School Events Archive 2004-05

SCHOOL NEWS (7 July 2005)

CONGRATULATIONS to our upcoming 8^th grader, Michael Poole, on being accepted to the People to People Leadership Summit (part of the People to People Student Ambassador Program). Joining Michael this summer will be student leaders from over 70 countries, all coming together to focus on their futures and learn about leadership, college admissions, goal setting and citizenship. We’re proud of you, Michael, and wish you every success.

SCHOOL NEWS - HONOR ROLLS FOR GRADES 4 TO 7 (23 June 2005)

• FIRST HONORS : Catherine Addington, Jacob Berman, Zachary Binette, Zayne Bush, Gabrielle Gonzalez, Laura Hart, George Lee, Eileen Louison, Meredith Louison, Millie Mellenkamp, Lauren Mizzell, Sean Moore, Paul Reisch, Noelle Russell, Megan Rzepka, Catherine Schrieber, Jessica Taylor and Emma Vignali.
  
• SECOND HONORS - Naville Arias, Cecilia Baxter, Mackenzie Cate, Christy D’Adamo, Katie D’Adamo, Tommy Fessehaye, Ashley France, Jenna Gadway, Kamran Gill, Randy Hart, William Knapp, Margaret Lariviere, Sasha Lariviere, Julia Larsen, Denzel Lewis, Clifford Louison, Margaret McLaughlin, Claire Nagle, Michael Poole, Alexandra Reveille, Brian Vela, Skye Whitlow and Makeda Yohannes.

Our Congratulations to all!

School News (11 June 2005)

School will be out for the summer on June 13^th at 11:30 A.M. Mass will be at 9:00 A.M. Please join the children and school staff for this last Eucharistic celebration of the year. We’ll miss their presence, but will keep them in our prayers for a safe and happy summer.

Congratulations to our graduates!
The following students graduated from the 8^th grade on Friday, June 3^rd: Karla Ayarza, Cohen Bond, Audrey Cate, Maria Chong, Nicholas Diaz-Briquets, Joseph Durel, Alana Hackes, Amber Harding, Michelle Hassell, Stephen Haynes, Emilia Lynch, James Malm, T. J. McLaughlin, Caitlin Moseley, Kylie O’Leary, Sergio Rivera, and Geneva Tann. May God bless all of them as they depart our school!

And the following students graduated from Kindergarten on Thursday, June 2^nd: Miguel Avila, Erick Chuchon, Grayson Crabb, Scott Durand, John Dwyer, Thomas Fahey, Keegan Kwast, Hannah Hermann, Bryant Huynh, Yones Labriny, Dillon McGraw, Kevin Moore, Oghenewoma Oghenseume, Sammy Redd, Morgan Sagun, Nicolas Torrente, Carmon Turner, and Riley Elizabeth Yoder. Our congratulation to all and our prayers are with you as you continue on your life’s journey.

8^th Grade Honors!

• The following students received no lower than second honors all throughout their 8^th grade year: Audrey Cate, Joseph Durel, Michelle Hassell and Emilia Lynch.
  
• The following student maintained the highest average in the 8^th grade and received the principal’s aware for her achievement: Emilia Lynch.
  
• The students who qualified for the President’s Education Award for 2005 are: Audrey Cate, Joseph Durel, Michelle Hassell and Emila Lynch.

Our Congratulations to all!

School News (28 May 2005)

• St. Rita Kindergarten class will be graduating on June 2^nd at 7:00 P.M. in the School Hall
• St. Rita 8^th grade class will be graduating on June 3^rd at 7:30 P.M. in the church.
• On May 31^st the Sixth graders will present a play about St. Joan of Arc in French!
• On June 1^st there will be a student talent show.

MAY PROCESSION AND CROWNING IN HONOR OF OUR LADY FRIDAY, MAY 13^TH

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

First Communicants	We Honor Our Lady	May Crowning

FACULTY - STUDENT BASKETBALL GAME ON THURSDAY, MAY 12^TH

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

Teacher and Student players concentrating ...	Student cheering on the side ...
Teachers had cheerleaders, too!	Final score tells it all. STUDENTS 54 and Teachers 34!

ST RITA SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE

Have you ever thought about a Catholic education for your child? Come and see what we are all about! St. Rita School will be holding an Open House on Tuesday, May 10^th at 10:00 A.M. Bring your questions and join us for an information session and a tour of our wonderful school. For more details, please call 703-548-1888.

St. Rita School 5^th Annual Silent Auction

Everything Came Up Roses

Thank you!

WE WIN!

ST. RITA SCHOOL HAS THE BEST PARENTS!!!

Thanks to the generosity of those who participated in this year’s auction, St. Rita HSA raised …

$30,000!!!!!

