Locks for Love Charity
(Spring, 2009)

Watch the Video.

Catherine Ronan Karrel's article about Students and Stress for the Parents Council of Washington
(Spring, 2009)

Read Article.

Multicultural Celebration
(Spring, 2009)

Lower School
Middle School
Upper School

Stone Ridge Students Participate in Locks of Love
(Winter, 2009)

Gazette Article.

Bethesda Magazine Highlights Catherine Ronan Karrels '86
(Fall, 2008)

Read more here.

Washington Post Selects Two Gators for Fall 2008 All-Met Team
(Fall, 2008)

-Kim Goh ('09) All-Met First Team for field hockey
-Brooke Blue ('09) All-Met Honorable Mention for field hockey

Coming Full Circle
(August, 2008)

Catholic Standard Profiles Catherine Ronan Karrels '86

SR Beanie Babies Enroute to Iraq
(April, 2008)

Hundreds of well-loved beanie babies are now on their way to U.S. troops in Iraq, thanks to a service project of the second academic class of 2010 and the generosity of many Upper School students. Having heard that our soldiers were giving out beanie babies to Iraqi children as a goodwill gesture, Stone Ridge’s class of 2010 hosted the first in-school “beanie baby drive” in February of this year. The drive was a smashing success, judged solely by the number of little beanbag animals collected. Care packages that included the beanie babies, snacks, and other items (sunscreen, lip balm, etc.), were sent to female soldiers in Iraq who had requested them via www.anysoldier.com.

Students Participate in Special Ceremonies
During Papal Visit to Washington, D.C.
(April, 2008)

Upper School students participated in different aspects of the many special ceremonies accompanying the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, Tierney Roche ’09 and Charis Whitnah ’09 participated in the Pope's Arrival Ceremony at the White House as members of the Honor Guard. Members of the Honor Guard were selected from various Catholic schools in the Washington, D.C. area. Twenty members of our Third Academic class also attended the ceremony, at which both the Pope and President George W. Bush spoke.

On Thursday, April 17, 2008 the Fourth Academic class attended the Papal Mass at the new Nationals Stadium, during which Elizabeth Kane '10 presented a gift to the Holy Father.

Stone Ridge Wins Marriott Service Award
(April, 2008)

Bethesda, MD — Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart was awarded a winner of the prestigious Marriott Spirit to Serve Community Service Awards. This award offers schools an opportunity to showcase their organized and outstanding community service programs and recognizes school leaders who are responsible for these efforts. There will be a special ceremony for all the winners on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, with a reception immediately following the program. Three Upper School administrators, Ms. Kate Morin, Head of the Upper School; Ms. Katy Dunn '94, Upper School Dean of Students; and Ms. Denise Key, Director of Upper School Social Action, will attend the ceremony. They will accompany four members of the Fourth Academic who have demonstrated significant dedication to service during their time at Stone Ridge: Allison Beatley, Emily Herring, Ogechi Irondi, and Amanda Zingone.

Marriott International, Inc. is the sponsor of this award program, which is administered by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center, Office of the Montgomery County Executive.  

Michael Dirda Addresses Stone Ridge Upper School (April, 2008)

Bethesda, MD — Pulitzer-Prize winning critic Michael Dirda spoke to the Stone Ridge Upper School on Thursday, April 10, 2008, marking the second installment of the 2007-08 Stone Ridge Visiting Writers Series, which opened on December 4, 2007 with a reading by Valzhyna Mort, a young poet and translator from Belarus.

Dirda is the winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. He has been an editor and writer for The Washington Post Book World for the past thirty years. His tasks range from writing reviews of literary fiction, intellectual history, children's books, science fiction and fantasy, mysteries, poetry, and biography, to features and personal essays about books and writing. A Fulbright Fellowship recipient, Dirda received his bachelor's degree in English from Oberlin College and his doctorate in comparative literature from Cornell University.

