Rosarian Academy E-News

Volume 3: Issue 7                                                                                                              February 1-29, 2016
Alumni Connect

Dear Rosarian Community,

February opened with Catholic Schools Week which helped pave the way for a great month with a multitude of community events. Parent networking initiatives, Grandparents' Day, service activities, and sporting competitions demonstrated Rosarian at its best. As our activities and accomplishments resonate the desire to make our school a better place for all, we are supporting the work of our teachers in helping our children to become their best selves. We look forward to continuing this work as we enter the last trimester.

Enjoy reading the highlights for the month of February,

Steve Rubenacker, Head of School
Alumni News
Congratulations to Dante Cooper (Class of 2015) for winning the class 13-1A wrestling district title at 174 Lbs as a freshman and Margie Burnside (Class of 2013) for placing 3rd at 105 lbs. Dante and Margie both qualified as regional finalists and attend Cardinal Newman High School.


Nicholas Nunez, Class of 2015, joined Suncoast/Inlet Grove's FIRST Robotics team. The team had six weeks to build a robot as part of the Stronghold Challenge. They competed the last weekend in February in Myrtle Beach, SC Palmetto Regional. The team placed first out of sixty-two teams and will now complete in the FIRST World Championship in St Louis April 27-30. Good luck Nick and team!  
Top Educational Neuroscientist Presents on The Brain's Role in How We Learn

What's the brain's role in learning? How can we maximize its potential? We welcomed neuroscientist and developmental psychologist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD to campus on February 2nd and 3rd to engage in workshops with students, faculty, parents and community members to address and answer these very important questions. Dr. Immordino-Yang, President Elect of the International Mind Brain and Education Society, led an interactive discussion and workshop for parents and community members. She addressed how we learn, why emotions matter in teaching and learning, and what we can do as a culture to actively support and enhance deeper levels of learning, creativity, and twenty-first century skills.
 
Immordino-Yang's visit was planned in conjunction with the celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Over 90 years ago, Rosarian Academy was founded on the Dominican tradition of prayer, study, reflection and action. Mary Helen's research findings highlight the critical role reflection plays in deeper levels of understanding and social, emotional stability.
Catholic Schools Week Ends with Service Day in Our Community

Rosarian students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff celebrated the final day of Catholic Schools Week participating in two different service opportunities--gleaning tomatoes in Lake Worth and cleaning the beach in Palm Beach. About 85 members of the Rosarian Community participated in this service day.

Catholic Schools Week is a national celebration of Catholic education and being communities of faith, knowledge and service. Schools across the country celebrate with Masses, open houses, service projects and other community activities.
Cheerleaders Place 2nd in League Competition

Rosarian cheerleaders completed in the Catholic Athletic League Competition held at Cardinal Newman High School on February 6th, the last day of Catholic Schools Week. For the second consecutive year, the girls placed 2nd overall. As the smallest squad at the competition with only 11 cheerleaders, they finished half of a point shy of first place. The cheerleaders also competed in contests for best stunt group, best jumps and best tumbler. The Rosarian cheerleaders won the best stunt group contest, and overall best tumbler, Laila Fahmy, performed over 30 flips across the competition floor.
Hooray for Grandparents' Day
 
Rosarian Academy welcomed over 350 grandparents and special friends to its campus on February 11 for a day of harmony, laughter and music. The students had the opportunity to show off the school they love to those they love.
 
Grandparents started the morning visiting the children in Early Childhood where they explored various lessons and areas of the Montessori classrooms. The two-to-five-year-old children made crafts with their special guests-a tie for Grandpa and a corsage for Grandma-and sang specially-prepared songs, like "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, my, oh my, it's Grandparents' Day. Plenty of kisses coming your way..."
 
The Lower School (kindergarten through fourth grade) then performed a medley of songs in the Rosarian Theater. Listening to the messages of the songs--including: hooray for Grandparents' Day; you've got a friend in me; will you still need me, will you still feed me when you're 64; peace is holding grandpa's hand; you raise me up, so I can stand on mountains--pulled at the heartstrings of every grandparent, parent and friend. The performance was followed by 'family style' lunch in the dining hall and visits to the classrooms.
 
