Kim Goh '09 debuted in an Under Armour ad, which aired Sunday, July 15 during the ESPN ESPY Awards. The ad features Kate Barber, current U.S. Team captain, as the "coach" for the Under Armour team in the field hockey segment shot in June. It will air regularly for up to two years as part of the sports equipment and apparel company's new ad campaign geared toward women. See a related article in the Baltimore Examiner. In June, Kim also played in the National Futures Championship for the third year. Her performance there led to her selection for the Junior Olympics in early August 2007. Congratulations.

Harry Potter fans who tuned in 9NewsNow on Tuesday, July 9 at 5:00 p.m. heard Stone Ridge students share their thoughts with Gary Nurenberg about J.K. Rowling's series of books; the security surrounding the 12:01 a.m. July 21 release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; the secret ending, and more. Missed the broadcast? Read all about it on the 9NewsNow website.

National Merit Commended Scholars: Preanka Hai, Stephanie Lee, Sara Levintow, Alicia Meier, Elizabeth Musslewhite, Anna Mysliwiec, Leah Seifu, Laila Sharafi, Minhae Shim, Madeline Trower, Jessica Walthall, and Elizabeth Winkler.

National Achievement Scholarship Competition: Finalists Jordan Webber and Leah Seifu, and Outstanding Participant Caitlin Nickens. Finalist Leah Seifu received a $2,500 Corporate-sponsored Achievement Scholarship Award, as well.

National Hispanic Recognition Program: Scholar Finalist Sheila Yahyazadeh and Honorable Mention Finalist Natalia Bengoechea.

Maryland Distinguished Scholar in Achievement: Semi-Finalists Anna Mysliwiec, Jocelyn Wascher, and Elizabeth Winkler; and Honorable Mentions Francesca Archila, Caitlin Kearney, Sara Levintow, Laura Mickum, Amy Muscato, Tam Nguyen, Claire Nowlin, Caitlin Royster, Leah Seifu, Laila Sharafi, Minhae Shim, Sabrina Tangchaiburana, Madeline Trower, Jessica Walthall, Jordan Webber, Sheila Yahyazadeh, and Rosemary Yogiaveetil.

Maryland Distinguished Scholar in Talent: Semi-Finalist Kristina Madarang; and Honorable Mentions Stephanie Lee, Caitlin Nickens, and Jocelyn Wascher.

Stone Ridge Athletes in the Class of 2007 who will represent collegiate athletic organizations: Casey Gemunder, Davidson College, Division I Swimming; Kaitlin Keena, University of Notre Dame, Division I Lacrosse; Aimee O’Rourke, University of California, Berkeley, Division I Diving; Agnes Sibilski, Harvard University, Division I Tennis; and Lorne McManigle, Emory University, Division III Tennis.

The American Association of Teachers of French [AATF] awarded top prizes to Upper School student Segolene Lapeyre '10 and Middle School students Akinyi Ochieng '11 and Elizabeth Glowacki '11 in the 2007 Le Grand Concours National French Contest. In this annual competition, all three took first place gold medals in the State of Maryland and in the nation.

Dominique Ciarra Perkins '10 will be recognized for her achievement in oratorical competition at the upcoming Eastern Regional Jack and Jill Mother's Conference at the Sheraton at Tysons Corner, VA, July 19-22, 2007. Dominique won the 13-15 year old division with her speech "Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future" at the Southern Cluster Teen Oratorical Competition for Jack & Jill of America, Inc. on February 17, 2007 in Baltimore, MD. She went on to compete at the 57th Annual Eastern Regional Teen Conference held March 15-18, 2007 in Philadelphia, PA where she won the 13-15 year old division and received the "Overall Teen Orator" award.

Mercedes Lopez '08 received Honorable Mention from Congressman Christopher Van Hollen at the Congressional Art Competition awards ceremony and reception on May 7 at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD. This annual competition, a juried art show at Strathmore, received twenty entries from Stone Ridge Upper School students this year. Jurors selected works by Stephanie Douglas '08, Charlotte Lapeyre '08, Stephanie Lee '07, Mercedes Lopez ’08, and Nina Takahashi '09 to hang in the galleries within the Strathmore Mansion through May 31, 2007. The show, which is sponsored by Congressman Van Hollen, showcases the outstanding artistic talent of high school students in the Eighth Congressional District.