Dirda is the author of five books, including the recently published Classics for Pleasure. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the book a “casually brilliant collection of great book recommendations” in which Dirda “discusses titles ranging from well-known favorites such as Sherlock Holmes and Beowulf to more obscure writers such as Jaroslav Hasek and John Masefield. Dirda is a charming and exceedingly well-read host, erudite without slipping into pretension…The book creates a pleasurable but somewhat maddening sensation in the committed reader, who will be tempted to read most of Dirda's selections based on his brief summations.”

Michael Dirda has been a celebrity guest at the Annual Stone Ridge Used Book Sale which takes place this year from April 11-14, 2008. For four consecutive years, he shared his expertise with fellow bibliophiles. In this role, he toured the sale and retrieved titles of interest to bring to the attention of sale goers. Every book he touched turned into an instant sale.

Dirda was the first guest speaker in the series, which was initiated in 2005 by Upper School English Teacher Diane Springer, former Chair of the English Department. Other past participants in the Stone Ridge Visiting Writers Series include Maureen Corrigan, Linda Pastan, and Dana Gioia.

Stone Ridge Hosts Panel for Visiting Saudi Educators (April, 2008)

On April 2, Good Hall was the site of a roundtable discussion for eleven Saudi Arabian education officials, here in the United States for a three-week study of American education. A quartet of panelists, including Dr. Richard Barbieri from SR, Dana Nerenberg, Principal of Hyde Elementary, Michael Kay, Judaic Studies Director at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, and Dr. Mohammed Pariavi, Head of the Muslim Community School in Potomac, described the different forms of American elementary and secondary education, and asked and answered questions with the visitors, who worked with a team of simultaneous translators.

The invitation to participate in and host the event came to SR through Tonija Hope Navas ’93, who heads a program of the Phelps Stokes Fund which arranges the design and logistics of State Department tours.

During the two-and-a-half hour discussion, many Stone Ridge students, including classes from the theology department and interested individuals, came to listen and were often asked by the Saudis to share their thoughts on such subjects as single-sex education. The Stone Ridge girls, in turn, were eager to learn more about Saudi culture, and especially the role of women. The visitors explained that all Saudi students are taught in single-sex schools, but that they receive equal educations. They also told us that Saudi literacy rates in the last decade stood at 94% for men and 91% for women, and that the government’s goal was the complete eradication of illiteracy.

At the end of the panel, the visitors were asked what could be done to improve relations between our cultures and to correct misperceptions. They all agreed that face-to-face conversation was the key, praised our students for their questions, and thanked Stone Ridge for its hospitality. Dr. Barbieri then expressed the hope that this event was a model for the way our countries and faiths should interact.

 


From left: Tonija Hope Navas '93, Michael Kay, Dr. Richard Barbieri, Dana Nerenberg, and Dr. Muhammed Pariavi

Katie LeDain '08 placed second over all in the regional Shakespeare Competition held by the English Speaking Union on Monday, March 10. Participating in the competition were students from secondary schools from all over DC, Maryland and Virginia. Katie's winning performance included a monologue from The Two Noble Kinsmen and Sonnet #57.

Potomac Valley Swimming (PVS) named Erin Zepp ’08 a 2006-2007 Scholar Athlete on October 4, 2007. The purpose of this award is to emphasize the importance of scholastic achievement through a program that recognizes the scholastic excellence of Potomac Valley swimmers. PVS, the local committee in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for USA Swimming—the National Governing Body (NGB) for competitive swimming in this country—has over 8,000 swimmers who compete in programs ranging from novice to the Olympic competition level. Scholar Athletes are PVS-USA Swimming athletes who have completed Grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 during 2006-2007 at a public or private secondary school; attained a 3.5 or higher grade point average (GPA) for the entire 2006-2007 academic year; and achieved a 3.5 or higher event standard average in a minimum of five events. Please visit www.pvswim.org for more information about Potomac Valley Swimming.

