Welcome to the November issue of On the Hill, Mary Help of Christians Academy monthly e-newsletter. On the Hill offers an inside view of life at Mary Help and all the other remarkable things that happen on campus each and every day. Read on to see for yourself the difference a Mary Help education makes...
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Dear MHC Academy Family and Friends,
The leaves have changed - and MHC Academy is likewise evolving…We are making over our Athletic Center - and including our Blue Jay mascot as an integral part of the design. We have rearranged our exercise equipment to optimize its use. Things are “shaping up” - and so are we!
Revamping our dance room transforms it into a real Dance Studio; placing the mirrors and ballet barres on the wall makes such a difference. Updated lighting will eventually let our dancers assess their skill level and how much progress they are making. Lastly, our new bleachers have been installed, allowing us to showcase our enthusiasm for every team!
For these enhancements, and so many other improvements we put in place every day, we are truly grateful, and cognizant of how blessed we are. Thanksgiving is more and more becoming a daily habit here at MHC Academy. I wish you all a blessed, peaceful, joyful Thanksgiving, surrounded by your loved ones and in harmony with the Holy Family.
Sincerely,
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CROSS CURRICULAR - HISTORY + ENGLISH
The Sophomore US History and English classes are crossing disciplines and studying the Salem Witch Trials congruently. English 2 is reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible and the US History class is working with the primary source documents of the trial transcripts. In the photo above, students are acting out the interrogation of one of the accused witches. This exercise led to discussions on logical fallacies, socio-political arguments, and cultural comparisons. The students were able to gain a greater understanding of the topic by applying what they learned in English class to the historical documents Arthur Miller based his play on.
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INTRO. TO COMMUNICATIONS
The Intro. to Communications class did a unit on radio broadcast and the different elements that go into creating an entertaining and successful radio show. Students were assigned a project where they had to create, write, and perform a short radio play complete with sound effects performed by the other students (foley artists). This fun project combines skills from creative writing, history, and the arts.
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FIRST AID
In Ms. Clarke’s First Aid class, students are learning how to treat someone who has an open wound with bleeding. They follow the standard procedure of Check-Call-Care and, of course, use proper PPEs. At the end of the semester, students may take the assessment to be certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED with anaphylaxis and epinephrine auto injector.
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ECOLOGY DAY
In honor of great benefactor Rodger Rohde, students and parents came together on October 8th for an Ecology Service Day to beautify our campus grounds. From pulling out weeds to mulching, we tackled our sprawling 16-acre campus, even as far up as the Sisters' cemetery past the pool. We are striving to take care of our Earth in the spirit of Laudato Si!
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PTG EVENT - OKTOBERFEST 2022
The second annual Oktoberfest took place on Saturday, October 15th. With German food, drinks, music, raffles and a caricature booth, this was an event to remember! Thank you to our PTG for organizing this festive evening!
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STUDENT COUNCIL HAUNTED TRAIL AND TRUNK OR TREAT
Student Council hosted another spooktacular Haunted Trail on Friday October 21st. The students came up with the theme, “Haunted Doll House”, designed the trail, coordinated their costumes and makeup, and put on a great event! The Senior Student Council was in charge of the Trunk or Treat portion of the evening with Seniors decorating their cars and handing out candy. It was great to see our young women design, execute, and evaluate our events on campus.
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HALLOWEEN PARTY
The National Honor Society hosted a Halloween Party for the whole school community. During lunch period, students competed in a costume contest, played games and puzzles, and took photos in the Halloween themed photo booth. NHS even had pumpkins for each class to sign and prizes for those who completed the various puzzles. Thanks for an amazing party!
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Can you guess this freshmen group costume? |
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Eighth graders enjoying the photo booth |
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Best group: "Swaggy Dads" |
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Most Creative: Queen Elizabeth (& pig in a blanket) |
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The faculty and staff join in on the fun |
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CAMPUS MINISTRY UPDATE
It’s been a packed month for Campus Ministry! On October 13th, Oratory Night was inaugurated in our new chapel with Adoration followed by a volleyball game in the gym. We love to pray and play! The Juniors spent the day of October 18th on retreat - with a look at the authenticity of their lives in relation to God, each other, and themselves. They went to the Marian Shrine where they prayed, participated in activities, played, and enjoyed some of the sites of the Shrine, including a replica of Don Bosco’s childhood home.
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Games in the gym after adoration |
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At the Marian Shrine in Stony Point, NY for the junior class retreat |
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Two more school Masses have occurred: Bishop Sweeney presided on October 24th and we gathered one week later for the Solemnity of All Saints. The following day, for the Commemoration of All Souls, the Pro-Life club hosted a walking rosary as a spiritual work of mercy to pray for the living and the dead. (Earlier in the month the Pro-Life Club also chalked the MHC Academy sidewalks with messages of hope.) The spiritual life at Mary Help is alive and well! |
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Bishop Sweeney presided over mass for the MHC Academy community on Oct. 24th |
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The Solemnity of All Saints Mass with Fr. Dieunel Victor, SDB |
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Pro-Life Club chalk event |
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NOVEMBER THEME - EDUCATION FOR A FUTURE
If we look in our school communities we cannot fail to see those who influence us - our teachers! Our inspiration for this month was a teacher before she met the Salesians and found that she was called to go deeper and become a sister too, Blessed Maddalena Morano. Sent to the island of Sicily, she opened schools, oratories, hostels, and sewing workshops and asked that God would grant her the grace, “of living until I have completed my journey of holiness.” We take a moment, in this month of Thanksgiving, to thank those who have educated us in our journey of life. These may be people who fall outside of the traditional educational field: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, coaches, friends. God sends us advisors but are we able to recognize them? When we do, let’s be sure to thank them!
