Spring 2009ConnectionsA m a g a z i ne for t he St . M a r y ’s Ry k en C om mu n it y

A Catholic College Preparatory SchoolSponsored by the Xaverian Brothers

leading the way...SMR STEM 100Taking science out of the textbook

• professional development opportunities to attract and retain outstanding faculty who are the best within their chosen profession - 78% of faculty have, or are pursuing, a master’s degree and higher.

• scholarships and financial assistance that allow us to recruit and retain the brightest and best students from the region - 99% of our graduates attend a college, university or service academy.

• retreats and religious enrichment activities to give our students the opportunity to reflect on their faith and to develop the gifts and talents God has given them.

We teach them to be stewards of God’s creation, to take a stand against social injustices and to give of

themselves in life-long service to others.

We teach our students science, math and history.The St. Mary’s Ryken Fund

Tuition covers the basic costs of an academic education, but St. Mary’s Ryken is not a basic high school.

The St. Mary’s Ryken Fund helps us provide:

Table of Contents

While patience may not be one of the charisms of the Xaverian tradition, it is a virtue that all of us in the St. Mary’s Ryken Community have honed these past four years. We have waited for maps and permits and approvals and now the first phase of the Master Plan project, which lays down the infrastructure for the future development of the

campus, has (finally) begun.

This summer, our campus will get its first significant reshaping since the Xaverian Brothers established the school in 1956. This phase of the plan includes a new entrance and parking on the upper end of the campus and a new field with stadium seating. The concept drawings for the master plan can be viewed on our newly redesigned Web site www.smrhs.org.

The Master Plan is part of our overall vision to be one of the leading Catholic college preparatory schools on the East Coast. Academic excellence has always been part of the educational commitment of St. Mary’s Ryken. A new opportunity began this past school year: we established the SMR STEM 100 program and joined with the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Educational Partnership Program and the Office of Naval Research. All St. Mary’s Ryken students through their math, science and technology curriculum will partner with scientists and engineers on real time projects and solutions. I urge you to read about this groundbreaking program on the next few pages and learn how our students are benefitting from it.

I thank you for your support of our 2009 Pillars of the Community Gala. It was truly a night that celebrated the legacy of St. Mary’s Ryken. Over $91,000 was raised. Since we receive no funding from the Xaverian Brothers or from the Archdiocese of Washington, your support is crucial to our ability to award merit and need-based aid, to provide our students with updated classroom technology and to offer the values-based programming that make us unique.

Finally, I’d like to thank two women for their years of dedication and service to St. Mary’s Ryken: Amber Boyd ’88 and Carol Pratt. As editor of Connections magazine, Amber transformed the magazine into feature stories on our alumni and students. She is continuing to pursue her master’s degree and teaching career. Mrs. Carol Pratt supported the administrative leadership teams at St. Mary’s Ryken for over ten years. Carol’s retirement from SMR provides the time for travel with her husband and visits with her daughters and friends.

The St. Mary’s Ryken community has much to be grateful for and much to look forward to. God bless you and your families.

Sincerely,

Mary Joy HurlburtPresident

From the PresidentDear Alumni, Parents and Friends,

2 SMR STEM 1006 Student News

10 Accolades11 Athletics

12 Alumni News14 Class Notes

15 In Memoriam16 Spring Gala

EditorDenise Krumenacker

PhotographyLynne Blake-Hedges

Debbie CarrollTaylor GreggAnn KovalcikSteve KupkaLifeTouch

Theresa RossiMary Sothoron

Joan StevensJeff Worcester

St. Mary’s Ryken High School22600 Camp Calvert RoadLeonardtown, MD 20650

Tel: 301-475-2814

E-mail: publications@smrhs.org

On the cover:Senior Carrie Rose works on the World Materials Module Robot kit.

spring 2009

leading the way...

SMR STEM 100By Denise KrumenackerPreparing Tomorrow’s Scientists Today

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isn’t a word I thought I would ever

hear students use to describe a science class. Yet, seniors Tom Matthews and Carrie Rose and junior Mark Ragland emphatically agree that this year has been fun.

Above: Jamie Holland (left) and Brad Young (right) configure the Lab View programming language which is used to control the robots.

Facing page: Tom Matthews (left) and Carrie Rose (right) work on the robot arm that will be used to maneuver several obstacles on the course.

“The things we are learning here, you don’t get from equations on the board,” said Carrie.

I’m visiting with the honors physics students on this last day of the robotics program for the academic year. They are working at a steady clip to get their robots talking with the software and then to navigate the obstacle course.

