STAR THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ALL SAINTS REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL -- December 2013
Rev. Elias’ Long Route to Glen Cove
Nicole Rodi
The Very Reverend Dom Elias Carr was not always thinking about priesthood and certainly never thought he would become a Headmaster. He said if he was not a priest he would have loved to be a professor at a University. But he was given a grace by God to become a Priest. “Everyone wants to know that their life is meaningful and to understand why they are on this earth at this time,” says Fr. Elias. So he wondered what he should do with his life, how he should spend it. When he arrived at Catholic University in 1990, his eyes were opened to worlds about which he knew very little, but which his heart long sought. Fr. Elias was amazed to learn about the Catholic faith and what it revealed to him about his life. It was the right time in his life for him to recognize the treasure that is the Catholic faith; Fr. Elias had it all along but did not see its immense value. This joy opened up in his possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. It made sense to him. He was made to do this.
STAR PHOTO/NICOLE RODI
STAR PHOTO/NICOLE RODI
Fr. Elias reads a book to students in Miss Diffley’s class. It made sense for his life, his personal- Rome, Italy. Fr. Elias came back to live ity, character, interests and dispositions. in Annandale, Virginia and then moved Ultimately, in June 1993 as he was pray- on to Klosterneuberg, Austria. He has ing, he decided to say yes to a priestly also lived in Bergen, Norway and now vocation. A great peace followed that has lives in Glen Cove. The churches he has more or less always been with him. A worked in are Holy Spirit in Annandale, deep peace at the core of his being, not VA; St. Leopold in Donaufeld, Vienna, necessarily one on the level of feelings. Austria; St. Paul in Bergen, Norway; St. Of course, there were doubts and ques- Martin, St. Margaretha and St. Vitus in tions and there still are, but thanks to the Klosterneuburg; Kritzendorf and HöHoly Spirit, these became opportunities flein respectively (three parishes next to to grow in Faith, Hope and Love. He the abbey going along the Danube Rivwas ordained a priest on May 15, 1999. er) and St. Rocco and St. Patrick, Glen Fr. Elias met Fr. Daniel at the seminary Cove. While in Austria, he said he enin 1996 and again when he became a tered Stift Klosterneuburg with the hope Canon Regular of Saint Augustine in that once having become a Canon Regu2002. lar of Saint Augustine, he would be able Before coming to Glen Cove, Fr. to introduce this priestly vocation to the Elias lived and preached all over the United States. He has since been able
about at 4:30 a.m. (or a little later on his day off), prays for half an hour, and then he and the other priests pray together at 5:45 a.m. (Office of Readings and Morning Prayer). Afterward, he has breakfast. At some point, he offers Mass in either parish. Fr. Elias then goes to the school during the school hours and then to St Rocco’s (or during school hours if there is a good reason, such as a funeral or important meeting). At 3:30 p.m. they have a Holy Hour where they pray together and then have about thirty minutes of silence. Afterward, he will take care of work or get some exercise. Then they have dinner and on some evenings he has activities. On weekends, the schedule differs because there is no school. Fr. Elias came to Glen Cove
world. He was born in Manhattan, lived briefly in Westchester and grew up in Syosset. He attended SUNY Binghamton for college and attended graduate school in Washington, DC. He has lived in Arlington, Virginia, moved to a seminary in Philadelphia, and studied in
and All Saints because he wanted to bring the his community, the Canons Regular, to the U.S. and also because Mr. Thompson had retired. Fr. Elias believes this school year is off to a very good start and is pleased with the progress we are making.
to do that. Fr. Elias can speak many languages. He can speak English, German, Norwegian and Italian. He can also read Latin, but cannot have a conversation in it. On a daily basis, this is Fr. Elias’ regular routine. On weekdays, he gets up
December 2013
ASR Star
Page 2
ASR STUDENT STAFF Johnny Blazich Jamie Coniglione Samantha Horton MaryJane Hughes
Maura Lynch Kaitlyn Maleady Mackenzie Messineo
Michael Messineo Nicole Rodi Anya Skripkin
Advisors: Kevin Horton Kieran Lynch
This issue of the ASR Star brought to you by the students of All Saints Regional Catholic School through the ST.A.R.S. Afterschool Program.
