ALSO INSIDE NEW Expansion| Those Who Make a Difference|Alumni Excellence

Pre-School to High School:Academic Excellence Thrives at Every Level

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In This IssueMaintaining the legacy of

academic excellence is one of thesix goals of Nardin’s strategic plandeveloped to guide the Academyto a future of growth andopportunity.Feature articles demonstrate

academic excellence in each of theAcademy’s three schools.

On the CoverPosing together outside the

Academy on a beautiful spring dayare (l to r) High School Principal,Rebecca Reeder; MontessoriSchool Principal, Kristin Whitlockand Elementary School Principal,Margaret Abels’65.

Dear Friends of Nardin

Marsha Joy Sullivan, President

What a wonderfully dynamic yearwe have had at Nardin Academy!Academics, student life, facultydevelopment and exciting intra-community initiatives have filled ourdays and left us breathless as ourstudents wave goodbye.

Successes abound as you willdiscover reading through this edition ofNardin TODAY. We give thanks for theamazing commitment of our studentsand their families and they in turn knowthat they have the good fortune of beingin the hands of our remarkable faculty.The Nardin culture, so carefullynurtured and developed by ourfounders, sets an expectation ofacademic growth that is empowered bystrong character development. OurCatholic identity gives us the confidencein the formation of our students whichis a combination of academics andmoral conviction. This results in skillswhich can lead our students through alife of success balanced with humilityand achievements tempered bycompassion. Preparation, courage anddedication are required to be a goodcitizen of the world, in service to others.Our Daughters have shown us by theirexample that this is our role.

We are at a turning point in ourhistory as we learn that the Daughters

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It is appropriate at this time of yearto focus on Academic Excellence, one ofthe major goals of the Strategic Plan forNardin Academy, adopted by the Boardof Trustees in 2007. More specifically,the goal, as stated, is“to strengthen thelegacy of Academic Excellence”followedby the description,“Academic Excellenceis a key vision and tradition at NardinAcademy. The outstanding academicperformance of Nardin students is aproud legacy and a primary priority atall levels.”

In recent weeks I had the honor ofattending our high school andelementary school graduationceremonies. Both events were movingand impressive displays of the highquality of graduates coming out of eachof our schools, many of them fosteredby the foundation provided by theirNardin Montessori roots. The statisticsspeak for themselves. Every elementarygraduate has been accepted at the highschool that was their first choice.Twelve students have received fifteenmerit scholarships to Nardin Academy,Holy Angels, Canisius and St. Joseph’s

Collegiate high schools. The highschool graduates were awarded morethan $16.7 million in collegescholarships and grants, with 100% ofthe young women receiving NewYorkState Regents Diplomas, 99% receivingNewYork State Regents Diplomas withAdvanced Designation, 51% receivingNewYork State Regents AdvancedDesignation With Honors (attained 90%or above on all eight exams) and 100%accepted to a four year college.

Business First has recognized theacademic excellence at Nardin Academy,ranking the elementary school 14thamong 292 elementary schools (95thpercentile). The high school once againranks Number 1 among Western NewYork’s high schools. Nardin has finishedfirst for eight consecutive years —among private schools from 2002 to2006, and on the combinedprivate/public school list ever since.

Every bit as impressive as theseacademic achievements is the poise andmaturity displayed by the students asthey accepted their awards anddiplomas. It is the well-rounded,

Catholic education they have receivedthat provides them with the obviousconfidence they bring to the next phaseof their educational experience.

The Board of Trustees is well awarethat not one of the several goalsincluded in our strategic plan standsindependent of the others. Academicexcellence is meaningless if notaccompanied by an environment wheredignity, respect and morality areuncompromised values. Such academicsuccess is not sustainable if our othergoals of cultivating diversity; attracting,retaining and supporting our faculty andstaff; building our financial foundationand maximizing our facilities for growthare not also met.

Given the talented leadership teamin place, the strong commitment ofboard members and the support of theNardin community of families, friendsand alumni and alumnae, there is plentyof reason to believe we can enjoysuccess in all of these endeavors.

Enjoy your summer. We lookforward to an exciting and enriching2009-10 academic year.

Tom Keenan, Chairman, Board of Trustees

NARDINnotes!of the Heart of Mary will no longer livein Buffalo full time. Our Daughtershave been active in Buffalo for morethan 150 years serving primarily atNardin Academy but also in many otherministries. Fortunately, they willcontinue to fill a vital role for us. Since1985, our bylaws have stipulated thatone-third of the seats of our twenty-fourmember board belong to the DHM.They hold a majority position on thatcommittee ensuring ongoing oversight.Their residence on West Ferry willcontinue to provide hospitality whenthey travel to Buffalo for meetingsthroughout the year.

As the DHM make this change, theyhave expressed their confidence in thestrength of the Academy and rightfullytake pride in the magnificent school thatthey have had such a foundational rolein building. Their presence andcommitment will remain constant and,although from afar, will remain ourguiding light. We are grateful for allthey have done for this school, itsstudents and for our entire WesternNewYork community.

With sincere gratitude and humility,

Marsha

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Expansion ProjectReceives BoardApproval, Moves Aheadfor 2010!The Nardin Academy Board ofTrustees has approved a 22,000 squarefoot building expansion andrenovation at the school’s ClevelandAvenue complex. The expansion willprovide much-needed space for theschool’s enrichment programsincluding music, dance and fine arts,which are a central part of Nardin’scurriculum.

The high school and elementarydivisions will each gain an 11,000square foot addition on the AuburnAvenue side of the campus. At thehigh school, the expansion willinclude a new orchestra room,photography studio and spacededicated to fine arts programs.

On the elementary school side, plansinclude a new dance studio, musicdepartment, foreign language areas,and a new home for our supportservices department. A new 1st – 3rdgrade Montessori classroom is alsoplanned.

A groundbreaking ceremony is beingplanned for next Fall. It is expectedthat the new additions will becompleted and ready for occupancy inSeptember 2010.

Make Them Laugh,Make Them ThinkThe Buffalo News hosted its 15thannual Editorial Cartoon Contestthis spring with honors going totwo Nardin students. Judging theevent was Adam Zyglis, staffeditorial cartoonist for The News.Adam's cartoons are internationallysyndicated and have appeared innewspapers and books around theworld, including USA Today, TheNewYork Times and Los AngelesTimes. The winners from Nardinwere Tricia Gianfagna, a highschool freshman, who took anHonorable Mention, eighth grader,Louis Hutchinson, and fifth grader,Matthew Igoe both winning ThirdPlace in the Elementary division.

High School StudentsDemonstrate MusicalTalents Near And FarMusic at Nardin Academy plays animportant role in the enrichment ofthe academic experience and manyof our high school students areengaged in musical activities thattake them into the local communityand beyond.

Each year, four to eight studentsfrom the orchestra and choir areselected to participate in annualmusical festivals sponsored by theErie County Music Educator’sAssociation (ECMEA) and the NewYork State School MusicAssociation (NYSSMA). This yearat NYSSMA,, the orchestra took asilver!

Nardin had five students participatein the Greater Buffalo YouthOrchestra, a top-notch orchestramade up of students from ErieCounty schools which plays a side-by-side concert with the BPO.

In addition, Nardin chorusmembers participated in theBuffalo Philharmonic ChoralAffiliates. The members perform atKleinhans Music Hall with the BPOand Chorus.

This past March, chorus studentsperformed at St. John the Divine inNew York City. Other out-of-townperformances have been inBaltimore, Toronto, Cleveland and amaster class in conjunction with aperformance in Boston.

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In this Issue

DepartmentsNardin Notes

2 President’s Letter

3 Chairman’s Letter

4-7 News Items

Our Nardin Circle8 DHM Profile: Theresa Pasquarello

9 Volunteer Service Awards

Giving10 Fortune 2009

11 Those Who Make a Difference:

Nance and Chuck Basil

12 The Gator Beat

Alumni News26 Stay Close Go Far

30 Did You Know?

34 Announcements

Features13 Academic Excellence Thrives

at Every Level18 Science Faculty Reaches

Beyond Classroom20 Nardin Goes Green22 Our Alumni ExcellenceNardin AcademyAn Independent Catholic SchoolCo-ed MontessoriCo-ed ElementaryHigh School for Young Women

135 Cleveland AvenueBuffalo, NY 14222716.881.6262www.nardin.org

Nondiscrimination PolicyNardin Academy admits students of any race, color, nationaland ethnic origin to all the rights, programs and activitiesgenerally accorded or made available to students at the school.It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationaland ethnic origin in administration of its educationalpolicies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs,and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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NARDINnotes!

Top, freshman, Tricia Gianfagna took an HonorableMention for her cartoon. Below top, eighth grader,Louis Hutchinson and bottom, fifth grader, MatthewIgoe both took Third Place in the Buffalo NewsEditorial Cartoon Contest.

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Madeline Alfiero NardinIsabelle Anillo NardinTaylor Ashwood St. Joe’sJacob Bell-Schwede St. Joe’sJessica Benton NardinAnne Cantara NardinMax Capizzi CanisiusDaniel Celani CanisiusEmily Collins NicholsEvan DeMayo CanisiusBrianna Dobiesz NardinKristyn Farrar Buffalo SeminaryKathryn Farrell NardinJoseph Goergen St. Joe’sRachel Guarino NardinPatrick Haley CanisiusOlivia Hastings City HonorsLouis Hutchinson CanisiusHanna Ito Buffalo SeminaryChristian Johnson CanisiusJoseph Lana CanisiusAlexander LaVersa CanisiusJohn Lenahan NicholsStephen Leous Canisius

Alexander Long CanisiusCarly Mazur NardinMatthew McDermott St. Joe’sEmma McEvoy NardinPaige McRae NardinJames Millson CanisiusKyle Moslow St. Joe’sConner Naughton CanisiusTess O’Leary Buffalo SeminaryCaitlyn Panczykowski NardinGarret Papiernik CanisiusLillian Reszel NardinAbigail Robertson NardinVictoria Roney Buffalo SeminarySamantha Ruotsi NardinTessa Santarpia NardinMichael Schake CanisiusAbigail Tezak NardinJoanna Weymouth NardinAqmera Williams Holy AngelsTessaYurko Nardin

Montessori Moving-UpMoving up day is always celebrated

with family and friends. Early Childhoodstudents moved up to the first grade andMontessori Elementary students lookforward to leaving the West FerryCampus for fourth grade at theCleveland Avenue site.