Since November, the students have worked on their own and with Mr. Ray Gamarche and several college interns from NAVSEA Indian Head on the Office of Naval Research (ONR) World Materials Module. The Module – computers, software and robot kits – uses robotics to enhance and to provide real world applications of the lessons learned in physics class.

“The applications are innovative and creative,” said Carrie. “The things we are learning here, you don’t get from equations on the board.”

Welcome to SMR STEM 100, of which the robotics program is just one part. Unlike other schools that have STEM classes for a selected few, the SMR STEM 100 program is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics enrichment for

Fun 100% of SMR students. “Our program is designed to introduce and familiarize our students with the applications of math and science in the real world and workplace,” said Mrs. Barbara Ives, the dean of academics.

According to the National Science Board, within the current education system, American students are

lagging far behind students in other industrialized nations in STEM critical

thinking skills. The Board states that American students will need this STEM knowledge in order to compete globally and contribute to the knowledge-based economy that is already taking shape.

In its “Science, Technology,

Engineering and Math” September 2008 report, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)points out that “projections for 2014 by the U.S. Department of Labor show that 15 of the 20 fastest growing occupations require significant science or mathematics training to successfully compete for a job. However, as jobs requiring a solid background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are growing – more students are choosing not to major in these areas.”

And that’s the impetus behind and focus of STEM programs across the country - to raise interest in and improve the knowledge and skills of students in these four subject areas.

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At St. Mary’s Ryken, every science and math classroom has a SMARTBoard. Hooked up to the desktop computer and the internet, this tool allows teachers to turn their whiteboards into an interactive touch screen. During a chemistry class, Mrs. Schuck (shown above) uses the SMART Board to lead a review. She can click on buttons, highlight text and drag and drop items. Notes or lessons written on the board can be saved directly to the computer or sent to a printer to be given out as a study guide. The next step is upgrading the software to allow students to do things like a frog dissection without the frog. It’s all on the screen.

A SMART Classroom Tool

St. Mary’s Ryken is the pilot high school for theOffice of Naval Research-sponsored robotics program in the state of Maryland.

Here at SMR, we’re fortunate to have a wealth of resources in our own backyard and have signed a partnership agreement with the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River to provide our students with a variety of opportunities.

SMR STEM 100 is designed to operate on a variety of levels. At its most basic, the program opens a channel of communication between the students and the NAS Patuxent

River personnel. Engineers from the fields of environmental science and industrial, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering have visited SMR for guest lecturers. And students have visited NAS Pax River to learn about the engineering behind the catapult and horizontal accelerator. The AP and Honors Calculus classes watched a simulated helicopter crash

and took the data from it back to their classroom to crunch some numbers.

Another level of the program is to provide mentoring opportunities for students. Mark Ragland worked with an engineer from NAS on his science fair project, “Submerged Laser Communication.” He captured first place at the St. Mary’s County Science Fair in the electrical and mechanical engineering category along with prestigious Senior Grand Award and second place for the Incose Special Award in the senior division.

And then, there’s putting the science and math lessons from the classroom into practice. The World Materials Module robotics program is designed specifically to do just that. Students are engaged in a learning-through-inquiry model and are encouraged to find explanations and results through investigation and experimentation.

“It’s hands-on science,” said Tom Matthews, who plans to become an aerospace engineer. “You figure it out yourself and get your creative side working. We’re taking science out of the textbook - putting the information we learned from our books into practice.”

With over 90% of seniors taking a fourth year of science and 76% of seniors taking four years of math, it’s likely that many of them will stay engaged in engineering and the sciences throughout their lives.

But, what if a student is not interested in a STEM career? “Many high school students’ interests change over time,” said Mrs. Ives. “Presenting a strong foundation of STEM programs and career opportunities permits the student to make better decisions with a more informative outlook. Additionally, all SMR STEM programs are prepped by classroom lessons and coursework prior to the activity to allow for full class participation.”

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This past October, the SMR STEM 100 program was launched with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Captain Matthew Scassero (center), Vice Commander Naval Air Warfare Center Aviation Division (NAWCAD) along with administrators and AP science students were present to witness this ground breaking signing. This agreement set the groundwork for an ongoing partnership between our students and the people and resources available at Pax River.

Now that the inaugural year of the SMR STEM 100 program is complete, what does the future hold?

“We plan to increase the number of scientist and engineer visits to SMR to teach and supplement the course material,” said Mrs. Ives. “We will be arranging more NAS Pax laboratory visits to provide students with valuable hands-on opportunities that augment classroom concepts,” she continued.

There are plans to add additional computer (IT) courses with new graphic design software to support NAS Pax internship requirements and to grow the honors physics robotics program into a year-long supplement to the honors physics class.

