Sacred Heart Greenwich Horizons Spring 2020

HORIZONS Developing

Faith and Hope Students Take

Center Stage

Innovation on King Street The Magazine of Sacred Heart Greenwich

2017 Spring 2020

Where young women become global leaders

Dedicated to the Class of 2020,

whose “attitude of gratitude� has inspired the entire Sacred Heart Greenwich community.

Welcome to Sacred Heart

D

EAR SACRED HEART COMMUNITY: It is truly an amazing time to be a Sacred Heart girl. Change is all around us as we face a global pandemic head on with a new remote learning environment and prepare for a major leadership transition.

In the classrooms, those online and on King Street, our worldclass faculty are focused on curricular innovations that speak to our unique all-girls environment. At the spring 2019 Green & White Benefit, parents raised funding for a new program called the Faculty Innovation Grants. The teachers who received these grants are deep into implementing changes in classroom programming that directly benefit our students.

At the end of the school year, when Mrs. Hayes retires after fifty years of service to the Network of Sacred Heart schools, change will continue on campus. The Board of Trustees announced the hiring of Margaret Frazier as the 34th Head of School in January 2020.

When she spoke at the first annual State of the School event in February, Mrs. Frazier shared her desire to leverage our mission and signature programs to continue to drive innovation on campus.

As the world changes around us, the Board remains committed to partnering with faculty and staff to take advantage of new teaching strategies, tools, and technology alongside our foundational teachings of faith, values, and ethics to create a unique educational environment for our students. We are confident that Mrs. Frazier is the right leader to propel our students, faculty and staff into the new decade of change with courage and confidence.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the extraordinary work of another group of Sacred Heart leaders. The Class of 2020’s theme of “attitude of gratitude” has helped propel these seniors, all other students, faculty, staff, and parents through an unexpectedly difficult spring season. The Board is tremendously proud of the work we’ve all accomplished by working together to bring the complete Sacred Heart experience online.

We hope you enjoy the stories of student accomplishments at all grade levels within the pages of Horizons. The successes outlined here are a direct result of Mrs. Hayes’ outstanding leadership and commitment to academic excellence. We are so thankful for Mrs. Hayes’ commitment to Sacred Heart, as it has changed our campus and all of us for the better.

Warmly,

Kathleen O’Connor ’89 P’20, ’21, ’22 Chair of the Board of Trustees

1177 King Street, Greenwich, CT 06831 203-531-6500 | shgreenwich.org Board of Trustees Kathleen Plunkett O’Connor ’89, P’20,’21,’22, Chair Lynne Newman P’17,’21,’26, Vice Chair Gregory Gilbert P’21, Treasurer Sarah Jorquera’79, P’17, Secretary Emily Bailey Berry P’28 2 PMS Colors: 342 & 416 Sandra Caruso P’18,’20,’23 Erinn Laragh Denson ’85, P’15,’22 Michael Denvir P’26,’29 Christine Di Capua P’23 Jan Dunn, RSCJ Paula S. Gruner, RSCJ Karen Finneran Hamilton P’19,’22’,27 Pamela Juan Hayes ’64, Head of School Katherine Lavin ’98

Thomas D. Lehrman P’22,’32 Peter A. Marshall P’22 Dolly Mayer P’22 Margot Kearney Navins ’02, Alumnae Association President Barbara Quinn, RSCJ Ryan Sfreddo P’24, ’25 Thomas Simisky, S.J. Siobhan Toohey P’22,’24,’25, Parents’ Association President Cynthia van Eck Abbas “Eddy” Zuaiter P’18

Mission Statement Sacred Heart Greenwich, founded in 1848, is an independent Catholic, college preparatory school for young women from kindergarten through grade 12, with a coed early childhood education program.

Sacred Heart, steeped in a solid academic tradition, educates women to have independence of judgment, personal freedom, and strength of character so that they can become leaders with broad intellectual and spiritual horizons.

The school welcomes students of all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and religious beliefs.

True to its international heritage, the school provides students with experiences of diversity.

Cultivating prophetic leaders is a compelling commitment of our education, and the entire school community, and as a member of the Sacred Heart Network of Schools, it is dedicated to the Goals and Criteria: › A personal and active faith in God › A deep respect for intellectual values › A social awareness which impels to action › The building of community as a Christian value › Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom

Stay Connected with Sacred Heart FOLLOW THESE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS NEW. @SHGreenwich Csh Greenwich Alum

2

HORIZONS spring 2020

@SH_Greenwich @GoSHGreenwich

@SHGreenwich @GoSHGreenwich

in this issue The Magazine of Sacred Heart Greenwich HORIZONS SPRING 2020

highlights 05

32

A collection of news from this school year, including the Day of Service, Ancient Egypt Museum and more

Learn how the Faculty Innovation Grants are changing classroom dynamics

Inside Our Classrooms

Innovation on King Street

50

Transformational Leadership Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes’ impact on the Sacred Heart network

departments Welcome to Sacred Heart Athletics Our Community Happenings Alumnae News Class Notes In View

Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64

Meghan Mara Ryan ’01 Director of Alumnae Relations

Editors Melissa Canoni Director of Advancement

Katherine Colihan Scott ’06 Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations

Haley Sonneland Director of Communications

Elyse Schultz Director of Special Events

Rachel Zurheide Communications Associate

Contributing Writers Vicky Allen H’13 Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 Lizzie Ryan Meghan Mara Ryan ’01 Katherine Colihan Scott ’06 Haley Sonneland Rachel Zurheide

01 22 44 58 69 80

Design Good Design LLC Printing Service Press On the Cover: The Class of 2020 on Senior Day.

Contributing Photographers John McKeith Photography Christopher Pope Photography Judy Scinto Megan Wallace Rachel Zurheide

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

3

Upcoming events The end of the year brings with it so many time-honored Sacred Heart traditions — from Prize Days to Commencement — and we understand that changes to these events will significantly impact our community, especially the Class of 2020. As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many of these traditional spring events will take place in a virtual format. All events are subject to change, with the most up-to-date information available on the School’s website.

Stay up to date on all Sacred Heart events:

shgreenwich.org 4

HORIZONS spring 2020

OU R C L A S SRO OM S Developing Faith and Hope Walk into the Lower School theology classroom, and you’ll see a sign asking students to remove their shoes before entering and multiple comfortable gathering areas. The setup of the space allows students to discover their own inner lives. In the various classroom settings, they can begin the process of reflecting on their patterns. How and when do they pray or practice espacio or serve others around them directly and indirectly? At the beginning of every class, students practice espacio and discover ways to deepen their practice and lengthen the time they rest in silence. Students discuss how the daily practice of espacio supports their learning and listening skills in their other classroom subjects.

At a high level, the Sacred Heart educational philosophy is framed by the assumption that education is transformational, because students and educators engage in learning for the purpose of coming to understand themselves as loved by God. The intention is to inspire students both with a lifelong love of learning and a sense

of hope. That spirit is palpable when Lower School prayer buddies come together to work on service projects. Whether crafting Valentine’s cards for local homeless families living in shelters or writing letters to students at our sister school in Uganda, students share with each other and the community beyond Sacred Heart what it means to be loved by God. In class, students read and act out great stories, parables and sacred texts of the Bible. The result is that students discern the lessons for themselves and work with their classmates to build a loving, caring community. Third graders research individual saints, culminating in a Saint’s Day chapel and presentation. Students volunteer to speak at regular gatherings in the chapel about topics like kindness and cultivating community that they have learned about in theology and put into action in daily life. As young as three and four-years old, Lower School students learn to think critically about Goal 1, educating to a personal and active faith in God.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

5

UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVE ACCOLADES FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS As of the time of publication, Upper School students have been recognized for numerous achievements in academics, service, filmmaking, art & writing, and more.

National Merit Scholarship Program: Valentina Grether ’20 and Pamela J. Rosenburgh ’20 were named National Merit Scholar Finalists, and the following were named Commended Students in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program: Malika Amoruso ’20, Caroline Badagliacca ’20, Katherine Harkins ’20, Sydney Kim ’20, Erin O’Connor ’20, and Eliza Stanley ’20. In addition, Valentina Grether ’20, Sydney Kim ’20, and Pamela Rosenburgh ’20 have been named National Hispanic Scholars through the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program.

The 2019 All American High School Film Festival recognized the films created by the following students as finalists in the premier high school filmmakers and media arts competition: Lily Brown ’19, Cecilia Duncan ’21, Georgia Ferguson ’20, Sophia Georgas ’20, Gigi Jervis ’19, Lé-Anne Johnson ’21, Roxanne Kassapidis ’19, Rachel Keefe ’21, Gracie McDevitt ’20, Kate Murray ’20, Lorraine Rinaldi ’19, Daniella Tocco ’20, Katelin Ulmer ’19, and Piper Van Wagenen ’20.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognized Mia Cesare ’21, Hannah Dempsey ’21, Sydney Duncan ’21, Julia Fonti ’22 and Mimi Greco ’22 with Silver Keys for photography. Also in the arts category, Silver Keys were awarded to Eliza Stanley ’20 for drawing and illustration, Arielle Uygur ’20 for painting, and Kara Hodge ’20 received the Gold Key in painting. For writing, Mae Harkins ’20, Rachel Keefe ’21, Marguerite Lee ’22, and Angelique Wheeler ’22 all received Golden Keys for their work in memoir, poetry and short story while Caroline Guza ’22 and Katie O’Shea ’22 were awarded

6

HORIZONS spring 2020

Silver Keys in poetry and dramatic script. Madeleine Abramson ’23, Lianna Amoruso ’22, Ceci Duncan ’21, Sydney Kim ’20, Yves Lafontant ’21, Hadley Noonan ’21, and Sofia Pye ’21 all earned Honorable Mentions for their writing work.

In the Greenwich Magazine annual photography contest, Mia Cesare ’21 placed second and Mia López del Punta ’21 placed third in the People category. In the Animals category, Delfina Gonzalez Lobo ’23 took first place and Saylor Murray ’23 received third.

Finally, Isobel Cunningham ’22 was awarded a full-page spread in the January issue of the magazine.

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

52 seventh and eighth-grade students won an impressive 76 Scholastic Writing Awards, including 12 Gold Key awards.

In addition, Avery Kim ’24 was recognized with a Gold Key at the national level competition.

The following Middle School students were awarded Gold Keys: Ella Breitenbach ’24 Caitlin Costello ’24 Charlotte Flanagan ’24 Caroline Fouts ’24 Cait Haggerty ’24 Victoria Hart ’24 Antonia Iraola ’24 Avery Kim ’24 Belen Scheggia ’24 Bianca Shively ’24 (2 Gold Keys) Skylar Stewart ’24

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

Powering the Lower School Science Curriculum When seventh graders needed a refresh on simple circuits, who gave it to them? Third graders. And when third graders needed to test their electricity projects with alternative energy sources, who built those for them?

Seventh graders.

Marion Kieltyka, Lower School science teacher and area coordinator for pre-school through grade six, focuses on creating a hands-on curriculum and letting Lower School students embrace the amazing resources, facilities and access to mentorship available at a school that goes through twelfth grade. Sometimes that looks like a discovery day, where students do topical research projects and turn their research into videos and develop QR codes to broadcast them. Other

8

HORIZONS spring 2020

days, it’s a simple partnership with Middle or Upper School students on group work.

At all times, Lower School students take full advantage of the Sacred Heart preschool–12 advantage in science class.

One of the highlights of the Lower School science program is the electricity project.

Third graders study electricity by learning about simple circuits, switches, alternative energy, and fossil fuels. They build dioramas of storefronts that they wire with a simple circuit, switch, light bulb and battery. They build the switch themselves using their knowledge of circuitry and run the light with the battery.

Next, they combine forces with the seventh graders who have been learning about environmental science. The seventh graders build

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Spurring Innovation During Time Away

wind turbines, testing how shape of the wind turbine blades impact power and efficiency.

The two projects come together when the third graders remove the batteries from their stores and rewire their switches to pull power from the seventh grade wind turbines. The result? At a curricular level, storefronts run on alternative energy sources. On another level, increased depth of concept understanding built through practicing teamwork and leadership skills.

As with all cross-divisional projects, the Lower School students become incredibly excited to work with the older girls; it motivates them to work hard and be proud of the work they’ve done. They also have truly mastered the concept they’re working on so they can communicate, for example, how a circuit works to refresh the seventh grader’s memory. And the Middle School students reap immense benefits from having to slow down, collaborate with the Lower School students and use patience and problem solving skills to simplify their projects for the younger students.

Each year, one faculty member is awarded the opportunity to further his/her professional growth and development through the Vivian Pomex Sabbatical. Established in 1997 in memory of Vivian Pomex, an art teacher at Sacred Heart for 30 years, the sabbatical aims to give senior faculty time to explore how to better serve the students they teach.

Dr. Kristina Gremski, Upper School Science Department Chair and the 2019 sabbatical recipient, spent much of her time away from King Street focused on transitioning the courses she teaches to the “flipped method,” wherein teachers create more active learning lesson plans for students. This project brought Gremski to Cornell University, where she observed teaching methods currently used at the collegiate level and met with a current Cornell professor who is developing a “flipped curriculum.”

“It made me feel good that one of the main projects of my sabbatical was something that a prestigious university also values and is starting to transition towards,” Gremski said when reflecting on her time away. While on the Cornell campus, she also met with seven different professors to discuss what weaknesses they observe in college freshmen and what they would like to see high school teachers doing in order to better prepare students for higher education. Gremski returned to campus in January 2020 feeling refreshed and excited to bring her new learnings to her students.

This year’s sabbatical recipient, Upper School English teacher and Perspectives Art & Literature Magazine faculty mentor Dr. Cristina Baptista says she is thankful for the time of edification and enrichment her 2020–2021 sabbatical will allow. “This program is a thrilling chance to reengage with the world beyond the classroom so that I can better draw that reality back to our students and community. A teacher with her finger on the pulse of the latest research, scholarship, and creative opportunities, after all, is a teacher more capable to teach the latest information, methods, and philosophies.” We look forward to seeing all that Dr. Baptista accomplishes during her time outside of Sacred Heart!

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

9

Honoring Mater and All Mothers Each October, we honor Mater with a wonderful tradition known as the Mother-Daughter Liturgy. As an all-girls school and with Mater as our example, this liturgy provides a unique opportunity to reflect on and strengthen the special bond shared by mothers and daughters.

Each year, the reflections from an eighth-grade mother, eighth-grade daughters, and a mother-daughter pair from the senior class prove to be inspiring exchanges of love, confidence, and motivation.

