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Bishop's Annual Scholarship Dinner
An evening to celebrate Catholic school education
Over 250 Catholic school supporters filled a room at the Greysolon Ballroom for Bishop Sirba's Annual Scholarship Dinner on Sunday,
October 7.
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Former Vikings player Matt Birk was the keynote speaker at the Bishop's Annual Scholarship Dinner.
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The event included a VIP social, dinner, and a program with a keynote address by former Viking Matt Birk. SMA students also participated in the event with musical performances and a student welcome.
"We were delighted to have Matt as our keynote speaker at the event this year," said Teresa Kenney, a development associate at SMA. "Matt's faith serves as an inspiration to all Catholics and is shown through his charitable works with children and Catholic education."
Birk is a 15-year veteran of the National Football League, six-time NFL Pro Bowl Selection and two-time All Pro. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998 and was a key off-season acquisition of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. Birk is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in economics and is a long-time supporter of Catholic education.
If you were unable to attend the event but would like to make a donation to our scholarship fund, please visit
click here.
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Kicking off a Year of Service
Students and staff giving back to the community
On Friday, October 12, SMA students will hit the streets, parks
and neighborhood yards to clean, rake and pick up garbage for SMA's annual Work-A-Thon event.
Work-A-Thon is an opportunity to serve others and invite the community to support SMA's mission. Students from St. John's campus will be working in the Woodland neighborhood raking leaves, winterizing gardens and picking up garbage on Calvary Road. The St. James campus students will work in the school vicinity, including the Denfeld High School neighborhood. The Holy Rosary campus students will be offering cleanup services in its surrounding area.
"This year's goal is set at $70,000! This is a great opportunity for the students to give back to those that support Catholic education," said Peggy Fredrickson, Holy Rosary campus principal.
Our ability to live out our mission through service is supported by generous donors who believe in the mission of Catholic school educati
on.
If you wish to contribute to this event, click here.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, a team of SMA students and their families packed 720 meals for Feed My Starving Children (see right). Overall, the whole weekend effort packed 101,000 meals,
which will feed 276 kids for a year. We are so proud of our
service-driven students.
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Principal Highlights
A peak across our campuses
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We've had some really cool field trips! Seventh graders tested their perseverance and teamwork during a 4 day/3 night adventure at the Laurentian Environmental Center. Eighth graders explored the NOvA Far Detector Lab in Ash River as an introduction to a world of Neutrinos and then dropped into the Sudan Mine as part of their Earth Science course.
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We have received messages of gratitude for our students' involvement in volunteering at the Built on a Rock Concert, Donut Sunday, and the Cathedral's fall parish picnic. They are also preparing to put in a lot of time at this year's Work-A-Thon. Our students work toward achieving fifteen hours of service during a year - five hours of service each for their church, their school, and their community!
-Mr. Jesse Murray
- This year, we welcomed two members of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus as teachers. Sr. Agnes teaches 6th and 8th grade Religion and Sr. Mary Elizabeth teaches 7th grade Religion and 6th grade Latin. They absolutely love teaching at SMA and we are very blessed to have them teach our children!
- Students were very excited for the completion of a new playground. The playground was the culmination of a three-year process to remedy the outdated and non-compliant playground. On August 28, 2018, a blessing and ribbon cutting was held to celebrate the opening of the new playground in honor of Dr. George Jennings.
-Mrs. Julianne Blazevic
Holy Rosary Campus
- The third grade classes are incorporating Virtue Education into the curriculum in a new and exciting way. Each month, teachers introduce a virtue and connect it to verses in the Bible. Through this activity, students learn the books of the bible, which help them find readings in the Old and New Testament. To further their understanding, students memorize a verse and reflect on the scriptures, which is a great way for them to connect virtues to the Bible.
- The students have been blessed with new bibles for their use! Through generous donations, we were able to purchase new bibles for each classroom. Grades two-four received bibles that are geared for their age. Daily use of the bible inspires and empowers students to read, understand, and love the Word of God. First grade and Kindergarten classrooms will also receive updated new bibles that are age appropriate.
- Mrs. Peggy Frederickson
 
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Gifts and Gratitude
SMA receives major donation from Lorraine Casshie Trust
Officials of Stella Maris Academy announced Thursday, September 13, that the school has received over one million dollars from the Lorraine Casshie Trust.
Stella Maris Academy officials noted the funds will provide a much-needed reserve that the school lacked to this point and can help the school take the next steps toward realizing its vision. That vision includes advancing a curriculum grounded in Catholic intellectual tradition, continuing the development and implementation of the Formation Model of Education, and making high school programming a reality.
Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba welcomed the news. "We are grateful to God for the generosity of Lorraine Casshie and all those who love and support the mission of Catholic education in the Diocese of Duluth," he said.
Lorraine Casshie died in 2017 at the age of 91 and was a lifelong active member of Holy Family Church in Duluth. A Duluth Denfeld graduate, she retired from Norwest Bank as an assistant trust officer after 32 years of service.
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New Staff Welcome
Grateful for all of our new staff and board members
Marea Detzler, Algebra II Teacher and Pre-K Aide at St. John's campus.
Fr. Drew Braun, Pastor at St. John's campus.
Sr. Mary Elizabeth, Latin/Religion Teacher at St. James campus.
Sr. Agnes,
Latin/Religion Teacher at St. James campus.
Mandy LeGarde, Pre-K Aide at St. James campus.
Katlyn Persch, Pre-K Aide at St. James campus.
Naomi Summers, Physical Education Teacher at St. James campus.
Cheryl Foldesi, Kindergarten Teacher at St. James campus.
Gabrielle Conti, Pre-K Teacher at Holy Rosary campus.
Sonya Morris, Kindergarten Teacher at Holy Rosary campus.
Frank McLaughlin, IT Director at SMA.
Heather Callahan, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at SMA.
Katelyn Kasella, Communications Associate at SMA.
Barry Bigelow, Board Member at SMA.
Sharon Mollerus, Board Member at SMA.
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Remembering Mrs. Carol Marx
A dedicated teacher, volunteer and friend
Stella Maris Academy remembers Mrs. Carol Marx, who died at
the age of 87 on August 30, 2018.
Carol was a dedicated and loving teacher for 31 years. She began teaching in Duluth at Sacred Heart School and ended her career after 24 years at St. John's
School. She had a passion for teaching and working with children.
After her retirement, she continued to make her presence known, volunteeri
ng at St. John's School and the
newly formed Stella Maris Academy. The students loved her. She could always be counted on to assist in the kindergarten classrooms. Throughout the years, she made many friends and touched many lives.
May eternal rest be yours, Mrs. Marx. We pray in thanksgiving for your vocation to Catholic school education.
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SMA Wreath Sale for Middle School
SMA will be selling wreaths from Oct. 15 - Nov. 5 to help fund some of the larger middle school field trips. The wreaths will be delivered the week of Thanksgiving. Please keep us in mind if you purchase wreaths for Christmastime!
The sizes are listed below. To purchase, ask a student attending Stella Maris
Academy or call the school office at 624-1511 to place your order. Thank you for
your support!
| 24" wreath |
$16.50 |
| 30" wreath |
$20.00 |
| 36" wreath |
$26.00 |
| 48" wreath |
$38.00 |
| Swag/Spray |
$16.00 |
| 25" garland |
$26.00 |
| Cross |
$19.50 |
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Stella Maris Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin
to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available
to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
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