| Calendar | |
Saturday, January 29
Parents Night Out
7 p.m.
The home of the Mayo family
15 Roselin Avenue, Quincy
Week of January 31 - February 4
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools: A+ for America
Sunday, January 30
International Festival
4 p.m.
Fontbonne Auditorium
Monday, January 31
Kids Clothes Closet
Clothing Drive Concludes
"Mix It Up at Lunch Day"
Wednesday, February 2
College Planning Night
Grade 11 parents
7 - 8 p.m.
Fontbonne Cafeteria
(snow date: February 9)
Thursday, February 3
Parent/Teacher Conferences
5:30 - 8 p.m.
(snow date: February 10)
Friday, February 4
Catholic Schools Week Liturgy
1 p.m.
Fontbonne Auditorium
All are welcome
Saturday, February 5
Student Council Snowball
7-10 p.m.
(snow date: February 12)
Thursday, February 10
Early Dismissal
12 p.m.
Adult Learning Community Meetings
Friday, February 18
Winter Recess Begins
2 p.m.
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Don't Miss the
International Festival
Sunday, January 30,
4 p.m. in the Auditorium | |
This year our International Festival theme is "Around the World." It will be a celebration of international song, music, costume and culture. Join us for the fun this Sunday, January 30, at 4 p.m.
The suggested donation is $5 and can be paid at the door. Money raised will go to Medicines for Humanity, an organization that is very involved in the support of the earthquake victims of Haiti. The Executive Director of Medicines for Humanity, Tim Bilodeau, will address the audience and inform them of the work we will be supporting with our generous donations.
Additionally, there will be an international buffet held in the cafeteria. Families will provide dishes that represent different cultures and traditions. We hope you'll enjoy the flavorful feast!
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Important Reminder!
Financial Aid Applications for
School Year 2011-2012 are
Due March 31, 2011 |
Financial aid applications are due at the end of March 2011
for priority consideration. The Financial Aid Committee will only review complete applications which include the 2010 tax returns.
Paper applications are no longer accepted. All applications must be submitted online at www.factstuitionaid.com.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Barbara Higgins at 617.615.3007 or bhiggins@fontbonneacademy.org. |
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Another Important Reminder!
Robert M. Devin Fund Application Information |
The Robert M. Devin Fund applications for scholarship and financial aid will be available the week of February 1st in Mrs. Higgins' office. Completed applications are due March 31.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Barbara Higgins at 617.615.3007 or bhiggins@fontbonneacademy.org. |
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Parents Guild
Night Out
Saturday, January 29
Don't Miss The Fun! |
We would like to warmly invite everyone to join us at our annual Parents Night Out event on Saturday, January 29, at 7 p.m.
It will be a wine/appetizer/dessert evening at the Mayo home located at 15 Roselin Avenue in Quincy. This will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an informal night out with other Fontbonne parents.
Please RSVP at
parentsguild@fontbonneacademy.orgif you can join us. Please also let us know if you are planning to bring wine, an appetizer or a dessert to share. |
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Argentina Exchange Program
Students Announced
for 2011
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The students selected to travel to Argentina in June 2011 are (standing above from left to right): Julia Falco '12, Elizabeth McGowan '12, Adriana Estrada '12 and Alyssa Melendez '12. These students and their families will host four students from Colegio Jesus Maria who will visit our school in April 2011. Beginning in January 2011, the students will meet weekly with Senora Bond to immerse themselves in the Argentine culture and language.
The Argentine students will come with a chaperone, Senora Silvya Tore, Director for the English Program, grades 1st to 12th at Colegio Jesus Maria. We look forward to the third exchange program with a school in Argentina. |
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Chinese Holiday Card
Exchange Program Creates Excitement in
International Club |
Twins Yunan and Yutong Xue '12 initiated the Chinese holiday card exchange.
Above, a photo of the Chinese classroom filled with students making their own cards for our Fontbonne students.