Alyssa Herrmann Siena College / AlbanyMedical School

Shannon Hiczewski SUNY College at BuffaloAshley Hill Northeastern UniversityJamie Hitro Cornell UniversityTakira Jackson Canisius CollegeMadeline Joerg SUNY University at

BuffaloElise Johnson Emory UniversityJillian Johnson SUNY College at FredoniaChelsea Juda University ofVermontJessica Juliano University of LouisvilleKatherine Kabacinski University of RochesterCaroline Kane Loyola University ChicagoMargot Knab George Washington

UniversityKimberley Kopp Boston CollegeAlyssa Kozlowski Niagara UniversityMaple Lam Case Western Reserve

UniversityCharlotte Lane Harvard CollegeCourtney Leous Hobart and William Smith

CollegeNatalie Lesniak Canisius CollegeMia Longo Pepperdine UniversityChelsea Lyons SUNY University at

BuffaloMeghan Mahony SUNY University at

BuffaloMarie Mastrangelo Canisius CollegeCaitlin McHugh University of RichmondMadeline McMorrow Case Western Reserve

UniversityOlivia Merisola SUNY College at FredoniaAgatha Merkel Canisius CollegeAllison Monaco Syracuse UniversityLaura Mulhern Canisius CollegeElizabeth Murphy SUNY University at

BuffaloJeanne Murray SUNY University at

AlbanyMarina Murray Boston UniversityMolly Murray Canisius CollegeSarah O’Brien Hobart and William Smith

CollegeMarina Oktapodas SUNY University at

BuffaloRachel Olivieri American UniversityCatherine Ostrowski Martin

University of Notre Dame

Alison Owczarczak Kettering UniversityAlexandra Ozolins SUNY College at BuffaloSydney Pacer Duquesne UniversityRebecca Papaj Canisius CollegeKatharine Phillips Duquesne UniversityMary Pilarz University of RochesterAnna Plunkett University of Maryland,

BaltimoreOlivia Reinlander SUNY College at FredoniaAshley Riefler Ohio Wesleyan UniversityTheresa Rusnak College of the Holy CrossKatherine Rutowski SUNY University at

BuffaloChelsea Sands University of PittsburghMary Claire Scherer College of the Holy CrossKristina Schmitt Le Moyne CollegeCarla Schory SUNY University at

BuffaloLaura Sciarrino Duke UniversityMary Shehata Canisius CollegeAllison Sheridan Emmanuel CollegeJenna Sholk Rutgers UniversityDevin Stanford Howard UniversityLeah Steinig Canisius CollegeMeredith Stone Cornell UniversityLauren Stutzman SUNY University at

BuffaloPuja Sztorc University of TulsaSarah Tobias John Carroll UniversityAlicia Tos Daemen CollegeAngela Tuminno Washington and Lee

UniversityMelissa Turk Loyola University ChicagoGrace Turner Niagara UniversityLeah Umfrey University of PennsylvaniaHannah Urbanski SUNY College at FredoniaAmyVanTuyl SUNY College at BuffaloEmilyVoto Ohio State UniversityAllison Wagner University of Notre DameJennifer Werbitsky Cornell UniversityElizabeth Whitlock Loyola University ChicagoMichelle Wilhelm St. John Fisher CollegeJanay Williams Xavier University, LAMonica Wlodarczyk Bowdoin CollegeAlyssa Wolff Loyola College in

MarylandErin Wylie University of Wisconsin

Amanda Albrecht Case Western ReserveUniversity

Margaret Alexander SUNY College at FredoniaCourtney Anders Fordham UniversityNatalie Anillo University of RichmondAndrea Bassig Duquesne UniversityJenna Blaszkiewicz DePaul UniversityCatherine Bloomberg Xavier UniversityEmily Blum Ohio Northern UniversityCaitlyn Bouquard Mercyhurst CollegeKara Buchheit SUNY University at

BuffaloColleen Burke SUNY College at OswegoTaylor Burns John Carroll UniversityLauren Byrne George Washington

UniversityMegan Cancilla Auburn UniversityMargaret Cantara University of ChicagoStephanie Che Cornell UniversityErin Collins Catholic University of

AmericaOlivia Cortese SUNY College at BuffaloTaylor Cotter Canisius CollegeMaureen Creighton John Carroll UniversityRebecca Dearlove SUNY Fashion Institute of

TechnologyJamie Deren SUNY University at

BuffaloKerry Dobmeier University of Notre DameKasey Doeing Nazareth CollegeClaire Donovan Marymount Manhattan

CollegeChardé Drake SUNY College at FredoniaNicole Eggert Champlain CollegeLeah Fairbanks University of PittsburghShannon Farrell Nazareth CollegeJenna Fishback Ithaca CollegeCarrie Fisher University of PittsburghRéka Forgách Northwestern UniversityRóza Forgách Loyola University ChicagoAllison Frantz Champlain CollegeLeigh Giangreco Canisius CollegeJillian Goodwyn Carnegie Mellon

UniversityElizabeth Grady St. Bonaventure

UniversityJulie Guerra University of PittsburghMaura Hanley Columbia College

ChicagoMegan Harrington George Washington

University

NARDINnotes!

Elementary Class of ‘09

Class of 2009 High School Choices

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Class of 2009 College Choices

High School Class of ‘09

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Donna McCartney HenryBob & Cheryl HillBeth HitroKent & Trish LorenceAmeer LucasLinda MaggioMark MazurLisa OberThomas & Kathleen O’BrienCatherine Turnboo Regan ‘53Colleen SellickJohn and Amy SpitzmillerPaula ThomasLouiseValentiLynnVasatka

OUR NARDIN CIRCLEOUR NARDIN CIRCLEThe volunteer reception, hosted by

President Marsha Joy Sullivan and theBoard of Trustees on May 21, 2009,provided the opportunity to recognizeour outstanding volunteers. Stars andthe prestigious Parent Service Award arebestowed on those who best exemplifythe Nardin philosophy of volunteerism.This year’s celebration has grown intoone of our largest events, and iscertainly one of our most important.Stars are awarded to those whose timeand talent play a leadership role duringthe school year.

Thirty-seven individuals wererecognized at this year’s ceremony. Anastonishing one-third of our Nardinfamilies volunteer annually! The ParentService Award was presented toRoseanne Turici Urbanski’72. Roseannehas an outstanding reputation forrunning well-organized and successfulevents while always ensuring anenjoyable volunteer experience for theother committee members. Roseanne’scommitment to Nardin Academy beganas a student, and was evident as sheenrolled each of her three daughtersand provided them with the Nardinexperience. As a parent, Roseannecontributed whenever asked. She was aconstant presence at events rangingfrom freshmen orientation to the annualwalk-a-thon to open house. Each ofher daughters has graduated, yet, shepromises to remain an active part of ourcommunity for years to come.

The service of volunteers is vital tothe daily operations of Nardin Academy.Our students and faculty benefit fromtheir tireless efforts. The volunteeropportunities range from walk-a-thon,parent-partnership, monthly lunches,the post prom party, and school plays,to Golfing for Gators, Fortune, Reunion,Phonathon, and Nardinware.

This truly was a night where thestars were shining!

Kelly AfricanoLaurie Tomani Alexander ‘80Donna & Dennis BurnsAlexis Buscaglia ‘01Michelle CapizziMargaret CarneyMark CarneySherri CiminelliElizabeth Rice Conron ‘92Sharon CorteseKaren CummingsRenee DikemanAndrew & Carmen ForsMark Frantz &

Cathleen Hart-Frantz ‘81Mary Kay Guerra

Thank You Volunteers!

L to R: The Urbanski Family, Bill Urbanski, Hannah‘09, Roseanne’72, Emily’06, and Mary Ann Turici, NardinAcademy Faculty, Roseanne’s sister. Missing from this photo is Allison Urbanski’04.

Star Awards

Since founding Nardin Academy in1857, the Daughters of the Heart ofMary have played a central role in thedevelopment and administration of theschool. Today, they remain an integralpart of academy life providing guidance,direction and spiritual support inkeeping with the school’s foundingprinciples. Currently, eight members ofthe Nardin Board of Trustees areDaughters of the Heart of Mary,including Theresa Pasquarello, DHM.

Currently, Theresa resides in theDaughters’ residence at 702 West FerryStreet next to the Nardin MontessoriSchool and has lived in Buffalo sincesummer 2008.“We just finished our MayBoard meeting here,”says Theresa, whohas been with the Daughters for 41years.‘“It was a busy time with a fullhouse. The Daughters make up one-third of the Trustees and we help todevelop the bylaws and guidelines forthe Board.”Theresa also supervises thecleaning and maintenance of theresidence, a busy place that is usedregularly for retreats, group gatheringsand school-related events.

Prior to her assignment in Buffalo,Theresa served for four years as liaisonbetween the Daughters and the Centerfor Spiritual Direction housed at theDaughters’US headquarters in Holyoke,MA. She also previously worked inpastoral ministry at the Daughters’Maryhill Retreat House in St. Paul, MN.

In addition to her duties as a NardinBoard member, Theresa serves on theBoard at Nativity/Miguel Middle Schoolin Buffalo, a school whereunderprivileged children are givensupport and encouragement to continue

DHM Profile: Theresa Pasquarello

with their education.“The school offersa very different environment from apublic school where they might be leftto fend for themselves,”commentsTheresa. Recently, Theresa was pleasedto be among a group of religiouswomen invited by this year’sNativity/Miguel girl graduates toparticipate in a discussion on thereligious life.“They had never had anycontact with anyone in religious life and

wanted to know more about it. It waswonderful to have them express such aninterest,”she says. Theresa also serves inthe Eucharistic Ministry at SistersHospital and hopes to become moreinvolved in pastoral ministry in thefuture.“That is what being a Daughterof the Heart of Mary is all about, shereflects.“To bring Jesus into the worldwhere he cannot be seen.”

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Gift Establishes the NardinAcademy Alumnae ParentEndowed Scholarship Fund

When Nardin Academy celebratedits 150th Anniversary last year, theBoard of Trustees identified growth inendowment to support scholarship asone of the school’s top priorities.

Schools that offer strong tuitionassistance programs are those that arestrongly endowed, boosting enrollmentand enabling academically qualifiedstudents to attend regardless of theirability to pay. Over the generations,Nardin’s predominantly femalealumnae simply did not have theopportunity to make sizable gifts to theschool, resulting in a relatively smallendowment. That will now begin tochange thanks to the generosity ofNance and Chuck Basil who havedonated the initial gift in theestablishment of the Nardin AcademyAlumnae Parent Endowed ScholarshipFund.

The couple’s two daughters,Christine’01 and Jessica‘05 attended thehigh school and their son Chuckgraduated from Nardin Elementary in2000.“I can’t say enough about Nardinand the education our children receivedthere,”says Nance. We wanted to reachout to a student who perhaps did nothave the means to attend Nardin andgive her the same opportunity.”Nancecredits the quality and commitment ofthe Nardin administration and facultyfor providing an outstanding educationfor her children, and in particular, theassistance of Director of Guidance, JaneMathias in helping all three find thecollege that was right for them.

After graduating from NardinAcademy, daughter Christine attended

Miami University of Ohio and iscurrently in her third year of medicalschool at the Philadelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine. Jessica iscurrently attending NortheasternUniversity in Boston as a Business Majorwith a minor in creative writing and hasjust returned from a semester in Paris.“Ithink Jessica will end up in the writingfield,”her mother comments.“Thewriting skills she learned at Nardin gaveher a strong foundation.”Son Chuckattended Canisius High School aftergraduating from Nardin Elementary andgraduated from Baldwin Wallace Collegein Ohio before going into sales in thefamily’s automotive business.

Longtime East Aurora residents,Nance and Chuck recently moved intothe city of Buffalo and now reside in ahouse next to the Nardin MontessoriSchool where Nance has started a smalljewelry business, while Chuck continues

to run his auto dealership, Basil Ford onWalden Avenue.“We’re enjoying ournew city lifestyle, close to the pulse ofeverything,“ declares Nance. “ We’reespecially happy to be able to give backto Nardin by contributing to thisscholarship fund. Our hope is that it willhelp a deserving student who will, inturn, help another student have theopportunity of a Nardin educationsomeday. We hope it starts a cycle ofgiving that will reach far into thefuture.”

For more information or to make agift to the Nardin Academy AlumnaeParent Endowed Scholarship Fund,contact Katie Naughton, Associate VicePresident for Institutional Advancementat 716-881-6262, ext. 1110 or atknaughton @nardin.org.

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Nardin’s signature fundraiser,Fortune ’09, took place on Saturday,March 14, 2009.

By bringing the event back to 135Cleveland Avenue, organizers, faculty,staff and volunteers were given theopportunity totransform thespaces that are sofamiliar to ourstudents andparents. Little didthey know howdramatic a changeit would be!

Co-chaircouples this yearwere Andrew andCarmen Fors, Kentand Trish Lorence, MarkFranz and Cathleen Hart-Franz ’81, and Tom andKathleen O’Brien. Eileen Sheets,Fortune coordinator, and the co-chairsworked tirelessly to sell-out the eventwith 351 reservations.

