More News

SCA parents Denise and Alan Beaty along with members of their extended family were given the royal treatment by St. Cecilia’s sisters Saturday night at the White House.

The Beatys won the bid at this year’s auction for a dinner cooked by the sisters. They invited family members Bubba and Chris Donnelly, Rita Ann and Lex Holiman, Lolo Hobbs, Mary Lynn Donnelly, Karin Whitehead and Lisa Weiland to join them at the White House for a Mardi Gras-themed dinner, in keeping with the auction theme.

“It was fabulous,” Denise Beaty said. “We walked in the front door at the White House and they greeted us with Mardi Gras masks, beads and champagne.”

Sister Mary Andrew, O.P., was the chef for the evening. She cooked boiled shrimp, breaded eggplant and hush puppies for appetizers. For dinner, she started with gumbo, bread and salad. The main course featured crawfish etouffee and shrimp alfredo. Dessert was strawberry pie and coconut cake. Each course was served with a different wine.

“They waited on us hand and foot, and it was the best food I’ve ever had,” Mrs. Beaty said. “And all my family was there so that made it even more fun.”

Sister Mary Brigid played the violin for the group and Sister Cecilia Anne juggled. They along with Sister Mary Thomas, Sister Anna Laura, Sister Mary Albert, Sister Miriam, and Sister Mary Barbara also sang for the dinner party.

Ten Latin students won awards based on their performance on the National Latin Exam taken in March 2008.

They are: Latin I students Nicole Campeotto, gold medal Summa Cum Laude; Elizabeth Lund, gold medal, Summa Cum Laude; Alwyn Mothershed, silver medal, Maxima Cum Laude; Lyndie Baker, silver medal, Maxima Cum Laude; Emily Parten, Magna Cum Laude; Lin Marzialo, Cum Laude; and Gina Thompson, Cum Laude.

Latin II student Marissa Bulso, gold medal, Summa Cum Laude.

Latin III/IV poetry student Ragan Todd, Magna Cum Laude, and Brynn Wilkinson, Magna Cum Laude.

Congratulations to all the students and their teacher, Helen Williams.

What does balance look like? What factors contribute or create an imbalance of body, mind or spirit for a child or for a family?

Come find out at an informative panel discussion sponsored by Overbrook School on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. in the St. Cecilia Lecture Hall. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided.

Each of the four panelists will give a 10 – 12 minute presentation on a specific aspect of whole child wellness/balance based on his/her area of professional expertise. The panel includes pediatrician Dr. Tim Carr, licensed social worker Paris Goodyear-Brown, image consultant and NSCA certified personal trainer Carol Buckley Frazier, and teacher and coach Jonathan Wilson.

For more information about the panelists and the discussion planned, visit www.overbrook.edu.

Mary Lee Bunch will again offer an ACT Prep Course for the June 14th ACT testing date. The course will be held in the Lecture Hall on June 6th, 10th, 11th and 12th from 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon. The cost for the class is $150.00.

To register, please print and return this registration form and a check to:
Mary Lee Bunch & Associates
7113 Peach Ct., Suite 111
Brentwood, TN 37027
or call her office at (615) 377-6370.

For students taking an AP exam this spring there will be a mandatory AP Pre-registration session on Friday, April 18 at 8:00 a.m.

During this session, the students will complete all their registration materials. Please note, even though Friday, April 18 is a 9:00 a.m. start day, the students will need to be at school for this mandatory session by 8:00 a.m.

Dates to remember:

Saturday April 12	ACT Test
Tuesday April 15	Final course lists distributed
Sunday April 27	National Associations for College Admission Counseling National College Fair Nashville Convention Center, 1-4 p.m.
Saturday May 3	SAT and Subject Tests
Saturday June 7	SAT and Subject Tests
Saturday June 14	ACT Test

The St. Cecilia Mock Trial team upset teams from larger schools in the annual county-wide Mock Trial Competition Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16.

Two teams from Montgomery Bell Academy placed First and Second, and one of the Hume Fogg teams placed Third. St. Cecilia then placed Fourth by outscoring the other Hume Fogg team, both Harpeth Hall teams, both University School teams, an Ensworth team, two Martin Luther King teams, and teams from 7 other high schools.

The Mock Trial Competition is an annual event in which students present an imaginary trial of a case with some students playing lawyers and some students playing witnesses. The teams are coached by actual attorneys who help students learn rules of evidence, how to examine witnesses, how to make objections, etc. A judge and jury composed of practicing judges and lawyers evaluate the teams’ performances.

Goodwin Burgess, Clara Sherman, Gina Thompson, Vivian Roberson, Maryam Yoon and Liz Dedman played the lawyers on the St. Cecilia team. Susan Rahimi, Ann Quigley, Erin Carden, Allison Osborne, Savannah Keef and Ashley Burton played the witnesses on the St. Cecilia team. The St. Cecilia team’s coaches were Erin Palmer Polly, Chastity Goodner, Van Vincent and Don Dawson.

Goodwin Burgess, who played a lawyer, said, “It feels great to have worked so hard and to have it actually pay off — and to beat Harpeth Hall."

Susan Rahimi, who played a witness, commented, “It was a lot of hard work but at the end, it was worth it because we all came through.” Clara Sherman, who played a lawyer, said, “I was so excited when I learned we’d placed that I danced around the room.”

Ann Quigley, a witness, commented, “Being a witness is your chance to play someone who you’re not, a chance to show off your ability to play your part.” Liz Dedman concluded, “We went against the heavy hitters and more than held our own - we beat Harpeth Hall!”

Sister Mary Brigid, O.P., Sister Cecilia Anne, O.P., and Mr. Michael LaHaie escorted 35 St. Cecilia Academy students to Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life. The group joined thousands in the nation’s capitol for the march, including the Most Rev. David Choby, bishop of Nashville.

Upon the group’s return, Sister Mary Brigid asked the girls what was their favorite part of the march, their favorite part of seeing D.C., what was the most memorable image they came back with and what is their opinion on abortion. Here is what the girls had to say:

Favorite part of the March for Life:
“Joining in the Rosary in front of the Senate building steps with total strangers; the unity of the Catholic church really shone through ...” -Monika Weisman.
“My favorite part of the march would be turning around when I was walking up the hill and seeing all those hundreds (looked like thousands) of people still marching and holding signs.” -Clare Simpson.

Favorite part of seeing Washington, D.C.:
“My favorite part of the whole trip was the youth rally and Mass. It was amazing to see so many youth all fighting for the same thing.” -Elizabeth Oman.

The most memorable image:
“The most memorable images to me were the people that regretted their abortions. It affected me so much to hear their stories and conversions. Many of the women were my age or younger. They are so strong and brave to be able to stand up and say those words.” -Emily Edwards.
“Seeing a Franciscan friar speak of how he had his girlfriend get an abortion, it showed me that no one is protected from our society’s unjust lies.” -Monika Weisman.

Opinion on abortion:
“I am pro-life not to any less degree. Just as the movement is growing, my determination to stop the injustice occurring has strengthened.” -Julia Moore Hall.
“My opinion is that everyone deserves to live even if it is inconvenient to the mother at the time.” -Sarah Copeland.

We have been working to keep information updates on the school Web site and to make it more interactive for our students and families. Please visit the site and check out our new features and updated sections. A list of the new things you might want to see are:

Pictures of the 2007-2008 Basketball season @ http://www.stcecilia.edu/athletics/basketball.php
Pictures of the 2007-2008 Swim Season @ http://www.stcecilia.edu/athletics/swim.php
New books recently added to the SCA Library @ http://www.stcecilia.edu/academics/library/new_items.php
Scholarships & summer programs from the college counseling office @ http://www.stcecilia.edu/academics/counsel.php
Camp St. Cecilia @ http://www.stcecilia.edu/campuslife/camp.php
Updates in the Fine Arts section:
http://www.stcecilia.edu/arts/artsevents.php - list of upcoming Fine Arts events
http://www.stcecilia.edu/arts/art_gallery.php - See examples of Anna Marchetti's art work
http://www.stcecilia.edu/arts/theatre_gallery.php - See pictures from the Fall play, Thoroughly Modern Millie

St. Cecilia Academy is now accepting applications for Dean of Academics, an integral administrative position responsible for implementing the school’s academic mission and vision.

The Dean of Academics ensures that the academic mission and vision of St. Cecilia Academy is lived among the faculty and students. The Dean of Academics works closely with the Dean of Student Affairs and the Principal in establishing and maintaining a culture of academic excellence that is reflected in curricular development, instructional methods, and best practices in assessment and student achievement.

The Dean of Academics is first an educator who embodies the expectations that St. Cecilia holds for its students, and who serves as a model of self-discipline, respect, academic excellence, and integrity.

Candidates should have the following qualifications:

• Master’s degree
• At least 5 years experience in school administration
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong work ethic
• Commitment to the mission and values of St. Cecilia Academy

Interested candidates can send their resume to Denise Hayes at hayesd1@stcecilia.edu or to her attention at:
St. Cecilia Academy
4210 Harding Road
Nashville, TN 37205

St. Cecilia Academy students and athletes will begin conditioning and training with local professional sports trainers this week. Beginning Wednesday, D-1 will send two professional athletic trainers to the school to help train, not just SCA athletes, but all of its students.

“SCA realizes how important it is to promote good health, and partnering with D-1 will give all of our students an opportunity to have a more balanced education,” said Athletic Director Jerry Landers. “We are excited about this new partnership.”

D-1’s philosophy of training athletes fits well with the philosophy of the SCA’s athletic department, which has grown this year to see 60% of the student body participating in at least one sport. Both SCA and D-1 want to provide an environment that prepares girls for their time on the court or field as well as for a life of health and well-being, emphasizing values and responsibility.

D-1 will be at St. Cecilia Academy every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday on days that school is in session from 3:30-6 p.m. From 3:30-4 p.m., the training will be for teams that are currently in season. From 4-5 p.m., training will be for athletes in their off season. From 5-6 p.m., overflow athletes and every student at SCA has access to the D-1 personnel.

Visual Arts students Anna Marchetti and Rachael Foley won five awards at the Cheekwood Scholastic Art Competition 2008.

Anna Marchetti, won two Gold Keys for two of her mixed media pieces, titled Miles, and Survivors (pictured at right). The Gold Key Awards is the Highest Level of achievement on the regional level. Gold Key winning works are forwarded to New York for national level adjudication.