Do Carrie, Tom and Mark have any advice for other SMR students? “Take honors physics!” they all reply.

A P P h y s i c s G l a d i a t o r sEach year, Mrs. Schuck’s AP Physics class puts their classroom knowledge to work at the cardboard canoe race. The students must use only cardboard and duct tape to build a craft, launch it and paddle to the manned kayak and back without sinking. This year’s winner was Velociraptor crewed by Addison Goodley and Daniel Schuck (foreground, right). Finishing a close second was Orange Julius crewed by Jackie Blake-Hedges (left). For a slideshow of photos from the event, visit our Web site - www.smrhs.org - and click on “Media Gallery” in the toolbar.

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Student NewsJanuary 2009

February 2009

Congratulations to senior Ally Rodgers and to junior Mark Ragland who earned top honors at the 49th St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair in January.

Ally garnered first place in the animal science category with her project, “Oysters vs. Flatworms,” and won a sparkle award from the College of Southern Maryland.

Mark captured first place in the electrical and mechanical engineering category with his project, “Submerged Laser Communication.”

Both Ally and Mark were invited to participate at the regional Prince George’s Area Science and Engineering Fair in March.

Students from SMR proved that they are the Top Dawgs. On February 10,the Third Annual Top Dawg Academic Challenge was held at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown. This year, SMR “blew away the competition,” according to the team.

The purpose of the event is to provide a friendly intellectual competitionamong Chopticon, Great Mills, Leonardtown and St. Mary’s Ryken high schools. In a Jeopardy-style format, questions were asked about math, science, sports and entertainment, fine arts, history, vocabulary and literature.

Congratulations to the Top Dawg team: seniors Daniel Burke, MacLain Christie, Ryan Fleming and Jacklyn Wong; and juniors Kelsi Skeens and Justine Yu.

The SMR Pro-Life Club reached out to fellow students to connect with them and to educate them about the right to life.

The club hosted student awareness days in the café from January 7th to the 9th to let others know about important pro-life events: Pro-Life Silent Solidarity Day; the Youth Rally & Mass; and the March for Life.

Over 80 students participated in the Pro-Life Silent Solidarity Day on January 19. On this day, the students

silenced their voices for the school day in recognition of all of the voices that have been silenced through abortion. The students prayed for all the babies and their parents.They prayed for the students who would take part in the Catholic Youth Rally & Mass and in the March for Life, and they prayed that through their actions they would make a difference.

The next day, January 20, two busloads of students participated in the Youth Rally & Mass and March for Life in Washington, D.C. By standing up for the dignity and power of life, they sent a powerful message to our lawmakers.

Special thanks to the teachers, parents and friends who helped to chaperone the trip: Mrs. Gardiner-Fegeley, Mrs. Leard, Father Gurnee, Mr. Wopata, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Connelly, Mr. Kupka, Mr. Olon, Mr. Schultz and Mrs. Kovalcik.Thank you to the SMR Pro Life Club student leaders - Sarah Muth, Brielle Weber, Mary Depperschmidt and Hannah Seaquist - for helping to organize all of the Pro Life events.

SMR students and faculty at the Youth Rally and March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Top Dawg Champions (from the left): MacLain, Daniel, Justine, Kelsi, Ryan and Jacklyn.

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One of the goals for students at SMR is to “fall in love with the service of God” and to begin to develop a life of Christian service and social consciousness. This past November, four students from the Mission Possible club at SMR helped The Pittsburgh Project repair homes for several of the city’s elderly, low income and disabled residents.

Juniors Rachel Bilo, Meghan Vest, and Katie Woell and sophomore Elizabeth Raley joined with high school students from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, and spent their weekend repairing dry wall, painting and doing yard work. Dr. Dawn Stewart and Joan Stevens, moderator of the Mission Possible club, worked alongside the students.

In the evenings, everyone gathered together for faith-building activities and listened to veteran workers from The Project talk about helping the poor. “We all had a great time and it felt wonderful to know that we were able to make a difference,” said Ms. Stevens.

Student News

On Saturday, March 10, the Knights Programming Team competed in the SMECO (Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative) Computer Bowl. The team achieved its highest score in the three years they have been participating.

From the left: seniors Paul Giacchetto, Ryan Bell, Matthew Ferguson, Barbara Horn and junior Jack Attick.

March 2009Earlier in the year, senior Samantha Richards and juniors Rhett Richards and Kelsi Skeens competed for and earned chairs in the 2009 Washington Archdiocesan Music Teachers Council (WAMTC) Honor Band 1.

