Quarter 4 Craziness

I cannot believe it is already quarter FOUR and we only have 6 weeks of school left! I feel like I was just a sophomore yesterday and now I'm nearly a senior! WOW. 

We have a lot coming up at SMA in the next couple weeks. Prom is next Saturday, which just happens to be the day I'm talking the SAT (yay!). The week following that one, AP testing starts, and many students who took AP classes this year will take a way to decipher how much they learned from the course. I'll be taking Calculus, English, and History. 

With all the craziness that goes on at the end of the year, we have to take some time to appreciate our seniors as their time at St. Mary's comes to an end. They've made so many incredible contributions to our school throughout their four years here. It's important that we express our sadness over losing them, but also share in the buzzing excitement and anticipation for all of the amazing things they will go on to accomplish in the world.

Open House

Sure, there was a huge windstorm the night before that knocked down trees and out power. But it definitely didn't knock out our enthusiasm to share the St. Mary's experience with you! In the three hours of open house, we shared our love for St. Mary's with over 1,350 guests, a record for a St. Mary's open house! At the door, guests were greeted by welcoming SMA students. From there, they were funneled into the auditorium to hear speeches from our president, Christina Friedhoff, and a current senior to hear about her extraordinary time as a St. Mary's student. After this presentation, prospective families were taken on a tour of the building by enthusiastic ambassadors. When the tour was over, families could choose where to continue their day from a plethora of options. There was a "girl-only" zone, where prospective students had the opportunity to chat with current SMA girls. There was an iPad demonstration room, an activities fair, and even a room where alumni were available to video chat! I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who came to open house to learn more about our school! I hope you all had an amazing experience!

BBW 2014

Last Thursday, our annual student fundraiser culminated in 4 mile walk along the waterfront. Class by class, we began our escapade throughout Portland. Some students walked, while others ran, but all were cheered along on the way by teachers and administers with pompoms and posters lining the route. At the conclusion of the walk, we were greeted by more enthusiastic teachers and a plethora of mouthwatering Subway sandwiches. This year, our monetary school wide goal for fundraising was $110,000. We still out optimistically awaiting results and final tallies, but are hoping for the best! If our goal is met, our hard work will be rewarded with a day off of school on Monday, November 10th. The Blues Bridge Walk is one of my favorite events of the school year, as the whole student body comes together to support the school we love and appreciate!

Back to School!

I can't believe it's already that time of year again! Backpacks and lunches, study groups and flashcards-it's all coming back into full swing and at St. Mary's, we definitely hit the ground running! Being back in the friendly and welcoming halls of SMA makes me feel like I never left! This year is the start of my junior year (freshman and sophomore year flew by so fast!) and I'm taking a lot of challenging classes this year. My opportunity to immerse myself in deep study of virtually any academic subject is one of my favorite things about SMA. And although these classes are certainly challenging, each of my teachers exudes such passion for their area of expertise that learning never feels like a chore! I'm incredibly excited about the academic year ahead and about sharing my experience with all of you!