Falcon
Once a
Winter 2016
High Impact
STEM Careers
Marjorie
(Sovinski)
Haskell '97
DC Field Breaking Ground!
FIELD STORAGE &
MAINTENANCE
OPERATIONS
HOME TEAM
LOCKER
VISITING
TEAM
SPACE
CONCESSIONS
GATEWAY
www.divinechildhighschool.org
1
Falcon
Always a
winter 2016
4
High School News
14 Falcons in STEM Careers
8
High School Genetics "Beyond DNA"
17 Alumni Reunions and News
10 High School Athletics & Fine Arts
22 Investing in Excellence Capital Campaign
12 High School "Flipped" Math & Medicine
24 Alumni Events
17
4
High School News
Message
from the
Alumni Reunions
Once A Falcon
Alumni News
PASTOR
Dear Alumni,
In celebrating
daily Mass at
the parish, I
noticed
the
last line of the
Gospel of Luke
jumped off the
page and spoke
to me, as only
the Lord can do. The passage was Luke
5:26: “We have seen incredible things
today.” God in his infinite love and
wisdom provides for us in remarkable
ways. In this issue of “Once A Falcon”
we are witnessing the accomplishments
of our alumni who excel in the world
of science, technology, engineering and
math. They help reveal the “incredible
things” the Lord desires us to witness
and enjoy.
2
19
Front cover photo courtesy of
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
per Creative Commons license.
Winter 2016
Today many people use science
and technology as an excuse to
say that God does not exist or
that we don’t need God. For some
individuals, God is an afterthought
who sometimes gets “lip-service”
or gets relegated to a book on
the shelf. There is no effort to see
God in creation nor to develop a
relationship with Him.
What has the Church taught
about science over the centuries?
If we look back, we see how
scientists and theologians of the
day proved the existence of God.
From Galileo's discoveries to the
arguments on the Big Bang theory
and the discussions on the origins
of life, the Catholic Church and
science together help us to clarify the
fallacies and confusion surrounding
us today. We see through history
that the doctrines of the Church do
not contradict the facts of science
but actually blend with them to
help us see a beauty in life’s order
and, reveal how, out of love, an
intelligent creator, the heavenly
Father, created the sciences. Our
faith will never contradict science.
On the contrary, faith with science
allows us to see how God desires us
to unlock the mysteries of life and
the universe. He desires us to have
wonder and awe in what he has
created for us!
“We have seen incredible things
today.” Thanks be to God!
Fr. Jim Bilot
Message
from our
PRINCIPAL
It seems
cliché to speak
of our new
all-purpose
a t h l e t i c
facility
as
a field of
dreams, but
as we break
ground this
year
on
Divine Child Field*, I think of the
generations of alumni who must be
marveling at the fact that this is actually
happening. I can distinctly remember
nearly every rumor mill frenzy as
former DC athletes wondered how
many more championships we could
have secured if we had true home
field advantage. Sports have always
been an integral part of our identity
as Falcons. Nearly two-thirds of all
students play at least one sport over
the course of their four years here, and
that doesn't even include the many
athletes from our elementary school
and parish who participate in Catholic
Youth Organization sports. A field of
our own honors the investment that
our student-athletes make every day.
When I stroll through the building
on any given evening, there are at
least three teams practicing, playing
or planning and I know the students
on these teams still have homework to
complete once they get home. Divine
Child Field increases substantially the
opportunities we have to schedule our
athletes in many sports over the course
of the experience at Divine Child.
When people talked about home
field advantage in 1989 and the memory
of a state football championship
was still fresh, we imagined that we
would be investing in gridiron glory.
Since that time, state championships
have come in a variety of boys and
girls sports. Our Falcons excel in
baseball, track and field, soccer, and
lacrosse. Over the last decade, on
signing days, we have sent gifted
athletes to Division I schools and
seen them earn collegiate laurels.
Again and again, our best athletes
demonstrate fortitude over the
course of victorious high school and
collegiate seasons. For them, every
athletic contest offers the setting for
a personal best and a team victory.
I remain convinced that what our
student-athletes truly learn through
sports is the need to trust each other
and to trust themselves. Healthy
risk-taking emboldens our students
to re-imagine what achievement
can mean. Talent is honed through
hard work. Character is revealed in
trial and hardship.
So as we break ground this
spring, I know that our past glory,
our present faithfulness, and our
future vision are converging to affirm
once more a Divine Child point of
pride. We are, as we have always
been, committed to excellence. We
have known for some time that
athletic excellence requires our
steadfast attention in the form of
time, talent, and treasure. Alumni
support is crucial in our ability to
make good on our promise to this
generation and future generations
of Falcon student-athletes. At
Divine Child, every athlete who
wants to push, challenge and be
propelled to greatness will have his
or her chance. Your past, present
and future support ensures more
"glory days" for all our young men
and women.
Get Fired Up Falcons!
