It is a rare thing when woman can list St. Mary's alumna, teacher and parent among her accomplishments, but that is indeed that case for Sara Salvi. A beloved St. Mary's teacher for 25 years, Sara made an impact on so many during her tenure.
School News
At St. Mary’s Academy, we as a school are continuing our intensive diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism work to ensure that SMA recognizes, addresses, and actively works to eradicate any form of systemic racism. We know that inequities have persisted in our country, our city, and our school and this critical work is a top priority—one that takes courage, honesty, intensive training, and resources. In doing our own personal and professional anti-racism work, we are better prepared to educate our students to be critical thinkers, prepared to lead in a more socially just world. Our SNJM mission and core values call us to speak out against racism and bigotry, and we are committed to creating an atmosphere where every Black student, every Indigenous student, and all students of color are seen, heard, and supported.
Given the value our society places on individualism, what does that mean for our ability to address equity? On October 13th, we are happy to welcome Eric K. Ward to explore what a non-individualistic approach to equity could look like in your life and supercharge your ongoing work with racial justice.
In preparation for the 2020-21 academic year, the St. Mary’s Academy admin team forged a Back-to-School Task Force that sought to examine every aspect of school, ensuring readiness for various reopening scenarios, including both in-person and remote instruction. Among the many initiatives to enhance health and safety for the St. Mary’s community, the Task Force approved the purchase of technology designed to livestream classes from the school building and enhance the remote learning experience for students. This technology, called Swivl, uses a camera to track teacher movement around the classroom, allowing them to move freely and offering students a 360° view of the teaching environment, while increasing engagement.
Our Virtual Open House will take place on Sunday November 1, 2020 at 1pm.
Join us to:
- Discover the girls' school advantage
- Virtually tour SMA with a student ambassador
- Meet our faculty, parents, and students
- Learn about clubs, activities, and athletics
Pre-register online at www.smapdx.org/open-house
As St. Mary’s Academy students start school this fall, it is not just the academic program that will move to an online format. Everything from assemblies to Mass to extracurricular activities have been re-imagined for a digital environment, including athletics. While student-athletes won’t be able to formally compete until almost the end of the year as per the new OSAA guidelines, St. Mary’s Academy student-athletes will have the opportunity to immediately take part in our new program, Leadership: On and Off the Field, designed to develop the leadership skills that participating in sports helps to instill.
St. Mary's honors the class of 2020 with a virtual tribute, recognizing their incredible accomplishments the past four years and their strength, perseverance and grace in these unprecedented times. We look forward to celebrating an in-person graduation, as they truly deserve, when it is safe to gather as a community.
What a great season for winter sports at St. Mary’s. We are excited to share the latest from each of our fantastic teams.
Most people know about the Cascadia Earthquake but not many have taken its extreme threat seriously. Even less have taken the time, research, and energy to prepare fully. My name is Anastasia Klingler, I’m a senior at St. Mary’s, and for the past two years, I have made it my mission to educate and prepare as many families as possible.
Kathy Briggs, lead instructor for St. Mary’s music department is used to the big stage— leading the award-winning Marian Singers to the White House, directing some of the highest performing students in the state to national competitions, and chaperoning SMA’s aspiring musicians to musical concerts around the world – so when something impresses her, it has to be just as big. That’s why last month, when the opportunity arose to go to Los Angeles to see global star, Julie Andrews, talk about her new book entitled Homework, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
On any given day at St. Mary’s Academy, one might wander through the halls and catch a glimpse of guest speakers talking with students about everything from topics relating to their careers or experiences, to prospective collaborative opportunities. Many times, this speaker is an alumna from St. Mary’s Academy.
St. Mary's Winter Athletics is underway with 113 student-athletes practicing hard and preparing for their first contests.
From SMA's Varsity Soccer team making it to the 2nd round of playoffs after locking down a win against #8 ranked Sunset Apollo's, to Cross Country's Fiona Lenth's road to the State meet in Eugene, we have you covered with fall sports highlights.
Once again, St. Mary’s Academy held Hands Full of Heart (HFOH), an event that allows seniors to leave their studies behind for a day to focus on giving back to local communities and service organizations. HFOH has taken place for over two decades and no matter how many years go by, the event’s mission always remains the same. “Hands Full of Heart is an opportunity for students to go out and connect with people who are different than they are. We want students to push out of their comfort zones so they can understand what it’s like to participate in social justice work,” said SMA’s service coordinator and alumna, Caitlin Whitty ’08. “It puts our Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) core values into focus. It helps us live our values as a community while showing students why we are an SNJM school in this one event that’s dedicated to justice and service to those who may be poor and marginalized,” Caitlin added.
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Congratulations to alumna Lauren Yanase '19, for winning the Girl Scout Gold Documentary Award. Her documentary titled Shikata Ga Nai: An Inconvenient American, follows the story of the Kato family during World War II as Japanese Americans along the West Coast were being forcefully relocated into internment camps.
At the beginning of October, some of the returning and new Beta Blues robotics team members took last year’s robot to a small off-season competition, called Girls Gen, and had an outstanding performance. At the end of qualifying play, they were chosen to an alliance that went on to earn second place.
While summer means a break from school for St. Mary’s students, it doesn’t mean a break from pursuing their interests and passions. From opportunities in the Portland metro area to programs across the country and abroad, our students took advantage of the summer months to participate in activities that enriched their lives and left them with memories for a lifetime. In our first edition of “In Their Own Words”, students describe what some of those experiences were like.
When asked what they love most about St. Mary’s Academy, both current and former students often respond by mentioning the amazing community of women that surrounds them. They have consistently shared that regardless of their background, the middle school they attended, their selected classes or areas of interest, they are immediately welcomed into a network of friends that offers camaraderie, support and inspiration once they step foot on the campus of St. Mary’s. One of the key elements of the SMA experience that delivers this sense of community are the myriad activities, clubs and affinity groups.
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