Through auditions, the Honor Band 1 is composed of the top scoring students from all the major high schools in the Washington Archdiocese. Our students competed for spots with others from DeMatha, Bishop McNamara, and Elizabeth Seton, to name a few. It is a tremendous honor for them to be selected for this ensemble. The band, under the direction of Mr. John Wakefield, retired director of bands at University of Maryland, held their concert on April 4.

April 2009

Several students shone in theFBLA (Future Business Leaders ofAmerica) Regional Competitionagainst other Southern Marylandschools in February. The following students all placed second in their category and represented SMR at the state championships from March 26-28: Jonathan Luke and John Stabile in Management Decision Making; Ysabelle Maramag in Business Communications; Raven Manigault in Sports Management; and Micah Revel and Arden Morgan in Business Ethics.

At the state championships, the Business Ethics team garnered a first place win and now continues on to the national competition in California. Other teams finished in the top eight in the state.

On March 14 and 15, over 80members of the junior class, alongwith their senior mentors, participated in a 24-hour Food Fast to show solidarity with teenagers in Sudan and Somalia.The fast is part of Project X, an annual junior class project where our students reach out to “fall in love with the service of God.”

ChorusFirst Place (continued on to the state championships): Elizabeth Styles & Rebecca Howard, vocal duet; Rebecca Howard, vocal solo; Megan Heavner, vocal solo; Alex Swevcyk, vocal solo.Second Place: Katrynna Trost

BandMacLain Christie, I; Samantha Richards, I; Matthew Dowdle, I.

String OrchestraJae Jung Kim, I; Hannah Seaquist, I; Hyuk Jin Lee, I; Hayes Converse, I; Chelsie Stanley, I; Sung Han Shin, I; Do Kyung "Bruce" Lim, I; Mary Depperschmidt, I; Lindsey Tavares, II; Mariangeli Ortiz, II; Eun Sun, II; Jose Ablen, II; Claire Poor-Harmon, II.

Students in the SMR chorus, string orchestra and concert band participated in the District Solo and Ensemble competitions on Saturday, March 28. Many are continuing on to the state competition. Results are listed below with a I rating being the highest.

From the left: Meghan, Katie, Rachel, Elizabeth and Dr. Dawn Stewart.

Falling in Love with the Service of God

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Congratulations to the cast and crew of Annie: The Musical, SMR’s 2009 spring production. Director Lisa Kay Morton, Technical Director Gloria Dempsey, over 50 students and numerous parent volunteers put on a total of five amazing shows on March 20, 21 and 22. The cast, crew

and band began the show’s run with an afternoon performance on Friday, March 20 for over 250 students from the area Catholic elementary schools.

All of the regularly-scheduled shows were sold out and filled the 320-seat auditorium to capacity. With about 100 people still in line for tickets when the Sunday matinee sold out, another show was added for 6 p.m. The students agreed to the additional performance even though it meant

cancelling their cast party for that evening. Even, Buck, who played Sandy, was excited to have one more chance to perform. Bet your bottom dollar,

everyone loved Annie!

AnnieSold

out

Student News

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Student News

The championship round of the Seventh Judicial Circuit Regional High School Mock Trial Competition was a nail biter. But, after almost two hours of testimony, examination, cross examination, and argument, the four trial judges awarded St. Mary’s Ryken the win, their second consecutive championship, over the team from Bowie High School. SMR was the only team to go through the regular season undefeated and has a two-year regional competition record of 15 wins against a single loss.

The annual Mock Trial competition is sponsored by the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program for the Schools of Maryland (CLREP) in cooperation with the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Judicial Conference. Most teams compete at least four times in local matches, as both prosecution/plaintiff and defense. By the time a team has reached the state competition, they have competed, on average, ten to twelve times.

Approximately 150 mock trial teams participated this year in the state-wide competition. Of the eight circuits, the SMR team competed in the seventh, which, for this academic year, was composed of 36 teams: three from Calvert County; four from Charles County; three from St. Mary’s County – Great Mills, Leonardtown and SMR; and the remainder from Prince George’s County.

When the SMR team defeated DeMatha High School in the “Sweet Sixteen” round, they were the only non-public, non-Prince George’s County team left in the competition for the 7th Circuit title.

After winning the 7th Circuit, SMR advanced to the state finals. In this “Elite Eight” round, the SMR team was defeated by the Severn School (5th Circuit, Anne Arundel County) in a “standing room only” court room in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.

Congratulations to the team (seniors Daniel Burke, Ryan Fleming, Tara Hamilton, Kristina Mooney and Alexa Woods; junior Jose Ablen; sophomores John Houser and Josh Wagner; and freshman Ryan Kelley), to SMR faculty member Leeanne Carr, their teacher/coach, and to their attorney/coach, Samuel C.P. Baldwin, Jr., Esq.

