MSM Family Connection Newsletter

Dear MSM Families,

I’ve been noticing daffodils start to poke through the cracked soil along my driveway- a true sign of spring! How grateful I am for these tangible reminders of hope and joy. This week, this joy was witnessed in our Service and Justice Days experience. On Tuesday, we welcomed Marty Gregorie from Footsteps WNY as our keynote speaker. Marty spoke about the importance of finding a mission that sparks joy in our hearts. I was proud to witness our students discover and share joy with many different communities throughout WNY this week. Just as the daffodils pop with vibrant color and bring us joy, may your family experience the beautiful grace of this holy season of Easter this week.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring Break!

Mrs. Katie Spillman

MSM's 5th Annual Service & Justice Week 2024 was once again an extraordinary experience for both our students and faculty! On Tuesday, March 26, and Wednesday, March 27, the school community experienced two full days of hands-on learning about multiple aspects of social injustice through 11 immersive workshops organized by our very own faculty!

Several groups also went out into the community to serve those in need right here in WNY. Take a look at photos from some of the workshops below!

Some of the experiences our students participated in this week include:

• Meeting Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart at the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library on Buffalo's East Side to learn about the nonprofit book collecting club she started with her son Zaire, in the workshop "I See Me: Because What You Read Matters."
• Learning from this year's Keynote Speaker, Marty Gregoire, President & Founder of Footsteps of WNY - a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to individuals with Cerebral Palsy in the workshop "Finding the ABLe in DisABLEities."
• Traveling to Buffalo's chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for children in need with the "Build A Bed" workshop.
• Participating in a CPR and Basic First Aid Training Course with Darrin Strickland from Strictly Business Safety Solutions in the workshop "Access to Healthcare."
• Creating a rain barrel and pollinator garden, and visiting Reinstein Woods with the workshop "Environmentalism and Climate Change."
• Participating in traditional Native American dance & drum circles with the workshop "Honoring & Acknowledging Native American Culture."

The tradition of Service & Justice Week is very significant to us at MSM as we embrace our Catholic identity focusing on learning about social justice and helping the residents in our very own community.

A big thank you to Ms. Rebecca Cefaratti for once again coordinating this important two-day event, and to our wonderful MSM faculty and staff who worked collaboratively to put these amazing workshops together for our Mounties!

Congratulations to MSM Senior Thunder Athlete Madeline Bronson '24, who signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her athletic career in college!

Maddy is the captain of the MSM Rowing Team, Co-Executive President of the Student Council, and an active member of the West Side Rowing Team. She is excited to join the Women's Rowing Team at Rochester Institute of Technology this fall!

Congratulations Maddy! We are so proud of you for your hard work and many accomplishments throughout your high school athletic career. We look forward to cheering you on in all your future endeavors!

Applications for Financial Aid for the 2024-25 school year are due on Monday, April 1, 2024. Parents can access the Financial Aid portal at: www.fairapp.com. Please utilize the school code: School code: 113 and the Password: msma113.

Applications that are received after the due date are evaluated over the summer if financial aid funds remain.

On Friday, March 22, four of our Mounties traveled to the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur for a wonderful afternoon of conversation and fellowship. “Generational Sisterhood” brings our students and the Sisters together to share friendship and stories of their histories and daily lives.

The next visit with the Sisters will be on Friday, April 12. Interested students should complete the following permission form no later than April 10, 2024: Visit to the Sisters Permission.

Questions? Contact Mrs. Dawn Riggie at driggie@msmacademy.org, or Mrs. Anne Evangelos at aevangelos@msmacademy.org.

Pictured below: Sister Elizabeth, Lina Keil, Molly Breen, Alexis Ganz, Ciara Breen, and Sister Rosemary.

Report Cards will be released shortly after the Easter break. Please remember that all accounts with a past due balance will have their online academic access placed on hold until the delinquency is brought current.

Questions? Please contact Ms. Anne Kohl at akohl@msmacademy.org

Mount St. Mary Academy is embarking on a yearlong partnership with Mentor NY, funded through our Oishei Foundation Belonging, Equity and Inclusion capacity grant.

Our employees participated in the Mentor NY virtual conference last Friday, March 15th, attending sessions learning about the best ways to ensure that all students' voices are heard and elevated both in the classroom and in our co-curriculars.

The Mentor NY team now turns their focus to listening and encouraging our students. On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, MSM is offering an in-house field trip for interested MSM students. Here is what the focus of the field trip will be:

On April 16th, students will focus on their experiences of Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion at our school. The day will begin with a large group reflection on the students' experiences in these areas. From there, we will move into an Appreciative Inquiry Design Lab. This will allow students time to collaboratively define, discover, dream, and design an approach to advancing Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion. The day will conclude with action planning on priority areas that the students determine throughout the day.

If your daughter is interested in attending this opportunity, please have her return this permission slip: Mentor NY - Field Trip 4/16/24. Space is limited with capacity at twenty students. We are excited to continue to partner with this wonderful organization.

