The Sunflower

Seed

The Sunflower

Seed

Volume X Issue 3 Academy of Notre Dame Spring 2011

BLAST: Building Lasting

Academic and Social Ties

Elise Higgins

This year at Notre Dame’s an-

nual fundraiser, BLAST, the theme was A

Triple Crown Affair. The men came in

suits while the women donned dresses

with hats of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

This night consisted of delicious food,

exciting bidding, and spectacular dance

performances from the Junior School and

the High School Dance Companies with

singing from Women’s Chorale.

As parents walked around and

socialized, they also participated in silent

auctions that would help raise money for

the school. There

were hundreds of

donated items to bid

on, some of which

included concert

tickets, parking

spaces, and many

other items. Also,

students walked

around to help raise

money for Notre

Dame’s sports pro-

grams. While the parents were enjoying

their dinners, the dancers were perform-

ing. First, the Junior School Dance Com-

pany performed a jazz dance to “The

Time” by the Black-Eyed Peas. Next, the

High School Dance Company performed

to the song “Forget You” by Cee-lo

Green, but was sung by Casey Olejar and

the Women’s Chorale.

Overall, the night was a success,

and the school was able to raise a lot of

money. Sadly, this fun event only

happens once a year, which makes

everyone excited for next year’s

BLAST.

Father–Daughter Dance

Anna Noblitt

On March 5, 2011, the Notre Dame

fathers and daughters came to the Harron

Building

for a

night to

remem-

b e r

w h i c h

included

dancing,

photos ,

and food. Prior to the event, the seniors and

their fathers had a special dinner in the man-

sion. When dinner was complete, they made

their way over to the Harron Building to

dance the night away. The dads looked great

in their suits, and the girls looked amazing

in their heels and bright-colored dresses.

The amazing DJ played songs from

all time periods including the very popular

Justin Bieber. Although some dads stood in

the background, others showed their dance

moves out on the floor, not afraid to be

taped by the live video camera.

During the seniors’ special father-

daughter dance, the Junior School students

made their way to the cafeteria where they

munched on

c o c o n u t

s h r i m p ,

chicken ten-

ders, choco-

late-covered

strawberries,

éclairs, and

c a n n o l i s .

Also, there were many beverages like cokes

and water bottles.

The dance was great, and it seemed

that everyone had a good time. We all can’t

wait for next year’s Father-Daughter Dance.

Parent/ Daughter Activity

Grandparents Day

Mackenzie O’Keefe

On Thursday, the 15th of April,

Junior School students and their special

friends gathered in the gym for a day

consisting of a talent show, oral history

presenta-

tions, and

c l a s s -

r o o m

v i s i t s .

When the

grandpar-

ents ar-

rived in

the morn-

ing they were ushered into the gym by

Mrs. Wesner and her team of friendly

parents. There, they were greeted warmly

and handed a corsage. Then, they were

free to talk to the other grandparents and

enjoy delicious breakfast treats provided

by Notre Dame mothers. After they

were finished with their food, they either

settled down in the gym to watch the oral

history reports given by the eighth grad-

ers, or continued to a class room to par-

ticipate in a class with their grandchild.

The oral history reports were very inter-

esting and covered everything from vari-

ous wars to Elvis Presley. If they went to

the classrooms, they participated in

games that involved the subject of which

they were in. When the oral history pro-

jects were complete, the talent show be-

gan. The talent show included dances

given by the sixth and seventh grade

dance classes, hand bell choir perform-

ances, songs sung by various students,

and a few unique performances such as

an Irish dance. After the talent show, the

students were free to go home with their

special friends, who were handed Notre

Dame stationery as they left.

Mother–Daughter Communion

Breakfast

Nicolle Hughes

Everyone enjoys the smell of siz-

zling bacon, maple syrup and especially

chocolate in the morning. These are some of

the scrumptious dishes that they offered at

the Notre Dame Academy, Annual Mother-

Daughter Communion Breakfast. On the

first of May, Notre Dame Mothers and

Daughters gathered together to celebrate

Mother’s Day at the Springfield Country

Club. The Liturgy started at nine thirty and

was followed by a delicious breakfast. At

the liturgy, given by Father Bob, many

mothers and their daughters participated in

the singing, reading, and gift bearing. Ms.