Mock Trial Team Wins7th Circuit ChampionshipUndefeated in Regular Season

The lead council for the defense from Bowie High School (right) and Alexa Woods, lead council for the plaintiff, stand as they wait for a judge to make a decision on an objection during the 7th Circuit championship at the Prince George’s County Courthouse in Upper Marlboro. The SMR team, back row (from the left): Jose Ablen and Daniel Burke. At table (from the left) John Houser and Ryan Fleming (seated), and Alexa Woods.

Photo: Brenda Ahearn/The Gazette-The Star

The team receives some last-minute instructions from their teacher/coach, Leeanne Carr (far right) and from their attorney/coach, Samuel C.P. Baldwin, Jr., Esq. (second from the right).

Daniel Burke won two 7th Circuit awards at the Mock Trial competition: best overall witness and best defense witness. He is the only student to win two All-Star awards (of the six allotted for the 36 schools).

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The voice on the other end of the phone said, “We heard that you used to play lacrosse and coach.” And that, according to John B. Sothoron was how he came to SMR in 1989.

“The call was from a student who said there was a group interested in starting a lacrosse program here [at SMR],” he remembers. “I figured I would meet with the kids and talk for a bit. When I got to the school, I found a classroom full of 30 kids with sticks in their hands.”

John went on to build an impressive program that, at the end of the 2000 season, beat Georgetown Prep and St. Albans, was ranked second in the D.C. metro area and 25th in the country. And,

in 2007, he and his squad took down the boy’s lacrosse powerhouse of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC), DeMatha High School, ending DeMatha’s eight-year title run with a 13-12 victory.

Now entering his 27th season as a head coach, John has an impressive overall win-loss record of 314-109 (.742). At SMR, he has coached eight players to high school All-American honors and more than 90 have gone on to play college lacrosse, with more than half of those to Division I schools. For the upcoming 2009-10 academic year, three of his players will be on the lacrosse teams at each of the three service academies – Army, Navy and Air Force.

In recognition of his commitment to his players and his pioneering of college, high school and youth lacrosse in Southern Maryland, John was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Potomac Chapter, this past February.

Before coming to SMR John had already built quite a legacy as both a

player and a coach. As a player, he was an All-American goalie, team captain, and most valuable player at Towson University - leading his team to three conference titles.

Some of the many honors John has received throughout the course of his career: Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year (2000), WCAC Coach of the Year (three times), and Southern Maryland Coach of the Year (five times). President and owner of Sothoron Homes, Inc., John resides with his wife, Mary, in Lexington Park, Md. Their three sons – Jay, Reed and Tyler – all played lacrosse through college.

What keeps him going? “I’m still having fun,” John says. “Every year is a challenge and a lot of hard work, but St. Mary’s Ryken kids are quality kids and it’s a pleasure to be their coach.”

Sothoron Inducted into U.S. Lacrosse Hall of FamePotomac Chapter

From the left: Nate Costa ’95, Jay Sothoron ’96, John, and Tom O’Brien ’94.

John (left) and Jim Darcangelo, a former player and longtime friend.

Accolades

Four seniors from this year’s varsity lacrosse team have received scholarships and plan to play

lacrosse for their chosen college/university. Kyle Nazarek has signed

with the United States Air Force Academy; Patrick Brennan and

Evan Ryan have signed with United States Military Academy West Point.

And Mason Cook has signed with Wingate University.

From top: Patrick Brennan, Mason Cook, Kyle Nazarek and Evan Ryan.

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Athletics

In addition to a class service project, each year the Boys Varsity Lacrosse team chooses a special service project. This year, after much thought and research, they picked the “A Soldier’s Wish List” organization and were matched with a soldier who had some wishes they could fulfill.

The request from First Sergeant Viktor Vaupel, stationed in Iraq, read: “I am a Company 1SG. My soldiers and I don’t get much down time, but when we do, we like to play softball. A few of my soldiers have scrapped together some items, but it is not enough for us to play a full game with. If anyone could help, I would really appreciate it.”

Within days, the team collected 17 softball gloves, lots of softballs, a set of bases, eight bats, two dozen water bottles with carriers, 50 T-shirts (25 red, 25 blue with the army logo and a flag on the back) and money to pay for shipping. They also wrote letters to the four soldiers in the unit and packed up an SMR lacrosse jersey and team photo to send along with the equipment. The Army unit should be playing softball soon.

The photo the boys varsity lacrosse team sent to the soldiers in Iraq.

