April 2015 VOLUME 13, NO. 8. April 1 Easter Break Begins NO SCHOOL. April 13 Classes Resume. April 15 Tuition Deadline for school year

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1 April 2015 VOLUME 13, NO. 8 April 1 Easter Break Begins NO SCHOOL April 13 Classes Resume April 15 Tuition Deadline for school year April 18 ACT Test Parent Appreciation Night 6:00PM SMAC April 23 Junior/Senior Prom Shenandoah C.C. April 30 Moms & Dads Club General Meeting 6:00PM Dining Hall May 8 Honors Convocation 8:30AM e wrote in the August Prep Report, Trust me when we tell you, your Sons have a journey ahead of them unlike any other. Believe us when we tell you no matter what class your Son is in this coming year will go by faster than last year. And next year faster than this one. Before you know it, you will be on the brink of beginning your Senior year. Jumping ahead to now April 2015, with the end of the year in sight were we right? The pinnacle event the one day everyone has had their sights on even before stepping foot on campus four years ago graduation, takes place this year on Sunday, May 17th. On this day, your son s progression from applicant, to Underclassman, to Upperclassman and then to Alumnus will be realized. There are two other events for us to again gather as an OLSM Family to further our mission: Final Moms & Dads Club Meeting of the Year: The final meeting of the year will be held on Thursday, April 30th in the Dining Hall. We will be holding elections for next year s Executive Board at this meeting. Please contact us, or your Class Representative if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else. The following open elected positions are: President (must have executive board experience), Vice-President, Sargent-at-Arms. Appointed positions open are secretary and canteen (need three). We are excited to have Kimberly Kassner as our guest speaker. Ms. Kassner, author of, You re a Genius And I Can Prove It!, will demonstrate, with some mind-blowing memory techniques, that not only are your children geniuses, but that you are too! Interactively and humorously, she will give you proven tips on how to help your child(ren) get homework done in less time with greater results; show you that EVERY ONE learns differently and each type of learner is an asset in the world. She s actively empowered over 100,000 students and has been featured on over 100 radio and TV shows for her dramatic results with all types of students over the past 24 years. Testimonials for her workshops can be found on the YouTube channel youtube.com/empowermind and on her website at St. Mary s Polish Country Fair: This is our biggest event of the year. It takes months of preparation, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of hours and a love for the Prep. Those who are in charge of this event feel the excitement and fear from the first day of planning to the last day of watching the weather forecasts. All Prep families must participate in this event in some manner. As it takes place over Memorial Day Weekend, you have to look ahead and plan accordingly. Within each family, parents must collectively volunteer for 20 hours and each student must put in 10 hours. There are so many areas that need volunteers...you are sure to find a spot that will seem more like play than work. May God continue to bless each and every one of you. ST. MARY S MOMS & DADS CLUB 1

2 Babka (Easter Bread) - A round or long loaf topped with a cross or a fish, symbolic of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life. Chrzan (Horseradish) - Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds. Jajka (Eggs) and Pisanki (decorated with symbols of Easter, of life, of prosperity) - Indicates new life and Christ's Resurrection from the tomb. Kiełbasa (Sausage) - A sausage product, symbolic of God's favor and generosity. Szynka (Ham) - Symbolic of great joy and abundance. Some prefer lamb or veal. The lamb also reminds Christians that the Risen Christ is the "Lamb of God." A Traditional Polish Easter Basket ne of my favorite Polish Easter traditions is the Blessing of Easter Food on Holy Saturday (Święconka in Polish). It is a custom that many churches here in the United States have adopted. After the fast of Lent, it is now time to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord! And, if you know Polish people, celebrating means eating--lots of eating. Allow me to share this beautiful tradition with you as we prepare to celebrate Easter. Maybe your family will adopt this beautiful custom this year! Masło (Butter) - This dairy product is often shaped into a lamb (Baranek Wielkanocny) or a cross. This reminds us of the good will of Christ that we should have towards all things. Boczek (Smoked Bacon) or Słonina - A symbol of the overabundance of God's mercy and generosity. Sól (Salt) - A necessary element in our physical life. Symbolic of prosperity and justice and to remind us that people are the flavor of the earth. Ser (Cheese) - Symbolic of the moderation Christians should have at all times. Candle - Represents Christ as the Light of the World. Colorful Ribbons and Sprigs of Greenery - are attached to the basket as signs of joy and new life in the season of spring and in celebration of the Resurrection. Linen Cover - drawn over the top of the basket which is ready for the priest's visit to the home or the trip to church where it is joined with the baskets of others to await the blessing. The food is then set aside and enjoyed on Easter Sunday. (The above content comes from the web page of the Polish American Cultural Center in Philadelphia) Poles also greet each other by saying Christ is Risen and the response is He is truly risen! So, celebrate the victory of the Risen Lord over sin and death! Chrystus Zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie Zmartwychwstał! Christ is Risen! He is truly risen! A Blessed Easter to you and may you be filled with the peace of the Risen Lord! 2 APRIL 2015