Our students can look forward to enhancements in technology, math and science

Thanks to the generosity of YOU!



THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ST. RITA SCHOOL!

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A special thank you is extended to the members of the hard working auction committee. Because of the hours donated by these fine people, the St. Rita School Silent Auction Gala was an enormous success.

Auction Committee Members

Beatrice Berman — Mastermind of Mass Mailing and Database Director
Beatriz Casals — Invitations and Raffle Ticket Creator and Printer
Josephine Cunningham — Donations Diva and all around Fundraising Phenomenon
Kristin Cunningham — Secretary Extraordinaire and Auction Brochure Genius
Lisa Daly — Creator of all Decorations and Paint-A-Pot Wonder Woman
Mary Kay Davidson-Taylor & Andy Taylor — Generous Committee Supporters AND Contributor of the only male perspective!
Jennifer Fahey — Phone-a-thoner Phenom and Generous Committee Supporter
Holly Hermann — Phone-a-thoner To The Max and Securer of Countless Donations
Kerry Hutton — Knights of Columbus Schmoozer, Cuisine Coordinator, and wife of our very own Auctioneer —
MIKE HUTTON!!! Gotta keep him happy!
Missy McGraw — Our Very Jazzy Treasurer
Maria Mellenkamp — Generous Committee Supporter
Tina Moore — Donations Committee Supporter
Patty Richards — Awesome Auction Consultant
Rosemary Lynch — Donations Organizer, “Envelope Stamp Putter-Onner,” Raffle Organizer, Invitations Sender Outer, and Everything Else Auction Co-Chair
Cindy Addington — It’s All About The Gabbing and Having Some Fun Auction Co-Chair

Thank You For All That You Do For St. Rita School!

Ready for Next Year?

St. Rita School 5^th Annual Silent Auction

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

April 23, 2005
Knights of Columbus, Arlington, Virginia

On April 23, 2005, St. Rita School will host “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” their annual auction event. All of the proceeds from this evening of fun and relaxation will go toward enhancing the math and science departments at St. Rita School. The Silent Auction is always a fun evening for all, with hors d’oeuveres, pasta station and cash bar, at the Knights of Columbus in Arlington, Virginia. Don’t miss out on your chance to visit with good friends, shop, eat and raise money for St. Rita School.

If you would like to participate in our fundraising effort, we would appreciate your donation of any item or gift certificate. Cash donations are always welcome too and certainly help defray the cost of the evening. Your name will be included in our auction brochure and all of our guests will know you have supported us generously. We strongly urge our school and parish families to patronize our auction supporters’ businesses.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either Rosemary Lynch (703) 739-0692, or Cindy Addington (daddington01@comcast.net; 703-519-9673). We would also be delighted to send you an invitation. Please simply let us hear from you.

Very truly yours,
Rosemary Lynch and Cindy Addington
Everything’s Coming Up Roses Co-Chairs

New! The Auction Catalog is online. Download, print and plan ahead!

... and look what new things we have:

Clock — This Howard Miller clock, with three glass shelves, is an attractive addition to any room. 77 inches tall and battery operated. Must arrange for delivery from the auction.

For information on ways to contribute, click here!

Ticket and Invitation Information

Auction Contributor Form

Parents at St. Rita School worked hard for more than a year to raise $36,000 for a new playground. Here are some pictures from all the hard work that built the playground. Thank you to all who contributed their time and energy!!

Click here for an Acrobat Reader copy of the St. Rita School Playground Drawing in a new window (about 500Kb).

IT STARTED! Pictures from Thursday, April 7, 2005

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

WELCOME!	The blank canvas...	Augering in (for the professionals!)
Alexandria Fire and EMS helping out. Thank you!	Mrs. Addington providing hospitality ...	Mrs. Schlickenmaier and Father Donahue supervising ...

Home Depot volunteers. Thank you!	Hoisting the tree house base...

IT’S STILL GOING! Pictures from Friday, April 8, 2005

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

The foreman from “Learning Structures” begins day two!	More work on the treehouse...	Mr. Hermann begins day two (his second day!)...
Mr. Hart and his father-in-law, Mr. Sawyer...	Mrs. Hart and helpers ...	“NV Homes” volunteers ... (Thank you!)
Fr. Scalia, Mr. Smith and Col. Dwyer	Ready to slide into fun?	Fr. Mitchell Guidry, from Louisiana, visiting the children, surveys the work...