What follows are excerpts from this year’s reflections.

Jaimie Alva ’24 “Today, as we celebrate the gift of mothers, I couldn’t help but think of all my mom has taught me over the years. But as I reflected on our relationship, I became aware of the fact that her most important lessons were all about her strength and her being an overcomer.

My mom, Adela Alva, is the strongest mother ever.”

Kelly Sigro P’24 “Somebody once asked me what it felt like to be a mom. Being a mother has cracked my heart wide open with a love I had never known before. It’s so open in a way that I had not anticipated. It changed me. I don’t see the world the same way anymore. My heart will forever live outside my body now that Sophia is in the world. The worst part about that is that I can’t protect her from everything the way I would like. This is a source of suffering in a way. This is a type of vulnerability that allows me to feel the elation of her laughter, also opens me up to suffering as well. We can not live without suffering, but when our hearts are open to fully accepting this, there is room for so much incredible joy too. My love for my daughter is one that has only grown each and every day since the day we became a family and will continue to grow for a lifetime.”

10

HORIZONS spring 2020

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Elisa Howard ’20 “As my mom hugged me that day, I was reminded of how she embodies the qualities of Mary, Most Admirable.

Loving, faithful, selfless, nurturing, strong, protective, dedicated, thoughtful, and life-giving are the characteristics my mother embodies each and every day.

No matter how many times I refuse to clean my room, I know my mother will love me unconditionally.”

Julianne Howard P’20 “October, the month dedicated to our Blessed Mother and the Holy Rosary, is the most fitting time to reflect upon motherhood and how Mary has been such an instrumental part of miracles as well as everyday life. Whether in a crisis situation or doing a simple task of driving your daughters around, Mary is always there for us. At Sacred Heart, regardless of when you entered the school, either at pre-school or just entering junior year, you belong to a supportive loving family devoted to the Blessed Mother, Mater Admirablis.”

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

11

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ARRIVE IN EGYPT Each year, fifth graders study ancient Egypt as part of their history curriculum and get an in-depth look into the importance of the afterlife to the Egyptians. This year, our young historians learned about the mummification process by making their own mummies.

Fifth-grade teacher Courtney DePeter wanted this lesson to be a hands-on experience, so she brought the mummies to life using dolls to represent ancient Egyptians.

“We used a crafting tool for removing organs and a heart sticker was placed on the dolls to represent how the heart was left in the body, because it represented the organ of reasoning.

Blue paper was used for washing the body, yellow paper for the oils and resins, kosher salt for natron, small beads to represent amulets and white tuile as linen wrappings,” said DePeter.

After preparing the mummies for the afterlife, the students designed and decorated their own sarcophagus. They finished the unit with a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see ancient Egyptian artifacts in person. Gabrielle Hughes ’27 reflected on the trip saying, “I loved going to the Met because it was nice to see all of the things we learned about in class in real life.

The field trip inspired me with ideas for my own artifact for our Egyptian museum at school.”

Do you know any students who might be a great fit for Sacred Heart Greenwich?

We value personal recommendations from families who know and love our School. The Admission Office is available to welcome these prospective students and families to campus when the admission season starts in the fall of 2020.

Share your recommendations with us directly by emailing admission@cshct.org. We look forward to meeting future members of our Sacred Heart Greenwich family!

12

HORIZONS spring 2020

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Frontline Producer Inspires Students to Explore Politics and Journalism When you walk through the halls of the Upper School you’ll see students studying world history, calculus and American literature but also witness young women preparing for life outside of the walls of Sacred Heart. One of the School’s most popular signature programs, broadcast journalism prepares students for careers beyond King Street by introducing them to inspiring experts who share their real-life journeys in film, television and media. Plus, there’s now an Alumnae Media Network that you can read more about on page 68.

This year, Real World Filmmaking students met one such inspiring expert, PBS Documentary producer, reporter, and political liaison Gabrielle Schonder. Schonder pushed students to recognize that no job is unimportant and encouraged them to say yes to every opportunity. Studio Director and broadcast journalism teacher Ellyn Stewart said, “Ms. Schonder is an excellent role model, because she demonstrated to the students the tenacity that is required to succeed in journalism.”

Her experiences at 48 Hours and 60 Minutes allowed Schonder to learn another important career lesson: how to navigate a male-dominated field. Schonder believes it was her perspective as a woman that allowed her to connect with stories, reflecting, “I’m drawn to different stories, aspects, and issues than my male colleagues,” Ms. Schonder said. “I think I am also drawn to a different group of interviewees who I trust and connect with in a different way. I also bring a wide

range of experiences from my upbringing to my job, and my more recent experience as a mother.”

Most recently in her work at Frontline, Schonder covers political stories in the United States and, in this capacity, serves as a conduit between PBS and government officials including former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump. Delaney Coleman ’21 was especially impressed to see the combination of politics and media.

“Ms. Schonder was very inspiring and gave great insight into the broadcast journalism world in multiple different fields, specifically how she combines politics with multimedia. I loved hearing about her journey,” Coleman said.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

13

Students Take Center Stage Each year, nearly 300 Sacred Heart students participate in theatrical production across all three divisions. The theatre program has seen — wait for it! — dramatic growth since Michaela Gorman ’05 took over teaching drama courses six years ago!

This winter, Middle School students took on the musical Frozen, Jr., and it gave them a chance to take big risks, says Assistant Dean of Students and Spanish teacher Christine Gifis, who also serves as the Middle School musical choreographer. “Being able to access that vulnerability on stage is only possible because of the community of support and trust built into the everyday structures of Sacred Heart,” Gifis said. “The students are actively engaged in their work as actors, singers, and dancers and put their whole heart into all that they do.”

The Upper School embodied “All for one, and one for all!” as they took on Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers, in the fall. The entire cast and crew worked together to put on an exciting, humor-filled, bold performance of this classic. Taking on challenging and intricate pieces of work is a testament to the growth of the program on campus.

Gorman ’05, Director of Upper School Theatrical Productions, said: “Our Upper School theatre program has become a very strong, inclusive, close-knit community within the larger Sacred Heart family.

The students in the Sacred Heart theatre department impress me for myriad reasons: their perseverance, their enthusiasm, their character, and their unparalleled dedication.

As we take on new and challenging pieces, our theatre students are constantly rising to and, in fact, exceeding incredibly high expectations. I am immensely proud of their work and the way that they do it.”

14

HORIZONS spring 2020

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

“With one out of four students in the Middle School involved in some way, the musical production is a great communitybuilder. It lets students across the entire Middle School work together, with the younger students learning from the examples of the older girls.”

—Marc Maier, Middle School English teacher and musical director

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

15

Enroll today for Summer STEAM Studio courses at Sacred Heart!

The Summer STEAM Studio program, previously known as Summer Enrichment, provides students with engaging, hands-on learning experiences that allow for creativity and collaborative work.

For Summer 2020, our Barat Center program is offered to girls and boys currently in Barat Center or entering kindergarten next fall. All other STEAM Studio offerings are open to girls entering grades 1–12 next fall. Courses run from June 8–26 and online courses are available from August 3–13. STEAM Studio is open to current students, siblings, children of alumnae and friends.

Visit the Sacred Heart parent portal for more information or email program director Megan Wallace, wallacem@cshct.org.

Online Courses Expanded through

Interested in learning more about Sacred Heart’s online course offerings through SophieConnect?

Check out sophieconnect.org for the latest course offerings for Upper School students, from AP Computer Science Principles to Nutrition & Wellness. Plus, there are many summer course offerings.

16

HORIZONS spring 2020

© ANDREYMERTSALOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SophieConnect brings students online classes not offered on campus while providing the opportunity to learn and build community with other Sacred Heart students across the US and Canada. Sharing the expertise of Sacred Heart faculty from across North America, motivated students can pursue a wider variety of courses through the self-managed, guided inquiry offered via SophieConnect.

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Upper School Students attend the United Nations Day of the Girl Summit In continued efforts to build confident and thoughtful global leaders, a group of Upper School students traveled to the United Nations on the International Day of the Girl to attend the Girls Speak Out Summit for the second year in a row. Bringing together women and girls from all over the world, this year’s theme, “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable,” centered around promoting female empowerment and basic human rights.

The day started out with a visit to the New York City office of Sr. Sheila Smith, RSCJ, the International Society of the Sacred Heart’s non-governmental organization representative. Sr. Smith taught students about the correlation between the Goals and Criteria and the UN’s sustainable development goals, which include gender equality and quality education. Kayla Malcolm-Joseph ’22 reflected on the time spent in the Society’s NGO office, “It was an absolute honor to see members of our school community working so hard to make a change, and to see how their faith compels them to promote female education.”

After an inspiring morning, it was on to the UN for the International Day of the Girl Summit. Throughout the summit, women and girls from around the world shared their stories and experiences of life as a female. Individuals and organizations spoke about women’s issues that need recognition as well as efforts that are currently being made to advocate for young girls globally.

Reflecting on the day, Rachael Ali ’20 said, “I’ve been passionate about girls education ever since I read Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography, I Am Malala, in sixth grade. My visit to the UN only cemented this drive within me to combat ignorance through education, because true progress comes through open conversations which lead to understanding and empathy.”

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

17

GOAL 3 IN ACTION ON DAY OF SERVICE On November 16, members of our school community joined together to embrace the Mission of a Sacred Heart education and live out Goal 3 during our Day of Service. Thanks to the organizational efforts of Susie Callagy McCloskey ’84, P ’14, ’20 and Upper School Community Service Director Kerry Bader, students, parents, alumnae, faculty & staff all pitched in at various locations throughout Westchester and New York City to help those less in need.

In Port Chester, Sacred Heart assisted in the soup kitchen and food pantry at Caritas of Port Chester Inc., while others assisted with the Early Childhood Bilingual Program at the Don Bosco Community Center by reading and coloring with the children who attend the weekend programs.

At King Street Rehab in Rye Brook, students and parents played bingo with residents, patients undergoing rehabilitation as well as elderly people in nursing or respite care. Finally, a large group participated in a breakfast run to New York City to distribute food, clothing, and toiletries to the homeless.

18

HORIZONS spring 2020

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

19

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ROVE FORWARD INTO ROBOTICS TOURNAMENT In January, the Middle School Robotics teams competed in their first VEX IQ Robotics Tournament. Focusing on critical thinking, project management and communication skills, the VEX IQ Robotics Tournament is broken up into three challenges to develop the next generation of problem solvers. The 12 members of the Tech Tigers and the Titanium Tigers coordinated with other teams to control their robots, practiced remote control driving skills and tweaked code for the autonomous robot challenge. After a weekend of competition the Tech Tigers, comprised of 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students, placed sixth out of the 17 teams in attendance and qualified for the State Championships.

In February, ten students participated in a VEX IQ tournament in Meriden, CT. After another successful tournament, the Titanium Tigers, comprised of 5th graders, qualified for the State Championships and got to compete alongside the Tech Tigers.

20

HORIZONS spring 2020

INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS

Eucharistic Ministers in the Class of 2020:

Bishop Caggiano installs 23 Seniors as Eucharistic Ministers Throughout the United States, Sacred Heart schools marked the opening of the 2019–2020 academic year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit. The Mass of the Holy Spirit dates back to the 16th century and allows the entire school community to come together to celebrate the School’s mission and Catholic identity.

This year’s service was celebrated by the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Bridgeport diocese. During the homily, the Bishop reminded students how unique a Sacred Heart education is: It provides them with unmatched academic rigor, extraordinary extracurricular opportunities and most of all, the reminder every day that God loves them.

During the mass, Bishop Caggiano commissioned 23 seniors as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. These students served as Eucharistic Ministers at liturgies throughout the school year.

Salome Alfaro Caroline Badagliacca Caroline Baranello Cameron Calcano Sarah Carter Emma Caruso Elizabeth Colligan Lillian DeConcini Megan Farrell Valentina Grether Giselle Grey Christine Guido Katherine Harkins Elisa Howard Peyton Lauricella Avery McCloskey Nicole Mellert Grace Nemec Erin O’Connor Taylor O’Meara Jacqueline Prata Morgan Smith Daniella Tocco

21

SACRED HEART

Fall Season Highlights

Congratulations to our Middle School, junior varsity and varsity teams, who sustained excellence in the classrooms and on the courts, fields, courses and water.

CROSS COUNTRY RECORD: 9–4–0

» A young Varsity team pulled off a third place »

team finish in both the FAA regular season and during the FAA Championship meet.

Ava Lillis ’24 finished 18th overall at New Englands and qualified for the New England All-Star Meet.

FIELD HOCKEY VARSITY A RECORD: 15–0–0

» Varsity finished the season as FAA regular » 22

season champions and took 2nd place in the FAA Tournament.

Plus, for the first time ever, Sacred Heart won the Class A NEPSAC Tournament title.

» Max Field Hockey named Beth Yeager ’21

the State Player of the Year and 1st Team All-American and Caroline Nemec ’22 2nd Team All-American.

FIELD HOCKEY VARSITY B RECORD: 5–0–1

» Varsity B finished the season undefeated!

For many of the athletes on the team, that is two years in a row not losing a field hockey game.

JV FIELD HOCKEY RECORD: 6–2–2

ROWING

» At the Head of the Charles, »

competition for the first time in three years, in the Junior 4+, the crew finished 58th.

The Freshmen 8+ finished 2nd and the Varsity 8+ finished 8th at the New England Fall Championship Regatta.

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL RECORD: 9–5–0

» Varsity finished 4th overall in the

FAA regular season and saw big wins against Class A schools to ultimately earn a New England Tournament bid as the #8 seed.

VARSITY SOCCER

JV VOLLEYBALL

» The Varsity team made history by

» The JV team showed improvement

RECORD: 10–6

earning its first FAA regular season championship since 1986!

JV SOCCER

RECORD: 6–4–0

throughout the season and then capped it off with a win in the JV FAA Tournament.