ST.A.R.S. Program Begins Maura Lynch
Two Great Shows, One Spectacular Night Anya Skripkin Each year the Kindergarten, First, Second and Third grades participate in the Christmas Pageant. They sweetly sing various Christmas carols like, “Joy to the World”, “Away in a Manger”, and much more. The 3rd grade also preforms in a play about the Nativity to celebrate the birth of Christ. Each year the school band performs
in its own Christmas Concert as well. The school band joyfully plays a variety of Christmas songs too. These are two wonderful events that you could go to, but instead of having two seperate Christmas shows, these two events came together for one spectacular night. The band concert and the Christmas pageant created one magnificent show on Dec. 17. Each year everyone does amazingly. This show put everyone in great Christmas spirit.
Mr. Robert Lynch recently introduced a new after-school program called ST.A.R.S. (Study, Activities, Recreation and Service). It includes activities for all students to enjoy with friends. There are many different things to do, ranging from athletics to music, which sparks many different interests. In addition, there are special “Service Groups” for middle school students to help the school and community. For instance you could join a service group to help decorate the school. Visit www.asrstars.org to learn more.
Activities include: • Arts and Crafts • Chess • DJ • FAST Athletics program • Film • Italian • Law • Newspaper • S.T.E.M. • Say yes to the stretch • Schola Cantorum • Social Dining • Traditional Music • Drama • Basketball • Soccer
Big and Little Buddies Anya Skripkin This year, children in older grades are taking great care of children in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First and Second grades. Each Friday at mass, the Seventh and Eighth grades get to sit with a First or Second Grader. Each student gets assigned some one to sit with. Each day
I see a small group of Eighth Graders having lunch with the Pre-K and Kindergarten. They talk to them and help them get napkins, straws and other supplies. Students in different grades also help dismiss the Pre-K and Kindergarten at walker time. I’ve also noticed Fifth and Sixth Graders making sure that the younger children go on the bus. They also sit with them and talk to them too. They have been doing a great job!
STAR PHOTO/MAURA LYNCH Students participate in the Law Club as part of the ST.A.R.S. program.
Week of October 17, 2013
Gold Coast Gazette
Meet The Academic Dean: Mrs. Fitzgerald
Johnny Blazich ASR Star: Where are you from? Mrs. Fitzgerald: Floral Park. ASRS: Where did you work before ASR? Mrs. Fitzgerald: Before working here I was the principal of St. Edward the Confessor. ASRS: What is your favorite thing about ASRC? Mrs. Fitzgerald: I enjoy working with the staff and parents and I also enjoy being part of a team with Father Elias, but first and foremost the students. ASRS: What college did you go to? Mrs. Fitzgerald: I have a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from St. John’s [University], a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Adelphi [University], and a Master of Science in Education from Fordham [University]. ASRS: What was your favorite subject? Mrs. Fitzgerald: My favorite subject was math. ASRS: Do you have any children? Mrs. Fitzgerald: Yes, I have two
daughters ages 24 and 30. ASRS: What is your favorite food? Mrs. Fitzgerald: My favorite food is spaghetti. ASRS: What is your favorite book? Mrs. Fitzgerald: My favorite book
ASRS: What is your favorite football team? Mrs. Fitzgerald: The New York Giants. ASRS: Who is your favorite saint? Mrs. Fitzgerald: St. Joan of Arc. ASRS: Do you have any pets? Mrs. Fitzgerald: I had a dog that passed away last year. ASRS: What are your hobbies? Mrs. Fitzgerald: I like to swim, crochet, cook, read, and spend time with my family. ASRS: How do you think the school year is going? Mrs. Fitzgerald: I think the school year is going fabulous.
