LIFETIME LIONS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER March 2017

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear St. Mark Alumni and Parents: As we head into spring, the season of rebirth and renewal, I think it's only appropriate to pause and look back on some of the amazing things that St. Mark has accomplished over these last few months, while at the same time, looking forward to a bit of a "rebirth" of our own with the addition of the new SmartLab that will truly change the face of St. Mark and the way our students learn. Another year of Christmas Pageants and Catholic Schools Week festivities are under our belt, which were as well-received as ever. The Class of 2016 portrait was unveiled to the delight of our newest alumni as they were added to our "walls." We just recently wrapped up our Annual Gala & Auction, where we celebrated 30 years of St. Mark auctions. All I can say is, "Wow!" Our generous attendees not only met but exceeded our fundraising goal this year. All proceeds will go entirely towards the new SmartLab. Our students are so excited about this new opportunity, and we're already hearing, "Why does it have to open next year?" from our 8th graders. Technology is still front and center in our classrooms and we've added some exciting enhancements.

A NATIONAL SCHOOL

OF EXCELLENCE

St. Mark Catholic School is a two time recipient of the

U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Award.

This means that St. Mark students consistently score in the top 15%

in the nation on standardized tests.

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We're gearing up for our 2nd Annual S.T.E.M. Fair which promises to be an even bigger event than last year. Lots of interactive booths and food trucks will be on hand. Join us! The Monsignor Smyth Golf Classic is being organized by the Class of 2002 this year. We're looking forward to hosting current and alumni families at this annual fundraiser for the Athletics Department. Read more about how you can become a player or a sponsor, or both. Of course, we also celebrate the many accomplishments of our alumni and continue to look forward to many more. Don't forget to pass along your news -- we LOVE to brag on you! Happy Spring,

Patricia Opon, Principal patricia.opon@stmcs.net

ALUMNI UPDATES

We love receiving alumni updates from the whole family. Here's what the C. family has been up to lately: Therese '99 began working at the Academy of Natural History in Philadelphia and recently earned her second doctorate degree. Maria '01 is an Assistant Radiation Safety Officer at Kansas State University, where she is also taking graduate courses. Tommy '04 recently married and is working on his PhD in Applied Mathematics at Cal Tech. All three are graduates of Bishop Lynch High School. Jesuit College Preparatory School seniors Alistair K. '13 and Felix K. '13 were named as recipients of the 2017 President's Volunteer Service Award. The award, which recognizes middle and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service, was granted by the Presidential Spirit of Community Awards

St. Mark alumni are invited to join Lifetime Lions, our official alumni network. Keep up with former classmates, become a mentor to current students, and learn about opportunities to earn service hours. Click here to register.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT ST. MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL!

Do you know anyone interested in a Catholic education for their child? St. Mark will host an Open House for the Early Childhood Education program (Preschool - Kindergarten) on April 26 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Click here for more details.

Get the gear! Brand new St. Mark logo merchandise and spirit wear are available in our Lion's Den Spirit Store. Order your St. Mark gear online anytime!

AROUND CAMPUS

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can keep up with all of the campus updates. Classroom Technology: The school iPads have been so well received that we've increased our device-to-student ratio in our Kindergarten-5th grade classrooms from 1:2 to 1:1. Students are already reaping the benefits with even more customized lessons. Preschool students continue to operate at a 1:2 ratio, working in small groups with more limited screen time. Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, all 6th grade students will be required to purchase a Chromebook laptop, which will roll up to 7th and 8th grades over the next two years until all middle school students are using Chromebooks.

program on behalf of the President's Council on Service and Participation. In addition to receiving a certificate of achievement marked by the Seal of the President of the United States, they each received a signed letter of congratulations from President Barack Obama. Volunteer activities for each of the recipients were judged on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth. Michael M. '13 was named a John Paul II High School 2017 Stellar Senior. During his years at the school, Michael has earned an AP Scholar with Distinction Award, was named a JPII Presidential Scholar 2014-16, is a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, has served as Treasurer of the Student Council, and is involved with various service organizations. Michelle H. '09, a graduate of Ursuline Academy of Dallas, is currently a senior at the University of Missouri double-majoring in broadcast journalism and finance. She is interning this semester at Bloomberg News in New York City. Kyle S. '14, a junior at John Paul II High School and Daniel H. '13, a senior at Plano West High School, earned their Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout ranks. Several students at Bishop Lynch High School were recently inducted into the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society as members and associates: Jeremy H. '14, Kevin N. '16, Carissa T. '16, Sharon V. '16 and Becca W. '16. Congratulations to Tom S. '04, who achieved his highest World Championship Karate placing yet, finishing 5th out of 83 of the top athletes from around the world. He is now headed to the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland this July. Tom attended Jesuit College Preparatory High School, earned his Bachelors degree from Texas Christian University, and earned a Masters

Classroom iPads will continue to be utilized at the middle school level as well. iPad charging/storage carts were recently delivered and have been added in the classrooms.

