Mes Amies Fall 2011

a publication from Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart

Mes Amies fall

2011 Issue \ 4

the creative opportunities issue

Woodlands Celebrates Creative Intellect & Self Expression

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reativity, innovation, and creative thinking are necessary for forward-thinking students and for the organizations and world they hope to shape. A hallmark of the educational culture at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, creative thinking is nowhere more evident than in the fine arts.

The arts at Woodlands help students develop skills they will use their lifelong: analysis and selection, creative problem solving, and imaginative response to the demands of contemporary society.

As in all subject areas, coursework in the fine arts emphasizes self-discipline and the pursuit of technical improvement. Through the arts, students explore their own interests and talents as they expand their awareness and express themselves creatively.

The very campus of Woodlands Academy reveals the power of this community’s creativity. Beautiful art welcomes guests

when they enter school corridors. Powerful sounds arise from orchestra practices and vocal music rehearsals. As a result of receiving such a high score on a recent adjudication, Kaleidoscope received an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall. The Susan St. James Theatre compares with the city’s best black box theatres when Woodlands students study human character and interaction, then interpret and perform their art.

Woodlands’ literary magazine and newspaper evidence student knowledge of the power of words and skill at using words to create impressions, influence opinions, and elevate the soul through inspired poetry and prose. Photographers learn the traditional methods of creating persuasive black and white photography and meld that with the best of digital technology. Student film and video entertain as they capture events in the moment and preserve the memory for future generations.

We hope you will join us throughout the year for events that explore this year’s theme of Creative Intellect and Self Expression.

Photography teacher Jamie Tuttle and Fine Arts Department Chair Catherine DeVuono curate student artwork twice during the school year for display in the Foyer Gallery. Many of the featured works have won awards in juried exhibitions, and the Woodlands Gallery earns frequent praise from visitors who comment upon the depth and quality of our students’ artistic expression.

Mandarin Chinese at Woodlands Inspires Alumna’s Professional Goals

Outstanding Alumna Award:

Sue Abderholden

Sue Abderholden is the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota. Over the last twenty-eight years, she has lobbied and fought for community and family supports for people with disabilities to enable them to participate fully in society. She was present on the White House lawn when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. On the more personal side, Sue and her family have provided respite care to disabled children, welcoming them into the affection and activities of their own family life.

MANDARIN CHINESE IS SPOKEN BY OVER ONE BILLION PEOPLE, ABOUT ONE FIFTH OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION. FOR ONE WOODLANDS ALUMNA, ITS STUDY SPARKED NEW AMBITIONS.

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“After graduation this coming May, I aim to return to China in order to further my language skills and gain international work experience.”

oodlands students studying Chinese language and culture are afforded the opportunity to explore an ancient culture, rich with innovation and historical significance.

And, for some students, Chinese will be important for their careers, as

graduation this coming May, I aim to return to China in order to further my language skills and gain international work experience. My career goals involve pursuing an international MBA and becoming involved in business

curriculum and currently serve three students at the intermediate level and five students at the advanced level.

With the emergence of China as a growing superpower, the importance of understanding China’s global relevance

“What drives me, and so many others, and I think Philippine Duchesne, is to plant the seeds of trees under whose shade we do not expect to sit—in other words, our lives are

rachel rosenstrock’s ’08 story confirms.

Having begun her study in the first Chinese class Woodlands offered, Rachel spent the spring semester of her junior year at Seton Hall University studying Chinese and economics in Shanghai, China.

“I can safely say that studying Chinese has changed my life. It has acted as a focal point throughout my undergraduate studies and has shaped my career goals and future ambitions.”

“I can safely say that studying Chinese has changed my life. It has acted as a focal point throughout my undergraduate studies and has shaped my career goals and future ambitions,” she said.

within China.” In order to maintain an advanced level in Chinese, last summer Rachel took private Chinese tutoring and volunteered as an English tutor for elderly Chinese immigrants.

Rachel continued, “I have studied Chinese now for four years, but this is really only the beginning. After

First offered as “early bird” 7:15 am classes, Mandarin Chinese courses now are formal part of the Woodlands

focused on making the world a better place not for ourselves but for others,” she said in her acceptance remarks.

Ms. Abderholden has a B.A. in Political Science from Macalester College and a master’s degree in public health administration from the University of Minnesota.

cannot be overstated. Certainly China will play a major role in world affairs in the future, and those with a grasp of the Chinese language will be in a position to benefit from the growth of the Chinese economy.