Tree-lit branches and wheat grasscenterpieces brought the“Going Green”theme to life in both Nardin Hall andthe high school gymnasium. Hallwayswere decorated with art work andbanners designed by elementary andhigh school students under the directionof faculty.

The sound of the big band, led byour own Mark Mazur, echoed in thehalls during the auction.Young

elementary school performers added aspecial flair to the auction whileperforming skits from“Grease”. An icecarving masterpiece captured theprogram cover designed by AdelinaSimpson ’11 and was prominentlydisplayed for all to see.

Party goers were ushered by Nardinstudents into a dimly lit high schoolgym where the high school String Trioset the mood for a gourmet dinner andlive auction. Nardin parent JodyJohnston, of Channel 2 News was themistress of ceremonies.

The audience was lively andengaged, and the voices in the gymreached a fever pitch as CashCunningham, professional auctioneer,worked his magic. Midway through thelive auction, the room was hushed byTheresa Pasquarello, DHM, with her

testimonial to Barbara Rapier, DHM.Parents and guests responded withheartfelt pledges, resulting inoverwhelming contributions to theBarbara Rapier Financial Aid Fund in theamount of $26,600. Before dessert wasserved, Fortune ’09 raised $178,800!

Fortune ’09 had the tremendoussupport of corporate sponsors,advertisers, donors, volunteers, students,faculty, staff, and alumni. The challengeto garner involvement from all ends ofthe Nardin community was met and thetradition of Nardin’s commitment toacademic excellence lives on. THANKYOU everyone for making the event ahuge success!! Join us for Fortune ’10now set for March 13, 2010!

Special thanks to our CorporateSponsors

GOLD SPONSORHodgsonRuss, LLP

SILVER SPONSORHart HotelsIndependent HealthM&T BankPersonal Touch Food ServiceSummer Street Capital PartnersTry-It DistributingUniversity Orthopaedics

BRONZE SPONSOREllicott Development CompanyFirst NiagaraLawley Service Insurance Group

COPPER SPONSORChiampou Travis Besaw &Kershner LLP

Kent & Trish LorenceRich Products Corporation

GIVINGby Eileen Sheets

GIVING Those WhoMake a Difference

Nance and Chuck Basil

L to R front: Kathleen O’Brien, Cathleen Hart-Franz’81,Trish Lorence, Carmen Fors. Rear: Tom O’Brien, Mark Franz,Kent Lorence, Andrew Fors

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Nardin Academy offers a variety ofathletic programs designed toencourage student participation andoffer the greatest number ofopportunities to students. Goals includeinstilling the ideals of sportsmanship,while contributing to students’physical,mental and social development. The2008-09 school year proved to be anoutstanding one for the Elementary andHigh School athletic programs.

At the Elementary School, 166students participated in fall programsincluding swimming, baseball, boys andgirls soccer and tennis; 73 participatedin winter boys and girls basketballprograms; and 163 participated in springtrack, softball and boys and girlslacrosse programs.

“Overall, we had an outstandingyear,”says Mark Piwko, PhysicalEducation/Athletic Director at theElementary School. In addition tohaving a large number of studentsinvolved in athletics, several of ourteams were outstanding. The swim teamtook third place overall, out of all theprivate school swim teams and thenine-and ten-year olds took first placein Division 1. Our baseball team camein second place in their division andmade the playoffs. Our 7th and 8thgrade Girls Green Team won theirdivision and made the playoffs inbasketball, and our 7th grade boysbasketball team made the playoffs aswell.”

The Nardin High School athleticprogram includes girls in freshmanthrough senior years who participate ingolf, cross-country, soccer, volleyball,swimming, bowling, basketball, softball,tennis, track, lacrosse and crew.

“We took first place in track andtennis, third place in softball and fourthplace in JV lacrosse,”comments MoiraSheehan, Athletic Director.“We also didvery well in our fall programs, especiallyswimming, cross country and varsitybowling where we took first placeleague/first place All Catholic; in JVvolleyball where we took first placeleague, and in JV basketball where ourfreshman were first team co-champions.”In crew, the lightweight 8, Senior 4+,Junior 4+ and the Lightweight 4+ allplaced in the top 3 at the NewYork StateChampionships. The Lightwerght 4+ got abronze at the Canadian NationalChampionships and for the first time ever,two boats will compete in the US RowingYouth National Championships.

Other high school sports resultsinclude: third place league/second teamAll Catholic in varsity basketball; thirdplace league/third place All Catholic invarsity soccer; third place league in golf;third place league in JV soccer; fourthplace league in JV bowling; and 8th placeleague in varsity volleyball. In tennis theteam swept the singles and doubleschampionships at the All-Catholictournament at Miller Tennis Center.

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For more than 150 years,academic excellence has beenthe cornerstone of a Nardineducation. It is the reason theacademy is recognized today asone of the premier educationalopportunities in the area, servingstudents at its Co-ed Montessoriand Elementary Schools and at itsHigh School for Young Women.It is a strategic part of Nardin’s missionto continue this legacy of academicexcellence and give students the besteducational experience possible atwhatever age they enter the academy,including a lifelong love of learning theywill carry with them long after theyleave. Today Nardin enjoys resourcesand faces challenges never dreamed ofat its inception over a century and a halfago, but the strong focus on excellencein academics remains an integral part ofthe learning environment in each of theacademy’s three schools.

MontessoriSchool:Laying A SolidFoundation ForLearning

The Nardin Montessori School wasfounded in 1963 and is the oldestMontessori school in Western NewYorkoffering five early childhood classroomsfor boys and girls ages 3-5 and one co-ed elementary classroom for ages 6-9.The school sets the stage for self-motivated life-long learning in athoughtfully designed learningenvironment where children are guidedand supported by an expert faculty ofMontessori-certified teachers. Many of

the faculty members participate in theBuffalo Teacher Education Montessoriprogram where they educate otherteachers in Montessori principles andcurriculum.

The school follows the Montessoriphilosophy of education which holdsthat each child is a self-motivatedlearner. This classroom environmentprovides opportunities for each childto reach his or her maximumpotential through experientiallearning.“In Montessori, the role ofthe teacher is not to impose anagenda on the child, but to facilitatelearning by designing the classroomenvironment so all the child’slearning choices are worthwhile,”says Montessori School Principal,Kristin Whitlock.”We help the childto learn how to focus, how toconcentrate and that sets the stagefor success down the road.”

The Nardin Montessori School offersa fully integrated curriculum focused inthe areas of language, math, science andcultural, sensorial materials, andpractical life. Lessons from one area areinterrelated with those in other areas.For example, this year studentsparticipated in the annual springmusical, a Chinese version of Stone Soup.As part of their classroom curriculum,elementary students researched Chinesecustoms and a Chinese visitor wasinvited to play a Chinese stringedinstrument for the students. Last year’smusical, The Great Kapok Tree was tiedinto a unit on the rain forest.

“We have a wonderful curriculum ineach of the areas,”notes Kristin.“Forinstance, the Montessori math materialsare very hands-on and give the studentsan incredible understanding ofmathematical concepts; they’re not justmemorizing facts. The languagematerials are outstanding as well. In thescience and cultural area, studentsexplore the people, animals, climate andcustoms of various locales. The sensorialaspect of our curriculum shows our

The Gatorbeat!Athletic ProgramsScore High inParticipation andSportsmanship

Pre-school to High School:Academic ExcellenceThrives At Every Level

Nardin Gators HaveMany Teams to JoinHigh SchoolFallCross CountryGolfSoccer, JuniorVarsitySoccer,VarsitySwimmingVolleyball

WinterBasketball, FreshmanBasketball, JuniorVarsityBasketball,VarsityBowlingIndoor TrackSquash

SpringCrewLacrosse, JuniorVarsityLacrosse,VarsitySoftball, JuniorVarsitySoftball,VarsityOutdoor Track

ElementaryBaseball, BoysBasketball, Boys and GirlsLacrosse, Boys and GirlsSoccer, Boys and GirlsSoftball, GirlsSwimming, Boys and GirlsTrack and Field, Boys and Girls

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so articulate, they can think on their feetand they do such a good job,”Maggiecomments.

This year, Elementary studentsparticipated in a Science Fair at theschool where projects included a solaroven that baked chocolate chip cookiesand an operating hovercraft.Valuablelessons also came from outside sources,such as a recent guest speaker from theMuseum of Disability History who

spoke to students about how peoplewith disabilities have been viewedthroughout history and raised theirawareness about acceptance andempathy toward disabled people.

Nardin Elementary studentsreceived honors in a variety of academiccompetitions this school year. ElevenNardin students ranked nationally inthe National French Contest and twotied for first place in Western NewYorkamong other awards. Nardin 7th Grademath students won the Grand PrizeTrophy in the annual St. Joe’s MathContest, along with a variety ofindividual awards. The Annual TeamSpelling Bee Competition at BishopTimon-St. Jude High School was alsowon by Nardin 7th Graders whobrought home the first place trophy andan $850 scholarship. Students in

Grades 4-7 competed in the nationalMATHFAX Catholic Math Leaguecompetition and placed first for Grades4, 5 and 7 and second for Grade 6 out ofthe top 100 schools. Nardin Elementaryalso had two third place winners fromthe 5th and 8th Grades in the BuffaloNews editorial cartoon contest.

For the first time this year, twoNardin Elementary students have beenawarded scholarships from the Seneca

Nation of Indians that willbe used toward theirtuition at the school.Twelve 8th Graders havealso won scholarships tolocal high schoolsincluding Nardin, HolyAngels, Canisius and St.Joseph’s Collegiate.

In addition to theacademic curriculum,Elementary Schoolstudents have a variety ofenrichment programsincluding fine arts,performance arts and

music opportunities, including anorchestra and two choruses.“I thinkour commitment to our music anddance programs is remarkable at theelementary level,”says Maggie.“ There’snothing else like it anywhere. Our danceand performing arts teachers just makeyou feel that anything is possible!”Elementary Dance Department Head,Cindy Hanna was honored at this year’sYoung Audiences of Western NewYorkBenefit Dinner. She is one of theoriginators of Alphabet Awareness, aphonics program that has been offeredin twenty schools this year.

The Elementary faculty is alwayslooking for ways to enhance andimprove academic excellence. Inaddition to teaching at Nardin,members of the faculty serve on anumber of educational boards including

the Niagara Frontier Council for theSocial Studies, the NYS GeographicAlliance and the School LibraryAssociation of WNY. In March theyparticipated in a Staff Development Daywith the goal of determining ways toraise students’ achievement levels onstate tests. They use the services of the

Western NewYork Regional InformationCenter (WNYRIC), which provides themwith an online review of state test datathat is of great assistance in improvingstudent performance. The faculty alsoattended a workshop focused on raisingthe level of instruction in the classroomby“tiering”lessons to insure thateveryone in class is learning.“We wantto be sure that every student is given theopportunity to achieve academicexcellence to the best of his or herability,”says Maggie.

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young children how to experiencelearning in a multi-dimensional way byseeing, hearing, touching and using alltheir senses. Practical life teaches themimportant skills of everyday living, likepouring milk and washing the dog.Children at this age love to learn thesethings because they want to emulate theadults they live with.”

The children enjoy a wide range ofphysical education activities, a musicprogram and many enrichingextracurricular activities. These includespecial in-house programs for the 3-5year-olds and outside trips for the 6-9year olds such as theater, ice-skatingand fossil digs. Each classroom also hasa pet cared for by the students. The petsrepresent each of the animalclassifications providing a wide varietyof learning opportunities.

The Nardin Montessori programoffers its young students anenvironment where they can begin tosee themselves as part of their owncommunity and of the world in general.Not only do the students study customsand cultures of other countries past andpresent, but they participate intraditions such as the CampWeona outing at the beginningof the school year and theannual third grade sleepover atthe school where they formlasting bonds with theirclassmates and families.

