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N ews FALL 2019 Tradition Scholarship Service The Legacy of Excellence Continues Every school year is a time of new beginnings, marked by excitement and anticipa- tion of great things to come. For the 2019-2020 school year, this is especially true at the Prep because we welcome our new leadership team, Ms. Nuala Martinez, President, and Ms. Maria Johnson, Principal. Both are well-known in the communi- ty. Widely respected and held in high esteem by parents, students, alumni and faculty, their appointment has been greeted with happiness on all fronts. Ms. Martinez joined the faculty in 1988 as a Mathematics Teacher, became Math Chairperson and in 1996, Assistant Principal. Ms. Johnson came to St. John’s Prep in 1986 as a member of the Social Studies Department. Ms. Johnson served as Senior Dean, Social Studies Chairperson and Assistant Principal. They look forward to serving the St. John’s Prep Community and enriching the school’s commitment to educating the whole person in a positive, nurturing environment. Many new courses, activities and programs are already being established. It will be an exciting and invigorating year! UPCOMING EVENTS Freshman Parent Evening September 19th National Honor Society Induction September 26th Kaplan SAT Prep Begins September 24th Parent/Teacher Night October 10th Walk-a thon October 15th PSAT/SAT October 16th College Information Night October 17th SJP Open House October 19th SJP College Fair October 30th SJP College Financial Aid Night November 14th The William F. Ryan Scholarship Enrichment Program has been estab- lished to help students pursue special interests in science, the arts and busi- ness. It encourages students to research internships, special courses, challenging programs, and STEM projects that will open up new areas of interest. Students will be asked to complete an application that describes the project, details specific requirements and lists costs and all ex- penses. An academic committee will then review the request, interview applicants, select the most noteworthy and fund all necessary expenses. The family of William Ryan, SJP ’42 has initiated this special enrichment program in his name. Bill Ryan, who passed away in 2015, was an extremely generous do- nor who always wanted to help the SJP students develop a sincere appreciation of learning. A successful business person, Bill strove to give today’s students an opportunity to expand their horizons, to explore new fields of endeavor and to study different interests. His family proudly hopes to continue expanding this program in an effort to promote the experiences of the SJP students. The William F. Ryan Scholarship Enrichment Program

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Page 1: Tradition Scholarship ServiceInstitute, CUNY Baruch College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Rensselaer, Hofstra, Iona, Buffalo State, Penn State, Stony Brook, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY

NewsFall 2019

Tradition

Scholarship

Service

The Legacy of Excellence ContinuesEvery school year is a time of new beginnings, marked by excitement and anticipa-tion of great things to come. For the 2019-2020 school year, this is especially true at the Prep because we welcome our new leadership team, Ms. Nuala Martinez, President, and Ms. Maria Johnson, Principal. Both are well-known in the communi-ty. Widely respected and held in high esteem by parents, students, alumni and faculty, their appointment has been greeted with happiness on all fronts. Ms. Martinez joined the faculty in 1988 as a Mathematics Teacher, became Math Chairperson and in 1996, Assistant Principal. Ms. Johnson came to St. John’s Prep in 1986 as a member of the Social Studies Department. Ms. Johnson served as Senior Dean, Social Studies Chairperson and Assistant Principal. They look forward to serving the St. John’s Prep Community and enriching the school’s commitment to educating the whole person in a positive, nurturing environment. Many new courses, activities and programs are already being established. It will be an exciting and invigorating year!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Freshman Parent Evening

September 19th

National Honor

Society Induction

September 26th

Kaplan SAT Prep Begins

September 24th

Parent/Teacher Night

October 10th

Walk-a thon

October 15th

PSAT/SAT

October 16th

College Information Night

October 17th

SJP Open House

October 19th

SJP College Fair

October 30th

SJP College

Financial Aid Night

November 14th

The William F. Ryan Scholarship Enrichment Program has been estab-lished to help students pursue special interests in science, the arts and busi-ness. It encourages students to research internships, special courses, challenging programs, and STEM projects that will open up new areas of interest. Students will be asked to complete an application that describes the project, details specific requirements and lists costs and all ex-penses. An academic committee will then review the request, interview applicants, select the most noteworthy and fund all necessary expenses.

