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Wildcat Weekly
A Weekly Newsletter from St. Mary's Academy
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 Congratulations to the Spelling Bee winners!
Applause to the winners of the MS Spelling Bee. Fourth grader Lena Pearson (right) and sixth grader Paree Sharma (left) tied for first place in last week's Spelling Bee.
"It's Not the 70's Anymore," a presentation for parents by attorney Karen Steinhauser
SMA is proud to present "It's Not the 70's Anymore." Ms. Steinhauser is a Denver lawyer who specializes in criminal defense cases involving juveniles and adults. She is an award-winning litigator with extensive trial experience as a Chief Prosecutor in the Denver District Attorney's Office.
"It's Not the 70's Anymore" Parent Presentation Thursday, February 23 6:30 PM, High School Forum
"It's Not the 70's Anymore" helps educate kids and parents about the laws, constitutional rights, and issues such as sexting, drug and alcohol use. shoplifting, domestic violence, harassment, and sexual assault. The presentation also focuses on how Facebook and other social media can be used against its users.
This presentation is geared toward HS and MS parents and students. Ms. Steinhauser will present to MS seventh and eighth graders on Feb. 22. Click here for more information. If you are interested in attending, please contact Kathleen Hogan. There is no cost to attend and the event is not limited to SMA parents. Please invite your friends!
 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Mark your calendars for the High School play. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will take place on March 2, 3, and 4 at 7:00 PM in the HS Forum. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at the littleboxoffice.com/stmarysacademy or at the door. All SMA students, faculty, staff, and alumnae receive one free ticket to one performance but must get their ticket online in advance. Additional tickets can be purchased for $10 each.
 Did you know that SMA is on Instagram?
Follow St. Mary's Academy on Instagram - @sma1864 and #showyourSMApride.
Updated Inclement Weather Policy
It's that time of year. We have added an addendum to our Inclement Weather Policy as follows: 
"When overnight forecasts are ominous, we will preemptively cancel before-school activities for the following morning. Participants in these activities will be notified the evening before." Click here to read the entire SMA Inclement Weather Policy.
What's Happening at SMA - in pictures!
Click hereto see pictures from the past few weeks.
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Gala News You Can Use
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We need auction items! Click here to see the Auction Item Wish List. Our most needed items include:
- Disneyland Passes (Anaheim, CA)
- New York City hotel and restaurant gift certificates
- Gift certificate to The Broadmoor
- Stays at mountain homes/condos
- Tickets to Hamilton at the DCPA
- Broncos and Avalanche tickets
- Restaurant gift certificates
What happens with all the auction items once they are donated? Our Auction Chairs and committee work hard to combine donations into appealing packages to be sold in one of three auctions:
- Pre-Gala Auction - April 5-12: This is an online-only auction. The items offered in this auction will not be available at the Gala. The link to the auction will be released after Spring Break and all parents are invited to participate.
- Silent and Live Auctions - April 28: Bid at the Gala!
- Faculty/Staff Post-Gala Sealed Bid Auction - May 9-12: Any items that do not sell at the Gala are offered to our faculty and staff in a Sealed Bid Auction.
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Who's Who at Our School?
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Linda Deits LS/5th Grade Team 
Linda is a proud alumna of the 100th graduating class of St. Mary's Academy. When she was in the third grade, Linda taught a three-year-old how to write his first and last name on a chalkboard. She knew then that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. At St. Mary's Academy, Linda teaches fourth and fifth grade math in the Lower School.
Linda volunteers at St. Elizabeth's soup kitchen. She also collects school supplies and food bank items for Holy Trinity School and Judi's House. In her spare time, Linda enjoys cross-country skiing, riding her bike, and baking.
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Lower School News & Events
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News:
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 Congratulations to all who participated in the AmeriTowne elections for Mayor and Judge. The fourth and fifth grade candidates each gave great presentations.
- Thank you, LS! The Late Start Great Start raised $1446 for Haitians Family First in January. This was a combined effort of every child in the LS and the first grade/JK students who lead this important fundraiser.
