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Dear Rosarian Community,
We hope you had a blessed Christmas Season. At school, we ended 2015 celebrating student's academic and athletic accomplishments, participating in a variety of service projects, and spreading the spirit of the season through various performances. It's hard to believe that the 100th day of school will soon be upon us. With the start of the new year, it is hard not to get excited about the days that lie ahead. We look forward to hosting numerous grade-level coffees in the coming months, our State of the School presentation on Wednesday, January 27th, and a visit by renowned neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang on February 2nd. See you there! My very best wishes for a joyous 2016!
Steve Rubenacker, Head of School
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Congratulations to Class of 2013 alumni--Julia Raymond, Jackson Risbara, Finn Kennedy, Will Brodner and Paige Adams--for being inducted into Oxbridge Academy's National Honor Society on Wednesday, December 3.
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Frances Melendez Honored as December Student of the Month
Eighth-grader Frances Melendez was honored as Rosarian's December Kiwanis Club Student of the Month on December 1 at the Chesterfield Hotel. Frances was recognized with a check and a certificate for her excellence, character and leadership potential.
Frances plans to attend Cardinal Newman High School. |
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Show Choir Presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Story
The Rosarian Academy Show Choir, comprising students in grades 1 through 8, performed A Charlie Brown Christmas Story in front of the entire student body in the Rosarian Academy Theater on December 10.
The Show Choir, under the direction of musician and choral leader Mrs. Gay Dedo, performs throughout the year at various events in Palm Beach County.
In this video, Sailor Kate Ashley (7th grade) leads the Show Choir in "Fall on Your Knees" as part of their "A Charlie Brown Christmas Story" performance.
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Gingerbread Man Escapes from Kindergarten
After listening to many gingerbread stories, the kindergarten classes baked their own Gingerbread Man on December 11th. As he was baking in the oven in the cafeteria, the Gingerbread Man escaped during lunch, sending the students on a hunt for him around campus and following the clues he left along the way--to Spanish class where he tied up Mrs. Pariseleti, to first grade, then on to the Media Center and Front Office, and a final stop in Ms. Kent's office. Click here to watch Ms. Kent help the children capture the Gingerbread Man.
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Computer Science Education Week Celebrated with Hour of Code
In celebration of Computer Science Education Week, December 7 - 13, Rosarian Academy's technology staff introduced first-through-fourth-grade students to an 'Hour of Code.' The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. During that week, over 191,000 Hour of Code events were scheduled around the world. The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. This grass-roots campaign, organized by Code.org ( a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), is dedicated to expanding participation in computer science to help nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity and provide a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path. Rosarian Academy's implementation of the Hour of Code was the kick-off to the school preparing to add STEM Lab into the Lower School curriculum.
Click here to listen to what the fourth graders have to say about coding >>> |
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Honoring 1st Trimester Academic and Athletic Achievers
Rosarian Academy held an awards ceremony December 11 to honor and recognize its middle school students with exceptional academic and athletic achievements during the first trimester of the school year.
Seven students--Meredith Anderson (8th), Devyn Dyett (7th), Gabi Faber (7th), Marlowe Flom (7th), Drew O'Brien (7th), Thomas Raymond (8th), and Lacey Steele (7th)--were recognized for achieving Highest Academic Honors (all "A's" in the first trimester and on all exams). Accelerated Reader awards were given to fifth-through-eighth-grade students who have read 300,000 words or more since the start of the school year. The following students were recognized: +300,000 words--Spencer Bornstein (5th), Mercedes Cassidy (6th); Isabella Gil (8th), Thomas Raymond (8th); +400,000 words--Maggie Acosta (6th); Madison Fabbri (6th); +500,000 words--Joseph Coates (6th); +700,000 words--Elise Lanahan (6th), Marlowe Flom (7th); +1,000,000--Nieve Conroy (5th); +2,000,000-Blair Haft (6th). Eighth-grade students selected as Kiwanis Students of the Month and those who advanced to the regional Palm Beach County Science Fair at the South Florida Fairgrounds on December 10, 2015, were recognized. The eighth graders chosen as Student of the Month based on their academic excellence, character and leadership potential were Mariana Perez-Vargas (October), Liam Groth (November), Frances Melendez (December). Those students who advanced to the science fair included: Hailey Albergo, Lauren Bartl, Charlotte Breckenridge, John Carlson, Jake Mockoviak, Daniel Mullen, Mariana Perez-Vargas, Thomas Raymond, and Jack Throop.
The nineteen seventh-grade students who earned at least a 95 percentile or higher on an acceptable composite or subset area from a previous standardized test and qualified as Duke University Talent Identification Program Scholars were also honored. Students included Sailor Kate Ashley, Remi Beaud, Hope Diffenderfer, Devyn Dyett, Lorenzo Escobar, Gabriella Faber, Isabella Fiorentino, Marlowe Flom, Aidan Griffiths, Van Gronberg, Javier Keough, Sofia Mendez, John Molina, Matthew Mullen, Drew O'Brien, Max Sanderson, Lacey Steele, Isabella Vega-Dadurian, and Hannah Wilson.
