Grades attended at Rosarian:  K-8 

Where did you attend high school?  Cardinal Newman

How do you feel Rosarian prepared you for high school?   During the years I was at Rosarian, my friends and I were very competitive. Even at such a young age, from sports to academics, we were constantly striving to be better, whether it was making an A in the classroom or winning a trophy at Field Day (go Green Team!).  Our teachers actively encouraged that healthy competition, which, in turn, continued into High School. I always wanted to take more challenging classes like Honors and AP and still wanted to make the best grades. That same mentality carried through college, law school and into my professional career. 

Where did you attend college and what year did you graduate?  Boston College, 2007

What have you done since graduating college?   After graduating Boston College, I returned to Florida and attended the University of Miami School of Law, graduating magna cum laude in 2010.  I founded the Paradise Fund in 2005, while still at Boston College as a means for our friends to give back to the Community where we grew up.  The organization held an over-the-top, annual fundraiser called Paradise Ball, every New Years Eve for the 20-something set in Palm Beach.  Our Board of Directors would pick a local or national charity to partner with and raise awareness for one cause or another, but always related to children's health and education. As the organization grew and our followers expanded, we changed our platform, narrowed our mission and started incorporating our parents' generation into the events we were hosting and the projects we were working on.  Today, we host fundraisers in Palm Beach, Miami and New York City (our biggest annual event being Paradise Casino at the Flagler Museum on the day after Thanksgiving). Proceeds from our events go into our Children's Relief Fund. Currently, we sponsor schools, orphanages and community centers around the world in areas where help is needed most.  My work with the Paradise Fund is in addition to having served as General Counsel to several prominent companies here in South Florida. 

Do you feel like your experience from Rosarian shaped who you are today?   Absolutely. Reading comprehension and language skills were always my strongest. I remember at a young age having a passion to learn Spanish at Rosarian. At the time, we had the most state of the art language lab. That passion continued to grow as I got older and traveled more. Today I speak Italian, Spanish and Portuguese fluently. I also remember my teachers challenging me to read longer and more complicated books. I remember finishing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 6th Grade.  I also developed a passion for the Arts at Rosarian, spending every moment I could outside of class drawing and painting. I even starred in two school plays, Hooray for Hollywood as the main character, Milo Bravo and Robin Hood, as Friar Tuck. Rosarian essentially gave me everything I needed to become a well-rounded person and instilled in me a passion to help other people. 

What is your fondest memory of Rosarian?  I have so many its hard to list them all. Its amazing how close my friends from Rosarian have remained all these years. Many of them have been my best friends for more than 25 years. Although we all live in different cities, whenever we get together and tell stories, they often start with "Remember at Rosarian when..."  That being said, I was a little trouble maker at Rosarian, so most of my favorite stories actually ended with detention.  Some of my other favorite times were Field Day, our Safety Patrol class trip to Washington D.C., class plays and school dances (when the boys stood on one side of the room and the girls on another) where we showed off our best dance moves.  

Any other comments about Rosarian that you would like to share? People ask me all the time where I want to settle down, and I always tell them that I will eventually come home to Palm Beach to raise my family. I hope that someday my children will be able to have the same education that I received at Rosarian and build the same lifelong friendships that I made. Its amazing to watch how far the school has come and how much growth it has experienced since I graduated.

The Palm Beach English Speaking Union awarded Rosarian's Fine Arts Director, Mr. Robert Sherman, a scholarship for summer studyon Thursday, April 10. Mr. Sherman received a fellowship to study "Teaching Shakespeare through Performance" for three weeks at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Congratulations, Mr. Sherman! 

South Florida Parenting announced that Mrs. Susan Crowley is a finalist in their "My Kid's Rockin' Teacher of the Year" contest! Voting goes from now until May 12. Congratulations to Mrs. Crowley for being recognized as one of South Florida's most outstanding teachers!

You can view Mrs. Crowley's photo and vote for her up to fifty times a day at:
http://contests.sun-sentinel.com/promotions/ss-rockin-teacher-of-the-year

Everything was awesome on April 4th, with a team from NET Ministries on campus. A team of ten young Catholics (18-24 years old) led a spirit-filled, fun day for the 7th and 8th graders. Speaking to the theme "Reality Check," the dynamic team members helped our students take a look at how the world influences the way we live our lives, and how God presents us with a new, life-giving reality.  

The retreat took place during the school day in the Picotte building and was filled with faith-based talks, small group discussions, Gospel-based games, entertaining skits, moving dramas, live music, guided prayer time and Mass. 

Click here to view photos from the retreat.

As an extension of the eighth grade classroom study of American democracy and the U.S. Constitution, 27 students and 3 chaperones took a three-day tour of our nation's capital,  April 7-9.  In preparation for this visit, students researched, created and presented digital documentaries on the D.C. monuments and memorials.  

Class work came alive moments after the enthusiastic group landed in Washington, D.C. and started their extensive guided tour including: Smithsonian Museums, Arlington National Cemetery, the Marine Corps War Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial,  Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial. Thanks to special arrangements made by Special Agent Mark Gibbons, the eighth graders had a special and unique two-hour tour of the FBI headquarters. Agent Gibbons gifted each student with a gold FBI pin.