RECORD: 10–4–0

» The team placed 2nd in the FAA JV Tournament after a strong season.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

23

Fall Awards

CROSS COUNTRY FAA All-League 1st Team: Ava Lillis FAA All-League 2nd Team: Jacquelyn Monahan Cecilia Duncan New England All-Star: Ava Lillis SOCCER FAA All-League 1st Team: Alana Frederick Fernanda Serna FAA All-League 2nd Team: Amelia Sheehan Lauren Giuriceo FAA Honorable Mention: Taylor O’Meara

FAA All-League 2nd Team: Hanke Govaert FAA Honorable Mention: Morgan Smith Western NE All-Star: Caroline Nemec Elizabeth Yeager All-NEPSAC: MaryGrace Farrell Hanke Govaert Caroline Nemec Elizabeth Yeager

All-NEPSAC: Alana Frederick

All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Sydney Gallop Delfina Gonzalez Lobo Kathryn Keller Katherine Nemec

VOLLEYBALL FAA All-League 1st Team: Kellie Ulmer

All-American: Caroline Nemec (2nd team) Elizabeth Yeager (1st team)

FAA All-League 2nd Team: Olivia Lockwood

All-Region: Caroline Nemec Elizabeth Yeager

CT All-State Soccer Team: Fernanda Serna

FAA Honorable Mention: Eva Canellakis All-NEPSAC: Olivia Lockwood All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Kellie Ulmer

24

FIELD HOCKEY FAA All-League 1st Team: MaryGrace Farrell Caroline Nemec Elizabeth Yeager

HORIZONS spring 2020

NEPSAC All-Stars: Caroline Nemec Elizabeth Yeager NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year: Elizabeth Yeager

Varsity Field Hockey Captures 2019 New England Class A Tournament

Varsity A Field Hockey won the New England Class A Field Hockey tournament after finishing the regular season 15–0, being crowned FAA Regular Season Champions (7–0 in FAA regular season play) and finishing 2nd in the FAA tournament! This is the first time since 2008 that Sacred Heart has won the FAA Regular Season, and the first time ever winning a Class A NEPSAC tournament title.

ATHLETICS

Middle School Fall Sports

Middle School student-athletes saw sport wide success this fall.

Four teams managed to go undefeated this season: 7/8A Soccer, 6 Green Soccer, 7/8 Field Hockey and MS Green Volleyball.

Way to go, Heart!

Train with Varsity Coaches this summer!

Student athletes entering grades 3–8 are invited to join us June 8–12, from 9am–3pm, for the inaugural Summer Sports Clinic! Take advantage of Sacred Heart’s state-ofthe-art athletic facilities to work on individual skill development in a team context. In addition to honing their skills, attendees will learn important lessons about teamwork, leadership and more throughout the week. Play field hockey, lacrosse, squash, and swim at this all-day clinic. Sign up in the Parent Portal or on the Athletics website.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

25

Winter Season Highlights VARSITY BASKETBALL RECORD: 10–15

» Varsity Basketball advanced to the semifinals of the FAA tournament, after earning the #4 seed. » Varsity finished the regular season ranked 9th in NEPSAC Class A.

JV BASKETBALL RECORD: 8–6

» JV Basketball placed 2nd in the JV FAA Tournament.

FENCING

» Our fencing group was small but enthusiastic; it consisted of both Middle and Upper School student-athletes. » Our program trained at the Fencing Academy of Westchester

and saw great improvement and growth throughout the season.

26

HORIZONS spring 2020

ROWING

» Rowing had another successful season of winter training with

the vast majority of student-athletes posting personal best times throughout the winter.

SQUASH VARSITY A RECORD: 8–2

» Varsity A took 4th place in Division I at the U.S. Team » » »

Squash High School Championships, our highest DI finish ever at Nationals!

Varsity A finished in 2nd place in New England — our best ever finish in Class A (Sacred Heart won the Class B title in 2008) FAA Tournament Runner-Up (2nd place) Caroline Fouts ’24 was named the New England Champion in Class A.

ATHLETICS

Winter Awards SQUASH VARSITY B RECORD: 11–2

» Varsity B Squash was named the U.S. Interscholastic Team Squash Champions in the first year of the tournament.

JV SQUASH RECORD: 8–2

VARSITY SWIMMING & DIVING

» Swimming and Diving placed 2nd at the » » » »

FAA Championships. This is our best-ever finish at the FAA Championships as a team!

Swimming & Diving team placed 10th overall in New England Division I. Alexandra Bastone ’23 placed 1st and was named the New England Individual Champion in the 500m Freestyle.

Swimming placed 12th at the Catholic Championships; Alexandra Bastone ’23 named the Swimmer of the Meet.

Our senior divers, Piper Van Wagenen and Celia Daigle, placed 8th and 11th respectively at New England Championships.

VARSITY BASKETBALL FAA All-League 2nd Team: Leah Atkins FAA Honorable Mention: Sarah Augustine New England All-Star: Leah Atkins Varsity Basketball Highest Scorer: Payton Sfreddo VARSITY A SQUASH FAA All-League: Caroline Fouts Kathryn Keller FAA Honorable Mention: Sabrina Schwarz All-NEPSAC 1st Team: Caroline Fouts All NEPSAC 2nd Team: Kathryn Keller New England Individual Champion: Caroline Fouts

SWIMMING & DIVING FAA All-League: Alexandra Bastone Rory Keller FAA Honorable Mention: Elisa Taylor All-NEPSAC: Alexandra Bastone (500 free:first place and 200 free) Jane Cary (200 free) Rory Keller (500 free) Piper Van Wagenen (Diving 1M) New SH Pool Record: Alexandra Bastone (200 free and 500 free) New Team Record: Alexandra Bastone (200 free, 200 IM, 100 free, 500 free)

Go, Heart, Go! Ten members of the Class of 2020 intend to continue their athletic careers after they depart King Street: » Ashley Giannetti » Carly Haines » Claire Chmiel Brown University, Rowing University of Louisville, Golf Villanova University, Lacrosse » Katie Keller » Amelia Sheehan » Erin O’Connor Duke University, Lacrosse University of North Carolina, Lacrosse University of Virginia, Squash » Paige Pucel » Isabella Rogers » Emma Caruso, Indiana University, Rowing University of Notre Dame, Rowing Williams College, Rowing » Morgan Smith University of Pennsylvania, Lacrosse

Sacred Heart Dance Team

Thanks to the efforts of Upper School students, we saw the start of an Upper School Sacred Heart Dance Team this winter.

It was a student-led effort, which culminated in a performance at our Winter Tiger Day during halftime of a Varsity Basketball game.

The students did an incredible job of putting this together, and we are excited to see where this team goes in the future and expand their performance opportunities.

ATHLETICS

2019 FAA Tournament Champions

2019 FAA Tournament Champions

Worth Noting Taking a look back at highlights from the Spring 2019 season: » Varsity Lacrosse finished the season as FAA Tournament Champions for the third year in a row and won the FAA Regular Season title. » Varsity Track and Field saw unprecedented success, winning its inaugural FAA Championship and placing 7th in New Englands. » Varsity Water Polo, in only it’s second year as a program and first year as a full NEPSAC member, finished 4th in New Englands. » The Varsity Golf team placed 5th at the New England Pippy O’Connor » »

Tournament and our top golfer at the tournament, Carly Haines ’20, finished 8th overall. The Caroline Dym ’18 Memorial FAA Tournament capped off their season, where MaryGrace Farrell ’21 placed 2nd overall.

Varsity Tennis earned an invitation to the Class A New England Tournament as the #8 seed, our first invitation since 2016.

Rowing qualified two boats for the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships (NEIRAs) for the first time since 2015.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

29

World Cup Gold Medalist Returns to Sacred Heart

Fresh off her World Cup win, U.S. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe returned to Sacred Heart for the second year in a row for a Fall Soccer & Training Clinic. Between 2018 and 2019, Rapinoe quickly became one of soccer’s most recognized and beloved players and attendance at the November 3rd clinic more than doubled from the year prior.

Sacred Heart welcomed 350 young players from Fairfield and Westchester counties and even Manhattan.

Members of our very own varsity soccer team enjoyed spending time with such a world-class player who inspires them. Taylor O’Meara ’20, the varsity soccer co-captain said, “Megan has taught me how to be fearless, composed, humble and driven simultaneously.

2019 has been a big year for Megan and she has inspired our team at Sacred Heart to make it our year as well.” Inspire she did as Varsity Soccer made history in 2019 finishing the FAA regular

UNC Girls’ Lacrosse Camp In July, University of North Carolina Women’s Lacrosse Coach Jenny Levy and members of her team took over the Sheehan Turf. The UNC Girls’ Lacrosse Camp welcomed fifth through twelfth graders from across New York and Connecticut for two days of training to develop skills and techniques for stick work, shooting, defense, offense and concepts of the game.

30

HORIZONS spring 2020

season 7–1 — and earning the FAA Regular Season Championship title for the first time since 1986!

Rapinoe’s influence was not solely soccer this year, with many young athletes speaking about the star’s passion for equal pay and standing up for what you believe in. Lauren Giuriceo ’22 explained that Rapinoe set a tone for the young players and let them know “when you believe in something, you have to speak up.”

ATHLETICS

USA Field Hockey hits the Magnetti Turf

In October, the Magnetti Turf saw some excitement when a team of Junior U.S. Men’s National Team athletes participated in two friendly matches with the U.S. Women’s National Team in preparation for their FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier. Sacred Heart’s own field hockey coaches, Alex Gheorghe and Abdel El-Kettani, even got in on the action and played with the teams.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

31

INNOVATION ON KING STREET A Community-Wide Initiative 32

HORIZONS spring 2020

The longstanding mission of Sacred Heart Greenwich sets the institution apart from other area independent schools, but there’s more to the mission than the values and morals instilled by the timeless Goals & Criteria.

What is sometimes overlooked from the stories of our foundresses?

THE INNOVATION AND PERSEVERANCE THAT DROVE THEIR LEADERSHIP. Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

33

CURRENTLY,

innovation on our King Street campus begins in the Center for Research Learning and Teaching. Under the direction of Linda Vasu, assistant head of school for curriculum, the Center encourages the development of new methods, approaches, sequences of study and more. In May 2019, at the biannual Green & White Benefit, parents and school supporters donated to fund a new program: Faculty Innovation Grants (FIGs) to fuel innovation coming out of the Center at an even faster rate. These FIGs encourage leadership, collaboration and innovation that advance Sacred Heart’s commitment to academic excellence, social responsibility and the overall evolution of the School. Ten different projects across all three divisions were selected as the inaugural recipients of the FIGs — see a brief description of each FIG on page 41 — and many have already impacted students.

In the Lower School, third grade teacher Megan Wallace spent a 2018 professional development day visiting a school with a flexible classroom structure and was instantly inspired to consider the impact of classroom style on teaching and learning.

Research from occupational therapists shows that students as young as elementary school can learn to make their own choices about how they learn best. Wallace introduced a variety of new arrangements in her classroom this year: standing tables with wobble stools, triangular desks on wheels, adjustable standing desks, lap desks, and a variety of floor seating. In a typical lesson, instead of standing in front of a classroom with all the students facing forward, students sit on pillows and rocking chairs on the floor, and Wallace leads lessons from a seated position with the help of moveable whiteboards and a smartboard. After receiving

34

HORIZONS spring 2020

directions, students break up into small groups, move to the space of their choosing in the room and get to work.

Wallace describes the impact of the new seating arrangements as an instant increase in interaction. While students moving around the classroom may sound chaotic, in reality, research shows that children in motion have increased attention spans, and traditional classroom layouts can cause students to become territorial about space and ultimately lose focus from the task at hand. Wallace had to rework most of her lessons for the year and let go of some control in order for the flexible classroom space to work at its highest level. The result? Students learning how to work together without the social pressures that can occur developmentally at this age. The students have to share, interact, communicate and show their work. The setup innately ignites critical thinking and problem solving skills. Plus, the students learn what it means to be a good partner and teammate; with the most difficult learning curve being how to be a strong listener.

Wallace is working with other Lower School teachers to rework lesson plans for the 2020–21 school year to meet the needs of the flexible classroom so it can be introduced to more students.

WHILE STUDENTS MOVING AROUND the classroom may sound chaotic, in reality, research shows that children in motion have increased attention spans, and traditional classroom layouts can cause students to become territorial about space and ultimately lose focus from the task at hand.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

35

WITHOUT REALIZING IT, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EVERY DAY to get recommendations for new shows to stream, products to purchase and more. At a fundamental level, as the first generation of native artificial intelligence users, the students must understand what data they create each day, how that data is used and what the ethical ramifications are to this data.

36

HORIZONS spring 2020

IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL,

the Middle School Coordinator of Educational Technology Ana Nystedt leveraged the IBM/NASA Partnership and her FIG to introduce a new unit of study on machine learning to students. After attending a variety of professional development events, including the Computer Science Teacher’s Association 2019 conference, an Amazon Web Services AI Bootcamp and participating in a workshop on machine learning at IBM, Nystedt recognized that Middle School students could benefit from a formal study of machine learning. Without realizing it, Middle School students use artificial intelligence every day to get recommendations for new shows to stream, products to purchase and more. At a fundamental level, as the first generation of native artificial intelligence users, the students must understand what data they create each day, how that data is used and what the ethical ramifications are to this data. Nystedt created a six lesson unit, developed project work and hosted guest speakers to answer questions about how the students power Alexa, Siri and recommendation engines they rely on so heavily.

Demoing an Android app currently in development at IBM that collects sound information, thanks to the School’s partnership with the company, inspired Nystedt to want to teach students about the breadth of their own data set, how the data could be grouped and how important trial and error are to success in machine learning and artificial intelligence. For their main project, Nystedt’s students leveraged the Teachable Machine from Google to collect data, train their data models and test them. For example, one group of students focused on tourist information. They entered information about tourist points — a library, an amusement park, a fishing pond — and selected keywords people might enter about the type of destination they are looking for — calm activities, exhilarating afternoon, nature adventures. The last step was training the recommendation engine to make sure that the “fishing pond” matched up with “nature adventures” and not with “exhilarating afternoon”.

To wrap up the unit of study, students had the opportunity to hear from IBM’s Nancy Greco, who co-chairs Sacred Heart’s STEAM Advisory Board, about what it is like to be a machine learning specialist. Greco reinforced for students the importance of recognizing artificial intelligence all around them because, ultimately, knowing how we use technology and how, in turn, that technology uses information from us is an important safety and ethical concern. Access to the FIG fast tracked Nystedt’s work on the machine learning unit and moving forward, the unit will be incorporated deeper into the Middle School computer science curriculum at more grade levels.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

37

THIS JUNE,

at Upper School Prize Day, a group of 12 seniors will graduate with a certificate in Global Scholarship thanks to the FIG received by Upper School Spanish teacher Judy Scinto. Scinto, leveraging the School’s mission of service and social justice, developed a crossdisciplinary academic program to equip students with the world language communication skills and cross-cultural academic experiences to thrive as responsible global leaders in a complex, diverse world. Successful Global Scholars achieve advanced world language proficiency, demonstrate global scholarship through an integrated Senior Seminar service learning research project as well as course electives, and cultivate global citizenship through tailored intercultural experiences, which are curated in a digital portfolio and shared with the community.

