SCHOOL NEWS
Freshman Heritage Day A Different Way Each year in September, 9th-grade students traditionally travel to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary Community Center in Villa Maria, Pennsylvania for Freshman Heritage Day. The retreat at the Villa has become a hallmark of orienting first-year students to the rich history and heritage of Magnificat’s founding congregation. For the safety of the HM Sisters and Magnificat students, visiting the Villa was not an option this year, and so, for the first time, Magnificat’s Freshman Heritage activities took place on campus. While the Sisters and the historic Villa land and farm are irreplaceable, the Mission Department developed a safe and creative alternative that still enabled new students to feel a deeper connection to the HM mission and legacy. Throughout the first several weeks of school, VP of Mission Katie Higgins ’99 and VP of Mission Emerita Sr. Helen Jean Novy, HM presented to each freshman theology class about the foundation and history of the HM Sisters. Following the presentations, the first “Mini Freshman Heritage Days” took place over the course of four days in October, with a virtual option offered in November for any students who were streaming their classes last semester. Students cycled through a three-part rotation with their Advisory groups—the small cohorts of 10-16 students of which every student is a member during her four years at Magnificat. The rotation included a prayer service in the Lourdes Chapel where students wrote letters to read their senior year and received the “Learn” pendants that are traditionally distributed during the Freshman Family Mass.
The next stop in the rotation was to plant bulbs throughout the school grounds while also learning about the HM land ethic and Magnificat’s commitment to care for creation. Since gardening was a new realm for many students, it was a fun, sometimes funny, and meaningful community-building experience for many Advisories. Eleanor Mitchell ’24 said, “I am so grateful to the Magnificat community for continuing to create a memorable Freshman Heritage Day, especially through the challenges 2020 has brought. One activity I particularly loved was planting a bulb in Magnificat’s front yard. It was a great way to build connections with my classmates, and seeing the flowers bloom in the spring will give us a pleasant memory from such a trying time.” Students also participated in a scavenger hunt throughout Magnificat’s building and outdoor spaces to learn more about the significance of many campus spaces that pay homage to the HM Congregation. Reflecting on the scavenger hunt, Katy Gus ’24 said, “It was a really meaningful experience to learn about the women who founded Magnificat while bonding with my Advisory and discovering various parts of the school with an intriguing history such as the HM Center and the math wing.” The activities were bookended with a socially-distanced prayer service in the Performing Arts Center where students received a single red rose to foreshadow the tradition of the 12 red roses each Magnificat graduate carries at commencement, along with a packet of seeds for families to plant at home in honor of the day. Members of the Class of 2024 learn about the history of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary from VP of Mission Katie Higgins ’99 before planting bulbs in front of the Hilliard Boulevard sign.
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MAGNIFICAT MAGAZINE | A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNAE AND FRIENDS OF MAGNIFICAT HIGH SCHOOL | WINTER 2021