3 Dear St. Mary s Community: The spring season at St. Mary s is one of the busiest times of the year for our community. We are already in the final marking period of the school year. The counselors are busy meeting with students to discuss next year s class schedules. Advanced Placement tests are just a few weeks away. Preparations for Prom, Honors Convocation, Graduation and the Senior All-Night Party are well underway. Spring sports have nearly half our student population busy with practices, games, meets, matches and regattas. All of this is in addition to the time and effort that is required to meet our standard commitments as students, staff, faculty members, and parents. Not to add to your already busy schedule, but there are a few important items/events that I want to draw to your attention and/or provide for you an update. Scheduling: At parent-teacher conferences, a copy of the course selection sheet was included on the reverse side of the schedule. A formal course selection sheet was given to families at our registration nights. It is our hope that this information will allow you to have a conversation with your son about next year s schedule. Your son will have the opportunity to meet with an academic dean to discuss his class schedule for That conversation is part of the process that the deans use to create a schedule for your son. When building a schedule, we will also use teacher recommendations, overall grade point average, and performance within a particular subject to determine the most appropriate class for each student. If you have any questions about your son s potential schedule, you are encouraged to contact the appropriate academic dean. Parent Appreciation Night: On Saturday, April 18th, The Moms & Dads Club would like to say thank you for all that you as parents have done to make St. Mary s a great school. Food and drink will be provided along with a great opportunity to catch up with fellow parents. At this event, you will also have the opportunity to volunteer for Polish Country Fair activities for you and your son. Some great changes have been made to the event to make it more fun and user-friendly for sign-up. I look forward to seeing you there. Senior Internship Pilot Program (Update): Fourteen lucky seniors are currently involved in our new internship pilot program. Thanks to the hard work of Mrs. Lisa Haugk, faculty member and program coordinator, these students are getting a taste of what life in the working world can be like. These students will be spending a majority of the remaining Fridays in the school year in a working environment. The initial reports from students, parents, and business partners are very positive. As we begin to plan for next year s program, we are looking for ways to expand the career fields available to our students. If you are able to assist St. Mary s in increasing the number of businesses involved in the program, please contact Mrs. Haugk (lhaugk@stmarysprep.com) or myself. I hope that the Easter break provided everyone with an opportunity to get some rest and refuel for the push through to the end of May. I look forward to seeing many of you at any of the upcoming athletic, academic, and/or Moms & Dads Club events on the calendar for April and May. Respectfully, Cormac Lynn, Headmaster clynn@stmarysprep.com Jesus Did Everything He Said He Would Do The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." Matthew 28: 5-7 ST. MARY S MOMS & DADS CLUB 3

