Welcome to the February 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,
Recently, a new parent shared a few thoughts with me, “Thank you and all the faculty/staff at MHCA for being such a blessing in our lives. [My daughter] has nice classmates, is learning exponentially, and is excelling in all her classes. It brings us such comfort to know she is in such a safe, welcoming, nurturing, and faith-filled environment. We are also so grateful for Mary Help's pro-life witness and for the Pro-Life Club which [she] enjoys so much.” We are all working every day to make the world a better place. Isn’t that what Mary Help of Christians Academy is all about - empowering women to use their gifts to make the world a better place?
The recent break in the cold indicated we were almost done with this long, frigid winter. Just as it seemed we were turning the page on winter and moving on to spring, the bitter cold returned! Walking through the halls of the Academy, seeing the light shining in our students’ eyes, and basking in the warmth that a quality educational institution provides, I knew that spring was on its way inside these halls. The cold winter melted away as I witnessed Alumnae Career Day, and former students sharing their insights and the paths along which the Holy Spirit had guided them. They spoke of their time here, of lessons learned, both academically and personally, and shared how they have used those experiences to create successful careers.
There is so much good occurring at the Academy every single day. Young women are becoming spiritual, social, business, and life leaders - women who will usher in a bright future on the local, national, and international stage. So even though snow is predicted tonight, spring is indeed coming. A new springtime is coming through young women, MHC Academy alumnae, who will bring the whole world closer to Christ.
Sincerely,
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As you may be aware, MHC Academy has a Board of Trustees, and the Board always is looking for interested persons to serve on the Committees of the Board. The Board Committees include: the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Finance Committee, the Strategic Advancement Committee, Institutional Advancement Committee and the Mission Effectiveness Committee. If you are interested in serving on one of these Committees, learning more information about the Committees of the Board or know someone who may be interested in serving on one of the Committees of the Board, please contact Courtney Peterson at cjpetersonesq@gmail.com.
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WINTER SEMI-FORMAL DANCE
Mary Help of Christians Academy had its Winter Semi-Formal Dance on Thursday, January 27th at Biagio's. A good time was had by all as Mary Helpers and their guests danced the night away! Thank you to all who planned this great event!
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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
As almost every year, this year’s Catholic Schools Week coincided with the Feast Day of St. John Bosco, patron saint of young people and co-founder of the Salesian Sisters who administer the school. The week kicked off with a special mass where the junior class received their class rings. This was followed by breakfast for the MHC Academy family as well as an affirmation wall. We then had a magician come in for a very entertaining show, reminding us of how St. John Bosco got his start teaching catechism to kids while also entertaining them with magic tricks. Finally we ended with a service project to frontline workers (see more below!) and the game show "Are You Smarter Than Your Teacher?" It was definitely a Catholic Schools Week to remember!
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Mr. Dunn and junior Lilly volunteer to help in Mr. Tommy K's magic show during Catholic Schools Week. How did those scarves change color?! |
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One of the dress down days was "Anything But a Backpack!" where students used pizza boxes, laundry baskets and a variety of kitchen ware to carry around their books - just as long as it wasn't a backpack! |
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Freshman Lillian looks exactly like Mrs. Sullivan on "Dress Like A Teacher" day! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! |
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Dr. DaBronzo ("Doc") goes head to head with senior Chanchal in "Are You Smarter Than Your Teacher?" Do you know the official state food of South Carolina? |
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CAREER DAY
On Wednesday, Feb. 16th, Mary Help welcomed back a panel of Alumnae to present at our Career Day. Nineteen women were in attendance and spoke to our current students about their vast array of careers, from neurosurgeon to graphic artist, from landscape architect to entertainment journalist, and everything imaginable in between. It was an informative day for our students, and good for them to see that the Mary Help Connection is real! The Alumnae enjoyed returning to their roots, and sharing their journeys with tomorrow's professionals. Overall, a great experience for everyone involved.
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Some of the wonderful MHC Academy Alumnae who shared their advice and experience at our Career Day |
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Ms. Erin Medley, MHC '00, Senior Manager of Digital Content Excellence at Johnson & Johnson |
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Dr. Odette Harris, M.D., MHC '87, Neurosurgeon at Stanford University, and one of the first black female professors of neurosurgery in the nation |
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As our winter season is in its final week, we will celebrate our Basketball Seniors and our Dance Team Seniors at our last basketball game of the season, tonight, February 24th, at 4:30pm vs Dwight Morrow High School.