Page 3
ASR Band Johnny Blazich
The ASR Band is a group lead by Mr. Joseph Licata. There is a Beginner Band for students in their first year of music lessons, and an Experienced Band for students with one or more years of lessons. ASR students are able to join band in third grade and can participate through eighth grade. The band consists of saxophones, clarinets, flutes, trumpets, trombones, drums and a baritone horn. There is a spring concert and a winter concert. This year’s winter concert is on Dec. 10. Half-hour lessons are given during the school day each Wednesday, and the Experienced Band meets after school on Wednesdays.
All Saints Regional Catholic School Online Visit our school website at: asrcatholic.org “Like” us on Facebook at: facebook.com/ASRCatholic
PHOTO/ASRCATHOLIC.ORG
is The Legend of the Candy Cane. I read it when I taught second grade and it was given to me by one of my students. It talks about the symbolism of a candy cane and the religious significance.
“Follow” us on Twitter at: @ASRCatholic Learn about our unique ST.A.R.S. Afterschool Program at: asrstars.org View our YouTube Channel at: youtube.com/user/ASRCatholic
STAR PHOTO/MAURA LYNCH
Meet The Teacher: Mr. Pillion Samantha Horton
All Saints Regional Catholic School is blossoming with new teachers and one of those teachers is Mr. Timothy Pillion. Mr. Pillion teaches sixth and fifth grade Math and ELA. He also teaches fifth grade religion. Mr. Pillion and Mrs. Badger are taking turns teaching the fifth
PHOTO CREDIT/SAMANTHA HORTON Mr. Pillion teaching one of his classes at All Saints.
and sixth graders their subjects. Sometimes Mr. Pillion tells his classes about his adventures. He has been all over the world. He also talks about his family. His wife’s name is Jean and he has three sons including Christopher and Al-
exander that are twins and both college graduates. And last but not least Cole, a sixth grader. When Mr. Pillion was little he had a pretty big family. He had four siblings named Mary Katherine, Thomas (Tommy), Anne and Megan. He went to a school called Resurrection. Mr. Pillion is always losing his glasses. He has pink with white striped glasses, blue and green glasses and green with white striped glasses. People always say he steals them from his wife Jean. Mr. Pillion’s stories are very funny and entertaining, and everyone says he is their favorite teacher and the funnies teachers.
Page 4
ASR Star
All Saints Sports Roundup
December 2013
Kaitlyn Maleady
The ASR ST.A.R.S. Afterschool Program now has a variety of sports teams including volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, and even cross country, as well as track and field. The majority of students in the middle school are now participating on one or more of the ASR teams. Mr. Tony Genua is the parent coordinator for the sports program and in only one year expanded the program from just basketball to the Olympic Review mentioned above (Well, bowling and cheerleading may not be Olympic sports, but they should be!). ASR has boys teams, girls teams and even some co-ed teams. Some people say that co-ed sports are awkward, but students who play them can assure you that they are the highest level of competition. In the inaugural year for many of the teams, All Saints took the Catholic school leagues by storm! The 2012/2013 teams all did exceedingly well and took home first place in several areas. Last fall, the girls’ volleyball team won the championship, and in the spring the Co-Ed team also won their division. Volleyball player Maura Lynch said of the ASR powerhouse, “At All Saints, our goal is teamwork, sportsmanship and of course, championships! Every ASR volleyball team I have been on has brought home the title, and we plan to carry that tradition on this year as well.” So far
PHOTO/MR. LYNCH The volleyball team practices in preparation for its next game.
this season, the girls’ volleyball team has a winning record, and the championship trophy is within reach. Last year’s basketball program was also a great success. Both basketball teams were playing in the highest divisions in recent school history. The girls’ team finished its season undefeated, making it into the second round of the playoffs. ASR was a force to be reckoned with and opposing coaches could not believe that it consisted of only sixth
in the Chaminade main gym, and the team has many memories of their battle against the number one seed and ultimate tournament champion. The basketball program is bouncing high and definitely a slammin’ success! In the spring, All Saints was definitely not going to “strike out” with its newly implemented softball and baseball teams. Although pulled together late, the baseball team was a huge success, finishing their season with only one loss.