Sixth-through-eighth-grade students who received no less than a "B-" in all academic subjects and no grade less than "Satisfactory" in all co-curricular classes qualified for Honor Roll and were announced: sixth grade--Maggie Acosta, Christian Azqueta, Spencer Bernstein, Jamis Bornschein, Wilder Breckenridge, Mercedes Cassidy, Grace Colangelo, Joseph Coates, Caleb Curtis, Lily Diffenderfer, Davis Dickinson, Brandon Dorsey, Madison Fabbri, Zachary German, Sara Gil, Delaney Groth, Macarena Gonzalez-Cabanellas, Blair Haft, Emma Hardyman, Wisner Jean, Jack Keogh, Elise Lanahan, Logan McGruder, Margot Smith, Robby Vargas; seventh grade--Sailor Kate Ashley, Remi Beaud, Gemma Conroy, Hope Diffenderfer, Lorenzo Escobar, Isabella Fiorentino, Aidan Griffiths, Van Gronberg, Javier Keough, Sofia Mendez, Max Sanderson, Jack Shepherd, Bella Vega-Dadurian, Hannah Wilson; eighth grade--Lauren Bartl, Alex Boren, Charlotte Breckenridge, Lily Cook, Liam Groth, Colin Kramer, Frances Melendez, Mariana Perez-Vargas, Bard Rockenbach, Grayson Zwickel.
All students who participated in a Fall sport--flag football, volleyball, swimming, and cross country--were acknowledged. The following student-athletes received awards: Boys Varsity Flag Football--James Cinque (8th) / Most Valuable Player, Robert Fox (8th) / Sportsmanship; Boys Junior Varsity Flag Football--Davis Dickinson (6th) / Most Valuable Player, Jackson Bachman (5th), Sportsmanship; Girls Varsity Volleyball--Mariana Perez-Vargas (8th) / Most Valuable Player, Lauren Bartl (8th) / Sportsmanship, Sofia Mendez (7th) / Most Improved; Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball--Mercedes Cassidy (6th) / Most Valuable Player; Mia Pariseleti (5th) / Sportsmanship; Haiden Hersey (6th) / Most Improved; Swimming--Lolly Colton (8th) and Emma Guerrieri (8th) / Most Improved; Natalie Goffe (8th) and Grayson Zwickel (8th) / Sportsmanship; Cross Country--John Carlson (8th) and Elise Lanahan (6th) / Inaugural Season Participant.
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Celebrating the Birth of Jesus at School Pageants
In celebration of the Christmas season, the Lower School performed its annual Christmas pageant Thursday, December 17 in the school's Theater. 170 kindergarten-through-fourth-grade students celebrated the birth of Jesus in front of family and friends. The kindergartners dressed as the beautiful nativity characters and the fourth graders narrated the Christmas story.
This year, the pageant featured a live baby Jesus (Mary Grace Hansen) who appeared in the final song of the program, Silent Night. As the five-month-old Jesus was carried across the stage by her big brother Jack Hansen (1st grader playing Joseph), the audience was in adoration as they were reminded of the true purity, innocence and perfection of the birth of Jesus Christ. The pageant--produced and directed by Gay Dedo, with choreography by Jeanne Bennet and lights and sound by Robert Sherman--was a joyous and beautiful portrayal of the true reason for the Christmas season.
On Friday, December 18, the Children's House students also celebrated the Christmas season with a performance in the Theater. Their angelic voices happily sang a medley of songs.
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'Tis the Season of Service
Service to others is an integral part of the Rosarian Academy community. By offering service opportunities throughout the year, Rosarian aims to graduate students who live this lifelong message and make a positive difference in the world. An even greater focus on giving and service is emphasized during the holiday season.
Many middle school students spent time organizing holiday events for two local non-profit organizations--The Lord's Place on Tuesday, December 15, and Opportunity, Inc. on Thursday, December 17. With the National Junior Honor Society at the helm of the planning, sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students decorated Christmas ornaments and cookies and made crafts with the children who reside at The Lord's Place Family Campus and those who attend Opportunity Early Childhood Education & Family Center.
"It makes me happy and excited to work with the kids and make them feel better about themselves. I love giving back to those who are less fortunate," said eighth-grader Emma Guerrieri, President of the school's NJHS chapter.
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Toy Drive Donations Reach Over 500
For over twelve years, the seventh-grade class has led the school-wide effort to collect unwrapped toys for needy children in our community who may not otherwise receive anything for Christmas. After spending 2.5 weeks collecting toys, on Wednesday, December 16, Rosarian students loaded a Palm Beach County Health Department truck with over 500 unwrapped toys. In addition to the school community donating toys, Student Council also sold candy canes that contributed $470 to the toy drive. The Health Department distributed the toys to children in Palm Beach County who are currently benefiting from their services.
"I am overwhelmed with joy at the generous hearts of our Rosarian students and families. As a community, we far surpassed our original goal of collecting 300 toys. One week prior to the pick-up of the toys, we raised the goal to 400 toys. Over 500 toys were collected and will make hundreds of children in Palm Beach County happy this Christmas-what a beautiful testament to the true Christmas spirit!" commented Steve Rubenacker, Head of School.
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7th Grader Produces 90th Anniversary Video
In honor of Rosarian's 90th Anniversary, seventh-grade student Van Gronberg decided to produce a video interviewing residents of Lourdes-Noreen McKeen senior living facility who are 90 years old or older. In this video, the residents give advice to today's younger generation.
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Rosarian Academy, founded in 1925, is an independent, Catholic school sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Its mission is to educate the whole person for life in a global community in the light of Gospel values.
If you have news or updates you wish to include in the next newsletter, please click here.
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Rosarian Academy | 807 N. Flagler Dr. | West Palm Beach, FL 33401 | 561.832.5131 | www.Rosarian.org
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