“We really set the stage forfuture learning,“ commentsKristin.“The students comeout of our program knowingthat they can be independentlearners and make their owndecisions about the kind ofthings they want to learn. Ourjob is to help each child buildindependence, help thembecome self-motivated andgive them a wonder of theworld.”

At Nardin Elementary School,students in the 1st through 8th Gradesenjoy a full, challenging and engagingacademic experience as they make theirjourney toward high school. TheElementary School provides innovativeprograms in all academic areas, as wellas opportunities to discover and developtalents in the visual and performing arts,to exercise leadership and team buildingskills, and to develop a sense ofvolunteerism.“It’s exciting to be a partof the elementary experience becauseyou’re able to see young childrenmature and develop through thegrades,”says Maggie Abels, NardinElementary Principal.

The Elementary School also offersan integrated curriculum with lessonsthat cross over from one area intoanother. Computer classes in Grades 1-3 reinforce lessons the children learn intheir math and foreign language classes.Grade 3 also does an Oregon Trail

Project which integrates social studiesand language arts with lessons ingeography, history and oral presentationcombined with journal writing andproofreading skills. Sixth Grade studentsdo a design project that involves thecollaboration of the technology and artdepartments with the library andculminates in the students creating theirown Power Point presentation. In 7thGrade, students draw themselves asSuperheroes in art class and then writebiographies of their Superhero-selves inlanguage arts. Students in Grades 7-8do a“Who’s Who in History”project inwhich they research and perform as aperson from history utilizing socialstudies, language arts and internetresearch skills. Eighth Grade languagearts aligns reading assignments with thehistorical period being taught in socialstudies.“The students really get veryinvolved in these projects; they’re usedto doing a lot of presentations. They’re

Elementary School:Growing As Learners and Leaders

In her presentation for the “Who’s Who in History” project,Agmera Williams portrays the life of Rosa Parks.

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experience starting in the freshmanyear.“It’s all about planning ahead,”declares Director of Guidance, JaneMathias, who along with ColleenRobertson provides guidance counselingfor 470 students.“At each grade level it’sdifferent, but we’re always lookingforward to the next step. We look ateach student individually and at whereshe wants to be and we help her moveforward.”

One of the cornerstones ofacademic excellence at Nardin is thepersonal attention given to thestudents, getting to know who they areand working with them through thehigh school years. There is also a greatdeal of interaction with parents rangingfrom one-on-one communications toan entire calendar of parent events eachyear. There is a very high level ofcommitment and availability tostudents who can visit, call and emailtheir teachers and counselors wheneverneeded.

“When it comes time for college,our goal for our graduating seniors is tohave each and every one placed in aschool that she herself wants to attend,”says Jane who serves on the ExecutiveBoard of the state Association forCollege Admission Counseling and is anelected delegate to the nationalassociation. She reads volumes ofcollege materials and does as manycollege visitations as her scheduleallows each year. She also personallywrites a letter of recommendation foreach senior to her selected collegechoices.“The college application processis incredibly intense,”comments Jane.“In the recommendation letter, I try tohelp someone on the other end knowthe student beyond her test scores. It’s

one of the few ways in the process thatstudents have of being more than just anumber.”

Under the guidance and direction ofNardin faculty and staff, this year’sgraduating seniors have continued theNardin tradition of high academicachievement. Two students wereaccepted into combined 8-yearundergraduate/graduate engineering

programs and two others wereaccepted into combinedundergraduate/graduatemedical programs. The 2009senior class received $16.7million in grants andscholarships. Says Jane,“We’revery proud of all our students.Many people judge success bythe name of the college, but wejudge our success by havingeach student be successful inthe process and find her way tothe best place for her in theend.”

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Nardin High School’s collegepreparatory program has beenconsistently rated as number one inWestern NewYork. The school is proudof the fact that it has maintained highacademic standards while adapting tothe needs of today’s students. Theprogram also helps students to developthe leadership skills they need tocompete in the world, as well as adedication to service and responsibilityto the greater community. Students areguided on their high school journey by aprofessional, dedicated and caring

faculty and staff whose commitmentkeeps Nardin on the path to excellence.

“Our goal is to bring every studentto the level they should be,”says HighSchool Principal, Becky Reeder.“There’sa certain confidence that comes throughin our students. Our number one ratingis based on the fact that we’re a Regentsschool and always have been. But whatwe try to do is teach beyond the test

and give the girls a well-rounded viewof the subject matter.”

The 2007 Nardin Strategic Planincludes the goals of increasing SATscores and improving technology skills.Becky says she’s satisfied that theprocess of meeting both goals is wellunderway. More SAT-type material hasbeen incorporated into both the Englishand Math curriculums and the school’sSAT preparatory coursehas been verysuccessful.“What wesee on SAT day is acomfort level in ourkids. They know exactlywhat they have to do,”she comments. In thearea of computertechnology, computerteacher, Pam Healy isconstantly adapting hercourses to her students’skill levels and to therapid changes in thisarea. Students learnboth Mac and PC formatsand many of the student publicationsare now digitally produced. This year,the school offered a digital media classwhere students made movies thatincluded music and sound.

There were also some other notableacademic highlights. The school haslong been known for the strength of itsEnglish program, and this year severalNardin graduates who are studying tobe teachers returned to Nardin to dotheir teaching observation work. TheAdvanced Biology students visited theGross Anatomy lab at the University ofBuffalo where they heard lectures onvarious medical topics, and the MathDepartment will be adding an advancedplacement course in Statistics next year.

High School students are given theopportunity to enrich their classroom

experience by participating in outsideactivities. Social Studies students tookpart in an essay contest sponsored bythe Theodore Roosevelt InauguralNational Historic Site and a politicalcartoon contest sponsored by The BuffaloNews. Every year, Nardin ForeignLanguage students are award winners ina variety of language competitionsincluding the Western NewYork and

national Latin exams. The girls also havea wide range of extracurricular clubs andactivities to choose from and everystudent is required to do communityservice work to help develop a spirit ofvolunteerism and giving back to thecommunity.

“Nardin builds its curriculum to getthe students to where they want to go,”Becky notes,“and once they get there,they pave the way for other students.They choose a college and if they dowell, that brings the Nardin name to theforefront in that school’s admissionsdepartment. Sometimes the studentsdon’t feel they can make that kind of animpact, but we know they can.”

Finding the right path through highschool and into the right college is apart of the Nardin High School

High School:Finding Pathways to the Future

In the Business Firstrankings this year,“Nardin emerged as theclear leader. Ninety-ninepercent of the 2008graduates earnedRegents diplomas withadvanced designations.No other high school inthe region did better.”

-Business First 2009-2010Guide to Western New York’sSchools.

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Particle physics is a study of thefundamental nature of the universe; itseeks to answer questions on the natureof matter, energy, space and time. Shepursued her interest and last summerwas one of 14 physics teachersnationwide to participate in ParticleBoot Camp, a week-long program at the

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory(Fermilab) at the University of Chicago.The Fermilab Tevatron is currently themost powerful particle accelerator in theworld designed to study the minutestfragments of matter.“The StandardModel, the theory that explains all thehundreds of particles and interactions, isbarely touched upon in the high schoolcurriculum,”explains Anne.”But thanksto Particle Boot Camp, high schoolteachers are exposed to the mysteries ofparticle physics so that they will be able

to share their knowledge andexcitement with their students.”

Anne also participated in a 2007summer workshop at the University ofBuffalo where she and four otherphysics teachers from the WNY PhysicsTeachers Association attended lecturesby UB physicists and built a cosmic ray

detector, now housed in Anne’sclassroom at Nardin. It is one of onlythree such detectors in WNY. Annemoderates QuarkNet, an extracurricularclub that focuses on particle physics andcosmic rays in particular. Data iscollected and uploaded to an electronicgrid which can be accessed by membersof the QuarkNet Collaborative, anetwork of physics teachers andscientists, for use in their researchanywhere in the world.

Learning By DoingAs Nardin high school’s Science

Chair, Marilou Bebak has led the way forthe faculty with her learning-by-doingphilosophy.“My philosophy of teachingscience has become‘Let’s try this andsee what happens,’”she says. She likesbringing the real world into theclassroom and cites the experience ofnew faculty member and chemistryteacher, Lisa Utz, who was formerly afield chemist with the FDA, as the kindof real life perspective that is invaluableto the students. Marilou, a strongbeliever in lifelong learning, attendsnumerous professional workshops andis a member of the NYS BiologyChemistry Professional DevelopmentNetwork where she networks withbiology teachers from across the state.

Marilou has seen a huge increase ininterest in science among studentsduring her years at Nardin.“I think thisis true for a couple of reasons,”shecomments.“First, every one of thescience faculty is passionate about hersubject. We love doing this, we getexcited about what we do and that getsthe students excited. Second, there areso many more opportunities now forwomen who want to pursue careers inscience. Engineering is an especiallystrong career field right now for girlswho are interested in that area.

“Nardin has always been known forits strong programs in English, historyand the arts and it has always offered awell-rounded curriculum,”she reflects.“But now we’re really seeing that ourscience program has also risen to thelevel where the girls view it as apotential career opportunity instead ofjust something they ’have to take.’Andwhen they see the faculty go out andlearn new things, they see that we’re stilllearning ourselves and that it neverends.”

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Space exploration, particle physicsand DNA analysis are some of the areasin which Nardin high school sciencestudents are getting hands-on learningexperiences. Thanks to teachers who arepassionate about science and continueto learn and grow in their own fields,today’s science classes at Nardin includelessons that go far beyond the standardcurriculum.

Nardin and NASAScience Chair and NYS Biology

Mentor, Marilou Bebak, is a biologyteacher with a keen interest in spaceexploration who has worked on NASA-related projects since the late 1990s,including the international space stationand a cometary probe project. In 2004,she and two Nardin students werechosen from some 100 applicants towork on the landings of NASA’s Mars-exploration robotic rovers. They wereamong only 13 teacher-student teamsnationwide selected to work at NASA’sJet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,California with a team of scientists aspart of NASA’s Athena Student InternProgram. “The girls saw how sciencereally works – how scientists operatewhen no one knows exactly what thedata means or what will happen next,”she says.“And they saw thecamaraderie, the teamwork, the respectfor each other’s ideas.”

In summer 2008, Marilou was askedto return to the program where sheworked at the University of Arizona onthe Phoenix Mission to Mars project.She served this time as a facilitatorhelping new teacher/student teamsthrough the process, did educationalprograms and had a lot of interactionwith the scientists. She’s currentlyworking on becoming part of the nextNASA project which will be the 2011Mars Science Lab.

In addition, two sophomorestudents were accepted into the NASAINSPIRE Online Learning Community,a year-round program designed for 9th-12th grade students interested inscience, technology, engineering ormathematics careers. They were alsoselected for the INSPIRE SummerCollegiate Experience where they willwork with NASA scientists for twoweeks at the South Dakota School ofMines and Technology.

Although the experience of workingon the NASA projects cannot beduplicated in the classroom, Mariloubelieves that all her students benefit.“Itdefinitely energizes my teaching and it’svaluable in giving the students anunderstanding of the process ofscientific discovery. What we learn fromthese projects also relates directly towhat we teach in biology because thereare implications in many different areaslike health and the environment.”

Buffalo Museum ofScience & CornellCollaborations

The Buffalo Museum of Science,where Marilou was Chairman ofEducation prior to teaching at Nardin,also plays a significant role in theNardin science program. Freshmenthrough senior student volunteers workat the museum with scientists, get toexperience some of the museum’scollections and gain job experience.Nardin students participate in themuseum’s Teen Challenge Initiative, aprogram which targets minoritystudents with an interest in science.Marilou and her students also set up agenetics lab at the museum workingwith 8th grade students from the BuffaloPublic Schools where they learned how

to extract DNA from insects and test fora specific strain of bacteria.“The ScienceMuseum has had a great influence onthe girls as they decide on their careers.And the museum benefits as well,because they couldn’t run theirprograms without volunteers. It’s been anice collaboration between the two,”shesays.