The fall 2013 academic year revved into high gear with the entry of a new ASR sports team in the Catholic school co-ed soccer league. Three quarters of the way through the season the ASR team is undefeated. The ASR sports program is truly a success. All teams demonstrate good sportsmanship, Christian values and flawless execution. ASR is taking the Catholic Sports League by storm and dominating many of the sports leagues.
and seventh graders! The boys’ basketball team finished strong, and was even invited to an invitation-only post-season tournament sponsored by Saint Martin de Porres. The tournament was held
The girls’ team also began to develop late, but practiced hard and came close to winning a few scrimmages. Both of these new teams will be back this year and are clearly a Grand Slam for ASR!
The new and improved sports program is elevating All Saints to a new level. With many new sports yet to come, everyone at All Saints will have a team to join or support!
relax with calming music in the background. All of the poses are fun and so easy to do! When we meditate, Mrs. DeNino will tell us to think of a word and say it a couple times in our heads so the next time that we are stressed out we can think of that word and we will start to feel calmer. Yoga is also great for boys. If you play a sport, yoga keeps your body in shape and improves your flexibility. So come right down and give this great new club a try! It’s a cool way
STAR PHOTO/JAMIE CONIGLIONE Students participate in meditation during a Say Yes to the Stretch meeting.
Club Profile: Say Yes to the Stretch
Jamie Coniglione
One of the new ASR ST.A.R.S. afterschool clubs is called Say Yes to the Stretch. This club is for students in grades five through eight and held on Tuesdays from 2:45 to 3:45 and is run by Mrs. DeNino. For the first half of the class, you learn yoga and for the other half, you meditate. It is a great way to
Week of October 17, 2013
Gold Coast Gazette
Meet The Teacher: Mr. Schimpf MaryJane Hughes
STAR PHOTO/MARYJANE HUGHES
Mr. Schimpf decided he wanted to become a teacher while in middle school.
There are plenty of new teachers this year. Many students have no idea where they came from or anything about their past. So I went and interviewed Mr. Schimpf. Mr. Schimpf went to Saint Mary’s in middle school. He went to two colleges, The University of Delaware and Adelphi University. Before Mr. Schimpf worked here he used to work as an Apple Genius and a caddie. When he was a kid, he lived in Bayport, N.Y. As a kid he played many sports. The sports he played were soccer, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, football, track, golf and tennis. Even though he played lots of sports, he still focused on school. His two favorite school subjects are math and physics. He walked to school every day until sixth grade and took the bus until 12th grade when he drove to school. He had a perfect attendance record from
Page 5
sixth through eighth grade. Mr. Schimpf was in a club in high school called S.A.L.T. which means Saint Anthony’s leadership team. He helped freshman make their way around the school. He was in middle school when he decided that he wanted to devote his life to teaching. Now Mr. Schimpf works here, at All Saints Regional Catholic School. His favorite part of teaching is when students debate over an answer. In his spare time he likes to listen to music and play video games. He likes to travel a lot; he said the most amazing place he has been to would be Route 1 in California. If he could travel anywhere in the world it would be Australia. He has one cat, named ZuZu, though he likes cats and dogs the same. His favorite food is pizza, and his favorite candy is Twix. Mr. Schimpf was very devoted to school and sports as a child. Now, he is a teacher and is enjoying it very much.
Seventh Grade Preps for ‘Riding Hood’ Maura Lynch Every year, the seventh grade Spanish class participates in a play spoken in Spanish. This time, it chose between “Goldilocks and The Three bears,” “Snow White,” or “Little Red Riding Hood.” They chose Little Red Riding Hood, translated to ‘La Caperucita Roja.’ The cast is practicing hard each day. It will be performed in the beginning of January for the whole school with the help of Mrs. Galvani. The cast includes… • Little Red Riding Hood Maura Lynch • The Wolf - Charlie Juergens • The Grandma - Nicole Rodi • The Mother - Victoria Fazzalari • The Hunter - Carley Edelman
• The Bird - Julianna Kutasi • The Bears - Katelin Bilello, MaryJane Hughes • The Bunnies - Melissa Lalonde, Anya Skripkin • The Rats - Victoria Rose, Arianna Ressa • The Narrators - Olivia Burke, Olivia Colon
STAR PHOTO/MAURA LYNCH
Mrs. Galvani prepares the students.
