Miss Vas Joins the Immaculate Family

 

Miss Victoria Vas

10/2/18

by Krystal Zhang

This fall, Miss Victoria Vas joined the Immaculate High School family as a religion teacher. She wanted to work at IHS because she grew up in Danbury. “I feel like Danbury is my home, so I don’t want to leave this area. Also, it is close to my family; therefore, I can visit them often,” explains Vas.

As a new teacher, she is always willing to learn from other teachers and wants to get to know her students. When Berry Hao, a junior, finished his first religion class this year, he said, “I’m so excited to have her this year.”

Miss Vas explains she decided to study religion because, “The more I learned about the faith, the more I realized how much there was to learn & the more I learned about Christ and his Church, the more I fell in love with Him and wanted to share His love with others.”  When she was growing up, her family had a big influence on her career as she was raised as a traditional Catholic. Miss Vas explains, “I was baptized when I was about a week old. I read the Bible and was influenced by religion from an early age, but my parents didn’t force me at all. I was interested and willing to learn by myself.”

Outside of teaching, Miss Vas enjoys painting and writing. “If I didn’t study religion, I probably would have studied literature in college and became a journalist.”

Vas’s main goal is to have students start a relationship with Christ, or if they already have one, to help them deepen it. She understands the struggles that come with today’s culture. “Though my own experience, I want to let my students know that it is important to build a relationship with Christ,” states Vas.

Miss Lajoie Begins Teaching at Immaculate

Miss Jessica Lajoie

9/26/18

by Caitlin Doherty

Miss Jessica Lajoie is one of the new teachers in the science department at Immaculate High School. So far, she says she loves the atmosphere of the school and how welcoming it is. She also noted that it is very evident Immaculate is devoted to preparing students for higher education. Because Immaculate is a religious school, she enjoys having the opportunity not only to learn more about God for herself, but also to help others grow in Christ. Another aspect that Lajoie appreciates about IHS is that it focuses on academics as well as extracurriculars, such as sports and clubs.

Lajoie’s love for science flourished in her high school AP Biology class. “I didn’t realize science could extend from beyond the classroom until AP Bio,” she explains. One of her favorite aspects of science is that it is centered around discovery. She believes that there is no such thing as a pointless experiment.  

Fun facts about Miss Lajoie:

• Favorite movie: Guardians of the Galaxy
• Favorite book: Harry Potter series
• Hidden Talent: Former Division I rower at Fordham University and has been rowing for over ten years
• Dream Vacation: Sydney, Australia

Spring Sports Conference and State Recap

Immaculate’s SWC championship winning golf team

6/24/18

by Mackenzie O’Rourke

The spring season has come to a close for Immaculate High School sports. For the past few months, teams fought long and hard to secure wins, and some even earned spots in SWCs and states.

Boys’ and girls’ tennis both had great seasons. The boys ended their regular season with an 8-11 record. Senior Stephen DeMarco and junior Mickey Basile made it to the third round of states as a doubles team. With a winning record of 11-6, the girls made it to states as well, but lost in the qualifying round.

Baseball, finishing their season over .500 with a record of 14-6, qualified for both SWCs and the Class S state tournament. After a rigorous eleven innings, the boys fell short to Bethel in the SWC quarterfinals with a final score of 3-2. Seeded seventh in the state tournament, the Mustangs defeated North Branford 3-0 on May 29. The next day, they beat the tenth seed, East Granby, with an 11-1 victory. On June 2, the boys were knocked out in the quarterfinal round by second seeded Holy Cross, losing 3-0. The future still looks bright for the Mustangs as their team was mainly composed of underclassmen this past season.

The softball team had an impressive season. Finishing 9-11, the girls qualified for the Class S state tournament. The nine win season was the second most wins in the history of Immaculate softball. In the final two weeks of their season, the girls won three out of their last four games. On May 29, the team had a tough 18-0 loss to Wamogo in the first round of the state tournament. Like the baseball team, there is hope in the years to come for the Lady Mustangs as they are a young team and can use the experience they gained this season to help them in the future.