Identical twins and international students from China, Yunan & Yutong Xue '12, Co-Vice Presidents of the International Club, initiated a card exchange between the Fontbonne International Club and a class in China. The International Club sent cards to Chinese students through the twins at Christmastime, and the Chinese students' greetings to our Fontbonne students were hand delivered for the new year. |
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Busy Holiday Season
Keeps Choruses Singing |
The Jazz Chorus poses at Proprietor's Green in Marshfield. From left to right: Emma Byrne '13, Katie Harrington '12, Christina Whalen '13, Emily Mazza '13, Emma Byrd '11, Vittoria Spada '12, Kyra Freedman '12, Emily Tehan '12, Kristyn Galligan '11, Christina Ferrera '11, and Jaclyn Zahn '12 (missing: Julie Sullivan '11).
The Jazz and Select Choruses were very busy in the month of December. Their schedule included a concert with BC High on December 4; a Christmas Party at the Clark House in Westwood on December 9; a performance at the Forbes Museum on December 12; a Christmas Program for the residents of Proprietor's Green in Marshfield on December 15; Fontbonne's Christmas Concert on December 16; and the Wollaston Golf Club's Family Christmas Party on December 22. Congratulations to the choruses for a great month of performances and for representing Fontbonne Academy so beautifully. |
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Athletic Department
Update | |
Ice Hockey
Current Record 7-1-2
Four of our players are in the top 10 scorers for the Girls Catholic Conference:
#1 Taylor Shepherd '11:
20 Goals, 6 Assists
#2 Elizabeth Coleman '11:
3 Goals, 15 Assists
#5 McKenna Russell '13:
6 Goals, 8 Assists
#9 Erin McLoughlin '12:
4 Goals, 8 Assists
Samantha Curley '11:
Samantha is the #2 goalie in the Girls Catholic Conference. She is the only goalie with 2 shutouts.
Basketball
Current Record 5-5
Jennifer Gemma '13 has had 8 straight games with double digits in rebounds and points. She achieved her career high of 24 points against Milton High School.
The basketball team won the 2010 Somerville Holiday Hoopfest tournament. Jen Gemma '13 was the tournament MVP and Nicole Derba '11 and Georgia Bourikas '13 were All-Stars. |
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Wellness Center Update
February is
National Heart Month!
Activities & Programs Abound | |
The Souper Bowl!
Just in time for the big game, come to the Wellness Center on February 2 to pick up some heart-healthy soup recipes and a list of ways to jazz up your store-bought soups without much fuss.
Go Red for Women Day!
On Friday February 4, wear something red with your uniform (shirt, scarf, headband, earrings, socks) to raise awareness about heart disease, its impact on women and how we can fight back. Look for hearth-healthy red foods in the café and be sure to listen for ways to love your own heart during morning announcements.
Keep the Beat!
Monday, February 7 and Wednesday, February 9 from 2:30 -
3:30 p.m. in the Wellness Center. Come for an hour of cardio and strength training while you groove to a Valentine's mix sure to keep your heart pumping! Sign up is required, please register with Mrs. McPhillips in the Wellness Center.
Pour Better or Pour Worse? How Your Favorite Sugary Beverages Stack Up. Come to the Wellness Center on Thursday, February 10, and take our sweet quiz. You could win a Valentine duck and pencil!
Dark Chocolate Does a Heart Good!
Valentines Day, Monday, February 14, we will have a "Lunch and Learn" during the last 15 minutes of each lunch period at the Wellness Center. Come hear the good news about dark chocolate and enjoy a tasty treat.
Ticket to Winter Wellness:
Ice Skating Trip to Faneuil Hall
in Boston, Wednesday, February 16. The price for the field trip is $20 and includes skating, rentals and transportation. We will leave school at 2:30 p.m. and return at 6 p.m. Signups and payment must be received by Wednesday, February 9 in the Wellness Center.
Please contact Mrs. McPhillips with any questions on any of the upcoming activities. She can be reached at
kmcphillips@fontbonneacademy.org.