The Special Olympics Swimming Program, in its first year at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, culminated in the Qualifier Swim Meet at the Stone Ridge Aquatic Center on Saturday, May 5 from 12-4 p.m. The event, organized by Special Olympics' Pamela Yerg and Stone Ridge Aquatics Director Brenda Walker, began with a Parade of Athletes, complete with an Olympic torch. Following the Pledge of Allegiance and Special Olympics Oath, Stone Ridge Head of School Richard Barbieri, Ph.D. declared the games open. Stone Ridge faculty and students escorted the athletes to the appropriate lanes for their events, after which awards were given.

Volunteers on hand included Don Barron, Dalene Barry, Alicia and Nick Cohen, Chanel Kopecky, Mary Power, Brenda Wendel, and Assistant Aquatics Director Bob Walker who called each event. Stone Ridge students Victoria Lyons '09, Deanna Javadi '09, Laura Walsh '08, Robyn Schwartzman '08, Elyse Galloway '10, and Natalia Bengoechea '07 were poolside encouraging the athletes at the meet. They served as volunteer coaches and mentors throughout the program - a volunteer opportunity which will be offered each spring at Stone Ridge.

The Congressional Art Competition, an annual juried art show at Strathmore, received twenty entries from Stone Ridge Upper School students this year. Congratulations to Stephanie Douglas '08, Charlotte Lapeyre '08, Stephanie Lee '07, Mercedes Lopez '08, and Nina Takahashi '09, whose work was selected by jurors to hang in the galleries within the Mansion at Strathmore through May 31, 2007. The show, which is sponsored by Congressman Christopher Van Hollen, showcases the outstanding artistic talent of high school students in the Eighth Congressional District. All those who entered will be recognized at an awards ceremony and reception on Monday evening, May 7, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Strathmore Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. Congressman Van Hollen will award the certificates and the public is welcome to attend.

Stone Ridge students and others at Catholic high schools in the Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore, and the Dioceses of Arlington and Wilmington took part in the Student Art Exhibit. Emma Lynch ’07 and Sasha Goldberg ’08 received the top two prizes of a $50 and a $25 gift certificate, respectively.

Hanna Allelign ‘09, Mimi Amore ‘07, Susan Andrzejewski ‘07, Meghan Ball ‘08, Kurumi Furusawa ‘07, Jessica Gallagher ‘09, Sasha Goldberg ‘08, Preanka Hai ‘07, Sheela Katikineni ‘07, Caitlin Kearney ‘07, Victoria Lyons ‘09, Emma Lynch ‘07, Alicia Meier ’07, Kelly Mullen ‘09, Eva Poretsky ‘07, Lauren Stentz ‘08, and Katie Stouffer ’09 participated in the exhibit and donated their photographs to the all-day silent auction in support of S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat).

The Stone Ridge community joins Photography Teacher Eleanor Glattly in her praise, “Congratulations to Emma and Sasha, and all the girls who contributed to this very worthy cause.”

Stone Ridge students Logan Kolakowski '09, Kelly Davis '09, Mika Rhabb '09, Charlotte Lapeyre '08, Carolina Acevedo '08, Stephanie Lee '07 and Mary Beckler '07 had their artwork accepted into a juried (i.e. contest) art show at the Landow Family Gallery in the Middle School building terrace at Landon School [6101 Wilson Lane] in Bethesda, Maryland. Students from all area private schools submitted entries.

The entry from Stone Ridge senior Stephanie Lee '07 graced the cover of the program. The show runs through February 27.

The competition for students in Grades 6-9, which was scheduled for Thursday, February 15, has been rescheduled for Monday, March 12. The competition featuring Stone Ridge's
Helen Felker '12 begins at 1:30 p.m. at Imagination Stage [4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland].

Letter from First Lady Laura Bush

On December 5, the 2006-07 Stone Ridge Visiting Writers Series opened with Dana Gioia [pronounced JOY-uh], Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts [NEA] in Good Hall from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Upper School English Teacher Diane Springer initiated the Visiting Writers Series at Stone Ridge in 2005. “I believe that the balance of traditional and contemporary authors, time-tested and innovative pedagogy keeps students engaged, but, above all, I believe in convincing them that by listening to their hearts they will find their own voices.” This year’s opening event with 100 in attendance was delightful.

Beginning with his “Catholic background,” Mr. Gioia went on to speak about his years at Harvard where he had the opportunity to learn from such well-known poets as Elizabeth Bishop, Octavio Paz, and Robert Lowell. He became a “literary theorist” at odds with being a writer. After attending graduate school, he developed a successful career in business for seventeen years, all the while writing at night and on weekends. He ultimately left the business world to become a full-time writer for twelve years. In his own words, he went from the bourgeois, to bohemian, to the bureaucratic way of life as Chairman of the NEA, “to get something accomplished in the arts.”

