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DECEMBER 2017 ISSUE

Giving Tuesday

 

Our Giving Tuesday focus was to raise $10,000 in alum and parent of graduate donations in order to secure $10,000 in matching gifts offered by 12 alum donors. We did it! More than $20,000 was donated on Giving Tuesday by alum and parent of graduate donors (including the matching gifts.) 

In the spirit of Advent, please keep the giving going! Remember ASH in your holiday giving plans. Be the Light for Sacred Heart! Visit ashmi.org/onlinegift to make your donation!

This match was made possible through the generosity of: Crystal Glass Ashby '79, Mary Jo Slavsky Dawson '65, Betsy Wallich Heid '71, Sharon Maust Jacob '62, Trish Mulvoy Kipnis '93, Emily Mulvoy Kornegay '95, Emily Mayer '05, Maree Russo Mulvoy '66, Helen Seitz Robinette '59, Erin Reynolds Skorupski '97, Janie Gage Stuart '59, Megan Tennyson '00, and an anonymous alum donor.

The Call

 

Dear Sacred Heart Family,

As a Religious of the Sacred Heart, I have made a life-long commitment to a vowed life for the sake of our mission. In 1988, I made first vows in the Society of the Sacred Heart and was sent to Bloomfield Hills to make known the love of God through the service of education. I am remarkably grateful to have been in one place of mission for the last 26 years. Here, I have been part of an extraordinary journey of success in the work we share together.

While I know that each of your lives are very full of demands, I ask that you take a few minutes to read the entire letter that accompanies this email and to watch the video message from my heart to yours.

I look forward to seeing many of you in this Advent and Christmas season as we live our confidence in the Heart of Jesus in this House where we do Faith, Not Fear. God leads us toward something far greater than we are doing right now, for WE are the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

With love and gratitude,
Bridget Bearss, RSCJ

Bicentennial Philippine International Pilgrimage

 

A team of Religious of the Sacred Heart in Europe is organizing a Pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of St. Philippine. Catherine Swanstrom, an alumna of Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, and faculty member at Villa Duchesne, St. Louis, is leading the North American contingent, with planning assistance from Bill Hobbs, Director of Programs at the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. The Pilgrimage is open to women and men, ages 18-35, who are affiliated with Sacred Heart Schools and institutions as alumnae/alumni, faculty, and staff, who have a desire to journey in the footsteps of Philippine in an international Sacred Heart experience of prayer and community. For more information about the pilgrimage click here or to register, click here.

Midnight in Paris 

On February 9, the Academy of the Sacred Heart will host Heart of Gold Gala 2018: Midnight in Paris at the beautiful Detroit Athletic Club. This formal event will be a great celebration, including dinner and a live auction. Most importantly, it will help raise funds to support the educational mission and programs of excellence for our students - what we all know to be the #ASHDifference.

We would like to offer you this opportunity to place a business or family ad in the Benefit Magazine and consider a sponsorship in support of Midnight in Paris. These are two wonderful ways to showcase your business and honor Sr. Bearss for her service. 

The magazine ad contract can be completed online. Please note that the magazine submission deadline has been extended to January 16, 2018. If you have any further questions, please contact Jennifer Kasselmann in the Advancement Office at 248-646-8900 x191 or jkasselmann@ashmi.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Danielle Bell directly at 248-646-8900 x134 or dbell@ashmi.org. 

We look forward to seeing you at Midnight in Paris on February 9, 2018 at the Detroit Athletic Club and thank you for considering an ad and/or sponsorship.

Annual Alumnae Board Dinner

Back Row: Allisen Willhoft '05 and Stephanie Chaczyk '07

Front Row: Bess Quick '10, Bibi Ahmed '96 and Donna Beauregard '75

On December 11, the annual Alumnae board dinner was held in the ASH parlor. It was a festive evening hosted by fellow alums, Donna Beauregard '75 and Kasia Rymar '11. In lieu of a board meeting, this event takes place annually to honor the past board presidents and the local RSCJ community. The board celebrated with food, conversation and crafts. Cards were created throughout the evening that were sent to Teresian House in New York, along with gifts donated by the board to be distributed to the religious at the home.

Sacred Heart's Improvements

By Isabella Shaya '11

Upon visiting Sacred Heart, alums will find many changes and improvements near the back of the school.

In 2013, ASH began to sell part of its wooded land. The property sold is located at the north of the school, which some consider the woods and the orchard, Sister Bridget Bearss said. The venture's overall intention has been to strengthen the school's endowment funds.

Pinnacle Homes purchased the 15 acres with plans to develop the land into 17 sites. This will include "ranch-style condominiums that sit on half-acre lots and will sell for $800,000 and up," managing partner at Pinnacle Howard Fingeroot said to hometownlife. These new sites are to be developed according to Bloomfield Township's Open Space Preservation Option, requiring Pinnacle to preserve at least 50 percent of the land's natural features, hometownlife said.

