35 Reasons to Give Faculty Profile: Michael Mann

Posted: .

Mike Mann RGB-eviewSubject: English
HometownHouston, Texas
Faculty Member Since2010

What is a favorite memory you have of being in school?
I enjoyed participating in plays. I remember one fondly. It was a pastiche of Samuel Beckett's Endgame and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
 
What do you value most about St. Gregory?
We are all here to learn from each other, support each other, and excel. The pursuit of excellence drives everything we do.

Who or what inspires you most?
Cervantes and Shakespeare, certainly.

What do you like to do most when you are not teaching?
I like hiking in the Santa Catalinas when the desert cools off.  

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Always tell the truth. 

In Other News this Week from Hawk's eView Newsletter

2013-2014 St. Gregory Holiday School Calendar
Posted: Thursday, May 09, 2013.
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2013-2014 Holiday Calendar
Revised 5/9/2013

August 6 - Sixth grade orientation; time to be announced

August 7 - Back to School Day

September 2 - Labor Day holiday; no classes

September 5 - Rosh Hashanah holiday; no classes

October 11 - End of first quarter; faculty grading day; no classes

October 18 - Fall break; no classes

November 11 - Veterans' Day; no classes

November 27-29 - Thanksgiving break

December 16-19 - First semester assessments/exams

December 20 - End of first semester; faculty grading day; no classes

Dec 23 – Jan 3 - Winter Break

January 6 - Second semester begins

January 20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday; no classes

February 20-21 - Rodeo Break

March 7 - End of third quarter; faculty grading day; no classes

March 31 – April 4 - Spring Break

April 18 - Good Friday holiday; no classes

May 19-22 - Semester assessments/exams

May 24 - Commencement

We Will Miss You Ms. Derickson!
Posted: Thursday, May 16, 2013.
CrayonsJudy Derickson is a great art teacher. She is patient with her students and inspires them through her own art. She is a much-beloved advisor. A world traveler, Judy has shared many stories about life adventures. Like her hero, Leonardo (to whom she refers on a first-name basis), Judy has taught us to see in new ways. We will miss her! ~ Amy Clashman

Check out this wonderful Farewell Video put together by the upper school yearbook crew.


Middle School French Club Coming Next Fall 2013
Posted: Thursday, May 09, 2013.
FrenchStarting in the fall, French teacher Ms. Amy Clashman will offer a club for Middle School students with an advanced or near-native level of French.

The club will meet once a week. Students will read stories, develop conversation skills, do a little writing, and play games.

Ms. Clashman was awarded a $300 grant from the American Association of Teachers of French to buy books and materials for the club.

Parents interested in more information may contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Come to the Middle School Art Show and Reception
Posted: Thursday, May 09, 2013.
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Middle School Art Show and Reception Friday, May 17, 2013

Cast Your Vote! St. Gregory Middle School Presents the The 4th Annual People's Choice Art Show & Reception in the Donald R. Nickerson Performing Arts Center.

Art Show & Reception: 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.

Aladdin: 7:00 p.m. with a bake sale during intermission

Sweet treats & hors d'oeuvres will be served!



Come see St. Gregory MS production of "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp"
Posted: Thursday, May 16, 2013.
Cast Your Vote! St. Gregory Middle School Presents the The 4th Annual People's Choice Art Show & Reception in the Donald R. Nickerson Performing Arts Center.

There will be an art show and reception from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m, followed by St. Gregory Middle School's production of "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp." You can read more about the play in the Arizona Daily Star, and see a preview of the show here.

Intermission includes a yummy bake sale. Sweet treats & hors d'oeuvres will also be served.

Aladdin poster

35 Reasons to Give Faculty Profile: Lydia Noriega
Posted: Thursday, May 09, 2013.
Lydia Noriega RGBSubject: Modern and Classical Languages
Hometown: Hermosillo, Sonora México
Faculty Member Since: 2011

What is a favorite memory you have of being in school?
Having a field trip to the beach to learn about the desert. I think that was the reason why I fell in love with my hometown ecosystem.

What do you value most about St. Gregory?
I love the idea that St. Gregory promotes creativity, open-minded inquiry, and innovation. That gives me a huge opportunity to introduce a variety of readings and activities to my Spanish classes, specially in literature.

Who or what inspires you the most?
My friends and family. I'm lucky enough to have broad range of personalities among them.

What do you like to do most when you are not teaching?
Reading, looking, and playing with my child.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
"Always keep a set of clean clothes with you!"

35 Reasons to Give Faculty Profile: Kevin Rolle
Posted: Thursday, May 09, 2013.
Kevin Rolle RGBSubject: Science
Hometown: Huron, South Dakota
Faculty Member Since: 2006

What is a favorite memory you have of being in school?
I remember spending countless hours hanging out in the library during my free periods reading magazines and exploring shelves upon shelves of books.

What do you value most about St. Gregory?
One thing I value about St. Gregory is the dynamic, dedicated faculty I am blessed to work with here.

Who or what inspires you the most?
As a teacher, I am inspired by those moments when students still find things that fascinate and amaze them in my class, even in this new world in which nearly everything is immediately available at their fingertips. Outside the classroom, I am inspired by the variety and beauty of the natural world.


