Seniors Participate in Days of Caring

Earlier this month, a group of seniors participated in a Day of Caring at the Depew Boys & Girls Club. While at the club, these Lancers did a lot of cleaning and made sure all of the equipment was in ship shape for the children that use the Boys & Girls Club’s after school programs.

StMary‘s instituted a Day of Caring as part of the senior year religion portfolio years ago to show our seniors how important it is to serve their communities and to have the chance to experience that type of feeling one can only get from helping others.

Several groups of seniors will help other organizations throughout WNY in the coming months, including St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and Harris Hill Nursing Facility.

In a little “Lancers helping Lancers” moment, we were able to get a photo under the Aquino Family Foundation sign. The Aquinos have quite the StMary‘s legacy and are incredibly supportive to so many organizations throughout WNY!

AP Spanish Finds Cultural Immersion in Our Own Backyard

Senora Dvorak’s AP Spanish class recently visited Albright-Knox to see “De Estas Manos,” an art exhibit by Mexican American artist, Narsiso Martinez. The class was also able to see works by other Hispanic artists like Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso.

This field trip really brought the classroom to life, as the AP Spanish students have been studying fine art in their “Arte y Belleza” unit.  While the students were out on the town, they, of course, jst had to make a pitstop at a local Mexican restaurant for some lunch too!

Spirit Week Brings Out the Best of St. Mary’s

February also includes Spirit Week – a week filled with fun dress-up days and class competitions to get a little break from the normal school routine. After some BINGO, Survivor games, volleyball, and relay races, the juniors ultimately came out on top.

Check out some photos to see how intense the competition really gets!

Jon Cesar Speaks to St. Mary’s

Throughout the month of February, StMary’s honored and celebrated Black History Month, including welcoming Jon Cesar to speak to the student body. Mr. Cesar is an actor and comedian, appearing in local and regional theater and many films and tv shows, including “Unbillievable,” and has appeared in films with the likes of Chadwick Boseman, Vivica A. Fox, and Michael de Lorenzo. As a talented comedian, Jon has also appeared at Buffalo’s Helium Comedy Club.

He is a graduate of Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts and studied theater in Los Angeles. Jon is a radio cohost for GNR Network, which is a social multi-media outlet dedicated to cultural arts, activism and community development.

For our students, Jon performed an impassioned reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and truly set the scene for students to respond and reflect on the power of that moment in history.

St. Mary’s Students Give Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is truly the season of giving, and St. Mary’s students got in on the action as they do every year!

Partnering with Russell J. Salvatore and the Salvation Army, St. Mary’s raised money for the Salvation Army’s Toy Shoppe. After holding a dress down day, St. Mary’s students took the money raised and bought a treasure trove of toys from the local Bloomsbury Toy Shoppe in Lancaster and dropped them off at Russell’s to add to their huge collection of donated toys.

Campus Minister Deacon Robb Ciezki stood outside his classroom for two weeks collecting spare change and dollars from students, faculty, and staff to donate to St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. That spare change – along with donations from some generous parents – resulted in over $1,450 raised for the mission. Mrs. Sue Choboy, who works closely with St. Luke’s, came to pick up the donation and expressed just how far that money will go during the incredible time of need the holiday season brings.

St. Mary’s is proud to partner with St. Luke’s throughout the year in a myriad of other initiatives. Several students who benefit from the mission’s great work also receive tuition assistance here at St. Mary’s. Throughout the rest of the year, our student body collects clothes and other personal care items to donate, and Deacon Robb takes a small group of students once a month to volunteer at St. Luke’s, where they prep and serve dinner.

Lastly, Campus Ministry and the St. Mary’s Girls Club ran a coat drive, collecting new and gently-used coats for the Summit Life Outreach Center’s Gift of Warmth Drive. In all, over 100 coats will go to families who can really use some warmth during the winter season.

National Honor Society Inducts Newest Class

In November, 29 new members were inducted into the Marian Chapter of the National Honor Society at St. Mary’s High School. These young men and women were chosen based on the four pillars of NHS, including Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.
Congratulations to the following juniors:
Jackson Adams, Marina Cercone, Sophia Cirasunda, Caitlin Cone, Ella Dovey, Emma Fontaine, Nicholas Indelicato, Madison Keem, Riley Kumrow, Reece LaCotte, Taylor LaMartina, Elizabeth Larroque, Adriana Lorigo, Jase May, Ruby Nowak, Ailis Osmond, Alannah Pagano, Lauren Payne, Daniel Pokornowski, Ella Pomietlasz, Nya Ricks, Marissa Selmensberger, Danielle Spiegel, Ashley Switalski, Isabella Usinski, and Natalie Wargo.
And the following seniors:
Christopher Bruder, Colin Corcoran, and Xander Perry

World War II Veteran Visits St. Mary’s

In November, a very special visitor came to St. Mary’s – Technical Sgt. Casey Bukowski. Sgt. Bukowski spoke with Mr. Ard’s senior Social Studies classes. At an ageless 99 years old, Sgt. Bukowski served in World War II. He spoke with students about the trials and tribulations of war and the intricacies of the planes he flew in.
Sgt. Bukowski even became a POW when his B-17 bomber was shot down over Germany. He was a POW for 14 long months before being rescued by Patton’s Army.
It was truly an amazing experience for our students to have history leap off the page in this way and to hear from an American hero.
Thank you for your service to our country, Sgt. Bukowski!

Fall Play, “Harvey,” is Great Success

St. Mary’s Fall Play, Harvey, brought the house down!

Thomas Schroeder ’25 Named Meredith Latour Memorial Scholarship Recipient

On Thursday, the St. Mary’s Performing Arts Department put on the annual Lancer Cabaret. Members of Varsity Chorus, Glee Club, Bell Choir, Modern Band, and featured soloists took the stage to showcase their amazing musical abilities, performing songs from the Disney catalog, classic rock, pop, and so much more. The talent of these Lancers continues to grow and grow.
The Meredith Latour ’02 Performing Arts Memorial Scholarship was also presented to Thomas Schroeder ’25. The scholarship fund honors Meredith Latour, a star of the St. Mary’s stage, who passed away far too young after a battle with cancer. Her family, including her children, were on hand to present the scholarship to Thomas.
The audience – and students – were even treated to a musical announcement that’s a tale as old as time. Ring any Belles? St. Mary’s will invite you to Be Our Guest as we proudly present… your dinner… and this year’s spring musical – Beauty and the Beast! The show will take place March 7-9, 2024 in the Gus Galasso Performing Arts & Liturgical Center. Stay tuned for more information!