THE CRUSADERLOWELL CATHOLIC’S MAGAZINE VOL.7 INTRODUCING RYKEN HALL ANNUAL REPORT ENCLOSED ANNUAL 2019-2020 ANNUAL Lowell Catholic | St. Margaret | Keith Academy | Keith Hall | Keith Catholic | St. Joseph High School | St. Louis Academy | St. Patrick High School LOWELL CATHOLIC 2019 - 2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES His Eminence Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM CAP William Quinn KA ’70, Board Chair James Walsh Maryellen DeMarco, LC Parent ’13 Analise Saab Brown Nicholas Cerreta Brother Brian Davis Matthew Donahue Suzanne Frechette SJ ’79 Rev. John Hanley, OMI From the Desk of Robert F. X. Hart KA ’56 John F. Keefe, LC Parent ’16, ’20, ’22 Allison Lamey Dear Lowell Catholic Community, Br. Richard Lunny, CFX This has certainly been a year for the history books at Lowell Catholic! We Meghan Mahoney successfully completed construction on our new academic building, Ryken Elias Manolis Hall, in August of 2019. A realization of a vision that originated over 7 years Marianne McKenna, LC Parent ’16, ’18, ’20 ago, this new academic building expands and enhances our ability to serve both our middle and high school students. Jack O’Connor James O’Hearn Then, March came with an unprecedented shutdown for our community and Francis Picanso KA ’53 our country. I am so very proud of the way our teachers and staff were able Karyn M. Puleo KH ’80 to quickly adapt to this new reality. On Friday, March 13th, we announced John Rafferty, LC Parent ’10, ’12,’15 a shutdown of the entire school in compliance with Massachusetts state mandates. By Monday, March 16th, Lowell Catholic was able to implement Tim Sweeney SMS ’79 remote learning at all grade levels. Throughout this past spring our teaching George Thompson SMS ’85, KC ’89 staff, administration and guidance counselors provided a wide range of Christopher Vasta academic, spiritual and emotional support to help our students navigate the challenging and stressful time. Now, I’m also proud to say that we have worked tirelessly to be able to safely ADMINISTRATION offer a full time, in-person program for all grade levels. Recognizing that Maryellen DeMarco certain families would prefer a remote environment, we have continued to Head of School, LC Parent ’13 offer a comprehensive online program. Whether online or in person, Lowell Tom Kerrigan Catholic offers the very highest quality Catholic education, ensuring our Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs students achieve their fullest potential. 1 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Erin MacNeil With the current economic uncertainty, many of our families, already living on Assistant Principal of Student Affairs, LC Parent ’33 the economic fringes, are experiencing true financial hardship. As our families 3 CAMPUS NEWS Kristina Hills face these difficult financial circumstances, our guiding vision is to provide Director of Admissions, LC Parent ’21, ’26 accessible and affordable education to students today and tomorrow. For some •RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Nicole P. Sharpe of our most needy students, Lowell Catholic provides a constant source of •INTRODUCING RYKEN HALL normalcy. We do not want any student to be left behind as a result of this crisis. Director of Advancement •THE CLASS OF 2020 Lowell Catholic is committed to providing tuition relief to these families. Your Lisa Porell •BISHOP 2020 AWARDS support of LC allows us to continue to make that promise a reality. Director of Finance KH ’84, LC Parent ’12, ’14 •CRUSADER SPOTLIGHTS With both an in-person and remote learning program, Lowell Catholic will Jack Fletcher •ATHLETICS Athletic Director continue to be a beacon for so many families seeking a challenging academic curriculum, this year and in years to come. Lowell Catholic continues to offer 18 ALUMNI NEWS Cover: SEAN KELLEY LC ’20 an exceptionally caring faculty and staff, a sense of community and above all a Sean Kelley credits his musical talents to a long mission to live Jesus’ message. •ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS lineage of musicians in his family. His parents •CLASS NOTES met in the saxophone section of their college God’s Peace, band. His grandmothers are both involved in his musical roots; one is a music teacher and Maryellen DeMarco 25 IN MEMORIAM the other has been a Band Director for over Head of School 45 years. Read more about Sean on Page 15. In This Edition 26 ANNUAL GIVING 2019-2020 1 2 CAMPUS NEWS | RISING TO THE CHALLENGE LC’S COVID-19 Response RISING TO THE CHALLENGE RETURN TO CAMPUS Since March, Lowell Catholic’s think tank com- Masks would be mandatory at all times with the mittee of staff, administration, teachers, and exception of monitored mask breaks and lunch. parents have been actively involved in the re- Additionally four walled tents were installed to al- open plans for the upcoming school year. Low- low for outdoor learning, and the Learning Com- ell Catholic worked diligently on 3 proposed mons and Dining Hall were converted to learning