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Rosarian Academy E NewsVolume 3: Issue 1 Opening of School

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Rosarian Academy, founded in 1925, is a private, coeducational, Catholicschool sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Its mission is toeducate the whole person for life in a global community in the light ofGospel values.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Alumni Spotlight

New Faculty and Staff Spotlight

Two Weddings and a Baby

Miss Murphy Returns from 550Mile Religious Pilgrimage

We Welcome 38 New Families for the 201516 School Year

Mr. Hansen Implements 20% Time in the Classroom

Big Brothers Big Sisters: Tradition ReInstituted

Early Childhood Starts with Focus on Developing a Caring School

Community

Lower School Explores the Wonders of Science

Middle School is 'Setting the World on Fire'

Conscious Discipline for the Family Workshop

RSVP: Rosarian Academy is Turning 90

Caribbean Nights Paradise Found at Rosarian Academy

Dear Rosarian Community,



807 North Flagler DriveWest Palm Beach, FL

561.832.5131www.rosarian.org

Rosarian Academy is beyond fortunate to have such exceptional faculty

and staff. Since our opening of school on August 24th, I have seen themcreate a rigorous learning environment for their students through a caring

approach, individualized attention to each student's needs, and a

willingness to push the students to their full potential.

Since assuming the headship of Rosarian Academy, I can look back with

fond memories to the amazing teachers I had who worked to teach,

counsel, and push me when I needed it. I believe that the uniqueness of

any teacher stems from his/her ability to be truly present to

someone else's needs. Being present in a world full of distraction can be adifficult task. Truly listening and working to understand one another in

order to foster learning is what separates a solid education from an

extraordinary one.

Recently, our teachers began training with the Conscious Discipline

model for their interactions with students. Although there is much to be

said about this wellregarded program, the most important thing I havetaken away is how to address one's state of being before addressing

behavior. Therefore, a good teacher needs to understand things like thestudent's mood or level of anxiety before s/he can effectively teach the

child. "Being present" with the student is critical within this model.

Recently, I read Tolstoy's short story, "The Three Questions," which

addresses this point. In the story, a king aspires to know when to begin,

the right people to listen to and who to avoid, and, above all, what is the

most important thing to do at a given time. After seeking advice and

guidance, he receives his answer from an old hermit who tells him that the

only time that is ever important is the presentdeal with the situations with

which you are presented. This story captures the point well. The

student/teacher relationship is about being in it togetherbeing present

and learning to understand one another.

Thank you to our teachers for living this model, setting the stage for a

great year, and fostering an extraordinary education.

Blessings for a wonderful 201516,

Stephen Rubenacker

Head of School



Alumni SpotlightElisabeth Anderson, Class of 2009

For the past seven years, Class of 2009 alumna Elisabeth Anderson

has returned to her alma mater to help with Rosarian's Sensational

Summer Fun camp. The camp is run by Amy Anderson, Elisabeth's

mom and teacher at Rosarian Academy. Together, Elisabeth and

Mrs. Anderson lead the summertime adventures for the threetofive

yearolds.

We love when alumni return to the school to give back. Elisabeth,

thank you for your dedication to Rosarian!

Maria Conchita Mendez Piedra, Class of 1970

Class of 1970 alumna Maria Piedra is a native of Cuba and

immigrated to the United States in 1961. She is currently the director

of Latin American Sales and Trade Development for the Alabama

State Port Authority. She has a passion for her homeland and is

extremely involved in USCuba relations. She was instrumental in

facilitating contacts and opening doors for the first cargo shipments to

Cuba. Maria coauthored a book, "Cuba: It Matters," which was

recently published in July 2015. Congratulations, Maria!

New Faculty and Staff SpotlightRosarian Welcomes New Faculty and Staff to Our School Family

W. Myngoe Brashers, Music Teacher / Director of "Rosarian in

the Afternoons"

Rosarian welcomes Myngoe Brashers to our faculty to administer the

afterschool programs, including enrichment and aftercare. Mr.

Brashers is an accomplished musician and will also support Mr.

Sherman and Mrs. Dedo in teaching music and theater. He received

a Music degree from Florida International University and comes to

Rosarian from Pope John Paul II and St. Mark Catholic School.



Marcela Cioffi, First Grade Teaching AssistantMarcela Cioffi comes to Rosarian from St. Luke Catholic Schoolwhere she spent ten years. She attended St. Johns Prep in New Yorkand then Lengua a Vivas in Argentina. Mrs. Cioffi is Ms. Segerdahl'sfirst grade assistant and loves to work with children. Outside of work,she loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband,three sons, and friends.

