ourney event. The event focuses on the reality that success, however that may be defined, does not come easily, and that courage is often required to achieve success and happiness in your journey through life. Our goal is to dispel the myth that successful men are simply lucky or gifted. Toward that end, men we admire will share stories of how they overcame setbacks in pursuing their dreams.2009 Gala: New Location, New Date
The 2009 Gala, Art in Bloom, has changed dates. The Gala’s new date is Saturday, May 2, 2009. Please change your calendars and plan to join us.
This year’s Gala will take place at Palazzo Verdi located near Fiddler’s Green. Palazzo Verdi is a brand new event space that is also an art 
gallery. Palazzo Verdi is home to a large number of fabulous pieces from the private collection of local real estate developer John Madden and will also house a number of borrowed pieces created by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Rembrandt, Monet and others. The Gala is an event not to miss!
For volunteer opportunities or more information about the Gala, please contact Anna Modic, Annual Fund/Events Coordinator, at 303-762-8300 ext. 282 or anna_modic@smanet.org
The Beauty Pageant Showing in November
St. Mary's Academy High School will present The Beauty Pageant, an entertaining and riveting dinner theatre murder mystery, on Nov. 20, 21 and 22 at 6:30 p.m. (Seating will start at 6:15 p.m.).
“Relive the 1980’s while someone in The Beauty Pageant won’t live through them,” says director Roberta Hamilton-Griggs. “Hilarious pop culture references and multitudinous mysteries abound to savor as you enjoy culinary delights.”
A limited numbers of tickets will be available the week of September 28. General admission is $12.00 for the show and dinner. Admission for students is $6.00.
Reserve tickets by emailing Roberta Hamilton-Griggs at: roberta_hamilton-griggs@smanet.org. Bring your appetite and your thinking cap to determine WHODUNIT!! (All proceeds beyond production costs will fund SMA HS students to attend the National Thespian Convention in downtown Denver this December.)
Annual Mass a Special Experience for Mothers and Daughters
By Jerry Welte, Campus Minister
St. Mary’s Academy held its annual Mother-Daughter Mass on Saturday, October 11. The liturgy began at 4:00 p.m. in the High School Forum with Father Eustace Sequeira from the Regis Jesuit Community presiding. The readings spoke of God’s bountiful love as it is reflected in the image of a banquet feast and God’s gracious invitation to gather in faith around the Eucharistic table of Christ. Father Sequeira spoke in his homily of the divine care and self-giving that are realized in the mother-daughter relationship. Several mothers and daughters teamed up to fulfill key roles in the liturgy, including proclaiming the scriptures, reading the petitions and bringing up the gifts.
After communion, mothers and daughters participated in a blessing for their hands. This prayer celebrated the many ways that God’s love has touched them over the years through their hands. It also recalled their baptismal commitment to offer their hands in service to change the world. SMA’s SAIMARAC choir, directed by Karen Wuertz and accompanied by musicians from Most Precious Blood parish, led the assembly in spirited song. Ms. Mac. added an extra touch to the celebration by playing the tambourine for the rousing recessional.
After the Mass the assembly adjourned to the Middle School Commons to enjoy a wonderful catered dinner. The dinner tables had been beautifully set beforehand through the generous efforts of some SMA mothers. Thus, the celebration of the liturgy fittingly concluded with a feast of food and friendship in the community we are blessed to share at St. Mary’s Academy.
CSO and SMA Make Beautiful Music Together
The third year of the comprehensive one-of-a-kind partnership between the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and St. Mary’s Academy continues to enhance an already strong music curriculum and offer new opportunities for students and families to experience the CSO. Cherie Swisher, SMA’s coordinator for the partnership, describes the activities.
Lower School:
Eight "Music of the Month" assemblies will feature various genres of music including rock ‘n roll, Irish music, American/Folk music, African drumming and more. The Lower School assembly on October 3 featured guitarist Neil Haverstick and the upcoming November event will highlight the cello and violin music performed by David and Tamara Mullikin.
Returning to SMA for their third performance are Bill Hill and his son Colin whose expertise on percussion instruments and fiddling is always a crowd-pleaser.
Twice in April grades four and five students will visit the Denver Center for the Performing Arts to hear the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform in Boettcher Concert Hall.