Anna also won one Silver Key for her painting, titled August. Rachael Foley won two Silver Keys for her photography work titled Road to Nowhere and OZ. Silver Key Awards are presented for distinguished achievement on the regional level.

The two are taught by Barbara Gronefeld and Libby Goldammer. An awards reception for Silver Key and Gold Key winners, their teachers, faculty, staff, families and friends was held at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall on Sunday.

Anna also won third place in the Me & Myself 7–Biennial High School Art Competition at Austin Peay State University for her self portrait.

The SCA forensics team went to the state championship tournament this weekend at Rossview High School and walked away with three awards and one state champion.

Junior Laura Chapman placed sixth in the state for poetry. The Interp Theatre placed fifth in the state. Cast members are: freshmen Lynn Ryan, Addie Moor, Revel Lannom, Gracie Robinson, Molly Tucciarone and sophomore Catherine Louk.

And sophomore Kendra Shulz is the state champion in costume design! Congratulations to Kendra and the entire team.

St. Cecilia Academy art students won top awards in a Catholic Charities sponsored art contest aimed at raising the awareness of poverty in America.

The tenth through twelfth grade overall winner is sophomore Emma Baird. Her artwork is entitled More Than a Number and was a mixed media piece that was created in Mrs. Barbara Gronefeld’s art class. Sophomore Ann Quigley won the top prize in the visual category with Rearview Mirror, a photography and PhotoShop piece she also did in Mrs. Gronefeld’s art class.

“This competition is a perfect way to incorporate the problems facing the homeless with creating a work of art,” Mrs. Gronefeld said. “The students go out to shoot images of the conditions here locally and create a piece designed to make the viewer think about poverty here in Nashville.

“The students research the issues addressing poverty in America today and hopefully come away with an understanding that they are the ones who can begin to help end this condition,” she said.

All the student artists were recognized at a reception held at the St. Cecilia Academy library March 12. The Most Rev. David Choby, bishop of Nashville, was there to hand out the awards. Randi Armour, assistant administrator with Catholic Charities of Tennessee, said the overall winners will go on to the national competition.

“The submissions were wonderful and our judges had a very difficult time deciding,” she said of the artwork.

The cast of Steel Magnolias, from left, back row, Brandy Luna and Maggie Hughes; front row, Meaghan Colvin, Kendra Schulz, Marissa Parkes and Caitlin Clark.

The story of enduring friendships comes to the St. Cecilia Academy stage this week as the drama department presents Steel Magnolias.

“The play takes place completely in the beauty shop,” said drama teacher and director Cathie Correia Stamps. “It is a story of enduring friendships in good times and in bad times.”

“It’s a great vehicle for female actresses because it’s an emotional roller coaster ride,” Mrs. Stamps added. “There is humor all the way through it and the girls really like it. They’ve been journaling at night about the emotions the characters go through, so it’s been a great experience for them.” The cast also had a lock-in as a bonding time before the show opens.

The stars of the production are: Marissa Parkes as M’Lynn, Kendra Schulz as Shelby, Maggie Hughes as Truvy, Caitlin Clark as Annelle, Brandy Luna as Clairee, Meaghan Colvin as Ouiser and Catherine Louk as the understudy who will be playing Ouiser at the Saturday matinee.

The Opening Night Gala is Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Enjoy reserved seating and an afterglow party with the cast. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

The play will continue on Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 5, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, at 2 p.m.

For tickets, please see the ticket order form.

St. Cecilia Academy will offer a preparation class for students preparing for the SAT on March 1st, 2008. This class will be taught by Mary Lee Bunch, Education Consultant.

The class covers reading skills, including sentence completions, reading comprehension/critical reading/word definitions in context, mathematical skills, including algebra, geometry, percents, ratios, and problem solving, and writing skills, including identifying sentence errors, improving sentences and paragraphs, and essay writing. Special emphasis will be placed on timing and test taking skills as they apply to the SAT.

The class meets in three sessions in the Lecture Hall at St. Cecilia. Following is the schedule:

• 02/09/08 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
• 02/16/08 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
• 02/23/08 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.

The fee for the class is $150.00 per student. This fee covers all three sessions.

To enroll, complete the registration form here and return it with your check to Mary Lee Bunch & Associates at the address below by 02/06/08. Once the class has started, no refunds will be given for any reason. If a student must miss a session, the instructor will give the student the material covered. Please make your check payable to Mary Lee Bunch & Associates.

For further information, regarding the class, contact:
Mary Lee Bunch & Associates
7113 Peach Ct., Suite 111
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-377-6370
www.maryleebunch.com

St. Cecilia will begin the course recommendation and registration process for next school year on Thursday, Feb. 7, when students meet with their advisors. Advisors will explain the scheduling process, hand out transcripts and curriculum guides, have students fill out four year course worksheets and have each student schedule a specific date for an individual meeting with her advisor on Feb.11, 12 or 13.

Course Recommendation Day is Friday, Feb. 8. On this day, teachers will pass out course recommendation forms in first period. Teachers will also take time during classes this day to review departmental curriculum and elective options. Teachers must then sign each student’s form during the class period. During the last period on this day, teachers will collect the completed forms and turn them in to Ms. Janet Hensley.

Juniors will have group meetings with Ms. Hensley Feb. 11, 12 or 13. Meanwhile, freshmen, sophomores and juniors will meet one-on-one with her advisor one of these three days during advisory time. Seniors will be going to club meetings or advisory study hall during this time.

Course requests are due Feb. 26. There will be an extended break this day for students to meet with their advisors and hand in course request forms signed by parents.

Please take the time to talk to your daughter about her course selections and make sure she is comfortable with course requests for next year. The deadline for student initiated course changes is March 14.

Date: Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
Time: Reception at 5:30 p.m.; lecture at 6:30 p.m.
Aquinas College, Room 103

Don Giovanni has been called the "perfect opera." Whether it is perfect may be debated, but Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's interpretation of the Don Juan legend is definitely a musical and operatic masterpiece.

Dr. Robert Collins will lead us on a detailed multimedia tour of the world of Don Giovanni as interpreted by Mozart. Dr. Robert Collins has more than 25 years of professional experience as a theater, classical music, and opera critic for various media organizations, including Minnesota Public Radio in Minneapolis and the Contra Costa Times in San Francisco.

Dr. Collins holds a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Minnesota and held adjunct faculty positions at the University of Minnesota from 1974 to 1991 and at St. Mary's College in Marago, Calif., from 1991 to 1997. He is currently head of the English Department at St. Cecilia Academy.

All lectures begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. in Room 103 and are preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the White House. To R.S.V.P., please call (615) 383-3230 or e-mail RSVP@dominicancampus.org.

Songwriters’ Night was a huge success. Chairwomen of the event Denise Beaty and Carolyn Edwards want to thank everyone who helped out and everyone who attended Saturday.

There are still 15 spots open for Ladies Night out on May 1. It is $30 and anyone interested can call Mrs. Beaty to sign up at 352-9866. Angela Goodwin and Kay Goodrum have stepped forward to chair the 2009 Songwriters’ Night.

Now that you've had a semester to get acclimated to St. Cecilia Academy, join experienced parents, students, and staff members who will share information about how to handle some of the social pressures of high school.

Several senior girls will present talks on how they've learned to handle the increased independence and complex decision making associated with getting older. Parents and freshmen will then split into two separate question-and-answer sessions. Freshmen will have a chance to get their questions answered by seniors, and parents will hear from a panel featuring staff members and senior parents.

Don't miss this great opportunity on February 5 at 7:15 in the SCA Library!

Junior and Junior Parent Night is Tuesday, February 5 at 7:15 in the SCA Lecture Hall. The guest speaker will be Mr. Bert Hudnall. His topic for the evening is "Finding a College Doesn't Just Happen!"

Burt Hudnall spent 14 years as Head of School at Salem Academy and North Cross. He was also a College Counselor at each school. Mr. Hudnall spent 9 years as a college Director of Admissions and spent time as a special consultant to the President of LSU. He is also the founder of an independent college placement service called The Next Step.

His information will be invaluable to Juniors and their parents as they begin the college selection process.

In other news for Juniors - Deadline for registration for the March 1 administration of the SAT is January 29. Register online here!

Information on Performers and Auction items

This year’s Songwriter’s Night and Auction promises to be another great event. Chairs Denise Beaty and Carolyn Edwards are working diligently to make it a night to remember and have planned a Mardi Gras theme as Fat Tuesday approaches.

The Chapman family of Chappy's Restaurant is again the culinary star of the evening, providing a New Orleans dining experience you don't want to miss. The entertainment will again be an intimate songwriter's performance featuring some of Nashville's best and brightest.

Invitations were mailed last week and the RSVP's are already coming in. Table sponsorships are available and are a great way to share the evening with friends, clients or other special guests. Be sure to reply soon as the evening is ALWAYS A SELLOUT! If you didn't receive an invitation, please contact the SCA office.

Look for more details soon on the silent auction, big board and live auction items available that evening. If you have a last minute item that might be a great addition to the auction or are interested in having your family or business be recognized as an underwriter, please contact Denise Beaty at dcdbeaty@comcast.net.

By now you know that Songwriter's Night will have a decidedly New Orleans, Mardi Gras flair. Four-star food from Chappy's and Bourbon street decor will set the stage for a pre-Fat Tuesday celebration like no other. In keeping with the theme, there will be two special items to be thinking about and acting on in the auction:

First, our Dominican Sisters have volunteered their culinary creativity and spirit to offer a special New Orleans dining experience for 10 people. The evening will be held at the White House, cooked and served by the sisters. Look for more details next week on the menu and party details, but get your friends together now to be thinking about your bidding strategy.

Secondly, SCA students who recently came back from New Orleans, moved by their experiences helping at the Cathedral School — New Orleans' oldest school and the first to re-open after Hurricane Katrina. Several of them asked the event chairs how the evening could benefit the Cathedral School as well as SCA. We are pleased to announce that a portion of the proceeds from our annual Songwriter's Night out-of-uniform pass sale will benefit the New Orleans students.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 28, senior girls will be in the lobby at break times to sell Fat Tuesday out-of-uniform passes, complete with Mardi Gras beads for $15. Even if you are unable to attend Songwriter's Night, this is a great way to show your support. Passes will also be available at the event and will be used on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Songwriter's Night is on its way to selling out, but you can still get a ticket before they are offered to the general public. Send your card in today or call Denise Beaty at 352-9866 or Carolyn Edwards at 383-7007 for tickets.