Google Classroom was piloted in 6th grade this year and was very well received. As a result, teachers are receiving comprehensive training and it will be fully implemented in middle school beginning next year. Through careful research and implementation, we've been able to stretch the funds raised during the 2015 Templeton Technology Challenge (to which many of you contributed) to continue technology enhancements such as these. The overall goal? To ensure that St. Mark students have a solid foundation using the types of technology they will encounter at the high school level.

Green Uniform Pant Donations Benefit School in Africa: As you know, we began phasing in our new gray school uniform pants this year, and gave families the opportunity to donate their gently worn green pants to Orphan Outreach, an organization which, in part, supports impoverished school children. The pants were delivered to the Madeline School in Kenya, Africa, and in return, we received some priceless photos of the students with their new uniforms. Love seeing those smiling faces, and our former uniform pants being put to good use!

degree from The University of Texas at Dallas. Congratulations to Kolbe B. '14 and Carter P. '14, both juniors at John Paul II High School, who were selected to participate in the 2017 Diocese of Dallas summer mission trip to Nicaragua. 50 students from five area Catholic high schools are chosen each year and are selected based on a variety of criteria including academics, leadership, and personal interviews. Casey B. '13, a senior at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, is a member of the Varsity Soccer Team that won the 2017 TAPPS Division I State Final. This is the 26th State title for Ursuline. The Ursuline JV Soccer Team also finished their season as TAPPS JV Tournament Champions. Shannon R. '15, Savannah H. '15 and Megan W. '16 are members of the team. Audrey M. '14 plays golf for Bishop Lynch High School. The team finished 2nd overall and Audrey placed 7th at a recent tournament in Rowlett. Nicholas M. '16, Trevor F. '14 and Kolbe B. '14, are members of the John Paul II High School Cross Country team that earned 3rd place in the recent District Meet. Kolbe also earned 9th place in the All District Runners category. Athena B. '15, a sophomore at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, was recognized as a Distinguished Delegate of the House at the 70th YMCA Youth and Government Competition in Austin.

Amber R. '14, a junior at John Paul II High School, received 2nd Team All District honors on the Lady Cardinals Volleyball team. Derek D. '14, a junior at Jesuit College Preparatory School, is a member of the Varsity Wrestling Team. He has achieved

Christmas Pageant: Once again, the annual Christmas Pageant proved to be the best way to recognize the real reason for the Christmas season. Our 5th grade students wonderfully reenacted the nativity story, supported by songs from our Preschool-4th grade students. It was magical.

Catholic Schools Week: Pastor Appreciation Day, Family Day Lunch, Art Show, Buck-A-Jean, Buck-A-Tennie, ice cream at lunch, Spring Pep Rally, 8th Graders vs. Staff Volleyball, Teacher Switch Day, The International Tasting Faire, and the unveiling of the Class of 2016 portrait -- all Catholic Schools Week traditions that continue to be enjoyed by the St. Mark Community.

multiple victories in matches throughout the season, and most recently qualified for the UIL State competition. Ethan M. '15 was named Defensive MVP for the John Paul II High School Men's Basketball Team. The John Paul II High School Lady Cardinal Varsity Basketball team finished 3rd at the recent Brock Tournament. Chloe L. '14, Abby M. '13, and Caroline V. '13 are team members. Emma Q. '16, a freshman at Bishop Lynch High School, received the Best Defensive Player Award at the BL Volleyball Awards Banquet. Kate B. '15, Athena B. '15 and Megan W. '16 are all members of the Ursuline Academy of Dallas JV Softball Team that won their season opener. The John Paul II High School Speech and Debate Team recently competed in a Houston tournament and finished in 2nd place out of 50 teams. Trevor F. '14 and Travis A. '15 participated. Travis also won 5th place in Foreign Extemp and 2nd place in Duo Interpretation. Ivanka P. '14, a junior at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, received a Superior Medal at the TPSMEA Solo & Ensemble Competitions. She was also named to the All State Choir. Kristen L. '13 is a member of the Bishop Lynch High School Softball Team and continues to be one of their standout players. In a recent game, she pitched five shutout innings with four strikeouts and just five hits allowed, plus she scored three runs, stole four bases and drove in two runs while hitting into three fielder's choices.

The Class of 2016 enjoyed a reunion lunch at Fuzzy's after their portrait unveiling.

Annual Laps for Leukemia Fundraiser: The February All-School Service Project continues to involve all students walking laps for pledges benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. St. Mark has been a top fundraising school in North Texas for several consecutive years. This year, our students raised $18,132.83, the largest amount of any school in the entire state of Texas!