Falling in Love with the Service of God Spotlight on SoftballIt was a bittersweet ending to the 2009 softball season for Coach Scott Kuhns and his team. An unusual, rainy spring wreaked havoc with the schedule, but the team stayed positive. They finished with an 18-5 record overall and 13-3 in the WCAC (Washington Capital Athletic Conference).

Facing Bishop O’Connell for the championship, the game was evenly matched. But, at the bottom of the third inning, with two outs and a runner on first, O’Connell hit a single down the first base line, resulting in an error and the game’s only run. O’Connell took the title, 1-0.

Next season may be a challenge for the Lady Knights as they say goodbye to six seniors, all starters. One of the seniors, shortstop Erin Leddy, the WCAC Player of the Year, heads to Mount Saint Mary’s University on a softball scholarship.

Above: Raven Manigault

From the left: Erin Leddy, Stephanie Dameron, Alexa Woods, Kaitlyn DelaPaz and Gabrielle Morgan.

Hannah Gray (front) greets her teammates. From the left: Meghan Gleason, Jessica Woods, Kelly Goldsmith, Katelyn Kidwell and Carrie Rose. Erin Leddy (right) and Danielle Nichols

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The boys varsity lacrosse team faced DeMatha for the WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) lacrosse championship at the University of Maryland’s Ludwig Field on May 12.

The game was a close one, but DeMatha took the title with a score of 9-7.

Thank you to all of the alums who came out to support SMR.

Alumni

Go Knights!

From the left: Jason Steppe ’07, Tara Tarleton ’07, andJimmie Moreland ’07 and friend.

Alums Show Support at WCAC Boys Lacrosse Championship Game

Kevin Bishop ’07

Casey Czarzasty ’06 (left) and Jack Ives ’06

From the left: John Bellezza ’07, John Cappello ’07and Brendan French ’07.

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“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for St. Mary’s Ryken,” explains Mrs. Carie Brooke Ptack ’90. “Staying in Catholic schools kept me on track,” she said. “It helped me get where I am today.” Carie was recently selected to be one of ten Archdiocese of Washington teachers honored with the Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching and commitment to Catholic education.

Carie is the Pre-K teacher at St. Mary’s School in Bryantown, Md. After graduation from SMR, Carie headed to Frostburg State University and earned a bachelor’s of science degree in geography. She then went on to complete her master’s in education from the University of Phoenix in 2006 and holds certification from the State of Maryland in early childhood and elementary education.

“I love being able to pass on my Catholic beliefs in a school that encourages me to teach my faith,” she said. “I enjoy my work very much. I get such enjoyment from the students, and I am rewarded with their smiles and watching them grow.”

She and her husband, Adam, have four girls - Heidi Ann, Hazel, Gretchen, and Gracen – who all attend St. Mary’s Bryantown and, says Carie, are growing up fast.

On February 10, 2009, St. Mary’s Ryken held an Alumni Tailgate Party before the boys varsity basketball game against Bishop Ireton.

Almost 50 Ryken High School alums attended along with two special guests: Mr. Bob Durbin and Brother Cornelius Hubbuch. The alums heard Brother Cornelius give an inspirational speech about RHS and the Xaverian Brother traditions.

After dinner, they were off to Paschal and watched SMR come away with the win, 56-49.

Men’s Night Out

Alumni

From the left: Mrs. Sharon Caniglia , principal of St. Mary’s School, Bryantown; Archbishop Donald Wuerl; and Mrs. Carie Brooke Ptack ’90.

SMR Alum Honored for Excellence in Teaching

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Donna and Bernie Guy, Sr., ’58 RHS celebrated 50 years of marriage on October 4, 2008. They moved to Salisbury in 1976 and all of their family lives in the area, with the exception of their second son, whose family resides in Seattle, Washington. The Guy clan has grown to 40 members. They say, “God has blessed.”

Kevin ’88 and Katherine Beaver LeSage ’88 are currently enjoying life in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their daughters Cameron, 8 and Courtney, 7. They recently adopted Charger, a Greyhound. Kevin is still with Wachovia Securities as vice president and Katherine works from home as a staffing manager for a consulting company.

Emily Chin-Tsui Chiang ’51 SMA and her husband, Alpha, went on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice. They toured Pompeii, Ephesus, and Athens; and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Istanbul, (Topkapi Palace).

Heather Redding ’93 has returned to the area after working for PNC Bank in Pittsburgh. She was recently honored by PNC’s CEO, Jim Rohr, for outstanding sales performance. She now handles medical and dental practice financing for PNC’s Greater Washington Territory. Heather invites SMR alums to contact her at Heather.Beiser@pnc.com.

Class NotesClass of ’51

Class of ’68

Class of ’58

Valarie Wilder ’98 graduated from Kent State University with a degree in business management in 2002.