The family of William Ryan, SJP ’42 has initiated this special enrichment program in his name. Bill Ryan, who passed away in 2015, was an extremely generous do-nor who always wanted to help the SJP students develop a sincere appreciation of learning. A successful business person, Bill strove to give today’s students an opportunity to expand their horizons, to explore new fields of endeavor and to study different interests. His family proudly hopes to continue expanding this program in an effort to promote the experiences of the SJP students.

The William F. Ryan Scholarship Enrichment Program

Page 2: Tradition Scholarship ServiceInstitute, CUNY Baruch College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Rensselaer, Hofstra, Iona, Buffalo State, Penn State, Stony Brook, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY

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Mr. Flood’s Spirit Alive and Well in SJP CommunityThe St. John’s Prep Family mourned the passing of Mr. Edward J. Flood on August 5, 2019.

Mr. Flood served the Mater Christi and St. John’s Prep Com-munities with an indefatigable commitment as a teacher, Ath-letic Director and basketball and tennis coach. In his fifty-one year career at St. John’s, Mr. Flood guided and mentored fac-ulty, coaches and thousands of students, so many of whom shared fond memories and heartfelt tributes. Students praised his kindness, his encouragement and his positive approach to life. One Mater Christi student called Mr. Flood his ‘role model for life because he inspired him to be a better person.’

Former St. John’s Prep faculty member and baseball Coach Jim Benson expressed his condolences and captured Mr. Flood’s essence and spirit. “He was a true representative of what it means to be a servant leader: one who shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible,” Benson said. Mr. Flood has certainly left this legacy and was a blessing to all who crossed

his path. His spirit and legacy of kindness and generosity con-tinues through The Flood Family Scholarship Fund which was established in 2018 to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Flood’s fifty years of dedication to the students of Mater Christi and St. John’s Prep. Donations may be made in his name either online or by mailing a donation to St. John’s Prep - memo Flood Family Scholarship Fund.

Mrs Flood congratulates Daniel Stankiewicz ’23 on being the first recipient of the Flood Family Scholarship. Daniel, an honor student and parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Glendale exemplifies the characteristics of scholarship, integ-rity, service and dedication that this award recognizes.

The Tradition Continues...

We say adieu to

the Class of

2019.Continuing our long-tradition of academic excellence, we are proud to share that 74% of the senior class earned academic scholarships to college!!!! Students will be attending Univer-sities from around the country; including the University of California Irvine, The University of Virginia, the University of Santa Barbara, Columbia University, New York University, Fordham, St. John’s University, Manhattan College, Pratt Institute, CUNY Baruch College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Rensselaer, Hofstra, Iona, Buffalo State, Penn State, Stony Brook, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Albany, Fashion In-stitute of Technology.

Salutatorian Ashley Cardenas welcomed all to the 2019 Com-mencement Ceremonies held at St. John’s University. She tru-ly captured the spirit of her class when she invoked Henri Nouwen’s metaphor of the strength and unity of the Class of 2019 by comparing the graduates to a mosaic of individu-al stones that when viewed collectively become magical and

profound. She praised the strength of her classmates, who had all significantly contributed to many charitable projects.

Ashley will be attending St. John’s University on a full four- year Presidential Scholarship.

An inquisitive and astute thinker, she will be studying Govern-ment and Politics and plans eventually to attend law school. A graduate of St. Sebastian in Woodside, Ashley was involved in Spanish Dance, served as a Campus Life Retreat leader, and was an active member of the National Honor Society.

Our 2019 Valedictorian Paula Guevara, captured the prom-ise of her classmates in her inspiring valedictory speech. Paula reflected on the many societal challenges to be faced, yet strongly believed that with their discipline, their hard work and their committed spirit, the Class of 2019 will not only do well but will achieve great success.

Paula will be attending Columbia University on a full four- year scholarship to study Computer Engineering. A brilliant mathematician, well-known for her humility, generosity and kindness, Paula was a stalwart of the National Honor Soci-ety, the Drama Society and SJP’s branch of Girls Who Code, while also serving as a mentor to younger students.