ALL DONE! Pictures from Saturday, April 9, 2005

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

Videographer Herb records history in the making (the tape actually works better in the video recorder...)	Extreme Makeover — Saint Rita Edition ...	Fr. Donahue marvels at the progress made ...
Chris Durel thinking inside the box ...	The treehouse has a roof ...	The little hills are alive with the sound of music ...
Making sure the chin-up bars work ...	It’s a family affair ...	Sr. Elizabeth Ann knee-deep in mulch ...
A few finishing touches ...	The climbing wall works!	Everyone learns a new skill!

A time-lapsed movie of working on Saturday!

DEDICATION — Pictures from Sunday, April 10, 2005

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

Some of the Committee Chairs celebrate ...	Fr. Scalia prepares to bless the playground	Ready to cut the ribbon!
IT’S OPEN!	... AND IT’S GREAT FUN!	Down the pole ...
	... and learning to make music together.

Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

The flag over the new school	School blessing	Mrs. Kerrie Stemniski in the classroom

MARCH 24, 2005, A NOTE FROM MRS. KERRIE STEMNISKI (nee MISS HUNTER)...

“Dear Everyone at Saint Rita!

[Here are]... pictures of the school you all have helped support. They finally opened! The school will eventually have up to 1,000 students. All of the classrooms have electricity and running water. This is quite a luxury in a country where indoor plumbing is rare for the average Afghani. ... As you can also see, there is Catholic priest at the opening. In a predominantly Muslim country this might seem odd, but Catholic charity knows no bounds. The Italian soldiers helped with the actual building. This is by far, the best school I’ve seen.

Thank you Saint Rita! ....”

Girl students	Boy students

SCHOOL NEWS April 24, 2005

FIRST HONORS - Catherine Addington, Jacob Berman, Zayne Bush, Audrey Cate, Emilia Lynch, Gabrielle Gonzalez, Laura Hart, George Lee, Meredith Louison, Millie Mellenkamp, Michael Poole, Noelle Russell, Megan Kzepka, Catherine Schreiber and Jessica Taylor.
SECOND HONORS - Cecilia Baxter, Zachary Binette, Mackenzie Cate, Jason Chuchon, Christina D’Adamo, Dylan Drury, Joseph Durel, Ashley France, Kamran Gill, Patrick Hackes, Michelle Hassell, Dimitri Innocent, Margaret Lariviere, Sasha Lariviere, Julia Larsen, Clifford Louison, Eileen Louison, Lauren Mizzell, Sean Moore, Claire Nagel, Brady Redd, Kirby Redd, Paul Reisch, Alexandra Reveille, William Rodgers, Brian Vela, Skye Whitlow, Louis Wilkerson, and Makeda Yohannes.
OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

CONGRATULATIONS to Meredith Louison of Grade 7 who participated in the SAT test through the Center for Talented Youth for John Hopkins University. Meredith scored as well or above the average college-bound high school senior. She has been invited to the State Awards Ceremony and will receive an Award of Distinction.

CONGRATULATIONS to Catherine Addington of Grade 5 who participated in the junior talent search. Catherine will also receive an Award of Distinction at the State Awards Ceremony for achieving a high score.

COURT KAVANAUGH #54 OF THE CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAS presented St. Rita School with a generous gift of $500. We thank them very much for their generosity.

SCHOOL NEWS

• St. Rita Band received a rating of 1 in their presentation at Bishop Ireton High School on Saturday, March 12^th.
• St. Rita Fifth grade girl’s basketball team came in 3^rd in their division. They are coached by a former student.
• Congratulations to all of our 5th-8th grade students who participated in the blacktop painting project last fall. This service project received a 5^th place award from the Washington Redskins All Stars program. The award includes a prize of $2500 to be applied to our playground project.

SCHOOL NEWS - LETTERS TO MRS. SCHLICKENMAIER FROM WASHINGTON POST

Excerpts from letter dated December 16, 2004:

On behalf of the Washington Post Company Educational Foundation , I am happy to forward the enclosed check in the amount of $500 for the Grants in Education awarded to Sr. Theresa McCrossen, S. S. J., for her “The Wreck of the Ethie” project.

Signed Lisa M. Bolton, Public Relations Manager of the Washington Post.

Excerpts from letter dated December 13, 2004:

On behalf of the Washington Post Company Educational Foundation, I am happy to forward the enclosed check in the amount of $500 for the Grant in the Arts award to your St. Rita Home and School Association President, Mrs. Rosemary Lynch, for her “Performing Arts/Curriculum Integration Project.”

Signed by Eric C. Grant, Director, Community Affairs and Contributions, The Washington Post.

ST RITA SCHOOL CELEBRATES CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK - JANUARY 31^ST TO FEBRUARY 4^TH, 2005
THEME - WE CELEBRATE FAITH IN OUR WORLD, OUR STUDENTS, OUR SCHOOL, OUR FAMILIES AND THE EUCHARIST.

