Volunteer

Voices February 6, 2015

God

is

here

For information about enrollment at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School, please visit our website at mtces.org

“ My hope is that students not only gain an insight about disabilities but also have a new-found respect for others who have disabilities other than their own.“

-Mindy Barnes, MTCES parent

Fourth grade student, Sam Gutzwiller, and his grandfa-ther, shared their talents and laughter at the MTCES Talent Show.

Class of 2015 Opens Doors for Success By Amanda Ocariz

After years of hard work and dedication, the Mother Teresa Class of 2015 is reaping the rewards of success. Not only are students attending their high schools of choice, they have also received over $195,000 in scholarship money to private area high schools.

“Historically, Mother Teresa teachers have never taught to the test, our students truly develop the skills and knowledge they need and are able to successfully apply that to all they do,” said Michelle Scott, MTCES parent and teacher.

Even more impressive than the scholarship money is the fact that these students are choosing high schools throughout the area; they are basing their choices not on friendship, but on their own hopes and dreams for the future.

“After watching these students move from kindergarten up to 8th grade, it is amazing to see their progress and their accomplishments,” said Lauren Austin, MTCES parent and teacher.

Students at Mother Teresa Learn Life Lessons By Bridgett Risk

By participating in the Everybody Counts program last week, Mother Teresa students learned about differences and understanding. Each grade was exposed to a different disability, impair-ment, or illness, and participated in activities designed to let the students walk a few steps in someone else’s shoes. The topics included visual and hearing impairments, physical and develop-mental disabilities, learning disabilities, chronic conditions, and serious illness.

The program, led by Amy Larkin and Mindy Barnes , allows students to understand the challenges that certain individuals face and the ways in which they cope with those obstacles. Activities in-cluded using Braille, practicing lip reading and sign language, trying to button a shirt with limited finger functionality, and attempting to drink from a water fountain while in a wheel chair.

“My hope is that students not only gain an insight about disabilities but also have a new-found respect for others who have disabilities other than their own,” said Mindy Barnes, MTCES parent and coordinator of Everybody Counts.

Everybody Counts began 11 years ago because parents wanted students to gain empathy and to be comfortable around people who are differently-abled. It is part of the Mother Teresa Catholic Schools Week each year in order to remind students that all people are beloved children of God, regardless of abilities.

“It made me so much more aware of others and what they are going through,” said eighth grade student Peyton Breissinger. “It is always a good reminder that we treat all people with respect and remember to think about the feelings of others and not just our own.”

Kate Barnes, MTCES Class of 2014, shares

her experiences with juvenile diabetes.

“I decided to volunteer with this [MTCES gift card] program because I wanted to give back to Mother Teresa for setting a strong foundation for me and preparing me well for Ursuline.“

-Lauren Tran, class of 2013

Mother Teresa Alum and Young Philanthropist By Kay Harmeyer

Lauren Tran, ’13, is staying connected to Moth-er Teresa by donating her time to help promote and administer our gift card fundraising pro-gram through GCfundraising.com. Each gift card purchased from GCfundraising.com earns 4% cash back to Mother Teresa.

Lauren and her mother, Sang, will monitor the program and be the point of contact for this fundraiser. Soon, the MTCES website, mtces.org, will contain a direct link to the GC-fundraising page.

“We are so excited to see Lauren bring her skills and enthusiasm back to Mother Teresa,” said Jenny Angel, MTCES Development Director. “We know she will do great things to help this program get off the ground.”

Beyond volunteering at MT and her current school, Ursuline Academy, Lauren is involved in the Youth in Philanthropy program through the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty. The Youth in Philanthropy group is comprised of a select group of high school stu-dents. They perform service projects, execute fundraising programs, and collectively make decisions about the allocation of grant money.

We are grateful to be the beneficiaries of Lau-ren’s philanthropic spirit and gifts of time and talent.

MTCES Students Attend Mass at The Cathedral By April Foley

Student representatives from MTCES were privileged to join more than 80 other Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains during the an-nual Catholic Schools Week Mass on January 27.

Homeroom teachers in grades 4-8 chose stu-dents whom they felt would appreciate the opportunity to attend the mass with over 1,000 others present.

The mass began with a beautiful procession of students carrying their school banners. Sixth grade student and Officer of Religious Affairs, Jonathan Kline, proudly carried the MTCES ban-ner.

Seventh grade representative, Zoey Harig, was moved by the experience. “It was impressive to see the Cathedral filled with so many Catholic students!” said Harig.

Over 35 MTCES student volunteers gave up a Sunday after-noon to serve as tour guides during the MTCES Open House on January 25th. The welcoming and informative guides shared the MTCES experience with prospective families. MTCES is incredibly proud of all the tour guides and the mature way in which they conducted themselves.

Maryn Mahoney and Maura Risk dance

at the MTCES Talent Show.

If you have any great news to share with the community, please email news@mtces.org.

Mother Teresa Alums Sign-Off By Noel Balster

Wednesday, February 4th, was National Signing Day. Three MT alums and student athletes from the class of 2011 signed letters of commitment to play football on the collegiate level. Cole Jones, a St. X linebacker, will play for Army. His fellow teammate at St. X, defensive lineman Simeon Lane, has committed to Princeton Uni-versity. Moeller tight end and defensive line-man, Daniel Shirk, will be playing ball at the University of Charleston.

When asked why he selected the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, Cole responded, "You go to basic training before you start school and football, so it's going to be a lot harder for me, but it's going to better prepare me for my fu-ture."

Daniel Shirk, class of 2011, signs with

University of Charleston.