- The LS Advanced Band and MS Concert Band have had the opportunity for the past three years to perform before a concert by the Colorado Wind Ensemble, one of the regions' finest professional bands. The students will again perform on February 25 at 7:00 PM at the King Center on 855 Lawrence Way in Denver. Please come and support our SMA bands on this night of great music! For more information, contact Sharon Gayley or Geoff McVie.
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On February 9, from 6:30 - 7:30 PM, the LS Destination ImagiNation teams will sponsor Reading Under the Stars Night. Teachers will volunteer their time to read and do crafts with the LS students and their families. The DI teams will collect pajamas and books to benefit the Pajama Program, which helps foster children all have a good night's sleep. There will be cookies and milk as everyone enjoys a good bedtime story.
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The second annual Bunco Night for LS moms and LS staff will be held on March 9 at 6:00 PM in the Community Center. This is a fun night of games, refreshments, and women sharing their common bond of being St. Mary's Academy moms. Watch for an invitation/RSVP soon!
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The Gala's $25 Gift Card Drive is off to a great start! Remember, any class that donates 10 or more gift cards by March 15 will receive a special treat. You can turn in gift cards to Ms. Jackie Neal in the LS Office. Thank you to those who have already donated gift cards:
- JK - two gift cards
- First Grade, Mrs. Hoogerwerf's class - two gift cards
- Third Grade, Mrs. Stroz's class - five gift cards (halfway there!)
- Fourth Grade, Mrs. Hamilton's class - four gift cards
- Fourth Grade, Mrs. Honig's class - four gift cards
- Fifth Grade, Mrs. Deits's class - six gift cards (only four more needed!)
Events:
- February 20-21; Presidents' Day. Academy Closed.
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Middle School News & Events
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News:
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 Congratulations to Middle School students Julianna Wolf and Devon Mills who recently performed with the elite, 150-member Colorado All-State Middle School Choir following an audition and rehearsal process that began in fall. The choir also sang with the All-State High School Mixed Chorus.
- Fir the past three years, the LS Advanced Band and MS Concert Band have performed before a concert by the Colorado Wind Ensemble, one of the regions' finest professional bands. The students will again perform with the ensemble on February 25 at 7:00 PM at the King Center on 855 Lawrence Way in Denver. Please come and support our SMA bands on this night of great music! For more information, contact Sharon Gayley or Geoff McVie.
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Change of date! Seventh and eighth grade boys and their fathers and/or significant male mentors are invited to Courage for the Journey on Wednesday, May 3 , from 3:30 to 5:30 PM in the MS Commons. With the theme of Fireside Chats with the Most Interesting Men in the World, attendees will come together for d elicious food, stimulating conversation, and active fun in a must-not-miss afternoon.
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 Join us at The Island! The MS Social is Friday, February 24, from 6:00 - 8:30 PM at The Island, 2233 South Geneva (Iliff and Havana). The cost is $20 if received by February 20 or $25 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets. Parents must sign their child in and out of this chaperoned event. No limo delivery or pick up. Uber only by prior written notification. Beach attire, please, such as shorts, tank tops, sundresses. NO swimsuits or strapless tops. For more information, contact Adriana Williams.
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 The safety of our students is our #1 priority! We would once again like to remind you that our #1 focus in carpool is student safety. Please form two lines until the merge zone, avoid cell phone use, and be mindful and aware at all times. To ensure that these guidelines are being followed in the north parking lot, we ask you to be review our carpool guidelines.
- The Gala's $25 Gift Card Drive is off to a great start! Remember, any CAT that donates 10 or more gift cards by March 15 will receive a special treat. You can turn in your gift cards to Mrs. Siennicki in the MS Office. Thank you to those that have donated thus far.
- Mrs. Cencula - four gift cards
- Ms. Fernandez - ten gift cards (TREAT EARNED!)
- Mrs. Garcia - one gift card
- Ms. Hamilton-Griggs - one gift card
- Ms. Kilbon - two gift cards
Events:
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February 20-21; Presidents' Day. Academy Closed.
