life cycle of plants. They also worked on addition and subtraction skills. Kindergarten has been focusing on the planet Earth and different ways to take care of it. The students are sending their Flat Stanleys to different places around the globe for exciting adventures! Their focus now is shifting to zoo animals, and they were able to enjoy and experience live animals on their trip to the Central Park Zoo. They are all very excited for Graduation and have begun practicing for their special ceremony on June 9th.
Spring has been a busy time in First Grade! The students learned how to tell time and count money. First Graders enjoyed reading chapter books, Henry and Mudge and Cam Jansen! The parents watched the children perform the patriotic Fifty Nifty in the schoolyard. Ms. Hernandez taught the students about the life cycle of the butterfly. The First Grade loved making stained glass crosses to honor Jesus at Easter. They proudly performed their amazing production of Do You Live in a Nest? for their parents.
After months of preparation, the Second Graders made their First Holy Communion on May 6th. They also took part in the May Crowning Ceremony. The students visited Alley Pond Environmental Center to extend the plant and animal unit in Science. They learned about mammals and went on a nature walk to see plants and animals in their natural habitats. They also had the opportunity to meet some new friends who live at the environmental center all year: Phantom the rabbit, Bandit the guinea pig, and Venus the snake! In ELA, the Second Graders have been studying poetry and also writing their own poems. In Social Studies, they researched New York City landmarks, and are compiling their information in class guidebooks encouraging people to visit the Big Apple.
The Third Graders were busy completing their recycling projects for Earth Day in Science. In Social Studies, students learned about Ancient China. The students worked in small groups using Google Slides to research China in more depth and created impressive presentations! The students visited The Museum of Chinese in America to conclude their unit. In Math, they have been working on breaking numbers apart into fractions and observing where to find fractions in their everyday lives. The Third Graders are excited to take their tour of the 28th Street campus in early June to see all the great things in store for next year!
Thank you so much for all of your support throughout the year. I wish you all a blessed, happy summer!
Best,
Mary Jane Higgins '80
22nd Street Vice Principal
The Epiphany School
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WITS: FROM STARTCH TO FINISH
Chefs Gisselle Madariaga & Evie Tavares
CLOSING THE SCHOOL YEAR FILLED WITH JOY AND GRATITUDE
THIS MONTH'S TOP STORIES: POTATO LAB
In April, students had a blast learning all about potatoes while making a healthy crispy roasted potatoes recipe. Did you know that potatoes are a great source of Vitamin C, which is great for our skin, and Vitamin B6, an important nutrient used by our bodies for muscle development?
Kids' Quotes
"The key to your heart is potatoes." - Athena 7th grade
"I love that potatoes are not bad for you after all." - Angelina 7th grade
Cafe Days
We had our second round of Cafe Days in late April. We served tastings of the students' favorite items, or as we themed it, "WITS' Greatest Hits." Big thank you to our guest chefs!
Chef Elliott Prag visited from the Natural Gourmet Institute to help serve chili at the upper school.
Chef Laura Culbreth came all the way from Miami to see how WITS positively impacts change at The Epiphany School. At the lower school's Cafe Day, we had
Chef Olivia Roszkoswki from the Natural Gourmet Institute as well as
Chef Leonor Azpurua from the WITS Florida team.
WHAT'S NEXT?
- Updates from WITS Green Salad Lab and WITS BITS
- Tastings and Lunch Hall of Fame will continue to happen in the cafeteria
Want to keep up to date? Follow The Epiphany School on
Instagram!
Gisselle Madariaga and Evie Tavares
Epiphany WITS
Chefs
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NEWS FROM 28TH STREET
Kiernan LaGuardia, 28th Street English Language Arts
The school year may be winding down, but the learning taking place at Epiphany's upper school campus is not slowing down one bit! On the contrary, the students are challenged by fun and collaborative assignments and captivated by rich literature and creative endeavors.
The fourth graders are ending their first year at the upper school on a high note as they work with their teachers on paper plane math projects. The students are designing and testing paper airplanes! This project calls on the fourth graders to use a number of different mathematical skills. Not only are the students adjusting variables and measuring distances, but they are also recording data and creating graphs to summarize their results! It is a good thing that Ms. McLoughlin and Ms. Colletti are cultivating such strong mathematical skills in the fourth grade, because it will not be long before they are in seventh grade and working on probability and statistics with Ms. Casciano.