Boys and girls track and field had phenomenal seasons. For the girls at the SWC championship meet, senior Emma Connolly won first place in the 800m and junior Angela Saidman came in second place in the 1600m and 3200m. The 4x800m comprised of freshman Ailene Doherty, junior Taylor Mascetta, sophomore Molly Coyle, and senior Emma Connolly and the 4x400m consisting of seniors Audrey Sedensky and Dominique Valentine along with Coyle and Connolly won gold. The girls team went on to place second overall at the Class S state championship. The boys won the Sportsmanship Award at SWCs and placed sixth at the Class S meet.

Immaculate’s spring sports program had one team championship this year. Boys golf was ranked third in the SWC as well as CIAC Division IV. The team took first place in the SWC playoffs, winning the title. Head coach and teacher at Immaculate, Kevin Dunleavy, has coached various sports at IHS since 1976, but has coached boys golf for fifteen years. Out of those fifteen years, the team has qualified to play in the SWC championship ten times. This year was the first time the program won the title in thirty years when the team won in the late WCC. Going into the playoffs, Coach Dunleavy knew his team would be a threat. “We were one of the favorites entering the tournament,” he explained. “The strong play from all five players was the difference.” Coach Dunleavy has recently announced his retirement. “As a parting gift, this certainly goes down as most memorable. However, I’ll cherish all the memories I’ve had, good years and bad, with the thousands of IHS athletes I’ve been honored to coach over the years,” Dunleavy reflected. In terms of a coaching staff next year, Coach Dunleavy has a plan. “I have passed the reins over to Mr. Mark LaPorte. He is an experienced coach, an avid golfer and works well with the IHS student-athletes,” said Dunleavy. Additionally, the boys competed in the state playoffs where they placed second. Freshman Dan LeBlanc impressively placed fourth as an individual. The hopes are high for the Mustangs next season as a majority of the team will be returning.

2018 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

Immaculate Athletic Hall of Fame 2018 inductees present at the ceremony

5/24/18

by Madeline Suarez

On Friday, May 4, new inductions were made to the Immaculate High School Athletic Hall of Fame, bringing the total number of members in the hall to 86. Immaculate’s first induction ceremony took place in 1989, and since then 18 events have been held to honor athletes, coaches, teams and supporters who have brought distinction to the school.

Immaculate has a rich tradition of athletic excellence. Mr. Bob Plumb, who is the IHS gym teacher, is on the Hall of Fame Committee and is a Hall of Famer himself. “[The Hall of Fame] is a way to link the past, those that have laid the foundation, with the present and future of Immaculate High School athletics,” commented Plumb.

In recent years, the event has taken place every other year at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury. The Hall of Fame Committee is comprised of administration, alumni, a member of the Mustang All Sports Club and long-standing faculty and/or coaches. The committee receives nominations via online submission and votes for those they feel should be inducted into the next class. This year’s inductees included: Nikki Weiss ’07, David Bonilla ’00, Chris Haddad ’00, Coach Chico Barata and the 1986 State and WCC Championship Ice Hockey Team.

The event on May 4 saw over 130 members of the Mustang Family in attendance to welcome the newest inductees into the Hall of Fame. Bart Busterna, local sports radio broadcaster for WLAD, was the Master of Ceremonies. After being presented by a family member or former coach, each inductee gave a heartfelt speech filled with gratitude for their experiences at Immaculate. They shared memories of games, championships, and friendships. There was also a special presentation made by Paul Hiro ’68, the first 1,000 point basketball scorer at Immaculate. He gave Immaculate president Mrs. Mary Maloney and principal Dr. Patrick Higgins his 1,000 point basketball to keep on display at the school.

Many current Hall of Famers were in attendance and acknowledged early in the evening for their ongoing support of the Immaculate Athletic Hall of Fame. Immaculate looks forward to installing a state-of-the-art touchscreen in the front lobby of the school in the near future in order to highlight all of those who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nominations will open for the next class of inductees in early 2019.

Annual Arts in the Park Coming Soon

5/19/18

by Jazmine Arrington

Art? Music? Creativity? A social event? Arts in the Park will offer all four! The annual event will be held in the Immaculate High School gymnasium on May 24, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The evening will give students a chance to express their artistic abilities and show their peers different dimensions of themselves. This year’s theme is South by Southwest. To accompany the art, Immaculate’s guitar ensemble will be playing live music.

