FEBRUARY 10, 2006
This photo is of a Key Club board lunch meeting to plan for the KEY CLUB 7:15 a.m. weekly Wednesday morning meeting!!
Key Club is the world's largest service organization for young people. It is a student-led organization providing its members with opportunities to perform service, build character, and develop leadership. The emphasis of Key Club is to focus on the needs of children, therefore, members participate in one or more of the many projects sponsored by the group during the school year.
Margie Hankinson, moderator of SPHS Key Club, comments, "I am very impressed by the fact that all the committees are student-led and all the ideas come from students." The sponsoring Kiwanis Club representative is Mr. Ralph Kelsey who is also usually present at all meetings.
The letter below is from Key Club president, Maddie Wilson, followed by a list of Key Club activities for the 2005-2006 school year.
Dear Parents and Students of St. Peter’s,
During the first half of the 2005-2006 school year, I am proud to say that St. Peter’s Key Club has been extremely successful. Key Club is a student run, high school service club where students are given opportunities to help the school and community at large. St. Peter’s Key Club is made up of around eighty members, and so far this year we have completed over 375 man hours in fourteen projects. Our goal for this year is to increase our number of “hands-on” projects. We are excited about the future because in the upcoming months we have ideas for many of these types of activities. We plan to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday in a unique way, clean up an area park, and seasonally decorate a local nursing home. I thank all of you for your continued support, and I hope you all have a wonderful second semester. Remember that students are welcome to join Key Club at any time. Look for us, Wednesday mornings at 7:15. See you there!
Thank you,
Maddie Wilson
Key Club President
KEY CLUB PROJECTS - 2005/2006
Blood Drive—August—students called lists of people provided by the Red Cross and called students and faculty—brought in food and manned the registration and canteen (Kelsie Noe and Brandon Speck)
Kicks for Katrina—out of dress code shoes day plus collections at lunch and in block 3 classes= $944 sent to Catholic Charities Relief fund (students looked at various organization and compared how much of their money would actually go to victims of tragedy and voted to send it to Catholic Charities)
Pat Crocker Breast Cancer Foundation—staffed table at Krogers from 11-5 on October 15 to pass out pink ribbons and brochures and sell items (Tara Regan)
Carrousel Fun Day—14 students volunteered at the Carrousel to paint faces and run games and refreshments (We were called by the Carrousel, remembering our volunteer work there last year (Kala Suresh)
Adopt a Pew—voted to give $174 to buy 6 hymnals for the church (a pew’s worth J) and have volunteered to pack old hymnals and unpack new later in November (Key Club Board)
UNICEF—passed out boxes and literature students used on trick-or-treat night in their neighborhoods-- $377 collected (Chelsea Blakely, Rachel Berger)
Rake and Run—15 students signed up to drive to houses and anonymously rake yards November 6 1-4 (Chelsea Berry)
Operation Christmas Child—students packed boxes to be sent to Samaritan’s Purse (Emily Krehnovi)
Tiny Tim Shoppe—December 3 all day (6 or 8 to a shift) to wrap presents and help children choose (we have the day covered by our organization) (Kelsey Gorman)
Blood Drive—November 18 all day in the church basement (Nicole Kleman and Katie Kulka) sign up students and staff, runners, bring in extra food, advertise to public, help with set-up at 7 a.m.
Tray favors for hospital—Angel paperclips with Christmas greeting from Key Club-- worked on during Wednesday a.m. meeting (David Wilson)
Ringing bells for the Salvation Army at Wal-Mart (in conjunction with Kiwanis)
(Eli Corso-Phinney)
Koats for Kids—a dozen coats were collected for “The Store” (Josephine Zupan)
Fund Raiser—Christmas Candygrams $34 profit (Rebecca Marek)
NOVEMBER 1, 2005
For tuition payment at St. Peter's Schools, many families take advantage of the confidential PSAS tuition assistance program based on need, "earn-to-learn" opportunities, and, in addition, choose from three tuition payment time plans. Also, the Kroger/Meijer/Scrip dollar-for-dollar gift certificate program has been widely used by families at St. Peter's Schools. With purchases of dollar-for-dollar certificates to area businesses, parents can earn tuition credit for the following year. Tuition credit is based on a percentage of certificate dollars purchased.
