Monthly Archives: May 2018

Class of 2018 Moves Forward Stronger, United in Mercy

One hundred nineteen seniors in the class of 2018 graduated from Mount St. Mary Academy in the commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 24th at Robinson Auditorium. The graduates, accepted at 78 colleges and universities across the county, will be venturing out to states as far as Nebraska, Florida, Ohio and California. This year’s graduating class completed 12,620 hours of volunteer service during their junior and senior years, and 81% of the 119 seniors received scholarships totaling $10.7 million from collegiate and other institutions.

 

Gretchen Hall ’97, President/CEO of Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, delivered the commencement address, where she advised graduates to be mindful of the choices they make in life and to take the opportunities afforded to them. She emphasized the importance of paying attention to details early on in their careers and treating people with dignity and respect, and she urged them to continue lifelong learning, seek out mentors, and travel in order to broaden their views of the world.

 

Speeches by the Class of 2018 Honor Graduates included the introduction of the speaker by fifth honor graduate MaryClaire Fox, the invocation by fourth honor graduate Liza Moriconi, the class essay, “United,” by third honor graduate Carol Stover, the salutatory address, “Stronger,” by second honor graduate Clare Martine, and the valedictory address, “Forward,” by first honor graduate Katie Strickland.

 

The Most Reverend Anthony B. Taylor, Bishop of Little Rock, presented the diplomas as MSM Principal Angie Collins announced each graduate and the college she will attend. They were joined on stage by Superintendent of Catholic schools Mrs. Vernell Bowen; MSM assistant principal, Mrs. Sara Jones; and MSM academy board chair, Mr. Phillip Gillam.

 

In the spirit of the class song performed by the Class of 2018, “Wherever I Go” by Miley Cyrus, the class leaves Mount St. Mary Academy united as a class and stronger in Mercy, challenged to show the face of Mercy to the world as women of wisdom, compassion and integrity.

 

 

More photos from Class of 2018 Graduation at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtstmary/sets/72157669400185978

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Flake to be Inducted into Women’s Hall of Fame

Mount St. Mary Academy President and CEO Karen Flake was announced this week as a 2018 inductee into The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history of accomplishments and recognizing women across the state of Arkansas. Ms. Flake will be among the seven women and one organization recognized for significant contributions to Arkansas and to their respective fields at the fourth annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on August 30 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

 

Past inductees to the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame have included Maya Angelou, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Alice Walton and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas among many others. The organization also provides women encouragement and inspiration from stories shared by these great women.

 

Read more about the 2018 class of Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame inductees here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher Appreciation Week Shows Gratitude, Love

The second week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week, and this year Mount St. Mary multimedia students created a special video for their teachers seen below.  Thank you to all of the Mount St. Mary parents, who participated in the appreciation luncheon for MSM faculty and staff, and for all the support of our school community throughout the year!

 

 

If you would like to make a gift to Mount St. Mary Academy in name of a teacher past or present, honor and memorial gifts can be made online at http://mtstmary.edu/support-msm/give-now/

 

 

 

 

Seniors Bid Farewell at Closing Prayer Service

The senior class left their last school day at Mount St. Mary Academy with feelings of sadness and joy. At the Closing Prayer Service on May 10, the seniors took part in the fourth and final tradition experienced by students at Mount St. Mary, the presentation of the graduation tassels. Throughout the school year students receive their Mercy cards in 9th grade, Mercy pins in 10th grade, class rings in their 11th grade year, and the graduation tassel marks completion of their academic and spiritual development during the four years of high school.

 

After parting words from teachers, administration, classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as from their peers, the Class of 2018 then sung the last verse of the alma mater reserved for seniors at graduation. Then, they exited the school through an Honor Guard made up of the Mount St. Mary faculty and staff. An Honor Guard of students welcomes each ninth grade class into the school at the Opening Prayer Service at the school year’s beginning – the only other time the Honor Guard takes place.

 

Though joyful they are moving on to bright futures and a new phase of life, the seniors’many tears lamented good times and memories that were shared during their time at the school.