Thank you to MSM's Physics & Astronomy teacher, Mr. Timothy Williamson, for creating this wonderful and informative video resource for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Take a few moments to watch with your family and learn more about this incredible event; the next total eclipse that will be visible in WNY won't occur until 2144!

Leading SAT/ACT tutor Brian Eldridge will be holding an SAT Workshop at MSM on April 22, 24, and May 1, from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm. To learn more about Brian Eldridge, check out his website here: https://www.couriercollegeprep.com/. The workshop will cover mental readiness, time-management techniques, establishing confident, flexible thinking, study blueprints for self-directed practice, and more.

The deadline for registration is Friday, April 19th, but don't wait, the workshop will fill up fast!

Check out the links below for more information and the workshop registration form:

SAT Workshop Information & Details

SAT Workshop Registration Form

Go Back in Time at MSM's annual "Me and My Guy" dance on Friday, April 26th! This beloved event will be held from 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM at Banchetti by Rizzo's. For more information about attire, payment, and seating information, and to print the RSVP form, click HERE.

Form and payment are due by April 19, 2024.

Questions? Contact Mrs. Suchan-Reitz at esuchan-reitz@msmacademy.org.

Please join us for our annual Mother-Daughter Mass & Brunch on Sunday, April 28, courtesy of the MSM Parents Association! Mounties are encouraged to bring a sister, an aunt, a grandmother, or any woman who is a mentor or guide in her life if her mother is not available. Please click HERE to RSVP by Wednesday, April 17.

We hope to see you at this beloved MSM event!

From the Desk of Ms. Monica Saltarelli:

MSM is offering a high school game changer - a service mission trip to New Orleans, Louisiana from June 20- 26, 2024! There is no question that the NOLA experience is a meaningful way for students to meet their service hour requirement by working with kids and moms or at the Second Harvest Food Bank. We will be exploring the Whitney Plantation, the Katrina Museum, and sipping iced coffee while enjoying NOLA's world-famous beignets at the Café du Monde. A student highlight is the Jazz Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe and so much more. It is a trip of a lifetime! The cost of the trip is an all-inclusive $1200; life lessons learned on this amazing trip are priceless!

Questions? Please contact Ms. Monica Saltarelli at msaltarelli@msmacademy.org.

Summer is coming and as our Mounties and future Mounties know, MSM Summer Camps are the best! Registration is open for girls going into grades 5 - 8 (Fall 2024) for a variety of summer fun including: Flag Football, Cooking, Photography, STEAM, Entrepreneurship, Musical Theater, Taylor Swift Camp, and SO much more!

Use the QR code below or click HERE to register and to learn more about dates, times, descriptions, and locations for our awesome offerings for Summer 2024!

Attention Parents/Guardians:

School transportation requests for MSM students requiring bus transportation for the 2024 - 2025 school year must be submitted in writing to your student's home school district by April 1, 2024. Below, please find forms and information concerning transportation from each district for the 2024-25 academic year. If you do not see your student's home district listed below, please visit your home district's website and click on the transportation link to locate the necessary information.

Please contact Mrs. Kimberly Adam: kadam@msmacademy.org with any questions.

Alden Central School District

Amherst

Cheektowaga Central School District

Cheektowaga Maryvale

Cheektowaga Sloan

Cleveland Hill

Clarence

Depew

Frontier

Grand Island

Iroquois

Ken-Ton USFD

Lake Shore Central School District

Lackawanna

Lancaster

Niagara-Wheatfield

Orchard Park

Starpoint

Sweet Home

Williamsville

Mount St. Mary is thrilled to have 9 interested German exchange students who are hoping to spend the fall semester with us! If you would like to host a student please read the attached letter from the program director, Lynn Engle. MSM has proudly participated in the Buffalo-Dortmund Student Ambassador program for over 20 years. Mrs. Elizabeth Suchan-Reitz is the program coordinator on-site at Mount St. Mary, and can answer some of your questions, as well. The 9 student bio/profiles are available if you are interested to learn more about these awesome young women hoping to join our Mountie family!

Do you know an 8th grade girl who is interested in MSM for high school? We'd love to host her for a Shadow/"Mountie for a Day" visit. More information and registration forms can be found here: Mountie for a Day!

Please contact Elizabeth Suchan-Reitz for more information esuchan-reitz@msmacademy.org

Click the link below to visit the official Mount St. Mary Academy Thunder Website for a calendar of upcoming athletic events. Come out and support our Mounties in action!

Mount St. Mary Academy Thunder Website

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Mount St. Mary Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, is a Catholic, private, college preparatory school for young women. Within a nurturing and academically challenging and inclusive environment, the Academy strives to develop the whole person’s gifts and potential. Guided by our Catholic tradition, and rooted in Gospel values, we empower scholars to be leaders dedicated to lifelong learning, moral integrity, social justice, and service to and inclusion of others.

We Believe in You!

Email: information@msmacademy.org
Website: https://www.msmacademy.org
Location: 3756 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone: 716-877-1358
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msmacademy
Twitter: @msmacademy