The land was sold at the end of September 2016 for $2.4 million, which first went to repay loans and the property enhancements, Sr. Bearss said in an email. This left $1.1 million to the school, which went in the bank as an asset for its future plans, she said.

Four of the acres sold have been placed into a permanent conservancy to be used exclusively by ASH for educational purposes, Sr. Bearss said. "The curriculum areas that have always been enhanced through the use of our woods will continue."

The first noticeable change for alums is the completed entrance to Squirrel Road and new sign. In addition, the tennis courts are brand new, and ready to play on, painted blue to show Sacred Heart pride. There also are plans for updated playground, hopefully to be finished in the spring, Barbara Price '77, Administrative Assistant for Plant and Facilities, said in an email.

About 360 new trees of all sizes were planted, to replace any trees lost from the sale, including white pine, tulip, linden, oak, maple, and more. "We were very lucky to have so many trees placed all over our grounds, not just at the Squirrel Rd. end." Ms. Price said. 

"The tennis courts are beautiful as well as the new parking lot ... I think that having the Field House as the main entrance is a great way to showcase our beautiful school to visitors!" said Bess Quick '10, Admissions Associate & Varsity Golf Coach.

Even though there is still more work to be done, alums are invited to visit the improved and beautiful Sacred Heart, four years in the making.

Youmacon meets MAEA

By Linda Shultz Anderson, Upper School faculty member

On Friday, November 3, the art stars perfectly aligned at Cobo Hall in Detroit. As art teachers Vanessa Sales, Kitty Parks, and I visited product vendors and attended workshops, Cobo was alive with thousands of elaborately costumed Youmacon attendees. For the uninitiated, Youmacon is a cosplay festival for fans of Japanese Anime print and film art. Lifer and ASH graduate Hannah Rose '12, devoted her Senior Independent Project to honing her sewing skills to enable her to make the necessary clothing for attending just such events. We were remembering her time learning to French seam, when Hannah appeared before us! It was a happy confluence of events, as this selfie shows. Hannah had the original senior project jacket in her backpack. She thanked us all for teaching her to sew and paint – skills which have enabled her to win many national costume contests. Hannah currently works as a chemist and lives in Berkley.

Class of '99 Mini Reunion

Back Row: Nikki Price '99, Michelle Lobsinger Perrotta, and Megan McCarthy Hart '99 

Front Row: Lauren McNeary '99, Christina Klaus Spieler '99, Carrie DiBasio Hodrosky '99, Bridget Gromek Riehl '99 and Jillian McDonald Fiebelkorn.

Former classmates and graduates of the Class of '99 came together to celebrate the marriage of Michelle Lobsinger (former ASH student) to Michael Perrotta on November 19 in Downtown Detroit.

Student Reunion at the DIA

Upper School art students visited the DIA on Wednesday, November 29 and invited alumna Renee Cole '17 to join them for lunch in the Café DIA. As a Wayne State freshman, Renee took advantage of her close proximity to the DIA and spent an hour visiting with supervising teachers Linda Shultz Anderson, Vanessa Sales and Mary Rumbell, as well as her former classmates. All were happy to hear how much she is enjoying her studies in medical engineering. Renee was the recipient of the Class of 2017 Sacred Heart Award, and this visit was a nice example of Goal Four in action: life-long community building as a Christian value. 

This and That...

Keep Us Informed

Academy of the Sacred Heart alumnae and alumni, stay connected through the eNewsletters by contributing any newsworthy events that are happening in your life. If you have any news about weddings, births, careers, awards, travels, etc., submit the updates so your news can appear as part of the online Alumnae and Alumni eNewsletter. You can submit the news by clicking here. Be sure to become a member of the Alumnae/i Portal (www.ashmi.org/alumportal) to share even more news with your classmates.

Remember to stay connected through the ASH Alums (Bloomfield Hills, MI) Facebook page. Like us on Facebook and visit this site frequently to keep in touch with the school and your fellow alumnae and alumni.

Prayers 

• Chaundra McGill '97, who has been battling health issues since the age of 31. Chaundra is currently going through acute cancer treatment. Read about her journey to healing at www.mysocalleddisabledlife.com.
• Kelly Meyers Eberz '86, who has been in and out of the hospital and long-term care facilities for the past two years.

In Memoriam

Condolences to:

• Amanda Kill Morabito '98 on the loss of her grandfather, John Mertzner.
• Lisa Shannon Rieveschal '95 on the loss of her grandmother, Phyllis Day.
• ASH staff members Matt Colonius and Laura Colonius on the loss of their father and grandfather, Ray Edward Colonius. 



Please e-mail Jennifer Rink-Kasselmann '99 at jkasselmann@ashmi.org to inform the Academy of the Sacred Heart of a death in the family. We will share that information immediately with your classmates and pay our respects in the eNewsletter.   

Merry Christmas

The Alum Association wishes you a blessed Christmas!

ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART

1250 Kensington Rd

Bloomfield Hills MI 48304
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