Marilou also participates in theCornell Institute for Biology Teachers(CIBT), a workshop program that keepsscience teachers in touch with the latestresearch advances and with each other.She returns to Cornell regularly forupdates and keeps in touch throughoutthe year via the institute’s alumninetwork. There are also opportunities atCIBT for student participation andcollaborative projects.

Another science faculty member,Wendy McKee is also involved with theCIBT program. One of the CIBTLecturers, Dr. MikeYerky visits Nardinonce a year to guide Wendy’s AP Biologyand Advanced Biology students throughtwo labs. He brings his lab equipmentwith him from Cornell and the girlshave the opportunity to perform acollege level DNA analysis lab and abacterial transformation lab.“Theadvantage of this experience is that thestudents are able to use very expensiveequipment and be taught by a collegelecturer, so it gives them an insight intowhat laboratory work might be like in acollege setting,”comments Wendy.

Matter, Energy,Space and Time

Anne Casper, who teaches Juniorlevel physics, also has a Cornellconnection. She became interested inparticle physics during a 2002 summerprogram at the university.

Science FacultyReaches Beyond Classroom toOpen New Horizons For Students

L to R: Wendy McKee, Anne Casper and Marilou Bebak

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Solar Conference, a conference of allsolar researchers, vendors and dealers inthe United States held at the BuffaloConvention Center.

“The kids love nature,”declares Joy.“They want to take care of the world,lead responsible lives and do the rightthing. We're incorporating the ‘green’message into their curriculum, they'restarting to bring thisknowledge home withthem, and eventually we'llsee a shift in the way wedo things.”

Green GoingForward

Nardin has had someenvironmentally-friendlypolicies in place prior tothe current GreenInitiative which will becontinued and expandedupon as time goes on. Theseinclude the use of non-pollutingcleaning supplies, water-efficient toilets,efficient soap and paper dispensers andlawn products that are not harmful to

the environment. Ideas for more efficientheating and cooling of the school'sbuildings are also being studied.Ongoing efforts include finding ways toreduce paper usage in the school, androutinely shutting off computers andlights to reduce overall powerconsumption.

Nardin has recently been awarded agrant from the Air and WasteManagement Association which will beused for the Wildlife Habitat garden.Other grant writing opportunities arebeing explored. The ScienceDepartment has also formed apartnership with the University ofBuffalo and will work with Professor ofScience Education and Technology,Neomi Waight to observe Nardin’s useof technology in the science classroomand to make recommendations on howto expand its use to save paper, energyand other resources. The school is alsolooking for opportunities to partner withlocal businesses on environmentalprojects.

"We're extremely proud of ouraccomplishments in such a shortamount of time and know there is muchmore to be done," says Joy. "We knowwe'll be successful because everyone,especially the students, wants to seethis wonderful change occur."

Nardin Academy is giving green anew meaning. On April 22nd, EarthDay, Nardin held a Waste-Free LunchDay to help eliminate the amount ofwaste generated at our school.

A few weeks ago, the students mayhave seen Mrs. Schanzlin’s 6th gradeliterature class weighing garbage onscales in the cafeteria. It was found thaton a normal school day Nardingenerates just over 100 pounds of trash!We researched to find waste statisticsand tips on how to eliminate waste andshared them with fellow students duringmorning announcements. Students alsomade posters to generate awarenessabout our environment. Finally, wecreated a letter to go home to familiesinforming them of the upcoming Waste-Free Lunch Day.

Our Earth Day was very exciting.Time Warner News and Channel 7visited our school and interviewedstudents. Students replaced juice boxeswith thermoses and plastic bags withTupperware. Finally, our Waste-FreeLunch Day generated less than half thelunch waste of a normal day. We onlyproduced 46 pounds. This means wesaved about 54 pounds from ending upin a landfill!

As we continue on the path to beingeco-friendly, the 6th Grade Green Teamurges you to keep reusing and recycling.Look for another Waste-Free Lunch Daycoming soon to a cafeteria near you.

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Going green is one of today’s mostpopular phrases, but at NardinAcademy it’s a real commitment thathas taken hold of the minds andspirits of the entire schoolcommunity. In the spring of 2008,Nardin decided to explore the possibilityof establishing a green program and dida survey of administrators, faculty andstaff to find out the level and areas ofinterest. The survey showed that therewas a high level of interest and thatnearly 80% of the faculty alreadyincorporated environmental issues intotheir curriculum.

Getting StartedRepresentatives from each of the

schools formed a Green InitiativeCommittee, to focus on recycling, paperusage, energy conservation and eventplanning, grant writing and curriculumdevelopment. Joy Africano, 7th and 8thgrade Science teacher and high schoolEnvironmental Science teacher, wasnamed Green Leader for the school.She is a lifelong environmentalist and avolunteer in many environmentalorganizations.“It’s something I’m verypassionate about,”comments Joy. Sheemphasizes that the most importantfocus of this initiative is to make itsustainable so that the next generationis educated and dedicated to thisimportant responsibility. Nardinformally began its Green Initiative inthe fall of 2008 using the Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design(LEED) Green Building Rating Systemas its guide.

Students ContributeIdeas, Enthusiasmand Awareness

Students from the Montessori levelthrough high school have taken anactive role in Nardin's Green Initiative."Even at this early stage, we alreadyhave wonderful student involvement

and excitement," says Joy. A recyclingprogram that was begun in 2007 in theElementary School is now firmlyestablished throughout the academy.The 7th and 8th grade students managethe recycling program in the ElementarySchool and the Student Council doesthe same for the High School.

In the spring of 2008, the 7th and8th grade students planned and planteda National Wildlife Federation certified

Wildlife Habitaton the Nardincampus which isalso an officialMonarch WatchWay Station forMonarchbutterflies. Thegarden providesshelter, food and

water for local wildlife and is used as alearning laboratory for Elementary andMiddle School Science. The 1st through 8thgrade students made edible ornaments forthe birds in winter, planted seeds in thespring and are transplanting milkweed forthe Monarch butterflies. These activities aretied into lessons in the Science curriculum.

In honor of Earth Day this year, PatriciaSchanzlin's 6th grade class organized awaste-free lunch event. As a result, the entireschool was honored with a "Good Going"award by the Buffalo-Niagara Earth DayInitiative 2009. (See sidebar: Nardin AcademyContinues To Go Green) In addition, four thirdgrade students, Taylor LoDestro, BrookeWeir, Maggie McHale and Mackenzie Beckhave formed their own Planet Savers club.They pick up trash, spread the "green" word,have their own logo and t-shirts and hope todevelop a website. In the High School,Student Council volunteers write letters tocatalog companies requesting that themailing of unwanted catalogs bediscontinued and receive practice in writingbusiness letters at the same time.

In mid-May, Nardin students wereinvited to do a presentation at the National

Going GreenNardin Community EmbracesGreen Initiative

L to R: Planet Savers Club Brooke Weir,Taylor LoDestro, Mackenzie Beck, andMaggie McHale.

“We started the GreenInitiative because it’s theright thing to do, and whatbetter place to start than inour school?”

-Joy Africano, Green Leader forNardin Academy and sciencefaculty member teaching 7th and8th grade Science and HighSchool Environmental Science

Nardin’s nationally certified Wildlife Habitathas an official Monarch Watch Way Station.

Students brought their lunches toschool in reusable containers toavoid creating more waste.

By Christina Rossittoand Caitlin Scully

Elementary 6th Grade

Nardin AcademyContinues to Go Green

Helping to plant this year’s garden in theNational Wildlife Federation Habitat

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Marjorie HuntVan Dyke is an artistand master printmaker who currentlyresides in Manhattan. She is principalofVanDeb Editions of NewYork Cityalong with painter and printmaker,Deborah Freedman.VanDeb Editionspublishes monoprints, etchings andaquatints of the highest productionquality for many prominent nationallyand internationally recognized artists.Prior to starting her own etching atelierin 1997, Marjorie worked for 15 years asa printmaker at Robert Blackburn’sPrintmaking Workshop. Her prints havebeen included in solo exhibitions inNewYork City and Rome, in numerousgroup exhibitions, and in internationalcollections, artists books andpublications. Marjorie is also anaccomplished artist in her own right.Her art is included in a variety ofprestigious collections including theHoughton Library at HarvardUniversity, the NewYork Public Library,The J. Paul Getty Museum and theVictoria Albert Museum in London.

Marjorie’s first reaction to beingchosen for the Hall of Fame was shock.“I just never expected it,”she says. LikeMolly, she takes particular pleasure inthe meaning the award has for hermother because…”I’ve always been theone who did exactly what she wanted todo, even though at times it was againsteveryone’s advice.”She sees the awardas an affirmation of the choices she’smade in her life.“For some an awardlike this may represent material success,but for me it’s symbolic of success in amore unconventional way. It representsrecognition for those kinds of peoplewho, like me, want to follow their ownpath.”She credits her years at Nardin

with giving her the confidence to dojust that through the fundamentals ofan excellent education.“We were taughtto write, to speak and to presentourselves with self-confidence. We wereencouraged to think independently andwe were told we could do anything wewanted to do. Going out into the worldwith that kind of self-confidence hashelped me to sell myself and sell mywork in the art world. It’s not a practicalthing to be an artist, but it’s animportant thing, and I’m very movedand honored that Nardin is recognizingme in this way.”

Molly and Marjorie attended adinner in their honor held at the GarretClub on Friday, May 15 and werepresented with their awards by AlumnaeAssociation president, JenniferValvoMcCann at the Reunion Celebration atthe school on Saturday, May 16.

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Created in 1990, the NardinAcademy Alumnae Hall of Famehonors graduates who have notonly earned distinction in theirfields, but have also contributedto society on a national andinternational level.These are women who deservespecial recognition for theirprofessional accomplishments, theircontributions to society and theirpotential as role models for currentNardin students and young womeneverywhere.

Two such graduates who excel intheir professions and share a love forthe world of art, Molly DonovanYoung ’84 and Marjorie HuntVanDyke ’74 were inducted into the Hallof Fame this year.

Molly DonovanYoung currentlyserves as Associate Curator at theNational Gallery of Art in Washington,D.C. where she is responsible for site-specific installations including thedazzling Multiverse light sculpture byartist LeoVillareal. It consists of morethan 40,000 computer-programmedLEDs (light-emitting diodes) in theconcourse/moving walkway areabetween the West and East Buildings ofthe gallery. Molly had seen the artist’spermanent installation at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo and invitedhim to do the installation. Molly alsoworks on a variety of exhibitions, specialpermanent collections and donordevelopment for the gallery. She is atalented writer and essayist on thesubject of art and a frequent contributor

to exhibition catalogs. She is also theauthor of two books, Christo and Jeanne-Claude in the Vogel Collection published in2002 and The Andy Goldsworthy Projectto be published in 2009.

Molly says that she is deeplyhonored to be included in the Hall ofFame. As a third generation Nardinalumna, she is particularly pleased thather induction will have special meaningfor her entire family, especially hermother, Jeanne Drexelius Donovan.

“Both my mom and dad set highexpectations for me and were alwaysopen to all possibilities and encouragedme in everything I did,”she comments.She is also grateful to several of herNardin teachers who gave her theknowledge and skills that helped her onher way to a successful career and whichshe continues to use in her professionallife today.“My English teachers, Mrs.Langan and Mrs. Skoog, helped me todevelop a love of literature and taughtme how to write,”she recalls.“And Mrs.Maynor, my Latin teacher, taught usabout ancient literature and culture thatwent beyond the language. All thisknowledge helped me as I went on tocollege and plays an important part inmy work today.”She also especiallyvalues her long-standing relationshipswith her Nardin classmates with whomshe has kept in contact over the years.Molly lives with her husband, Dr. DirkF.Young and their two children in GreatFalls,VA near Washington, D.C.