Don't worry about getting a table together. Simply indicate which class you are a part of and the event chairs will place you at a great table with your respective grade level.

The Catholic High School Honor Roll announced last week that St. Cecilia Academy is one of the Top 50 best Catholic high schools in the nation. This is the third time since the Catholic High School Honor Roll began that St. Cecilia has been given the honor and the second year in a row. St. Cecilia Academy is the only Tennessee school named on the list for 2007.

The purpose of the Honor Roll, an independent project of the Acton Institute, is to recognize and encourage excellence in Catholic secondary schools. The Honor Roll looks for traits that single out the best Catholic schools. Schools named to the list excel in three categories: academic excellence, Catholic identity and civic education. St. Cecilia Academy was named a category leader in Catholic identity.

Part of having a strong Catholic identity is a clearly defined mission and vision. “The best schools know their purpose and have a very clear articulation of goals, focus, and direction,” according to the Acton Institute.

St. Cecilia Academy spent the last two years working on, first, its Strategic Plan for the next five years and, secondly, reaccreditation with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Both processes require a self-study that begins with the school’s mission and vision and ends with action plans meant to continually improve the school.

The Honor Roll is produced in consultation with a national advisory board comprised of Catholic college presidents and noted Catholic scholars. Advisory board member Rev. John Schlegel, president of Creighton University, said the Honor Roll is significant for Catholic education. “Catholic high schools that excel at forming students in the faith and at teaching them to think critically and act virtuously are a great asset to the Church,” he said. “Not only do these schools deserve to be recognized, but they should also be imitated by all Catholic schools.”

The SCA history department is pleased to welcome back a former colleague, Elaine Kirkland Lee. Elaine Kirkland Lee is a native of Nashville who taught at St. Cecilia Academy from 1990-1997. During this time, she taught American History, European History, Government, and Economics.

In 1997, she moved with her husband to Atlanta where they lived until 2003. She has been assisting in the St. Cecilia Academy admissions office for the last three years and has two children at Overbrook School. Elaine will be teaching a section of European History.

Poppy Buchanan and Mary Gresham Barr (great-aunt and cousin to senior Emily Green), founders of BurningBushKenya.com, visited the Current Global Issues class on Nov. 29. Their organization sends medical goods and monetary aid to Ndathi, a village at the base of Mount Kenya.

Mrs. Buchanan had the opportunity to travel to Kenya in 1999 where she met and became friends with Susan Kaburu, a Kenyan nurse/midwife. Poppy felt moved by the spirit to ask Susan how she, a former nurse herself, could help. Susan answered, “Suction tubing.” This simple request was met and surpassed.

It was soon followed by an ambulance, an X-ray machine, a clinic with child-birthing capabilities, a duplex which houses Susan and other nursing staff, free TB medications, micro-loan opportunities, a small wool producing industry, and a support group for grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren who have been orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Susan Kaburu with assistance from BurningBushKenya.com has been able to offer medical services to 20,000 Kenyans who would have otherwise had none and given this same community many important tools which they can use to help lift themselves out of poverty, learn a trade, start a business and become part of the global market community.

Mrs. Buchanan told the students, “Each encounter has the potential for a divine appointment.” God's hand was surely guiding Mrs. Buchanan and Mrs. Kaburu to one another. The class is grateful and that Mrs. Buchanan and her daughter, Mrs. Barr, were able to share their story with us.

If you are interested in learning more about BurningBushKenya.com, please visit the Web site.

On Monday, students met in break out groups to discuss Interim 2008. Juniors and seniors traveling met with chaperones to discuss trip details. Those juniors and seniors not traveling, met to discuss internships. These students must confirm their internships no later than Dec. 14. If you are willing to have intern job shadow at your work or know someone who would, please contact Amie Pike.

Freshmen and sophomores met to discuss course options on campus for the Interim week. There are many opportunities for enrichment in classes such as science explorers, CSI: Cuisine Scene Investigation, soduku, knitting, Mindrobics, jewelry making, tae kwon do, and much more.

These classes will be assigned in the order that the requests are received. These students received a registration form that is due by Dec. 7. Please do not send payment for courses at registration. A bill will be sent once classes are assigned. If you have any questions regarding Interim, please contact Amie Pike, interim coordinator.

A team of students representing St. Cecilia Academy has won highest honors in this year’s WordMasters Challenge, a national competition for high school students requiring close reading and analysis of many different kinds of prose and poetry.

Participating with 608 high school teams all across the country, SCA’s twelfth -grade team tied for 14th place in the nation among all participating grade-level teams in the year’s first meet, held in October. The school’s participation was supervised by Robert Collins.

Several of the school’s students won honors for individual achievement as well: senior Goodwin Burgess, who made only two mistakes in the meet, was one of the 55 highest-ranked twelfth-graders in the entire country, while her classmates Elizabeth Derrick, Vivien Roberson, Angela Suico, and Maryam Yoon, and sophomore Caitlin Heflin all earned honorable mention at their respective grade levels.

Approximately 60,000 students from across the country participated in the meet.

For students at St. Cecilia Academy the message behind the movie Bella and the message they’ve learned in their own fine arts classes came to life Monday when producer and star Eduardo Verástegui shared his inspiring story.

Verástegui grew up in a Catholic family in Mexico and achieved great success as a singer and actor in Latin America. But he found himself questioning his life after moving to Hollywood. “I realized my life was unfulfilling and empty and that I was using my talents in a selfish way,” said Verástegui.

Confused by these feelings, Verástegui told the students that he decided to put aside acting and spend two years doing mission work in order to find himself. But a priest changed his mind. The priest persuaded him to stay in Hollywood and find a way to spread the message of God’s truth and hope through his art.

That message is one St. Cecilia Academy students learn in the school’s faith-based fine arts program. “He lives a very strong message of the importance of faith and the dignity of each and every person,” Principal Sister Mary Thomas, O.P., said. “His words are reinforced by the decisions he has made to use his talents as an actor to promote the glory of God.”

The film Bella grew out of Verástegui’s desire to use his talents differently. Verástegui and three Catholic friends formed their own production company and unable to find a script they could back, they created the script for Bella. “We forget, ... as actors and producers, the influence films have on young people,” Verástegui said, adding that he wanted to make the film, Bella, in order to put out a message “not to judge or to condemn but to be the light for others to see.”

The pro-life film Bella “is a heartwarming story about friendship, family, and our capacity for love in the face of the unexpected. It’s a story of regaining lost faith, and the journeys life presents us which help us grow in spirit,” according to press clippings written about the film. Many SCA students and their parents got the opportunity to see the film last weekend at the urging of the school administration.

Verástegui told the girls he is trying to apply to his life what Pope John Paul II said before his death, “Do not be afraid to use the media to speak the truth.” Verástegui’s personal stories and convictions gave the students a powerful message that achieving success does not have to mean compromising one’s faith.

“We are not called to be successful,” Verástegui said. “We are called to be faithful to God. If success comes, thanks be to God. If not, thanks be to God.”

For Verástegui and his Bella producers, success is coming. Trey Bowles, Verastegui’s marketing partner in town with him this week, said that Bella held over $1 million (in ticket sales) for the fourth week in a row and has earned a place at the table for Thanksgiving, the biggest movie season of the year. He also said Bella went from the number 17 top film to the number 12 top film and “we have a higher ranking than films that are in thousands of theaters and we are in only 456 theaters.”

In addition, Verástegui also gave the key note speech at the White House in Washington, D.C., Friday for National Adoption Day. The movie is playing at Green Hills Cinema.

Click here to see the trailer for the movie Bella.

The St. Cecilia Academy Class of 2011 announces its winter service project: The SCA Freshmen will collect winter coats to benefit non-profit organizations including Bethlehem Center, Campus for Human Development, Nashville Rescue Mission, Salvation Army.

The class will be collecting clean, used or new winter coats in all sizes at Overbrook School starting at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6 and Tuesday, Dec. 11. Collections at St. Cecilia Academy will take place in the Student Activities Center starting 7:15 a.m. on those same days. Thank you for your support!

Immaculée Ilibagiza, author of the New York Times-best seller, Left to Tell, told the girls at St. Cecilia Academy in many ways she grew up much like them. She went to a Catholic school, she prayed the rosary and she wore a uniform every day.

But that’s where the similarities end. Ilibagiza lost her family in the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. She hid with seven other women in a tiny, hidden bathroom for 91 days to escape the killings. Faith, she told the girls, got her through.

“I’m much happier today because before (the genocide) I was not sure God existed and I didn’t know how his love felt,” she said. “Now the only thing that matters is love in life.”

Ilibagiza was in town to speak at the Aquinas College Benefit Dinner. She spoke to the St. Cecilia students that afternoon. Ilibagiza told the students when she started reading a Bible while in hiding and began praying the rosary, her life changed. “Somehow the prayer has a way of changing you,” she said. “I asked God, ‘If you think there is a way to forgive these people (the killers) help me find it.’ Then I remembered the words Jesus said on the cross, ‘Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.’”

Ilibagiza began to pray for the killers, who were destroying her country and had killed more than a million people, and then she began to feel free. When she emerged from hiding, Ilibagiza said she felt peace and the need to tell her story.

She eventually found a job at the United Nations and moved to the United States, where she began writing and sharing her story. She told the girls that she wanted her message to be one of hope. “There is a joy, no matter what,” she said. “There is hope, there is a way to be happy. It is up to you.”

When given the opportunity during a question and answer session following her lecture, a St. Cecilia student asked Ilibagiza what can the students do about the situation today in Darfur. “Write a letter, learn about it more and raise awareness,” she answered. “Educate yourself.”

Thanks to the hard work of the Admissions Office and the Ambassadors as well as many SCA students, faculty and staff, last week’s eighth-grade shadow days were a great success.

Director of Enrollment Management Betty Bader said the students from Overbrook, St. Rose, St. Pius, St. Bernard, Christ the King and Holy Rosary were impressed with SCA.