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Dear Parents and Families,
As we begin February, we do so with much excitement here at Fontbonne Academy. This year, Catholic Schools Week ends the month of January and begins the month of February with its theme: Catholic Schools A+ for America. We know that the strongest Catholic schools across our country are those that keep to their mission and promote their Catholic identity. This is a particular strength of Fontbonne Academy as you will see in the ways we have chosen to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Make sure you read about the terrific student-driven initiatives beginning with the exciting Engineers Without Borders program that we have developed with Northeastern University, which is open to all students. This will prepare us for our school-wide Lenten Giving Program as we support Engineers Without Borders in the construction of a rainwater distribution system in Uganda. Along with the clothing drive for the needy, an anti-bullying initiative and a student-led Liturgy, the mission of our founders and sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, is in the forefront of all our Catholic School Week student-led activities as it is every other day of the school year. We are grateful for this opportunity to share the mission of the sisters-love and service to the "dear neighbor" without distinction-with those outside the Fontbonne community as well.
Another opportunity to showcase the spirit of Fontbonne is just around the corner. Though Evening of Stars, our major fund-raising gala, takes place in late March, during February we need our parents and families to make their individual commitments of support. We hope you will attend, donate an auction item or do both. Every family benefits from the funds raised, as the tuition you pay does not cover the cost of your daughter's education. It is also a night wherein we celebrate the unique spirit, warmth, loyalty and bonds that connect us in our Fontbonne Community. That evening we will happily honor a few "designated stars" who have contributed to and who continue to grow the outstanding Visual Arts program here at Fontbonne Academy. In the past, I have looked around the ballroom and recognized other "stars"-perhaps each of you, alumnae, past parents and friends, all who make up the Fontbonne Community-and I have given thanks for their support. I hope you'll join us for this fun and wonderful evening.
Thank you for all your support over the first half of school year 2010-2011. January provided more than its share of weather challenges. Your cooperation in adjusting to all the changes in schedule was very much appreciated. Like you, I am hoping for a few less in this new month of February! Sincerely,
Mary Ellen Barnes
Head of School
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Monthly Spotlight:
College Planning Using the Naviance System | |
Seniors Paige O'Malley and Elizabeth Lawrie review college brochures with Director of Guidance, Mrs. Spignesi.
Our Guidance Department, under the leadership of Mrs. Maura Spignesi, utilizes a web-based college-planning program called Naviance. Students from grade 10-12 benefit from this tool as it helps them organize themselves for the college process.
Parents and students can access their accounts through a family connection page found at: http://connection.naviance.com/fontbonne. Parents log on using their daughter's Fontbonne email address and their school ID number.
The Naviance tool is quite broad and allows for both college planning as well as resume building. Students and parents can access important summer and enrichment program opportunities. They can also search colleges through an advanced college search option, allowing them to access college websites, email college representatives directly, obtain their phone numbers, and learn about which majors are offered and average required GPAs and SAT scores.
As sophomores, Fontbonne students are encouraged to begin their resumes using the resume builder on Naviance. They are also encouraged to begin advanced college searches in order to think about and research schools that are of interest to them or meet criteria they are looking for in a college. In junior year, each counselor meets with her students to create initial college lists which can be broadened over time. These college lists are input into Naviance for parents to access, and our counselors mark each school a reach, target or safety for each student. In this way, we ensure that every student has a balanced college list and we are communicating effectively with parents and students. In their senior year, Naviance helps students organize their college deadlines and applications. Students and parents can find all the information they need for college applications on Naviance.
Naviance offers the Guidance Office a means to communicate with students regarding upcoming college events, open houses, deadlines and information about college visits. It also provides parents a projected outcome based on Fontbonne admissions over the past three years. "This is a great tool, and our families really love it, especially being able to predict if their daughter will be accepted into a particular school," said Mrs. Spignesi. "It really helps alleviate so much of the stress surrounding college admissions." |
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Catholic Schools Week | | |
Lauren Haley '12 and Xuen He '11 stand by their decorated boxes filled with clothing to benefit needy children.
Senior Peer Ministers Taylor Shepherd, Mackenzie Irvin, Nischeena Charles, Maria Lombardi and Rita Callahan hold the sign they made to promote Mix It Up A-Day.