She is currently living in San Diego, California, and is a senior group sales manager for the La Jolla Marriott.

Class of ’98

Class of ’93Class of ’88

Twenty-three members of the St. Mary’s Academy Class of 1968 celebrated their 40th Reunion on October 10, 2008, at the Tea & Scones Restaurant in Leonardtown, Md. The invitation featured a pencil drawing of the school by Jayne Kopel Anderson, who designed it especially for this occasion. The alums had a blast catching up and reliving memories – especially during the quiz! Verilette Nagel Hinton won the award for traveling the longest distance (Georgia), Brenda Guy Surfield won the award for the most grandchildren (10) and Sarah Elizabeth Ferrall won the award for the longest retired.

Class of ’06Andy Smith ’06 paid a visit to the SMR photography class in March. Now a film student at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., Andy brought along samples of his work and answered the many technical and career questions from the students.

Want to share your news?

Send it to Connections:publications@smrhs.org.

Class of ’64Dr. Bruce K. Lloyd ’64 RHS (pictured on the left in adjacent photo) takes time before an SMR board meeting to speak with junior Justine Yu (pictured on the right) about her science fair project, “A New Angioplastic Device with Smart Materials.” Justine heard Dr. Lloyd, a renowned cardiologist, deliver the keynote address on Career Day and sought out his advice on ways to further develop her invention.

Stay in touch.Visit our redesigned Web site for the latest news, events and athletic game

schedules.

www.smrhs.org

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Carl Francis Abell, Sr., ’56 SMASeptember 8, 1937 - August 7, 2008

John Ralph Abell, Jr., ’43 SMAAugust 3, 1925 - October 11, 2008

Madeline Elizabeth Brecar ’35 SMANovember 23, 1921 - February 3, 2009

Katherine Barolet Brice ’62 SMADecember 30, 1944 - April 11, 2009

Thomas Nathan Brown ’90March 4, 2009

Martin R. Burkhardt ’59 RHSOctober 27, 2008

Mary Wible Caprio ’58 SMAJune 27, 2008

Frances Marie Cameron Coombs ’46 SMAAugust 31, 1927 - November 14, 2008

Lori Louise Chesser Cromwell ’77 SMASeptember 24, 2008

Marcia Frances Danner ’64 SMASeptember 24, 1946 - August 16, 2008

Shirley Marie Long Dement SMANovember 13, 1938 - April 1, 2009

Thomas Mitchell Dillow, Sr., ’44 SMAJune 29, 1926 - June 28, 2008

Bradford Charles Dunlap ’97July 23, 1979 - March 5, 2009

Margaret Charlene Hagen ’60 SMAOctober 9, 1942 - April 10, 2009

Anna Gertrude (Gertie) Guy Hayden’38 SMAMarch 5, 1920 - December 24, 2008

Patricia Reithmeyer Kalnasy ’52 SMAApril 15, 1934 - October 16, 2008

Joann Patricia Kerwin Lacey ’74 SMAMarch 27, 1956 - February 26, 2009

Glenn Edward Lawrence ’77 RHSJuly 30, 1959 - January 14, 2009

Mary Loretta Hill Lawrence ’54 SMAMarch 1, 1936 - February 1, 2009

James Abell Longmore, Jr. ’61 RHSOctober 24, 1943 - March 16, 2009

Margaret Mary Abell Mulvey ’51 SMAOctober 13, 1933 - December 3, 2008

James C. (J.C.) Norris, Jr. ’76 RHSMarch 6, 1958 - January 6, 2009

Nancy Elizabeth Dyson Peacock ’65 SMAFebruary 28, 1947 - November 13, 2008

Brenda May Oliver Pilkerton ’76 SMAFebruary 12, 1958 - Feb. 25, 2009

Susan Marie Spalding ’79 SMAApril 4, 1961- April 22, 2009

Elizabeth Hunt (Betty) Sterling ’42 SMAJuly 29, 1924 - July 15, 2008

Joseph (Joey) Charles Titus ’68 RHSJanuary 2, 1951 - February 14, 2009

Corrections & Clarifications

In the July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 Annual Report:

• Mr. Donald C. Stone ’78 RHS should have been listed in the Leadership level

• Mrs. Margaret Furlong should have been listed in the Workplace Giving category

Thank you to all of the speakers and alums who shared their expertise with us at this year’s Career Day in April. Of the 34 speakers, 17 were alums of SMA, RHS and SMR.

During the three speaker sessions, students had their choice of finding out about many careers including architecture, dentistry, software and Web development, nursing, internal medicine, library science and journalism.