For this 2005-2006 school year, 199 families earned $45,048.54 in tuition credit for their children to attend St. Peter's Schools, proving this a very credible and worthwhile program. A big than you to the unrelenting efforts of the parent volunteers who make this program accessible and beneficial to all who wish to participate.
Paula Nestor and Betty Vandermeir, coordinators of the Kroger/Meijer/Scrip
gift certificate-tuition reduction program at St. Peter's.
OCTOBER 15, 2005
Donna Kennedy, mother of three graduates of St. Peter's High School, has worked in the school cafeteria for a number of years. Where is she now? Well, she's still there during the day but is a student at night! Read the story below that appeared in the Mansfield News Journal and reprinted with their permission!
GO DO YOUR HOMEWORK, MOM
By Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal
Reprinted with permission of the Mansfield News Journal.
Donna Kennedy's first day at The Ohio State University at Mansfield
on September 21 went well.
Her parents made her a special Italian meal
of gnocchi and her oldest daughter bought her a book bag filled with
school supplies.
Thirty-three years ago, Kennedy said she was all
set to go to Queens College in Flushing, N.Y., after high
school.
Instead, she took a job at a bank.
"My mom can remember
that she had even paid the $50 fee," she said this week.
Kennedy, a
divorced mother of three grown children - one married and two Ohio
University students - decided last year it was time to try college
again.
The outgoing Kennedy, 51, who works in the St. Peter's
schools cafeteria by day, is finding college life exciting.
"The
first week was good but it seemed like we had a lot of homework,"
Kennedy said recently from the Student Union on the campus of OSU-M
and North Central State College.
"I told my daughter the other night
I have no time to talk on the phone when she called. 'I have
homework,' I told her."
Kennedy and 19 other non-traditional
students, including two men, began classes at OSU-M this quarter.
They are part of the Access to Higher Education project designed to
provide educational support and financial assistance to
non-traditional students in north central Ohio.
On Monday night, the
mother of three arrived for her evening English class in Ovalwood
Hall, greeting the 10 other students as they arrived for the
Intensive Reading and Writing class.
Soon, Kennedy and her
classmates travelled to the Writing Center, where they practiced how
to strengthen their essays. At the end of class, Kennedy headed home
to begin her homework.
Support is the name of the game.
Terri Teal
Bucci, assistant professor of mathematics and teaching education at
OSU-M, said as the Access to Higher Education course developed, it
turned into a program where students receive special assistance to
succeed in college.
The project requires a two- or three-year
commitment by all participants. One-third of a student's tuition is
waived while the student completes the 45-credit hour requirement for
an associate's degree. Bucci oversees the grant process.
Marianne
Williamson of New Washington, program director for the Access project
and a March graduate of OSU-M, was a non-traditional student. She
came to college at age 36 and graduated at age 40.
"They are all so
sincere and so serious," she said of the group members, who swapped
tales of first week of college successes and struggles.
"Part of my
job is to introduce them to other means of funding, helping them find
scholarships," Williamson said.
Williamson also oversees a group of
OSU-M student mentors who are helping the 20 non-traditional students
with a variety of issues, from study skills to campus life.
Tisha
Clarke, 54, of Mansfield is among the mentors.
Currently pursuing a
master's degree in social work at OSU-M, Clarke graduated from OSU-M
in 1994 with a degree in psychology.
"All the professors were
great," she said, noting that one professor helped her prepare for a
final exam on a Sunday.
Non-traditional student Carrie Jeffrey of
Mansfield came to college to learn the skills she already has the
heart for.
Having cared for a boy with Down's Syndrome, she now
plans to become an early childhood intervention specialist. "He went
to kindergarten and my job ended," she said, showing photos of
Michael to her new college friends.
Jeffrey, 39, said she has met
many new friends in her classes, which include theater, math and
Strategies for College Success this quarter.
Her daughter, Ashley,
is a sophomore at NCSC, studying business.