The seventh graders may have thought their days of playing "rock, paper, scissors" were over, but that was before they had Ms. Casciano for a math teacher. In order to teach the students the difference between theoretical probability and experimental probability, the students participated in a number of probability experiments that included rolling dice, spinning spinners and playing "rock, paper, scissors" at various work stations set up in the classroom. The students tackled a challenging topic by working together and having fun.
But fun is not limited to the math classes at the upper school. ELA teachers know how much fun reading can be. For example, the fifth graders were captivated by the adventures of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but Ms. Capuano did not stop there! The students also explored the book on an entirely different level by studying the various religious symbols of the novel.
While the 5th graders focused on the genre of fantasy, 6th, 7th and 8th graders focused their efforts on drama. In addition to examining plot, analyzing characters and identifying themes, these students have been memorizing lines and blocking scenes as they work to perform The Diary of Anne Frank (Grade 6), Inherit the Wind (Grade 7), and The Piano Lesson (Grade 8). Through Epiphany's collaboration with Rising City Arts, the students had the opportunity to work with professional actors and bring their reading to life!
As we prepare to welcome next year's fourth graders when they visit the 28th Street campus this week, we must also prepare to say goodbye to our eighth graders who will be graduating. We congratulate the Class of 2017 on their many accomplishments and wish them all the best!
Have a wonderful summer!
Kiernan LaGuardia
28th Street English Language Arts
The Epiphany School
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Q & A WITH SR. REBECCA TAYAG
Connections Spotlight
By Courtney Huang, Communications Chair,
Board of Trustees
We're All In This Together,
the theme song of this year's Spring Musical, High School Musical, Jr. is a fond and memorable tune that many of our children (and, admittedly, parents) were singing throughout March and April. Similar to the title, the musical's production and its success was a powerful demonstration of the strength of the Epiphany community spirit. Across our faculty, parents, and our student body, we are all in it together ensuring our students have the best, well rounded educational experience. But that community spirit wouldn't be what it is without Epiphany's Sister Rebecca Tayag. For over thirty years, the school has been blessed by Sister Rebecca's talents of bringing our students together through our music and fine arts.
I had the honor of connecting with Sister Rebecca to hear more about her background, her reflections on this year's musical and what's important to her as a Catholic educator.
Q: Share with us how you became interested in music education?
A: As a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation, w
e are educators in all we do. Impelled by the Spirit and mission of Jesus, we e
ducate with a global vision believing that the world can be changed through the
transformation of persons. We work to empower others through education a
nd spread Jesus' message of love and unity.
Although trained to be a mathematician, our provincial leader asked if I would
continue to also study music, for there were too many mathematicians in the
congregation. Without hesitation I obediently continued my education in
music/classical guitar performance earning my M
asters in Theater Education at New York University and Theater Performance Arts
School in London. With these experiences, I was fortunate to professionally direct at
Lincoln Center, the operetta "Babar, the Elephant."
Q: How important do you think music/fine arts is for our Epiphany students?
A: I believe Fine Arts helps our students to be transformed into a whole person in
every way. I simply try to motivate, inspire and encourage our students, having in
mind what our founder said which is deep in my heart and soul, "
Take this child, and let her/him grow."
Q: What was your favorite part about this year's musical?
A: It was a creative process and challenge to do a theater in round at our Gym t
hat motivated me to do the "High School Musical."
It was a good feeling to bring our musical shows back to our own space and school.
It created genuine Epiphany spirit, instilling pride in ownership in students.
After the opening show, a parent almost in tears expressed to me that s
he loved it. She loved it in the gym--it was different, special and so personal.
Our students also expressed their learning experience. One of the students reflected,
"It was good to be so close to the audience. Seeing our family and friends' smiling
faces throughout the play gave us more confidence to act and we had so much fun doing it!"
Q: How can we, in the Epiphany community, help you support music education?
A: Thirty-four years ago Monsignor Harry Byrne, JCD asked me to introduce
Music and theater to the Epiphany school/church community, which was
welcomed and supported by then Principal, James L. Hayes.