school plans (In-Person Learning Model, Hybrid spaces. Learning Model and a Remote Learning Model) following the guidelines issued by the CDC and Tom Kerrigan, Assistant Principal of Academics, the Massachusetts Department of Education. remarked, “I have been so impressed with our To allow for in-person learning and to ensure a teachers’ ability to adapt by creating engaging safe and healthy return to campus, LC pivoted ways of leading their classrooms despite the new to a preschool through sixth grade model for the safety protocols. Our school’s theme for this year elementary division and migrated seventh and is to practice positivity, flexibility, humility and pa- eighth graders to the high school side of cam- tience. Our staff is now able to coordinate stu- pus to form a 7-12 community. In addition to dents across multiple in-person and virtual class- in-person learning, Lowell Catholic created ful- rooms and truly develop an authentic culture of SHIFT TO REMOTE ly remote options for students and families who learning for all. I also applaud our remote learners chose to join the live-classroom environment who have played a vital role in being advocates from home. for our remote environment and informing our Lowell Catholic students and staff will not soon At the Early Childhood (preschool-kindergarten) team if there’s potential for improvement in any forget March 16, 2020, which marked the first grade levels, creative teachers had read-alouds, Once the new school year began and the green academic or technological area.” day of a statewide quarantine that would last scavenger hunts, hands-on activities, remote field light was given, students and families were giv- through June. Dedicated students and staff were trip experiences, Zoom project presentations and en the choice for continued remote learning or Students and staff alike have been adjusting sig- In March of 2020, committed to continuing the school year remote- one-on-one student-teacher meetings to continue in-person learning. Because families knew, via nificantly to the changes brought on during the Lowell Catholic ly. Lowell Catholic was able to immediately im- the individual attention each student receives at trusted school nurses, Stacey Geary and Kim- ongoing pandemic. The transition has not been met the demands of the plement remote learning for all students. This school. Teachers at the elementary level provided berly Green, that all necessary CDC guidelines an easy one, but one LC Crusaders have taken times and immediately was made possible by a 1:1 technology initiative students with daily lessons to ensure the curricu- and precautions would be taken to ensure the on day by day. that equipped each Lowell Catholic student with lum based learning continued uninterrupted. Mid- implemented remote safety of their children, only 11% of all students a chromebook allowing for synchronous learning dle School and High School students continued to learning for all students. decided on remote learning. A number of traditional school community gath- online. Despite the challenges of remote class- follow their daily bell schedule and accessed their Students did not miss erings such as Senior College Night pivoted to room learning, Lowell Catholic teachers have lessons via Google Classroom or online confer- a virtual event; although, the National Honor So- In preparation for the return to campus, all five one day of learning collectively risen to the challenge of keeping encing. By providing educational experiences and ciety (NHS) Induction Ceremony was celebrat- buildings on the LC Campus were reviewed for their 2019-2020 academic traditions alive with interactive, multi- opportunities remotely, Lowell Catholic was able to ed in-person (an example of Lowell Catholic’s teaching spaces, set up per CDC guidelines of ability to approach each event uniquely depend- academic year. disciplinary projects, lecture series and enriching provide students with a sense of normalcy in such 6 feet social distancing, and all necessary areas ing upon the current conditions and guidelines). hands-on learning. an uncertain time. equipped with sanitizing stations and signage. 3 4 CAMPUS NEWS | RISING TO THE CHALLENGE “She’s a dedicated, natural-born teacher. She was born to do this. We’re just happy she’s doing it at Lowell Catholic.” - Lowell Catholic Principal Maryellen DeMarco LOWELL – Lillian Bernier doesn’t understand the fuss. after Christmas. She looked out her window and saw someone approaching her Woodlawn Avenue home. The 58-year-old Lowell Catholic teacher says she was just doing her job when she drove from her Lowell home, during “I was shocked. I opened the door and she was there. She said, her Christmas vacation, to the Chelmsford home of one of her “I want to help.’ She was coming to work,” Mrs. Panzeri said. third-grade students. The student, Gabriel Panzeri, has a slight learning disability and Bernier’s determination to help Gabriel didn’t stop with her was showing signs of frustration, especially when his school home visit.