BASKETBALL
With one games left in their season, the Varsity Basketball Team is currently 10-6. Our current stat leaders include: TOP SCORERS - Giulia Russo (10th) 122 points, Raquel Jacquet (12th) 110 points and Olivia Fanning (11th) 87 points; REBOUNDS - Sarah Hart (12th) 154 rebounds and Fanning 141 rebounds; STEALS - Jacquet 41; BLOCKS - Hart 56.
Good luck to our Blue Jays in their final game!
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DANCE TEAM
Our Varsity Dance Team performed at Don Bosco Prep’s final Home Varsity Basketball Game of the regular season on Tuesday, February 22nd at 7pm. Congratulations on a great season!
SPRING SPORTS TRYOUTS
- March 7th - Track Tryouts & Lacrosse Tryouts
- March 8th - Softball Pitchers/Catchers Tryouts
- March 11th - Softball Full Team Tryouts
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PHYSICS CLASS
In Mr. Barkovitz's Physics class, students completed an engineering project to build a bridge out of toothpicks according to set specifications. They were attempting to see how much weight their bridge could hold. One by one, five pound weights were dropped in a bucket to see whether the bridge would crack or not. The winner was junior Shannon whose bridge held 35 pounds!
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HONORS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS
The Environmental Honors class, taught by Mrs. Hess, has been working on building solar powered robots for the past few weeks. After reading excerpts from “Laudato Si,” they decided to further explore the issues that Pope Francis brought to light. Through this project, they focused on the benefits that solar powered technology could have on the environment, and how they could create a better future for our Earth.
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SKI CLUB
Our Ski Club started up back in January. Our skiers (and snowboarders) have been skiing at Mountain Creek in Vernon, NJ on Fridays after school. They have been joined by the Don Bosco Ski Club.
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SOPHOMORE RETREAT
Beauty, Truth, and Joy - not just a school model but words to live by. The theme for the Sophomore Retreat was based on these concepts to see the Beauty that lies within us, to learn the Truth about each other, and discuss the Joy of friendship. God blessed us with unseasonably good weather so we were able to enjoy the outdoors as well!
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ORATORY NIGHT
The second Oratory Night of the year took place on Friday, February 18th. With time for adoration and hanging out with friends in the gym, what could be a better way to kick off the long weekend?
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As part of Catholic Schools Week, the MHC Academy Family took time to express gratitude to the members of our community who have helped us get through these years of the Covid pandemic. Students wrote thank you cards to doctors and nurses at St. Joseph's hospital, area police officers, firefighters and postal service employees. Below, two members of MHC Academy's Student Council distribute thank you cards at St. Joseph's. We are grateful for all our community members who have tirelessly worked to keep our families safe, healthy and connected! |
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SPRING MUSICAL - FROZEN
Rehearsals are already underway for Our Spring Musical, Disney's Frozen, Jr.! Be sure to mark on your calendars the show times:
- March 24th at 7:00pm
- March 25th at 7:30pm
- March 26th at 3:00pm and 7:00pm.
LEPRECHAUN LEAP
TEEN JOB FAIR
On Friday, April 8th there will be a job fair for students look for jobs, volunteer opportunities, or internships. Registration is now open for students and businesses! Pass the word along!
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Our motto for this month is, "From Difficulty to Renewed Strength" and Mother Laura Meozzi, a Venerable sister, lived that out in her missionary work in Poland. She first began this work in the 1920s by opening orphanages for those suffering the aftermath of World War I. They made it such a home for the children that when they were inspected by the government, they were told that they would be sent 200 more orphans to accompany the 80 that they started with. When World War II broke out, she had the option to return to Italy, where she was originally from but she decided to stay. Heroically at the end of the war, she helped to sneak several Sisters and 104 children over the new border lines into modern day Poland risking her own life. Her commitment would inspire her to say toward the end of her life, “I have two homelands: Italy and Poland, and I could not tell you which I love more.” The sisters and young people knew this love as they lovingly referred to her as Mateczka or Mother in Polish. What obstacles and struggles do you find yourself in at this time? How can our commitment to each other and our prayer life help us to find renewed strength this month?
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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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