France did a wonderful job organizing this

special Liturgy consisting of a homily about

special bond between mothers and daugh-

ters. Next, the mothers and daughters saw a

buffet, waiting for them. As soon as they

entered the room, their gazes immediately

meet the chocolate fountain. Many people

lined up and looked at the layers of choco-

late, oozing from the fountain. They

grabbed a stick and dug into strawberries,

pound cake, and pineapples. Finally, this

wonderful event came to an end. “I will

definitely be going next year!”

Spring Sports

Softball

Cayla Preston

Parents, teachers, and friends sup-

port the Notre Dame Junior School softball

team. The team is always eager to play, and

loves the game of softball in general. They

are a joy to watch, and even though the team

isn’t always winning, they pull together and

play their best on the field. This spirited team

consists of 5 eighth graders: Gillian Chan-

dler, Karen DiGuiseppe, Kayce McCue, Tay-

lor Mordy, and Mackenzie O’Keefe; 8 sev-

enth graders: Julia Barry, Madi Brennan,

Vicky Brooks, Emily Brown, Nicolle

Hughes, Vriti Khurana, Bridget Malloy and

Cayla Preston; and 2 sixth graders: Casey

Phelan and Mercedes Sloan. The team con-

sists of girls who have played for years, girls

who have never been on a team before, and

some girls who have never played before in

their lives, but everyone gives their full ef-

fort, no matter what. Keep it up!

Hole in One

Anna Noblitt

Golf is such a great game, that at

Notre Dame we added it to our Junior School

sports-program so that all girls have the op-

portunity to enjoy this very pleasurable game

with their classmates and friends.

The golf club consists of 8th grader:

Abby Wolanin; 7th grader: Gabby Morganti;

and 6th graders: Meghan Fahey, Quinn

Flannery, Anna Noblitt, Bridget Pyott, Leni

Sullivan. We are assisted in playing this fun

sport by our moderator Mrs. Desendorf.

Though the team I currently small in future

years we hopefully will expand our golf pro-

gram so more junior school kids can enjoy

learning how to play this entertaining sport.

Our first time to the greens, we went

on a stroll around the golf course, while we

talked about water hazards. Our instructor

then gave us golf clubs, and we started hit-

ting golf balls. We chipped into the area

where we thought we had to work on. This

practice really improved everyone’s skills,

and we all enjoyed it. Despite rain, which

prevented us from attending many practices,

it was always sunny and fun when we get to

spend time on the green.

Junior School Lacrosse

Meredith Hughes

Thus far in the season, the Junior

School Lacrosse team has successfully defeated

an abundance of other middle school teams. The

team’s two coaches, Allie Talucci and Nicole

Musto, have coached the teams to these victo-

ries. Four days a week, these two dedicated col-

lege lacrosse players travel to Villanova and

hold rigorous practices that often involve intri-

cate plays, fast-paced sprints, and innovative

drills. Notre Dame’s coaches instruct both the

varsity and junior varsity teams.

The varsity lacrosse team consists of

seventeen eighth graders: Sarajane Bradley,

Julia Devine, Katherine DiMeo, Sophia Gal-

antino, Kelsey Glancy, Sophie Graeff, Marie

Guyer, Steph Haenn, Mary grace Hallinan,

Meredith Hughes, Kat Land, Kirsten Mansfield,

Hailey Pohlig, Meghan Reckmeyer, Carolyn

Riegel, Rachel Smith , and Jenny Zack. There is

also one seventh grader on the team: Margaux

Paolino. The Varsity team currently has a record

of 3 wins, 2 ties, and 2 losses with three games

left in the season.

The Junior Varsity lacrosse team is

made up of twelve seventh graders: Reilly Bon-

ner, Julia Dambly, Avery Dent, Julia Fratoni,

Allison Magee, Brenna McStravick, Hannah

Palczuk, Hattie Schroer, Milahn Shurelds,

Brooke Smith, and Claire Sutherby. The team

also has seven sixth graders: Erin Bruder,

Sophia Bonini, Kelly Boyce, Grace Leasure,

Kennedy Monaco, Julia Scanlon, and Grace

Smith. The Junior Varsity team presently has a

record of 4 wins and 2 losses. They, also, have

three games yet to play.

Another key member of our team is

Rachel Adler, our team’s manager. Rachel trav-

els with the team to each and every game,

whether it is home or away, and keeps track of

the score, controls the timer, and helps out in

any way possible. Rachel is truly a crucial mem-

ber of the Junior School lacrosse team and tries

her best at every game.