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High School News & Events
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News:
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SMA HS will proudly present the 16th Annual Cultural Diversity Celebration on Wednesday, February 15. The keynote speaker is Ruth Ebenstein, an American/Israeli Jewish writer and historian. She is also an activist for peace and health issues. The day will also feature sessions related to diversity. At lunch students will present a fashion show and enjoy foods representing the many cultural backgrounds in the school community.
- The HS is looking for panelists for the ninth grade Human Project and tenth grade Service Learning Project presentations that will take place on Friday, March 17. Anyone interested in serving on a panel, please click here to sign up and get more information.
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The Gala's $25 Gift Card Drive is off to a great start! Remember, any advisory that donates 10 or more gift cards by March 15 will receive a special treat. You can turn in your gift cards to Clare Lovett in the HS Office. Thank you to those that have donated thus far.
- Grade 12, Mrs. Bard - four gift cards
Events:
- February 20-21; Presidents' Day. Academy Closed.
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Admissions News
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Re-enrollment deadline is today. Re-enrollment contract information has been sent to your email. If you did not receive your student's re-enrollment materials through PCR, please contact: admissions@stmarys.academy. If you need assistance logging into PCR, please contact: helpdesk@stmarys.academy.
SMA admission decisions emailed:
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Alumnae News
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Curious what some of our Middle School graduates are up to?
Colin Biafore MS '08 graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in 2008 and the University of California Santa Barbara in 2016 with a B.S. in Computer Science from the College of Engineering. During his time at UCSB he was involved in Greek life as well as cutting edge research. Colin was nominated for an award of excellence in undergraduate research after successfully publishing a research proposal in a major academic journal. In 2016 he was a finalist in the SIGMOD undergraduate poster competition. SIGMOD is the largest data conference in the world. Colin is currently working as a software engineer in Santa Barbara and continuing his research endeavors.
Austin Guimond MS '08 graduated with honors from Mullen in 2012. While at Mullen, he was a member of National Honor Society and received six varsity athletic awards. He continued to Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. There he received a substantial academic-based scholarship and was selected by two biology professors to be their research assistant. He graduated in 2016 with a major in biology and a minor in environmental science. Austin is currently working for Aspen Forest Management Company in Portland, Oregon.
Do you have news about any of our other Middle School graduates? Send it to Molly del Monte.
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Athletic News
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 St. Mary's Basketball Edges Out Colorado Academy for Senior Game
Last Friday's Pack the House Night will go down as one of the most incredible nights in Bishop Evans history. SMA honored their senior players and battled each quarter to finally edge out CA in a 35-34 victory in a key Metro League matchup.
The winner was poised to take over the third spot in the league standings, and both teams battled for the entire 32 minutes. The Wildcats had a six-point lead with three minutes to go, but faltered and found themselves down by one with 14 seconds to go. A missed shot followed by a foul on the rebound put the Wildcats on the line with an opportunity to tie and take the lead.
The first shot rimmed out, and the second shot looked good but came off the rim into the middle of the lane. Putting it all on the line with an incredible effort, senior Caroline Jeffords tracked the ball, grabbed the rebound and put in the winner with less than a second to go. The gym erupted and after the final buzzer, the student body joined the team in a huge celebration on the floor. Caroline
was named player of the game by Max Preps for her final rebound to win the game. Check out the
Max Preps and CHSAA websites' write-ups on SMA basketball.
Swim and Dive Makes a Splash at Tri-League's Meet SMA swim and dive impressed the crowd with their heart and determination at the League Meet at Colorado College last weekend. SMA is currently ranked #2 in the 3A Division and individuals are ranked in the top ten for ten out of the twelve events. In an exiting finish, senior Alex Reddington broke two records during the meet. Alex broke the 500 Freestyle, which was a record for SMA, the pool, and the meet, as well as the 50 Freestyle, which was an SMA record that has stood for 20 years. SMA looks forward to cheering them on in state competition this weekend at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. For more information on the upcoming meet, visit chsaanow.com.
SMA Dance to Perform at Metro State
Come cheer on SMA's varsity dance team which will perform during the halftime show for Metro State on Friday, February 10. Metro State will be competing against Chadron State at 7:00 PM.
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