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MHC ACADEMY AND DON BOSCO PREP CHOIRS
It's been a busy month for our MHC Academy Choir members who have sung at all our school liturgies and begun practicing with the Choir from Don Bosco Prep.
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On Saturday, November 5th, the joint Choir performed a song with St. John's University's Voices of Victory Gospel Choir - who headlined the first of several "Chapel Concerts" that DBP will be hosting. Voices of Victory has been featured in Carnegie Hall, on HBO, NBC, Fox Network and has performed internationally. It was a musical experience that our students will never forget! Stay tuned for several major events coming up including the joint choir singing at Radio City Music Hall! |
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As we head into November three of our Fall Sports have come to a close, while one continues into State Playoffs. |
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BOSCO CHEER
Our Varsity Cheerleaders continue to cheer on the Bosco Varsity Football Team as they enter the State Tournament as the #1 seed. Our cheerleaders have been having a great season and having lots of fun cheering on the boys with their 7-2 record (4-0 in SFC). This year’s Varsity Cheer Team consisted of 2 seniors, 4 juniors, 4 sophomores, 5 freshmen and 2 eighth graders. We were able to celebrate our two seniors on Friday, October 28th at Bosco’s final Home Game of the regular season where they defeated DePaul 28-25. Both of our seniors are 4 year varsity cheerleaders, Captain Gabriella Fromm and Captain Shannon Rose Stix.
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VARSITY SOCCER
Our Varsity Soccer team had another successful fall, finishing the season with a 9-1-1 record. Our Blue Jays out scored their opponents 36-6, including 7 shutouts. Our team this year consisted of 4 seniors, 3 juniors, 6 sophomores and 4 freshmen. The leading scorer for the team this year was sophomore Scarlett Black with 11 goals, followed by senior Ellie Cipollone with 8 goals, Senior Molly Ursich with 5 goals and sophomore Sofia Cueva with 4 goals. Senior Sarah Mecka led the team with 5 assists, followed by sophomores Patricia Mazzola and Black with 3 assists each.
We were able to celebrate our seniors on Monday, October 24th as we defeated Manchester 5-0. Our four Senior Captains are all 4 year varsity players, #3 Ellie Cipollone, #47 Sarah Mecka, #4 Lilly Susen and #25 Molly Ursich.
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VARSITY TENNIS
Our Varsity Tennis team finished their season strong with 2 victories at their final two home games of the season, defeating Hawthorne HS 4-1 and Immaculate Conception 5-0. Our Varsity Team consisted of 2 seniors, 2 juniors, 2 sophomores and 5 freshmen. Three of our underclassmen led the team in singles play this season, sophomore Sheila Kelly, along with freshmen Veronica Kennedy and Aurora Wojtowicz. We were able to celebrate our seniors on Tuesday, October 18th at our final home game of the season, 4 year player, Litzy Sanchez and 1st year player Kaithlyn Santiago.
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BLEACHER BLOCKS
Thank you to everyone who “Left a Legacy” by painting a brick. Bricks were painted by current students & families, alumnae, Sisters, faculty/staff and friends of Mary Help. Thank you to everyone who contributed. All bricks are now behind our brand new bleachers! We are so grateful to everyone who donated last spring to help make this possible. The next project we are working on is our Athletic Center which is currently in the works and coming soon!
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Our newly installed bleachers |
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PAN AMERICAN GOLD MEDALIST!
Our own Francesca Gusfa, '26, won GOLD at the Pan American Championships for women's freestyle wrestling! We are so proud of you, Francesca!
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INTRODUCING , MR. ELADIO GUZMAN
We welcomed to MHC Academy this year, Mr. Eladio Guzman, world languages teacher. Here's an introduction from Mr. Guzman himself!
I am Mr. Guzman, a world languages teacher at MHC Academy. I’ve been teaching modern languages (Spanish, French and Italian) for about 17 years. My passion for teaching languages comes from the desire to help people connect with others, and from the realization that languages teach and encourage respect for other peoples. I believe that learning a language allows people to experience the culture of that language in a deeper and more profound way. The intricacies of a culture emerge through how people express themselves more than anything else. There’s no better way to learn about a foreign culture than to engage in conversation with locals.
For me, learning a new language has been one of the most challenging undertakings in my life, but it has also been incredibly rewarding. There were moments in which I felt incredibly stupid: struggling with forming even the most basic of sentences, not being able to remember the vocabulary terms I studied for hours, being totally confused by conjugating verb tenses. But then there were the times when I experienced how awesome it was to know a different language, how much wider my world was and how much broader my opportunities were.
Probably the best part of learning a new language is when all of a sudden, your range of potential acquaintances and friends opens up immeasurably. It is really cool to be able to get to know people you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to communicate with. It truly makes you feel a global sense of community.
I hope I can transmit to my students of Mary Help of Christian Academy the interest in engaging with those who might seem different from you so that you can experience the kindness that exists all over the world.
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MHC Academy
659 Belmont Avenue
North Haledon, NJ 07508
P. 973.850-7467
F. 973.790.6125
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