aC Around Campus
MUSTANG MOMENTS
On Friday, August 21, 2020, affectionately called Freshman Friday, more than 20 Bishop McNamara faculty and staff members - led by President/CEO Dr. John Barnhardt and Principal Dian Carter - ventured out to deliver Mustang Spirit Gear to members of the Class of 2024. A few days before the deliveries, each student and their family was asked to share where they would be “quarantined” that Friday. Freshman and their families were asked to be “camera ready” and were given a window of time when their special delivery would arrive. All social distancing rules applied and none of the school’s staff went into freshman homes. They traveled all around the Metropolitan Washington region. When students and their families ventured out to greet them, gleeful joy was the typical response. Welcome to your #BMHSFamily Class of 2024! n
2021. For more on this story, please read the feature article titled Bishop McNamara High School Announces Major Investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. n
During the month of October, Bishop McNamara High School honored Respect Life Month as a Catholic school and supported National Bullying Prevention Month. Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church reminds the faithful and all people of good will to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During this month, the Catholic Church asks all people to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life as we are one human family. National Bullying Prevention Month encourages schools, communities, and organizations to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying and put an end to hatred and racism by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of all forms of bullying on all children of all ages. Both of these month long awareness campaigns were discussed and reflected upon during Mustang Mix, which is held virtually every Maroon day by faculty and staff moderators placed into groups of approximately twenty students from each grade level. n On Thursday, October 8, the Fine Arts Department virtually hosted as part of its 2020-2021 Guest Artists Series Karla Garcia. Originally from Oxon Hill, Maryland, Karla made her Broadway debut at age twenty in Hot Feet, a dance musical directed by Maurice Hines. Karla went on to perform in the national tours of Wicked and Addams Family followed by other Broadway performances such as West Side Story, Gigi, and Hamilton: An American Musical. Karla made history as the first Filipina cast member in Broadway’s Hamilton. n
August through November, Bishop McNamara High School operated in Stage 0 - fully virtual. For more on this story, please read the feature article titled Bishop McNamara High School: Remaining Committed to Excellence in a Virtual World. n On September 28, President/CEO Dr. John Barnhardt announced that Bishop McNamara High School received a major investment in The Faith. Family. Future! Capital Campaign from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation – the family foundation of late construction pioneer Jim Clark. The investment of $1,000,000 from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation helps to establish the La Reine Science & Innovation Center, scheduled to open in
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THE MUSTANG MESSENGER
photo: karlagarciadance.com