The art students, teachers, and anyone involved in an art club, can have their work presented at the art show. Everybody’s work is showcased, especially the big projects that students have spent a great deal of time creating. Students will be able to enter paintings, drawings, piñatas, printmaking, acrylics, watercolor paintings, pastels, landscapes, portraits, and graphic design.

One teacher who will be participating is Señora Natacha Pimentel, who will enter three pieces. She enjoys the art show because, “It’s a great experience, you see another side of the people that you know.”

There is no competition involved in the art show as everything is presented in good fun. People come to the art show to appreciate Immaculate’s artistic community and see what each and every person has to offer. Students and staff continue to be excited about this event every year because they are constantly creating new ideas, artwork, and gaining more skills to utilize in building their art portfolio.

IHS art teacher Mrs. Leslie Quinn encourages staff, students, and their families to come out and support the Immaculate Fine Arts Department at the free event.

 

SWC Leadership and Sportsmanship Conference

5/9/18

by Mackenzie O’Rourke

On Thursday, April 26, 2018 athletes from various schools and sports in the South West Conference attended a leadership and sportsmanship conference at Bethel High School. Students were chosen to attend by either their athletic director or coach for displaying the qualities the conference focused on. Ten underclassmen athletes at Immaculate High School who participated in winter sports were sent to the conference, including sophomores Quinn Guth, Joey Rios, Olivia Kent, Molly Coyle, Patrick Iannetta, Christian Johnson, Mackenzie O’Rourke, Ryan McNerney, Sophia Mingachos, and freshman Emma Halas. They were accompanied by Immaculate’s athletic director, Tim Dunn.

The selected students took a bus from Immaculate to Bethel where their morning began. All attendees were seated randomly in order to spark conversation among different students from various schools. Sophomore Molly Coyle enjoyed this aspect of the conference. “It was a nice opportunity to interact with other students from the SWC who all have a similar goal,” explained Coyle.

The first half of the conference was led by the field hockey and girls lacrosse coaches from Western Connecticut State University. They were accompanied by some of their captains and standout players. The coaches and college athletes led an intricate discussion about leadership and sportsmanship. To engage the audience, they asked for the SWC athletes to converse at their tables about what the most important quality of a captain is. The coaches gave helpful advice on how to become a captain, be a leader even when not a captain, and the importance of treating players and coaches with courtesy and respect. When the floor was opened to questions, the high school students asked the coaches and college athletes about the recruiting process and how they choose their captains.

After a short intermission, the conference resumed. The second half was another discussion led by three experienced officials in basketball, football, and volleyball. The officials all shared their own stories about taking up officiating and their advice on how to become an official. They answered frequently asked questions about salary, scheduling, and biased cheating. Brochures were passed out to the high school students with a full guide to becoming an official, who to contact, and why it is beneficial to become one. Many attending athletic directors asked questions at the end of the discussion as well, varying from how to deal with rowdy fans to how they determine their calls.

There was one final break before the end of the conference. Afterwards, students from Bethel High School and New Milford High School spoke about how they are keeping sportsmanship alive through their Class Act programs at their schools. The Bethel students shared information about a sportsmanship club that they created. They explained the meaning behind their club and showed two videos that were directed by their club. The New Milford athletes read about sportsmanship at their school and talked about ways they try to encourage it every day. This marked the end of the conference. The attendees were offered a sandwich lunch with sides of chips and cookies. Since the lunch was called a “working lunch,” the students were invited to share amongst their tables how they implement sportsmanship in their daily lives.

The conference was a great resource for advice on how to become a leader in high school. Coyle explains, “[The conference] informed me of the steps I need to take to become a leader in sports and in my own life.”

Career Day 2018

5/1/18

by Madeline Suarez

Over 25 alumni, parents, and members of the community shared their time, talents, and career advice with the Immaculate High School student body on Wednesday, April 11. Career Day has become an annual event which the student body greatly looks forward to. Each year, the event kicks off with a student-wide assembly in the gymnasium where all of the guest presenters are introduced and a keynote address is given by an alumnus of Immaculate.