Mr. Jay Crouch, eighth-grade teacher from SBA, said “Wow, this place is great, and I will make sure my 3- year-old daughter comes here!” Mrs. Bader said he was impressed with the class experience and the “spirit” of the all girl environment.

In the classroom, the eighth-grade visitors got to see the making of DNA, they learned a tap routine, and got a taste of the music and art gallery and theatre, receiving goodies from the World Languages Department.

Mr. John Saenz, the Principal at St. Pius X, said he would really like to make SCA the logical choice for his girls. The vice principal of Holy Rosary, Mary Hart, left St. Cecilia with six SCA football T-shirts and two girls from St. Pius asked for the chorus CD so they could listen again.

The worksheet for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web should be available on the FAFSA website by late November/early December. The actual FAFSA will not be available until Jan. 1, but you can print off the worksheets before Jan. 1. FAFSA will not mail hard copies of the worksheet or the FAFSA.

All financial aid — regardless of type or source, grant or loan, need based or merit, Tennessee HOPE — requires a FAFSA to be submitted. All families of college bound students should file a FAFSA. They may not qualify for need-based aid, but the application may qualify for automatic merit aid. It is required for all Tennessee Lottery Scholarships.

Deadlines for FAFSA are unforgiving. It is wise for a family to download the worksheet and have all that information together so that after Jan.1, when the income tax information is available, completion of the official application can be done quickly. As with the Tennessee Lottery Scholarships, monies are often awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Please don't forget the following important dates:

• Financing College Financial Aid Night for seniors and their parents is Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.
• A reminder to seniors that Dec. 10 is the deadline for all materials/requests to the College Counseling Office for college deadlines before Jan. 11, 2008.

St. Cecilia Academy was rewarded for its participation and support to the YMCA Hispanic Achievers Program recently. Mary Rose Smith, Eliza Nagle, Emma Baird, Hannah Granberry, Clayton Kelly, Katie Hobbs, Abby Morrison, Sara Hornberger, Hadiya Housepian and Allie Saxon are some of the students that participate in this program.

In 1990, there were fewer than 5,000 Hispanic people in Nashville, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2005, the Hispanic population had increased more than seven times, reaching approximately 37,500 that year, again according to Census numbers. This vital population is served by the YMCA's Hispanic Achievers program, one of the signature programs of the Y's Harding Place center in South Nashville.

The Hispanic Achievers program provides ways to develop strong academic and educational foundations, to maintain cultural identity, and to foster leadership skills among the participants. The program works with students in elementary, middle and high school grades by providing pre-collegiate seminars, tutoring, and cultural reinforcement courses, and also coordinates with other community resources focused on helping the Hispanic community of Middle Tennessee reach its highest potential.

This program also provides English and computer classes for Hispanic parents.

The St. Cecilia Science Department is looking for adult coaches to help train our SCA Science Olympiad Team for competition. If you enjoy science, have a curiosity about how things work, lose track of time while trying to solve a challenging problem or like to build things, then you qualify!

If you know parents or other friends of SCA like this, ask them to volunteer. Coaches meet with those team members assigned to a specific event usually on a weekly basis for the competition in February. Some of the events include: Ecology, Circuit Lab, Forensics, Boomilever, Astronomy, Robot Ramble, Wright Stuff, Remote Sensing, Rocks and Minerals.

Please contact Becky Simon, SCA department head, to volunteer or for more information.

Five St. Cecilia Academy students were named semifinalists and commended students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Seniors Ellie Walsh and Goodwin Burgess were named semifinalists as they showed “exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies” when taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The 16,000 semifinalists nationwide are the highest-scoring entrants in each state and represent less than one percent for each state’s high school seniors, according to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Semifinalists go on to compete for recognition at the finalist level for Merit Scholarships for college.

Seniors Erin Carden, Marissa Parkes and Kate Sumislawski were named commended students by placing among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who took the test.

The five St. Cecilia Academy girls are well-rounded students as well as academically talented. Ellie Walsh is president of the Theater Guild, parliamentarian of the French Club, a St. Cecilia Ambassador, and a member of National Honor Society and Retreat Ambassadors as well as being active in the Cathedral Youth Group. Goodwin Burgess is a member of the cross country team as well as Mock Trial. She is also a member of the Student Council, St. Cecilia Ambassadors, Latin Club, National Honor Society and marketing director of the French Club.

Erin Cardin is in the German Club. Marissa Parkes is vice president of the Theater Guild and a member of the Forensics Team as well as National Honor Society. Kate Sumislawski is a member of golf team, for which she acted as an assistant to the coach, and this year advanced to the regional golf tournament. She is also a member of the Spanish Club and National Honor Society.

“We are so proud of these students who have achieved this extraordinary level of excellence in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This test and this recognition highlights the hard work these students have put into academics over the last three years,” said Sister Anna Laura, O.P., SCA’s academic dean.

The SCA website is constantly updating and changing. Check out the College Counseling section for information on when college representatives will be at SCA, scholarship information and college counseling forms.

The library has a new page that lists some of the new books offered in the library. You can also access all SCA online databases from home as well. Please contact Carol Smallwood, librarian, for home access information.

Finally, check out the new photo galleries in the Campus Life and Alumnae sections.

Debbi Sanders is the new registrar of St. Cecilia Academy. Ms. Sanders is a former computer teacher and data base manager at St. Bernard Academy. She has experience creating student schedules, class lists and progress reports. In addition, she taught French and worked as a teacher’s aide. Ms. Sanders also has experience working in desktop publishing programs and will be a great addition to the St. Cecilia Academy staff. She begins Oct. 23.

SCA World Language teachers recently celebrated the heritage of the TFLTA, the Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association, at the 40th Annual Conference held in Franklin, Tenn. The theme "Celebrate Language Connections" emphasized the local and global importance of foreign language education.

Deanna Kendall, SCA German teacher, is serving on the board as second vice-president and all the SCA WL teachers were presiders at the conference sessions. “It's an intense weekend but it's a valuable professional opportunity to learn new ideas for the classroom. It's also a great time to meet colleagues from all over the state,” said Carole Begley, Chair of the World Language Department.

The Catholic High School Honor Roll today announced the selection of St. Cecilia Academy as one of the best 50 Catholic secondary schools in America and the only Tennessee school to make the list.
Find out more »

This is the time of year Juniors at St. Cecilia order class rings. There are two elegant styles of class rings from which you may choose.

The traditional long oval design with a faceted top Ruby stone. This ring has been used for many years at St. Cecilia. You may order this ring in l0K Gold or l4K Gold. The ring comes with or without the yeardate on the sides.

The all metal signet style ring with St.Cecilia school crest appearing on the top portion of the ring and graduation date on the sides. It is available in 10K, 14K, and Sterling Silver.

A Herff Jones representative will be at SCA on Friday, September 28 during the lunch hour. Please pay in full at that time or bring a $50 deposit. The deposit will be subtracted from your balance.

For more information, prices and pictures of the available ring styles, please see this brochure.

Deanna Kendall’s Current Global Issues class listened intently as guest speaker Mr. Gutluak Thach, Executive Director of the Sudanese Community and Women’s Center on Nolensville Road in Nashville, told his life story Thursday.

Mr. Thach, himself a refugee from Sudan, spoke to students about the history of warfare in Sudan and the ongoing genocide in Darfur. He also shared his own harrowing experiences living in a refugee camp in Ethiopia for eight years prior to coming to the United States in 1996 at the age of 18 with his 14-year-old brother.

“I really enjoyed Mr. Thatch's visit,” said senior Elizabeth Derrick, a member of the Current Global Issues class. “It opened my eyes to the abilities of not only the Sudanese refugees but all who are not born with the freedom and access to achieve goals, but must fight harder for it than most Americans can imagine.”

After completing his master’s degree in social work, Mr. Thach opened the Sudanese Community Center which currently services approximately 250 of the 8,000 Sudanese refugees living in the Nashville area.

“I was amazed also at the strength of the Sudanese people, to a point where it made me feel small. I knew that many refugees come here on their own, with nothing, and have to support themselves, but I did not realize the extent of their difficulty. I had imagined that there was much more help and assistance for them. I really think we could and need to contribute to the community center,” Elizabeth added.

“As strong as Mr. Thatch was, I could also see that talking about what was happening in Sudan, and to his family was difficult for him. It is a tragedy that one person is hurt in this way, but thousands are dying everyday. Something that is politically complicated to the rest of the world, is killing many people literally and figuratively.”

The Sudanese Community Center is a non-profit organization which relies heavily on volunteers and donations. They offer a wide variety of services to Sudanese refugees ranging from sewing, ESL, and parenting classes to employment searches and health care. For more information and volunteer opportunities, please visit the Sudanese Community Center’s web site at http://www.sudanesecenter.org/.

St. Cecilia Academy senior Catharyn Gronefeld won second place in the 2007 Catholic Campaign for Human Development National Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest with her digital photo, The Pain of Poverty.

“This contest is a teaching tool and it was evident to the judges that you explored and reflected on conditions of poverty in the U.S.A.,” wrote Donna Toliver Grimes, CCHD Education Coordinator, in a letter notifying Catharyn of her award. “The result was a thoughtful artistic response.”

As national second prize winner, Catharyn will receive $375 and a $375 gift to be designated in her name to a CCHD-funded project. “Focusing on this theme broadens their knowledge of the problem and helps them think about what they can do to make a difference in their community,”said Barbara Gronefeld, visual arts instructor at St. Cecilia Academy, of the poverty-themed project.

“It’s a real eye opener project for our students,” added Libby Goldammer, photography and art teacher at St. Cecilia Academy. “It makes the students evaluate things that they take for granted every day that many people don’t have. It challenges them to think about what they can do to help with the issues of poverty.”

Catharyn Gronefeld’s piece won first place at the regional level of the contest, which was held at St. Cecilia Academy. Last year SCA senior Claire Kitzmiller won the national first place prize in the same contest. Catharyn has also been invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Parents, please remember that because all student grades are now accessible online through PowerSchool, hard copies of midterm or quarter grades are not sent in the mail. At the end of each semester, hard copies of the report card will be mailed to your home.

Also, please note that PowerSchool will not be accessible from Monday, Oct. 15, until Thursday, Oct. 18. First quarter final grades can be viewed after this time. If you were not able to attend the informational sessions last spring and did not receive your PowerSchool password in the mail, please contact Carol Smallwood at 298-4525 ext. 390.

