We remember, we celebrate, we believe.St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School

amily NewsFSpring 2012 Volume XVIII No.3

Reunions . Reunions . Reunions . Reunions

40 Year reunion for

Class of 1972

35 Year reunion for

Class of 1977

30 Year reunion for

Class of 1982

Irish Coffee Pu

b in East Islip

Saturday, September 29t

h

Homecoming is Sunday,S

eptember 30th

Hotel Accommodations &

Shuttle Service p

rovided

Tickets are avail

able for $100 per

person

25 Year reunion for Class of 1987Captain Bill’s Harborview Room in Bay ShoreSaturday, July 28th7-11 PMDinner Buffet for $100 per person

Hotel Accommodations & Shuttle Service provided

20 Year reunion for Class of 1992Captain Bill’s Waterview Room in Bay ShoreSaturday, July 28th8-11 PMCocktail Party for $75 per personHotel Accommodations & Shuttle Service provided

10 Year reunion for

Class of 2002

5 Year reunion for

Class of 2007

Post Office Café

in Babylon

Saturday, June 23rd

8-11 PM

Cocktail party for $50 per per

son

SJB Family NewsPublisher..........................Nan DohertyCopy Editor.....................Kelly CortesAssistant Editor..............Trish O’DonnellLayout Editor..................Leone Mathon

Tickets

can be purchased

online at the

Cougar Corner at

www.sjbalumni.org

Recent school events . Recent school events

1ST Prize: $25,000 Kyle Durfee2ND Prize:$5,000 Lynn Robson3RD Prize:$5,000 Marotta Family4TH Prize:$5,000 Mowat Family5TH Prize:$5,000 John Kennedy- Etheridge

Congratulations to the 2012 Big BuCks raffle Winners

Old Sneakers Makes a Huge Difference to Kids across the USA. The Earth Club at SJB recently participated in the Keep Islip Clean Sneaker Recycling Program. This program is run in conjunction with NIKE’s “Reuse-A-Shoe” program by collecting old sneakers for recycling. The program ran until the end of January and the shoes were picked up from St. John’s by KIC and then shipped to NIKE’s recycling center in Memphis.

old sneakers Make a huge differenCe to kids aCross the usa

SJB welcomed Catholic Charities Group Homes to present together their third annual variety show, Music from the Heart. This heartwarming event took place in March and donations were accepted to benefit the St. John the Baptist Mission Outreach, which assists student travel to needy areas, to help the poor.

CatholiC Charities group hoMes annual Variety shoW

This year’s Spring Musical was the entertaining Damn Yankees. Faust met professional baseball in our clever production of the Broadway classic. Light, fast-paced and devilishly clever, this production was a home-run hit whose all-American subject matter sense of humor and great musical score ensured a wonderful theatre experience for all- even sports fans!

students present the spring 2012 MusiCal produCtion

Boy Scout Daniel Jiritano from Commack Troop 125 recently presented his Eagle Scout Project to The Children’s Center at UCP Suffolk. Daniel said he knows how the kids there feel, and wanted to do his project to make their lives better.

eagle sCout projeCt neWs

Additional Prizes @ $2,500:James Veccia

Barbara WalshThank you for your support and participation in this very

important fundraising event!

Through the Reuse-A-Shoe Program, non-metal containing sneakers of any brand are shipped and separated into three main materials including upper fabric, midsole foam and outsole rubber, and then ground up producing three types of “NIKE Grind” material. The surfaces produced from the recycled materials are then donated to disadvantaged communities by NIKE to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles for kids.

events . events . events

Women of Hope

Annual Alumni Career Day

Class of 2012 Pizza Party

On Sunday, February 5th at the timber POint COuntry Club, we hOnOred

FOur OutStanding wOmen OF hOPe FOr their OutStanding COntributiOnS tO SJb.

COngratulatiOnS tO:

On Friday, January 6th in the Retreat Center, we welcomed the Class of 2011 back to SJB for their Pizza Party. We had over

200 people in attendance! Thank you to our Alumni Volunteers:

Pamela J. Van Donselaar ’89, Eileen Reilly Stroble ‘79Gina Miranda Horne ‘82

Thank you to the alumni who spoke at the Student Panel:Yves Beneche, Peyton Zere, Julia Rachiele, Clare Werner, Peter Calves, Maria Becker, Joe Ferme, Katie Rotondo

On Thursday, March 8th in the Walter D. Lace Lecture Hall, we welcomed back 31 of our alumni, spanning from the

Classes of 1971 to 2009, for the Annual Alumni Career Day.

lOyda gOOdbOdyFaculty MeMber

Kathy lehmann hOlland ‘78aluMnae and Parent

ann munKwitzParent

liSa diCarlO yanCigay ‘81aluMnae and Parent

in MeMoRy ofDenise Batewell, mother of Shawn ’09 and Brandon ’12 in January of 2012.