Kathleen Emmett, Director of Institutional AdvancementThe school welcomes back Kathleen Emmett to Rosarian as sheformerly served as Rosarian's Director of Development andAdmissions. She returns nearly 15 years later with a breadth ofexperience in fundraising, major gifts, and nonprofit managementfrom Palm Beach Day Academy, Hospice of Palm Beach CountyFoundation, The Lord's Place, and the Norton Museum of Art. Ms.Emmett received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from theUniversity of Georgia. She serves as President of the Board ofDirectors at Quantum House and sits on the Boards of theCommunity Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and thePalm Beach Community Trust Fund. She is a Past President of thePalm Beach County Chapter of the Association of FundraisingProfessionals and is a member of Leadership Palm Beach County'sClass of 2005.

Macaria Falana, Lunch Supervisor and AftercareIn July, Rosarian Academy welcomed Macaria Falana as a ToddlerHouse assistant during the Toddler House Extended Yearsummer program. Prior to her hire, Macaria served as a Rosariansecurity guard. This school year, we are happy to have Macaria as aLower School lunch supervisor and a Lower School aftercare staffmember.



Erin Goerke, Director of Finance

Erin joins Rosarian Academy from The Aquinas Institute inRochester, New Yorka private Catholic high schoolwhere sheserved as the Director of Finance for 11 years. Mrs. Goerke also hasextensive experience cleaning up, setting up, and directingaccounting departments from over 17 years working for various NewYork companies, including: EKA Associates, Campus Global Net Inc.,Labotek, Citizens Communication, and ACC Corp. Mrs. Goerkereceived her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Empire StateCollege in Rochester.

Cyndee Hackney, Middle School Resource Teacher

Cyndee Hackney, who previously taught at Rosarian from 20022014, has returned fulltime to be the Middle School ResourceTeacher. Before spending 12 years at RA teaching 5th and 6th gradeliterature and English, Mrs. Hackney taught in MiamiDade County,Palm Beach County, and Clark County (Nevada) and spent threeyears as a resource/learning specialist in a public elementary school.She received her B.A. from University of Florida and M.S. fromFlorida International University, and she completed postgraduatestudies at the University of NevadaLas Vegas. In her free time, Mrs.Hackney reads, travels and spends time with her family.

Janet Keller, Interim Director of Communications and Marketing

Coming to Rosarian from Little Rock, Arkansas, where she waspresident of her own marketing/advertising/public relations agency for21 years, Janet Keller joins Rosarian temporarily to assist with theschool's marketing efforts while Mrs. Hansen is on maternityleave. She has a B.A. in Journalism/Marketing and an M.A. inOrganizational Communications from the University of Arkansas atLittle Rock (UALR). She has completed onethird of a doctorate inHigher Education.

Alexandra Melligon, Children's House Teaching Assistant



Alexandra graduated with a B.A. in Comparative Religious Studies

from the College of Charleston and moved to Florida in February of

this year. Before moving to West Palm Beach, she lived in New

Jersey and taught yoga in Newark public schools. She worked as a

substitute in the Toddler House before being hired full time as an

assistant in the Children's House.

In her free time, Alexandra volunteers at Loggerhead Marine Center

in Juno Beach. She enjoys going to the beach, gardening, practicing

yoga and traveling.

Zephyr Secher, 7th and 8th Math

Teacher

Before coming to Rosarian Academy,

Zephyr Secher taught middle school

math and science for six years at

Sacred Heart in Lake Worth. He also

has ten years of experience coaching

basketball at both the middle and high

school levels. Prior to teaching, most of

Mr. Secher's past work experience was

in business development, mergers &

acquisitions, and risk analysis.

He attended Cambridge Rindge &

Latin High School and received his

bachelor's degree in Economics from

Earlham College. He also has an MBA

with a concentration in Finance from the University of Washington in Seattle.

"My life changed for the better when I redirected my attention and began focusing on how I could

give back. I love being a mentor and a positive role model. Knowing that I am making a difference

in a student's life and that they can potentially use what I shared with them to influence and help

others is what drives me," said Mr. Secher.

He loves to hike, ski, and spend time in nature listening to music with friends or reading.

Summer Brings Two Weddings and a BabyMiddle School Language Arts and Religion Teacher Sarah Hoffman married Josh Anderson on

June 6, 2015, at San Pedro Catholic Church in Tavernier, Florida. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.

Josh Anderson!



Middle School Religion Teacher Francesca Coniglio married William Finck on July 25, 2015, at St.Edward Church in Palm Beach. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. William Finck!

Middle School Language Arts Teacher Patrick Hansen and Director of Marketing Cara Hansenwelcomed Mary Grace Elizabeth to their family on July 6, 2015. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.Hansen and big brother Jack (1st grade) and big sister Cecilia (Children's House)!