Damian Hermann '89
*actual naming of field will be announced at a later date
Current Board Officers
President: Greg Cibor '89
Vice President: Karen (Mulholland) Gessler '89
Treasurer: Mike Vecchioni ’72
Secretary: Katie Zakar '99
Members at Large:
Sara (Grudzinski) Metzger ’94
Matt Moore ’04
Cheryl (Oros) Nelson ’75
Jennifer Topolski ’85
Alumni Coordinator:
Scott Dickey '85
Class Agent Update
Thank you to the following Class
Agents for filling the open positions:
1966 Mark Wojciechowski, Carl Stevens
1976 Jane (Schmenk) Faletti
1984 Kim (Ward) Cinzori
1990 Rita (Centi) Sherwin, Jeanne Micallef
2003 Kathryn (Height) Peacock
2006 Katie Moore
We are still
for: 1967
1978
1981
in need of Class Agents
1996
1982
2010
1991
2012
1992
Class Agents are Alumni volunteers
serving as liaisons between their
classmates and the DCAA, providing
updates for the alumni database,
assisting with reunion planning, and
sharing news occurring both in the
alumni community and at Divine Child.
To view the complete list of Class
Agents, visit the Alumni and Friends
section at www.divinechildhighschool.
org.
If interested in becoming a Class
Agent, please contact Scott Dickey,
Alumni Coordinator, at dickey@
divinechild.org or 313.216.0892.
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Astronomy Club Seeing Stars with Generous Donations
(L-R 1st row) Mahmoud Hage and Sergio Canete
(2nd row) Joanne Martinez, Mr. Vance Nannini (Faculty Advisor), Emily Ferracciolo,
Andrew Kozlovski, Tanner Kendall, Emerson Merem, Laurel Walker
Student Art Fair - April 29 to May 15
The Divine Child Student Art Show opens on April 29 and
runs through May 15, 2016. Our talented students' artwork will
be on display for the 50th anniversary band concert weekend.
The Divine Child Astronomy
Club was formed last year due to
student interest in many recent
events involving space: the Curiosity
Rover on Mars, the Philae lander
on Comet 67P, the New Horizons
satellite visiting Pluto, and NASA's
announcement to launch a manned
mission to Mars in the 2030s, just to
name a few. Initial efforts were very
informal, usually curious students
spontaneously meeting in the physics
classroom after school to discuss
things such as stellar evolution, the
Big Bang theory, and other events
in space. With the kind donation
of telescopes from the Demmer
Family (Meade Newtonian) and Bill
Moylan and Bob Havlena (Meade
LX-200), the astronomy club
began dark sky observations of the
planets this school year. The club's
enthusiasm is reinforced every time
a member observes a planet or other
celestial body for the first time. In
the words of one of our members: "I
dare someone to see Jupiter's moons
or Saturn's rings for the first time
and not say, 'Wow!'"
Junior Ring Day Blessing
The annual Ring Day tradition at Divine Child continued as Juniors had their class rings blessed during a prayer
service by Fr. Bilot and Fr. Kopson on October 30, 2015. The class rings are blessed for a reason similar to why a
couple has their rings blessed at a
wedding. A bride and groom say to
each other: “take this ring as a sign of
my love and fidelity. In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.” It is a sign of love and
fidelity to one’s spouse and to God.
For our students, rings are
blessed as a sign of fidelity to God
and to their Catholic education, and
a commitment to love and to grow in
Christian virtues. The rings have a
cross on them—they point to Christ,
to the Divine Child, and to spending
time here, and beyond, growing
in their own personal holiness and
serving others.
4
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
Senior Class Retreat
During the first week of October,
I had the opportunity to lead the
Senior Class Retreat, along with Fr.
John Kopson and fellow colleagues.
To say that it was a powerful couple
of days is an understatement!
We traveled to Dewitt, Michigan
to visit the beautiful St. Francis
Retreat Center. The senior class
was divided into two groups, each
retreating overnight. The students
were challenged to give God the
next 24 hours and to “dare Him” to
reveal Himself. There was no hidden
agenda, encountering Jesus Christ
was it. Over the course of the retreat, the Seniors heard faith testimonies from
their teachers, and had loads of opportunity for small group discussion topics
such as “Who is God?” and “Who am I?” which all culminated in an evening
with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. During the candlelit Holy Hour, we
had praise and worship music led by our English teacher Mr. Matt Hamilton.
The presence of the Holy Spirit flooded the chapel, especially when Fr. John
offered to minister Jesus’ healing power in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Almost 5 hours later, hours after our time spent in adoration was over, close to
2 a.m., the last of the confessions were heard! I’ve seen many beautiful sights in
my life, but I don’t think I’ve seen one as beautiful as these brothers and sisters
of ours running to Jesus! Please pray for them and for all of us as we continue
to seek the Lord’s will in our lives and put Him first. Caeli Finn ‘06
Divine Child Campus Minister
Three DC Seniors
Recognized in
National Merit
Scholarship
The National Merit Scholarship
Program announced Ryan Teevens
'16, son of Lori (Lim) Teevens '84,
as a Semifinalist. Ryan is recognized
for exceptional academic promise
demonstrated
by
outstanding
performance on the qualifying test.