Senior Kate Murray, one of the program’s inaugural participants, said the program resonated with her because of the way it streamlines service and dialogue. As an Arabic student at Sacred Heart, Murray noted the cross-cultural foundation of the program attracted her to participate. Head of Upper School Jenn Bensen believes that the unique combination of global coursework, service learning and cultural immersion allows students to see beyond the “bubble” of Fairfield County. Experiential learning on a global scale fosters a consciousness in young adults — an open-mindedness,

38

HORIZONS spring 2020

particularly with regard to the values and traditions of others, plus integrity and ethical decision-making skills.

In presentations to the entire Upper School student body and faculty this spring, the girls demonstrated the cross-cultural, multilingual and interdisciplinary work they completed as part of their work toward their certificate. The presentations demonstrated a deep understanding of place and purpose in our interconnected world. Scinto plans to expand the program moving forward to allow students to apply earlier in their Upper School career and build an even deeper roster of interdisciplinary coursework.

At Greenwich, where we are focused on helping young women develop into global leaders, the overarching belief is that a truly global citizen will be able to use the skills in her arsenal to succeed no matter the most popular industries, the political landscape or the region of the world they seek employment in after college graduation. With the support of the FIG, Scinto was able to combine and build on the most important tenets of a Sacred Heart education: providing students with interdisciplinary coursework capable of exposing the world with a wide angle lens; promoting social justice experiences with immersion opportunities for students beyond the classroom; and challenging students to not just learn another language but to experience it, think in that language and reflect in that language.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ON A GLOBAL SCALE FOSTERS A CONSCIOUSNESS IN YOUNG ADULTS — an open-mindedness, particularly with regard to the values and traditions of others, plus integrity and ethical decision-making skills.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

39

With the first round of Faculty Innovation Grants well underway, the innovative forward progress solidifies the impact of Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes’ transformational leadership at Sacred Heart. As incoming Head of School Meg Frazier prepares to take over in July 2020, the combination of grant recipients and the Path to the Future objectives will continue to push Greenwich to channel its foundresses and bring new teaching techniques, areas of study and approaches to the table to benefit Sacred Heart

students of all ages. The tremendous community support that made the FIGs possible acknowledges that teaching and learning, pedagogical development, curricular innovation, and community building are the pillars of academic excellence and sustainability. Moreover, the FIGs showcase the community-wide commitment of parents, faculty and staff to keep students the central focus of everything we do at Sacred Heart. Driving classroom innovation ultimately drives the innovation with which Sacred Heart students will

IMPACT THE WORLD. 40

HORIZONS spring 2020

ADDITIONAL INAUGURAL RECIPIENTS OF FACULTY INNOVATION GRANTS  DIALOGUE, INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY Christine Gifis, Assistant Dean of Students and Middle School Spanish teacher; Sam McCoy, Middle School History Department Chair; and Bill Mottolese, Chair of the English Department: Focused on building dialogue about equity, inclusion and justice for students, faculty, staff, and the wider Sacred Heart network.  BECOMING A GREEN RIBBON SCHOOL Katie Donahue, Middle School Science teacher; and Megan Monaghan, Middle School English teacher: Developing sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students, faculty and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education.  FACULTY EXCHANGE PROGRAM Montserrat Garcia, Upper School World Language Department Chair: New program for faculty exchanges that builds on existing student exchange connections in the Middle and Upper Schools.  IDENTIFY THE SACRED HEART JOURNEY AND

CREATE A PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

Marcie McDonald, Dean of College Guidance and Academic Dean: Identify and describe the qualities of a Sacred Heart graduate with focus on academics so that prospective families may visualize the outcomes of a Sacred Heart education.  WITNESS STONES PROGRAM Kelly Bridges, Middle School history teacher and Angela Carstensen, Director of Library and Information Services: A Middle School history unit looking at local history, primary sources and case studies connecting to slavery in the Northeast; witness stone plaques will be placed in commemoration and to raise awareness about the legacy of slavery.  CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COMPUTATIONAL

AND PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING

Bill Mottolese, Chair of the English Department; and Linda Vasu, Assistant Head for Curriculum and Upper School World Literature teacher: Development of units of study for 10th and 12th grade students that use pattern recognition, algorithms and abstraction in combination with philosophical thinking, ethics and empathy to break down boundaries between disciplines.  MATH INNOVATION AND RESEARCH CENTER Cilla Bercovici, Lower School math specialist: Development of a venue for math educators to share research, resources and strategies that impact course development and individual math exploration; develop new challenges and coursework for Lower and Middle School students interested in math electives.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

41

Q&A with incoming Head of School Margaret Frazier

Curricular innovation is alive on King Street. How does innovation fit into your academic philosophy?

There is a spirit of innovation, grit, and determination in the very nature of the Sacred Heart. If one goes back to the founding of the RSCJ order, Madeleine Sophie Barat was an innovator. Her family was composed of innovators, game-changers, and makers. In essence, our roots as a school come from a tradition of empowering, challenging the status quo and giving potential to God-given gifts. That idea of doing God’s work and following his plan — not taking “no” for an answer — should inspire our work as we support and challenge our girls to be leaders, doers, and dreamers who imagine new ways to take on real world problems and work for the betterment of others. An all-girls environment allows and even demands that girls take on the mantle of leadership and see themselves as the capable, clever, competent individuals they are in every area of their learning and life.

I left the State of the School event in February excited about furthering the enthusiasm and energy around the arts, athletics, and STEAM-related activities and achievements that really are no longer extracurricular. These are integral ways that girls take good risks, collaborate, create, and test themselves and their ideas.

The lines between subject areas and activities are wonderfully blurred when we see learning happening in different forms outside of a traditional classroom. I look forward to honoring and enhancing the innovative special programs that have become a hallmark of a Sacred Heart Greenwich experience.

42

HORIZONS spring 2020

Let’s get specific: Are there any programs you’re already excited about immersing yourself in when you get to Sacred Heart?

Having spent the past three years in a city as diverse as London, I am eager to celebrate more ways that King Street girls can embrace global citizenship. The exchange programs, further world language acquisition, building more empathy and awareness of the UN Sustainability goals all foster international mindedness, a view that we matter to each other and can create deeper cross-cultural connections and experiences.

This global mindset does not have to wait until Upper School — it should be started and grown from our earliest years.

Given the incredible Sacred Heart property and its natural setting, let us explore how the three divisions can share in nature’s bounty with outdoor classrooms, a community garden, and a greenhouse to enhance our learning and create more stewardship opportunities — new ways to add to the deep commitment of scientific study and research already happening on campus. On a visit a few years ago to our sister school in Atherton, I was so impressed by their approach to farming and organic gardening and its connection to their school dining and service programs. What an amazing way to learn and also understand on a spiritual and personal level our individual responsibility to cultivate beauty and sustain nature’s bounty.

The Board of Trustees announced the hiring of Margaret Frazier as the 34th Head of School at Sacred Heart Greenwich in January 2020. Currently, she serves as the head of Marymount International School in London, UK, and previously worked at Stone Ridge, our sister school in Washington, DC. Mrs. Frazier will begin her tenure at Greenwich in July 2020.

State of the School In a tremendous showing of Goal 4 —

the building of community as a Christian value, more than 500 parents, faculty and staff gathered for the first annual State of the School dinner and presentation in early February. Through presentations from Board Chair Kathleen O’Connor, Assistant Head of Curriculum Linda Vasu and incoming Head of School Meg Frazier, the night brought a new level of transparency to our community. Students, alumnae and many others also had the chance to spend the day with Mrs. Frazier to hear more about her plans for the 2020–2021 school year and beyond.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

43

OUR COMMUNITY

happenings Lower School celebrates

GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL VISITORS DAY This annual tradition celebrated by the Lower School welcomes guests to a morning filled with musical performances in the de Csepel Theater and visits to the classroom.

During the event, celebrated the morning before dismissal for the Thanksgiving holiday, students have the opportunity to express their gratitude for their grandparents and friends who have made such a difference in their lives.

44

HORIZONS spring 2020

2019 Summer Outreach

GOLF AND TENNIS OUTING Thank you to everyone who supported the Summer Outreach Golf & Tennis Outing. From behind-the-scenes to the court, course or table, it was a wonderful day. The Outing netted over $75,000 in support of Summer Outreach, our six week program that provides critical academic programming for financially disadvantaged boys and girls from nearby schools.

There are several people who deserve special recognition: • Outing Co-Chairs Danielle Esposito P’24, Christine Fouts P’24

and Julie Keller P’24 • Varsity Coaches Karen Panarella and Celia Pashley • Varsity Golfers Lianna Amoruso ’21, MaryGrace Farrell ’21,

Carly Haines ’20 and Isabelle Pipher ’21 • Varsity Tennis Players: Megan Farrell ’20, Isabella Gunningham ’20, Ursula Vollmer ’21 and Morgan Wilkens ’21 Congratulations also to the following winners: • Tennis: Ayo Hart P’24, ’24 and Christine Walker P’29 • Closest to the Pin: Helen Woods P’32 and Doug Mellert P’14, ’20 • Longest drive: Kathleen O’Connor ’89 P’20, ’21, ’22 and

Tom Halpern • 1st Group Low Net: John Mitchell P’20, ’27, Scott Edwardson

P’18, ’24, Tom Gram, and Ed Simoneau • 2nd Group Low Net: Rob Dyer P’26, Jeff Arsenault, Chuck

Callery, and Ed Massaro Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

45

COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Come Home for Christmas kicked-off the holiday season with a “Winter in the Alps” themed party. The weekend was such a success thanks to event chairs Paulette Pipher P’21 and Helen Servick P’22, ’25, Silent Auction Chair Amanda Gaudelet P’24, ’29, Holiday Boutique co-chairs Nicole Russo Steinthal ’88 P’19, P ’21 and Paula Tennyson, Past Trustee, Santa’s Secret Shop co-chairs Camille Mourdant P’25 and Liz Waldrup ’77, and Gingerbread Workshop co-chairs Elin Collins P’27, ’29 and Colleen Micciulli-Foley P’15, ’17, ’19, ’28, ’30.

Thank you, as well, to the Board of Trustees, the Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Association, The Parents’ Association, the Madrigals and dozens of volunteers. The weekend netted over $95,000 for the Faculty and Staff Professional Development Fund.

46

HORIZONS spring 2020

OUR COMMUNITY

1

2

4

3

5

BARAT SOCIETY LEADERSHIP Donor Dinner

Nearly 100 guests were treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and a surprise visit from Roary before adjourning for an elegant seated dinner at L’Escale in Greenwich. Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 and Board Chair Kathleen O’Connor ’89 P’20 ’21 ’22 acknowledged past and current trustees and thanked the school’s philanthropic leaders comprised of parents, alumnae and past parents for their generous and continued support.

Senior Sally Carter, Student Council President, spoke eloquently of her experience as a Sacred Heart “lifer.” She stated, “It is a true blessing to be a part of Sacred Heart where amazing people like yourselves help this community to flourish and thrive.”

Each year, the School receives over 80 leadership gifts at or above $10,000. We are truly grateful for everyone’s passion, leadership and investment in Sacred Heart Greenwich. To request more information about joining the Barat Society, or to make a donation, please contact Melissa Canoni, director of advancement, at 203-532-3326 or canonim@cshct.org.

happenings

6

1. Belinda Badcock • 2. Patty Joyce Figge ’58, Pamela Juan Hayes ’64, and Mary Catherine Joyce McCooey ’60 • 3. Sally Carter ’20 • 4. Kathy Atkins, Roary (Leah Atkins ’20), Paul Atkins • 5. Kevin and Allison Gasvoda • 6. Tiffany and Vincent Briganti • 7. Rob and Mary Jo Dyer

7

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

47

OUR COMMUNITY

happenings

FATHERS’ LEAGUE OKTOBERFEST Special thanks to Fathers’ League Chair Jonathan Keller P’24 for planning a fun Oktoberfest. Dads came together for fellowship, bratwursts, and seasonal beers donated by Carlos and Belinda Brito P’23.

MOMS’ NIGHT OUT The Parents’ Association hosted the second Moms’ Night Out party this winter with 70 moms from all divisions — and even some of our alumnae moms! — enjoying a casual evening of wine and lite bites by the fireplace. This evening is just one example of how Sacred Heart Greenwich celebrates community!

48

HORIZONS spring 2020

ALOYSIA HARDEY, RSCJ PLANNED GIVING SOCIETY Leave a legacy…

By including Sacred Heart Greenwich in your estate plans, you can ensure that the School you know and love remains vibrant for future generations.

There are a number of ways to leave your legacy: • Bequests • Charitable remainder or lead trusts • Rolling over an IRA (for those 70 ½ and older) • Beneficiaries of retirement funds • Beneficiaries of Donor Advised Funds

Testimonial from the Aloysia Hardey, RSCJ Planned Giving Society member: My education helped to form who I am today and prepared me well for college, law school and a life of public service. My faith, my education and my sense of self were all strengthened during the formative years of my high school. I still cherish friendships from those days and look forward to reconnecting with classmates at reunions. Giving back was always a part of my life plan. To remember Sacred Heart in my will seems like a natural thing to do.

—Alice G. Burlinson ’73

For more information contact Melissa Canoni, Director of Advancement, at 203-532-3326 or canonim@cshct.org or visit shgreeniwch.org/giving/planned-giving

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

49

a lifetime of service and leadership PAMELA JUAN HAYES’ LEGACY IN THE SACRED HEART NET WORK Last year when Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 announced her upcoming retirement at the end of the 2019–2020 school year, then Board Chair Chris Ryan and current Board Chair Kathleen O’Connor spoke for the whole Sacred Heart community when they thanked Pam for her ten years of service as Head at Greenwich and more than 50 years of service to the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

Under her leadership, Sacred Heart has experienced substantial improvements to its curriculum and facilities. Mrs. Hayes led the creation of a one-of-a-kind online learning environment in SophieConnect and facilitated the purchase of the School’s land from the Society of the Sacred Heart, which allowed for significant facility upgrades from world-class athletic fields to a new dining room, from library and classroom enhancements to observatory updates.

Longtime school archivist Vicky Allen chronicles here the impact Sacred Heart has had on Mrs. Hayes and the truly transformational impact Mrs. Hayes has had on King Street and Network-wide.