Finally, parent-teacher conferences are Oct 19. Please call Mrs. Denise Hayes at 298-4525 to schedule conferences with your daughter's teachers. Forms should have been e-mailed to you by Mrs. Hayes on Monday. If you did not receive a form, please call Mrs. Hayes.

The 16th annual Catholic College Fair at St. Cecilia Academy will be Monday, Oct. 1, 2007 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

This is a great chance to talk one-on-one with representatives and alumni from Catholic colleges across the country. All high school students and their parents are invited to attend. There is no charge to attend.

Some of the colleges planning to attend include: Aquinas College, Bellarmine University, Boston College, Christian Brothers University, Fordham University, Fontbonne University, John Carroll University, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, Ohio Dominican University, Providence College, St. Edwards University, St. John Fisher College, St. Louis University, St. Peters College, St. Francis University, Southern Catholic College, Spring Hill College, University of Dallas, University of Dayton, University of Notre Dame, University of St. Francis, Villanova University and Xavier University Ohio. St. Cecilia’s college counseling office is still working to confirm other colleges.

In addition to the Catholic College Fair, the week of October 1 - 5 will include college visits by such universities as Rhodes College, University of Georgia, George Mason University, Southern Methodist University, University of the South (Sewanee) and Wooster College. For a complete list of college representatives on the SCA campus, please see the College Visit page.

Sixty-one seniors graduated from St. Cecilia Academy in 2007 with $4.2 million in scholarships to colleges from coast to coast. The Class of 2007 earned an average of $68,600 in scholarships per student, the highest average per student in St. Cecilia Academy’s 147-year history. In addition, seven seniors from the Class of 2007 were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as finalists and commendees.

For more college counseling events, please see the College Counseling section of the website

St. Cecilia Academy welcomes several new teachers this year:

Jerry Landers, an experienced athletic director and basketball coach, is the new St. Cecilia Academy athletic director. Landers has a total of 21 years of experience as a teacher, coach and athletic director.

He spent eight years at Pioneer Christian Academy and Pleasant View Christian School and coached the girls at Pioneer to a state championship in basketball while there. He then served as basketball coach and athletic director at Tri-Cities Christian School in East Tennessee for 13 years, here he oversaw 20 programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education and is working toward his master’s degree in history.

Landers was chosen from a field of more than a dozen candidates interviewed by Sister Mary Thomas and Michael La Haie. They narrowed the field of candidates down and then invited a committee of coaches and parents in to help interview the final candidates and give input into making the final decision.

“I am excited to have Mr. Landers on board,” said Sister Mary Thomas. “He brings great experience in guiding young women to learn the life lessons that athletics can teach so well.”

Maggie Kyper signed on with SCA to coach volleyball this past spring. Now she will be full-time in August, teaching English and coaching volleyball. Many of you may remember her as Maggie Cornwall. She recently married, and she is looking forward to joining the faculty.

Denise Hayes will be the new administrative assistant at St. Cecilia Academy. She takes over the job as Betty Bader moves into her new position as director of enrollment management. Hayes is a St. Bernard alumna, and she has worked as an administrative assistant for about 20 years. Hayes will be in the front office along with Jean Stacey.

Dr. Karen Deal will be teaching anatomy and physiology. She is an M.D. who has been doing research at Vanderbilt. Her husband is a deacon at St. Matthews Church. She is taking Dr. Moody’s place as Dr. Moody has decided to stay home with her baby daughter, Tatum.

Sr. Julia Marie, O.P., is teaching natural history. Sister comes to us with teaching experience in high school chemistry.

Sr. Nicholas Marie, O.P., is team teaching Algebra I Honors with Mr. La Haie. Sister has a Ph.D. in mathematics.

St. Cecilia Academy has a proud tradition of offering high quality music instruction, with an enduring connection to the past. Private lessons are taught by a faculty of talented and dedicated professional educators in the wonderful facilities near the chorus room at SCA.

Lessons at St. Cecilia Academy are open to SCA and Overbrook Students as well as students from other schools. Lessons are offered during recess, lunch, study hall, and after school.

Please see the downloadable brochure for more information on new private music offerings this year at St. Cecilia.

St. Cecilia Academy’s Parents’ Night gives parents and teachers the opportunity to gather as a whole school community. You will have a chance to meet your daughter’s teachers and make a quick run through her daily class schedule.

In the beginning session, you will also hear about the many different aspects of life at St. Cecilia Academy. The Spirit Store will be open also.

Mark your calendars to attend this important evening. Also, please arrive early enough to get your daughter’s schedule before the program begins in the theater promptly at 7 p.m.

Parents have several options for purchasing textbooks for next school year. The first option is the Used Book Sale. You can get used textbooks and summer reading books at a discounted price and you help the St. Cecilia Parents' Association. The Used Book sale will take place at St. Cecilia on June 19, 20, and 21, July 31, August 1 and 2.

The second option for parents is to purchase all textbooks and workbooks at Barnes and Noble. Books for the courses will be available beginning August 1st and continuing through August 31st. The textbooks and workbooks are tax exempt at all times during the book sale, so please do not all try to come at once during the tax free weekend. You will be paying the same when you make your purchase at anytime during August as you would during the Tax Holiday.

If you are a Barnes & Noble Member, your discount on the textbooks has increased from last year. You now get 20% off the Hardcover and 10% off the Paperbacks. If you are not a Member, the Bookseller at the register can explain the program, sign you up and apply the discounts to your purchase. There is a $25 annual fee.

To avoid long waiting times, it is advised to call the store ahead of time, so the student's schedule can be pulled and all the appropriate books pulled and boxed for you. Keep in mind that regular customer traffic is very heavy on the weekend and during 11AM-2PM during the weekdays. This can increase your wait if you come during these times.

During the month of August all textbook sales and all personal purchases identified as St. Cecilia customers will have a percentage donated back to the school.

Your third option is to use the lists provided below in PDF format to buy books online. If you chose this option, please order early in the summer as it may take a while for the books to come in. Also make sure the ISBN numbers match exactly so your daughter will have the correct book.

Computer Textbooks
English Textbooks
Fine Arts / VAP Textbooks
History Textbooks
Math Textbooks
Religion Textbooks
Science Textbooks
World Languages Textbooks

Help the SCA Parents' Association and make a little money for yourself at the Used Uniform and Book Sale.

The Sale dates are June 19, 20, and 21, July 31, August 1 and 2 at St. Cecilia Academy. A portion of all proceeds goes to the Parents Association, directly benefiting SCA. Sellers will receive checks by mail for uniforms and books that are sold following the sale.

To volunteer or ask questions, call Wyeth Burgess 353-8316 (books) or Margaret Quigley 469-0231 (uniforms).

Sixty-one seniors graduated from St. Cecilia Academy Friday night with more than $4.1 million in scholarships to colleges from coast to coast. The Class of 2007 earned an average of $68,600 in scholarships per student, the highest average per student in St. Cecilia Academy’s 146-year history.

St. Cecilia Academy Class of 2007 College Choices

Elizabeth Ammarell: Vanderbilt University
Maggie Ashworth: Southern Methodist University
Emily Best: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Sarah Bilhartz: Texas A&M University
Megan Bingham: University of Denver
Lauren Bonau: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Caroline Brallier: University of Alabama
Kensie Burt: Miami of Ohio
Jessica Cardin: DePaul University
Karen Chaffin: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Eugenie Cheij: Franciscan University
Meghan Clarke: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Taylor Clay: Pepperdine University
Maggie Coakley: University of Mississippi
Meg Connolly: Loyola University of Chicago
Beth Cragon: Spring Hill College
Caroline Delaney: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Kelly Denison: Belmont University
Samantha Economos: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Holly Edwards: Rhodes College
Caitlin Ferguson: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Jenna Fisher: O’More College of Design
Sally Fisher: University of Richmond
Sara Francescon: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Stephanie Francis: Middle Tennessee State University
Lauren Gardella: University of Mississippi
Anna Geoghagan: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Jennifer Gianikas: University of Mississippi
Catie Granbery: Centre College
Stephanie Hall: University of Evansville
Mary Hancock: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Caroline Herrington: Miami of Ohio
Ashley Herrmann: University of Notre Dame
Meredith Jack: Lewis and Clark University
Tricia Jackson: Agnes Scott College
Claire Kitzmiller: University of Arkansas
Ali Koetters: DePaul University-Honors College
Liz Marchetti: University of Alabama
Claudia Marosz: University of Rochester
Caroline McNair: Sewanee—University of the South
Alex McNamara: Western Kentucky University
Christine Moore: Belmont University
Sarah Muller: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Ashley Parkes: University of Dallas
Kasi Phillips: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Lauren Phipps: University of Alabama
Rebekah Pykosh: Rhodes College
Taylor Quirk: Spring Hill College
Kate Reviere: Middle Tennessee State University
Emily Reyland: University of Alabama
Sally Schiller: Western Kentucky University
Emily Sledge: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Sarah McKay Strobel: Princeton University
Jennie Stumpf: Tulane University
Kyle Topping: Xavier University
Sloane Varallo: Columbia State Community College
Bridget Varley: University of Tennessee–Chattanooga
Graham Wesley: Xavier University
Samantha Wheatley: Boston College
Elizabeth Worley: Belmont University
Megan Young: Spring Hill College

Congratulations to the outstanding Class of 2007.

Students will begin exams Tuesday, May 29 at 8:30 a.m. for the Spring semester. Tuesday 8:30 a.m. exams are: all French (except French I), all German and all Spanish classes. Tuesday 11 a.m. exams are Religion 9, 10 and 11.

Wednesday begins with 8:30 a.m. exams for algebra I, algebra I H, geometry, precalculus, Faith and Culture Seminar and Asian studies. The 11 a.m. Wednesday exams are all Latin classes and French I.

Thursday morning exams are English 9, 10 and 11. Thursday 11 a.m. exams are world history, European history, U.S. history and modern U.S. history.

Friday, June 1, is the last day of exams. Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. the chemistry I, biology and physics 2 classes are taking exams. Friday at 11 a.m., algebra 2 and algebra 2 H students are taking exams.