Our Alumni Excellence:Hall of Fame Honors AlumnaeWho Excel In The World Of Art

Molly Donovan Young’84

Marjorie Hunt Van Dyke’74

L to R: Marjorie’s mother, Patricia Van Dyke, Marjorie’74, andMarjorie’s sister, Gretchen Van Dyke’79

L to R in back; Molly’84, Molly’s mother, Jeanne Drexelius Donovan’48, seated; Eliza Young,Dirk Young, Aidan Young, and Molly’s father, John F. Donovan

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“Merge”means to combine, unite,or most literally to“come together”–that’s exactly what we aim to do – bringall types of people together to shareideas in our new restaurant. Open sincethe first of the year, Merge features anart gallery, music venue, bar andrestaurant with offerings that focus onvegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and rawmeals. We named the space merge notonly because it brought us backtogether in Buffalo, but also because ittruly combines our artistic andenvironmental passions.

After going out of state for college,(Sarah attended Notre Dame Universityin Indiana and Eliza studied at LoyolaCollege in Maryland) we began todiscuss our dreams of going intobusiness together, and when ChefAmbrosia Borowski and CoreyDeRushia offered to relocate fromChicago to help us, the merging of ideasbegan. Our father, Jake had a vacantbar space in his office building at 439Delaware Avenue and we reimaged thespace as an art gallery, restaurant, barand performance venue.

Nardin graduate, Jodi Penna’03 alsoworks with us as an assistant managerat Merge and offers the type of energyand spunk that makes Merge such adynamic and creative environment.

We both agree that the work we didat Nardin helped prepare us for thechallenges we are facing today.“When I

went to college my freshman year, Irealized how much Nardin hadprepared me for success,”says Eliza.“Other students simply did not knowhow to write papers, deal with the stressthat comes with learning to organize,plan for and accomplish multipleassignments, which are the same skills Iutilize today. Thank you to thecommunity of great men and women atNardin as well as our parents, theMerge staff and the community ofBuffalo who have all helped us to growand thrive.”

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In April of this year, my fellowNardin alum, Alex Breeser and I, Classof 2006, joined M.O.C.A., a MedicalOutreach & Community Service groupfrom Buffalo, and traveled to Ghana,West Africa. There were eight of us intotal and we spent twelve days in Africa,most of the time in a remote villagecalled Saboba, near the border of Ghanaand Togo. Our purpose was to bringmedical supplies and equipment thathad been donated by variousorganizations in Buffalo and to provideOB/GYN services, including surgery atthe local hospital.

When we arrived, the men’s ward atthe hospital was being re-habbed, soAlex and I helped to clean and disinfectthe finished ward. We also spent a lotof time cleaning and organizing thehospital’s supply rooms and organizingmedical instruments and sutures. Thehighlight of our time in the hospital waswhen we scrubbed and observedsurgery.

Before we started our work, we wereintroduced to the village chief. We hadto wait for him to meet with us and hehad his own special“throne”.Afterwards, we watched a celebration inhonor of villagers who had died in therecent past and took pictures of thedance and the people.

Another highlight was our visit toHis Grace Academy School. Thechildren were dressed in their uniformsand sang and danced for us. I wasastounded that they were being taughtEnglish, French and Spanish. I taught

them the“preposition song”that Ilearned in French class at Nardin, andthey loved it! We presented the schoolwith funds that Nardin Elementary hadraised in a jeans day, and they weregoing to use the money to send two oftheir teachers for training in the capital,Accra and also to buy uniforms. Beforewe left, the students prayed over us, andin return we joined hands and said theLord’s Prayer and Hail Mary over them.We gave them Nardin and Canisius teeshirts and some school supplies andtoys.

Before we left Ghana, the Regent ofSaboba presented us with a goat, tothank us for our work there. On one of

our last days, we visited Mole NationalPark, a huge game preserve where wesaw elephants, antelope, warthogs, wildboar and monkeys.

The two thoughts I have about mytrip are that people are more alike thanthey are different, and that our smallgroup was really able to make adifference. To paraphrase the motto ofour organization, M.O.C.A.,“Those whoare crazy enough to think they canchange the world are those that do.” Itwas quite a trip.

Ben Karas and Alex Breeser arecurrently students at Canisius HighSchool in Buffalo.

Our Alumni Excellence:A Helping Hand in Ghana

Our Alumni Excellence:Merge Offers Exciting New Venue

By Ben Karas E’06Nardin Elementary

By the Schneider SistersSarah’00 and Eliza’03

Ben KarasE’06, left and, Alex BreeserE’06, right, with students at His Grace Academy School in Ghana.

L to R: Eliza’03 and Sarah’00

In a thank you letter to all contributors to the M.O.C.A. trip Dr. Nylander writes: “Thanks tothe generosity of theWestern NewYork community, we were able to travel with surgical suppliesworth $15,000.We performed much needed surgeries in a remote area of northern Ghana, where theyhaven’t had an OB/GYN in over 15 years! Our greatest accomplishment was providing medical insur-ance to 136 men, women, and children for next year.”

Emmekunia Nylander, MDMedical Outreach & Community Assistance, National Medical Assoc., Buffalo, NY Chapter

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STAY CLOSE GO FARalumni newsalumni news

A Taste of Elmwood Reunion 2009A record attendance of over300 celebrated Reunion 2009The event began with a Mass celebratedby Father Joyce, then our palates weresatiated with fine food from theElmwood Avenue Strip. The Hall ofFame was expanded with awards givento two distinguished alumnae MarjorieVan Dyke’74 and Molly DonovanYoung’84 (story on pp. 22-23). A nicetempo was created by the JuddSunshine Duo band as alumnaemingled, took tours of their alma mater,viewed a special video, and displays oftheir senior pictures and yearbooks.Special thanks to General ReunionChair, Therese Forton Barnes’81; PartyChair, Elizabeth Banko Hays’99; andReunion Mass Chair, ElizabethYurchakCallahan’86. Photos can be viewed onour website, www.nardin.org

We’d like to recognize and thank thefollowing Elmwood Avenueestablishments for their generousdonations to Reunion 2009:

Carriage Trade PastriesCasa Di PizzaCecelia's Ristorante & Martini BarCozumel GrillElmwood Taco & SubFrontier Discount Liquor & BeverageKuni'sLexington Co-operative MarketMergeMister PizzaMother Nature Plant EmporiumSample RestaurantThe Wine Thief

Class of 1949

Class of 1959

Class of 1969 Class of 1974

Class of 1979 Class of 1984

Class of 1994

Class of 1999 Class of 2004

Classes 1944 and 1954 arenot pictured. If you areinterested in ordering a classphoto, please contact NancyRepp at Lifetouch,716.633.4466.

Wow! 50 years. Such a greatmilestone which inspires pride in theClass of ‘59 . It seems like just yesterdaywe were walking the halls of Nardin!

During our reunion, 28 of our 63classmates were walking down memorylane and commenting to each other howwe hadn’t changed a bit! (hum!). Maybethe wine added the“charm”of nochange. It was a very impressive turnoutfrom members all over the country. Westarted organizing this great event onJanuary 21, 2009 and thanks to theorganizational skills and care of ErinMeegan’91, everything fell into place forour big night.

We reminisced about our retreat atHolyoke College and all our“adventures”there. It’s a wonder the Daughters of theHeart of Mary continued retreats afterthe challenge we gave them! Accordingto Miss Agnes Murphy, all breathed asigh of relief when we returned toBuffalo unscathed.

The High Tea at the Garret Club thisyear was another highlight- white gloves,chocolate, tea sandwiches. We all enjoyedhearing Marsha Joy Sullivan who has somuch enthusiasm and knowledge as thefirst lay president of the Academy.

All who attended the 2009graduation were presented with a rose!The generosity of our class withdonations to Nardin was heartfelt. TheMass was a great way to start thefestivities. Fifty years does seem“real”when we think that tuition in 1955 was$150 per year and many parents at thattime wondered where the money wouldcome from.

Thanks Nardin–we all have greatmemories of a truly splendid series ofevents that led to our 50th reunioncelebration. We’ll keep giving to Nardinas Nardin keeps giving to all of us.

Our 50th Reunionby Patricia DonohueSchictel’59

Class of 1964

Class of 1989

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alumni newsSTAY CLOSE GO FARalumni newsOn Monday May 18, 2009, Nardin

Alumnae from the classes of 1939-1959gathered at the Garret Club to honorthe 50th and 60th reunion celebrantsfrom the classes of 1949 and 1959.Alumnae enjoyed tea and refreshmentswhile wearing white gloves and raisingpinkies. Graduates enjoyed musicprovided by several members of thehigh school string trio. The honoreeswere then escorted to the UB Center forthe Arts where they were honored atthe 2009 graduation ceremony.Congratulations to these ladies. To seemore photos of this event please go toour website www.nardin.org.

High Tea

On Saturday, April 25, 2009 alumnae participated simultaneously in theNardin Day of Giving, our second annual alumnae community volunteer day.Nardin alums in Buffalo, Washington, DC, NewYork City and our newest NewEngland chapter joined together to carry on the charitable spirit of our founder,Miss Ernestine Nardin, DHM. Members of the Nardin Alumnae Associationorganized and were joined by local Buffalo alums at the“Putting Out Poverty”fundraiser which benefited The Friends of the Night People. In Washington,Nardin alums supported the local charity, Hands On DC, an organization whosemission is to beautify inner city schools. In NewYork City, our graduates helpedout at Baby Buggy, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing those inneed with essential clothing and products for infants and young children. InBoston, volunteers worked at the Chelsea Community Kitchen, preparing andserving meals to those in need. To view photos of all the Day of Giving activities,visit www.nardin.org.

A Day of Giving

Nardin's Academy launched its third out-of-town alum chapter in February 2009.A reception was held at The Chilton Club for our graduates living in Boston and thesurrounding states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The chapterleadership team consists of Kathleen Kearney '96 (chapter chair) and RachaelZalocha '87 (chapter co-chair). If you are interested in joining the Chapter SteeringCommittee please contact Erin Meegan '91 Director of Alumni Affairs atemeegan@nardin.org. To view photos from the reception and to learn detailsregarding future chapter events, visit www.nardin.org.

Launch of New England Chapter

Upcoming EventsJoin Us at the Alumnae Retreat

Mary of NazarethJuly 30, 2009

9:00am-1:00pmThe DHM Residence700 West Ferry StreetBuffalo, New York

9:00am Gathering9:15am Session Begins9:15am-11:30am Prayer and Reflection12:05pm Mass held at St. Louis Church

(optional)1:00pm DismissalThe retreat will be led by Victoria Boreanaz,Admissions Facilitator, who has more than 20years of experience in planning retreats,liturgies and program series.A light lunch will be served.Please RSVP to Erin Megan’91 at 881-6262 ext. 1760or emeegan@nardin.org. before July 22, 2009.

Miss Nardin’s Birthday Celebrationwill take place in Buffalo, as well asWashington, D.C., NewYork Cityand New England on FridayNovember 13, 2009. For moreinformation check the AlumnaeEvents pages at www.nardin.org.

Miss Nardin’sBirthday Celebration

contact us!Contact us if you need information, if you want tovolunteer, or to tell us what you’ve been up to!Erin Meegan ’91, Director of Alumni Affairs, at

(716) 881-6262, ext. 1760 oremeegan@nardin.org.

www.nardin.org

Classes celebrating this year are1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965,1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995,2000 and 2005.We’re alreadyplanning for next year’s Reunion! Wewill be celebrating next year on May15, 2010 and we need you to help usplan. If you are interested in being aReunion Coordinator for your classyear, please contact Erin Meegan’91,Director of Alumni Affairs at716.881.6262 ext. 1760 or email herat emeegan@nardin.org. Thanks toall who can help.

