St. Mary’s Catholic SchoolSt. Mary’s Catholic School

2015 Annual Newsletter &2015 Annual Newsletter & Donors ReportDonors Report

The Place with a Heart, A Family of Faith, The Place with a Heart, A Family of Faith, Our Light for the Future...Our Light for the Future...

with the Church here and around the world. How wonder-ful this is for us! The faculty at St. Mary’s are dedicated and faith-filled stewards. They spend countless hours preparing les-sons that meet and exceed the state standards. I am so proud of all the “great learning” I witness every day.

I invite you to prayerfully con-sider making a donation. I know I can count on you, our St. Mary’s School families and friends. Your gift will help us continue to pro-vide more students the opportu-nity for a St. Mary’s School edu-cation where students are strengthened, supported and nurtured.

With sincere thanks for your generous support,

Pamelia Neal, Principal

I am so humbled to be part of the St. Mary’s School family here in Canton. NY. I had a great first year, and look eagerly ahead to this year. I am never disap-pointed!

We had a rule at my house. I could not wear or play with a gift until I sent a thank-you note to the person who gave it to me. That taught me just how impor-tant it is to be thankful!

So before I go any further, I want to thank you for your time and financial donations! Your support helps us improve the school and grounds, and purchase new tech-nology and materials.

St. Mary’s School continues to be a wonderful school full of rich traditions! Our morning prayers, led by the sixth graders, which

always include a song and a joke, bring us together and help us to joyfully begin the day. The Mon-day morning prayer services and Friday Masses unite us in faith

Dear Friend of St. Mary’s,

I would like express my sincere gratitude to all of our donors who have given so generously to the St. Mary’s School Annual Fund during its second year. Your donations continue to keep our school family moving for-ward, allowing us to be a light of faith and a leader in academics for Canton and the surrounding communities.

Our parish family is so thankful for your past support and kindly

seeks your continued assistance in the 2015-2016 Appeal. Your involvement is essential as we continue to build for the future of St. Mary’s School upon its Christ-centered foundation. We are proud of our Catholic heri-tage which is continually re-flected through our academic excellence, value-driven students, and caring staff and administra-tion.

Please be assured of my contin-ued prayerful remembrance of all those who support St. Mary’s

School, whether financially, or through prayer, or as a volun-teer. May God bless you abun-dantly for your generosity in the year ahead!

Gratefully yours in Christ,

Rev. Douglas J. Lucia, Pastor

Principal’s Corner

A Note from the Pastor...

The Place with a HeartThe Place with a Heart Mission Statement: Our Philosophy is to create and cultivate an environment in which the Faith Life of our students might be strengthened, sup-ported, and nurtured. We strive to provide an excellent academic program under a dedi-cated qualified staff, surrounded by an at-mosphere of faith where learning is char-acterized by under-standing, sensitivity, and fairness.

St. Mary’s School 2 Powers St. Canton, NY 13617 Office: 315-386-3572 Fax: 315-386-8870 Parish: 315-386-2543 Pastor Fr. Douglas Lucia Principal Ms. Pamelia Neal

Advancement Coordinator:

Mrs. Amanda Conklin

“St. Mary’s School continues to be a wonderful school full of rich traditions!”

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story

here.”

Meet Our New Multiage Classroom Teacher

Hello! My name is Juliette Guarino and I am the new teacher of the Gr. 2/3 multiage classroom. I live in DeKalb Junction with my husband, Joe, and our two children.

I attended SUNY Potsdam and received a BA in Elementary Education and Mathematics. I also have a MS Ed. in Reading from SUNY Potsdam and hold a permanent New York State teacher certification.

For the past 21 years, I have been blessed to be a teacher in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. I taught fourth grade at St. Mary's in Potsdam for nine years before moving to St. Marguerite D'Youville Acad-emy, where I taught third grade for six years and a Gr. 5/6 mul-tiage classroom for six years. Along with the professional development provided by the Diocese, I have attended the Constructivist Conference, several Title III learning unit workshops, and numerous literacy workshops. I have also participated in the St. Lawrence County Math Partnership pro-gram.

In 2013, I received a Teacher of Excellence/Golden Apple award from Senator Patty Ritchie.

I am so excited to return to my Alma mater and look forward to the challenge of continuing the tradition of excellence for which St. Mary's is known.

Why did you choose to work at St. Mary's School?

I chose to work at St. Mary’s because it is my Alma mater. My positive childhood experi-ence with Catholic education has led me to appreciate the values and high educational standards provided by Catholic schools.

How is teaching in a multi-age classroom different than a traditional class-room? What are the bene-fits?