Thus, our concerts were born along with school musicals, adult Epiphany parish
players and Epiphany teen players. Even on occasion, a surprise appearance of our
faculty and principal on the stage made our concerts and shows a special expression
of the Epiphany community spirit. If I could ask for anything, it would be for the ongoing presence and support of music and fine arts across the Epiphany community so that we continue to enrich our students' experience.
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NEWS FROM 29TH STREET
Eileen McLoughlin, Early Childhood Administrator
It has truly been a wonderful year in our Early Childhood Center! Our Toddler, Nursery and Pre-K students have blossomed academically, socially, emotionally and physically. We are blessed to have such amazing and dedicated teachers and support staff. In keeping with the classes' themes of spring, flowers, and butterflies, we leave you with the following poem and wish everyone a relaxing, healthy and joyful summer!
A Preschool Good-Bye!
Sticky fingers, runny noses,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes-es.
Shapes and colors, ABC's
Taking turns and 1,2,3's.
Toothless smiles, hugs and giggles,
Circle Time and lots of wiggles.
Wooden blocks and dress-up clothes,
Learning how a flower grows.
Milk and cookies, first-time friend,
Thinking days like these won't ever end.
Preschool done before you know it,
No one sadder than this poet.
Like a butterfly, time has flown,
You have learned and you have grown.
Tiny chairs give way to desks,
Book reports and spelling tests.
So take off now, spread your wings,
Soar to new heights, learn new things.
Just remember, as you do,
We are all very proud of you!
Eileen McLoughlin
Early Childhood Administrator
The Epiphany School
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ALUMNI STORY
Kelly Janis '06
I always knew Epiphany would play a role in my life, but I never knew how much influence Epiphany would have over me and my values. My name is Kelly Janis and I am currently finishing my third year of being an assistant teacher here at Epiphany. Epiphany has been in my blood for a long time. My mother has been a teacher at Epiphany for over twenty years. I first began my journey at Epiphany in 1997 when I began Kindergarten, and my schooling ended when I graduated in 2006.
Although I left Epiphany in 2006, Epiphany never left me. I continued my Catholic education at The Notre Dame School, where I graduated in 2010, and Le Moyne College, where I graduated in 2014 with a degree in Psychology. After graduating Le Moyne College, I looked backed on my life, and my Catholic education helped me realize my passion for education and teaching. I first began teaching at Epiphany in September of 2014, and everyday I learn something new and gain even more passion for teaching.
Teaching at Epiphany has led me to pursue a master's degree in Early Childhood General/Special education at Hunter College. I am so blessed to have the Epiphany community support me through my journey, and I will forever be grateful. My values and beliefs have been shaped through my years of learning and teaching at Epiphany, and I would not give it up for the world. I have a plethora of memories that will last a lifetime that will forever impact me. If it were not for the faculty, administration, students, life-long friends, and community at Epiphany I do not know where I would be today.
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Congratulations, Class of 2017!
2017 High School Choices
The list of high schools attended by Epiphany graduates reflects a wide range of interests and overall academic excellence. Their intellectual curiosity and dedication to their academic work earned the class of 2017 over $1.5 million in scholarship awards.