Call for 2010ReunionCoordinators

The Nardin Academy AlumnaeAssociation is excited to announcethe kickoff of a fun, new project.We are creating a Nardin FamilyCookbook and want your favoriteoriginal family recipes along with astory or memory that makes therecipe special and unique.

For additional guidelines onsubmitting recipes, please go towww.nardin.org and click on theAlumnae Association link underthe Alumni tab or call 881-6262ext. 3085. Stay tuned to your emailfor more information! Proceedswill benefit the Nardin AcademyAlumnae Association scholarshipprogram.

What’s Cooking? Recipes Wanted

Special thanks to all the 2009 ReunionCoordinators . These women play an integralrole in the planning and success of ourReunion celebration. Their efforts are greatlyappreciated!

1949 Serena Amato Bona, Carmelina MantaMisercola, Jeanne Sanscrainte Moore1954 Josephine Puleo Amatuzio, AnnaFabozzi Burgio, Nancy Cannizzaro, RoseAnn Bongi Gerci, Joann Bongi Polino, MaryCannizzaro Rizzo1959 Joanne Adinolfi, Lucille Grieco, BonitaSalvo McMorrow, Joanne Scibetta PriviteraAnnette Sansane, Patricia DonohueSchichtel, LouiseVilla1964 Donna Mititello Bubar, KathleenRussell Dischner, Mary Susan LincolnHerrington Ursula McHugh Mangano

1969 Catherine Solowski Brozyna, JudyGuglielmo Cunningham, Elizabeth ShannonRoss1974 Patricia Jackson Doctor, LidaFrauenheim Pettrella, Rosemary Zimmerman1979 Sharon Quinn Costello, Nancy OgionyJoerg1984 Brigid Kane Hurley, Melanie MeccaMarotto, Kathleen Kane Turano, RebeccaAttea Weimer1989 Anissa Galante Flocccare, Asha HerleRenee Russo Martinez1994 Ellen Mogavero, Amy Jeris Obletz1999 Elizabeth Hays, Jessicia Maglietto,Kristen Puglisi2004 Patricia Aubrecht, Emma Eddy,Kathleen Hourihan

Thanks to Reunion CoordinatorsLaunching Chicago andneed volunteers!!

In 2009-2010, the Nardin Office of Institutional Advancementwill launch its 4th out of town alum chapter in the Chicago area. Ifyou live in Chicago, or the surrounding area and are interested inhelping to start this exciting new program, please contact ErinMeegan’91, Director of Alumni Affairs at 716.881.6262 ext. 1760 oremeegan@nardin.org. To learn details regarding future chapterevents, visit www.nardin.org.

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STAY CLOSE GO FARdid you know?alumni news

1940’sElizabeth Beitz Manown ’42and her husbandVoyle celebratedtheir 65th wedding anniversity on Jan.8, 2009. They are great-grandparentsto three.

Ruth Dietrich Grimm ’46 writesthat her second oldest grandchild wasmarried on January 10, 2009. Hergranddaugher’s new husband is aBoston Red Sox Farm Pitcher.

1950’sBernadette “Bunny” CoyleMannix ’53 writes that she hasbecome a great-grandmother for the1st time on January 1, 2009 with thebirth of Iris Grace McCollester,daughter of her granddaughter Katie.

Catherine Turnboo Regan ’53enjoyed visiting with fellow alums atthe 2008 Alumnae ChristmasLuncheon at the Garrett Club. -Catherine’s granddaughter, SarahO’Brien’09, is one of Nardin’s newestalumnae.

Ida Moscato Doherty ’56 isliving in PonteVerda, Flordia. Shewould love to get together with otherNardin alums living in the area.

1960’sNoel Kupras Bauer ’61 writesthat she“is still living in Dayton, Ohiobut she has RETIRED!” She and herhusband, Larry will soon begrandparents for the fourth time. Sheis caring for her 92 year old father andis pursuing courses in spiritualdirection.

Roseann Lodico Failla ’61 ishappily living in LasVegas with herchildren and grandchildren close by.She travelled to Spain and Portugal atEastertime 2009.

Ann T. Bellanti Heraty ’63 tellsus that the class of ‘63 is hoping to gettogether more often in the future.

Suzanne Lawley Nyitrai ’66writes that she retired from theBuffalo Board of Education after 33years, spending most of her time inPre-K. She is still living in OrchardPark. “I have three fantasticgrandchildren; Liam, Aidan andDelany.” She heads to Florida afterthe Christmas holidays.

Darlene Dippold Kiel ’68 retiredat Christmas ‘08 after working for theNYS Department of Labor for morethan 33 years.

Pamela Scibetta Davenport ’69has taught special education for 27years and is looking forward toretirement and travel in 2010.

1970’sMaureen Melling Knutsen ’70writes:“My husband and I took a roadtrip this past fall (08) and had a greattime visiting friends and family inAlaska, Montana, Wisconsin,Tennessee, Nevada and, of course,Buffalo. I ran theYMCA Turkey Trotwith 10,000 others and had a blastrunning right down the middle ofDelaware Avenue!”

Judge Mary Grace Trimboli ’71was recently appointed to theCanisius College Board of Regents fora three year term.

Maureen Donovan ’72 writes: “Ijust welcomed my second grandchildHannah Maureen born 4-23-09weighing 9lbs 2ozs. The baby wasborn at home with the help of theBuffalo Fire Department!” She alsohas a niece, Claire Donovan’09, whowas graduated from Nardin this year.Congratulations!

Susan Wagner Craven ’73 writesthat she recently entered the world ofhigher education asVice President forFiscal Affairs at East Georgia College.She would love to hear from otheralumnae who are in higher education.

Dorothy Moore Vinovrski ’74writes: “Hi Everyone - All is well herein Franklinville! Our youngest son,Stephen, has just gotten married to awoman Marine from his owncompany at Camp Pendelton. He isnow discharged after two tours inIraq, but his new bride doesn’t get outuntil August, 09. In the meantime,they are at home at Camp Pendleton.”

Patricia Jackson Doctor ’74writes that Cathleen FlaniganAckerman ‘74, Lida“Terry”Frauenheim Petrella ‘74, MaureenMahaney Schwab ‘74, RosemaryScaduto Zimmer ‘74, Jean KalecHayden and herself all enjoyed theirannual Christmas lunch on December24, 2008.

Diane Flanigen ’75, MD, a boardcertified Ophthalmologist andPresident of Flanigen Eye Care, hasreceived the Patients’Choice Awardfor 2008. This prestigious award isgiven to doctors who are selectedbased on their patients’ reviews andratings. Diane is the mother of OliviaRoat’06.

Dr. Jeanne Malican Best ’79served as president of the WesternNewYork Equine Practitioner’s Groupin 2008 and was selected to serve assecretary for the Western NY Chapterof the NYSVeterinary Medical Societythrough 2011. She is the owner ofRoyalton EquineVeterinary Services inLockport, NY.

1980’sTherese Forton Barnes ’81assisted in coordinating a private

charity event at the Darwin MartinHouse in November 2008. AileenComer’11 played violin and ConnorMangan E’07 played the piano at thegathering for the SteadfastFoundation. Buffalo Sabres goalieRyan Miller started this foundationwhich is dedicated to assisting thoseaffected by the consequences ofcancer, especially childhood forms.

Maria Boubaris Steinig ’82would like to announce that herdaughter, Leah Steinig’09, is amember of the High Schoolgraduating class of 2009. Good luckto all the graduates!

Elizabeth Daigler Edbauer ’83“I enjoyed seeing so many classmatesat our 25th reunion in May 2008. Myhusband Mike and I reside inHamburg, NY with our two children.Andrew is a junior at Canisius HighSchool and Katie’12 is a freshman atNardin.”

Nora Eberl Plizga ’88 recentlyreceived her Six Sigma Green Beltcertificate from The Center forIndustrial Effectiveness (TCIE) at theUniversity of Buffalo. She completedthe Green Belt Blended LearningCertification Course in March 2009.

Jennifer Fecio McDougall’89 isliving in Buffalo with her husband,Alex and their daughter, Maeve E’16,a first grader at Nardin Elementary. Afreelance writer and editor, Jenniferco-authored a reference book and hasalso edited several books. In addition,she loves working with children andis enjoying teaching the toddlers inNardin’s faculty daycare. She enjoyedcatching up with everyone at her 20year reunion in May 09.

1990’sMeredith McGee Gunderson ’94in conjunction with her work withArts and Business, attended an award

ceremony and luncheon at PrinceCharles’s home. Meredith lives inLondon, England with her husband,Ross Gunderson and their two yearold daughter, Georgia.

Nicole Davis ’96 is keeping busyin Boston, MA. She teaches studentswith severe disabilities in a K-8 BostonPublic School . In her free time, shecoachs girls lacross for a local non-profit that teaches character educationthrough the sport of lacross to innercity kids. She writes, “I love to traveland do it as often as I can!”

Danielle DelDuce ’96 waspromoted to AssistantVice President,Learning Services at First NiagaraBank. Danielle has been with thebank since 1999 and will beresponsible for development andimplementation of training programsfor retail banking.

Sara Lynn Sieteski ’99 writes:“I’velived in Philadelphia, PA for 3 yearsnow and just recently purchased acondo. During the academic year, I amenrolled in the Classics graduateprogram at Bryn Mawr College, workin IT at the University ofPennsylvania’s Library System, and ama certified Turbo Kick instructor.During the summer, I work as anOffice Manager for the Johns HopkinsCenter for TalentedYouth Kaneohe,Oahu site and continue writing mychildren’s book series. I also have 3adorable dogs Frasier, Lily, and Io.”

Cynthia Stotz Thrush ’99 writes:“My husband, Daniel and I live

outside Richmond,VA. We have 2children - Joshua Daniel Thrush born3/9/07 and Allan James Thrush born9/25/08. I’ve been a teacher for 4 yearsand am taking this year off, at leastpartially, to stay home with the kidsfor awhile. Daniel is a constructionsuperintendent withVelocityConstruction. I am a long-termsubstitute teach in English and I amhoping to get an English job for nextyear.”

Carolyn Blum ‘99 is enjoying livingin NYC and trading for DiamondbackCapital in Connecticut.

2000’sKathleen Adelsberger’01competed in the 29th annual EmpireState Winter Games in Lake Placid.She is a forward on the women’shockey team and came home with agold medal. She helped the WesternRegion to a record of three wins, oneloss and one tie to capture first place.Well done!

Nora Haley ’03 has returned froma year teaching in the Marshall Islandsand is now living in Boston, MA. Sheis working for Save The Children andwrites that she is“avidly supportingthe Bills and Sabres as best I can!”

Lauren Mendolera ‘03 isattending NYU Law School and willbe doing an intership with Sullivanand Cromwell Law Firm in NewYorkCity.

Bridget Houck ‘04 student taughtfrom January to March 09 at WillowPark Junior School in Dublin. Herstudents were 6 and 7 year olds at theall-boys school. She returned toPittsburgh for her second studentteaching experience and wasgraduated from Duquesne Universityin May 2009.

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STAY CLOSE GO FARdid you know?alumni news

Caitlin Arena ’05,RachaelLeberer ‘05 and ElizabethDillon ‘05 have all graduated fromLoyola College in Maryland withdegrees in Education. The threefuture teachers have remained friendssince Nardin and all are pursuing thesame career. (See below)

Katherine Gibas ’05 spent onemonth this past summer in Beijing,China working for NBC Olympics,working with broadcasters AlTrautwig, Tim Daggett, Elfie Schlegeland legendary gymnastics coach BelaKyroli. Katie met gymnasts JustinSpring and Alicia Sacramone andwatched Michael Phelps win the100m Butterfly by 1/100th of a second.Katie also met Ann Curry andMeredithViera. Katie graduated witha Bachelor of Science in BroadcastJournalism from the S.I. NewhouseSchool of Public Communications atSyracuse University in December,2008. Katie just began a job as areporter/video journalist at the 24hour cable news station News 10Now at their bureau in Watertown,NY.