• MONDAY - OUR WORLD - Opening prayer service; “The Path of Faith” will be displayed throughout the school halls with students’ reflection on Faith; Window displays honoring the Eucharist installed; Open House I for prospective families 11:00-12:00 Noon; and Geography bee - grades 4-8 in School hall at 1:00 P.M.
  
• TUESDAY - OUR STUDENTS - Special snacks at morning recess; dress down day with crazy hats; and Buddy Read (students share their favorite stories).
  
• WEDNESDAY - OUR SCHOOL - Open House II for prospective families - 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon; Bingo games for our Senior Group friends; Spirit Sale (a selection of items with St. Rita School logo will be available for sale).
  
• THURSDAY - OUR FAMILIES - Open House for current families 11:00A.M. - 12:00 Noon (Parents are invited to join their students for a special pizza lunch at 12:00 Noon); Spelling Bee for grades 4-8 at 1:00 P. M; Movie and treats for grades K-3 at 1:00 P.M.
  
• FRIDAY - THE EUCHARIST - Students create Valentine Day cards for the Sisters at the Villa, Ruxton Nursing Home and our “adopted” seminarian; closing Mass at 10:00 A.M.; 11:30 A.M. dismissal.

SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

• School opened on time Monday, January 24, with a regular full-day schedule.
• School opened two hours late Thursday, 20 January 2005.
• School closed one hour early Wednesday, 19 January 2005, due to inclement weather.
• BACK TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, JANUARY 3^RD.
• CHILDREN’S MASS WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22^ND AT 10:00 A.M. After Mass, they will leave on their Christmas Vacation and return to school on January 3, 2005. Lets wish them a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
• School Holiday Concert will be held on Friday, December 17^th at 7:00 PM in the Church. All are invited to come and hear our young children sing.
• St. Rita School Library received a “fall-cleaning” of its collection. As a result 30 boxes of books were removed to make room for new books to be added to the collection. The books that were removed were sent to the Philippines to be distributed to several school libraries through the Feed the Hungary, Inc. organization.
• Mrs. Marjorie Angelo was honored to be included in the 2004 edition of Who’s Who Among Americas Teachers 2004. Mrs. Angelo, a kindergarten teacher, retired in the spring of 2004 after teaching at St. Rita School for 23 years.
• St. Rita School received a letter of gratitude from Yuri V. Ushakov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the USA, for the cards students sent to the Russian families who suffered horrific tragedy at the hands of terrorists in Northern Ossetia earlier this year.
• Thanks to all who participated in the St. Rita School will hold its First Annual 5K Fun Walk/Run through Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria last Sunday, October 24^th 2004. All proceeds from the race will be used to purchase and install playground equipment at St. Rita School. St. Rita School does not currently have permanent playground equipment for our school children.

OCTOBER 26, 2004, A NOTE FROM MISS HUNTER...

“Dear Everyone at Saint Rita!

I am very proud to tell you that the first two boxes of school supplies have made their way into the hands of the children of Afghanistan. I’ve attached several pictures. I can hardly put into words the difference you all have made to so many. They are currently working on building the village school and the school supplies meant so much to these children. They literally were on top of each other trying to get a pen! Please, pass onto the children my heart felt thanks. As you can tell from the pictures, these children have little in their lives, but all have something now due to you. These aren’t the pictures that you see in the news. ... You should all be proud of the generous contribution you made and know that there are many children who will now be able to attend school because of you.....”

Click on a picture to see it full size:

The Children	Restoring the School	The Pens!
The St. Rita donkey	“THANK YOU SAINT RITA FACULTY & STUDENTS”	“THANK YOU SAINT RITA FACULTY & STUDENTS”

Students at St. Rita School are making a connection with Afghan students living several thousand miles away though a St. Rita teacher Miss Kerrie Hunter. Hunter, a 5^th grade teacher at St. Rita School in Alexandria, was called to serve in Afghanistan as a member of the Army Reserves from Washington, DC. Hunter, who has maintained contact with the staff and students of St. Rita through letters, mentioned that school supplies were needed for poor Afghan children. “Let me tell you, my living conditions are 1000% better than most people in this country,” noted Hunter. “These children are so poor that they don’t have anything to sharpen their pencils ….” Hunter, who coordinated with the chaplain and public affairs officer, noted that military teams often go out into the villages and would be able to hand supplies to each child. The first week of school, St. Rita School collected donations of pencils, pencil sharpeners, stickers, little notepads, and colorful erasers for the Afghan children. The newly elected St. Rita Student Council’s organized a bake sale to earn money to mail the donations.

School Events Archive

School Events 2005-06