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to connect with industry professionals.  The Summer In-ternship Program gave him a unique perspective into the operations of a working theater and allowed him to create his own production on the Apollo Theater Sound stage. In addition ,to this experience of a lifetime, he assisted in the world famous Amateur Night. Ryve was engaged in the 4 departments involved in running a production; carpentry, Audio, lights/electrics, and video. He learned to create ob-jects for sets and props for a final project, to mix sound and create voice recording. Ryve and his team also filmed a documentary and worked on Projection Mapping. Ryve said, “ I had the special privilege to be a stage manager for the  ‘Apollo Carnival’ and it was an unforgettable experi-ence.”

SJP’s International Music Camp a Success

St. John’s Prep Music Department hosted students from Italy and Korea in a camp made possible through a part-nership with Master Music. Students joined our guests for week long instruction in the study of voice, instrumentation and theory under the tutelage of master teachers. The culmi-nation was a concert for the Astoria community in Athens Square Park. Much music was learned, great friendships were formed and all are looking forward to 2020’s pro-gram.

PREP TALK

STEAM Programs Continue to Grow Partnership with Amazon

Our school is now part of the Amazon Future Engineers Pro-gram and we are looking forward to embarking on this new relationship. Our Math and Computer Science Departments submitted a challenging proposal and we were delighted to be selected for this elite program. Our AP Computer Sci-ence Principles is conducted in partnership with Amazon and their Web Services division. The students learn to pro-gram with Scratch and Javascript, as well as data storage, compression work and the intricacies of the internet. The partnership with Amazon allows for scholarships and in-ternships through Amazon and other technology companies. We are also pleased to have been selected to be working with SKANSKA’s Engineering Department and STEM Initiative. SKANSKA has been responsible for some of the greatest pub-lic projects of the last 60 years, including the rebuilding of La Guardia Airport, the Battery Tunnel and NYC Pennsylvania Sta-tion. Sean Singh ’20 Shines at the American Debate League’s 2019 Summer Classic

Sean Singh, rising senior and his team mates advanced to the final round and won 2nd Place in the Advanced High School Team Division hosted by the American Debate League &Queens College on Friday, August 23rd.  This final round took place in the Rosenthal Library Auditorium of Queens College. Several NYS Assembly members and Queens College Provost, Elizabeth Hendry were in attendance.  According to the association, whose mission is to help children become better thinkers, speakers and leaders, over 400 students from over 100 schools from N.Y.C., L.I., & Westchester attended the 5 week program. The camp was hosted in partnership with Queens College & sponsored by NYS Assembly member David Weprin. NYS Assembly member Clyde Vanel, a SJP’92 alum, graciously participated at the awards’ ceremony. 

Ryve Obien ’20 takes Center Stage at the Apollo Theater

Kudos to rising senior Ryve Obien, who was one of 11 students selected from a pool of hundreds to participate in the prestigious six-week internship at the famed Apollo Theater in Manhattan. Ryve experienced a practical work environment and was able

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A Busy Spring of JOYFUL SERVICE

Flowing from our Vincentian roots, service is our way of life at St. John’s Prep and opportunities to serve beyond our campus are integrated into all of our activities.

A few of the events that took place this spring… The Dance Ensembles, run under the direction of Ms. Debra Befumo, performed at numerous venues and events in the tristate area, including C.W. Post’s Tilles Center, the celebrated 9th Avenue Food Festival and LIC Partnership Street Festi-val. Ms. Befumo and her team also launched two annual initiatives: The Easter Basket Project and Entertainment Initiative. The Dance members brightened many children’s Easters as the team made and delivered over 200 hundred baskets for families living in a Bronx family shelter and the children of PS 196.

The dance team performed at local schools and senior centers throughout the year , while also teaching younger children the finer points of dance.

SJU Ladies of Charity Award Service Scholarship

We are pleased to announce that St. John’s University’s Ladies of Charity has established a scholarship to be awarded annu-ally to a St. John’s Prep Junior Lady of Charity who will be attending St. John’s University. The Ladies of Charity, founded in 1617 by St. Vincent De Paul, is dedicated to eliminating poverty by establishing transformational programs and by- assisting the less fortunate.