Alumnus Jonathan W. Dator ’01, Ph.D. and Associate Director of Training at Providence College’s Student Health Services Personal Counseling Center, addressed the students this year. He shared his story of discovering that he was suddenly being faced with the symptoms of a disease in college which caused him to lose a majority of his vision. He is now legally blind and his story of acceptance and perseverance was moving and inspirational. Dator said, “It was an absolute privilege to be the Keynote Speaker at Immaculate High School’s Career Day. I take great pride in being an alumnus of IHS and the school played an integral part in shaping who I am today as an educator, as a psychologist, and as a human being who is passionate about connecting with others. Connecting with my teachers, friends, and the rest of the Immaculate family during my years at the school from 1997-2001 is a skill that I still take with me everywhere I go. To be able to step back inside the school after so many years, reunite with some of my former teachers, and interact with the stellar students who currently attend IHS was energizing for me and one of the highlights of my professional life to this point.”

After the keynote address was given to the whole school, students went to their three different career presentations. Beforehand, students were able to sign up for three careers that they were interested in and wanted to know more about. In the twenty minutes allotted for each session, the presenter explained what their respective career field was like in order to give students a glimpse of what an average work day would be like and what would be required to be successful in that field. Some examples of the different careers include law, education, finance, medicine, information technology, armed services, religious life, law enforcement, and many more. Sophomore Elisa Lifrieri shares, “I loved hearing from the keynote speaker about how he overcame adversity, as well as hearing from alumni in sales, military veterinarian, and information technology. Each year, the day gives me a great opportunity to meet alumni and learn about various career fields.”

For some of the alumni presenters, such as Dator, it was their first time coming back to Immaculate in a long time. Many of them were able to talk to a few of their former teachers. For example, Spanish teacher Señora Marie Proverb had three former students come back to her class after the presentation and talk to her class. She explains, “Each of them brings a special perspective not only about their lives today as professionals, but also about their journey through Immaculate, college, and in one case the military in order to achieve their goals. It is so rewarding for them to be able to share their stories and pass along the wisdom that they have gained since their days at Immaculate. Their Mustang pride still shows through in everything they say and do.”

Mustangs Capture State Championship at Mohegan Sun

3/29/18

by Mackenzie O’Rourke

After a previously challenging 56-41 win against New Britain High School in the Division II State tournament quarterfinal game, the Immaculate High School Varsity boys basketball team knew they had to work extremely hard to achieve their goal of playing, and winning, at the Mohegan Sun Arena. That game brought them one step closer.

On March 14, 2018, the team clinched an exciting victory in their semifinal game. They defeated Glastonbury 48-43 at the University of Hartford that Wednesday. They had done it – they were making a “Run to the Sun.”

Preparation for the big game was key for the boys. Head coach Nelson Mingachos made sure to ready his team both physically and mentally. “We prepared the same for this game as we do for each game during the season. We wanted the boys to be relaxed and play as they always did throughout the season,” explained Mingachos. His faith in his team was strong. He added, “This group of young men play their hearts out at every game – they know what to expect from each other and wanted to leave the court with a championship for themselves, the coaches, the school, and alumni.”

Saint Patrick’s Day certainly brought good luck to the boys. On March 17, 2018, they played in the championship game at Mohegan Sun versus Amity High School. The first half was a constant battle between the Mustangs and the Spartans, as the possession of the lead was constantly changing. With a close 26-23 score at halftime, the Mustangs knew ninth seeded Amity came to play, and a win wouldn’t be easy. Coach Mingachos was aware of this. “My strategy with the boys was the same as it has been the entire year – play hard defense, be patient on offense, be unselfish with the basketball, and, as I write on the board for every game, play smarter than your opponent,” said Mingachos.

The boys came out stronger in the second half, shooting an impeccable seventy-five percent from three point range, over thirty percent better than the previous half. Their defense increased its intensity, cutting Amity’s field goal percentage in half. They took advantage of their opponent’s turnovers, scoring nine points off them. The Mustangs took their largest lead of twenty points with a minute and twenty seconds to go in the fourth quarter. At the buzzer, the boys swarmed the court. They had secured the win with a final score of 53-34. The Mustangs were Division II State Champions.