Coming to college meant
discovering how to use a computer, finding financial aid and learning
how to type, Jeffrey said. Turning down lots of new avenues, she even
took a keyboarding class at The DeWald Community Center at the
Salvation Army to enable her to type her own papers.
"U-CAN
(University and College Access Network of Richland County) put my
name in for the Access program," she said. "I got a call from them on
my answering machine that said show up on Wednesday (Sept. 21, the
first day of autumn quarter at OSU-M)," she said.
Jeffrey said her
only problems the first week of college stemmed from her diabetes and
efforts to get a textbook.
Julie Neale, 44, of Galion, a mother of
four and grandmother of four, is hoping to master the computer this
quarter. She is going to college for the first time in her life.
Currently employed as a receptionist in a physician's office, said
she wanted to better herself financially.
She is working full-time
and attends classes two nights a week.
Also participating in the
program is Serena Hutchinson, 38, of Lexington, who is studying to be
a counselor or social worker.
An actress and director working for
the past 14 years with a theater troupe, Hutchinson is also balancing
college responsibilities while caring for her two young
children.
"That's the struggle, but it's totally do-able," she said.
Her husband, Brett, is helpful with the household chores and
kids.
Access program mentor Mike Ringold, 33, of Mansfield, who is
currently completing his student teaching requirement at Madison
Junior High School, said he knows what non-traditional students are
going through from personal experience.
"My advice for them? Talk to your professors. It can be your salvation. They want to help you," he
said.
Tammy Macklin of Mansfield, a divorced mother of boys ages 5,
9 and 14 and a 10-year employee of the News Journal, said she decided
she wanted to strengthen her skills and make changes in her life. For
her, that meant earning a college degree.
Returning to school after such a long absence, Macklin said she knows now, at age 36, that
nothing will change until she takes action as life is continuing to
pass by.
"I am focused. I realize I am truly blessed. I have a
foundation, but I would like to rebuild some of the bricks in my
foundation," she said.
lwhitmire@nncogannett.com
SEPTEMBER 29, 2005
SUMMER 2005
TEACHERS INVOLVED IN ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
St. Peter's faculty members again this past summer were involved in continued study in their teaching areas. A description of their involvement in summer projects/workshops/classes follows. Thank you, teachers, for being our models of "continue to learn".
Karen Geiger, language arts - Mrs. Geiger attended a one-day Tech Conference at Bowling Green State University offered by the Toledo diocese. It featured a motivating speaker, Meg Ormistron, who highlighted various ways to use technology. She notes that she and husband, Rick, made their last college tuition payment and took their first vacation in ages!
Maryanne Chengelis, theology - Mrs. Chengelis spent a week in South Tucson, Arizona, as a volunteer working with Native Americans during a "Teen Week" program, joining son, Peter (a Cennacle lay missionary), on the reservation's Blessed Kateri parish to do the "teaching/catechism" components each morning. She also participated in Peace Jam with students from SPHS. This event was attended also by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Desmond Tutu.
Mary Nearhood, Latin/Spanish/French - Mrs. Nearhood took an enrichment trip to Orlando, Florida, in July for four days and attended the following enrichment sessions: Parliamentary Procedure, Professional Growth-Share the Gift of Education, Share the Gift of Altruism, Share the Gift of World Understanding, and Maintaining the Passion for Teaching.
Sue Scheurer and Janet Hoffer, first grade - attended an Investigations to Math workshop. This math approach is made up of several units. It emphasizes mathematical thinking processes rather than merely coming up with a correct answer. The workshop focused on different ways to solve a problem and different approaches to use with children.
Susan Bracco, ASP - Susan took the State Institute for Reading Instruction at Mansfield Senior High School. The SIRI is a state-wide course offered as part of being a highly-qualified teacher. The course included an emphasis on phonics instruction and also fluency and comprehension. She also attended two additional one-day workshops: Making Books Using Power Point and Differentiating Instruction Using Low to Mid Tech Tools. Both of these workshops helped train her on how to make a book by making special worksheets done on the computer for disabled students.