This year’s recipient , Mariana Pinanez, a four year member and officer of the Junior Ladies of Charity, personifies the so-ciety’s motto “To Serve rather than be Served.” Mariana participated in conferences on human trafficking; assisted with the annual coat drive; served at Hour Children’s Thrift Shop, and tutored at Variety Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

She was an active leader in both Campus Life and in National Honor Society. Mariana will pursue her degree in Biomedical Technology and is looking forward to continuing her commitment to service with SJU’s Campus Ministry.

Patrick Shea ‘ 20 spent his summer vacation volunteering with members of the Navajo Nation at St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, located in Thoreau, New Mexico. During his time on the reservation, Patrick experienced first-hand the poverty the community faces, where unemployment is a staggering 67%. He, however, also witnessed the hope and spirit of a proud community.

Patrick worked diligently with students in their camp, engaging them in sports and in enrichment activities. Patrick empha-sized, “ It was such a poignant and inspiring experience for me that I plan to continue in a service oriented career.”

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Winter Break 2020

February 15-22*Japan

Easter Break 2020

April 10 – April 18*Netherlands, Belgium,

France and England

SJP Travels the World

St. John’s Prep’s long commitment to preparing our students for the 21st Century is emphasized through our Global Education Initiative.

Extensive opportunities for service and travel abroad, contribute to our Global classroom St. John’s Prep lives the motto, “ The world can change students but our students can change the world.” In 2019, under the direction of Ms. Catherine Lojo and Ms. Mary Ellen Moore, SJP explored Eastern Europe and the cities of Berlin, Prague, Bu-dapest and Krakow. Students were also immersed in Spanish culture during this trip. They attended a Spanish class at a college in Madrid in the morning and in the afternoon toured different parts of the city and surrounding areas according to the lesson of that day.

• Sports day - Students visited Real Madrid’s stadium (best soccer team in the history of the world) - Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

• Food day - They learned to cook paella and Spanish tapas

• Culture days – They visited Toledo & Segovia - tour of Las Ventas (bullfighting arena) - explored Retiro Park 

• Shopping & Money lesson – They visited el Rastro and a tapas tour of Madrid, and dined with a local family

This unique tour allowed the students to live like the locals do. They rode the metro to school every morning and were immersed in the culture in the afternoons and evenings.

Page 6: Tradition Scholarship ServiceInstitute, CUNY Baruch College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Rensselaer, Hofstra, Iona, Buffalo State, Penn State, Stony Brook, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY

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The Boys’ Junior Varsity Baseball Team Won Brooklyn-Queens Champions

An exciting 2019 Junior Varsity Baseball season ended victoriously for the Red Storm at St. John’s University’s Jack Kaiser Stadium. The Red Storm won the Brooklyn –Queens’ championship, defeating Brooklyn’s St. Edmund Prep with a 5-1 score.

Hats off to this talented, hardworking and dedicated team!

Spring Storm Watch

We Are the Champions!

The Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team won the Brooklyn – Queens Division A Championship by Red Storm! In the Championship, the Red Storm defeated Monsignor McClancy HS in a resounding victory, winning the 54-41 game! They proceeded on to the NY State tournament. Congratulations Red Storm!

Page 7: Tradition Scholarship ServiceInstitute, CUNY Baruch College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Rensselaer, Hofstra, Iona, Buffalo State, Penn State, Stony Brook, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY

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Brooklyn-Queens All-Stars Named

Girls’ basketball standout Alexandra Tarul has been named to The Tablet ‘s Brooklyn –Queens All-Star team. Lexie, a sopho-more, was cited as a “stock-rising prospect” by Basketball Wall Street. She averaged 14.5 points per game and 7.0 rebounds, with 4 assists per game. In addition, Alexandra is a stellar student , maintaining a 93+ academic average.. This summer Alexandra was invited to Colorado to compete in the USA Basketball U16 Trials.