| Kelly Antol |
High School of Art and Design |
| Andrew Asaro |
Xavier High School |
| Ryan Barry |
Xavier High School |
| Jack Bettex |
Xavier High School |
| Sebastian Bettigole |
Xavier High School |
| William Bissell |
Xavier High School |
| Michael Borrelli |
Xavier High School |
| Hope Brennan |
Poly Prep Country Day School |
| Grayson Brooks |
Regis High School |
| Sophia Cappolla |
St. Vincent Ferrer High School |
| Isabella Cappolla |
St. Vincent Ferrer High School |
| Liam Cawley |
Bronx High School of Science |
| Michael Cooney |
Fordham Preparatory |
| Olivia Davir |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School |
| Devon Diaco |
Xavier High School |
| Robert DiChiara |
Fordham Preparatory |
| Kaila Dunn |
Dominican Academy |
| Emily Ettin |
Dominican Academy |
| Alexandra Falowski |
St. Vincent Ferrer High School |
| Matthew Felenstein |
Xavier High School |
| Grace Fitzsimmons |
Marymount School of New York |
| Bo Flynn |
Xavier High School |
| Kayla Folan |
Convent of the Sacred Heart |
| Timothy Gallagher |
Poly Prep Country Day School |
| Dylan Glover |
Loyola School |
| Alex Gnafakis |
Brooklyn Technical High School |
| Ryan Grant |
St. Vincent Ferrer High School |
| Morgan Harris |
Dominican Academy |
| Kayla Hughes |
Loyola School |
| Michael Incitti |
Eleanor Roosevelt High School |
| Sofia Jerome |
Sacred Heart Academy |
| Devon Karabees-Lamer |
Dominican Academy |
| Karolina Kozak |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School |
| Jude Kudera |
Xavier High School |
| Christina Landau |
Loyola School |
| Matthew Larson |
Xavier High School |
| Grace Madden |
Dominican Academy |
| Amelia Magel |
Loyola School |
| Dilyn McHugh |
Xavier High School |
| Ava McIntosh |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School |
| Joseph Molinaro |
Xavier High School |
| Nikhil Munshi |
Xavier High School |
| Patrick O'Halloran Gannon |
Xavier High School |
| Bianca Pagano |
Phillips Academy |
| Alyssa Passalacqua |
St. Vincent Ferrer High School |
| Elizabeth Pezeu |
Dominican Academy |
| Grace Puchert |
Dominican Academy |
| Peter Reyfman |
Xavier High School |
| Thomas Richardson |
Regis High School |
| Travers Richardson |
Xavier High School |
| Nicole Rodgers |
Convent of the Sacred Heart |
| Paloma Serrano |
Loyola School |
| Keegan Shimaitis |
Convent of the Sacred Heart |
| Cullen Sowarby |
Fordham Preparatory |
| Richard Toledo |
Xavier High School |
| Jasmine Williams |
Loyola School |
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2017 HALL OF FAME
Save the Date
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NEWS FROM THE EFA
Updates from our Family Association
Dear Epiphany Parents,
The final days of school are here with less than one week to go! At the end of the school year, our thoughts automatically shift to thinking about leaving school. However, let's all take a moment to think about coming back to school, too. Don't forget to order your Teacher Tailored Back to School Kits for next year. Order them now and avoid trying to find that supply list and running to Staples in August! Trust us, you'll be singing our praises at the end of the summer when you are still on the beach instead of looking for 8 Bold Color Markers and a protractor! You can order them by visiting
www.shopttkits.com and using Epiphany account #90365. The sale is online-only and is open until 6/23/17. All supplies will be delivered directly to school for the first day in September.
Even though school is ending...there is still more fun ahead before the year is truly over. The Carnival is this Sunday, June 11th, and you won't want to miss it! We've changed things up and have some new, exciting (and hilarious) items for all of you! Mark your calendars...we will be firing up the grill this weekend to help kick off your summer once finals are behind you!
Speaking of finals, this is also our final year as the Epiphany Family Association Board 2015-2017. It is amazing that two years have gone by already. Thank you to Mrs. McHugh, Mrs. Higgins and Mr. Hayes for supporting our many events over the years. A special thank you to all of our class representatives who helped us coordinate events with our teachers, leaving our children with some fun memories from the school year. Your efforts and talents are appreciated and we hope you continue to volunteer and inspire others to join you. We have a wonderful community at Epiphany, and we are only successful if we each step up and do our part, which Epiphany always does.
In addition, we would like to welcome the new EFA Cabinet 2017-2019!
Co-Chairs: Bharti Ramani and Jeremy Brandrick
Danielle Elder
Colleen O'Donnell Flores
Gina Kartholl
Mary Lane
Cynthia Rios
We know they will be a great team and look forward to seeing them put their stamp on Epiphany events.
We wish you all a happy, healthy and safe summer break!