St. Cecilia Academy is now accepting applications for its Administrative Assistant position. The administrative assistant serves as a main contact point for all St. Cecilia students, parents, and administrators. Candidates should support the Dominican mission of the school in daily life and business practices.

Candidates should possess the following skills:
• Word processing skills, familiarity with the Internet and email
• Ability to react judiciously in a fast-paced work environment, while maintaining a pleasant demeanor
• Experience in overall office coordination tasks including purchase orders, maintaining staff members’ calendars, record-keeping, answering phones, and other tasks as needed
• Discretion in dealing with student body and faculty issues
• Assisting with event planning for various departments
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Disciplined strong work ethic
• Commitment to the mission and values of St. Cecilia Academy

Send resume and cover letter to Betty Bader at baderb@stcecilia.edu

Yard signs are here! Please pick up from the main office.

Show all your neighbors how proud you are of your 2007 SCA graduate - order a yard sign for your front lawn! Signs are 18’x 24’ and are $15 each. They are being made by St. Cecilia parent Mark Robinson at All American Signs. Visit his site at www.allamericansign.net.

Deadline to order signs is May 4. Please send your order and payment to the front office marked Senior Yard Signs. Signs will be delivered to SCA for pick up. Watch the e-newsletter for deliver and pick up dates.

Please note: This is not a fund-raiser, just a way to spread Scarab pride!

Click here to download the order form

The St. Cecilia Academy Choir is actively rehearsing in preparation for a planned concert tour to Italy in June 2007. The singers, under the direction of Jeanette MacCallum, were invited to perform along with the Carondolet Women’s Chorus of St. Louis at the Ospedale della Pietà and the Ospedale dei Derelitti in Venice. The choir’s tour repertoire consists entirely of music from the Venetian ospedali tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Carondolet Women’s Chorus is directed by Dr. Joan Whittemore, world renowned scholar of the ospedali. There will be a local concert of the tour program the week the group departs for Venice. This is the only chance to hear this concert program in Nashville.

The concert is Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3900 West End Avenue (just a block away from SCA’s campus). All SCA choirs will perform on this program. In addition, the Italy program will be performed, with a chamber orchestra which includes Tricia Jackson (Class of 2007), and SCA violin teachers Deidre Bacco, Toni Ferguson and Sherry Francis Meredith.

As choral director at St. Cecilia Academy, Mrs. MacCallum has a practical interest in choral repertoire originally written for women’s choir. “In June 2003, I began researching the vast repertoire of sacred choral music written by composers of the Venetian ospedali tradition. I soon discovered a wealth of music, much of it originally conceived with the unique timbre of women’s voices in mind,” MacCallum says.

What she soon discovered was the more than 300 composers associated with the ospedali and the existence of over 4,000 manuscripts from three centuries. Though some of this music has been lost, a great deal of it remains in archival form and a surprising number of modern editions are available. With the present interest in women’s choir repertoire, the ospedali works are enjoying a revival and a number of scholarly editions are emerging.

Senior Caroline McNair plans to major in psychology when she begins college in the fall, but she thought this semester she’d just make sure. That’s why she dual enrolled in a general psychology class at Aquinas College on The Dominican Campus.

“I took the class to see if I liked it before I declared my major and it will give me a head start,” Caroline said. “It’s really fun. The professor is nice and the other students think it is neat that I’m still in high school.”

Caroline stays on campus one night a week for her Aquinas class from 5:30 to 8 p.m. She said it has not been too hard to manage the class together with her SCA work load. But it will help her when she gets to Sewanee - The University of the South in the fall.

St. Cecilia and Aquinas College are offering the following courses to SCA students in Fall 2007:

• ECO 220 Microeconomics
• LAT 111 Elementary Latin 1
• SPA 111 Elementary Spanish 1
• HIS 111 Western Civilization 1
• PSY 115 General Psychology
• SOC 210 Intro to Sociology

If you are interested, please see Sister Mary Diana. Spring selections will be determined when the spring schedule comes out, probably in October or November.

St. Cecilia Academy studentshave been traveling to the Green River in Utah since 1990. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience an environment completely different from that of Middle Tennessee.

The Green River is located in southeastern Utah and is a desert environment. The students will learn camping skills, rafting skills, and the natural history of the Green River. The trip is fully guided by licensed guides that have been with SCA since the first trip in 1990. The chaperones are Teresa Marchetti and Debi Whitaker.

Itinerary:

July 2 - leave Nashville at 2:40 p.m.
Arrive in Salt Lake City at 8:15 p.m.
July 3 - leave Salt Lake City for Sand Wash on the Green River
July 7 - return to Salt Lake City
July 8 - leave Salt Lake City at 10:45 a.m.
Arrive in Nashville at 6:15 p.m.

Flights to and from Nashville are on Frontier Airlines

Cost: $1,560 – this includes all airfare, lodging in Salt Lake City and the fee to Canyon River Co.

Payment Schedule: $100 deposit to Caldwell Travel by April 24, $975 to Canyon River by May 28 and $485 to Caldwell Travel (remainder of airfare and lodging) by June 6.

To reserve a space, fill out the form below and send a deposit of $200 by April 20th to the main office at SCA. Make checks payable to "Caldwell Travel". The trip is limited to 15 students and will be filled on a first come first served basis.

Download the form here

Junior Kylie Long was elected Student Council president for the 2007-2008 school year last week. She will serve with Vice President Liz Dedman, Secretary Shellie Farris, and Treasurer Sarah Brewer as leaders of the school next year.

Gina Thompson was elected Class of 2008 president. Other senior class leaders next year will be Vice President Mia Yabut, Secretary Millie Goodwin, Treasurer Clayton Kelly, and Student Council Rep. Anna Claire Hoffman.

Anne Clair Hamilton was elected Class of 2009 president. Other junior class leaders next year will be Vice President Miranda McDonald, Secretary Emily Edwards, Treasurer Hadiya Housepian, Student Council Rep. Andrea Wheatley, and Parliamentarian Elizabeth Leftwich.

Kendall Kelly was elected Class of 2010 president. Other sophomore class leaders next year will be Vice President Annie Shepherd, Secretary Caitlin Heflin, Treasurer Sara Hartman, Student Council Rep. Mary Crum, and Parliamentarian Niki Theobald.

Let us know what you’d like to do to volunteer next year. Plans are underway for parent volunteer placements for next year. The Parents’ Association would like to offer parents an opportunity to self-nominate themselves for volunteer jobs.

Jobs to consider are: class room coordinator, songwriter's auction, spirit store, musical/ drama gala, Parents' Association Board, used uniform and book sale, teacher appreciation luncheon — the list goes on and on! For a complete listing, check out the Student Handbook under the Parents' Association section.

Please send your name, phone number, the job you would like to volunteer for and any special talents you have that are needed at SCA to:
Kim Davis, 412 Westview Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205
or email your interest to berlydavis@hotmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sister Mary Thomas was excited to announce that St. Cecilia Academy has identified the school’s new Director of Enrollment Management. Betty Bader will serve as our Director of Enrollment Management beginning in late June.

Sister was very pleased with the response of over 40 resumes for the position. After a thorough interview process, she is confident Betty will take up the reins of the admissions office and continue with the present momentum.

Betty began work in admissions immediately by attending a national admissions conference last week in Boston. Sister will fill her former administrative assistance position in the next month or so.

Frau Deanna Kendall recently hosted an event for the Tennessee Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German called Frühlingsfest. It is an annual academic German festival for German learners in the 9-12 grades in the state.

Frühlingsfest was held at MTSU. Seven schools attended with about 80 students participating. SCA had great fun and Frau would like to recognize the girls in German and German Club for their help and participation in the festival.

In addition, congratulations to the following SCA students on their Frühlingsfest Awards:

• Theresa Gerbic, first place in Drawing
• Erin Carden, second place in Cartoon Art
• Laura Davis, first place in Level III Dictation, first place in Level III Listening Comprehension, and second place in Level III Extemporaneous Speaking
• Sarah Camplese, third place in Level III Dictation
• Susan Rahimi, first place in Level III Poetry Declamation

Twenty-eight St. Cecilia Academy students participated in the 58th annual American Mathematics Contest 12 and the 8th annual American Mathematics Contest 10 recently. The purpose of the contest is to spur interest in mathematics and develop talent through the excitement of friendly competition at problem solving in a timed format.

Senior Sally Fisher was the top scorer for SCA on the 12A exam with Graham Wesley and Ashley Herrmann finishing as the number two and three team high scorers. Senior Elizabeth Ammarell was the top scorer and bronze medal winner for the 12B exam with Graham Wesley and Sally Fisher as number two and three team high scorers. Freshman Amelia Simms was the winner for both the 10A and 10B exams at SCA.

In addition to encouraging girls to participate in the math team events, the math teachers gathered for a day-long workshop yesterday at school to look at curriculum and effective teaching practices.

The SCA Forensics team has had a busy season. The team placed sixth out of 29 schools at the Smoky Mountain Invitational Tournament and had three semifinalists in the NFL District Qualifiers and a duo team as alternates for Nationals.

The individual event winners in the Smoky Mountain Invitational Tournament were: Quarter finalists Brandy Luna and Caroline McNair for duo interpretation and Jennie Stumpf for after dinner speaking.

Semifinalists Meaghan Colvin and Maggie Hughes, and Alex McNamara and Marissa Parkes for duo interpretation; Meaghan Colvin for humorous interpretation and after dinner speaking; Jennie Stumpf for prose; Caroline Herrington for persuasion; Marissa Parkes for program and informative; and Leah Moran for informative.

Finalists Meaghan Colvin, fifth place for prose; Jennie Stumpf, fifth place for program; Marissa Parkes, fourth place for dramatic interpretation; and Caroline McNair, fifth place for informative.

In the NFL District Qualifiers Alex McNamara and Marissa Parkes are alternates for duo interpretation for Nationals in Wichita, Kansas while Meaghan Colvin made it to the semifinals for humorous interpretation, Caroline McNair made it to the semifinals for original oratory and Marissa Parkes made it to the semifinals for dramatic interpretation at the tournament at Brentwood High School.

On Feb 22, the Chemistry Honors students (freshmen and juniors) attended Demomania at MTSU. This was a morning of chemistry demonstrations for high school students put on by the university students who are part of the chemistry club.