50

HORIZONS spring 2020

“Sacred Heart has really grown since the 1970s, but thanks to the leadership of Pamela Juan Hayes, it has not lost its innate charm or direction. The School is just an amazing place to be a part of in 2020!”

—Mary Lou Curran Kingsbery ’75

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

51

THE END OF THE 2019–2020 SCHOOL YEAR IS APPROACHING FAST, AND WITH IT WILL COME A CHANGE AT THE VERY TOP OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y:

the retirement of our Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64. It is not an exaggeration to say that Mrs. Hayes has played an active and important role in the life of Sacred Heart Greenwich for half the twentieth century and a good part of the twenty-first.

A long time of love and service to our School!

Sacred Heart became a part of Mrs. Hayes’ life when she came to school as a very young child. Her family lived in Greenwich, and the highly reputed and beautiful school on King Street was a natural choice for her and her family. She came to school in the first grade, then a part of the Junior School for girls from first to fourth grades. In those days, the School “I so appreciate the devotion Mrs. Hayes had about 250 students has shown to our school and the Network who were classified either of Sacred Heart Schools. When I was as Junior School, Middle awarded my sabbatical, she immediately School, or Upper School. connected me to our sister schools in California that she had relationships with In the case of Upper from her time on the West Coast.”

School, it was commonly —Kerri Moore, 4th Grade Teacher called “First to Fourth Academic.” At that time, most of the students were from Greenwich, Rye, Larchmont and a few other nearby communities.

Until the 1960s, the teaching and administrative staff of the School was made up almost entirely of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. There were only a few lay

52

HORIZONS spring 2020

people who taught French, math and physical education, but the life of the School and its students was entirely directed by the Religious. The RSCJ centered their lives in the love of Jesus Christ, the School and their students.

They were “Mothers” in an important sense of the word, for they devoted their days, their actions and their thoughts to providing students with love, attention, high educational standards and discipline.

What was a Sacred Heart education like in that era?

Mrs. Hayes believes that the outstanding feature of the system of education was its structure and sense of order.

In the Junior School, students were taught not only to walk silently in the hallways arranged by height and grade but to learn how to express themselves clearly and accurately in speaking and in writing. By fourth grade, students knew how to write a structured and correctly spelled paragraph in ink. On the feast day of the Head of School (Reverend Mother), students submitted academic work in a notebook containing their essays and other expository writing copied without erasures or mistakes and in ink!

Students went every Monday morning to Primes, a Sacred Heart tradition in which students were commended (or not) for their behavior and academic work. This was the time of day when Très Bien or Assez Bien cards were given out. No Notes meant behavior that was not up to school standards. Academic success was rewarded by a medal. At the end of Primes, students returned the cards and medals to their teachers. Uniforms existed for every possible situation, even uniform bathing suits for the pool and white dresses and gloves for feast

“My favorite memory of Mrs. Hayes is when she comes to my basketball games. Whenever I look over at her during my games, she always has a huge smile on her face, and she never stops cheering on the sidelines.”

—Sarah Augustine ’22

days. Meals were served seated at tables in what is now the faculty dining room; clubs, sports including field hockey and basketball, and after-school service work all rounded out life at the School. Friendship, mutual respect and support were important parts of campus life.

After graduating from college, Mrs. Hayes returned to Greenwich where she worked as a dorm mother, taught field hockey, drama and history of drama. After spending several years living in Sun Valley, Idaho, she returned to Greenwich to teach several subjects in Grade 5. In the 1980s, she moved to 91st Street to teach in Grade 7, eventually becoming Head of Middle School. Later, she returned to Greenwich as Head of the Middle School. In the late 1990’s, Mrs. Hayes moved to San Francisco to become the head of the girls’ elementary school at Schools of the Sacred Heart and then later became the Director of the Schools, the second lay person in the history of that school to occupy the position. Just over 10 years ago, she returned to Greenwich, where she became the first lay Head of School at Greenwich.

Mrs. Hayes believes that the most important change to our School over the past ten years has been the

purchase of our land from the Society of the Sacred Heart. Mrs. Hayes facilitated the purchase of the more than 100 acres from the Society and then donated a portion of the acreage to the Greenwich Land Trust.

The ownership has allowed the School to decide and control its own future.

Although much has changed since the early 1950s when Mrs. Hayes came here as a small child, much has remained the same. We are still a Roman Catholic school that celebrates the important feasts of the religious year. We take our tradition of social service, and our students go out to the wider community to give of themselves to others as they have for many years. We still have our traditions of congé and goûter. Although the laity now leads our school, we remain true to the principles that have existed since our founding in France long ago, with the goal of educating “for the sake of one child” as our most important mission.

As Mrs. Hayes likes to tell families first joining our community, this School on the hill will always be her home. We thank Mrs. Hayes for her extraordinary contributions to the success of Sacred Heart Greenwich!

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

53

“I have known Pam for a very long time. She was the sweetest, kindest little girl I can remember, and this is still true today. The only addition is that she is now not only thoughtful but also brilliant. Pam has followed the mission of Sacred Heart and for that I am extremely grateful.”

—Mary Catherine Joyce McCooey ’60, P’88, GP’23, ’25

54

HORIZONS spring 2020

“Every year, Mrs. Hayes invites us to put up Christmas decorations on the dollhouse in her office. Mrs. Hayes is so welcoming and thoughtful.

She was even our sister’s special visitor at Grandparents and Visitors Day. She is supportive of our work at school and our decorating!”

—Claire ’29 + Lillie ’29 Ryan

“One memory I have of Mrs. Hayes is from the opening of the new turf fields. Mrs. Hayes was so proud and happy in that moment, and she was so excited to be sharing the fields with all of us.

It is always fun to see her supporting us at our games on the beautiful new fields.”

—Daphne Fallon ’25

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

55

“Mrs. Hayes served as both a role model and friend to many, including myself, at Sacred Heart.

Her impact on the Sacred Heart community extends far beyond the classroom, and is seen through the kindness, grace, and servanthood of Sacred Heart women every day.”

—Bridget Scatturo ’14

56

HORIZONS spring 2020

AS MRS. HAYES LIKES TO TELL FAMILIES FIRST JOINING OUR COMMUNIT Y, THIS SCHOOL ON THE HILL WILL

always be her home

.

“Working with Pam as Head of School and as a member of the Board of Trustees since 2009 has been a wonderful experience.

Her love for the Sacred Heart community is deep and sincere.”

—Nancy DePalma H’16

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

57

ALUMNAE news Dear Alumnae and Sacred Heart Family: Together with the Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Association Board and the Young Alumnae Council, I want to thank all of our alumnae for their participation in our Sacred Heart community this year. As you’ll see in these pages, the alumnae community continued its long tradition of volunteering, mentoring, giving back and attending events to support our school.

I hope you enjoy the alumnae stories in this issue of Horizons, and I encourage you to read the monthly issues of Alumnae Au Courant that are shared over email.

With Heart,

Margot Kearney Navins ’02 President, Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Association alumnae@cshct.org

Living out the Goals & Criteria During the global COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Sacred Heart Greenwich community — including our alumnae and parents of alumnae — continues to show its resiliency. We’ve heard from alumnae in healthcare and other essential fields about their new day-to-day routines, those organizing volunteer efforts and so many who signed up to support the Class of 2020 by providing feedback to these newly accepted students on their college acceptances.

Whether building community, leaning on their active faith, or springing to action, our alumnae have proved once again that the Goals & Criteria of a Sacred Heart education remain core values of all graduates after they leave campus. We are eternally grateful for the service of those in our community who are on the front lines, and we hope everyone stays safe and healthy during this difficult time. If there’s anything that Sacred Heart or the Alumnae Association can do to support you or your family please reach out to alumnae@cshct.org.

58

HORIZONS spring 2020

Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Association Board 2019–2020 President: Margot Kearney Navins ’02 Vice-President: Nicole Russo Steinthal ’88, P’19, ’21 Treasurer: Gabriella Almeida ’07 Secretary: Deana McGlasson McCabe ’89, P’18 Board Members: Alessandra Badioli ’11 Caitlyn Harrington Bertoncin ’03 Kelly Whipple Brooke ’06 Maureen Mara Brown ’82, P’19 Michelle Vittoria Gelinas Buford ’88, P’27 Elise Byrnes ’06 Meghan McGuinn Chew ’05 Johna McCoy Clear (91st St.) ’91, P’25, ’28 Kristin Carey Connors ’09 Katy Grogan Garry ’95 Jenna Hascher ’13 Mary Lou Curran Kingsbery ’75 Ale Knight ’09 Debbie Busby Kunces ’73 Jane Chapman Lodge ’04 Jennifer Bentley Rivera ’94, P’21, ’22 Colby Gargano Summers ’01 Liz Waldrup ’77 Ex Officio Members: Pamela Juan Hayes ’64, Head of School Melissa Strock Canoni, Director of Advancement Meghan Mara Ryan ’01, P’29, ’29, ’32, Director of Alumnae Relations Katherine Colihan Scott ’06, Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations

Young Alumnae Council Members: Alessandra Badioli ’11 * Tory Bensen ’10 Grace Campbell ’16 Lizzie Considine ’16 Catherine Cunningham ’14 Juliette Guice ’17 Jenna Hascher ’13 * Francesca Libassi ’12 Katie McCabe’18 Margot McCloskey ’14 Emma Molloy ’13 Claire O’Neill ’15

Nathalie Perreault ’18 Meggie Purcell ’13 Helen Rail ’17 Maria Rincon ’11 Kate Ruberti ’18 Alli Sciarretta ’12 Daisy Steinthal ’19 Sarah Tranfo ’11 Meredith Wilson ’19 *Alumnae Board liaisons

CAREER MORNING KICKS-OFF REUNION, Inspires Upper School Students To kick-off Reunion Weekend 2019, Sacred Heart welcomed back alumnae Stephanie Mellert ’14 and Dr. Joanna Groden ’74 to speak to Upper School students during Career Morning.

Mellert, an analyst at Rothschild and Co. and magna cum laude graduate of Notre Dame University, gave Upper School students a primer on different career paths in finance from sales & trading to investment banking. As an analyst, Mellert provides advice to CEOs and CFOs on whether or not to consider bankruptcy. It’s a unique position: a recent college graduate providing advice to executives with thirty years of experience. Mellert shared that Sacred Heart prepared her for this current role by teaching her how to speak up and how to listen. Apparently, providing feedback to seasoned executives is simple for anyone who has taken an English class with Upper School teacher Linda Vasu!

Dr. Groden, a human geneticist and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois, began her talk by assuring the Upper School students that they do not need to know exactly how their path must unfold by the time they graduate. In fact, Groden earned her B.A. in biology at Middlebury College and practically fell into her Ph.D. in cell biology and genetics at the Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences after a post college job and before going on to a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Human Genetics/Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Utah. Groden emphasized that she knows Sacred Heart will prepare each student academically but the values acquired on King Street — caring for others, being ethical and honest, and a commitment to making the world a better place — are the things to be most proud of upon graduation.

Students had the opportunity to ask the alumnae questions and many were interested in how Sacred Heart as an all-girls school prepared them for male dominated work environments. Mellert said that her team at work is entirely men, but that’s not a problem. She advised the students to know the respect they deserve and command that respect, just like they do at Sacred Heart, regardless of the people in the room. Groden and Mellert also recommended that the students network with Sacred Heart alumnae. Mellert says she owes her career

Mellert advised the students to know the respect they deserve and command that respect, just like they do at Sacred Heart, regardless of the people in the room.

choice to conversations she had with Sacred Heart alumnae, so she always recommends sending what seems at the time like an awkward email introduction. Groden closed the program by reminding the students that friendship, family, community, and their value systems will remain the most important components of being successful, no matter what careers they choose in the future.

On the Saturday of Reunion, Mellert and the Class of 2014 won the Young Alumnae Spirit Award for giving to The Fund for Sacred Heart, and Groden won the Alumna STEAM Award.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

59

Welcome Home Reunion 2019

Members of the Class of 1984

The Class of 1969 takes over the Today From the Heart set

Margot Dolce Sturz ’99 and Katie Molloy Whiteman ’99

The Class of 1969 50th Reunion

The Class of 1958 with Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64

60

HORIZONS spring 2020

The Class of 1979

The Class of 2014, recipients of the Young Alumnae Spirit Award

2019 Alumnae Reunion Award Recipients Outstanding Alumnae Award: Suzanne Taylor Seitz ’58 Joan Egan Mendelson ’59 Marion O’Grady ’69 Lisa Burke Fallon ’89

Marion O’Grady ’69, a recipient of the Outstanding Alumnae Award, with her sister Adele O’Grady Botticelli ’68

The daughters of Joan Egan Mendelson ’59, including Meegan Mendelson Slusser ’82, Cathleen Mendelson Daley ’85 and Mavie Mendelson ’87, accepted the Outstanding Alumnae award on behalf of their mother

Professional Excellence Award: Joyce Gorman ’70 STEAM Award: Dr. Joanna Groden ’74 Broadcast Journalism Award: Sadé Clacken Joseph ’07

Sadé Clacken Joseph ’07, recipient of the Broadcast Journalism Award, with her family

Sue Taylor Seitz ’58, a recipient of the Outstanding Alumnae Award, with her family

Joyce Gorman ’70, recipient of the Professional Excellence Award, with her family and classmates Nora Finnegan Dolce ’70 and Priscilla Campo Press ’70

Young Alumnae Spirit Award: Class of 2014

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

61

The Class of 2004

Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 and classmate Ursula Moore Smith ’64 celebrate their 55th Reunion

The Class of 1959

The Class of 1989 celebrates their classmate Lisa Burke Fallon ’89, a recipient of the Outstanding Alumnae Award

The Class of 1974 celebrates their classmate Dr. Joanna Groden ’74, recipient of the STEAM Award

Members of the Class of 1984 The Class of 2009

62

HORIZONS spring 2020

Children of all ages enjoyed games, activities and food at the annual Fall Festival.