Welcome New Staff
Claudia Hammoud '17 and Liam
Soraghan '17, son of James '82 and
Cheryl (O'Donnell) Soraghan '89,
represented Divine Child at this year's
Dearborn All-Schools Breakfast in
November. Representatives from
area schools were sworn in as junior
commissioners of the City Beautiful
Commission, promising to work on
initiatives to beautify their campuses
and
promote
environmentally
friendly practices.
(L-R) Mark Ellul '09, Regina Dunn '88,
Christine Geoghegan '95,
Caeli Finn '06 and Travis Brindley
Congratulations to Valentine
Vena '16 and James Bird '16
for being named Commended
Students in the 2016 National
Merit Scholarship Program. These
students are recognized for their
exceptional
academic
promise.
Commended Students place among
the top five percent of more than 1.5
million students who enter the 2016
competition based upon the 2015
PSAT.
Follow us on Twitter @DivineChildSch,
@DivineChildAthl and @DC1958.
www.divinechildhighschool.org
5
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Homecoming 2015
Homecoming week brought a lot of excitement to DC this year. The theme
of The Great Outdoors was enjoyed by all! Throughout the week students
enjoyed dress-up days including pajama day, Americana day, a "Great
Outdoors" theme day and spirit wear for Friday’s pep rally. The Freshman class
showed the most spirit on these dress days earning the most points for having
the most students dressed up according to the daily theme. On Wednesday,
students celebrated Mass and showed their school pride by ending Mass
with the singing of our Alma Mater. The school spirit continued into Friday
when students participated in an exciting pep rally. The homecoming court
members, Maria Dunn, Margaret Lacey, Ashley Mark, Hadley McCausland,
Julie Meyers, Emily Oltman and Rachel Porada, all performed short skits
with their escorts before representatives from each class participated in "take
the bacon", a relay race, and tug of war. The Sophomore and Senior classes
tied as pep rally winners.
After school, students put the finishing touches on their class floats
for judging before heading over to Crestwood for the football game against
University of Detroit Jesuit. At halftime, it was announced that while the
Juniors won the float competition, the Freshman class was the overall winner
of spirit week! Quite the feat to overcome the upperclassmen! Maria Dunn,
daughter of Regina Dunn '88, was crowned homecoming queen by the football
captains after she opened her flower box to find the white rose.
On Saturday, students attended the dance, dj’d by former students Adam
Rauh '14 and Norah O’Malley '14! Students danced the night away and
ended the night with favors of flipflops, continuing the outdoor theme. A big
thank you goes out to all the student council, staff members and volunteers
who made the week a success!
Parade and float winner!
6
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
Alumni Homecoming Weekend
September 25, 2015
The Alumni Association is built
on a strong foundation of dedication
and a belief in the motto Once a
Falcon, Always a Falcon. With this
in mind, the Association actively
promotes the family tradition of
continuing a Divine Child High
School education.
The Falcon Legacy Scholarship
is awarded to incoming freshmen
whose parent(s) graduated from
Divine Child. Candidates are
selected based on High School
Placement Test scores, a written
essay, and a panel interview.
This
year,
the
Alumni
Association awarded the Falcon
Legacy Scholarship to Jack
Metzger, the son of alum Sara
(Grudzinski)Metzger
'94
and
Ryan Saladin, the son of Karen
(McGovern) Saladin '85.
The Falcon Scholar is open to
all incoming freshmen who have
achieved high academic excellence
and maintain ongoing Christian
service. This year the Falcon Scholar
was awarded to Rachel Rajkumar
and Aeron Latham, son of alum
Marivi (delRosario)Latham '82.
Alumni from far and wide celebrated Homecoming Weekend in September
with a parade, a tailgate catered by Park Place, and of course, the game!
This year the 1975 and 1985 State
Championship football teams were
honored and former band members
participated in the half-time show.
The culmination of this fantastic
weekend was a Mass celebrated by
Fr. Bilot at Church of the Divine
Child. See you next year!
1985 State Football Champs
dna
Two DC Teachers’ Unique Approach to Teaching Genetics
For Liz (Giza) Bloomfield ’01,
teaching science at Divine Child is
almost second nature. She began
learning about science at a young
age from her mother – a nurse – and
found an intellectual home in DCHS’s
science department as a freshman
student. Now she serves as chair of
the science department and teaches
some of the most challenging classes
like Honors Biology for students who
plan to major in biology in college.
Several years ago she teamed
up with DCHS Librarian Serge
Danielson-Francois
(known
to
students as Mr. D-F) to co-teach a
genetics class geared towards every
student, not just future biologists or
medical researchers. The pair hope
that by helping kids to care about
science and connect it to real life,
they will become better students and
more informed citizens.
“Since many of our students are
not going into a career in genetics,
we approach it with a focus on
understanding research and the
genetics issues that come up in the
media every day,” says Bloomfield.