Hopefully, the lacrosse teams’ last

three games will end victoriously, and the play-

ers’ confidence can be boosted. My fellow team-

mates and I have had loads of fun playing a

sport we love and bonding with players in other

grades.

Competitions

The Junior School Talent Show

Allison Magee

The Junior School Talent Show

was a spectacular event! The amazing

gifts of the sixth, seventh, and eighth

grade students were on display. The show

began with Erin Bruder, Meghan Fahey,

Quinn Flannery, and Cami Osborne who

sang and danced to Don’t Stop Believin’.

After they performed, Jackie Joyce played

The Girl in the Flaxen Hair on the piano.

Next, Nicolle Hughes sang Unthinkable.

Then, Sophia Bonini and Kennedy

Monaco sang For Good. After they sang,

Cami Osborne and Mary Tomcavage did

an improvisational act. Next, Christina

Adams, Alexa Andrisani, Mia Colona,

Ariah Fish, Sophia Galantino, Kelly

McDevitt, and Isabel Pellegrino “danced”

to What Dreams Are Made Of. Then, Jor-

dan Pietrafitta sang I Never Told You.

Afterwards, Alison Lorenz tap-danced to

It Happens. Kaitie Daugherty then per-

formed a stand-up comedy act that tickled

the audience’s funny bone. Next, Kim-

berly Schmidt sang Landslide. Then,

Mary Tomcavage took the stage again to

perform Don’t Stop Believin’ on her saxo-

phone. Next, Sophia Bonini and Kennedy

Monaco put on another act with Sophia

singing and Kennedy on the piano playing

the song Defying Gravity. To end the

show on a spectacular note, Stephanie

Haenn sang and played her guitar to Back

to December. Overall, the talent show

was great!

The Geography Bee:

Global Cultures in an Hour

Alysa Dinh

At two o’clock one afternoon,

eight Junior School students assembled in

the Cuvilly Gym in front of their peers to

begin the Geography Bee. Each year, the

social studies classes take a trivia quiz dur-

ing their class period to see who the winner

is. Then, the winners compete against each

other in the Bee to distinguish the school’s

grand champion. The champion then takes

a test to see if she qualifies to participate in

Pennsylvania’s Geography Bee.

The questions were hard and

ranged from cultural traditions to latitude

and longitude, and befuddled many of the

participants with seemingly ambiguous

questions. Many of the contestants lost

their chance among the many questions.

Once they

missed two

questions,

they were

eliminated

from the

c o m p e t i -

tion, the

crowd ap-

plauded and said, “Good job!” At the end

of the Geography Bee, there was a long-

awaited champion: Hannah Palczuk, and

her runner-up, Kaitie Daugherty. They

bowed as the crowd erupted into cheers

and yelled for the new School Champ!

Spelling Bee

Nicole Hughes

On the tenth of May, during homeroom the Junior School “class winners” par-

ticipated in the annual spelling bee. The sixth graders were: Rachel Adler, Sophia Bonini,

Kennedy Monaco and Bridget Pyott. The seventh graders were: Nicolle Hughes, Stepha-

nie Nepa, Alison Lorenz, and Jordan Pietrafitta. The eighth graders were: Steph Haenn,

Amanda Lafferty, Mary Kate Moran, and Meredith Warchol.

Next, each of the spellers was asked to spell a word. If they

messed up a letter, they could not change it. They would be out.

Everyone spelled each word correctly, until it came down to the

“Champion Spelling Words.” These words were very hard, and

got a lot of students out. Finally, the last two people were

standing-Rachel Adler and Jordan Pietrafitta. Jordan spelled

asceticism and fracas to become the Spelling Bee Winner!

Current Events

Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami

Mackenzie O’Keefe

On March 10, 2011 at 2:46pm,

Japan experienced a huge earthquake fol-

lowed by a tsunami which left the island

nation in wreckage. At an 8.9 on the

Richter scale, it was Japan’s largest earth-

quake in more than 100 years. Since the

earthquake, the death toll has been

quickly rising as rescue workers from

many countries frantically search for sur-

vivors of this disaster. On March 15, the

death toll had reached 3,373, but this

number is expected to grow.