SAVE THE DATE

Welcome Home Reunion & Homecoming Saturday, October 3, 2020 • Connect with classmates and experience Sacred Heart Greenwich • Bring your children and grandchildren to cheer on the home games • Attend the liturgy and the awards ceremony • Honor the Class of 1970 at its 50th reunion and classes ending in 5 and 0 • ALL graduates and parents of alumnae from EVERY year are invited home to reunion • Enjoy a cocktail reception and class photos • Tour the School 11 am Homecoming (formerly Fall Festival) 1 pm Reunion luncheon for the Class of 1970 and earlier classes 3 pm Tours of the School 4 pm Mass in the chapel and Alumnae Awards ceremony 5 pm Cocktail reception and class photos To volunteer for your class reunion, contact Katherine Colihan Scott ’06, Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations, at scottk@cshct.org

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

63

SACRED HEART gatherings

1

HALLOWEEN play date

3

SPORTS reunions 1. Alumnae returned January 4 for the annual basketball reunion 2. Past and present volleyball players hit the court 3. Student and alumnae swimmers reconnect at their reunion

64

HORIZONS spring 2020

1

4

1. Alumnae and their children gather for the annual Alumnae Halloween Play Date 2. Margot Kearney Navins ’02 and her children 3. Meghan McGuinn Chew ’05 and her children 4. Madeleine Sullivan Loehr ’05 and Katherine Colihan Scott ’06 and their children

2

ALUMNAE news

college CONGÉ 1. College-age alumnae gathered January 6 for the annual networking lunch with the juniors and seniors 2. Panelists Adriana Arias ’19, Claire Liddy ’19, Maddie McLane ’17 and Daisy Steinthal ’19 answered questions from the students about their college experience 3. College-age alums catch up with current students

1

2

3

2

3

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

65

SAYING YES:

A Q&A with Commencement Speaker Nicole Seagriff ’03

This year, Nicole Seagriff ’03 will serve as the Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2020 graduation ceremony. A graduate of Boston College ’07, she worked as a registered nurse while completing her Master of Nursing degree at Yale University to become a family nurse practitioner. In 2016, she graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Duke University with a focus on genetic testing for breast cancer mutations in underserved populations.

Since graduating from Sacred Heart, at every turn in her career and personal life, Nicole has exemplified the true spirit of the Goals & Criteria. As you’ll see from our conversation with her, she has combined a cutting-edge medical career with a spirit of generosity and concern for others all the while seeking opportunities for personal growth and leaning on her faith through personal and professional challenges.

Nicole serves as the On-Site Medical Director of the Norwalk and Stamford locations of the Community Health Center managing clinical compliance and the operations of three health centers since 2015. In addition to work, she is the President of The Pink Agenda, which is a 503(c) dedicated to raising money and awareness among young professionals for breast cancer research. Since its inception The Pink Agenda has raised over $4 million for lifesaving research. Nicole also served on the Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Board until 2012.

What courses and experiences at Sacred Heart impacted your career trajectory?

AP Biology with Dr. Behr was a tremendous piece of my learning experience while at Sacred Heart and was how I realized I was interested in learning more about how the body works. Surprisingly, though, if I think back to classes that made a lasting impact on me as a person, they were actually non-science classes, including my sophomore English course and my theology classes.

66

HORIZONS spring 2020

Outside of classes, the chance to experience Lourdes was extremely influential on my life and career. I had been thinking about nursing or medicine and traveling to Lourdes and working alongside the nurses each day (and sometimes nights!) showed me that I liked talking with and comforting the sick. It was a truly amazing opportunity to be able to have a live nursing experience at the age of 16 as I was making my college application decisions and career plans.

If I could go back to Sacred Heart now, I would have loved time in the anatomy and physiology lab! On one of my last tours of campus, I saw the virtual cadaver lab that includes humans and animals and think that is a tremendous learning asset.

What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing sciences or medicine in college?

The best advice I could give to someone interested in healthcare is to gain as much real-life exposure as soon as possible.

Nursing and medicine are actually really broad fields when you think about the uniqueness of each specialty. Often people think they want to focus on one part of healthcare and end up in a totally different part. I started out in the Intensive Care Unit with the sickest patients in the hospital and ended up on the opposite end of the spectrum in an outpatient clinic trying to prevent the chronic diseases that often cause people to end up in the ICU. The only way I figured out what really spoke to my true purpose and passion was by volunteering in the hospital, taking on internships, experiencing my rotations in school, and seeing what felt right to me. I would encourage Sacred Heart students to do the same.

ALUMNAE news

You recently took on a big challenge, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. With your career, family and other obligations, how do you go about saying “yes” to new challenges?

I am not typically someone who enjoys hiking or camping, but I knew climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was a unique chance to push myself to see what I could do physically and mentally. Being open to saying yes to opportunities and adventures, especially ones outside my comfort zone, has led to my most cherished life memories. Having the courage to say yes to things that seem intimidating or challenging didn’t come naturally to me and really was an evolution that came from maturity, time and ultimately an unexpected life experience.

When I was 26, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently underwent three surgeries and medical treatment to decrease my risk of future occurrence. It was a defining experience in my life for several reasons, but having the courage to walk into a cold operating room at a young age to have

major surgery was the bravest thing I have ever done. After that, it became a point of comparison in life. When an opportunity presented for me to be the opening and closing speaker in front of over 1000 people at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer that same year, I thought it can’t be scarier than walking into the operating room, so why not! It was still scary but I did it and it was an amazing experience. That way of thinking has continued from agreeing to become President of The Pink Agenda, a nonprofit to raise money for breast cancer awareness, to agreeing to run the NYC marathon! From saying yes to one experience, more exciting doors have opened.

People do not need to go through cancer or a health scare to reach the point to be able to say yes to the things that scare them. Know yourself enough to make calculated estimates about your current AND future ability to agree to something new. Believe that you can make it happen. I hope that people can go through life with an attitude of “yes” without experiencing a health or personal crisis …

whether it be saying yes to run for student council, or applying for an internship or job that seems out of reach, or putting themselves out there to join a new club or sport, it is amazing what we are all capable of, and it makes life all the richer!

SEAGRIFF SPEAKS AT student-run medical conference Graduation speaker Nicole Seagriff participated in the studentrun Operation Medical School conference held at Sacred Heart back in November. Speaking on a panel to high school students interested in medical careers, Seagriff used her expertise as a nurse practitioner to raise awareness about opportunities in medicine.

While medical school applications are surging with more quality candidates than ever before, doctors-in-training are choosing hyper-specialized practices. This trend poses a problem when it comes to caring for an aging population.

“Unfortunately, with the increase of chronic diseases, often related to obesity, like diabetes and hypertension, and the growing aging population living longer we see an ever-increasing need for primary care providers,” she said.

Seagriff cited a recent projection from the Association of American Medical Colleges that estimates there will be a shortage of 47,000 to 122,000 primary care providers in just 13 years. This is a concerning trend because patients have better health outcomes and more cost-efficient outcomes when they see primary care providers.

The good news is that nurse practitioners often want to go into primary care, Seagriff said. Supporting the careers and continued learning of nurses and nurse practitioners will directly impact this trend. Hosting events like Operation Medical School on campus gives Sacred Heart students opportunities to learn more about all of the potential career paths in the medical field.

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

67

ALUMNAE news

GIVE FROM THE HEART! for Financial Aid Our alumnae 24-hour day of giving, raised a record $32,323 from 143 donors! Thanks to the support of our alumnae, including a matching gift of $15,000 from an anonymous alumna, each dollar raised will go towards Financial Aid which supports every aspect of a Sacred Heart education.

Introducing the ALUMNAE MEDIA NETWORK More than 100 alumnae from Sacred Heart have pursued careers in media whether it is in film, television, social media, marketing, or communications. In an effort to provide resources, networking and job opportunities for alumnae in the field and to help educate current students about future opportunities in media, a LinkedIn networking group has been created. If you currently work in the field, please be sure to join the group by searching for the ‘Sacred Heart Greenwich Alumnae Media Network’ on LinkedIn. Alumnae in ALL fields — don’t forget to maximize the benefits of the alumnae network by adding the school to the education section of your profile on LinkedIn. You will gain access to search other Sacred Heart Greenwich alumnae in a variety of ways: location, industry, job title, and more.

68

HORIZONS spring 2020

Middle School scientists in action during a lab period.

class notes

TO SUBMIT INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CLASS AGENT OR MEGHAN MARA RYAN ’01 AT CLASSNOTES@CSHCT.ORG.

1955

1956

1958

Joanne O’Connor Hynek and husband Dan celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in October 2019. They feel blessed with their children and grandchildren. Joanne also appreciates her Sacred Heart education, the Religious and good friends who have enriched her life.

Cynthia Crump Crimmims is a great grandmother! Jane Gillespie Steinthal’s big news is her son Jim and his wife Sally are living and working in Singapore.

Several grandchildren also started college in the fall. Tom’s daughter Daisy graduated from Sacred Heart Greenwich and is at Georgetown, Jim’s son Henry is at Lafayette and John’s son Michael is rowing for Yale. She hopes to see everyone in September for the 60th reunion!

Margi Brown Gregory has 14 grandchildren ages 7–31 and two great grandchildren. Her husband, Jim, has been gone for four and a half years. The book that she and Jim started in 2011 is finally in print. “Becoming Real — A Love Story, A Faith Journey” was a true labor of love to finish. Now that the book is complete, she keeps busy with watercolor classes and bible studies. 1 Molly Wade McGrath and her husband, Norman, spent most of last year welcoming a miracle baby, Annabel Wade McGrath, into their family and helping her mother adjust to motherhood. She would be happy to offer details to anyone who might be interested.

Suzanne Taylor Seitz received the Outstanding Alumna Award at Reunion in recognition of the extensive collection of memorabilia that she has donated to the School’s Archive. Many of her classmates were in attendance at the award ceremony to celebrate this honor.

1 Annabel Wade McGrath, granddaughter of Molly Wade McGrath ’56

1959 The Class of ’59 had its 60th Reunion in September and had a wonderful time. Their former classmate, Joan Egan Mendelson, was awarded the Outstanding Alumna Award posthumously in recognition of her commitment to Sacred Heart over the years.

Dolores Cox Agnew received a wonderful memento from her

classmates thanking her for being their class agent for the past 60 years, and it brought tears to her eyes. It has been such a joy for her to help her classmates stay in touch all these years. She will stay in Florida all year and does not plan to return to the north for the summer months.

She will still make short trips for family events and hopes to see

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

69

some of her classmates then, too.

Margie Naughton was so pleased to attend the 60th Reunion and to see Joani’s husband, John, and her daughters accept the Outstanding Alumna Award in her honor. She feels so blessed to have attended Sacred Heart not only for the excellent education but also for the friendships that have lasted through the years. When she tells her NYC friends that she is in touch with people she went to high school with, they are amazed. Joan Murphy Kelly fell on Christmas Eve morning and broke her hip as she was preparing for Moira and her family’s arrival. She had to have a total hip replacement and is making good progress. Her girls have been fabulous in their support, which has been a blessing in the midst of trauma. DeDe Mannix Burke is looking forward to having her sister Sheila Mannix ’54 come and live with her in Pound Ridge. Sheila is sure to bring lots of “Brooklyn” Dodger memorabilia with her.

June Dolce Heffernan celebrated her husband Jack’s 80th birthday over Thanksgiving in Florida with all 33 family members there. Her granddaughter, Molly Trimble ’11, is engaged to be married the same day and same place in 2020.

1962 2 The Class of 1962 recently gathered for a luncheon and had a very pleasant time. Pam Wall Madden’s 6 month old grandson, Hunter, was recently hospitalized with pneumonia and her son, Andy, had back surgery. All are recuperating, but it has been a lot of caregiving since Andy cannot pick up more than 10 pounds and Hunter is 16 pounds. Her other grandson, Theo, celebrated his 5th birthday party with live animals; she loves being a grandmother!

70

HORIZONS spring 2020

2

The Class of 1962 enjoys catching up at a recent luncheon

Pat Meyer recently sold her sailboat due to her retirement. Sheila Hickey Cameron’s son-in-law had a serious accident 1 1/2 years ago and is a paraplegic. He was able to sail in a “Disability Race” sponsored

by Larchmont and American Yacht Clubs and he did very well.

It is such a fantastic idea — there were even blind sailors who had able bodied people assist them.

Christina Norris Diskint is giving up some of her volunteer work and training others on Emergency Response Preparedness.

Jackie Paterno Kirby is enjoying retirement and working with the Audubon society rescuing birds and other animals. Libby King gets to see her sister, Kay, and go on various excursions in the city and beyond.

1964 Ursula Moore Smith lunched with Pamela Juan Hayes at the Reunion in September and was amazed at all the new facilities, programs and improvements at the School. Pam is retiring as Head of School at the end of this year, and all of her ’64 classmates are very proud of her for all she has done for Sacred Heart Greenwich and the other Sacred Heart schools.

1967 3 It has been a news-filled year for Mary Francina Golden. Her older daughter, Brianne Handal, graduated Geisinger Medical School in May and is in the middle of her first year of an anesthesiology residency.

She will return to their hometown in July, where she will do her next three years of residency at NYU/ Langone. Her younger daughter, Kolbe Handal, is an actress living in Brooklyn. Mary Francina has had the pleasure of working with her in several Shakespeare productions.

Kolbe also graduated (dean’s list) from the International Culinary Center, specializing in bread baking. After 20 years of not pursuing work, Mary Francina went back to acting ten years ago. Her husband of 36 years, Ken Handal, has retired from his law career. They love to travel, especially to Hawaii. She regularly sees classmates Cathy Moran Vermylen and Evelyn Cole and was so pleased to see many of her classmates at their 50th reunion in 2017.

1968 Lynne McGowan Wheat is thrilled to be an expectant grandmother.

3 Mary Francina Golden ’67 and her daughter Kolbe Handal

Her son, Alexander, is expecting a baby boy in May. Adele O’Grady Botticelli received a Masters degree in Creative Writing with Honors from the University of Limerick.

Shelaghmichael Condon Brown celebrated a significant birthday hosted by Louise Parent this August with several of her Sacred Heart friends in attendance. Kathy Teichgraeber Merrill is thrilled to be planning the wedding of her daughter, Antonia. She and her husband, Mike, traveled to India with Natica del Valle von Althann and her husband, Victor, mainly through Rajasthan. Natica says the Taj Mahal at dawn is one of the most beautiful sights to behold in this world. Kerry Brown is busy commuting between Rye and Florida, spending time with her many grandchildren. Cathy Egan Cronin is enjoying Vero life, most especially the First Friday mass and luncheons with Sacred Heart alumnae in the area.

1969 The Class of 1969 had an outstanding number of classmates in attendance for last September’s 50th Reunion. Looking great and coming together in deep

class notes

6 Debbie Busby Kunces ’73, Missy Mackenzie Cumings ’73, Caroline Riley ’73, Martia Patrick Gordon ’72, Kathy Williams Dunn ’73 and Susan Mara McDonnell ’73 enjoyed catching up over dinner during the holidays

Novah, granddaughter of Lisa Gowdey Pritchard ’70 4

friendship, everyone agreed that it was wonderful to catch up in person! Congratulations to Marion O’Grady on receiving the Outstanding Alumna Award in recognition for her commitment to Sacred Heart. Joanne Stevens Carter and her husband are both hoping to retire this year and plan to do some traveling.