“We help students understand the
biology and then combine that with
ethics and morality.”
During the course of a semester,
she explains, students will explore
different medical conditions, discuss
how genetics and environmental
8
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
factors contribute to them, and
engage with the topics on a deeper
level through individual research and
community outreach.
Last
year,
for
example,
students learned about a neurologic
disorder called dystonia that
causes uncontrollable and painful
muscle spasms. Students watched a
television news story about a local
man who suffers from the disorder
and decided they wanted to meet him.
After that meeting, students gained
an appreciation of the challenges
he faces on a daily basis and were
inspired to participate in a social
media awareness campaign called
#JumpForDystonia. (https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=nrqlZfhG_
yg).
During a recent project on
addiction, Danielson-Francois found
students to be particularly engaged
because many had been touched by
addictive behavior in people they
knew. “We talked about ‘gateway’
drugs, looked at several models for
addiction, and evaluated research
on the connection between social
isolation and addiction,” he says.
Students were interested in using this
knowledge in a personal way: “They
wanted to know what they could do
to keep their friends safe.”
“Our students are very motivated
to find out about diseases,” agrees
Bloomfield. “They then use their
Catholic compassion to help and love
these people. These are the moments
when Serge and I are most proud.”
With a background as a health
services
librarian,
DanielsonFrancois is the perfect person to
help students gain skills in scientific
research and learn how to critically
analyze peer-reviewed scientific
scholarship. By the time they
complete the course, they are able
to read and comprehend article
abstracts, understand graphs and
data, and work their way through
citations in a bibliography. This
increased scientific literacy helps
them when they get to college and
beyond – regardless of their major.
(For more on how he incorporates
this approach into the anatomy/
physiology course at Divine Child,
see the article on page 13.)
“Every kid who goes onto
college and takes science will have
a better sense of how to engage the
peer reviewed literature,” explains
Danielson-Francois.
“Kids
are
interested in finding evidence to
support or challenge claims.”
To keep their class relevant and
interesting for students, Bloomfield
and Danielson-Francois draw from a
variety of sources, including current
events and cutting-edge research
found in scientific journals and
scholarly symposia. For example,
after attending a summer lecture at
the Salk Institute on the link between
immunity and the gut biome, they
couldn’t wait to add the topic to their
fall genetics class.
Both teachers believe in taking
a multidisciplinary approach in
teaching genetics. “We often call on
other faculty to come in to the class
to join the conversation, including
our religion department,” says
Danielson-Francois.
While some might think that
religion is out of place in the science
classroom, Bloomfield and DanielsonFrancois embrace the dialogue,
pointing to St. Pope John Paul
Service to Area Charities is High Priority
of 2015 Pledge: Faith in Action
II’s exploration of the relationship
between faith and reason in his 1998
encyclical, Fides et Ratio. “We don’t
want to train students that scientific
thinking contradicts theology,” notes
Bloomfield. “We make it a point
when we cover something that is
perceived as anti-Catholic to address
it in class – why there are ethical and
moral implications and why we can’t
ignore them as good Catholics.”
Bloomfield
and
DanielsonFrancois’s class gets thumbs up
from students, not only because it’s
fun and thought-provoking but also
because it’s helpful to them in their
academic careers. Bloomfield recalls
a former student’s mother who
approached her at a pep rally to share
her daughter’s success in college is
due to the outstanding research skills
she developed in Genetics class.
“Science changes quickly, so we
are not about memorizing facts,”
Bloomfield adds. “We are teaching
students how to do critical thinking
and about the research process. If
you know how to research, that will
help you no matter what kind of
problem you are solving.”
The students of Divine Child High
School again held a successful Pledge: Faith
in Action campaign during September and
October, raising more than $142,000 and
providing valuable aid to several local
nonprofit agencies. The students’ community
service days began with a school-wide
commissioning liturgy on October 14 and
continued through early November. Students
went in groups to various organizations
and helped with tasks such as sorting and
packaging medical supplies, sorting hair donations, cleaning, painting,
yard work, landscaping, packing and serving food, making animal treats
and toys, and assembling hygiene kits for the homeless. Organizations
served included Cass Community Center, Vista Maria, Blight Busters,
Children with Hair Loss, World Medical Relief, Dearborn Animal Shelter,
Angel’s Place and Arts & Scraps.
Students asked more than 2,000 friends, neighbors, relatives and
teachers to help them reach their fundraising goals of $150 per family.
Special incentives were offered for highest participating classes and top
fundraising students. The funds raised support Divine Child’s academic,
extracurricular, fine arts and campus ministry programs and help to keep
tuition affordable.
Mr. Danielson-Francois and his
students proudly displaying their work
www.divinechildhighschool.org
9
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
DC Wins 101st Catholic
League Championship!
Athletic Scholarship Signings
Divine Child High School
Varsity Cheer and Pom teams
both
won
Catholic
League
Championships! This marks Divine
Child's 100th and 101st Catholic
League Championships.