Sandra Besendorfer, mother of Eric, SJB’s Technology Director, and mother-in-law to Nora (nee Spadaro)’03, Science Department faculty member, on December 27, 2011.

ATF Agent John Capano, and his mother Helen, father and grandmother of Natalie ’14 on December 31, and December 16, 2011, respectively.

Carole Callahan, mother-in-law of Patricia Callahan, SJB Campus Minister, grandmother of James ’10 and Sean McCabe ’15 on March 25, 2012.

John Crescenti, father of Joanne Ferretti, staff member, grandfather to Paula Cartagena ’94, Michael ‘96 and Michelle ’02 on February 14, 2012.

Joseph F. Dess ’77, brother of George ‘77 on January 21, 2012.

Donna Donaldson, sister-in-law of Artie Dromerhauser, Director of Development, great aunt to Connor Dromerhauser ’15 on January 19, 2012.

Rhita Eugene, mother of Gerald ’06 SJB Basketball Coach in February of 2012.

Theresa Figueroa, mother of Justin ’11 on February 25, 2012.

Orville T. Fred, father of the late John ’72, Karen Webber (nee Fred) ‘75 Athletic Department staff member and Laura Sutherland (nee Fred) ’76 and grandfather of Courtney Webber ’03 on March 20, 2012.

Henry (Hank) Frank III ’96, on January 1, 2012.

Barbara Gallagher, mother of Sr. Terry Gallagher, OP, former faculty member on February 22, 2012.

Kevin Igoe ’75, brother of Laura Healy ‘78 , Theresa McCurry ’83 and Dennis ‘85 on March 7, 2009.

Domenico Ianucci, father of Angela Rizzotti, World Language Department faculty member, grandfather to Vincent ’11 and Giuliana ’13 on March 1, 2012.

Joseph A. Lehmann, father of Joseph ’76, Kathleen Holland ’78, Patricia Walsh ‘82 and Sean ‘85, grandfather to Joseph Walsh ‘10, Kevin Holland ’11, Kayla Walsh ‘13, Brian Holland ‘14 and Katie and Sean Lehmann, uncle to Maryellen Squeo Carney ’74 on July 28, 2011.

James Mathon, brother of Leone, Computer Department faculty member on March 16, 2012.

Daniel Morrison, grandfather of Melissa Watkins, Science Department faculty member, on January 16, 2012.

Ann Murray, mother of Brendan ‘80 and Brian’84 on December 27, 2011.

Joseph Prescia, father of Amanda ’13 on March 5, 2012.

Thomas Wilmarth, grandfather of Joey Vacca, Operations Manager, on December 29, 2011.

Barbara E. Woods ‘70 (nee Rabl) sister of Sarahann Schafer ’73 on December 1, 2011

Moving forward in all future newsletters, we will only be able to list our alumni, students, staff and faculty who have passed away. Please be sure to reach out to us if you know of someone whose name should be included.

notewoRthy . notewoRthy . notewoRthy Save The Date

Friday, April 27, 2012, 7pmAthletic Hall of Fame

HONORING Tom Bouklas

& 1993 National Soccer ChampionsRonald Braun ‘00

Michael Cuniglio ‘71James Dalton ‘80

Kathleen Carey Dittmeier ’83Kenneth Gatti ‘83

Nancy HurleyRaymond Kennedy ‘73

Walter D. LaceJames O’Hara ‘74

Kristine Trihy Sinko ‘86Barbara Walsh

Gerard Worysz ‘78

Captain Bill’s Bayview HouseBay Shore, New York

Tim Pamlanye has been recognized by The American Legion Boys’ State Program for his leadership, character, loyalty and service to SJB. He will participate in a mock government program at SUNY Morrisville State College for one week this summer to represent American Legion Post 1738. This Leadership Action Program is a practical government course designed to develop a working knowledge of the structure of government.

student seleCted as Boys’ state representatiVe

student reCognized nationally for Volunteer serViCe

Jessica Moreno was recently a Prudential Spirit of Community honoree. She was part of a select group of very talented and dedicated young volunteers to be considered for state-level recognition in The 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. The judges were very impressed with the commitment and energy Jessica displayed in her volunteer activities. Based on the number of volunteer hours indicated in her application, she has also qualified for the President’s

As student representatives for the Dominican Sisters, Lilly Barone’12 and Krystal

McLeod ’12 attended a conference at the United Nations. This conference on the 56th

Commission of the Status of Women, focused on reforming the quality of life, education, and

health care rights for rural women and girls.