Bethesda magazine reporter Carrie Dietz offers a survey of area private schools, including Stone Ridge in "A Private School for Every Child and Parent" [September-October 2007, Vol. 4, No. 5, pg.138].

Category 1 - Annual Report
"Women at Work," Stone Ridge Annual Report 2005-2006
[8.25" square, 56-page report with textured cover and linen binding]
Designer: Caitlin E. Myler, Communications Associate
Photographer: Upper School Photography Students
Other Contributors: Eleanor Glattly, Upper School Photography Teacher. Helen D. Macsherry, Director of Communications

Category 6 - Brochure
"Gifts of the Spirit," Stone Ridge Annual Fund, 2006-2007
[6.5" x 9" glossy, color, trifold brochure]
Designer: Caitlin E. Myler, Communications Associate
Photographer: Caitlin E. Myler, Communications Associate
Other Contributor: Jaime F. Harmeyer, Director of Annual Giving

Category 18 - Posters
"CrazyBusy" Special Lecture
[11" x 17" color poster announcing Edward Hallowell, MD lecture]
Designer: Helen D. Macsherry, Director of Communications
Photographer: Steve Robb/Corbis Corporation

Category 19 - Publication Design
"Special Graduation Issue," Stone Ridge Intercom Alumnae News magazine [8.5" x 11" color, 60-page magazine featuring the Aquatic Center on the cover and a special 12-page pull-out section in the centerfold - Vol. 36, No. 7, Spring 2006]
Designer: Helen D. Macsherry, Director of Communications
Photographer: [Cover] Caitlin E. Myler, Communications Associate/[Issue] and Multiple Contributing Photographers

"It is time to board this year’s train for the intellectual and spiritual journey," enjoined Dr. Richard Barbieri. Using the visual theme of a train in his Call to Worship at the annual, all-school Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 7, Dr. Barbieri linked the gifts of the Spirit with intellectual values—the Goal for 2007-08. "A deep respect for intellectual values" (Goal II) is the focus for every student, faculty and staff member as Stone Ridge marks its sixtieth anniversary as a School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Celebrant of the Mass was Rev. Msgr. Raymond G. East, pastor of St. Theresa Avila and director of the Office of Black Catholics and vicar for evangelization of the Washington Archdiocese. In his homily, Msgr. East noted, "On this first Friday, we gather together to celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus." The red vestments represent the tongues of fire enkindled by the Spirit. He invited the junior kindergartners to join him in front of the congregation to share words in different languages, both foreign and fictitious. He then instructed them to run, literally, to spread the Word. Afterward, he encouraged everyone to use their God-given intellectual gifts to help one another. Looking at the thirteen cars representing every grade level in the colorful train mounted on the wall behind the altar, he stated, "The train cannot get anywhere without the engine and every car pulling together to help the other move along the track."

Msgr. East reminded all that this year marks the Second Millennium of Christ—2000 years since the birth of Christ—for our Eritrean and Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan are ahead. Msgr. East asked the students and adults to be aware of others and their needs and do the will of God. "Are you going to do your part this year? Then let’s ask God to bless us and keep us on track."

After the final blessing, Dr. Barbieri announced that Sr. Mary Louise “Mamie” Jenkins, much-beloved former Lower School Campus Minister and director of the Gospel Choir, sent greetings from California and wished all a good year. Instantaneous applause and a resounding chorus of "Coeur de Jesus" filled the gymnasium, followed by a school-wide picnic.

Violinists Tylar Clark '14 and Lucia Lostumbo '14 were selected by competitive audition to be members of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Strings for the 2007-2008 season.

The Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra (MCYO), under the direction of Philharmonic Conductor David Levin, is a resident partner at the Music Center at Strathmore. The MCYO program founded in 1946 for the area's young talented musicians is now in its 62nd season. Please visit www.mcyo.org for more information.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees America’s national wildlife refuge system, awarded Third Prize to Joelle Chon '11 in the 2007 Maryland Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art competition. The judges selected winners from over 680 entries submitted statewide. For more information click here.