Cheer won their 14th consecutive
Catholic League Championship!
In the Fall, Divine Child Athletics celebrated the official scholarship
signings for the following senior student-athletes: Evan Seurynck, Albion
College for lacrosse, Torey DeMare, Liberty University for baseball, Faith
Ellis, Case Western Reserve University for volleyball, and Maria Dunn,
The University of Michigan-Dearborn for softball.
Congratulations to our DC Pom
Pon team who captured its back-toback Class B State Championship at
Michigan State University - its 12th
overall!
FALCON
ATHLETIC CLUB
10
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
Congratulations to the following seniors who signed their Letters of
Intent in February: Jimmy Seewald, Valparaiso University for football,
Travis Malinowski, Central Michigan University for football, Sam
Thibault, Olivet for football, Emily Rundel, Olivet for basketball, Lauren
Sandie, Schoolcraft College for softball, Anthony Tucker, Wheeling Jesuit
for soccer, and Brandon Miotke, Concordia University for soccer,
HIGH SCHOOL FINE ARTS
Band/Choir
What a fun-filled musical
semester in the music room! The
Choirs, Jazz Ensemble and the
Symphonic Band played for over 400
guests at our Christmas Concert in
December.
Spring Musical
Our Spring Musical is the
longest-running
production
in the world, Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.
Congratulations to the cast of more
than 75 students and many other
student involved on and off the
stage, including over 20 members
in the pit orchestra for this year’s
show!
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
April 21-24 7:30
Saturday & Sunday Matinee
April 23-24 2:30 pm
Tickets:
Adult $10
Student/Senior Citizen $8.00
www.divinechildhighschool.org
1001 N. Silvery Lane
Dearborn, Mi 48128
313-562-1990
Come listen to the Music of the Night...
SHOW TIMES
Music By Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Charles Hart. Additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Originally directed in Broadway by Harold Prince. Original Broadway production by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group. Based on
the novel “Le Fantome De ‘I(‘Opèra” by Gaston Leroux. Orchestratons by David Cullen and Andrew Llyod Webber.
The Phantom of the Opera is presented through special arrangement with R & H Thiatricals and The Really Useful Group, Ltd. WWW. rnh.com.
April 21 - 24, 2016
Evening Performances
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
7:30 p.m.
The Divine Child Choir recorded
a holiday CD at a professional
recording studio and performed at
the Henry Ford Retirement Village.
Matinee Performances
Saturday and Sunday
2:30 p.m.
Auditorium Update:
A special thank you to all the
contributors of our renovated
auditorium. It is a beautiful space
for our students, our parish and our
community.
You can still be a part of the
tradition by purchasing
and
naming
an
auditorium
seat.
Visit InvestingInExcellence.org for
information on our Legacy Seat
Program.
Purchase your seat today!
If you have any questions
regarding our Fine and
Performing Arts program,
please contact
Mr. Robert Bush,
Fine Arts Chairperson
Fall Play
Our award-winning theater program, directed by Ms. Noeske '00,
staged a wonderful production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
313-562-1990 ext. 220
or bush@
divinechildhighschool.org
Photo by Melissa Hutchinson
www.divinechildhighschool.org
11
Why Some Falcons are
over Math
Flipping
”It's like a one-on-one tutoring experience for every student, every day.”
What are your memories of
high school math classes? If you
are like many of us, you remember
sitting through heavy lectures while
a teacher scribbled formulas on the
blackboard, leaving you to wade
through pages of homework problems
on your own. While that has been
the standard model for years, it may
not be the most effective. That’s why
several Divine Child math teachers
are trying a different approach called
“flipped learning,” which literally
turns the old model on its head.
Flipped learning allows students
to watch videotaped lectures on their
own time and to spend class time
doing “homework” problems. This
allows the teacher to spend additional
time with students during class.
Students are more engaged in the
learning process and get more help
when they actually need it. “It’s like
a one-on-one tutoring experience for
every student, every day,” explains
teacher Lisa Kirsch.
Kirsch first heard about flipped
learning at a conference a few years
ago and decided she’d like to try it.
She presented the idea to her calculus
class and the students thought it
sounded great. “They knew they
were going to be guinea pigs but they
were all for it,” Kirsch recalls.
Although making the change
required a leap of faith as well as
a heavier up-front investment of
time for recording lectures, Kirsch
firmly believes it has paid off. Her
students have demonstrated a deeper
understanding of the subject, are
confident in their ability to tackle
math, and are taking more control of
the learning process.
Based on these positive results,
Kirsch has “flipped” all of her math
classes and is sharing the good news
with other teachers at the school. One
of these teachers, Dave Swenson,
says he was curious but hesitant
about pursuing flipped learning, so
he decided to create a test review
video as a trial balloon. It went well
enough that he adopted the method
in his classroom this year. Others,
like Katie Sophiea, have also joined
the group of believers.