Miss Murphy Returns from 550Mile Religious PilgrimageFourthGrade Teacher Fulfills Dream of Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

Fourthgrade teacher Katherine Murphy spent her summer fulfilling adreamwalking 550 miles on a religious pilgrimage called the Caminode Santiago de Compostela (The Way of St. James). Traveling withher brother, Michael, and carrying everything they needed in theirbackpacks, they finished the journey in 38 days. This pilgrimagedates back to medieval times.

The sibling pair journeyed by foot from village to village, town to town,and city to city, averaging about 15 miles (25 km) per day. Their days were filled with the wonders ofwhat they would see next and who they would meet as the goal of Santiago grew closer.

"Walking the Camino without knowing exactly what was coming next, or where I would eat, or whereI would sleep, I have been reminded to trust in God with the little things as well as the big things inmy life," said Miss Murphy.

Completing the Camino was on Miss Murphy's dream list, and she felt there had been several signsfrom God calling her to walk the Camino this summer. "One of these was in working in fourth gradeand discovering I would be teaching a unit on Europe in the Middle Ages, including medievalreligious pilgrimages," said Miss Murphy. She will be incorporating her experience on the Caminointo the fourth grade Social Studies unit.

Reflecting on her pilgrimage, Miss Murphy shared the below lessons and insights from her Camino:



Follow the arrows. The entire path is marked with yellowarrows to guide pilgrims on their way. It seemed like justabout every time I would be unsure if I was headed the rightway or which way I should go, an arrow would appear. Thiswas a lesson to me to follow the arrows in my life. There arepeople and events in my life pointing me in the right directionand helping to guide my way, if only I pay attention.

Walk your own Camino. On the Camino, it's ok to walk your own pace and your own way. You might be faster than some people and slower than some people. Your experience willlook different from others' experiences. It's better to stop comparing myself to others on theCamino and in life.

Keep it simple. Life on the Camino is simple. Wake up, pack your belongings in yourbackpack, and start walking. Everything you have and everything you need is in yourbackpack. Taking this lesson back with me encourages me to keep things simple and focuson what's really important. There are so few things that I actually need to be happy andfulfilled.

Everyone has a story. One of the highlights of the Camino was meeting so many amazingpeople of all ages, from all over the world. The shared experience of walking the Caminotogether helps people form bonds and get very honest and open with each other veryquickly. Hearing the stories of other pilgrims reminds me that when I look at someone, Inever know what they may have gone through. Returning home, this makes me want to takethe time to learn more about the stories of my family, friends, students, and anyone that Imay meet.

We Welcome 38 New Families for the 201516 School Year48 New Students Join the Rosarian Community

We happily welcomed 38 new families, 48 new students, to theRosarian Academy community for the 20152016 school year. Out ofthose 48 new students, 19 entered the Early Childhood program, 18Lower School, and 11 Middle School.

Led by the Rosarian Academy Family Association (RAFA), newparents joined returning parents at the Welcome Social and Dinneron Friday, August 28th. The evening started with a presentation inSchar Hall, including introductions of all new 38 families, thencontinued to a lively dinner at Café Sapori. The evening served as an opportunity for making newfriends and building a stronger community. Rosarian is grateful to our parents, students, alumni, and teachers who attract new families by



speaking so highly of the value of a Rosarian education and the unparalleled foundation of

academics, faith, athletics, arts, service and community.

Mr. Hansen Implements 20% Time in the Classroom Students Explore Interests Outside the Curriculum

Rosarian Academy Middle School Literature teacher, Patrick Hansen,

recognizes his role to help his students become independent learners

to aid in the exploration of their interests and find their passions

even if that passion is outside the realm of the literary text they are

reading as part of the school's curriculum. In the second half of the

201415 school year, Mr. Hansen implemented 20% time in his

classroom: allowing students 20% of class time, or one class period

per week, to work on or explore a topic of their choice. The result?

Students like current eighthgrader Hailey Albergo starting a school

wide service project to collect and send used books to

underprivileged children in Africa.

20% time is a movement in education to give students the opportunity

to develop passion through the pursuit of a personal interest project.

The concept was popularized at Google where management found

that employees were more creative and innovative when given the

autonomy to pursue a project outside of their job description. This

resulted in the origination of products like Gmail, Google News and

Google Teacher Academy.

By implementing 20% time in the classroom, students become autonomous learners as they

develop their own idea for a project that allows them to explore an interest outside of what is taught

in school.

At Rosarian, students had seven weeks to create their own selfdirected project. Through Hailey's

book drive, she not only collected over 1,000 books but also developed a relationship with a local

nonprofit, Kijana Educational Empowerment Initiative, that helped her ship the books to a primary

school in a rural village in Bunyore, Kenya. The books arrived in Kenya at the end of August. In an

August 24th email from Jim Cummings, the founder of Kijana, to Hailey, Mr. Cummings attached

pictures and wrote, "Check out the happiness."