STAR PHOTO/KAITLYN MALEADY
The cast from this year’s production of “Little Red Riding Hood.”
Page 6
ASR Star
December 2013
All Saints Gets a Facelift
Kaitlyn Maleady When escorting adults on tours during open house student guides have all heard adults fondly say as they tour the campus; “The school is exactly the way I remember it! Nothing has changed!” Although meant in a good way, those of us under the age of 50 translate that to mean “It is time to make a few improvements!” All Saints Regional is always trying to improve the curriculum to enhance the educational aspect of the school. But beginning last summer, more tangible changes started to appear all around us. A variety of initiatives began to renovate the school facilities. Parent and student volunteers along with paid professionals (and some priests for moral support) put on their hard hats and got their hands dirty as the ASR transformation began (just a decade into the new millennium!). In 2012, All Saints began a long renovation progress starting with the playground. The All Saints family, behind the leadership of Barbara Peebles, created a ‘Playground Committee’. A group of volunteers began to take action. The jungle gym for the kindergarten was rebuilt by Teddy Dubicki and crew and is looking better than ever sitting on plush green artificial turf. Other volunteers figured out how to inexpensively replace the fence and resurface part of the park-
ing lot. On a hot summer day in August, a group of inexperienced students and parents learned the intricate art of stuffing slats in the fence in order to allow for more privacy. Others spent their time creating a shed to hold the newly donated balls and playground supplies. Team Feldmann was the masterminds behind the colorful four-square courts. The Haff crew and other worker bees ordered stencils, painted hop-scotch boards, a new kickball field and soccer goals. While the Maleady mob was up to their elbows in paint and on their knees designing and painting basketball courts by hand, Master-Welder Rick Haff put his awning business on hold while he reconstructed the basketball rims and backboards from what seemed to be a pile of scrap metal. The renovations were now in full swing! At the same time, Father Elias hired professionals to redesign the entrance area to the school. At the end of the project, a classroom and big office space had been transformed into a conference room, a Headmaster’s and Academic Dean’s office, and an administrative room complete with a waiting area. But the transformation didn’t stop with some new walls. The offices were decorated with cool new furniture (all donated!) and original (or copied) artwork worth thousands (of dollars or pesos). Everyone was in awe when the entrance was unveiled. That
STAR PHOTO/MAURA LYNCH A student plays hopscotch at recess in the All Saints parking lot.
STAR PHOTO/MAURA LYNCH Students play games at recess utilizing newly-painted foursquare area.
was still just the beginning! Last year, almost every classroom added a Smartboard and the computer lab was refurbished. To our surprise, the renovations continued during the summer of 2013. Father Daniel transformed an ordinary classroom into a room stolen from the Vatican Museums with Persian Rugs, fabric covered walls, priceless artwork and other items of historical importance from medieval times. He also added a marble topped desk, a podium, an almost exact replica of Thor’s mallet, and even a class pet; a stuffed dog with a different name for each class that Father Daniel teaches. The Spanish room now looks like a Cinco de Mayo festival, the LA classroom has an inspirational motif,
and the Social Studies room is engulfed in maps and history books. Every classroom is designed to bring its subject to life when a student walks in the door. Speaking of which, even the students were redesigned with brand new uniforms! The gym renovation is just beginning with a new coat of paint, and fundraising has begun to replace the rickety floor and bathrooms under the direction of Anthony Genua. By the time the class of 2014 is ready to graduate, guests entering the school may marvel at the changes. Seeing the transformation shows how much we can accomplish when we work together.