Technology is an integral part of
the flipped learning formula. Kirsch
records lectures on her iPad – she talks
while the camera focuses on what she
is writing in a workbook – and posts
them on YouTube. She is able to
record multiple lectures at once and,
without the distractions present in a
classroom setting, can condense what
used to be a 45-minute lecture into an
18-minute video. Students benefit,
says Kirsch, because they can watch
the videos whenever and wherever
it’s convenient for them – riding in
the car or waiting for the bus – and
can replay them as many times as
they need to master a concept.
Swenson has taken the idea a
step further, tracking the number of
views and embedding questions into
the videos that students must answer
before going on. He uses this data
to assess students’ comprehension.
“We can intervene really quickly if
a student needs help with a problem
rather than having them get stuck,”
says Swenson.
Both teachers agree that class
time is now more fruitful. Having
watched the videos, students are able
to ask more informed questions and
spend time working on problems.
This is significant, explains Kirsch,
since “most of the learning takes place
during practice.” Swenson finds that
his students really enjoy working
at their own pace and are spending
more time working during class. “The
conversations are surprising – they
are helping each other and teaching
themselves,” he observes.
These DC teachers are thrilled
to see students excited about math
and hope this will translate into
more students pursuing Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math
in college and beyond. Kirsch said
she has already seen several students
who never thought they’d be
interested in math now considering
math as a college major. One student
in Swenson’s flipped classroom
admits, “Math is less stressful. You
can learn better with this approach.”
Ms. Kirsch (green sweater) and some of her "flipped" learning students
12
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
DC Teacher Nurtures
a Falcon Tradition
making a difference in the world through medicine
Ms. Poirier (kneeling) and her Anatomy students
Patti Poirier is a science educator
who has influenced and mentored
generations of Falcons. For 31 years
she has been teaching an anatomy
and physiology course that has
served as the springboard for scores
of Divine Child alumni in health and
medical careers.
Poirier decided to start teaching
the class in 1984 because there were
a number of students interested in
medicine. “Anatomy/physiology is a
‘weed-out’ class at the college level,
so I thought it would give them a leg
up if they had already taken it during
high school,” she remembers.
By any measure, her idea has been
a resounding success. She proudly
shares names of former students who
are physicians, physician assistants,
nurses, cancer and brain injury
researchers, dentists, biomedical
engineers, pharmacists, physical
therapists, public health specialists,
veterinarians and chiropractors, as
well as medical and nursing students.
Based on surveys she does during
the school year, about 50 percent of
students start her class with a preexisting interest in medicine. The rest
are interested in understanding their
own bodies better. By the end of the
year, typically 75 percent of students
in the class express an interest in a
medical or health career.
Students in Poirier’s class focus
on the systems of the body and become
familiar with medical terminology.
During labs they learn to read EKGs,
do blood typing, dissect fetal pigs and
work with a disarticulated skeleton.
They also engage in doctor-patient
role play to help them understand the
challenges of deciding which medical
tests to order.
Regardless of their intended
career path, Poirier wants to make
sure that students leave her class with
a high level of scientific literacy. With
the aid of DCHS Librarian Serge
Danielson-Francois, students learn
how to do sophisticated research
using scientific journal databases
such as ScienceDirect, and are able
to read, understand and review
scientific literature such as a Ph.D.
dissertation. They also develop skills
in technical writing and the APA
formatting used in such writing.
“These don’t look like high school
papers,” says Poirier. “Serge showed
us how to step up the research!” (For
more on Danielson-Francois, see
“Beyond DNA” on page 8).
Poirier and Danielson-Francois
believe that students are empowered
by these skills and their ability to
have an impact on others. One
student in Poirier’s class researched
a rare form of cancer from which
her aunt suffered. When Poirier’s
friend was found to have the same
disease, Poirier was able to share the
research with her friend and point
her in the direction of a life-saving
experimental treatment that the
friend’s doctors did not know about.
Poirier told the student how her
work made a difference. “She was
so glad that her research was able to
save someone, even if it was too late
to save her aunt,” Poirier recalls.
When she is not teaching anatomy,
Poirier can be found in the physical
education office and overseeing the
extracurricular Medical Club. This
group of nearly 60 students brings
in speakers on medical topics and
engages in community outreach like
volunteering at hospitals or in medical
relief efforts. The club recently
teamed up with a local rehabilitation
center’s closed head injury program,
helping at its summer fundraising
picnic and bike safety awareness day.
Poirier’s long-time friend, Kathy
Higgins-Luthman, who retired as
science department chair at Divine
Child in 2013, also taught anatomy
and physiology for several years. The
pair still keep in touch with each other
and many of their former students.