Auction: Another event for the history books which exceeded all goals! Hundreds of school parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners and friends of St. Mark joined together for a fabulous evening of dinner, dancing, and bidding on some fantastic items, all in support of the SmartLab. You can still donate to the SmartLab. Simply click here and contribute any amount. Cheers to 30 Years of Auctions!

The Jesuit College Preparatory School Powerlifting team finished 3rd at the THSPA Region VI meet. Senior Jordan O. '13 finished second in the 198-pound class to qualify for State. Odulio logged a class-leading 575-pound squat, adding a 535-pound deadlift and 315-pound bench to finish with 1,425 total pounds. Junior Daniel V. '14 finished 9th in the 148-pound regional championship standings, which included a deadlift of 430 pounds, the sixth-most weight amongst the qualifiers. Jesuit Powerlifting Coach Rick Leal is a current St. Mark parent. The John Paul II High School Softball Team recently participated in Muckfest to help raise awareness and funding toward fighting Multiple Sclerosis. Hannah P. '15, Alyssa E. '14, and Katie M. '14 participated. Alonso M. '14, a junior at Cistercian Preparatory School, was recently asked to present his paper at a colloquium to examine Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 200 years after its original publication. Only select students from a number of participating high schools are chosen to present their papers at this annual event. Elizabeth R. '14, a junior at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, also participated in the colloquium. The John Paul II High School Cardinal Belles drill team placed as the 3rd highest scoring private high school in Texas at the TAAPS competition. Captain Mary W. '13 was named TAAPS All State Honorable Mention. The team also came home with seven first places trophies, Officer/Team Grand Champs, and Winner's Circle (top 10 team) from the Crowd Pleasers Regional Showcase in February. Mary W. '13, Caroline G. '14 and Mary Kate T. '14 (manager) are members of the team.

GET INVOLVED!

We love it when our alumni and alumni families come back to volunteer, mentor our students, or just take part in our events. Here are some upcoming opportunities for you to get involved on campus (and if you're a high school student, you can even earn service hours):

Jeremy H. '14, a junior at Bishop Lynch High School, is a member of the State Championship Friars Football team and was recently named to the All District 2nd Team. In John Paul II High School Theater & Choir news, Dylan C. '14 and Mitchell J. '15 placed 3rd in the TAAPS State One Act Play. Mitchell will also perform in the upcoming production of The Sound of Music, as will Amanda L. '14. Amanda recently played Queen Loui in the Plano Metropolitan Ballet production of The Jungle Book, recently received a superior rating (I) for Choir at TPSMEA, and will advance to State for Solo and Ensemble. Gabby G. '16 and Meagan T. '16 performed in the school's production of Annie in February.

Valeria M. '14, Elizabeth R. '14 and Savannah H. '15 were selected to the Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honors Society at Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Sarah C. '13 and Ashley M. '13, both seniors at Bishop Lynch High School, are members of the BL Choir which had the honor of traveling to Rome to sing for the Pope at the Epiphany Mass at the Vatican. They also sang for the newly installed Bishop of Dallas.

Congratulations to our alumni who were recently named President Scholars (straight A's) at John Paul II High School: Kaitlin C. '16 and Kyanna I. '15. Several more were named Cardinal Scholars (A's & B's): Travis A. '16, Vanessa D. '16, Lindsey G. '16, Gabby G. '16, Nathan M. '16, Matthew M. '16, Julia V. '16, Ashley B. '15, Isabella F. '15, and Ethan M. '15. Jordan P. '14 and Jordan V. '15, both students at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, are members of the Ursuline/Jesuit Rangerettes drill team that recently

Spring Musical: Join us for another incredible performance by our students, with staging by Father Cliff and music by Mrs. Corsi. Want to help? Contact Patty Corsi.

S.T.E.M. Fair: Do you participate in an organization or club, or work for a company that utilizes science, technology, engineering or math? We want you to participate in our upcoming S.T.E.M. Fair on Friday, May 5, 2017 organized by our very own Allison N. '14, current junior at John Paul II High School. If you're interested, simply contact Pam Steinkirchner.

Monsignor Smyth Golf Classic

May 19, 2017 1:00 PM shotgun start

The Courses at Watters Creek Allen, Texas

The Class of 2002 is hosting this annual event. All alumni are invited to come out for an afternoon of golf, dinner and prizes. Registration and sponsorships are now available Please click here for details.