Jennifer Spires, school nurse - Mrs. Spires was certified as a CPR/First Aid instructor with the Red Cross. She says to please feel free to contact her if you would like to take a class.
Monica Sved, Spanish - was a member of a team of teachers that looked at the National Standards for foreign language study and developed a curriculum guideline which included a look at the latest textbooks in the field. She also attended a week-long seminar on how to teach the foreign languages using motion and stories. She traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands which included a visit to a foreign exchange student who had stayed with her husband's family 34 years ago!
Christine Hamilton, fifth/sixth grade - Miss Hamilton attended a "History Alive" workshop at Ashland University through MOESC for one week. This workshop covered techniques for teachers to use to make history both fun, educational, and "real" for students through interesting and interactive lesson plans.
Frank Daniell, art - studied with Fred Graff in Medina for four days in June. Graff is a nationally known watercolorist. In July, Mr. Daniell traveled to Oregon and British Columbia, completing six watercolors in Whistler, B.C. He is currently working on UPO, a type of plastic. The colors are not absorbed but instead lie on the surface and create interesting effects.
Margie Hankinson, English/librarian - Mrs. Hankinson attended a three-day INFOhio Workshop at the North Central Ohio Computer Cooperative. Sessions included "Homework Now!" and the on-line Electronic Resources of which she is now a member. She also attended a one-day workshop with Dr. Ross Todd on the Ohio study of school libraries. Entitled "Effective School Libraries", this workshop focused on state standards and the school library's integral part in the curriculum. In August, she attended training update at NCOCC on cataloging with the SIRSI program.
Elisabeth Etzel, fourth grade; Sue Ferguson, fourth grade; Tara Arnold, fifth/sixth grade - attended a two-day workshop called "Great Math Places on the Web" to learn about good math resources on the internet.
Richard Hankinson, chemistry - Mr. Hankinson had a wonderful tour of Battelle in Columbus, a not-for-profit research institute which contracts with private companies and governmental agencies to do research into solving problems and developing products. With 2,400 employees in Columbus alone, they are currently working on such things as fuel cells, anthrax vaccine, and why a landfill in the Northeast is heaving up and destroying the buildings on top. They have developed a variety of products from tougher golf ball covering to xerography. Battelle has over 100 other sites around the country and world. He also says it makes one proud and hopeful to know there are places like Battelle working with science in an atmosphere of private enterprise and philanthropy to better our lives.
Diane Michael and Kristin Husty, second grade - Ms. Michael and Mrs. Husty took a Time Life Mastery class through Communicate Institute which they say will help them manage their time and accomplish more teaching.
Charlie Henrich and Mike Mulherin, spiritual life/theology - Mr. Mulherin and Mr. Henrich attended a week-long graduate course at the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University entitled "Ideas & Traditions in American Foreign Relations."
Lauri Harvey, ASP - Lauri completed a State Institute for Reading Instruction-Adolescent Literacy class and taught summer school.
MAY 10, 2005
ST. PETER'S LEGACY
Mrs. Pat Thompson, mother of many children and grandmother of many more! Just a family celebration at her house puts cause for a traffic cop in the area! As each car pulls in to her lawn, one of her children exits from the driver's side and from nearly every other door exits a grandchild! Alas, many of her grandchildren drive their own cars to the celebrations as well!
Mrs. Thompson is the matriarch of one of those St. Peter's families that is a living legacy of the commitment to the Catholic faith and Catholic education. This school year, she has 10--yes, count them 10!--grandchildren attending St. Peter's Schools. She's one busy woman trying to make it to all the concerts, ballgames, honors assemblies, etc. And she's got the energy to do just that! A photo below was taken this past Mother's Day of Mrs. Thompson and the 10 grandchildren who now attend St. Peter's Schools. Let's take a look!
(Front row, l. to r.) Meredith-2nd grade, Mitch-4th grade, Emmy-kindergarten, Mrs. Thompson, Charlie-preschool, Claire-5th grade
(Back row, l. to r.) Mike-9th grade, Casey-9th grade, Maddie-12th grade, Ellie-8th grade, Brian-12th grade
February 2, 2005
SPARTAN VOLUNTEER!