Middle School:
In November The CSO Brass Quintet will perform in the MS Commons (which has great acoustics). Afterwards MS students will participate in a Q/A session with the musicians and then enjoy a catered sack lunch.
Seventh grade students will attend a CSO concert for youth at Boettcher Concert Hall in February.
High School: HS musicians got an insiders’ look at how professional musicians prepare for a concert when they attended a working rehearsal of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Boettcher Concert Hall in October.
“The most exciting new event,” says Cherie Swisher, music teacher, “is a side-by-side concert with HS students and four members of the CSO. The musicians will rehearse once with the HS students and the next day perform in an All-Academy concert.” Mark your calendars now for May 7 at 7:00 p.m. for an event to inspire even the youngest SMA musicians.
Families:
Through the partnership, SMA families and faculty/staff receive a 20% discount on CSO tickets. The CSO has also donated tickets to SMA faculty members. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra/St. Mary’s Academy partnership is sponsored by SMA parents Jim Thompson and Darcy Guttwein.
Around SMA...
• SMA parent Shara Castle, who served as the Director of Interns under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, recently shared some of her fascinating experiences with grade 4 and 5 students. In addition to captivating the audience with interesting and fun historical facts, Mrs. Castle also brought along some real White House Easter eggs, official Christmas ornaments and even a miniature replica of the White House.
What an exciting way to learn about our nation’s most famous house!
• From Lisa Haselden, Academy Parents President:
Academy Parents would like to thank all of the parents, families and volunteers who participated in and attended Fall Festival. We also want to give a special shout out to Lisa Cowden, chair of the event, and her family. Fall Festival was an amazing success; we had a beautiful day and great attendance. We look forward to the 2009 event at the same location — SMA campus! Thank you again and enjoy the pictures!
Photos: Set 1
Photos: Set 2
• Margaret Gross, LS Librarian, thanks the members of the SMA community who came to the Book Fair and made it quite a success! With the proceeds of the fair, she was able to acquire $3500 worth of books and materials for the Lower School classrooms and library. Thank you so much! Thanks also to the many parent volunteers, teacher and Maintenance Staff for all their work.
SMA Now: Online News, November 2008
Announcements:
Open House for LS, MS and HS:
Nov. 9, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Email this flier to friends and neighbors
SMA Nuggest Night: Nov.16, 6:00 p.m.
Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Tickets:
$50 Lower Level (that’s a $65 discount for SMA) $26 Upper Level ($10 discount for SMA)
Come on up to the Sanders House third floor to buy your tickets!
Wildcats are State Field Hockey Champions!
St. Mary’s Academy Wildcats defeated rival Kent Denver to win the State Field Hockey Championship on Monday, October 27. The game, which was held at All City Stadium in Denver, went into overtime and, with only 2:51 left on the clock, the SMA Wildcats shot the winning goal. The final score was 2-1.
This championship is SMA’s first-ever State Field Hockey title. In the end-of-season playoffs, the fifth-seeded Wildcats defeated Colorado Academy and top-seeded Smoky Hill in overtime upsets. Everyone in the SMA community, including head coach Marcene Murphy and assistant coach Spencer Wagner, is excited about the Wildcats’ win.
There is also a lot of excitement about the energy that this victory and excellent media coverage will bring to increased awareness of SMA’s field hockey program and SMA in general.
For more in-depth coverage, including game photos, click on the links below. Congratulations, Wildcats!
Championship Game: Photos 1
Championship Game: Photos 2
Denver Post: Oct. 28 article
Denver Post: Game photos (Go to "latest multimedia" link on right side. Slow to load and a bit temperamental.)
Rocky Mountain News: Oct. 28 article
Olympian Dominque Dawes Earns “Gold”
at SMA’s Leadership Conference
For many people, it is hard to think about U.S. Women’s gymnastics without the image of Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian, and 1996 Olympic Gold medalist, coming to mind. She was one of the most prominent figures in women’s gymnastics in 1990s and she continues to inspire people across the country through her roles as sports analyst and motivational speaker.
Dominque Dawes was the keynote speaker at St. Mary’s 
Academy’s eighth annual Learning to Lead conference on Saturday, October 25. With her bright smile and dynamic style, Ms. Dawes immediately connected with the audience of girls from across the metro area and their parents or mentors. She shared stories about her often difficult but always rewarding journey toward her Olympic dreams; and Ms. Dawes offered advice about the importance of pursuing one’s life’s passions, whether those passions are in sports, academics, or the arts. She also reminded the audience that setting big goals in life always requires big sacrifices.