They still spend a lot of time with their children and grandchildren although they are getting older too: Garret (15), Ella (14), Caitlin (12), and Mia (10). They bring so much joy into their lives, and they feel blessed they are all close enough for Sunday dinners. Joan WootersReisin spent Christmas with her sister, Kathy, and brother-in-law, Rick, at a house in the historic district of Stratford-upon-Avon, England. On Christmas Eve, they saw a brilliant production of King John at the RSC, followed by a festive dinner and midnight mass at Trinity Church built in 1210.

They enjoyed plenty of mince pie, shortbread and Christmas pudding during their visit. Morgan Barry Morton and her husband, Allen, moved into their renovated home in Historico Centro in San Miguel de Allende in October and have had a steady stream of guests ever since. Their daughters and

5 Joyce Gorman ’70, recipient of the Professional Excellence Alumna Award, with her family

grandchildren came for Christmas and New Years and loved all of the Mexican festivities and fireworks.

They are slowly learning Spanish and enjoying getting to know the country. Stealey Jenkins Ashley reports “no news is good news” and that she enjoyed seeing so many classmates at Reunion.

Ingrid Cronin Packard and Marion O’Grady spent a wonderful October Columbus Day weekend in Vermont with Cathy Maloney Claflin and her husband, Tim, at their beautiful and historic home.

They had perfect weather and lots of fun exploring the iconic landscapes, farmers’ markets and picking out pumpkins. They also enjoyed lunch and a visit to the Simon Pearce glass-blowing factory in nearby New Hampshire and relaxed with some well-earned down time and Cathy’s delicious dinners!

1970 Meg Corroon Sheridan is still living in NYC and is retired from being a professional fundraiser for nonprofits.

Her eldest son was married last year, so she is no longer the only female in the family. She stays in touch with Heather Hirson Long and her cousin, Frannie Kelly Burns.

4 Lisa Gowdey Pritchard has had a very hard year. She lost her husband in April; and then her sister, Lonnie, for whom she was the primary caregiver, died of lung cancer in July. But the prior year was a great year! Lisa was elected County Commissioner for Montgomery County, Tennessee, and her city of Clarksville was named by Money Magazine as the #1 city in the nation to live in. Lisa has a three-year old granddaughter Novah and hopes to see everyone at the 50th Reunion in the fall! 5 Priscilla Campo Press continues commuting into the City from Oyster Bay each day and is enjoying her 4 grandchildren and their families who live in NYC. She joined Joyce Gorman and Joyce’s family at Reunion in September, when Joyce was honored with the Professional Excellence Alumna Award. They had an absolutely amazing day being back at the School, connecting with alumnae from the class ahead of them who were celebrating their 50th reunion as well as the other honorees. They also had an opportunity to visit with Nora Finnegan Dolce, who attended the Mass in the chapel that day. They are planning to return next fall for their 50th reunion as well and hope to see everyone there!

Joyce is thrilled at the selection of Meg Frazier as the new Head of School. Her family knows Meg well from her time at Georgetown Prep

in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was the Academic Dean when her son Pete was a boarding student and she was on the Board of Trustees.

Meg was beloved by Prep students, faculty, parents, and Board members, and she is so happy that Sacred Heart discovered her and was able to lure her to be Pam Hayes’ successor.

It will take a very special person to fill Pam’s shoes and continue her legacy, and she can’t think of anyone more perfect! Susie Baker Bell is still mourning the sudden death of her beloved husband, Jamie, five years ago. She is still living primarily in Philadelphia but spends the spring and summer months in Prout’s Neck, Maine. Barbara Moran is spending the winter on the coast of California in Santa Cruz. No more snow and ice for her!

1973 Congratulations to Susan Mara McDonnell and husband, John, on the recent engagement of their daughter, Mary McDonnell ’09.

Kathy Williams Dunn, Martia Patrick Gordon ’72, Missy Mackenzie Cumings, Caroline Riley and Debbie Busby Kunces, enjoyed a fabulous weekend in Arlington, VT, this past July at the gorgeous home of Emmy McBee Dailey ’74. The weather was spectacular as they went blueberry picking at a beautiful local farm and also enjoyed the scenery of Norm Rockwell’s original barn and summer house on the river. 6 Debbie Busby Kunces, Missy Mackenzie Cumings, Caroline Riley, Martia Patrick Gordon ’72, Kathy Williams Dunn and Susan Mara McDonnell ended the year with a holiday dinner at Rafele’s Restaurant in Rye. Rosemary Custer Glazier had a great time attending Reunion in the fall. She said it was extra special to see Marion O’Grady

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

71

receive the Outstanding Alumna Award. The Class of 1973 extends their deepest sympathy to Elena Delgado and her two children on the recent passing of her beloved husband and their father this past November 2019.

1974 Dr. Joanna Groden received the Alumna STEAM Award at Reunion. She is an internationally recognized human geneticist and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

1975 Mary Barbero Jordan reported that she had lunch with Dude (Mary Anne Leverty Heine) after not seeing each other in years! She is still in touch with Melinda Keller Hammer on a regular basis, so the “gruesome threesome” are still in touch! She just happily celebrated her 23rd anniversary with her husband, Michael Jordan (the original). Their 22-year-old daughter, Liv, just started a new job working in with CASES, an innovative public safety center in Harlem. Her most recent CD of original music (Madalyn & Nicole) was released in 2014 and is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and CDbaby.com. She is teaching communication and meditation courses at Iona College and works full time as Gallery Director for the Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery at Iona. Joy Pine-Thomas completed her Ph.D. in 2017 in applied management & decision sciences. She is currently working as an instructional design specialist with the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is also a consultant/ professional development trainer.

Joan O’Grady-Barada is still working hard as a school nurse/

72

HORIZONS spring 2020

administrator at a 6–12th grade school. Joan’s husband, Drew, and their four children are all doing well.

No one is married yet, but they are happy and healthy, and she feels truly blessed to have each of them. Her sister Ann O’Grady ’73 passed away in 2017 from Multifocal System Atrophy, a very rapid advancing form of Parkinson’s. She left behind her two children, Clare and Joshua, who between them have five children under the age of six. Joan has been enjoying becoming their pseudograndparent/grand auntie who loves showering them with all things she knows Ann would have if she were still here. Joan’s mother also passed away in 2016 at the ripe old age of 99 (4 months shy of 100)! Brenda Stevens Ross is doing well. 2020 is a big year for her and her husband, Michael, as they will celebrate the high school graduation of their daughter, Rozzi, in June. They are starting to move through what it will be like to be empty nesters. Career wise, she continues to enjoy her work advocating for music therapy.

It is a powerful tool that remains sorely underutilized. The good news is that it continues to grow, and she gets to be a part of this. She has also been doing some consulting work in support of diversity, equity and inclusion. They continue to love life in the Boston area (Wayland and Falmouth) and all that New England has to offer, although she would move back to New York in a heartbeat as it will always be home for her.

Meg O’Toole Grupo left Condé Nast after 20+ years in human resources and development and is now very happy in her “best role yet” as a grandmother to Henry Collins Gruppo born 1/19/19. She loves all her boys to death! She still pals around with Mike and Priscilla. Meg and Jim live in Fairfield, as do several other class members. Felicia Value is living in the small, beautiful town of La Conner, in the NW corner of

7 Michelle Dubuque Vallely ’75 and her husband, Scott

Washington. She is married to Gem Tartaglia, her partner of 33 years.

No kids — two dogs. She has a solo law practice focusing on wills, trusts and probate. She loves her work and hopes to retire in a couple of years. She volunteers at a couple of local nonprofits including a dog rescue. Andrea Hawkins Stuart is living in Scotch Plains, NJ, happily retired with husband Steve. They are expecting their first grandchild in April and looking forward to welcoming a second wonderful daughter-in-law to their family.

7 Michelle Dubuque Vallely and her husband, Scott, have a microbrewery, Charter Oak Brewing Company in Danbury. Scott is the Master Brewer — the beer is delicious, and the atmosphere is awesome! Michelle is still working at the elementary school in New Canaan — and when she’s not there, she is working at the brewery.

Their youngest, Katie, just got engaged over Christmas, and Colleen was married to Mathew this past summer, and they now reside in NC. Another grandchild arrived, their son Patrick and his wife had their first.

8 Priscilla Jennings Pultz and her husband, Neil, downsized to Clinton after being empty nesters in Madison for a while. They had a lovely wedding for their daughter, Mallory, who married Neil Mammele, in Mount Pleasant, SC. Charlotte is also in the Charleston, SC area.

Mary Lou Curran Kingsbury

8 Priscilla Jennings Pultz ’75 and her husband, Neil

shared that she is looking forward to the 45th Reunion this fall. Mary Lou and her husband sold their house in Short Hills, and they have been retired in Rumson, where they first started out! Their oldest three of five are married and they have four grandchildren! Mary Lou recently joined the Sacred Heart Alumnae Board. Josie Kaufmann is living in Eastham, MA with her husband, Dennis. She and Dennis were married in 2017 and have a black lab rescue named Sox — yes, after the Red Sox – but the white paws initiated the name. 18th grandniece, Amelia, arrived Dec. 11th — and on Christmas she learned that the 19th will arrive in June 2020! She is still working and playing golf and enjoying it all! She feels blessed with her family and friends and finding a great guy at this time of her life.

1977 9 Several members of the Class of 1977 enjoyed catching up over a recent dinner in Greenwich. Joanie Campo Carter is officially an empty nester with her son, Reilly, off to NYC for work after graduation from Boston College. She is working part

class notes

time in the medical education field doing recruiting, alumni relations and social media. Liz Waldrup is buying for a department store based in Reading, PA, and splitting her time between PA and her apartment in Westchester. Liz sits on the Sacred Heart Alumnae Board and continues to find time to co-chair Santa’s Secret Shop Boutique at Sacred Heart, which is a great success. Marcella Lilly Dresdale reflected that her family and the friends that she made at Sacred Heart formed and propelled her and have always stood by her.

Debbie Morelli Wygal is keeping busy raising a teenage daughter, writing a blog and working on books that she is self-publishing. Tricia Sullivan Merrick is proof that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

She has taken up acting and can be seen in numerous television commercials as well as a recent episode of Law and Order SVU. Dreux Dubin Claiden recently left the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart Greenwich after seven years. She is traveling as much as possible and enjoys having her two grown daughters and sonin-law in NYC. Maryellen Tirelli Pais is enjoying good health and the

The Class of 1977 enjoyed catching up over dinner during the holidays 9

recent marriage of her son. Clare Leibell Shaughnessy is preparing for her empty nest as her daughter, Kate, is a senior in high school. Mary Davis Stanton is keeping up with all her boys in their various careers as lacrosse seasons are behind them.

1978 10 Mary Raho Julian, Karen O’Brien, and Margaret Diefenbach Gray got together to celebrate Karen’s BIG birthday in January.

Since Karen is the first of the three friends to cross the milestone, they decided to have some fun together!

10 Mary Raho Julian ’78, Karen O’Brien ’78, and Margaret Diefenbach Gray ’78 celebrate Karen’s birthday

1981

11 Meghan Hess ’81 and her daughters at middle daughter Sophie’s wedding

11 Meghan Hess’ middle daughter, Sophie, was married in August 2019. 12 Elizabeth Tahmincioglu Kassapidis is enjoying her career as an Emergency Medicine Physician at Yale New Haven Health Bridgeport Campus. Her daughter, Roxanne, graduated Sacred Heart Greenwich in 2019 with honors and is attending NYU Tisch, where she is pursuing a major in film studies. Her other daughter, Zoe, is a senior at Sacred Heart Greenwich.

12 Roxanne Kassapidis ’19, daughter of Elizabeth Tahmincioglu Kassapidis ’81, at her graduation from Sacred Heart in June 2019

Calling all Alumnae!

Do you know any students who might be a great fit for Sacred Heart Greenwich?

We value personal recommendations from our graduates who know and have experienced the Sacred Heart community firsthand. The Admission Office is available to welcome these prospective students and families to campus when the admission season starts in the fall of 2020.

Share your recommendations with us directly by emailing admission@cshct.org. We look forward to meeting future members of our Sacred Heart Greenwich family!

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

73

13

Cricket Telesco Burns ’82 with her family

Nicole Peluso ’83 visited Mater during a recent trip to Rome

1982

1987

13 Cricket Telesco Burns’ daughter, India, is a junior at Bucknell University currently studying abroad in London. Her other daughter, Manzi, graduated from Trinity College last May, and her new job has taken her to San Diego. After many years as a fashion editor and stylist, she is now with CricketsCrush, her interior design and home staging company. Her husband, Richard, is working on his latest film endeavor, a series about spiritual healing entitled In The Flow.

15 Elizabeth Hawthorn’s daughter, Mary ’22, is currently a sophomore at Sacred Heart Greenwich. She and Mary spent the holidays with her sisters, Annie Hawthorn Connelly ’89 and Mary Hawthorn Kmetz ’91, as well as Cristin Connelly Rohan and their families.

Tyrrell Hammer Mahoney lives in San Francisco and just celebrated 24 years at Chronicle books currently as its President. She sees Erin Plunkett Niehaus and Mavie Mendelson often. Katie Haynes Pepe lives in Greenwich and sees Lizzy Hawthorn often.

Katie’s daughter, Tatum, and Lizzy’s daughter, Mary, are friends.

16 Heather Parrot Diver and her family added a new member to their family this year. Two year old Joni was being trained as a service dog but had a career change and now is part of the Diver family. They live in Farmington, CT, and both their children are in high school. Gavin, a freshman, played football this year.

Ellie, a junior, played field hockey and qualified for New England regionals in Irish dance.

1986 14 Nicole Peluso traveled to Italy with her family in June. While in Rome, they visited Mater and the chapel and painting were more beautiful than she had imagined.

In front of the painting, there is a basket of people’s written intentions.

She left hers (same thing she has been asking about for 20 years), and her prayers were finally answered after her visit.