While chatting with Jean Gurski recently at a basketball game in the Franciscan Activity Center, this webmaster was amazed to learn of her volunteer career here at St. Peter's Schools.
I casually asked her how many years she had been volunteering in the cafeteria line and I thought I heard her wrong! After all, her response coincided with the noise that erupted because of a great play in the game.
Did she say five? So I asked her. You have been there five years? "No, I have been there 35," she replied. I was amazed and knew I had another Spartan Spirit story to post!
Jean Gurski moved to Mansfield with her late husband, Walter, in 1958. Walter was working in Monroe, Michigan, and moved to Mansfield with the Fisher Body plant. All three of their children--Susan, Jim, and Michael--attended and graduated from St. Peter's. When the youngest son, Jim, enrolled in St. Peter's Schools, Jean decided to volunteer in the cafeteria line and has been there ever since, faithfully, EVERY Wednesday, serving up the main course for lunch.
During this national celebration of Catholic Schools Week (January 31 through February 5), we take time to recognize all the volunteers at St. Peter's Schools. Without their support, things would not be the same! Thank you, Jean, and all of the volunteers who serve in any capacity at St. Peter's Schools!
December 14, 2004
LOTS OF HISTORY BEHIND THE BEIGE-PAINTED WALLS AND CEILINGS OF THE CHURCH!
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, FRANK DANIELL, IS PART OF THIS HISTORY!
St. Peter's School students attend Mass inside St. Peter's Church usually on a weekly basis. Each time they visit the church building, they are visiting pieces of history. Here is a part of that history.
These beautiful murals were painted by Hungarian-born artist, John Bernat. Following the church fire in the 1980's, the church was repainted and these are no longer visible. Instead, what is seen are beige-painted walls outlined in gold leaf. Following is the story of artists Mr. and Mrs. John Bernat and their relationship to the decorating of St. Peter's Church.!
Even though the cornerstone of the present St. Peter's Catholic Church was laid in 1911 and completion was several years later, it was not until February 7, 1944, that Hungarian-born artist John Bernat presented Monsignor R. C. Goebel, pastor, with what Bernat thought would be the most appropriate theme and scenes for the interior decorating of our church.
(Left: The paintings of John Bernat are shown in this photo as they appeared prior to the church fire in the 1980's. During repainting of the church, some of the murals were saved while others were painted over. Unfortunately, we do not have colored photos of these beautiful murals that once adorned the walls of St. Peter's Church.)
John Bernat was educated at the Hungarian Royal Institute of Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and Rome, Italy. He was commissioned to do many church interiors, both in Europe and the United States, and his works now are in numerous private collections and museums throughout the world. His work was unusual in that each bit of it had significance and was original. He did not duplicate designs even though he may have been doing similar portrayals.
He met his wife, the former Martha Milligan of Toledo, in Budapest in 1938. Although a U.S. citizen by birth, she was Hungarian by descent and was visiting relatives and studying art in the Royal Hungarian Academy of Art in Budapest. It was at that school that Bernat met her. He married Miss Milligan in 1939 in a little village church in which the two had jointly labored for four months in a fresco decoration project. He then decided that he wanted to come to America with his new wife. His hopes of coming to America were crushed after being drafted into the Hungarian army. Eventually, though, he was discharged from the Hungarian army because of the notorious meetings between Hitler and Mussolini from which came the dictatorial order of "no war" between Hungary and Romania.
His escape from Europe and eventual arrival in America is summed up by Bernat in this way: "After a few days' wait we were lucky enough to secure berths on a little steamship of another company. Its capacity was only 285 but my wife and I and some 800 others squeezed into it for the trip to America." They arrived at Jersey City on January 1, 1941. During his years in Mansfield, Mr. Bernat received his American citizenship, conducted art classes which eventually grew into the Mansfield Fine Arts Guild, and did the massive interior paintings and decorations for St. Peter's Catholic Church. His wife, Martha (Milligan) Bernat, a sculptress, carved the wooden Fourteen Stations of the Cross from Phillippine mahogany and they still hang in St. Peter's Church today.