International Sacred Heart Exchange Flourishes this past summer, Katie Harris ’13 went on international exchange to the Sacred Heart School in Melbourne, Australia. “An experience worth having,” Katie says.

Enrichment Awards send Faculty Members to Europe, South America

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wo faculty members had cause to celebrate last spring when they were chosen to receive Enrichment Awards from Woodlands’ Fathers Club Fund.

in Chile, Mrs. Perlick made the necessary arrangements for a Woodlands’ exchange with Colegio del Sagrado Corazon, the Sacred Heart school in Santiago.

Social studies teacher peter cashman received funds to venture

The Fathers Club Fund for Faculty and

to London and Paris in order to gain a greater understanding of the central event around which modern European history turns—the French Revolution.

Spanish teacher and Global Exchange Coordinator amy perlick travelled to Buenos Aires and Santiago to deepen her experience of the rich culture and unique history of Argentina and Chile, experiences she plans to share in her Civilization and Culture class. While

Amy Perlick with Mater at Peter Cashman and daughter

Grace at the Louvre.

Colegio del Sagrado Corazon in Santiago, Chile.

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he found the school days with fewer and longer class periods “more relaxed” than at Woodlands, and she also found Sacred Heart culture and Madeleine Sophie Barat much in evidence. Katie’s visit included two weeks of holiday time with her host family as well as some travel before the exchange.

Staff Enrichment Awards recognizes individual Woodlands faculty and staff members for their commitment to bringing passion and excellence to the school and to their classrooms.

Following Mrs. Amy Perlick’s recent visit to South America, the Sacred Heart school in Santiago, Chile is the newest international destination available to students of Woodlands Academy. Exchange agreements with a number of international Sacred Heart schools

The annual awards provide grants for study, travel, or research that will enrich faculty and staff members’ ability to teach and inspire Woodlands students.

Congratulations to Mathematics Department Chair

and fun High spirits ore formal reign just bef ceremonies graduation last June.

Recently in

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me, cha lisa bo rlotte rosh ’11 elwart (right) e ’11 (left) with Kat njoyed a and hleen C special e onan, RSC vening the Socie J , S uperior G ty of the eneral of Sacred H Demous eart, and tier, RSC with Cla J, forme and now ude r Wo Secretary

General

odlands Headmis tress of the So ciety.

Sue Abderholden’

72 has accomplished so much as an advocate for the disabled, and she has accomplished it with such a loving heart, that last spring Woodlands Academy recognized this alumna with the St. Philippine Duchesne Outstanding Alumna Award.

mr. rocco garg iulo

who was recognize d by the Mathemat ics Teachers’ Associa tion of Chicago and Vicinity for his creative teaching & wise leadership .

make it possible for students to apply to study in Vienna, Madrid, Mexico City, Sydney, Melbourne, Nova Scotia, and, now, Santiago, Chile.

The Board of Trustees of Woodlands Academy elected Lori Reyes, mother of Sara ’11 and Grace ’14, to be the new Chair of the Board. Mrs. Reyes, who co-chaired the Strategic Planning process last year, brings vast skills and experience as well as a strong faith perspective to her Board chairship.

Mrs. Reyes earned a BA in French and Economics from the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill and an MBA from the University of Chicago. She is the Associate Teaching Director for Community Bible Study of Lake Forest, an interdenominational Bible study that offers courses and classes throughout the United States. She is active in her local church and has served in various capacities at her children’s schools.

WOODLANDS STUDENTS CAN NOW APPLY FOR EXCHANGE PROGRAMS ON FOUR CONTINENTS:

mexico

chile

and

Woodlands’ international network exchange is a step toward transforming society and strengthening intercultural fabric on a 21st century global scale. It is clearly an extension of St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision of forming faithful, educated women committed to the society of their day.

nova scotia

Network Welcomes New Member Schools vien na

melbourne

and

and

madrid

sydney

photo above: Katie Harris touring in

Sydney before her exchange in Melbourne.

Seniors at la st!

