Presentation of Mary Academy  ePathways 

February 2016
PMA Friends and Family,

In this edition of ePathways you will see what PMA students and staff have been up to this past month.  We celebrated Grandparent's Day, Catholic Schools Week with and the Feast Day of Blessed Anne Marie Rivier.   Sr. Aline's art classes worked on some creative projects, and Interact held their annual Valentine's Dance at the Methuen Senior Center.
Also, the class of 2020 received their acceptances and joined us for Accepted Students Night.   You will read all about it below...we hope you enjoy.  

PMA Today
Congratulations Class of 2020
On February 11, PMA hosted an Accepted Students Night to welcome our future PMA Panthers, class of 2020.  It was a great night as incoming students and  parents filled the bleachers of the Dupre Center.

Incoming families had the opportunity to speak to PMA students, teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, and staff to understand all there is to know about PMA as high school decision time is fast approaching.

Two current freshmen, Nathalie Garcia and Zachary Robinson,  spoke about their first year at PMA providing these families with some insight.  

Nathalie spoke about why she chose PMA:
I came from Lawrence Catholic Academy where we had a graduating class of 50 students. I loved how close knit everyone was and no matter how cheesy, it sounds we really did think of ourselves as a family. That's what I loved about LCA. 

That's the number one reason I chose PMA. Relationships are really important to me, but not necessarily being friends with a lot of people as much as knowing my friends and classmates well. When I shadowed, I saw that here at PMA and that's when I knew I wanted to be a part of it. People actually know each other here. There's nothing like being a part of a family. 

Zachary also spoke about why he chose PMA as his high school:
Attending a large, public school for 9 years I never felt like I really fit in.   At PMA it's totally different; here I feel welcome.  Last year, when I came for a shadow day  I felt embraced as part of the community almost immediately. It made my choice to come here an easy one, because after that day my mind was made up.

The beginning of this year, I found the classes to be challenging yet rewarding at the same time.  I made lots of close friends and developed great relationships with teachers.  I could not be more happy with my choice and to attend PMA.
Marie Rivier Awards
The Mother Rivier Awards are special to the PMA community because they are awards given to the students by their peers.  Classmates nominate who they feel exemplify characteristics of Marie Rivier, the woman Apostle who founded the order of the Sisters of Presentation of Mary.  

The students were nomi nated in the following four categories:

Compassion and Service: This student is willing to help and be attentive to the needs of others. 

Perseverance:  This student has shown perseverance in the face of difficulties and has been an inspiration to others.

Zeal: This student strives to live what PMA is all about, learning, excellence, service, and pride in our school.

Faith and Prayer: This student helps others by the way he/she lives his or her Faith and relies on God.

Compassion and Service: Shannon Whinery, '19, Darlenn Castro, '18, Isis Diaz, '17, and Caroline Ferrari, '16.
Perseverance : Brian Whinery, '16, Morgan Cortnoir, '17, Shakira Henriquez, '18, Caroline Hamilton, '19, Arthur Jia, '18
Zeal: Samantha Boksanski, '16, Sean Toomey, '17, Zoe Henderson, '18, and Sophia Bellia, '19.
Faith and Prayer: Greg Blomgren, '18, Michael Walsh, '16, Brady Quinn, '19, Marisa George, '17, and Angela Walukevich, '17.
  
     



Mrs. Rita Lucey,   head of the 
science department, 
was  honored with the 
Outstanding Educator A ward 
at the ceremony.  
She is celebrating 25 years of service 
to PMA this year.
Grandparents Day
Grandparents are an  important  part of our lives.  They shape who we are and the people we become.  On February 3, PMA held our annual Grandparents Day with a special Mass, dedicated to grandparents, or special  individuals,  in the lives of our students. 


     



     



     




Sports
Sharp Shooter: Samantha Boksanski, '16
Senior, Samantha Boksanski entered and won a shooting contest during halftime at a Merrimack College basketball game on Saturday, January 23.

She entered just for fun but after making a lay-up, a foul shot and a 3-point shot she ended up winning a gift-card to Palmers Restaurant in Andover.

Sam was also named  one of the Lawrence Eagle Tribunes Unsung Heroes, a section dedicated to " Saluting the overachievers, the quiet leaders and the often overlooked athletes in local high school sports."  Way to go Sam!

The link below will direct you to the entire article.  
http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/saluting-our-area-s-unsung-heroes/image_e2eede7e-9052-5fbb-a596-ff33961a6498.html
Unsung Hero: Michael Walsh, '16
Senior, Michael Walsh was also recognized as an Unsung Hero by the Eagle Tribune.   Michael is a co-captain of the Boys Basketball team and he also plays on the soccer team.

It seems that Michael is a sports lover because his family has been season ticket holders for UMass Lowell Hockey for the past 14 years.  

Boys basketball Coach Chad Pfeil described Michael by saying "His work ethic and willingness to put the needs of the team before his have made him a role model within the program."

The link below will direct you to the complete article.  
http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/saluting-our-area-s-unsung-heroes/article_815a01ad-f51e-5bb1-99e6-3b53bcac0b90.html
Giving Back: JV Girls Basketball Team
On February 10, six girls from the JV Basketball team and their coach, Patrick Costello, volunteered at Cor Unum in Lawrence.

 The girls took an active role in serving food and drinks to those in need. They did a terrific job in partnering with other adult volunteers to make the experience a positive one for all who came to eat dinner that night. The girls had a chance to interact with those less fortunate and also got to hear from other volunteers who have been supporting this cause for years. Those who came to eat on this day included families with children, senior citizens, and even some homeless. Coach Costello said, "It was a great opportunity for them to see the unselfishness of many individuals who dedicate time out of their busy schedules to give back to their community in a small way. Many of the volunteers, with whom we interacted, have been coming to this facility 
for years. The girls got to see first hand how these volunteers are having an impact on other people's lives."