Questions? Contact Marlene Ehring.

competed in the North Texas Regionals Dance/Drill Team competition. The team took the Sweepstakes Award, the Gussie Nell David Award of Excellence, the Judges Award, the Academic Champions Award, Best in Class, Best Overall Choreography, Best Overall Presentation, Best Overall Technique, and Best of the Best Teams, placing in the top 10 of 52 competing teams. The John Paul II Academic Decathlon Team recently competed at the Region XI AcDec competition earning 43 individual medals and placing first in the Small School Division, and also at the State Competition. Jason B. '14, Dylan C. '14, Cherish A. '14, Michael G. '14, Allie N. '14, and Will O. '14 participate on the team. Jason won 1st Place Literature, 2nd Place Music, 3rd Place Social Science and 3rd Place Overall Honors Student at Regionals and 2nd Place Essay at State. Dylan won 1st Place Math, 1st Place Music, 1st Place Speech, 3rd Place Science, and 3rd Place Overall Scholastic Student at Regionals, and 1st Place Speech, 1st Place Essay, 2nd Place Math, 3rd Place Economics and 4th Overall Scholastic Student at State. Will won 1st Place Economics, 2nd Place Science, 2nd Place Math, 3rd Place Social Science, and 4th Place Overall Scholastic Student at Regionals, and 3rd Place Math at State. The Ursuline Academy of Dallas Swim team finished 2nd in the TAAPS Division I State Meet. Kate B. '15, Athena B. '15 and Shelby V. '15 are team members. The John Paul II High School Swim teams competed at the TAAPS North Regional Meet. The boys finished 3rd overall and the girls finished 4th. Julia V. '16, Rachel D. '16, Kaitlin C. '15, Claire W. '14 and Reed W. '14 participated. Hannah F. '15, a sophomore at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, recently placed 3rd in

LIONS MENTOR LIONS

Chris B. '13, a senior at Cistercian Preparatory School, continues to sponsor the Math Counts program at St. Mark. Students learn advanced math techniques and participate in math contests throughout the year like the one pictured below recently held at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Meagan T. '16 and Gabby G. '16 both performed in John Paul II High School's production of Annie, including a special performance just for St. Mark students.

SPOTLIGHT ON PARENTS

Congratulations to St. Mark parent, Jane Jonte, who was named John Paul II High School's Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Jonte teaches Biology, and serves as the Student Council sponsor and the Science Coach for the TAPPS Academic Competition. So proud of her!

FAVORITE ST. MARK MEMORY

When registering for "Lifetime Lions," you are asked to share your favorite St. Mark memories. A favorite of Bryan V. '16, is having lunch with his parents on Family Day during Catholic Schools Week. That's one of our favorite St. Mark traditions, too, Bryan. As you can see, it's still going strong!

the high jump competition at the Greenhill Relays track and field meet. Sharon V. '16, a freshman at Bishop Lynch High School, placed in Behavioral Sciences at the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair with her study of distractions in humans as they are trying to concentrate. Natasha P. '04, a graduate of John Paul II High School, is the Assistant Principal and Religion teacher at Santa Clara Catholic Academy in Dallas. Stephanie S. '07, a graduate of Bishop Lynch High School, became a living kidney donor in 2015. After reading an article about someone who needed a kidney, she became inspired to become a donor, and eventually became a selfless hero and lifelong friend to someone in need. Kara O. '06, a graduate of John Paul II High School, is the Marketing Director at Powers Taylor. Former student, Ethan P., a graduate of Cistercian Preparatory School, is a computer science major at Rice University focusing on data science/machine learning/artificial intelligence. He has interned with Google and was selected as a KPCB Engineering Fellow to intern with Uber. Rebecca S. '08, a graduate of John Paul II High School, is a Clinical Cell Therapy Tech at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Keep us posted! As we receive alumni updates, we incorporate them into our social media posts, weekly school bulletins, and alumni communications. Tell us about your recent activities and accomplishments -- we'd love to hear from you! Need to update your contact information? Simply contact Debbie Reed with all of your updates.

WAYS TO GIVE TO ST. MARK

St. Mark Catholic School appreciates your support. If you would like to make a donation of time, expertise, or financial support, please follow the links below. *Donate your time or expertise. Simply email Debbie Reed and let us know what you are interested in contributing to our school. *SmartLab - Contribute to this groundbreaking new facility that will forever change the way our students are educated. Donor names will be included on a special "Donor Wall" in the SmartLab. *Gap Fund - This fund helps St. Mark bridge the gap between the tuition amount our families pay, and the actual cost to educate each student. For 2016-17, that cost is $1,140 per student. *Technology Fund - This fund assists St. Mark with keeping current on the technology made available to our students. *Other Monetary Donations - Make a general donation, or designate funds towards a specific program such as Fine Arts, Athletics, or Robotics.

*Legacy Brick - Commemorate your time as a LION. Buy a personalized brick for $100 that will become part of the entryway to St. Mark Catholic School. *Merchant Programs - Raise funds for our school simply by linking your Tom Thumb and Kroger shopper cards to St. Mark.

"ONCE A LION,

ALWAYS A LION!"

St. Mark Catholic School | 1201 Alma Drive, Plano, TX 75075 www.stmcs.net | (972) 578-0610

St. Mark Catholic School, 1201 Alma Drive, Plano, TX 75075