O n the first d Four fac ay of ulty me school, the mbers a student C la ss of n d ten s built h 2012 enthus omes in over sp ia st ically A ppalach ring bre ia greeted Woodla ak last M nds arch. faculty and students with music an d dancing at th e school entran ce.

ts in t-shir Donned ir e nting th represe 1 1 0 hools, 2 new sc p p ed tes dro gradua dbye ay goo by to s g off headin before ge. to colle

Board Elects New Chair

Four fa culty m embers ten stu and dents b u ilt hom Appala e s in chia ov er sprin last Ma g break rch.

eline sident mad WACOR Pre e th flag of ’12 carried Oelerich oodlands’ States in W the United Ceremony. annual Flag

On April 11, 2011, the membership of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools voted unanimously to promote Chicago’s Josephinum Academy to full membership within the Network. This was cause for great celebration in the Josephinum community which had engaged in a three-year process of preparation and reflection.

The Provincial of the Society praised Josephinum’s evolving educational mission.

In 1990, the Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) answered the call of the Sisters of Christian Charity (SCC) to assume the educational direction for this struggling inner city school with a rich history of serving young women of Chicago. Since then, the school has been revitalized under the leadership of three RSCJ principals and the strong support of the Sacred Heart community in Chicago.

Also at the April Membership meeting, Barat Academy of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri was accepted as a Provisional Member of the Network. Barat Academy is a college preparatory school, grades 9-12, offering single-sex classes on a co-ed campus.

Opened in 2007, this year the school graduated its first class of 70 students.

A Sacred Heart Education is our mission… you can make it your Legacy. the mater admirabilis story reminds us of the power of transformation in our lives.

After all, it was only after the passage of time that Mater’s fresco yielded the beauty and inspiration that was unimaginable earlier.

The enduring message is one of fidelity and hope for the future. At Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, young women are prepared for lives of courage and confidence. They discover their purpose, develop their talents and passions, and commit to service to their world.

Sacred Heart is rich is the spirit of love and life. Here students experience the transformative power of God’s love, a security that allows them to develop a great capacity for scholarly work and social justice.

I give to Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, tax identification number 36-2469186, 760 East Westleigh Road, Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045 (insert dollar amount, percentage, “remainder of estate,” or the exact nature of your gift) to be used for such purposes as the Board of Trustees deems most beneficial to the education of their students.

You will be honored for your commitment through enrollment in the Mater Admirabilis Legacy Society and will be remembered in prayer on the Feast of Mater by our student body.

Members of the Mater Admirabilis Legacy Society show their dedication to the long term by helping to ensure that a Sacred Heart education is provided for future generations.

Sacred Heart is a way of life, and you can help set lives on this course through your estate planning.

All new members will receive a memento of our gratitude and be recognized in our Annual Advancement Report. Please call our advancement office with any questions you have, and feel free to have your estate attorney or financial planning professional call us.

847-234-4300 x228

Simply tell your attorney to make education your legacy by adding this language to your will:

See who is giving to Woodlands Academy. Visit our website to read stories of our donors.

Save

Reunion Weekend

Mater Ceremony

Admission Open House

Date

September 30 to October 1

October 21

November 15

1:45pm

6:30pm

the

Saint Philippine Duchesne Prayer Service

November 18 10:30am

Notice of Intent If you would like to learn more about becoming a member of the Mater Admirabilis Legacy Society, or if you have already included Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in your estate plan, please send the form below to: Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart 760 East Westleigh Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, attn: L. Curley.

Please send me information about the Mater Admirabilis Legacy Society.

I have already made provisions for Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart to be remembered in my estate plan in the following manner (optional):

Bequest

Retirement Plan

Insurance Policy

Other:

NAME:

Preferred Contact information:

(address, phone or email)

Christmas Concert

December 1 7:00pm

Winter WonderWalk

December 7

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage

Paid Permit No. 93 Lake Forest, IL 60045

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Excerpt, from a meditation by Dolores Aleixandre, RSCJ

In the beginning there was a woman who bore as one of her names: wisdom She had grown up contemplating the vine stocks of her native land, and the shoots that sprout from the vine, thus learning from this life that springs from the roots the secret of how to bear fruit.

She felt the love of God like a spring welling up from her inner depths, like a torrent that flooded her soul, like the water that gives itself over not in order to be contained but in order to be offered, spilt, lost.

Everything within her was open-mindedness, welcome, receptivity, silence, not as the fruit of an effort or a commitment, but of an attraction that had taken possession of her, mesmerizing her gaze, centering her search and her desire, on the One whom she loved above all else.

The time ripened and the exact moment came: she knew that she was but a tiny sign, a pinch of yeast of the Kingdom placed between the fingers of the Other, embers

in the fire.

That is how the fermentation could begin and the blaze flare up.

No footprints before her, only the trust and generosity of a handful of women gathered around Sophie, caught up by the dream born in the flickering light of a candle:

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