Scheduling and planning in a multiage classroom is different than in a traditional classroom. There are many benefits to a multiage classroom. First, I am able to closely monitor and improve student learning over

a longer period of time. Sec-ond, I can develop a close rapport with my students. They know my high expecta-tions early on and then be-come comfortable with them. Finally, students are enriched by the wide variety of class-room experiences and learning levels that are found in a multi-age classroom.

Can you share a story or cute moment from your first few months teaching at St. Mary's School that stands out to you?

From the moment I reentered St. Mary’s School as a teacher, I felt like I had returned home. St. Mary’s has always had a very welcoming atmosphere. One day while my class was working on a science group research project, I observed that the students in one par-ticular group were helping each other read about their topic. As a couple of students struggled through the reading, their partners were encourag-ing them all the way through. After a student conquered one particularly hard word, his partner exclaimed, "Now

you are cooking with peanut oil!" (one of my apparently catching compliments). It was an excellent reminder that students model observed be-haviors and that I should al-ways strive to be a positive, Christ-centered role model. This is also an amazing exam-ple of the beauty of Catholic education. The love of neighbor that children learn at such an early age is such an awe-inspiring thing to watch!

What do you think Catho-lic Education has to offer that Public Education does not?

As a mother of a former and a present Catholic school stu-dent, I have always loved how a Catholic education considers not only the academic aspect of a child, but also his/her reli-gious formation.

Photos: Above: Mrs. Guarino poses with students and classroom aide, Mr. Tollock in the multiage class-room.

Left: Sophia Tartaglia, Faith Christy, and Eva Hoy work simple machines.

The Place with a HeartThe Place with a Heart

Faces of FaithFaces of Faith

Young Alumni ProfileYoung Alumni Profile Maureen Sweeney is a St. Mary’s School alumna who reflects upon how her time at SMS prepared her for her future.

As a 1998 graduate of St. Mary’s School, I received a sound education with both academic foundations and more importantly, a strong foundation in Christian values. Both of these have been most beneficial to me as I com-pleted my education and began my ca-reer.

At St. Mary’s we were taught to recognize the gifts that God had given us, and to use these gifts to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. The faculty and staff also encour-aged us to set goals and work hard to achieve those goals. This type of encouragement made it easy for me to complete high school and move on to Iona College to complete a Bache-lor’s Degree in Communication Science Disor-ders. While at Iona I was also able to use my gift of athleticism to play lacrosse on their first women’s team. This experience helped me secure a coaching position at a private school in England for a year, following gradua-tion. When I returned from England I com-pleted my Master’s degree at St. Rose College in Albany, NY. Currently, I work as a speech-language pathologist at an assisted living facility/ short term rehab for the elderly in western Massachusetts.

In my daily work I am often reminded of that famous St. Mary’s jingle shouted along the pa-rade routes, “St. Mary’s is the place with a

heart…clap…clap, it’s where we got our edu-cation start…clap…clap”. As a student in ele-mentary school the “place with a heart” was that small community where we were treated with respect, where we were appreciated and showered with smiles and love. Now, working with patients who need respect and compas-sion, who need help to regain speech and cog-nitive functioning, I realize it is my turn to sup-ply the “place with a heart” for them. My ex-periences as a recipient of this type of genuine care and compassion while a student at St. Mary’s makes it easier for me to fulfill this role for my clients.

St. Mary’s did an excellent job of teach-ing me the academic skills I needed to be suc-cessful in high school and beyond. St. Mary’s also taught me the importance of using my heart and soul in all aspects of life.

2 Anonymous Donors Thomas Fiacco Mrs. Irene Krenceski Bernie & Pauline Proulx On Behalf of Kevin, Thomas, Bryan, Stephen, Keith, Jeff, Cameron, & Joshua Proulx John Rossi Anias & Nomia Thorton

1 Anonymous Donor Joan & Floyd Firman

Patricia Collins Pete Hoy On Behalf of Madison & Ava Hoy Edward Jacot Dr. & Mrs. Sebastian Mazzotta Tim & Terry Phalon Ron & Brandi Romano On Behalf of Nate & Alexa Romano

3 Anonymous Donors The Clarkson Inn Knights of Columbus Council 340-Potsdam Mort Backus & Sons On Behalf of Carolyn Shelmidine St. Lawrence Radiology Associates (Dr. & Mrs. Maresca) Michael Alzo Dana & Jim Barry Richard Burke, Sr.