Lexie is joined by Senior Yamila Emanuel, a senior forward, averaging 7 points and 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Yamila will be playing for William Peace University, in North Carolina. Two other Red Stormers were selected to The Tab-let’s second team; sophomore Eldina Dervisevic, a guard who averaged 10.0 pts., 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game and freshman guard Kaila Berry, who averaged 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game round out the honors.

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Elite runner Gary Munro stared at the CHSAA Intersectional. He won first place in the Boys’ 55 Meter Dash in 6.68 seconds, in the Brooklyn- Queens Indoor Championships held at the NY Armory. The talented sophomore ran the 55-yard dash in 6.79 seconds and ranked # 2 of 31 competitors. During the 2019 Outdoor Season, Gary continued to tear up the record books, he set a new school record for the 100 meters, which he ran in 11.20 seconds and the 200 meters which he completed in 22.95 seconds. The 2019-2020 season will be an exciting one and we wish Gary continued success.

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team saw two of its members selected to The Tablet’s Brooklyn-Queens All-Star team. Junior Patrick Shea, a guard and sophomore, Jayden Rayford. Patrick averaged 16.0 pts., 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists per game, with a game high of 20 pts. Jayden averaged 15.0 points 7.0 assists per game, and had a game high of 31 pts.

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Boys’ Soccer player, Senior Edward Wojnarowski was selected to First Team All CHSAA. He will play for Sienna College in the fall.

Boys’ Varsity Baseball team had three members selected to The Tablet’s Brooklyn-Queens All-Star team; seniors and team captains Jaden Jones and Shamyr Boursiquot and junior Josh Wengert.

Outfielder Jaden will attend St. John’s University, Jamaica and Shamyr , also an outfielder, will attend St. Joseph’s College in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Josh, who pitches and plays infield, had a 301 batting average that includes three doubles, four triples. Josh, named the team’s MVP , is looking forward to an exciting 2020 season.

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Boys’ Volleyball team captains are now members of the NYC CHSAA All-Star Teams! First team: Arian Durovic, Second team: Samuel Singh. Arian Durovic, the team captain, will play for St. Joseph’s College.

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Girls’ Volleyball freshman star Katie Martinez was named First Team All Star CH-SAA, a rare and thrilling honor for an underclass-men. Katie competed in the AVP Beach Volleyball Tour in Hermosa Beach after winning in the New York City AVP compe-tition. We congratulate Katie and look forward to many more successes.

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The Girls’ Varsity Softball Team saw four members selected for The Tablet’s Brooklyn-Queens All-Star team.

St. John’s Prep Softball standout Ariana Mortellaro, a senior, secured first team honors. Ariana will be attending CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Imani Hayes, a senior, played infield and had a .404 bat-ting average. Imani will be attending Iona.

Abigail Fallon, a freshman and pitcher joins her team-mates on the 2019 Tablet All Star squad. Though young, she played like a seasoned veteran, maintaining poise in each of her showings.

Freshman outfielder Isabelle Fallon joins Imani and her twin sister and rounds out the 2019 selections. Isabelle had a very commendable .407 batting average, with solid field-ing throughout the season. Only a freshman, her future is surely bright.

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The 2018-2019 athletic year ended in typical Red Storm style. Over 400 people celebrated our scholar-athletes, our coaches and our 150 year-old athletic tradition at the annual Athletic Banquet. The evening began with an invocation by our Chap-lain Father Augustine Liju and then students and their guests were treated to dinner and music. The program continued as the Prep teams and coaches took their spot in the limelight, sharing team and individual achievements. For the first time, the Edward J. Flood Leadership Award for athletes who con-

sistently demonstrated outstanding leadership on and off the court was presented . The recipients were Girls’ Basketball Star Roxhel Washington and Boys’ Volleyball Player Arian Durovic. After the awards ceremony, prizes and certificates from local merchants and alumni were raffled as coffee and dessert was served. The festive atmosphere was enjoyed by all as our students, faculty and guests cheered our talented and dedicated teams.

Congratulations to all of our Scholar Athletes and their Coaches!!!!

St. John’s Prep Athletic Banquet