74

HORIZONS spring 2020

14

15 Children of Elizabeth Hawthorn ’87, Annie Hawthorn Connelly ’89 and Mary Hawthorn Kmetz ’91

16 Ellie, daughter of Heather Parrot Diver ’87, with their new dog, Joni

17 Nicole Russo Steinithal ’88 organized a Broadway show outing with other Sacred Heart alumnae and parents

1988 17 Nicole Russo Steinthal’s lifestyle blog just completed its 4th year in publication. In addition to the weekly fashion, book club, cooking, decor, family and real estate posts, there is a monthly Broadway show outing which is usually attended by 40–90 readers from the NY & CT area. There were many Sacred Heart alumnae and parents in attendance at a recent outing including Lisa Pollack Wallace ’83, Jeryl Tardio Malloy ’79, Liz Reilly P’18, Clare Butler P’17, ’17,’19, Lauren Kenny ’82, P’13, and Rosemary Thomas P’14, ’16. Nicole is the Vice President of Sacred Heart’s

18 Charlotte, daughter of Shannon Cooney Johnston ’88, at the American Cemetery in Normandy at Omaha Beach.

Alumnae Board. 18 Shannon Cooney Johnston’s daughter, Charlotte, attends the ASH Rosary in New Orleans where she is a member of the Class of 2026.

1989 Lisa Burke Fallon received the Outstanding Alumna Award at Reunion in recognition of all that she has done to give back to the Sacred Heart Greenwich community.

Welcome, CLASS OF 2020!

Every year, the Greenwich-Maplehurst Alumnae Association welcomes the graduating senior class into its association during an induction ceremony where they receive International Passports.

One step closer to life beyond King Street, these passports grant the seniors official access to the wider Sacred Heart alumnae community around the world. The passport can serve as a means of introduction and even a source of help in the 44 countries where the Society of the Sacred Heart presently serves.

This year, the Alumnae Association has the pleasure of welcoming the 82 members of the Class of 2020. Several members of the class are also daughters of Sacred Heart alumnae,

including Zoe Kassapidis, daughter of Elizabeth Tahmincioglu Kassapidis ’81, P’19, ’20; Katie Keller, daughter of Pamela Kettles Keller ’88, P’20; Avery McCloskey, daughter of Susie Callagy McCloskey ’84, P’14, ’20; Erin O’Connor, daughter of Kathleen Plunkett O’Connor’89, P’20, ’21, ’22; Elizabeth Trimble, daughter of Maggie Heffernan Trimble ’83, P’11, ’20; and Isabella Quinson, daughter of Yvette Gonzalez Quinson, Carrollton ’88, P’20. The Class of 2020 has proven time and again — during a senior spring unlike anything they could have imagined — that graduates of Sacred Heart have the strength, faith and determination to persevere.

1991 19 Molly Boscarino returned to Lourdes in July with Adelaide Shafer Barrett as part of the Ampleforth Pilgrimage. They joined Margaret Shafer ’01 and a group of Pilgrims from Sacred Heart Greenwich made up of students, faculty and alums. It was 30 years ago, as juniors at Sacred Heart, that they made their first pilgrimage with Colleen Mara McLane and Heather Flanagan Brennan. It was as powerful as it had been the first time and the excitement, spiritual growth and social experiences with the Brits rivaled those back in the day.

19 Adelaide Shafer Barrett ’91, Assisted Pilgrim, Molly Donius Boscarino ’91 during 1990 Lourdes trip (left) and Adelaide Shafer Barrett ’91, Margaret Shafer ’01, Molly Donius Boscarino ’91 (right)

20 Kate Finn ’94 with her mother, Michele Rees Finn ’66, and her three daughters, Alyson, Peyton, and Emerson.

1994 20 Kate Finn earned her Doctorate in education from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. 21 Jennifer Bentley Rivera and her husband, Enrique, have 8 children, including Micaela ’21 and Caitlyn Rose ’22.

21

Jennifer Bentley Rivera ’94 with her family

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

75

Stay Connected with Sacred Heart FOLLOW THESE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS NEW. @SHGreenwich Csh Greenwich Alum @SH_Greenwich @GoSHGreenwich Georgina Anne Haak, daughter of Liz MacKinnon Haak ’98 22

@SHGreenwich @GoSHGreenwich

Declan Thomas Whiteman, son of Katie Molloy Whiteman ’99 23

24 Margaret Feeney ’00 married Christopher Malloy at Sacred Heart Greenwich

1998 26 Diana Dove ’01 recently became engaged to her fiance, Doug Reynolds

Liz MacKinnon Haak and her husband, Andrew, and son, Henry, welcomed daughter/sister, Georgina Anne Haak (Georgie) on March 31, 2019.

22

1999 Sara Bayer has been promoted to associate principal and is director of sustainability at Magnusson Architecture and Planning, working on constructing sustainable affordable new housing in NYC and beyond. 23 Katie Molloy Whiteman welcomed her son, Declan Thomas Whiteman, on November 4, 2019.

76

HORIZONS spring 2020

25 Brooke Elizabeth Palo, daughter of Samantha Freeman Palo ’00

2000 24 Margaret Feeney married Christopher Malloy at Sacred Heart on December 14, 2019. Margaret’s sisters Kathleen Feeney ’98 and Ellen Feeney ’02 were co-maids of honor and Lindsay Smith was in the ceremony. Margaret is the head of innovation in the US for NatWest Markets, and Chris is the founder of Stamford Building Company. The couple currently resides in Stamford.

Jacquelyn Gillis moved to Salt Lake City in June 2018. She is teaching first grade during the week and ski school on the weekends.

25 Samantha Freeman Palo and husband, Todd, welcomed their first daughter, Brooke Elizabeth, on April 11, 2019. Samantha, Todd and Brooke currently live in Bedford, NY.

27 Alexandra Lewis ’01 was featured in Vogue

2001 26 Diana Dove moved to Charleston, SC in 2015, where she bought a house and recently got engaged to her fiance, Doug Reynolds. Cristin McGuinn Hayes recently started a new job as Vice President of Global Business

28 Daughters of Colby Gargano Summers ’01

class notes

29 35 Daughters of Kate Henry Zentko ’01 and Shannan Henry Richardson ’06

30 Aiden Devereux Hines, son of Lois Kessel Hines ’04

31 Children of Meghan McGuinn Chew ’05

32 Sybil Olympia Thomson, daughter of Olympia Kyriakides Thomson ’06

36 Gabriella Almeida ’07 received the AASH Maryliz deVito Lincoln Generosity and Service Award

33 Charles George Brooke, son of Kelly Whipple Brooke ’06

34 Quinn Kathryn Moriarty, daughter of Katie Mullen Moriarty ’06

Development & Retail Strategy at WWE. 27 Alexandra Lewis, an anesthesiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, was featured in Vogue having attended the Winter Gala which raised money for pediatric cancer at the hospital. 28 Colby Gargano Summers and her husband Chris welcomed their third daughter, Baylis Anne, on April 29, 2019. 29 Kate Henry Zentko and husband, Paul, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter

named Lillyanna, on October 6, 2019. Lilly’s cousin, Rose Amelia Richardson, daughter of Shannan Henry Richardson ’06, is just 3 months younger than Lilly.

31 Meghan McGuinn Chew and her husband, Ridge, welcomed their second child, a son named Robert “Ridgely” Chew III, on April 13, 2019.

2004

2006

30 Lois Kessel Hines and her husband, Austin, welcomed their first child, Aiden Devereux Hines, on November 23, 2019.

32 Olympia Kyriakides Thomson and husband, Michael, welcomed their first child, Sybil Olympia, on June 13, 2019. She was delivered

2005

at NYU Langone Medical Center, where Libby Henry ’08 was on-duty as a Mother-Baby nurse!

33 Kelly Whipple Brooke and her husband, Alex, welcomed their first child, Charles “Charlie” George, on March 13, 2019.

34 Katie Mullen Moriarty and husband, Patrick, welcomed their first child, Quinn Kathryn, on October 4th, 2019. 35 Shannan Henry Richardson and husband, Andy, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Rose Amelia, on January 21, 2020. Her cousin Lilly, daughter of Kate Henry Zentko ’01, is just 3 months older.

2007 Sadé Clacken Joseph received the Alumna Broadcast Journalism Award at Reunion. She is a filmmaker, music video director, photographer, and singersongwriter. 36 Congratulations to Alumnae Board Member Gabriella Almeida for receiving the AASH — Associated Alumnae and Alumni of the Sacred Heart Maryliz deVito Lincoln Generosity

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

77

37 Kirsty Sievwright ’09 on her wedding day with co-maids of honor Brittany Williams ’09 and Alex Jung ’09

38

Johanna Golden ’10 married Nicholas Spetko at Sacred Heart Greenwich

New York. She recently had the honor of serving as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Kristin Carey Connors ’09, alongside Amanda Weber ’09, Morgan Forester ’09, Kyla Harrington Hilboldt ’09, and Megan Cincotta ’11.

2009 41

39 Elyse Yoder Gallagher ’10 married Michael Gallagher

40

Erin O’Callaghan ’13 went sky diving

Iris Longo ’13 ran the NYC Marathon

and Service Award at the 42nd AASH National Conference in New Orleans for her continuous dedication to Sacred Heart Greenwich!

AASH President and Duchesne Houston Alumna Jodie Hannaman Thorne ’85 presented Gabriella with this exciting honor.

2008 42

Antonia Libassi ’13 married Tucker Bryan

78

HORIZONS spring 2020

Cassidy Mara is living in New York City and practices employment law at Meister Seelig & Fein, a full service law firm in

37 Kirsty Sievwright married Gery Brownholtz on August 2nd, 2019, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brittany Williams and Alex Jung served as co-maids of honor.

2010 Jenny Traver is a certified speech-language pathologist and recently opened a private practice that provides executive function skill coaching to students and their families, both in-person and virtually. She also provides cognitive rehabilitation for kids and adults recovering from brain injuries. 38 Johanna Golden married Nicholas Spetko at the

class notes

43 Taylor Ryan ’13 and Shannon Snopkowski ’13 ran the NYC Half Marathon

Sacred Heart Greenwich chapel.

Jo and Nick met while attending Boston College and now live in Boston, MA. 39 Elyse Yoder Gallagher married Michael Gallagher in Greenwich on June 8, 2019. Their ceremony was held at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich followed by a reception at Greenwich Country Club. Elyse and Michael met as students at Elon University and currently reside in New York City.

2013 40 Iris Longo ran the NYC Marathon. Amanda Weber ran the Berlin Marathon. 41 Erin O’Callaghan went sky diving.

42 Antonia Libassi married Tucker Bryan. The couple met as undergrads at Brown University.

There were many Sacred Heart Greenwich alumnae in attendance, including Bea Dizon, Olivia Ruggerio, Antonia Libassi, Joan DeGennaro, Francesca Libassi ’12, Isabella Libassi ’15, Erin O’Callaghan, Kate Foley,

44

45 Ciara Henry ’18 ran the Marine Corp Marathon

Bridget Scaturro ’14 works at ESPN as a Production Assistant

Ale Knight, Amanda Weber, Kyla Harrington and Jayne Collins H’11. 43 Taylor Ryan and Shannon Snopkowski ran the NYC Half Marathon in March.

2014 During the 2019 Reunion, Catherine Cunningham and Margot McCloskey accepted the Young Alumnae Spirit Award on behalf of the Class of 2014, who won this award for the second year in a row! The Class also started a book club and recently re-read “A Man’s Search for Meaning,” which they originally read in Senior Seminar. 44 Bridget Scaturro graduated with her Masters degree from the University of Virginia in May and now works at ESPN as a Production Assistant. Bridget works primarily on college sports and develops video content for college football and basketball.

2018 45 Ciara Henry ran the Marine Corp Marathon in October.

46 Stephanie Jordan studied in Moscow, Russia at the Russian State University for the Humanities over the summer. She took four classes during her time there. She is currently pursuing a Russian and international studies double major at Holy Cross.

46 Stephanie Jordan ’18 studied in Moscow over the summer

Tell us your news!

To submit information, please contact your class agent or classnotes@cshct.org.

Below are some tips for sending us your digital photos so they look great in Horizons: > Set the photo size to 4 x 6 inches or larger, in 300 dpi > Set your digital camera to the best photo setting > Save files as jpg or tif > Identify everyone left to right in the photo and provide a caption > Send images as attachments. Please do not embed them into your emails

Sacred Heart Greenwich • shgreenwich.org

79

IN VIEW

A Word of Thanks During her installation address at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 25, 2009, Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 said: “The old and new are closely interwoven. The new grows out of the old, and the old finds fuller expression in the new. And so, today, after looking over my shoulder at past school accomplishments, I fix my gaze on what lies ahead. I pray that what we begin today will lead each and everyone associated with the School to challenge themselves to become that better educator, administrator, student, parent as an individual who possesses a deep respect and conviction for the work we have been called to do and the heritage we are called to proclaim.”

More than ten years later, with Mrs. Hayes’ retirement on the horizon, that very address she gave during her first mass on campus predicted the transformational leadership she would provide this community on King Street. During her time as Head of School, she accomplished so much but arguably her greatest accomplishment was harnessing the School’s history and mission to drive forward progress and change.

As we reflect back on her legacy of innovation and progress, her original words continue to ring true. “We will not look back and say ‘it might have been.’ We will say that recognizing the opportunity, we galvanized as a community to make it happen.”

80

HORIZONS spring 2020

Congratulations, Mrs. Hayes, from the entire Sacred Heart community on all you have done for this School and all that is still to come.

2019–2020 Sacred Heart Greenwich provides an environment that simultaneously prepares young women to be strong leaders in today’s ever-changing world, while instilling the values and traditions that have long made Sacred Heart so exceptional.

Here are just a few examples, all of which are supported by your gift to The Fund for Sacred Heart: Whether it’s hands-on learning with the Anatomage table, conducting college-level scientific research, performing Shakespeare, or competing among the nation’s top athletic teams, The Fund contributes to every student’s experience.

15

57

Students featured in the All-American High School Film Festival

Science Research awards

140

67

Students studying computer science

Students in SophieConnect online courses

268

28

Students in theater productions across all 3 divisions

Seniors in AP Calculus AB/BC

405 104 20

Students in exchange and service programs

TO MAKE YOUR GIFT:

Student athletes

Committed college athletes

shgreenwich.org/giving/makeagift • venmo: @Sacredheartgreenwich zelle: zelle@cshct.org • text the code: GoHeart to 243725

1177 King Street Greenwich, CT 06831 Address Service Requested

2 PMS Colors: 342 & 416

Stay Connected with Sacred Heart FOLLOW THESE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS NEW. @SHGreenwich Csh Greenwich Alum

@SH_Greenwich @GoSHGreenwich

@SHGreenwich @GoSHGreenwich