In the afternoon, the Middle School took the stage. The fifth-through-eighth-grade students opened their performance with pride singing the school song and brought their grandparents on a journey through the decades of the 90-year history of Rosarian Academy. Wearing habits, nine girls dressed the part of past principals and Adrian Dominican Sisters and narrated the school's story complimented by the chorus of the middle school student body.
Meredith Anderson Honored as February Student of the Month

Eighth-grader Meredith Anderson was honored as Rosarian's February Kiwanis Club Student of the Month on February 19 at the Chesterfield Hotel. 

In her speech delivered at the luncheon, Meredith thanked her parents and school for helping her be the person she is today. She stated, "Without the great teachers at Rosarian Academy, I would never have gotten the chance to be in NJHS, the 8th grade class president, and to receive highest academic honors...All of these great opportunities have shown me how to thrive in multiple environments with growing leadership positions and responsibility." She also participates in volleyball and travel soccer and is the team leader of the Glocalizers!--a school club that is helping raise awareness about youth homelessness in Palm Beach County.

Meredith's parents and Language Arts teacher Sarah Anderson accompanied her to the luncheon.

Meredith was recognized with a check and a certificate for her excellence, character and leadership potential. She hopes to attend either St. Andrew's School or Suncoast High School next year. 
Girls Soccer Team Scores a Strong Season

The Rosarian girls soccer team finished their regular season with a record of 6-1. Their amazing defensive play held opposing teams to zero goals in their six wins. The lone defeat came to a very good Benjamin squad. 

The Raiders defeated Palm Beach Day Academy 4-0 in the semifinal game of the Palm Beach Independent School Athletic Conference. They then faced The Benjamin School in the championship game and fell by a respectable score of 2-0 to a very good team to claim the runner-up trophy. Congratulations to the girls soccer team for an excellent season!
Glocalizers Selected as Finalist in Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank Challenge

A team of 18 seventh- and eighth-grade students, the Glocalizers, are competing in the Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank challenge which offers local middle and high school students an opportunity to create and implement innovative solutions to community issues and social problems in Palm Beach County. More than 35 submissions were received, and Rosarian's Glocalizers team has been selected as one of nine finalists.

For this challenge, the Glocalizers are partnering locally with The Lord's Place to fight youth homelessness in our cities through promoting awareness, making policy recommendations and active participation.

The Glocalizers are now invited to "pitch" their idea live, on stage on March 17 at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace. The public is welcome to attend at no cost. The judges are four area philanthropists who each personally committed $25,000--William Meyer, Julie Fisher Cummings, Danielle H. Moore, and Eric Becker. Finalists will have the opportunity to receive up to $15,000 for their idea, and will be mentored by the contributing philanthropist for the year that follows the event.

Rosarian Academy students participating in the Philanthropy Tank challenge include: Meredith Anderson, Gemma Conroy, Bella Vega-Dadurian, Hope Diffenderfer, Devyn Dyett, Gabriela Faber, Jack Fields, Isabella Fiorentino, Marlowe Flom, Liam Groth, Bettina Johnston, Sofia Mendez, Johnny Molina, Drew O'Brien, Thomas Raymond, Jack Shepherd, Lacey Steele, and Van Gronberg.

Good luck Glocalizers!
South Florida Science Museum Presents to Lower School

We welcomed the South Florida Science Museum to the Lower School on February 24. Their engaging presentation of Nitromania exposed kindergarten-through-third graders to the chemical properties of both nitrogen and water and their importance to life on earth. Simultaneously, the fourth grade participated in an engineering science lab conducted by a science center educator. The students worked together in groups to build bridges and tested their constructions with weight.
Jack Throop Advances to State Bee

After winning the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee, eighth-grader Jack Throop took a qualifying test and placed in the top 100 of all scorers on the test in Florida. Jack will now compete in the state Bee on April 1.

One champion from each state will advance to the national competition, which will be held May 22-25 at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. 
1st Annual Pig Roast Big Success

Approximately 75 Rosarian parents gathered at the home of parent and alumna Dani Moore for the first annual Rosarian Pig Roast on February 28. Guests were entertained as Head of School Steve Rubenacker and drama teacher Bob Serman joined forces to host the pig roast. With the RealTing Steel Drum Band playing, libations, and savory food, it proved to be a first-class backyard bar-be-cue. 

Pig Roast tickets were purchased at the school's 37th Annual Auction and Ball at The Breakers on November 21, 2015.
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. 

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Rosarian Academy | 807 N. Flagler Dr. | West Palm Beach, FL 33401 | 561.832.5131 | www.Rosarian.org