Engagements2000’sMargaret O’Sullivan ’03 writesthat she became engaged to AndrewShea (Timon Alum). Her weddingwill be on May 29, 2010 at MarcyCasino of Delaware Park. She worksas a tax accountant at Ernst andYoung.

Brides1990’sEllen Mogavero Cannon ’94married Joseph Cannon in April 2009in Buffalo, NY where they will maketheir home.

Laura Rahuba ’99 was married inSouth Beach on April 25, 2009. Sheand her husband will make theirhome in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

2000’sKelly G. Sullivan ’00 marriedCaleb Gibson, of NYC, November 29,2008 in Buffalo NY. Kelly and Calebmet while working on a MarylandSenate race. They are both living andworking in the Washington, DC area.Kelly is pictured here with her greatNardin friends, MariaViolante’00, TeriBraunschweig’00, Courtney Trego’00,Elizabeth Kabacinksi Chiappetta ‘00,Marisa Scime’00, Melissa Liakos’00,Sarah Anner’00, Jordan McCarthy’00,Bridget Quinlan’00, JackieLucchino’00, Cara Starosielec’00 andJennifer Cartus’00. Kelly’s mother isthe president of Nardin Academy,Marsha Joy Sullivan. (See below)

Elizabeth A. Kabacinski ’00married Timothy Chiappetta, ofPittsburgh, September 6, 2008 inPittsburgh, PA. Liz and Tim met whilestudying at Duquesne Law School.They are both practicing law inPittsburgh. Pictured here with herdear Nardin friends, CaraStarosielec’00, Courtney Trego’00, TeriBraunschweig’00, MariaViolante’00,

Jennifer Cartus’00, Marisa Scime’00,Melissa Liakos’00, Kelly Sullivan’00,Jackie Lucchino’00, JordanMcCarthy’00, Bridget Quinlan’00,Katie Kabascinski’00 and SarahAnner’00.

Both Elizabeth and Kelly carried a replica of a150 year old Nardin Academy pin on theirbouquets down the aisle. All remaining elevenladies plan to follow this tradition. All thesegraduates are grateful for the friendships theymade during their time at Nardin and lovehonoring Nardin on their big days.

Emily Kustreba Chabala ’02was recently married in August 2008.She and her husband Anthony live inNorth Buffalo.

Jenna Marie Capozzi ’02 “Bestwishes, Jenna!”from Serena Bona ‘49who writes in to tell us“Jenna andMichael Hernandez were joined inmarriage March 21, 2009. They areresiding in Boynton Beach, Flordiaand Jenna works for the PGAAmerica.”

Births1980’sBarbra Jarosz Girdlestone ’88writes that she“and her husband Timare excited to announce the arrival oftheir first daughter, Jamison Anne,born on July 2, 2008. She weighed8lbs, 11.3 oz. and was 20 1/2 incheslong. We have been living in Denver,CO for almost 10 years but since Jamiwas born I’ve been getting back toBuffalo as much as possible so she canvisit her grandparents, aunts, unclesand cousins. Jamison Anne’s auntMary Lou(Jarosz ‘86) is a High SchoolEnglish teacher at Nardin!”

1990’sKristen Maricle Wolf ’94 writesthat she and her husband Kevinwelcomed a baby girl, Madelyn MarieWolf on August 5, 2008. She joins herbig brothers, Kyle 9 and Ryan 2.

CondolencesCondolences to Amy Spitzmillerand her family on the passing of herfather, Robert J. Lyle in May ‘09. Amyis the former Elementary SchoolOffice adminstrative assistant.

Condolences to the Paladino andJacobs families on the loss of theirson, brother and uncle, Patrick J.Paladino on March 29, 2009.

Condolences to the Pearce familyon the death of their grandmother,Elizabeth Ward Pearce.

Condolences to Lorraine LePageSprissler ‘44 on the passing of herhusband of 64 years and the love ofher life on August 31, 2008.

Condolences to the relatives of LillianJ. (Matteliano) Pino: her sisters,Mary(Ignatius) Scaduto ‘49, JennieMatteliano ‘52 and AngelineMatteliano Leone ‘53, her nieceRosemary Scaduto Zimmer ‘74,her great nieces Kristen Zimmer‘97 and Theresa Zimmer ‘00 andher granddaughter,Morgan Pino‘08. Lillian passed away on January18, 2009. Lillian was instrumental insending her sisters to NardinAcademy.

Condolences to the entire Doerrfamily, Elementary School PrincipalMargaret Doerr Abels’65, 8th gradeteacher Amy Doerr ‘67, Jean Doerr ‘69,Mary Ellen Doerr Rashman‘70,Dorthory Doerr Keenan ‘72 and herhusband Tom Keenan, NardinAcademy Chairman of the Board ofTrustees, Judith Doerr Tomassi ‘79,Emily Persico ‘94, Deirdre Abels ‘95 andSarah Keenan Schoelkopf ‘00 on thepassing of their mother andgrandmother, Jean Twist Stephensonon April 8, 2009.

Condolences toMary MurphyDeRosa ’71, Megan Robertson‘08, and elementary studentsAbigail Robertson, KathrynRobertson, and EleanorRobertson. Their mother and greataunt Mary Schwab Murphy passedaway on January 21, 2009. Mary startedin Nardin elementary and ended as thepresident of the class of 1938. Shestayed involved with Nardin for manyyears and was recognized as Nardin’sDistinguished Alumnae in 1998. Shehad recently celebrated her 70th yearreunion in May 2008. Mary’s fatherwas a former mayor of Buffalo. Shewas also the aunt of the late HighSchool teacher Mary Jo Robertson.

Condolences to Catherine “Kitty”Higgins Pilarz ‘76 on the passingof her brother, Rev. James Higgins,S. J.,former President of Canisius HighSchool.

Condolences toNora Curtin ‘78and Colleen Curtin Cable ‘83and their family as their father, Dr.Daniel Curtin passed away January 15,2009.

Condolences to the Burns family,Margaret, Catherine ‘79, Dennis andDonna, Mary Patricia ‘85, Kieran’10Eand Madeline ‘12E on the passing oftheir husband, father and grandfather,Jerry“Doc”Burns. He died on April 22,2009.

Condolences toMicheleBallacchino Thompson ’82 andher family on the sudden passing of herhusband of 13 years. He was awonderful father to his and Michele’sthree children: Bryan (9), Kate(7) andKeira (5). He died on December 3, 2008of myocardiac infarction.

Condolences to Karen LyonsNowadly ‘84 and Elizabeth LyonsFarace ‘85 on the passing of theirfather, John“Jack”M. Lyons onFebruary 4, 2009.

Condolences to Kelly Carrigg ‘85 onthe passing of her father, Paul Carriggin January 2009 and her mother,Colleen Carrigg in May 2009.

Condolences to Anna Crimi ‘87 onpassing of her father, Joseph T. Crimi onFebruary 27, 2009

Condolences to Cheryl Tanski ‘98and her family on the passing of hergrandmother, Jean Tanski on May 4,2009.

Condolences toMorgan Pino ‘08 onthe death of her father Carmen Pinowho passed away on March 28, 2009.

Condolences to AlexandriaWinslow ’12 and her family on thepassing of her father, Matthew Winslowon April 3, 2009.

Condolences to Sara Zapalowski ’12and her family on the sudden death ofher father, John Zapalowski on March,19 2009. Memorial gifts were made toNardin Academy in his name for theHigh School Music Department.

Condolences to Lauren Heitzhaus ‘10and her family on the death of hergrandmother in December 2008.

Jamison Anne Girdlestone

Giving to NardinThese are ways you can contribute to Nardin Academy.Your

partnership with us ensures that we can continue to offer one of the besteducational experiences in the region.

You may send an undesignated contribution to our Annual Fund,donate to a Scholarship Fund, give a memorial gift, or a gift in honor ofsomeone. There are many ways to give. Whatever your investment, wethank you for making Nardin your charitable priority.

Payment options:1. Donate Online at www.nardin.org2. Use the enclosed envelope3. Mail a check to:

Nardin AcademyAnnual Fund135 Cleveland AvenueBuffalo, NY 14222

4. Call: Carol DambmannDirector of Annual Giving716.881.6262 ext. 1100cdambmann@nardin.org

Ways to Give:Annual FundGive in any amount or at one of the Giving Levels below.

Leadership Society $10,000 and aboveAdelaide de Cice’ Circle $5,000 and aboveThe 1857 Society $2500 and abovePresident’s Circle $1,000 and aboveMiss Nardin’s Circle $500 and aboveGreen and White Club $250 and aboveCentury Club $100 and aboveLoyalty Gift under $100

Scholarship and Endowed Scholarship Giving:Please give in any amount. These programs provide tuition awards todeserving students. These programs are gift programs because theygive the wonderful, priceless gift of a Nardin education.You may giveto any one of these scholarship funds. All scholarships are listedonline at www.nardin.org.

Memorial GiftsHonorary Gifts

Please consider a giftto Nardin today34

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ANNOUNCEMENTSIn Memoriam

Virgina May Szymkowski’37March 4, 2009

Mary Schwab Murphy’38January 21, 2009

Cecille Nolder Ernst’49June 14, 2008

Prudence DiFranco Curvin’49February 27, 2009

Mary Ann Tomasulo Maybin’53September 8, 2008

Mary Lou Campbell’55February 18, 2009

CamilleVacanti Carrato’63February 13, 2009

Valerie Pongo Stevens’64March 12, 2009

Mary Randall Musen’67February 10, 2009

Mary McCall Jacobus’75February 20, 2009

CorrectionThe Nardin Today Winter 09 issue omittedour condolences to Elizabeth Santandreu ’06,Martha Santandreu’08 and GraceSantandreu’11 in the notice of the death oftheir grandfather, Paul Koessler.

It was incorrectly stated in the Winter 2009issue of Nardin TODAY that Natalie GrilloDeLuca passed away. Our sincere apologiesto Natalie and her family.

All information printed in the DidYou Knowsection of Nardin Today reflects correspondences(written and/or via e-mail) received from theNardin Community.

SAVE THE DATES!Nardin Students to Exhibit at theAlbright-Knox Art Gallery

Look for the Nardin Academy art exhibitopening at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery this fall.For the first time ever, all three schools will beexhibiting selected student art work in theEducation Department in the Gallery. Takinginspiration from the Masters hanging in theGallery, Nardin students have been painting anddrawing pieces to hang in the show entitledPainting Like Painters, Inspiration Renewed ForThe 21st Century.

Art teachers Gaile Amigone, Zuzana Zacher,Mary Ann Turici, Susan Semple, and ColleenZimmerman have been working with students thisspring and will continue to perfect works for theshow this fall. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has aworldwide reputation as an outstanding center ofmodern art. Nardin Academy, in the continualpursuit of excellence for our students, has beenable to collaborate with The Gallery for this firsttime event! The exhibit will run from November2009-January 2010.

Back to School Mass and PicnicOur third annual Back to School Mass and

Picnic will take place on September 13, 2009, atElma Meadows Park. Everyone is invited,including all students, faculty, and parents! Thefestivities will begin with an Outdoor Massfollowed by a delicious picnic lunch. Check thewebsite next Fall for updates and times!

alumni news

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NardinToday

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDPERMIT NO. 4424BUFFALO, NY

MISSION STATEMENTNardin Academy is aCatholic Independentschool which prepares theindividual for life byproviding a well-roundededucation, by helping eachstudent realize his or herown potential and developa love of learning, and byinstilling moral values inthe Judeo-Christiantradition.

135 Cleveland Ave.Buffalo, NY 14222-1699

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