Many shelters have been set up

throughout Japan to accommodate the

hundreds of thousands of people left

homeless after the tsunami destroyed their

homes. The government and several for-

eign relief agencies, such as Red Cross

and Save the Children, are struggling to

provide basic supplies such as food, wa-

ter, and shelter to the victims of this terri-

ble earthquake. After this tragedy, the

world reached out to provide relief to the

people of Japan. Over fifty countries

rushed rescue crew toward Japan to search

the rubble that was once homes, schools,

and hospitals. If it wasn’t for the determi-

nation of these workers, the death toll

would have been much higher. Their per-

sistent work is providing hope for the peo-

ple of Japan who have lost so much in-

cluding their homes, jobs, as well as their

loved ones. Many Japanese citizens have

not given up hope, and are still searching

for their loved ones lost during the earth-

quake and the commotion that followed.

The country of Japan is located on

the Ring of Fire, a fault line that has

formed many volcanoes, which increases

their risk of experiencing a large earth-

quake. The Japanese know this well, and

their constant earthquake drills saved

many lives during and after the quake.

Though they were prepared in that man-

ner, no house is made to withstand an

earthquake of that severity.

The event that caused the most

damage on the coast was not the earth-

quake itself, but the tsunami that followed.

After the earthquake took place, the Japa-

nese people had about 10 minutes to evacu-

ate the coastline because they knew the

tsunami was coming. The forty-five foot

colossal tsunami washed away many build-

ings and cars. It ripped across the Japanese

coastline destroying cities, igniting ravage

fires, and killing hundreds of innocent peo-

ple.

On the shore of Japan there are

four power plants producing nuclear en-

ergy. Though three of the four were not in

operation during the earthquake, scientists

are scared that the earthquake might have

damaged the power plants. If this hap-

pened, radiation, which can cause cancer

and radiation poisoning, may have leaked

into the atmosphere. Several people in the

area have been treated to prevent the radia-

tion poisoning, and they will continue to

treat others, if needed.

Though you can do nothing to pre-

vent natural disasters, when one occurs, it

not only affects the people of that country,

but people around the world. After the

quake, the world reached out a helping

hand to the people of Japan to aid them in

their time of need. This disaster provides

evidence that, despite differences, the

world can come together to help another

country.

Field Trips

Franklin Institute

Olivia Chow

A rumbling filled the hallways.

At first, one would think that the sound

belonged to a herd of rhino stampeding

down the halls. As it turns out, it was a

stampede…of 7th graders. With flying

hair and smiling faces, we ran toward the

bus, racing to get the back seats, despite

warnings not to run. After we settled

down enough so the bus could start mov-

ing, our journey commenced. Loud chat-

ter filled the air as we sped towards our

destination. When we arrived, we im-

mediately gathered into groups. A staff

member arrived to greet us, and we were

led to the dinosaur exhibit. A scavenger

hunt waited for us. With pens in hand,

we attempted to find answers which led

us to a grueling 40 minute search. After

pulling our hair out and running around

like lunatics, we finally finished the

search. A visit to the gift shop lightened

our moods and after buying our goodies

and whatnot, we took off. Dioramas

filled with stuffed animals (not the cud-

dly kind, mind you) proved to be ex-

tremely interesting. Afterwards, we

watched a movie about hoppers, an in-

sect that, as the name insinuates, hops

about. Our stomachs growled rather

loudly, so we headed outside to eat

lunch. After scarfing down our food, we

boarded the bus. As we departed, we all

hoped to visit it again.

The Vanishing Wetlands

Alysa Dinh

On a cloudy morning on April 8,

2011, 28 sixth graders and three teachers

eagerly boarded a bus, ready to travel to

their first sixth grade field trip to the

Morris Arboretum--the wetlands. They

raced with each other to grab a back seat

for themselves and their friends. On the

way, they

listened to

t h e i r

iPods and

talked to

t h e i r

f r i e n d s

a b o u t

what they would see at the Arboretum,

and if the rain was going to affect their

day.

When the students and teachers ar-

rived, rain was drizzling, and the ground

was slippery and muddy. They made their

way to a clearing, where three tour guides

were waiting for them. The students had to

divide into three groups and headed off with

their designated tour guide, eager to see

what the wetlands had to offer. Two groups

walked around the wetland, and one group

stayed behind to play a few games before

heading off. After experiencing a nature

walk around the wetland, stopping at an ar-

ray of statues, and walking through hilly

woods, the students ended up at a park up in

the trees. There were two paths: one went to

a human sized nest with three eggs and the

nests of two birds, and the other went to an

open hole covered with three nets so people

could walk on them and not get hurt. The

students could also leave the park and ex-

plore more of the wetlands than they did

before. After an hour or so, the students

stopped by the gift shop to buy little good-

ies. There were books, magnetic butterflies

in a cage that fluttered from wall to wall,

wooden sporks, jewelry, and other garden-

ing items.