Thomas Calnon+ Cheryl Sullivan Canfield ’65 Walter Christy Jack Collins ’14 Class of 2014 Gift Beverly Creasy Dan & Linda Fay Michael & Patricia Furgal Mick+ & Sheila Harrington Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hilts Paul & Maureen Howard Beverly S. Kearing-Teacher ’84-’96 On Behalf of Michael & James Kearing Carol Lasala Clark & June Lashomb Nancy Layhee Memory of Dale & Dean Layhee Class of ’77 Robert & Rita Leon Thomas Maroney Mary F. McKinley On Behalf of Nora Mary O’Gorman Anita Miller Cathleen O’Horo ’61 Michael Pickney Mrs. Avis Ragan Beverly Robinson Mary Beth Sieminski ’84 Kathleen & Jonathan Sovay

The Fund For Saint Mary’s School The Fund For Saint Mary’s School The Fund For Saint Mary’s School 201420142014---2015 Annual Report2015 Annual Report2015 Annual Report

Little Flower Society

$1,000+

Msgr. O’Neil Society

$500 - $999

Marian Society

$250-$499

Blue & White Society

$100-$249

Thomas Calnon+ Cheryl Sullivan Canfield ’65 Walter Christy Jack Collins ’14 Class of 2014 Gift Beverly Creasy Dan & Linda Fay Michael & Patricia Furgal Mick+ & Sheila Harrington Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hilts Paul & Maureen Howard Beverly S. Kearing-Teacher ’84-’96 On Behalf of Michael & James Kearing Carol Lasala Clark & June Lashomb Nancy Layhee Memory of Dale & Dean Layhee Class of ’77 Robert & Rita Leon Thomas Maroney Mary F. McKinley On Behalf of Nora Mary O’Gorman Anita Miller Cathleen O’Horo ’61 Michael Pickney Mrs. Avis Ragan Beverly Robinson Mary Beth Sieminski ’84 Kathleen & Jonathan Sovay

The Fund For Saint Mary’s School The Fund For Saint Mary’s School The Fund For Saint Mary’s School 201420142014---2015 Annual Report2015 Annual Report2015 Annual Report

More Ways To Support St. Mary’s School

St. Mary’s School also has a small endowment that helps provide a source of income to our school. If you would like to contribute to it, the Diocese of Ogdensburg Development Office provides Planned Giving vehicles in which you can list St. Mary’s School as a beneficiary. Charitable Gift Annuities, Life Insurance Policies, Real Estate, Bequests, and gifts of Stock and Endowments are just a few ways of ensuring the future of our school. If you are interested in learning more about any of these opportunities please contact Amanda Conklin, 315-386-2543.

Contributor

$1-$99

3 Anonymous Donors Mary L. Aiken On Behalf of Shea Lynn Shea Dave Babcock Sarah Bailey’14 Class of 2014 Gift Pat Barbalich Tony Beane Rollin & Janet Beattie Gail Bisonette Kim Bisonette ’69 Kathleen (Finnegan) Brenon Daniel & Patricia Bronson Helen Butchino Gail Butler William & Carol Coakley John & Janet Coloton Seth & Amanda Conklin Andrew & Catherine Connelly Deacon Bob Connelly Midge Enslow In Memory of Tom Enslow Cynthia Gilbert Kathleen Hepburn Daniel J. Jenack Ed & Mary Long Susanne & Joseph Longshore On Behalf of Jonah Longshore Timothy J. Maroney Hugh & Norma Miller Jane Forcione Catherine Denesha Peggs ’37 In Honor of Kay Peggs Jack & Marlene Planty Chris & Greg Podgurski Margaret Podgurski

Julia Regan On Behalf of Nora O’Gorman Paul Richardson Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Sanchez Mr. & Mrs. Philip Shatraw Jerry F. & Nancy G. Sullivan Eva Swift Gretchen Warner ’14 Class of 2014 Gift Janet Warner On Behalf of Emma, Abigail & Gretchen

Tom Alzo Marianne Augenstein Jamie Burns Ann Chestnut Amanda Conklin Richard Crawford Juliette Guarino Catherine Leggue Fr. Douglas Lucia Amy Mikolay Pamelia Neal Cynthia Niles Jen Palumbo Barbara Reome Amanda Sergi Paul Schrems LouEllen Smithers Margaret Trainor Betsy Turner

Faculty/Staff/Administration Donors

+ denotes a deceased donor

St.  Mary’s  Catholic  School 2 Powers St.

Canton, NY 13617 Phone: 315-386-3572

Fax: 315-386-8870 www.stmaryscantonny.com

Be sure to “Like” our St. Mary’s School Canton page on Facebook!

Front Cover: Fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Niles, works with Caroline Silver (l) and Jonah Longshore (r.)