Week of October 17, 2013
Looms Brighten Up Recess
Gold Coast Gazette
Mrs. Peebles and the FFA Nicole Rodi
Samantha Horton If you took a look at recess you can see kids are carrying around little plastic clear pegs, with a blue base. What you are seeing is a Rainbow Loom. With a rainbow loom you can make different kind of bracelets, such as ‘the single,’ ‘triple single,’ hexafish,’ ‘starburst’ and many other types of bracelets. They have different looms to make different bracelets. They have the ‘Hexafish’ looms with two rows, and the sailor pinstripe loom that has four rows. Kids use different colors and different pattern rubber bands to make the bracelets. Finding the right colors combination to go with the right type of bracelets is the first step to make a perfect bracelet. Then you have to lay out your rubberbands on the loom (this step may change depending on the type of bracelet you make). Next loop the rubberbands according to the type of bracelet you make (this step may change depending on the type of bracelet your making). Finally take the rubberbands off the loom and enjoy your bracelet.
STAR PHOTO/SAMANTHA HORTON Looms brighten up a school day,
Page 7
ASR Star: What does FFA stand for? Mrs. Peebles: FFA stands for Family and Fundraising Association. ASRS: Why was the HSA changed to FFA? Mrs. Peebles: The HSA was changed to FFA because we wanted all the families to feel part of the fundraising committee. ASRS: How was the FFA originally started? Mrs. Peebles: Many schools need help with their budgets to provide a great education for their students. They often need to raise more money in addition to tuition. ASR has a long history of families coming together to raise money while having fun. “It is not all about raising money, it is also about community spirit and having fun,” said Mrs. Peebles, president of the FFA. It is also how many of the families at ASR met and came to know each other.
ASRS: What do the FFA members do? Mrs. Peebles: The FFA is the fundraising organization of the school and we help build relationships amongst school families. ASRS: How is the committee organized? Mrs. Peebles: We have four executive members: the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Then there is the steering committee who leads the major fundraisers. All the families of All Saints are always welcome to participate in the events even if they are not part of the committee ASRS: What upcoming events should we look forward to? Mrs. Peebles: The major fundraising events we have throughout the school year are: Annual Service Auction, Evening with Santa, Headmaster’s Ball, Dean’s Dinner Dance, and Golf Outing. There are also other fundraising initiatives throughout the year besides the major events. I would like to give a big thank you to all the families and staff who help
keep ASR together. We fully appreciate all you do. If there are any individuals who would like to volunteer or have any questions regarding the FFA and what they do please contact them at allsaintsffa@outlook.com
STAR PHOTO/NICOLE RODI
Mrs. Peebles is the President of the FFA.
School Briefs: What’s Available Mackenzie Messineo and Michael Messineo
School store The school store has highliters, notebooks, flashcards, glue, pens, pencils, hole punchers, mini notepads, white out, folder, construction paper and much more. Everything is $3.80 and under. Mrs. Malvino and Mrs. Quinn run the school store. The school store is in the cafeteria. New uniforms From badge to badge skirt to skort tie to tie, the changes are here. When it comes to the fifth-eighth grade girls, the skirts are now skorts. The summer uniforms are khaki and the winter uniform is gray. The polo shirt is now changed
from white to burgundy for both the girls and boys. The boys’ pants stayed the same. Their ties stayed the same except for fifth-eighth grades. Their ties are now adult style and the pattern changed. Along with these changes you can also find our new logo.
Technology is everywhere Technology at ASR today is now intergraded in each class with smartboards and more. Mrs. Kemp will still lead our school in the computer lab while each classroom gets more technol-
Many food choices at lunch There are a lot of choices of food to eat at the ASR cafeteria. From pasta to french fries, everyone will find there favorite type of food. To help wash it all down you’ll find all kinds of drinks from snapple, water and milk to even Yoohoo. Don’t forget dessert. You can choose from ice pops, ice cream or chips. You can find all your favorite snacks. I know I can. I’ll see you there.
ogy. Also Mr. Schimpf leads the seventh and eighth grades in the science lab upstairs, which was one of the first places we saw a SMART Board at ASR.
STAR PHOTO/MICHAEL MESSINEO
Page 8
ASR Star
December 2013
ASR Star Sponsors