When the students finished shop-

ping, they were taken to a restaurant to have

a hearty lunch and dessert. They could have

either a salad, a burger or a sandwich, and a

drink. The students loved being with their

friends, and when it was time to go back to

school, they sang a song together, laughing

and talking all at the same time.

The problem with wetlands is that

they are disappearing. And since many ani-

mals are disappearing with them, there were

few places where the Canadian geese could

settle for the winter. With the fading wet-

lands, the Canadian geese began to die out,

along with the other animals. All the wet-

lands might have been gone if it weren’t for

the government, trying to preserve them.

Everyone found a wax figure to obsess over and

take pictures of, whether it was Oprah, Leonardo

DiCaprio, or Brittany Spears. Also, inside the

exhibit was a “create your own wax hand” activ-

ity, which was quite fun for many girls. After-

wards, the group passed through the gift shop,

and after grabbing a souvenir or memento, they

were on the road again!

Following the wax

museum was the St. Pat-

rick’s Cathedral. After run-

ning through the city all

morning long, it was re-

freshing for everyone to

slow down and be grateful

for such a wonderful gath-

ering. The group looked around the magnificent

church for a few minutes and then was on their

way to their final destination.

The girls had seen so many attractions

already, but there was one more stop on the

checklist! The girls had been anticipating the

NBC Studios all week, and they were finally

there. After several minutes of exploring the gift

shop, the girls received a real treat: an exclusive

tour around the studios! Everyone learned about

the history of the network, while hoping to catch

glimpse of Tina Fey. The high points of the tour

were visiting the Saturday Night Live audito-

rium and the “green screen” rooms. And last but

not least, the girls got to participate in their very

own news report! In each group, someone read

the daily news, and another person would ob-

serve the upcoming weather. This was entertain-

ing for everyone, whether they were participat-

ing or watching.

This highly anticipated trip was over

too soon! After picking up a few last souvenirs

and snacks, the group said their forlorn farewell

to the unique city. Everyone could agree that this

trip was incomparable; it was just too amazing.

Special thanks to the chaperones and the tour

guides for making this trip possible. It was such

an unbelievable experience, and it is all because

of your hard work. Thank you so much for this

trip!

Field Trips (Continued)

New York

Meghan Reckmeyer

On Friday, May 6th, the Notre

Dame’s 8th grade class drove down to New

York City for a day of sightseeing, discov-

ery, and shopping. The trip started off at

7a.m. when the girls gathered at school to

load the coach buses. Despite the early time,

the girls were energetic and excited for the

anticipated trip. From there, the girls loaded

their designated buses and eagerly rode

down to the Big Apple.

When the group arrived in the city

two hours later, they made their way to their

first designation: Ripley’s Believe it or Not

Museum. This place was filled with unbe-

lievable sights, jaw-

dropping exhibits,

and surprises along

the way. Some en-

tertaining highlights

were the vortex, the

dinosaur skeleton,

bearded-lady, and

the black hole hall-

way. These sights

will definitely not be

forgotten any time

soon!

After the

Believe it or Not

Museum, our class

made our way down

to Times Square to

explore the giant

Toys R Us. No toy

store can quite compare to this one, as it

was four stories tall and filled with every

toy imaginable. The massive Ferris wheel in

the middle of the store captivated many of

the girls; others were amused by the life-

sized Barbie dollhouse. Either way, each

girl embraced their inner child during the

visit to this store, and had a blast. The next

stop on the schedule was one of the most

anticipated, for it

involved food. The

group dropped by

the Bubba Gump

Restaurant to grab a

bite to eat while

also enjoying the

many Forest Gump

references and sou-

venirs. Girls chose

from a variety of

choices; and the

menu satisfied eve-

ryone. Following

the meal was a quick Forest Gump trivia,

along with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice

cream. Yum! After the tasty meal, the

crowd traveled through the city to the Ma-

Editors: Mackenzie O’Keefe and Elise Hig-

gins

Staff: Meghan Reckmeyer, Meredith Hughes,

Cayla Preston, Nicole Hughes, Olivia Chow,

Allison Magee, Bridget Malloy, Cat Delany,

Alysa Dihn, and Anna Noblitt.

Moderator: Mrs V.

*Special Thanks to Mrs. Riley for helping us

while Mrs. V was out and to Mrs. Keck for

technical support!

The Class of 2011– YOU DID IT!