 

“Good-bye to St. Mary’s, the best school we know of.
You’ve given us friendship and knowledge and love.
And though we’ll be leaving, we’ll always believe in
the things you’ve taught for you’ve still got our loyalty.”

 – Alma Mater of Mount St. Mary Academy

Juniors and Families Celebrate Ring Mass

On April 29, the Mount St. Mary Academy Class of 2019 received their class rings at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church. Following their entering procession and the blessing of the rings by MSM Chaplain Monsignor Lawrence Frederick, the 122 juniors with their families celebrated a mass to mark their call to leadership as next year’s seniors. The Class of 2019 adopted the theme of “Guardians of the Path” at their class retreat earlier in the month, and they will wear the rings as a symbol of their class unity and leadership.

 

After the Mass the juniors joined outside the church for photos and the long-standing tradition of asking friends and loved ones to turn the rings. The turning represents the year of graduation; for the Class of 2019, the rings were turned 19 times. Congratulations to next year’s leaders: The Mount St. Mary Academy Class of 2019!

 

More photos of Junior Ring Mass: https://flic.kr/s/aHskAYjpmh

MSM Senior to “Just Keep Swimming” at Franciscan University

On May 2, MSM senior Evelyn Nick shared her intent to continue her academic and athletic pursuits at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. While she thanked coaches, family and friends for joining her as she signed on to swim with the “Barons,” Evelyn says the offer to join the college team just tipped the scale leading up to her decision to attend a Catholic University.

 

“Everyone just so loves their faith,” said Evelyn, describing the Catholic environment on campus, “and I really wanted to be surrounded by other peers excited about their faith because it will push me next year to be better in my faith.”

 

As a Eucharistic Minister at MSM and a member of the MSM Campus Ministry Team as well as the Youth Advisory Council for the Diocese of Little Rock, Evelyn said that she was impressed by the number of daily masses available to the students at Franciscan, the numbers of students in line for Reconciliation and the Catholic ethics incorporated in the academic teaching. Evelyn plans to major in biology and said the focus on ethics in the science classes was important for her and anyone interested in going pre-med. When she discovered an opportunity for her to join the swim team at the Catholic university, she knew she had found a place to call home.

 

“Swimming is my one thing I really love doing, and I know that if I’m stressed, I love to go swim and get my stress out,” said Evelyn. “It’s relaxing for me, so I’m looking forward to having that outlet, with the stress of college, to be able to relax while at the same time I’m working hard.”

 

Evelyn has been swimming since she was four years old, competitively since the age of six, and she swims freestyle and butterfly for the Belles swim team. She has been a member of the Mount St. Mary swim team all four years. This year Evelyn and her fellow Belles relay members qualified for state in the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay and the Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay.

 

Evelyn said she has learned a lot about herself in leadership positions at Mount St. Mary. Not only was she one of two seniors to lead the Belles swim team this year, but she also held leadership roles as president of both the MSM Latin Club and Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. In leading the swim team, she stressed how a good attitude plays an important part in helping her team meet their goals, and while she’ll be one of the new team members next year, she says she’s excited to take what she’s learned about herself at Mount and apply it to the Barons team.

 

Evelyn said, “I feel like I’ll have a lot more respect [for the senior members of the team] and I feel like I’ll be a lot more likely to go off of their example because they know what they’re doing.”

 

 

 

 

 

MSM Students Teach Water Quality with EKIP Program

On April 27 Mount St. Mary biology and chemistry students participated in water quality testing at Lake DeGray State Park in Arkadelphia with the Army Corps of Engineers. The day was offered as part of the Every Kid in the Park (EKIP) grant program, an initiative and incentive developed by the National Park Foundation (NPF) to engage 4th grade students in the outdoors and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates.

 

Approximately 100 4th grade students participated in the Lake DeGray program with a trail hike and hands-on experience testing the water quality of the lake with the MSM students, who demonstrated how to check the pH, Nitrates, Phosphates, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen.

 

Afterwards, Mr. Doug Hanson from the Arkansas Geology Survey led the MSM students on a tour of the Lake DeGray Spillway geological formation, which is considered a world-class example of deep water sedimentary deposition. The field trip to Lake DeGray concluded the chemistry classes’ unit on water and the environment.