Among the many girls from across the globe, the girls met delegates and other

NGO (Non-government organization) representatives that provided even further insight to this important topic. Krystal and

Lilly plan to continue their work with the U.N. and hope to return to the conference next year.

Volunteer Service Award. Jessica received a certificate and a letter from President Barack Obama. This award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

tWo sjB

students attend

ConferenCe at the

united nations

girls BoWling:Won League Championship - Undefeated

Coach of the Year – Mary CoonPlayer of the Year – Caroline Herrera

League Highest Average – Caroline HerreraLeague High Game – Katelyn Coon

Boys Winter traCk & field6 All State, 11 All League

4x800m relay runs the 2nd fastest time in school history - 7:52 - and finishes 10th in the USA

girls Winter traCk & field

iCe hoCkey - VarsityTwo players represented SJB in the

League All-Star game against the Hudson Valley All-Stars

For the first time in many years participated in the Playoffs

2 All State5 All League

CHSAA Indoor Pole Vault Record setter and

Catholic State Champion - Emma Cleary

Boys BasketBall - Varsity

girls BasketBallLeague Championship Game Runner Up

2 All League Players

Boys sWiMMing

Wrestling

Boys BoWling 4 All State, 3 All League

Cheerleading 1 All League, Participated in LICA championship

spoRts highlights . spoRts highlights

Senior Jimmy Gill reached his 100th win in wrestling at the Port Jefferson Bob Armstrong Tournament, in the 106 pound weight class, against Jesse Vallilo from Patchogue Medford, with a pin in 1:51. He won his next 3 matches, bringing his winning streak to 29-0 and total wins to 103. Jimmy took 1st place in the tournament. Since then, St. John’s won against Kellenberg High School, bringing Jimmy’s winning streak to 30-0 and 104 total wins.

student reaChes 100th Win in Wrestling OLD SOCCER CLEATS WANTED

SJB Boys soccer is currently accepting donations of old soccer cleats that are in good working condition to be sent over to Africa to needy school children. If you would like to donate cleats and arrange a drop off time please email Coach Tom Burke at St. Johns:Burke@sjbdhs.org

2011-2012 WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

Division 2 Regular Season

Champions, 1 All State

Division “A” League Champions,

7 All State,10 All League

League ChampionsCatholic State Runner Up

1 All League PlayerMVP of Championship Game – Kyle Williams

AluMni news AluMni news AluMni news Class of 1974Virginia Collins Davis, Conference & Banquet Sales Agent at Gurney’s Inn Resort & Spa in Montauk, is the recipient of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association’s 2012 Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year Award. Davis was recognized at the Association’s 2012 Stars of the Industry Gala & Awards Banquet in March.Class of 1977Walter Rooney recently retired from the Sedgwick County Fire Department in Kansas as Division Chief after 35 years of fire service. He started with the Bohemia Fire Department on Long Island in ’77 and left to pursue a full time posting with Sedgwick County. Class of 1980Nina Hann participated on a team investigation and due to her efforts; she received the CIGIE award (Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency). She is the only deaf person and woman to work in the Office of Inspector General, which is a difficult career field for deaf people to enter unless they have outstanding education and experience. Class of 1981Sonja Hann Lopez is the co-founder of the Newton School in Virginia, enhancing minds through motion. Sonja is certified in the Auditory Integration Therapy (Tomatis) and Interactive Metronome. Her daughter currently is attending The Newton School. Class of 1982Kathleen Kennedy Manzo has been named Assistant Managing Editor - Online for Education Week newspaper, a national trade publication covering education. She has just completed a two year stint as Director of Education Policy and Outreach at The Hatcher Group, a communications firm that works with foundations and nonprofits on programs to improve education and child well-being. Kathleen had previously spent 13 years at Education Week as a reporter. She lives in Silver Spring, Md., with her husband, John, of 22 years, and their two children, Caroline and John.Class of 1985Rodney McRae was recently honored at the Hollywood Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral 6th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards Breakfast. Rodney is a current board member and the Executive Chair of Nassau County’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Committee. Erin Finn McIntyre ran her third half marathon (13.1 miles) in Disney World in January. She trained to participate in this endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, in honor of her husband and teammate, Bob. Erin and Bob are participating in two additional races in 2012 to raise money for LLS. Class of 1992Stacey White married Lou Fiore in 2010 and welcomed twin baby boys, Colin Eric and Tucker Kristopher on April 10, 2011. They live in Huntington and Stacey is a Licensed Massage Therapist.Class of 1994Lizanne Lachat married Scott Golder on September 1, 2011 at St. Patrick’s Church in Bayshore, NY. They currently reside in Riverdale, NY.Class of 1999Philip Barret graduated from CW Post, LIU in 2005 with a BA. He married his wife Gina in 2010 and currently is a store manager for an automotive repair facility. He and his wife are closing on their first home in Sayville, NY.Class of 2002

Class of 2005 Scott Johnson was deployed October 2011 in the US Navy to Guantanmo Bay, Cuba where he is serving as a Master of Arms (Naval Police Officer) and working as a prison guard where he will be stationed until the end of August 2012. Scott graduated from SUNY Albany in 2009 and was in Molloy College for his Master’s degree when he got deployed. Scott graduated from the US Navy Boot Camp in

Class of 2005 cont.November 2009, and then graduated A School as a Master of Arms. He has served 2 tours of duty in Naples Italy working security in August 2010 & again in June 2011.