4 S enior Families, With less than two months left of our time together, change is inevitable. Our boys are beginning to ready themselves for the next chapter in their lives. Some have it all figured out - while others haven t a clue. Some are ready to leave the nest - while others are waiting just a little bit longer to take this step. Some have already chosen a college and wear their collegiate colors with pride - while others are still undecided and happy to hold on to their OLSM apparel for a little bit longer. Regardless where your son is at on his journey he will be just fine. How do I know? Because you have chosen to give your son the gift of St. Mary s Preparatory. Over the past four years, your son has learned much more than academics your son has grown to be a Man of God and He will continue to live in the heart of your son. And that my friends, is a gift they will have for the rest of their lives, regardless of where their journey takes them. In Love and Light, Deborah & Jeff Zupancic, Senior Class Reps zupancic.deb@gmail.com H appy Spring!! Our junior year is rapidly coming to a close. Now is the time to make sure our sons have all their ducks in a row to begin their senior year. If your son has not done so yet, have him meet with Mr. Smith, the senior class advisor. Also, the graduation committee is currently looking for a commencement speaker for graduation next year. There is a list of requirements that the speaker must meet. Should you know someone that may be interested, please contact me (alisha731@yahoo.com) or Sharon McIssac (knowles727@yahoo.com) and we can go over details. Parent Appreciation Night is Saturday, April 18 at 6:00 pm. It is a great opportunity to sign up for your PIP hours for the fair and mingle with fellow parents before the school year comes to an end. We look forward to seeing you all there. In May, the freshman class is hosting a Welcome Party for the incoming class of The reception is free and all parents of all current OLSM students are welcome to attend Additional details will follow. May Spring Bring Her Blessings And Fill Your Life With Light. Alisha & Nick Hamblen, Junior Class Reps alisha731@yahoo.com /nickh5679@yahoo.com H ello Sophomore Parents! April Showers bring..may Flowers... and the Polish Country Fair! Easter Break will quickly come and go and our boys will be finishing up the last weeks as underclassmen. Many are driving themselves to school, preparing for spring sports and talking about finding summer jobs. The changes over the last year have been both astounding and amazing. We are truly seeing our sons become Men of St. Mary s right before our eyes. It s hard to believe that our boys will soon be at the midway point of their St. Mary s experience. Saturday, April 18th is Parent Appreciation night at 6:00 pm in the SMAC. This will prove to be a great night to catch up with old friends and connect with new ones. We hope to see you there! Colleen & Bob Ameel, Sophomore Class Reps cameel822@yahoo.com / bob@juddindustrial.com A huge thank you goes out to all the families that attended the Class Mass and Brunch last month. It was well attended and was a great time to celebrate, visit and strengthen friendships. We hope everyone enjoys their Easter Break and are refreshed and renewed! Spring sports are in full swing and classes are moving into the final two months! Hard to believe! As a reminder to ALL freshman parents, we have the privilege and duty of welcoming the incoming Freshman Class of We are firming up the date and location and welcome any input and thoughts on how to make this a fabulous event! Please contact if you would like to help, organize, and/or contribute. Many Blessings, Claudia & Steve Bean, Freshman Class Reps thebeans5@yahoo.com 4 APRIL 2015

5 POLISH COUNTRY FAIR NEWS Yes! Spring is finally here! Which means summer is right around the corner. And we all know summer starts here - at the Polish Country Fair! We have some great new things in store for our guests this year. On Friday night of PCF weekend, we will be hosting our first ever Country Night. We have two great country bands scheduled to play for us; Annabelle Road and our headliner, Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys. In keeping with the Country theme, Yard*Bird Smoked Meats, a Keego Harbor restaurant co-owned by a St. Mary's Preparatory graduate, will be serving some great BBQ style food. You'll want to return on Saturday to see another great group of bands headlined by the ever popular 50 Amp Fuse. Sunday we'll take a trip back to "the spandex and long-hair era" with headliner Mega 80s. Both groups have had the Entertainment tent and dance floor jam packed in years past, so make sure to arrive early. We will also have the Midway filled with carnival rides, the Vegas and Bingo tents, vendors selling their unique items, authentic polish food, and many more fun filled sights and activities. As you know, we have something for everyone at the annual Polish Country Fair! So please tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. to come join us; both to have a great time and to help support all the wonderful things the Prep does for our boys! See y'all there! Kevin Foe OLSM Polish Country Fair Chairman ATTENTION BLACK JACK, ROULETTE & CRAPS DEALERS We are beginning to take names of those interested in dealing games in the Vegas Tent this May. The State of Michigan Charitable Gaming Division has changed their policy and is requiring the full name and birthdate of anyone who will be dealing. We need to have this list compiled before they will issue the license. You will sign up as usual for the shift you want on the parent Volunteer Manager when that opens to the parents. We are not assigning your day/shift, instructions for that will be coming from the Fair Committee. At this time, we are just requesting that you your name and date of birth if you are considering being a dealer. The deadline to have that information to us is Monday, April 20th. Please use the address below. Thank you for considering this position. We are looking for one or two people/families to run the Texas-Hold em area for the weekend. This position requires knowledge of the game and experience playing and dealing. See you at Parent Appreciation Night! Blessings, Maria and Steve Matheny Vegas Chairs mathenym@comcast.net ST. MARY S MOMS & DADS CLUB 5