The keynote address was given by noted cardiologist Dr. Bruce K. Lloyd ’64 RHS and, at the end of the day, the juniors and seniors were treated to a concert performance by Mr. John Reynolds, who attended RHS. Mr. Reynolds now works in the music industry and has scored compositions for numerous television shows and movies.

Career Day 2009

Betty Currie, former personal secretary to President Clinton, gave students a behind-the-scenes look at working in the White House.

Despite early morning rain, Captain John Slaughter and crew were able to land safely behind Paschal Hall and treat students to a tour of the Seahawk helicopter.

Hazel DeSilva Kennedy Ramos, 89November 22, 2008

Born in New Orleans, Hazel moved to St. Mary’s County in the late 1940s and was an algebra and geometry teacher at St. Mary’s Academy for 20 years before retiring in June 1981.

In Memoriam

On Saturday, March 28, over 350 guests gathered to celebrate “An Evening in Paris,” the annual SMR Spring Gala and fundraiser. Parent volunteers worked tirelessly that day to transform the Hollywood Volunteer Department Social Hall into the City of Lights.

Upon entering, guests strolled through the “Champs-Élysées” and a Paris sidewalk cafe, before entering the hall, which was decked in a black and white theme.

President Mary Joy Hurlburt welcomed everyone and introduced the Pillars of the Community video presentation. The Pillars are men and women recognized by St. Mary’s Ryken for their service to the community and to St. Mary’s Ryken

and to Catholic education.

After a blessing by Brother Richard Angarola, C.F.X., a former principal of SMR, guests dined on crab imperial, a petit fillet and asparagus, and then headed off to the silent auction tables to see if they were still the leading bidder on a favorite item (or two).

The auction committee, headed by Fran Bell, brought in over 70 items for the silent auction and 13 big ticket items for the live auction. St. Mary’s County Commissioner Dan Raley led a lively and, sometimes boisterous, live auction. Over $91,000 was raised for tuition assistance and enrichment programming for our students. Thank you to everyone who made the evening a success!

A n E vening in P ar i s

Karen AttickGina BasileFran Bell

Bridget BlandTraci Cimini

Patricia Dabbs ’84Terri Fazio

Althea FejesLaura Ford

Randy & Sandy GuyDiana Heinze

Mary Ellen HowardKathleen Hunt

Lisa JacksonBeth JosephErnie Keller

Leigh Ann Keller ’83Nathalie McDermott

Shann MillsGina Minchey

Billy & Kimberly MorlongSharon Nazarek

Jackie SmithJulie Snight

Debbie Styles ’73 SMAAnne Taylor ’81 SMAJennifer Thompson ’82

Kevin & Mary Jane WalshRay ’79 RHS & Helen Wernecke

Sharon WilliamsGary & Robin Willis

Mark Zenthoefer

Mr. Scott Bowling ’81 RHS andMrs. Susan Bowling,

Chairpersons

The St. M ary’s RykenP arent A ssociation

thanks all who helped to make this evening a success:

Scott Bowling

Dan Raley

Guests consider on which items to place bids. There were over 70 items and packages in the Silent Auction.

Brother Richard offers a blessing.

The 200

9 Spring

Gala

Mrs. Carolyn WilliamsonRHS/SMR Faculty

1978-1999

Mrs. Linda Adams Dean SMA ’64& Mr. Robert G. Dean

Mr. Patrick B. Murphy SMR ’87

The family of Mr. George E. & Mrs. Eleanor Alvey Raley SMA ’36From the left: John RHS ’76, Leonard RHS ’74, Stephen RHS ’69,

George RHS ’65 and Carl RHS ’62

The St. Mary’s Ryken Pillars of the Community are found among the men and women who have been the backbone and foundation for our efforts to provide a values-based education for well over a century. St. Mary’s Ryken chooses these individuals because they embody the ideals of service, stewardship and respect that SMR advocates in its mission and vision.

The P illars of the Community

Brother William P. Drinan, C.F.X.

Scott and Susan Bowling,Chairs of the 2009 Spring Gala

Dr. and Mrs. Henry L. BurkeParents of Henry SMR ’83, Robert SMR

’85, James SMR ’86, Julia SMR ’87, Eleanor SMR ’91 and Michelle SMR ’96

Golf TournamentMonday, September 28

Reunion WeekendFriday, October 9-Saturday, October 10

Save the DateTo RSVP to any of these events, to volunteer or for more information, please contact the Advancement Officeat 301-373-4182 or at advancement@smrhs.org.

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www.smrhs.orgA Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School

A CATHOLIC COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL22600 Camp Calvert Rd.Leonardtown, MD 20650

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