(Left: Mrs. Bernat is shown here carving one of the Stations of the Cross, all of which still hang in the church today.)
(From the Mansfield News Journal, February 18, 1945.)
"Because the artist must paint the ceilings from a very close range and while lying flat on his back on the scaffolding, as Bernat does, it is impossible for him merely to climb the scaffolding and paint the vision he sees through his mind's eye."
Bernat's substitution was making a "cartoon" or pattern of the entire scene on paper which he placed against the ceiling or wall. The outlines of the figures in the pattern were then punctured with small holes and, after the pattern was placed against the ceiling, charcoal dust was patted through the holds, leaving a stenciled outline of the figures on the ceiling. The artist was then ready to do the actual painting.
John Bernat shown here with one of the large charcoal sketches.
Bernat would make a pattern of heavy-weight drawing paper, sometimes 35 feet long, and would draw the outlines of the figures proportional to measurements of church ceilings and walls. He would then cut the paper on these lines and pin the patterns on the wall of the studio, then sketching rapidly of "lay in" the vague outlines. Then he would fill in with charcoal the exact picture he wanted to put on the ceiling of wall of the church. This would take weeks with one individual figure taking anywhere from three hours to three days to draw. Although he needed no living models for general work on figures of human beings, he sometimes used parishioners as well as high school students for models for the apostles and Christ for specific details. The pattern was then ready to be put on the ceiling or wall with a small bag of powdered charcoal used to dust over the surfact, leaving stenciled outlines of the figures and scenes. Then Bernat could begin the job of filling in with color. On his pallette, Bernat used only yellow, red, blue, green, and white.
The dominant figure of the decorations of St. Peter's Church is the seated figure of Christ with arms outstretched, high above the main altar in the sanctuary. Other scenes to the right and left of Christ show the four evangelists, matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The dome in the ceiling of St. Peter's church which depicts scenes from the life of St. Peter--preaching on Pentecosst, meeting St. Paul, restoring Dorcas to life, and the trial scene. Other paintings on the rear walls of the church are also Bernat's work.
While living in Mansfield, John Bernat taught private art classes to adults in the Mansfield area and each was carefully selected after showing promise and talent. Bernat's policy was not to take on anyone as a private student under the age of 14 but he made an exception in the case of St. Peter's High School art teacher, Frank Daniell. "Young Frankie" as John Bernat called him, showed so much talent that at the age of 11 Bernat accepted him into his art class. Daniell studied with Bernat for three months, first working in charcoal studies, then in watercolor. On a return trip to Mansfield years later, Bernat greeted Mr. Daniell by saying, "Well, here's young Frankie."
John Bernat moved with his family, wife and three children, to California where he was a medical illustrator. In September of 1964, he died of cancer in Monrovia, California, at the age of 54.
The church as it appeared many years ago when Mass was said facing the main altar.
October 29, 2004
October 14, 2004
ALTAR HISTORY
Students at St. Peter's School, both in the high school and elementary/junior high grades, attend the celebration of liturgy on a weekly basis. Students have, many times, looked at the main altar, perhaps not realizing the history of this beautifiul piece of marble artwork. So here goes!
In honor of their parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Scholl, the Scholl children paid for the purchase of the marble altar for the building of the new church. The parish history book reads: "The interior of the beautiful new church is all of the best workmanship and design. All the marble work, altars, communion rail, shrines, baptismal font, holy water fonts, are of Carrara marble, executed by the McBride Studio of New York. All the work was done in the Pietrasanta Studios in Italy."
The names of the father and mother of the Scholl family were Jacob and Elizabeth, thus the saint names of St. James (Jacob is German for James) and St. Elizabeth. In the design of the statues of St. James and St. Elizabeth, which stand on either side of Jesus Christ on the cross, care was taken to have the bodies and faces of those statues facing southeast (in the direction of Wappner Funeral Home on Diamond Street) which was the location of the Scholl family home. The home still stands today across from Wappner Funeral Home.