During the second day on tour, students explored the estate and gardens of George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon, including the Georgian mansion, museum and education center.  They learned the details of Lincoln's assassination during their visit to Ford's Theatre and Petersen House, viewed our nation's "living" documents at the National Archives, and the legends of Alexandria during an exciting and animated evening ghost tour.

The third day began with a visit to Capitol Hill,where students toured the U.S. Capitol and Visitor Center with special gallery passes compliments of Congressman Rooney.  Following a photo stop at the White House, students spent more time at the Smithsonian Museums, including the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of National History, and the National Museum of American History.  Meal stops in Union Station, and the Pentagon Mall added to the cultural experience.  

In addition to learning firsthand about our nation's history and capital, these soon-to-be Rosarian Academy graduates bonded as a class for the last time and have memories that will last a lifetime.

Teamwork works when it comes to saving the earth! In observance of Earth Day on April 22, Rosarian Academy fifth and sixth grade students spent the day outdoors teaching kindergarten through fourth graders and seventh graders environmental concerns and ideas for improvement.  The middle school students presented creative visual "earth-saving" projects, including topics on recycling, endangered animals, alternative forms of energy, and the affects of pollution. The various presentations and activities aimed to convey the message that it's our world and our turn to take care of it. 

Six students received medals for their winning entries in The Lord's Place contest: Meredith Eaton (first grade); Cade Randolph (second grade); Olivia Klein (third grade); Elizabeth Guerrieri (fourth grade); Blair Haft (fourth grade); Bard Rockenbach (sixth grade).  Rosarian administration encouraged students to participate in the contest to help educate them on the most vulnerable population in Palm Beach County--the homeless. The contest gave all K-12 students in Palm Beach County the opportunity to compete with other schools and help foster greater compassion and personal responsibility towards serving others. The contest winners were announced at The Lord's Place Annual SleepOut at the Meyer Amphitheater on Friday night, April 11. 

Click here to view some of the winning entries. 

In the spirit of service to others and sharing the love and joy of Jesus in preparation for Easter, the eighth grade visited Opportunity, Inc. Early Learning Center and NJHS students visited The Lord's Place Family Campus. The Rosarian students had fun filling Easter eggs, providing baskets, and setting up Easter egg hunts for the children at both of the local non-profit organizations which work with underprivileged children.The Easter Bunny also showed up for both hunts. 

In preparation for kindergarten, the Children's House "Raiders" (pre-k) returned from Christmas break ready to tackle bigger challenges and activities. They started using Work Cards to track their lessons and activities--learning responsibility, time management, motivation toward higher thinking, and goal setting. As we approach the end of this school year, the Raiders are now going through the Kindergarten Transitional Program, a series of three events that give the future Rosarian Academy kindergartener the opportunity to mix and mingle with the existing kindergarten students, teachers, and parents. This program is designed to prepare the children on an emotional and social level so there will be fewer butterflies and more excitement for the 2014-2015 school year. 

On April 23 and 24, Ms. Julie's and Ms. Cindy's "Raiders"  joined the kindergarten classes in the dining hall for pizza and then enjoyed recess on the kindergarten playground.  Click here to see some of the pictures.

Dr. Boyle, surgical oncologist, spent a day with Mrs. Linck's 7th and 8th grade science classes. Dr. Boyle assisted with the dissection and comparative anatomy unit--comparing tissue, organ systems and organisms of the cow, fetal pig and cat. With the help of Dr. Boyle, the students also dissected and compared a sheep heart to that of a cow. Special attention was given to identifying the specific structures and functions of the heart anatomy and locating it within the cat. This unit provides the students with the opportunity to connect their strong Core Knowledge scientific background to the very anatomy and physiology that all mammals share. 

Baby chicks hatched at the end of April in Ms. Kim's Toddler House classroom. As part of this month's study of birds and Easter, the children spent 21 days learning about and watching the incubation of chicken eggs. Tied in with Easter's symbolism of life, the children witnessed the miracle of life springing from an egg. The little scientists wore lab coats and goggles and looked through a special telescope that penetrates through the egg shell to see the live and forming embryo. Each day, they studied model eggs to see the progression of the chicken.

Fully dressed with smiles, Rosarian Academy's cast of fourth through eighth grade students performed Annie April 26 and 27, in front of two packed houses in the school's 485 person professional theater. With a live orchestra, professional costumes, and the set borrowed from the Maltz Jupiter Theater, 'bet your bottom dollar' that both shows had every member in the audience 'grinning ear to ear' and singing along with the adorable little orphan Annie and her friends. 

The musical was produced and directed by Robert Sherman, with musical direction by Gay Dedo and choreography by Jeanne Bennet and Francesca Coniglio. Annie's cast was anchored by fifth

grade student Sailor Kate Ashley (Annie) and eighth-grade veteran performers Lilly Cooney (Grace Farrell), Johnny Blumel (Rooster), Alexander Moorison (FDR), George Kaplanidis (Oliver Warbucks), Waverly Lim (Lilly St. Regis), Niki White (Aggie Hannigan), Kayla Becerra (Star to Be) and Ashling Boyle (Duffy).