According to Gioia, “poems come out of lived experiences.” Before reading his own poetry selections, he offered that poems begin in one of two ways: something happens to which you try to bring into words or there is a line, image, or rhythm in your head. You question why it is there and then attempt to bring it to life. Preceding his first reading of “Unsaid,” Gioia said, “So much of what we live goes on inside; the life you lead is unknown to others except you.” His poems entitled, “Thanks for Remembering Us,” “Cruising with the Beach Boys,” and “Planting a Sequoia” written after the death of his son, all followed.

Gioia has an easy, personable manner and clarity of expression. He likes the “noise you make when you put words together; the use of rhyme and meter.” One third of what he writes is free verse. He likes to let a poem take whatever course it is going to take. After quoting Tennyson (“good stuff”), he admitted that marketing products at General Foods was “not the stuff of lyric poetry.” Even still, at that time in his career, he wrote “Come into the Garden, Fred” about a May-December relationship between two cats.

His call for requests from the audience resulted in his reading the first poem in his book, “Words,” which Gioia described as a philosophical and Catholic poem. In fact, much of his poetry is self-described as “deeply Catholic.” “I believe there is continuity between language and reality—‘The Word was made flesh.’ ” Gioia considers “The Litany” to be “one of the best poems I’ve ever written”; a prayer to which he advised the audience to simply listen. He wrote his next reading, “Insomnia,” after the purchase of his first house.

Working with musicians brings a whole new set of challenges, according to Gioia who has written operas, as well. You have to make the language clear via parallel diction; the lyrics have to finish; and, since someone else is picking up your words, you have to create a character, a motivation for the actor or actress. He read the lyrics of the “Vampire’s Love Song,” his first operatic song from Nosferatu, He concluded with “The Storm.”

Questions and answers followed the reading, which was attended by students, parents, faculty and staff, alumnae, and trustees. A reception in Hamilton House gave everyone an opportunity to meet Mr. Gioia and enjoy refreshments.

For more information about Dana Gioia, please visit the NEA “Chairman's Forum” and “Dana Gioia Online.”

Gazette names Stone Ridge students to All-Gazette Teams... (December 2006)

The following Stone Ridge student-athletes were recognized by the Bethesda Gazette for their fine play this past fall season:

Elissa Goeke '08, First Team All-Gazette, Volleyball

Kaitlin Keena '07, Honorable Mention All-Gazette, Field Hockey

Lorne McManigle '07, First Team All-Gazette, Tennis

Jillian King '07, Honorable Mention All-Gazette, Soccer

The 2006-07 Stone Ridge Visiting Writers Series begins with Dana Gioia [pronounced JOY-uh], Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts [NEA], on Tuesday evening, December 5 in Good Hall.

An internationally-acclaimed poet, critic, translator, anthologist, and commentator, Dana Gioia is the founder and co-director of two major literary conferences: Teaching Poetry, which focuses on improving high school English, and the West Chester University Summer Conference on Form and Narrative, the largest annual all-poetry writing conference in the U.S.
He is the former Vice-President of the Poetry Society of America and recipient of the 2002 American Book Award [Interrogations at Noon]; a finalist for the 1992 National Book Critics Award in Criticism [Can Poetry Matter? Essays on Poetry and American Culture]; and co-winner of the 1991 Poets’ Prize [The Gods of Winter]. For more information, please visit the NEA “Chairman's Forum” and “Dana Gioia Online.”

Past participants in the Stone Ridge Visiting Writers Series include Michael Dirda, Maureen Corrigan, and Linda Pastan.

Don't miss SR ad on WETA-TV (ch. 26) M-F, 6:00-9:00 a.m., 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Varsity Volleyball Team defeats Georgetown Visitation 3-2 “in a truly exciting match,” according to Athletic Director Jill Marks. “This victory guarantees them at least a share of the A division title.” Dr. Richard Barbieri, Head of School, recounted the tense moments, “The girls were beaten in the first two games, then were down 18-10 in the fourth and 12-7 in the fifth, as well as 14-15, before coming back to win 17-15.” Dr. Diane Wood, Head of the Upper School was there to see the “truly thrilling match. The volleyball team was incredible . . . never lost heart. They just got more focused and played beautifully—always as a team!” An enthusiastic Elissa Goeke ’08 wanted everyone to know, “I'm so proud of our team, and it was really awesome!! Go Gators!!” Coach Scott Fifield summed up the match, “It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.” For more, see the article carried in The Examiner.