The students who attended learned about the chemistry involved in dying jeans, green chemistry(environmentally friendly approach to experiments), and blowing up methane in a cloud of soap, among other things. The students were able to tour the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) lab, a special instrument used to identify the structure of compounds.

“I thought that the green chemistry demos were cool because they showed how you can do one thing using environmentally friendly ingredients and get the same, if not better, results,” said Caitlin Helflin, who is in Sister Mary Albert’s chemistry I honors class.

“We got to see a variety of chemical experiments in fun and exciting ways,” said Teresa Linehan, from the chemistry honors class. “It was neat to get to see how blue jeans are dyed. I never knew that they actually started out yellow and that oxygen turns them blue!”

St. Cecilia Academy had three first place finishes in the 2007 Regional Science Olympiad Competition held recently. Placing in 18 our of 21 events, St. Cecilia Academy won the second place trophy and qualified for state.

The results are:
First place for Maryam Yoon and Liz Dedman in entomology; Christine Moore and Gaby Cheij in food science; and Amanda Bobinger and Kendhl Witt in robot.

Second place for Maryam Yoon and Andrea Wheatley for genes; Ashley Herrmann and Liz Dedman for forensics; Amanda Bobinger and Liz Dedman in oceanography; Hadiya Housepian and Kendhl Witt in rocks and minerals; Kylie Long and Hadiya Housepian in remote sensing of Mars; Gaby Cheij and Caliopi Anderson in scrambler; Eugenie Cheij and Ashley Herrmann in sounds of music; Claudia Marosz and Christine Moore in five star science and Rebekah Pykosh and Sally Fisher in health science.

Third place for Sally Fisher and Kylie Long for boomilever; Eugenie Cheij and Ashley Herrmann for chemistry lab; Rebekah Pykosh and Claudia Marosz for circuits lab, Eugenie Cheij and Claudia Marosz for ecology; Kendhl Witt, Andrea Wheatley and Liz Dedman for experimental design; and Claudia Marosz and Ashley Herrmann for Wright stuff airplane.

Congratulations to the entire team.

Parents will have one more opportunity to attend the Powerschool Orientation. If you have not already done so, please attend the last Powerschool meeting on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 pm. The meeting is located in the Lecture Hall.

One of the goals of our strategic plan is to improve effective forms of communication among St. Cecilia faculty and staff, students, and parents. In the next six weeks, we are taking two steps toward that goal: making grade and attendance information available on-line to parents as well as making it possible for parents to contact faculty through an email form online. It is our desire to accomplish this for all of you by the first week of April. This will mean that for the majority of you, the third quarter report card will be the last hardcopy report card sent.

We hope to take this large step forward together as a community. Therefore, we ask for one hour of your time so that we can share with at least one parent in person the information about PowerSchool, its benefits, and suggestions for how your daughter can use the information well. To make this as accommodating as possible we have set up six times on a variety of days throughout the next six weeks when you can come for the orientation sessions.

• Thursday, 3/15 at 7:00 am and 12:00 noon - 12:00 meeting has been cancelled due to Chip Dobbs' funeral
• Tuesday, 3/27 at 6:30 pm
• Monday, 4/2 at 12:00 pm and 3:15 pm
• Wednesday, 4/4 at 6:15 pm

We will be meeting with your daughter at a separate time, so only parents need attend the sessions described here.

Please call Mary Ruth Castelli at 615.298.4525 ext. 381 if you have questions.

There will be a Brown Bag Lunch II on Tuesday, April 17 from 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. in Alumnae Hall. The speaker is Mr. Jim Schleicher. He is a licensed marital and family therapist. He will speak on "Entitlement.”

Mr. Schleicher is a fabulous speaker, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Everyone should bring a sack lunch and drinks. Dessert will be provided. Mr. Schleicher will speak for 30-45 minutes and then there will be a Q&A session.

German exchange students will be arriving in Nashville on April 6 and will be visiting until April 23. SCA is hosting seven girls this year. This year's German chaperones are the same as last year's: Alexandra Simmerer and Ingrid Mueller-Schlick. Both are teachers at the IGS Obere-Aar Gesamtschule in Taunusstein (outside of Wiesbaden). Alex teaches English and History and Ingrid teaches English and Math. They will be visiting some of SCA’s classes while they are here.

Registrar Mary Ruth Castelli will be hosting both Alex and Ingrid again this year. Seven SCA students are hosting the German students. The students will be going to class with SCA girls as they are here to experience the U.S. school educational system. They might even participate in a few quizzes and on homework assignments.

The SCA student hosts and their exchange students are: Erin Carden hosting Karin, Sarah Camplese hosting Sophie, Colleen Sheehan hosting Leonie, Laura Davis hosting Vanessa, Emily Fredericksen hosting Bella, Sarah McKay Strobel hosting Ida, and Caliopi Anderson hosting Xenia.

The Whaley Softball Classic will be played on Saturday, March 10, 2007. For those of you who do not know, Megan Whaley was a stand out student-athlete at St. Cecilia Academy. Megan was killed in a car accident in the spring of her sophomore year. The Whaley Softball Classic is an event to remember and honor Megan and her family.

All proceeds, after expenses, go to the Megan Whaley Foundation and these proceeds are then used to provide scholarship money for a St. Cecilia Academy student.

Schedule for March 10, 2007

Time	Teams	Site
9:00 a.m.	St. Cecilia vs. USN	SCA Field
10:30 a.m.	Middle TN Christian vs. Nash. Christian	SCA Field
10:30 a.m.	Pioneer Christian vs. Ensworth	Aquinas Field
12:00 p.m.	Nash. Christian vs. St. Cecilia	SCA field
12:00 p.m.	Ensworth vs. USN	Aquinas Field
1:30 p.m.	Middle TN Christian vs. St. Cecilia	SCA Field
1:30 p.m.	Pioneer Christian vs. USN	Aquinas Field
3:00 p.m.	Middle TN Christian vs. Pioneer Christian	SCA Field
3:00 p.m.	Nash. Christian vs. Ensworth	Aquinas Field

The SCA Field is located on the west side of Aquinas College and sits next to the St. Thomas Hospital parking garage. The Aquinas Field is located next to the Aquinas library. There is a central parking area that will accommodate access to both field sites.

Volunteers are welcome and needed for concessions at the Aquinas field and the admissions gate to be located near the White House. Please contact Coach Archie at 615.298.4525 for more information.

The SCA Curriculum Guide 2007-2008 will be distributed to the students Friday, which is course recommendation day. The guide will assist your daughter in planning her course of study for the coming year. It includes course descriptions as well as other information to help her choose courses for next year.

It is important for you and your daughter to familiarize yourself with the information in this book. You and your daughter should understand the sequence of courses she needs to take to fulfill graduation requirements. You will also want to read the course descriptions, especially those for the elective courses.

The timeline for course scheduling is useful in letting your daughter know how much time she will have to narrow down her choices for next year. During these next weeks, be sure to discuss the course options with your daughter and make sure she talks with her teachers and advisor, as well as with students who may already be taking the courses she is interested in.

Of course, she will be meeting with Mr. Chad Sheridan in the guidance office to plan out her schedule for next year. With him, she will complete a course request form, which will be approved by you and will then be used to schedule classes.

While she may not get all of her first choice electives, the class schedule at St. Cecilia Academy is built specifically around the students’ course requests. Advanced Placement course requests are given top priority in the scheduling process. Honors sections and core courses are equally important. Not all electives published in the curriculum guide will necessarily be given in the 2007-2008 academic year. Ultimately the electives selected will depend upon student interest. However, we do attempt to maximize the chance that every student will have exactly the schedule that she requests.

College Guidance Counselor Chad Sheridan is meeting with students starting this week.

St. Cecilia will be celebrating Catholic Schools week with the following activities:
Monday, Jan. 29 – All School Mass with the Rev. Mark Hunt, parents are invited to join us
Tuesday, Jan. 30 – Teacher Appreciation Luncheon and Junior Ring Mass, 5:45 p.m. at the Motherhouse
Wednesday, Jan. 31 – Student Appreciation with Spirit Day out of uniform, treats at break and Pep Rally
Thursday, Feb. 1– Dominican Day with out of uniform wearing black and white (no habits, please)
Friday, Feb. 2 – Eucharistic Adoration in Religion Classes
Daily Trivia on morning announcements with prizes awarded each day.

This year’s dinner will be hosted by Chappy's and it promises to be a wonderful meal. The menu is as follows: fresh spring mix tossed in Chappy's Creole Vinaigrette and his garlic croutons, Chateaubriant, filet of bouef a la sauce béarnaise and marchand du vin, potatoes au gratin, haricots vert almondine, Chappy's freshly baked bread with his signature butters: garlic herb, strawberry and smoked alligator. Dessert la maison include: red "Sails in the Sunset" velvet cake with cream cheese icing, "Thrill on Blueberry Hill" gateau, and southern chocolate decadence with chocolate glace. All with Louisanne coffee and Chicory Au Lait.

The auction will also feature some exciting items. A few of the highlights include: a signed guitar by Vince Gill; a graduation package complete with front row seats, a hotel room at the Hampton Inn Suites for out of town guests, flowers by Ilex, a color photographic sitting and 8 by 10 candid portrait, a cake of your choice from Leland Riggins, a basket of stationery for all those thank you notes, a cut, color and highlight from Alchemy Salon and lots more; an oriental rug from Bradford's; a Titan's suite; a silver necklace from Tiffany's; and the list goes on and on.

There are extra invites in the school office if anyone needs them. Remember to make reservations to sit at your class tables. The party begins at 6:30!

An information meeting for parents on SCA's Advanced Placement and Honors courses will be Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the theater and theater foyer. If you think your daughter would benefit from taking AP or Honors classes, please be at this meeting to find out more information.

The evening will begin with a 30 minute presentation in the theater, followed by time for you to meet the AP and Honors teachers individually in the theatre foyer.

For more information, please contact Chad Sheridan at (615) 298-4525.

Attention junior and senior parents, College Financial Aid Night is coming up soon: Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.

Sammie Huffmon, program coordinator with the Office of Financial Aid at Vanderbilt University, will be at St. Cecilia to talk about the entire College Financial Aid process. We are inviting junior and senior parents along with their students to come and hear about financial aid and the opportunities that go along with it. This is a very informative session so please plan on attending if possible.