Sophomore starter Quinn Guth led the team with eighteen points, finishing a solid four of five from three and shot 100% from the foul line. Junior starter Jack Woods followed with thirteen points and shot 50% from three. Senior starter and captain Jake Payton also accumulated thirteen points and had six of the team’s twelve steals. Mikey Basile, another junior starter, added seven points of his own and had four assists. Finally, senior starter and captain Ronan Doherty scored two points and was a defensive asset, grabbing seven rebounds against Amity’s team, which was gifted with height and strength.

The win was incredibly special to the team and the coaching staff. Even with their head coach having previously won two state championships, Coach Mingachos still has a special place in his heart for this one. “Every state championship is special. To win this year with five guards all under 5’10” [and] with a new format, that put us in a large Division II, puts this win very close to the top. No one expected us to get this far besides the fourteen kids on the bench and their six coaches,” Mingachos reflected.

With three returning starters, next season looks bright for the Varsity boys. “There is no better feeling [than] to win this title,” added Mingachos. “I cannot wait to do it again.”

IHS’ Production of Grease Starts Stumble-Throughs

Director Matthew Farina and Senior Jill Fredette lead rehearsal choreography for “We Go Together.”

3/7/18

by Olivia Hynes

The creative team and actors of IHS’ production of Grease started their stumble-throughs, also known as dry runs. Grease is a modern-classic musical that investigates the struggles of high-schoolers and has the themes of identity, status, and popularity. The show tells the story of several high school seniors in the 1950s. The main protagonists, Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko, struggle to stay as a couple after spending the most romantic summer of their lives together. Their friends from the “Pink Ladies” and the “Burger Palace Boys” struggle to find themselves as well.

The Immaculate cast started their dry runs of the show on February 27 and 28. They rehearsed the show as cohesively and smoothly as possible with the goal of determining what they need to work on in order to make it as great of a show as it can be.

Sophomore Lizzie Varda’s first character role in an Immaculate production is the role of an English teacher at Rydell High School, Miss Lynch. “[Miss Lynch is] very strict [and] doesn’t tolerate any of the students’ comments or pranks, especially from the Burger Palace Boys,” says Varda.

Varda’s favorite part about doing the stumble-throughs is seeing the classic songs from the show like “Grease Lightning,” “Sandra Dee,” and “Summer Nights” come to life as well as “the lesser-known ones that weren’t in the movie like ‘Magic Changes’ and ‘Freddy My Love,’” explained Varda. “I think getting to know the story more is great. [Similar to] many people, I have watched the movie version of Grease growing up, but this is the original. There are differences that I really like and songs I really like that are in this version but not in the film or the live version. I also love getting to explore my character. I have short appearances [on stage], but it’s making those moments special that are the reasons why I love rehearsing.”

However, before the show can go public by the road show or opening night, it has a lot of work to do in order to become the best it can be. The creative team is planning on scheduling more vocal rehearsals for the musical numbers, so the cast can sing the songs more confidently and make sure the choreography that goes along with it runs smoothly. The cast hopes to get the blocking down, so the show can match the performances of past years, such as last year’s Fiddler on the Roof, 2016’s Oklahoma, and 2014’s Les Miserables.

Alumnus Returns To Perform With The Colgate Thirteen

Señora Proverb dances with Jack Garvey

2/28/18

by Madeline Suarez

On Friday, February 9, Immaculate was treated to a performance by the Colgate Thirteen, an all-male a cappella group from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. The group is one of the oldest collegiate a cappella groups in the United States. They were on tour in the Connecticut area, and Immaculate was one of their many stops.

One of the current members of this group is Immaculate alumnus Jack Garvey, who is currently a sophomore at Colgate University. While at Immaculate, Garvey was a part of Concert Choir and was very involved in the school musicals. Reflecting on the opportunity to perform again at Immaculate, Garvey stated, “I felt like I was back at home, performing in the gym in which I’ve made so many memories. Working with Concert Choir was particularly fun for me because my time in Concert Choir was part of the reason I wanted to continue to pursue music in college.”

The entire student body, as well as faculty and staff, went in the gym to watch the performance. The Colgate Thirteen performed a number of different songs, all featuring a different lead singer. To the surprise of longtime and beloved Spanish teacher Señora Marie Proverb, the Colgate Thirteen serenaded her. The song concluded with a brief dance by Garvey and his former teacher and was followed by a rousing ovation from the crowd.