When they posted something on their
Facebook page recently asking about
alumni who work in health-related
fields, they were overwhelmed by
the responses they received. “It is
wonderful to see that so many of
our students are going out to make
a difference in the world through
medicine,” Poirier reflects.
www.divinechildhighschool.org
13
Having a
three Falcons who love their high-impact STEM* Careers
Do a quick Internet search on the
words “STEM* education” and you
are likely to find links to conferences,
government initiatives, editorials and
even entire organizations devoted to
the subject. What exactly is all the
buzz about? For the last decade,
educators, politicians, policy makers
and pundits have been weighing in
on how the American educational
system should equip its students
and graduates with the knowledge
and skills necessary to become
leaders and innovators in a global,
technology-driven economy. Judging
by the outstanding accomplishments
of Divine Child alumni in a variety
of scientific and technology fields,
Divine Child High School has been
scoring high marks in this for years.
Divine Child alums Meredith
Danowski ‘01, Marjorie (Sovinski)
Haskell ’97, and Kimberly L.
Berkowski ‘95, Ph.D., are just three
of many Falcons whose impressive
careers in science and technology
were sparked during their time at
Divine Child High School. Through
their stories run common threads
of hard work, taking advantage of
learning opportunities at Divine
Child, being nurtured in their studies
by teachers and friends, overcoming
barriers, and giving back to the
community.
Meredith Danowski '01, a
Boston University Ph.D. candidate
in astrophysics, works as a project
scientist with MIT and NASA to
design and build telescopes that are
launched into space to study the
composition of matter in the universe.
She became fascinated by space
at age six and decided to pursue it
as a career before high school. As
a middle schooler, Danowski had
the opportunity to attend a summer
science camp at Divine Child High
School run by long-time science
teacher (now retired) Kathy HigginsLuthman and knew then that Divine
Child was the right place for her.
Danowski dressed to do a cryogen transfer at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
during vibration testing of the MIT/Northwestern payload
14
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
!
She credits Haskell, who was in high
school at the time and an aide with
the summer camp, with serving as a
role model for her.
During her four years Danowski
worked hard in all honors science
classes, enjoyed extracurricular
activities like Science Club and
Science Olympiad, and eventually
helped with the same summer science
camp that had inspired her. “Divine
Child was a great place that let me
explore lots of things and take on a
leadership role in different areas,”
Danowski recalls.
Danowski remembers getting lots
of help and guidance from HigginsLuthman and Doug Birchmeier, who
was the physics teacher at the time.
Danowski still stays in touch with
Birchmeier, who retired several years
ago. “It’s crucial to have mentors
and a diverse support network,” she
explains.
Danowski at White Sands Missile Range
with a rocket on the rail
As an undergraduate at the
University of Michigan, Danowski
spent an academic year in Freiburg,
Germany.
Studying
quantum
mechanics in the original German,
Danoswki was thankful for the
diversity of her preparation at DC.
Danowski gives a shout-out to DC
German
teacher-turned-principal
Damian Hermann for helping
improve her language skills.
Being a woman in a maledominated area of study has not
been without its challenges, admits
Danowski. In her undergraduate
physics classes at the University of
Michigan, she was one of 2 women
out of 30 students, and recalls her
first physics lab mate commenting
that “girls can’t do science.” “I’ve
had to fight some battles,” says
Danowski, “but I’ve been able to
thrive because of support groups.” To
help other women in similar positions
she formed the Society of Women in
Physics at Michigan and is active
in Boston University’s Graduate
Women in Science and Engineering.
“The key to success,” she says, “is
finding communities.”
When not in her Boston lab
or at a rocket launch in the White
Sands Missile Range, Danowski
spends time mentoring young science
students and promoting diversity in
STEM fields. “Giving back to the
community is part of how I live,” she
says. The former National Honor
Society member credits Divine Child
with helping form her this way.
“DC was exceedingly impactful by
* STEM: Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math
Haskell holds a model of the fastener
capture plate used by the astronauts on
Hubble Space Telescope at a Discovery
Day event celebrating the addition
of the Space Shuttle Discovery to the
National Air and Space Museum.
stressing that academics, leadership
and service are all part of being a
whole person.”
Marjorie (Sovinski) Haskell '97,
an engineer at Maryland’s NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center with
a degree in chemical engineering,
began pursuing her interest in science
while at Divine Child High School in
the 1990s. Like Danowski, she took
honors science classes, was part of
Science Olympiad and participated
as an aide in the summer science
camp.
Prior to taking chemistry and
finding an aptitude and affinity for it,
Haskell thought she might want to be
a teacher. But that started to change
after teachers Higgins-Luthman
and Birchmeier encouraged her to
consider a career in engineering.
After attending a Women in
Engineering workshop at Michigan
"DC was exceedingly
impactful by stressing
that academics,
leadership and service
are all part of being a
whole person."
Technological University, which
gave an overview of all engineering
disciplines, she decided that chemical
engineering, which combined her
love of chemistry with engineering
principles, was the way to go.
Although her work for NASA is
not technically chemical engineering,
Haskell loves putting the problemsolving skills she developed at Divine
Child to good use in the growing
aerospace field, splitting her time
between two distinct roles. As safety
and mission assurance engineer for
the GOES-R project, she oversees
a variety of disciplines including
materials, safety, reliability, parts,
software, and quality assurance
for the instruments on the GOES
satellite that will watch for weather
hazards from 22,000 miles above
Earth when it launches later in 2016.