What do you like to do most when you are not teaching?

I enjoy travel, hiking, and especially birding.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
A wise man once said, "Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." Although I sometimes fall short of that ideal, I still find it to be an invaluable guiding principle.

Students Compete in the High School Hacking Competition
Posted: Friday, May 10, 2013.
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Several St. Gregory students competed in the picoCTF High School Hacking Competition run by Carnegie Mellon and sponsored by the National Security Agency.

The purpose of the challenge is to expose students to a number of computer science challenges, and to provide a game-like setting to learn new programming skills.

After an intense ten days of challenges and problem solving, the "expert" team of Nikolas Anctil, Michael Delay, and Alex McNerney finished 41st out of almost 2000 teams. The first year computer science class team of Pierce Maguire, Poli Sierra-Long, Michael Rosenberg, Clayton Matheson, and Carter Bakarich finished 451st place.

Click on the photo from the picoCTF website for more information and videos about the competition!

Business Club Learns From Local Business Leaders
Posted: Friday, May 10, 2013.
syncardia sOn April 26, the St. Gregory Business Club had a conference call with Donald Isaacs, the Vice President of Communications of Syncardia.

This thriving biotechnology company has made some wonderful advances in artificial hearts, so talking with an executive was incredibly valuable. Learning about how Mr. Isaacs got involved with Syncardia and how their business runs led to quite the inspirational moment. Business Club was also able to learn how a biotech startup can go about acquiring capital after a research phase, as well as what is involved in pursuing an Initial Public Offering. One interesting topic that was discussed was how the Internet affects Syncardia's business.

Business Club also got some amazing advice from Mr. Isaacs. A lot of the focus was on the importance of getting working experience, even if it is unpaid, as a young person. Classroom education is great, but to become a great businessman, real-world practice is also required. When asked what he looks for in future employees, Mr. Isaacs spoke about the necessity of building a team of people that complement each other. After the discussion, Business Club came to the conclusion that both competition and cooperation are necessary to build a great product.

If anyone wishes to join the Business Club, contact David Strong at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Grant Ross at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Track Season Wrap-Up
Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2013.
Track
This year, Stephanie Boulger ('14), Keely Breedlove ('16), Becca Rogers ('13), Stewart Bass ('13), Tobias Gloesslein ('14), and R.J. Prudic ('15) represented St. Gregory on our small but impressive track team. While we had a series of injuries and illnesses this year, we also had some fantastic highlights:

Stephanie Boulger won the Division IV state pole vaulting title with a personal record of 11 feet! You can learn more about Boulger's win in the Arizona Daily StarTucson Citizen, and KVOA News.

Keely Breedlove earned a state automatic qualifying time for the 800m with a personal best of 2:29.07, and she also qualified for state in the 1600 with a 5:47.87.

Becca Rogers qualified for state in the 3200m with a 13:47.61.

Stewart Bass earned a personal best in the 1600m with a 4:57.35.

Tobias Gloesslein qualified for state in both the 800m (2:06.40) and the 1600m (4:56.21).

R.J. Prudic, a first-time runner, ran personal bests in the 800m (2:21.76) and the 1600m (5:31.26), and his continuing training to help other athletes after his season ended showed remarkable dedication to the sport and the team.

Congratulations to our dedicated and talented track team for some great performances this season!

Peace Ambassadors End Another Successful Year
Posted: Friday, May 17, 2013.
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On May 10, 2013 St. Gregory College Preparatory School's Peace Ambassadors were honored in a closing ceremony designed to acknowledge the noble work conducted on campus throughout the school year, as well as present some of the messages of goodwill that Peace Ambassadors strive to convey to their school community.

A plaque was presented to the troop of twenty-four Peace Ambassadors, and speeches were offered by Natalya Mayhew, Maya Encila, Margo Cramer and Safia Francis. The Peace Ambassadors spoke of the lessons learned during the year. These include conflict mediation skills from the 'Rise Up' training they offered their peers, and how important it is to get to know each other across grades, classes, genders, and backgrounds.

The Peace Ambassadors also surprised the audience by enacting short music clips with positive lyrical messages to include Elena Acuña as Elvis, Addison Mort as Gandhi, Tea Weiner as Kermit the Frog, Margo Cramer as Diana Ross, and Kai Morfin thrilled his peers as he moonwalked across the foggy stage as Michael Jackson!

We are grateful for the efforts voluntarily given to our school community all year by these fine Peace Ambassadors. Thank you for another great year!

2012-2013 Peace Ambassadors:

Margo Cramer
Brielle Kalish-LeBarge
Maya Encila
Sam Lee
Zara Dabdoub
Safia Francis
J'Lyn Faircloth
Jack Null
Kai Morfin
Lizzie Noriega
Addison Mort
Dylan Hoover
Chiara Gloesslein
Natalya Mayhew
Tea Weiner
Joseph Steimer
Jillian Cassius
Michael Artzi
Sedona Naifeh
Gaby Noriega
Lowell Peress
Elena Acuna
Alexandra Lehmann
Isabelle Anderson

Getting Ready for Graduation!
Posted: Saturday, May 18, 2013.
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Grad-Class-Prep-2013