After Ms. Dawes’ speech, the conference attendees divided into two groups to attend panel discussions that included advice on choosing a career, discovering life’s passions, the importance of athletics and much more. This year, the panelists included Kate Bechtold, SMA parent and Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care at St. Anthony Central Hospital; Pam Bent, former SMA physical education and coach; Michelle Griego, reporter with Channel 4 news; Susan Hennessy, SMA parent and Director of Event Sales and Marketing at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Marcene Murphy, SMA’s Athletic Director; Erin Pulling, Executive Director of Project Angel Heart; Amber Smith, Director of Community Service and HS teacher at SMA; and Dominque Dawes.
Photos: Leadership Conference
Kudos
…to all the students who attended the Regis Model UN (United Nations) Meet, especially the 18 students new to in Model UN.
Model UN congratulates the students who earned awards:
Grace: Honorable Mention for her representation of Barbados in CARICOM
Caroline and Kasey: Honorable Mention for their representation of Croatia in the Beginner's Security Council
Marina: Outstanding Delegation for her representation of China in the World Health Organization
Crystal and Katie: Best Delegation for their representation of Italy in the European Union
…to the cross country team which finished fifteenth in the State Meet on Oct. 25 in Fort Collins competing in 3A with 59 other teams from throughout the state. This was first time since 2005 that the entire cross country team has qualified for state. Six varisty runners represented SMA at the state meet. SMA qualified for state following a third place finish in the regional meet where three runners finished in the top fifteen. SMA teachers Megan Welty is head coach; Sahra Hall is assistant coach.
Photos: State Cross Country Meet
Popular Teen Fiction Writer Visits SMA
Reading a great book is terrific; meeting the author is an even a bigger treat. Twice this year nationally-acclaimed authors have visited SMA thanks to the work of Chris Best, literacy consultant, and the generosity of the staff of the Bookies, a local independent book store, in arranging the visits.
Last week Laurie Halse Anderson’s national tour brought her to SMA to speak with students in grades six through nine. “Her award-winning novel Speak is a coming-of-age bo
ok that has been wildly popular with adolescents and critics alike,” says Mrs. Best. Chains, Ms. Anderson’s newest historical novel, just released this month, is one of five finalists for the 2008 National Book Award. Set during the Revolutionary War, Chains is the story of an enslaved 13-year-old girl, who fights for the freedom of the slaves.
Ms. Anderson’s lively presentation gave students insights into her personal journey from a reluctant writer in high school to a successful New York Times best-selling author. It was also a history lesson in that she shared both the way she researched her novel and actual research about slavery in the United States at the time of the American Revolution.
In September, Paul Steward and Chris Riddel visited SMA to talk about The Edge Chronicles, a series of fantasy novels, and their newest book in the series about Barnaby Grimes, a messenger boy who travels across rooftops to do his job. These adventure books are favorites of third through eighth graders. Meeting the people who write the books they love is an exciting opportunity for young readers and an inspiration to fledging writers. Mrs. Best expects other authors to visit throughout the year.
Red Ribbon Week Highlights Health for People and the Planet
By Donna Sullivan, Lower and Middle School Counselor
SMA’s Lower School celebrated Red Ribbon Week, October 20-24, focusing on themes of healthy choices, respect and the idea that “At SMA Every Day Is Earth Day.” 
Kindergarten, primary, and third grade students enjoyed the “Amazing Food Detective” presented by Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre. It was a lively, interactive program that helped younger students remember to make healthy decisions in their food choices and to be physically active for at least 60 minutes each day.
The Lower School also had a special “dress code” for the week to help celebrate the themes. On Monday, all students wore red tops in honor of Red Ribbon Week. Because Tuesday was the day to “Team Up for Healthy Choices,” the students wore jeans and their favorite team t-shirt. Wednesday followed with “Slipping Into” respecting self and others; everyone wore their favorite slippers. Thursday acknowledged “Being Green Is No Sweat” with everyone wearing their favorite sweats. Finally, on Friday, to celebrate SMA’s renewed commitment to going green, everyone wore green tops and the assembly featured special songs performed by each grade level on the theme.
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