Fontbonne Academywill celebrate Catholic Schools Week which runs January 30 - February 5 this year. The theme this year is Catholic Schools: A+ for America.
Fontbonne has a very busy week planned to commemorate the week. It will start one day early, on Saturday, January 29, with a trip to Northeastern University. Students will spend the day with Northeastern's Engineers Without Borders student chapter. Organized by a recent Fontbonne alumna who is now at Northeastern, the chapter was the recipient of Fontbonne's 2010 Lenten Giving Program. The donation went to the purchase of water pumps: key components for the two wells built in a small Ugandan town. While visiting Northeastern, the Fontbonne students will focus on water. They will perform a water test on a sample and learn how to interpret it. The fun will really begin when they experience what it is like to carry a 48-pound jerry can filled with water on a ¼ mile course. This will give the students a chance to appreciate what children, especially girls, are doing around the world for their families to have water. Fontbonne Academy has once again committed to the Engineers Without Borders cause for their Lenten Giving Program which will begin in March.
Sunday, January 30, is the International Festival at Fontbonne Academy. At 4 p.m. in the Auditorium there will be song, dance and costume representing cultures from around the globe, followed by an international buffet in the cafeteria. The suggested donation is $5 and it is open to the public.
Monday, January 31, the Fontbonne Academy Service Club will conclude their week-long clothing drive to benefit Kids Clothes Closet in Braintree. They will collect gently used clothing for children and teens all week and spend Monday preparing to deliver the items. Any appropriate items can be dropped off at Fontbonne's Main Office.
Additionally, on Monday Fontbonne students will be partaking in an anti-bullying initiative called "Mix It Up at Lunch Day," which is run by the Senior Peer Ministers. "Mix It Up at Lunch Day" was created in an effort to develop inclusive school communities by encouraging students to get to know other students. Students will be assigned to lunch tables to stretch them out of their comfort zone, getting to know peers with whom they might not otherwise socialize. There will be ice breakers and conversation themes. "Mix It Up at Lunch Day" will take place once per month at Fontbonne beginning with Catholic Schools Week.
Wrapping up the week, Fontbonne will host its annual Catholic Schools Week Liturgy on Friday, February 4. St. Michael's College Liturgical Choir will provide the music during the service. St. Michael's chaplain, Father Brian Cummings, SSE, will celebrate the 1 p.m. mass which is open to the public. The Fontbonne Academy junior class will be active participants in the service as February is also "Celebrate the Juniors" month at Fontbonne.
Fontbonne invites you to be a part of its Catholic Schools Week events by coming to either the International Festival or the Catholic Schools Week Liturgy, by supporting their clothing drive, or their Lenten Giving Program by sending a check made out to Engineers Without Borders-NEU. Checks can be sent c/o Fontbonne Academy, 930 Brook Road, Milton, MA 02186. Please contact The Office of Mission and Ministry at 617-615-3041 with any questions about upcoming Catholic School Week events. |
Evening of Stars | | |
Although Evening of Stars is still two months away, it's not too soon to reserve a table! To become a Table Host, you must commit to filling a table of ten...that's ten tickets at $100 each. There are many advantages to becoming a Table Host: you get to choose the people you sit with, you get preferred seating at the event, and your name will be listed on the Evening of Stars invitation and in the Program Book. Best of all, you will have a wonderful evening out while raising critical funds for Fontbonne Academy!
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN FILL A TABLE, PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! It's easy to fill a table if you think of all the people who would like to attend: your family, friends, and other Fontbonne parents! You can get a table together with other parents in your daughter's home room or in her carpool, parents of her Fontbonne teammates, or parents you see at your daughter's Chorus or Drama practices. Everyone likes to be asked!
To become a Table Host, just email Anne Comber at eveningofstars@fontbonneacademy.org by Tuesday, February 1, and we will list your name and/or parent group on the Evening of Stars invitation. If you commit after that date, your name and/or parent group will be listed in the Evening of Stars Program Book.