Hailey's 20% time project quickly became Rosarian Academy's

school mission in practice. Through her work, Hailey and her

schoolmates can tangibly see that we are a global community and

can each make a positive difference in the world. There is no doubt

that this project has led Hailey to a new interest in helping the

children of Africa. In a reply email to Mr. Cummings, Hailey wrote, "I

would love to work with you again...I'm just so happy I helped!"



Examples of other student projects included: writing a screenplay,fish taxidermy, exploring robotics and aerodynamics, web design,video game development, architecture, learning a language such asGaelic or Braille, and much more.

This school year, Mr. Hansen plans to continue the 20% time projectand continue to help students spark their own individual passions.

Big Brothers Big Sisters: Tradition ReinstitutedOne School Family

We are one school family. On August 28th, Middle School studentswere paired with Lower School students to foster mentorship andcommunity building. This is an old tradition that has been reinstitutedthis year. In the past, upperclass mentors were referred to as "BigSisters;" today, we refer to them as "Big Brothers and Sisters."Throughout the year, Big Brothers and Big Sisters will join togetherwith their younger brothers and sisters to build a stronger sense offamily throughout our Rosarian culture.

Early Childhood Starts with Focus on Developing a Caring SchoolCommunityTeachers and Students Act as 'Safekeepers'

The Early Childhood Program is off to a great start. In the Montessori environment, the first monthof school is a vital 'orientation' time for both new and returning students. The routines and groundrules are reviewed and practiced, and the development of our caring school community isestablished. A great deal of time is spent reviewing our School Family roles as 'safekeepers.' Thestudents hear the teachers say, "It's my job to keep you safe, and it's your job to help keep it safe!"When students feel safe, their brains can perform higher functioning learning and problemsolving.When they feel they are part of the responsibility of keeping the environment safe for everyone, thechildren are cooperative and helpful to that end.



Lower School Explores the Wonders of ScienceK4th Grades Visit the Science Lab Weekly

This year, weekly visits to the Lower School Science Lab have beenadded into the kindergarten through fourthgrade academicschedules. In the Science Lab, the Lower School teachers facilitateactivities for the students to think like scientists and experiment withthe concepts taught through the Core Knowledge ScienceCurriculum.

The school laboratory classroom provides optimum space for youngchildren to explore the wonders of science and engage in handsonexperiences with Life, Physical and Earth Science topics. Additionally, students will haveopportunities to explore building and engineering. Each student has created a science notebookand will practice scientific writing and drawing throughout the school year.

We look forward to this year's explorations into the wonders of science as experienced by thenatural curiosities of children.

Middle School Follows Trimester Calendar New Calendar Allows for Increased Electives and Rotating Schedule



Beginning this year, Rosarian moved to a trimester calendar as used

by many schools and colleges. Balancing students' core classes over

three terms gives the Middle School students the opportunity to

perform at a higher rate of success with less stress and is

developmentally better suited to our students for mastery and testing

of academic content. Other benefits of this schedule include the

alignment of curriculum and the opportunity for students in Middle

School to take a wider selection of elective classes, including: Art,

Music/Chorus, Drama, PE, Robotics, Technology, Writing, Science

Lab, Study Skills, Computer, and Library. Another positive change is

rotating classes. To help facilitate peak performance, students now

see teachers at different times each day.

Conscious Discipline for the Family WorkshopSixWeek Series Begins September 22nd

Rosarian is offering its first Creating a Conscious Discipline Familyworkshop series, beginning with a free introductory course on

September 15th at 8:15 a.m. RSVP for the free introductory course

and/or for the sixweek series which begins on September 22nd by

emailing Cindy Nehemias at [email protected]. Please direct any

questions you may have about Conscious Discipline or the workshop

series to Cindy.

RSVP: Rosarian Academy is Turning 9090th Anniversary Celebration, September 12, 2015

Rosarian Academy celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year! Save the date of September 12th for a



celebration honoring Rosarian's rich history and including theinduction of our new Head of School, Mr. Stephen Rubenacker. Clickhere to RSVP.

As we celebrate 90 years of our great school, click here to read tolearn more about Rosarian's rich history.

Caribbean Nights Paradise Found at Rosarian AcademySave the Date: November 21, 2015 at The Breakers Save the date of November 21st for a tropical evening filled withCaribbean flair as the 2015 Auction Chairs, Marian Macias andAdrianne Sanchez, host the 37th Annual Auction & Ball at TheBreakers, Palm Beach. For more information on the upcomingAuction & Ball and all of the exciting events leading up to the bignight, please click here. Please save the following dates leading up to the Auction:

The Gardens Mall Shop 'n Share Event: October 14thThe IMPROV night for Travel & Entertainment: October 22nd at 7:00 pmGuys' Night Out: October 29th at 7:00 pm

STAY CONNECTED

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Rosarian Academy | 807 North Flagler Drive | West Palm Beach | FL | 33401