St. Mary’s High School Senior Jesus Aguayo, a parishioner and graduate of St. Cecilia, and Junior Gerardo Lopez, a parishioner of St. Cecilia are a part of St. Mary’s High School’s Architectural Design class who presented their designs recently to a group of engineers, architects, college professors, city planners and an Olympian as a part of the Knowledge Challenge of the Northside Regeneration Project. This is the 3rd year St. Mary’s has competed in the challenge, in which teams of students work together along with a mentor architect. St. Mary’s has won the last 2 years and currently has their designs being built in St. Louis.

In addition, St. Mary’s senior Fabian Valenzuela, a graduate and parishioner of St. Cecilia, was awarded the Fr. O’Shaughnessey Award at our All School Mass. This award is presented to the senior who best represents the Marianist Charism.

The Saigh Foundation Awards $12,500 Grant to ACCESS Academies

The Saigh Foundation has awarded ACCESS Academies a one-year, $12,500 grant in endorsement of its Graduate Support Program, which provides counseling and resources for Academy graduates as they pursue their secondary and post-secondary educational and career aspirations. This is the eighth grant awarded by the Saigh Foundation to ACCESS Academies.

The Saigh Foundation, founded by former St. Louis Cardinals owner, Fred M. Saigh, assists St. Louis–area organizations that benefit children and youth, primarily in the areas of education and health care. The Foundation is particularly interested in stimulating the development of new ventures, as well as in supporting organizations that feature innovative approaches or programs. The Saigh Foundation is managed by JoAnn Hejna, Executive Director/co-trustee, and Mary Kemp, Associate Director, who are dedicated to continuing Fred Saigh’s legacy aiding those who might not otherwise receive assistance.

“We would like to thank the Saigh Foundation for their support,” said Betsy Liberatore, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies. “The funds will be used to enhance ACCESS’s seven-year commitment to the graduates of our Academies through the work of our Graduate Support Directors.”

Since the establishment of ACCESS Academies in 2005, Graduate Support Directors have been partnered with Archdiocesan middle schools to provide critical academic, social, financial and emotional support for low-income and/or minority students and their families for the next seven years of their educational journey. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Collaborating with school-based leadership and faculty to oversee the extended school day and mandatory summer school programs through the ACCESS middle school Academy
• Working with middle school students and their families to find a college-preparatory high school that fits the student’s unique personality and learning style. This includes high school visits, application support, financial guidance, and more through the ACCESS middle school Academy
• Transitioning Academy graduates from middle school to high school. This includes, but is not limited to, consistent high school visits, tutoring, mentoring, tuition scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through all four years of high school
• Providing post-secondary counseling and support for Academy graduates through college tours, ACT test prep, college application and essay support, and FAFSA counseling, as well as paying for all ACT tests and college applications

Impressively, more than 600 low-income students have benefited from the Graduate Support Directors’ support and services.  What’s more, during the 2014-15 school year, 98% of Academy graduates were admitted to private, college-preparatory high schools; 99% graduated on-time; and 94% were accepted to a post-secondary institution.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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“Sweet Success” Taught at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral

ST. LOUIS, MO. September 25, 2015 – Since 2008, Ms. Terhea Jones has taught emotional, social and ethical skills to middle school students at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral through a program known as “Sweet Success.”

“In the beginning we learn how to properly introduce ourselves, sit in a chair, and make and maintain eye contact. After we work on character development,” she said.

Character development is a difficult concept to teach, and requires a variety of hands-on strategies for students to understand and apply lessons in their daily lives.

“The biggest challenge is to teach respect, especially when situations arise where they are not shown respect,” said Jones.

Respect is defined as:
• a feeling of admiring someone or something that is good, valuable, important, etc.
• a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way
• a particular way of thinking about or looking at something

Since it is an incredibly difficult concept to apply in a variety of daily situations, Jones has found that role play has been the most successful way to teach the concept.

“It is like a lightbulb going off when they see characters they are playing experience hurt,” she adds.

For more information, please contact Ms. Joslyn Sanford, Graduate Support Director at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral, by calling 314-373-8252. For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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ACCESS Graduate to Participate in the HCC STL Foundation’s Hispanic Leadership Institute

ACCESS would like to congratulate Jennifer Carrillo for earning the opportunity to participate in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis (HCC STL) Foundation’s Hispanic Leadership Institute.

Sponsored by the Centene Corporation, the HCC STL Foundation’s Hispanic Leadership Institute is a skills-based leadership training program. HLI will consist of nine training sessions conducted once a month which will focus on a particular skill set for the developing leader. The Institute will train this group of Hispanic professionals on for-profit and non-profit management skills and network development within the St. Louis business community. In addition to leadership training, participants will be encouraged to give back to the St. Louis region through community involvement.

One of 15 participants of Class V, Carillo currently works at St. Francis Community Services South, which strives to be a catalyst for change by helping people overcome poverty and work toward a better life. This includes, but is not limited to legal aid, refugee resettlement, homeless services, youth programs, meals for older adults, bilingual mental health counseling, case management and more. She graduated in 2015 with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. Louis University.

The HCC STL Foundation will kick-off the Hispanic Leadership Institute on October 9, 2015. For more information, please visit www.hccstl.com.

Maureen DePriest has been a Catholic educator for more than 20 years. After leaving the classroom, she’s served as principal of Notre Dame Catholic School before becoming the founding principal of St. Frances Cabrini. Later, she served as the Director of Mission Schools and Special Projects with the
Archdiocesan Catholic Education Office.

After many years of proven academic excellence, it is with great excitement that we announce Maureen DePriest has been promoted to Associate Superintendent for Elementary School Administration, following in the footsteps of Alan “Al” Winkelmann, whose retirement was announced earlier this year.

In addition to taking on this new leadership role, Maureen DePriest has accepted a position on the ACCESS Academies Board of Directors.

Other organizations DePriest actively supports include the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation and the Principal Institute.

Previously, DePriest has been a convention speaker for the National Catholic Education Association. She’s also been a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Education, St. Louis University Catholic Leadership Advisory Committee, Vincentian Partners Against Poverty Board, Youth Initiative Committee and the English Tutoring Project.

(Featured photo courtesy of Ladue News, Sarah Conard, Photographer.)

(Feature photo reprinted with permission from Ladue News.)

Father Christopher Collins, SJ, Assistant Professor of Theological Studies and Assistant to the President for Mission and Identity at St. Louis University, has joined the ACCESS Academies Board of Directors. He assumed the role August 1st.

“It is an honor to welcome Father Collins to our board,” said Betsy Liberatore, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

“His expertise in academia as well as in faith and social issues inspires and motivates us to push further into our community and broaden our efforts as an organization,” she adds.

A member of the Peace and Justice Commission, Father Collins also is working to address societal issues such as poverty, racial tension and the lack of educational opportunities from a Catholic perspective.

Previously, Father Collins served as SLU’s Director of Catholic Studies and co-coordinator of the committee that established the Billiken Teacher Corps, a program allowing graduate students to earn a master’s degree while serving as teachers in Metro area Catholic schools.

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We would also like to note that Father Collins is a published author, whose latest book, “Three Moments of the Day: Praying with the Heart of Jesus” helps form simple, yet profound prayer habits.

He will be leading a day of prayer and reflection on Saturday, Sept. 12, 9am-2pm, at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive.
Cost is $20. For more information, please call (314)792-7250.