After completing their volunteer time at Cor Unum, the team stopped by Orange Leaf  at the Loop t o en joy some frozen yogurt. 


Art Projects
Story on a Door
Art tells a story in a single picture.  For Sr. Aline's art classes, they enjoy expressing their art through different mediums, such as clay, paintings, sketches, drawings and more. 

A project the Art Club is working on is decorating the art building.  They are painting the "blah" green doors to brighten up the building.  The works of art will leave a legacy for many years to come.

Around the World in a Midterm
Sr. Aline's Studio Art class mid-term project was to create a simple symbol to illustrate a country.  Here are some examples of what the class produced.


                             India: Patrich Roque
Poland : Eric Tang
        

England : Jackie Stone
Ireland: Jordan Lena
Dominican Republic: Edwin Robles

Japan: Mari Arima
Italy: Chole Broadhurst
China: Joanna Long
      
Chinese New Year
Monday, February 8 marked Chinese New Year for the 2016 calendar. Chinese New Year, also known as The Spring Festival, is one of the most significant traditions in China.  It is a tradition that is many centuries old and holds many historical myths and customs for each region.  

On Friday, February 13, while many at PMA were wearing red for Valentine's Day, several students dressed in traditional, red garments to share their culture and celebrate Chinese New Year with their PMA family. For this holiday, red symbolizes happiness, luck, good fortune and wealth. They looked amazing and we are grateful for the education into their customs and traditions.  

   
Quick Pics
Interact Valentine's Day Dance
Interact Club at Presentation of Mary Academy sponsored its 14th Annual Senior Citizen Valentine Dance at the Methuen Senior Center on Thursday, February 11.
 
PMA students donate the food,  Connie Doto, from the Methuen Rotary sponsored the DJ Jimmy Carter, who donates part of his time. 

And a big thank you to Mrs. Fran Blais, Interact Adviser, who organizes this event every year.


     



     



     



     



     


Thank you for taking the time to keep up to date with our PMA news and happenings.  
We hope you enjoyed this edition of ePathways.   Please watch for our next edition of ePathways.
 
Rose Maria DiFiore Redman '85
Head of School
In This Issue
Email Us
Admissions Office
Advancement Office
Alumni Relations Office
How You Can Help
Yankee Candle Fundraising Drive
PMA grossed $11,000 with the Yankee Candle fundraiser.  Thank you for your support.  Yankee Candle has committed to help PMA all year long.  Anytime you shop online they will make a donation to our school.  Visit
www.yankeecandlefundraising.com and enter group #99896054 in the "start shopping" box.  
Thank you for your support!
GoodShop
 Don't forget to use GoodShop with any of your online shopping.  They have partnered with  over 5,000 stores to offer you daily online promotions and coupons.  Plus, they give a percentage of your total back to your favorite non-profit. That could be us!
 
Before you shop, quickly set up a user name and password and don't forget to assign Presentation of Mary Academy, Methuen, MA as your non-profit of choice!  Everybody wins!  Happy shopping.
 
Visit  www.goodshop.com  to see some amazing deals!

Upcoming Events
PMA Calendar
Click here to view the latest events on the  PMA CALENDAR.

March Madness
Week of March 14
Career Day
Friday, March 18
Online Auction Begins
Wednesday, March 23
Third Quarter Ends
Thursday, March 24
No School, Good Friday
Friday, March 25
No School, Easter Monday
Monday, March 29
Classes Resume
Tuesday, March 30

Travel Opportunity for PMA Families. 

airplane-landing-sm.jpg
Don't miss the trip of a lifetime!
Current students and their families have the opportunity to travel abroad on dream European vacation.
PMA is leading an 8 day trip to Lisbon, Seville and Madrid
in June 2017
Spots still available!
Auction Donations
 
colorful_gifts_set.jpg
Annually, the online and live auction help PMA     r aise substantial funds to assist with many student related programs.  If you have anything you would like to donate, to help make the auction a success, we would greatly appreciate it.  Items such as gift certificates, sports memorabilia, jewelry, time share, in-kind services, electronics, and day trips are examples of popular auction items.
 
If you don't have anything to donate but still want to support PMA and this event, Gala sponsorship opportunities are also available.  

To donate an item or for event sponsorship information,  please contact Sarah Previte Hamilton, '82 at  shamilton@pmamethuen.org 


SAVE THE DATES
Online Auction
March 23 - April 7, 2016


Spring Gala Legacy Evening 
Friday, April 8, 2016

Alumni, if you graduated in a year ending in 1 or 6, it is your reunion year..How exiting!  We know you are busy so leave the planning to us.  We will reserve tables at the Spring Gala for you and your class members.  This will be a chance to catch up, enjoy a fabulous meal, and maybe see of few of your old teachers. 

If you are not celebrating a reunion year, but love to gather with your fellow classmates, we can reserve a table(s) for your class as well.  

There is also an Alumni Wine and Cheese  Reception before the Gala begins open to all graduates. 

 For more information regarding any of these alumni opportunities at the annual PMA Spring Gala, contact Sarah Previte Hamilton, '82 via email at


T he 2015-2016 Annual Fund

give-donation-jar.jpg The Annual Fund Drive is under  way. Thank you to those who have already donated.  We are almost half way towards our goal of $50,000. 

If you would like to support PMA you
can do so with the secure link below.  Your gift can help fund PMA student programs in the year to come. We appreciate your support and generosity. We couldn't do what we we do without your help. 
 
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Presentation of Mary Academy | |  http://www.pmamethuen.org