6 Sister Judie Ann Ruggirello P.O. Box Detroit, MI February 15, 2015 St. Mary Preparatory S.S. Cyril & Methodius Seminary 3535 Indian Trail Orchard Lake, MI Dear Angels, Once again I want to thank you for your continued support. As we continue to form the Sisters of Christian Love, we are dedicated to living the gentle and caring spirit of St. Francis and your generosity means so much to us. Because of your continued kindness to us, we are able to extend kindness and help to others who face so many challenges each day and are in special need of our compassionate presence. Please accept my deepest gratitude for the tremendous donation of food to support this ministry. My heart was filled with joy as me and the sisters sorted and stacked the shelves in our food pantry. I feel the ministry is moving ahead because of the love and support given by individuals like you. You kindly extend a helping hand and I am so grateful, as are the individuals and families that you will help provide food and other vital services to them. It is a privilege to be associated with people like you who give so unselfishly of themselves. Your hearts are very good and kind in this time of need for the less fortunate. The Lord sends Angels in many forms and I thank God that He sent you. You are our Angels of Christian Love. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will help brighten the lives of the less fortunate in our community who face seemingly insurmountable challenges. Because of you, these families and individuals are able to bravely face the future with brightened smiles and lightened hearts. Your support to our community is essential as we move forward in providing resources needed to conduct a better life for the families living below poverty level. I am glad you are part of our family of supporters in the growth, preservation and future of Sisters of Christian Love. Clearly, we cannot fulfill our mission and goals without your help. Thank you again for your generosity and for helping to ensure that the people in need are fed and clothed. Jesus is smiling on you as you serve the least of his brethren. Your generous commitment will improve lives and reaffirm the vital role we play as a community in helping individuals and families in need. Just as our parents have given us life; let us be life to one another. May this gift return to you in abundant blessings. We continue to pray daily for you and your intentions. Sincerely in Christ, Sister Judie Ann 6 APRIL 2015

7 International Mission Trip: The annual mission trip is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 20 Friday, June 26, More information will be coming. World Youth Day Krakow, Poland 2016: A PowerPoint presentation about the trip will be available on the St. Mary s web-page. We will be traveling with the Diocese of Brooklyn, Msgr. Machalski s home diocese. Below is the link to register for the trip. It will ask for: First Name person traveling Last Name most used Parish Please put: St. Mary s Preparatory, Michigan (to identify us from Brooklyn) Please visit: From this site, each person will need to enter their information and at the end you can pay your deposit with a credit card or if you prefer, you can mail a check to: Dube Travel ATTN WYD Brooklyn 250 Center St. Auburn, ME Prayers to you and yours, Thomas Oppat Campus Minister toppat@stmarysprep.com (586) ST. MARY S MOMS & DADS CLUB 7

8 Book Buy-back & more Our annual book buy-back for Seniors will be held on May 15th to May 18th at the bookstore from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; Underclassmen: May 26th to June 2nd at the bookstore from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Used book reservation signup sheets for the 2015/2016 Academic Year will be available during that time. We offer a $5.00 cash incentive for placing your buy-back funds onto a student s cash card account. Our annual side walk sale will be available during this time also. Regina Borowicz Manager This time of year, the Moms & Dads club would like to recognize all of the support and effort that our parents give to make the St. Mary s experience a great one for the boys. Our tradition is the annual Parent Appreciation Night Party. We would like to invite you to join us for this fun event on Saturday, April 18th at 6:00 pm. in the SMAC. There will be an open bar, food and a chance to mingle for free! This is also the first opportunity for parents to sign up for their shifts, kicking off the Polish Country Fair season. Come out and get first choice of shifts and have some fun. This year the PCF Personnel Team is providing you with a new format to sign up for your hours, eliminating the long lines of the past. One last reminder: remember to sell those raffle tickets and turn in the $ to Lynda Kosco s office. We would like those by March 31st. Looking forward to seeing everyone there. Pete Willman OLSM Polish Country Fair Vice Chairman 8 APRIL 2015