Don't miss out on this enjoyable evening. Please visit the Evening of Stars webpage on the Fontbonne website for all the details or to purchase tickets online. We look forward to seeing you on March 26th! Thank you for your generous support of Fontbonne Academy! |
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Singing Successes | | |
Christina Whelan '13, Christina Ferrera '11 and Emma Byrd '11 at the Eastern Districts Singing Competition.
On Friday and Saturday, January 7and 8, Christina Ferrera '11, Emma Byrd '11, and Christina Whalen '13 participated in the Eastern Massachusetts Music Festival at Boston Latin High School. They were selected after a rigorous audition last November. Nineteen towns are represented in the Eastern District of Massachusetts and over 500 students participated in a two day rehearsal culminating in a concert that features chorus, concert band, orchestra, and jazz band. Christina Ferrera was also All-State recommended. She will undergo another audition on January 29 at Shrewsbury High School where select students from all of Massachusetts will compete for the coveted All-State Music Festival which will be held March 24 - 26 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. The final concert will be at Symphony Hall on March 26, 2011. |
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Chorus Travels to Disney | |
Back Row from left to right: Julie Sullivan '11, Emma Byrne '13, Dahlia Griffin '11, Danielle Diamond '14, Aubrey Griffin, and Laura Sullivan '13. Middle row: Megan Connolly '13. Front row, from left to right: Allison Culkin '11, Dana Eugene '11, Alyssa Jones '13, Emily Tehan '12 and, Kathleen Moran '13.
Over the Christmas vacation, Mrs. Fortier, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Emma accompanied a total of 24 people that included 11 Fontbonne students and their families to Walt Disney World, Florida. Julie Sullivan '11, Allison Culkin '11. Dana Eugene '11 , Dahlia Griffin '11, Megan Connolly '13, Emily Tehan '12, Kathleen Moran '13, Emma Byrne '13, Laura Sullivan '13, Alyssa Jones '13 and Danielle Diamond '14 all participated in one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Epcot, the Candlelight Processional. This is a joyous retelling of the Christmas Story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50 piece symphony orchestra and a glorious massed choir. Our narrator was Golden Globe and Oscar winning actress, Marlee Matlin. There were 12 songs interspersed with the telling of the Christmas story including three songs in Spanish, German, and French. It was truly a beautiful event. Of course the Fontbonne entourage also enjoyed all the fun and rides that Disney World has to offer, going to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.
The Fontbonne students wore gold robes at the Candlelight Procession. Here they are at the performance (on both sides of the concert hall). |
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Seniors Take Part in Trafficking Vigil | |
Cara Ciardelli '11, Sister Maryann Enright, and Lina Tran '11 stand outside in the cold on January 9 in a vigil to raise awareness of Human Trafficking. The students have selected the topic for their Social Justice Project.
Fontbonne Academy Seniors Lina Tran and Cara Ciardelli recently took part in a Human Trafficking Vigil on January 9 on Cambridge Street in Brighton, at the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston's Motherhouse. They stood outside in the freezing cold with a large banner in an effort to get people to be more aware of the heinous crime of human trafficking. The event was created by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, the founding sisters of Fontbonne Academy, to mark the fourth annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day, set for January 11 by the United States Senate. Many cars honked and beeped as they passed by. As one Sister at the event noted, "They might not know what human trafficking is now, but they might go home and Google it!"
Lina and Cara had been invited by Sister Maryann to promote the event, and since they both had expressed an interest in the topic, together they created a large banner to bring to the event. As seniors at Fontbonne, they must identify and embrace an injustice and, through their senior year Theology curriculum, engage in research and action to right their chosen injustice. In April, all Fontbonne seniors will present their work in the annual Social Justice Fair, scheduled for April 7, 2011.
"Trafficking is so scary because it happens to people like the girls we go to school with every day," Cara Ciardelli said. "I feel so strongly about it because it really could happen to anyone." Lina Tran agreed, "People think slavery ended a lot time ago, but it hasn't ended at all," she said.
Taking part in the vigil was just one way to engage in helping to right this particular injustice. Fontbonne Academy sends every senior out into the world to help others through their actions. "The Social Justice Program at Fontbonne Academy really sets us apart from other schools," said Head of School Mary Ellen Barnes. |
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