Linda Fox & Caroline Maher (Co-Chairs)
2016-2017 Epiphany Family Association
Cathy Caulfield, Lina Mati, Lauren Minardo, Aleona Nyamgavaa-Sencion, Julie Palumbo, Kerry Shimaitis
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'13 GRADS OFF TO COLLEGE
Class of 2013 College Choices
Congratulations to our 2013 graduates! We are very proud of you and we wish you well as you begin College in the fall...
| Chelsea Attard |
Manhattan College |
| Lillian Baker |
SUNY Buffalo |
| Brooke Betancourt |
SUNY Plattsburg |
| James Borrelli |
Marymount Manhattan College |
| Claudia Cantalini |
University of Rhode Island |
| Caroline Crotty |
UCLA |
| Kubair Datwani |
Loyola University New Orleans |
| Ryan Donaldson |
University at Buffalo, College of Computer Science and Engineering |
| Kieran Downey |
Fordham University |
| John-Miles Dullahan-Bates |
Miami University Ohio |
| Maggie Feldman |
Loyola University New Orleans |
| Brennan Gallagher |
Boston College |
| Jack Gillespie |
Loyola University Maryland |
| Connor Greene |
Gettysburg College |
| Michael Hay |
Iona College |
| Sarah Hernandez |
Academy of Art University, San Francisco |
| Michael Jones |
Georgetown University |
| Luke Kelly |
SUNY Geneseo |
| Kyle Kenny |
CUNY Baruch |
| Peter Kilkenny |
Indiana University, Kelley School of Business |
| Rory Kinsella |
Carnegie Mellon School of Engineering |
| Sophia Martini |
Syracuse University, Newhouse School of Public Communications |
| Andrew Mattiello |
SUNY Binghamton |
| Will McCann |
College of Charleston, South Carolina |
| Jake P. Mirto |
Loyola University Maryland |
| Matthew J. Mirto |
University of Delaware |
| Brian Patterson |
The United States Military Academy at West Point |
| Julia Pesola |
University of Notre Dame |
| Brett Restrick |
The College of William and Mary |
| Eoin Sansevero |
University of Michigan |
| Sarina Savage |
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia |
| Michael Sclafani |
University of Maryland Smith School of Business |
| Jane Sniffin |
Cornell University, Dyson School of Business |
| Charles Stainback |
SUNY Albany |
| Owen Sterling |
Rochester Institute of Technology |
| Reilly Tracy |
Marquette University |
| Jackson Vertucci |
SUNY New Paltz |
| Emily Watson |
SUNY New Paltz |
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Celebrating the 2016-17 School Year
Dear Epiphany Community,
As we approach the end of the school year, we find ourselves in a state of reflection and gratitude. I want to thank the many families and friends who have supported The Foundation this year through attending our events, volunteering and donating to our fundraising initiatives. We could not do what we do without you, and I especially want to thank our 2016-2017 event chairs:
Eileen Pino & Christina White
, 2016 Walkathon
Sonaly Aditya & Agnes Teng
, 2016 Fall Festival
Regan Murphy '99
, Hall of Fame
Allison Hemming
, 2016 Christmas Party
Jessica Annunziata & Jennifer Dowd
, 2017 Spring Auction
Neal Cain, Kevin Greaney & Gina Liotti
, 2017 Golf & Tennis Outing
Allison Hemming
, 2017 Charity Ride
Through your leadership and enthusiasm, we keep our traditions going and create new ones, and we are incredibly grateful to have you behind us as we raise funds to enhance the programs at Epiphany that make it the special and unique school that it is today.
Our sincere appreciation goes out to current parent and jewelry designer, Catherine Canino, for hosting our recent jewelry sale last month and donating 100% of the proceeds to the school. Sales totaled over $2,600!
I would like to conclude our thanks by sharing a letter with you that we recently received from current 7th Grader, Michael Gregg:
Michael has been earning money through recycling and recently decided to donate his earnings to the school. It is precisely Michael's spirit of thanks, ambition, and humanitarianism that has enabled us to carry on our tradition of excellence here at Epiphany. On behalf of all of us at in the Foundation office, I extend a big THANK YOU to Michael, our students, teachers and parents who have made our roles in The Foundation office so rewarding this year.
Warm regards,
Lindsay Carr
Director of Development
The Epiphany School Foundation
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THE EPIPHANY SCHOOL FOUNDATION | 234 EAST 22ND STREET | 212-473-6158
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