Please RSVP to Mr. Sheridan at 298-4525 or email him at sheridanc@stcecilia.edu if you are coming.

We have just completed a full weekend of Middle Tennessee Vocal Association auditions for Freshman Honors, Mid-State and All-State Choirs in Tennessee. The auditions were held at SCA this year, with over 1000 students from the Middle Tennessee area auditioning.

St. Cecilia had 12 freshman and 11 sophomores, juniors and seniors audition for the choirs. The following students from SCA qualified for one or more of the MTVA Choirs:

Freshman Honors Choir

• Katelyn Miller
  
• Elaine Davis
• Eliza Nagle
• Lexy Rowe
• Rosie Smith
• Katie Hobbs
• Catherine Louk
• Ellie Vaughn

Mid-State Choir

• Catie Granbery
• Allison Osborne
• Annabelle Absar
• Julia Hall
• Andrea Wheatley
• Emily Fredricksen
• Brandy Luna
• Sarah McKay Strobel

All-State Choir

• Catie Granbery
• Annabelle Absar
• Emily Fredricksen (alternate)
• Allison Osborne
• Julia Hall

Considering the competitiveness of these auditions and the size of our school and choral program, these are truly amazing results!

By Susan Sherlock, Admissions Director
The Admissions office has been very busy this fall having hosted many new events and activities to introduce prospective students and parents to St. Cecilia Academy as the premiere high school choice for their daughter. Some of the new events included hosting a “lunch and learn” at SCA for prospective parents, along with having some evening receptions at current SCA families’ homes for the parents of the grade school 8th grade girls that SCA family attended. These receptions were well-attended and proved to be a great way for new families to learn more about St. Cecilia.

It is evident that the increased number of events and marketing scope is paying off. The open house held earlier this month had over 175 individuals present; the number of applications received to date this year over last is more than double, and there have already been 12 prospective students here to shadow a current student on top of the 8th grade organized school shadow visits. Thank you to all the SCA families who have helped us in this process.

The senior class will be hosting the Winter Formal, "Baby, It's Cold Outside", this Saturday, December 2nd from 8-11 pm in Alumnae Hall. Tickets will go on sale for $8 individual tickets and $12 couple tickets. Everyone is encouraged to come out and dance the night away with friends. The Winter Formal court will be announced at 9:30 pm. For more information, please contact Amie Pike at 298-4525 ext. 331.

After opening weekend of Beauty and the Beast, Director Cathie Correia Stamps, SCA drama teacher, drove to Memphis to accept the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Hubert Smothers Award for Excellence in Teaching award.

This award, given every other year at the conference, honors select educators who have demonstrated excellence in the teaching profession. Recipients are nominated to a TAIS selection committee by a member of their school administration. Each recipient of the 2006 Smothers Award has not only shown commitment to their school, but also an outstanding record of sharing their expertise and passion with the community at large.

The award came at a time when Stamps’ work was so excellently being acted out on the stage in such a grand manner at SCA. Congratulations Mrs. Stamps!

St. Cecilia Day, one of St. Cecilia Academy’s most beloved traditions, is set for Friday, November 17, beginning at 9 a.m. in the theatre with Mass.

This year the schedule has been changed so that the fine arts presentation will take place immediately following Mass. Then after both events in the threatre, mothers and daughters will move to the gym for the tea and fellowship. Please make plans to attend this once-a-year event.

Governor’s School is a state program for sophomores and juniors for five weeks in the summer. The students get the opportunity to stay at a college and learn about a program of study in many different areas. The areas available are: Agricultural Sciences, Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Information Technology, Leadership, International Studies, Prospective Teachers, Sciences and Scientific Exploration of Tennessee Heritage.

There is an application process and the deadline is Dec. 1. This is a great program and a fantastic opportunity for these students. Parents, please encourage your sophomore or junior to apply for this.

You can go to their website at http://state.tn.us/education/govschools/ to find out more about this program and download an application. Please see Mr. Sheridan if you are interested in applying by Nov. 21 at the latest.

Seventeen SCA math students took part in the National Assessment Testing Contest last Thursday after school. The contest consisted of 100 free response questions covering topics from arithmetic to calculus, including puzzle style problems, to be completed in 30 minutes.

SCA students used their organizational and collaborative skills as well as their knowledge in mathematics to work together as a team and submit one answer sheet from St. Cecilia Academy. Go SCA Math!

The National Honor Society is hosting a Barnes and Noble Book Fair. Make sure to stop by the Cool Springs Barnes and Noble from Nov. 13-19 to enjoy 25% off on Christmas gifts. The proceeds fund the SCA National Honor Society Book Scholarship program.

Please print off the voucher located in the weekly parent newsletter here and present at the time of purchase. Please mention St. Cecilia so SCA receives the credit.

SCA now has new front license plates for sale. The plates, which feature the school logo, are $3 each. Parents can call or email Susan Sherlock to purchase one at 298-4525 or sherlocks@stcecilia.edu.

In light of recent school violence across the country, St. Cecilia Academy continues to practice safety when it comes to visitors in the school. Everyone, including parents, must come to the main office and sign in and get a visitor sticker to wear. This is in accordance with our regular policy, but also to reaffirm this policy in light of the school shootings and violence against girls in recent weeks.

Each morning after prayers, Dean of Students Michael LaHaie makes a round of the building to make sure all external doors are unpropped, locked, etc. Students are asked not to prop doors open and to help us ensure that all visitors have a visitor's badge. Likewise, if a faculty or staff member sees a visitor in the building without a visitor's badge, they will now ask them to come to the office to sign in and get a visitor's badge.

Administrators discussed safety from a campus wide perspective at the last Campus Administrator's meeting and decided that as a campus we need to wear the identification badges somewhere visibly on our person. Overbrook, Aquinas, and the White House have already had this practice for at least a year. St. Cecilia faculty and staff will now begin this practice.

Your daughter’s safety is one of our most important jobs and we take that responsibility seriously. We thank you for helping us make the campus and the school a safe place for your daughter to be every day.

Click here for the schedule of the Fall 2006 Dominican Campus Lecture Series. These events are all free of charge. If you have any questions or would like to enroll, please contact us at 383-3230 or rsvp@dominicancampus.org.

The St. Cecilia Academy Parents’ Association meets monthly on the second Wednesday of each month at noon in the SCA Board Room, located in the main office.

All parents, event chairman and room coordinators are encouraged to attend the meetings. Being involved is a great way to support your daughter at SCA. For each meeting, please feel free to bring your lunch.

Meeting Dates for 2006:
October 11
November 8
December 13

St. Cecilia Academy seniors Elizabeth Ammarell, Sally Fisher and Ashley Parkes, were named National Merit Semifinalists last Wednesday by officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their high scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors are named semifinalist.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33 million, that will be offered this spring. Commended Scholars from the program will be named later this fall.

Ammarell is a member of the St. Cecilia Math Team and scored on the national level on last spring’s National Math Exam and National Spanish Exam. Fisher is the vice president of the SCA French Club and achieved a perfect score in the math section of the PSAT. Parkes is the president of the SCA Art Club and achieved a perfect score in the writing section of the PSAT.

The National Merit Scholarship Program announced this week that the St. Cecilia Academy Commended Scholars for the 2007 National Merit Program are: Ashley Herrmann, Sarah McKay Strobel, Graham Wesley and Samantha Wheatley.

Interim 2007 is just 16 weeks away — January 2-5, 8-9, 2007. An exciting part of the SCA Interim Program is the opportunity for juniors and seniors to intern with a member of the greater Nashville community.

If you would like to host an intern for these six days in January 2007, please contact Michael La Haie, SCA Dean of Student Affairs and Interim Coordinator. We will work to match a student who has interests in your field of expertise. No company is too large or too small. Please help us to make this part of the SCA experience a week to remember.

Also, parents, if you are interested in teaching a class, we would welcome your ideas and expertise. The class will be six days for 80 minutes a day. If you are interested or have an idea, send it to Interim@stcecilia.edu.

Aquinas College will be hosting a benefit dinner on Tuesday, November 14 at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. The featured performer will be Dr. Ronan Tynan, known to many as one of the three world famous Irish Tenors. Hear his incredible story and powerful voice as Nashville comes together to benefit Aquinas College.

For more information on Dr. Tynan and the benefit dinner, please click here or call Molly Sullivan at (615) 383-3230, ext. 538 or email Molly at sullivanm@dominicancampus.org.

St. Cecilia Academy Players present Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This musical will run November 3 - 5 and November 10 - 12. The opening night gala is Friday, November 3 at 8:00. Enjoy reserved seating and an afterglow party with the cast. Refreshments and hors d'oeures will be served.

Due to the popularity of Beauty and the Beast, we encourage you to purchase tickets in advance. Please fill out the ticket order form. You may order by mail or by phone at (615) 298-4525 from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. You can also order through a cast or crew member or purchase in the theatre foyer prior to each performance. Thank you for your support!

The first deposit of $250 is due this week and should be made payable to SCA and given to Mrs. Jeanette MacCallum. This deposit secures a space on the trip and is non-refundable. Any parents or other family members planning to participate should also make the same deposit.

Cancellation insurance is available for the trip at a small cost. Please contact Mrs. MacCallum for additional information. If any parents are interested in possibly serving as a chaperone on the trip, they should contact Mrs. MacCallum as soon as possible. There will be more information to come about the trip in upcoming newsletters.

St. Cecilia students may never forget the 50th reunion of Rydell High skit that the faculty put on for them Friday. In fact, the entire week was filled with memories from the palatable excitement at the pep rally to the week-ending homecoming. Thanks goes to Mrs. Cathie Stamps for organizing the skit, which brought the girls to their feet in the theatre Friday, and a special thanks to Miss Amie Montgomery for organizing all of Spirit Week so well.

As I watched the students stand and cheer each other on at the talent show and the games Friday night, I knew that somewhere during the week they had internalized some sense of the Cecilian Spirit that goes beyond spirit points, costumes, and penny wars. Thank you also to all who stayed Friday evening to help with the booths or to cheer our teams. That always makes a large statement to the students.

-Sister Mary Thomas O.P.

The SCArab spirit was high as we celebrated Spirit Week. The week was highlighted by daily dress up themes which included sports fan day, tacky day, twin day, class theme day, and red/white day. Prizes and spirit points were awarded daily. The hallways were decorate for eac