Class of 2007Garret Keenan, is currently a senior at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, where he is the outfielder for the St. Rose Knights Baseball Team. The team was a first team All-League selection in the Northeast-10 Conference. They garnered second-team All-Region. Garret is one of the only 20 student athletes who are listed on the 2011 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-East Region Team.Kyle Matera graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a BA in Psychology.

Victoria Schmidt graduated on the Dean’s List from Marist College in May 2011 with a B.A. in Mathematics/Adolescent Education. She is currently teaching high school math and coaching soccer and softball at Marian High School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Class of 2008

Class of 2009John Santamaria is currently a junior at New York Institute of Technology pursuing a combined Bachelor and Masters Degree in Communication Arts. In May, he was named Editor in Chief of the school’s newspaper, “The Campus Slate” after working as a writer last semester and he also reports for NYIT LI News Tonight on Cablevision. He was named to the Dean’s Honors List for earning a 3.5 GPA. This school year, John will also begin working for AOL Patch of West Islip writing articles about news and events taking place at SJB. Emily Weippert has a 2 year internship agreement with Orange Regional Medical Center Drug and Alcohol Rehabiltation program.

Class of 2010Allison Schmidt is a member of the College of St. Rose, Albany NY Women’s Soccer Team, who on December 3, 2011 beat Grand Valley state, Michigan to become the NCAA Division II National Champions. Allison helped the team effort during the season and post-season by scoring two goals and having six assists. She is also a member of the NCAA All-American Team.

Ryan Munkwitz was one of twenty-six educators from the United States that has been selected for research flights aboard SOFIA, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. As participants in the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program, the educators will partner with professional astronomers using SOFIA for scientific observations in 2012 and 2013. This unique program is a yearly professional development opportunity extended to educators through a competitive, peer-reviewed process.

Jeannette Johnathan just received her white coat at a ceremony for veterinary school at Tuskegee University, which is a very competitive program. Jeanette has one year remaining and we are very proud of her.

Rob Napolitano has recently joined HJMT, the nationally recognized full service public relations, social media, graphic design and event planning firm as an Assistant Project Manager. In his current role, Mr. Napolitano is responsible for coordinating all aspects of special events, including sponsor calls, event marketing, coordinating with vendors and all logistical work.

Joe Gibbons, Hobart College sophomore guard, was named a Liberty League Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week by the conference office. He averaged a team-high 18.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in a 1-1 week for the Statesmen. He was later named the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year.

Daniel Montera was recently hired for a professional dance show in Tennessee. He will have the opportunity to be involved from the ground up on a new variety show that showcases American dance forms from swing to hip hop. He will be away in Tennessee for at least nine months and is very excited to start his professional career.

Dayna Vasilik will be graduating this May with a BA in Communications/Advertising and a minor in Fashion from Marist College. Dayna contributed to the Marist College newspaper, The Circle and created all campus advertising campaigns. Dayna wrote fashion articles and became the creator and author of Style Sightings, as well as the Beauty/Fashion column. Her blog, Pinky to Posh, actually began as a way to organize all the graphic design ads and articles that she had created for The Circle as well as past internship work at The Hampton Models Agency, Accessories Magazine, and College Fashionista. She began posting more frequently, incorporating a variety of graphics, fashion trend boards, and articles about health, beauty, and fashion. Now her blog has over 700 followers. You can visit her blog at: www.daynavasilik1.wordpress.com

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Cougar Cornerthe Contest has ended,

the Votes haVe Been suBMitted and the Winning naMe of our aluMni WeBsite

has Been Chosen! Visit the Cougar Corner at WWW.sjBaluMni.org

and sign up today! thank you to eVeryone Who entered!

parent aluMni CoMMittee

If you are a parent of a current student, and are an alumnus of SJB, we would

like you to join our new Parent Alumni Committee!

Send an email to Kelly Cortes, Director of Alumni, at

cortes@sjbdhs.org

PARENTS: If your son/daughter no longer lives at this address,please forward his/her present address to the Alumni Office at alumni@sjbdhs.org