She also serves as materials engineer
for OSIRIS-REx, which will launch
a spacecraft in 2016 that will bring
asteroid samples back to Earth.
When dealing with the intricacies
of space flight, Haskell says she has
learned to look at things from outside
the box and keep an open mind.
Haskell, like Danowski, has faced
challenges as a woman in her field
but has found ways to turn them into
opportunities. “As a female you have
to be more assertive and persistent in
bringing up your opinions,” she says.
“It’s a career that makes you more
straightforward and more straightshooting.”
Sharing her love of science with
others began when she was a tutor
and camp leader at Divine Child and
continues to be an important part
of her life, whether it’s attending
www.divinechildhighschool.org
15
a local elementary school’s career
day, judging a science fair, talking
to a group of Girl Scouts, manning
a NASA booth at a space museum
event, or presenting as a speaker at
a university engineering seminar.
“There are not a lot of women in my
field, so it’s important to do outreach
to schools and students to make
sure that engineering is accessible to
girls.”
Kimberley
Berkowski
'95,
followed her love of chemistry
in a very different direction. A
patent lawyer with a Ph.D. in
chemistry, Berkowski prosecutes
patent applications in chemical,
pharmaceutical and polymer sciences
at Marshall Gerstein Borun LLP, a
Chicago law firm.
While a student at Divine Child,
she got involved in every science
activity she could find, including
Science Olympiad and Odyssey
of the Mind. One that sticks in her
mind as particularly intriguing, and
which may have been the beginning
of her career in chemistry, was a
“science crime busters” event where
students were challenged with
using scientific methods to identify
different unknown powders to help
solve a fictitious crime. “I loved
Berkowski
16
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
"I get to work with
inventors every day who
help make the world a
better place!"
all the extracurriculars – solving a
problem on your own is so different
from sitting in the classroom.”
Berkowski enjoyed the support
of her friends at Divine Child,
many of whom were also involved
in science activities. Some of these
friends went on to become medical
doctors and Ph.D.’s. “Our class was
so into learning,” she recalls.
Berkowski remembers fondly
all of her science and math teachers
at Divine Child, especially HigginsLuthman, anatomy teacher Patti
Poirier, Sr. Marie Cacciatore, and
Mr. Dawson. In addition to being
supportive and open to questions,
they also taught her the importance
of learning how to learn, not just how
to memorize facts. She also credits
language arts teacher Marcia Closson
with teaching her how to write well,
a skill that “made life so much better”
in college and graduate school.
Berkowski’s goal was to become
a chemistry professor at a small
liberal arts college. After earning a
B.S. in chemistry at the University
of Detroit Mercy, a Ph.D. at the
University of Illinois, and gaining
teaching experience at MIT, she
landed just such a job. She loved
the teaching, she says, but the pace
of undergraduate research was too
slow.
She’d heard that there were
opportunities for people with her
training as patent agents in law
firms, so she pursued that for several
years and liked it. But eventually she
realized that to be really successful
in that career path, she’d need to go
back to school – law school.
Law school was a “huge
challenge,” says Berkowski. Not only
did she complete a three-year degree
in two years while working as a
patent agent, she also had to learn to
think differently. “In chemistry, you
can often find a solution to a problem
if you work hard enough, but in law
school, there's always an argument
for the other side.”
Once she completed her law
degree she was able to move into a
patent lawyer position at her firm and
is extremely happy with her decision.
“I get to work with inventors every
day who help make the world a better
place!”
Divine Child’s call to live a life of
service left an imprint on Berkowski.
Like Danowski and Haskell, she
feels strongly about giving back
to others, especially in the area of
STEM education. Serving on the
advisory board of Girls 4 Science, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to
exposing girls ages 10-18 to science,
technology, engineering and math,
allows her to share her passion with
the next generation and to act as a
mentor and role model to others.
For these three alumni and
many others, the skills and values
they learned at Divine Child High
School, along with hard work and
perseverance, helped prepare them
for rewarding careers in science
and engineering. Not only are they
making their mark in their chosen
fields, they are agents of change in the
world who embody Divine Child’s
motto, Virtus cum Scientia - goodness
with knowledge.
~ Kathryn Koehler
CLASS REUNIONS
Class of 1965 - 50th
Class of 1995 - 20th
Thank you for making 2015
a successful year of class reunions!
Class of 1965 50th Reunion, June 25, 2015 at The Dearborn Inn
Class of 1975 40th Reunion, August 8, 2015 at Embassy Suites, Livonia
Class of 1980 35th Reunion, August 8, 2015 at Conor O'Neill's
Class of 1990 25th Reunion, August 29, 2015 at The Inn at St. John’s
Class of 1985 30th Reunion, September 26, 2015 at Bahama Breeze
Class of 1995 20th Reunion, November 28, 2015 at Detroit Beer Co.
Class of 2005 10th Reunion, November 27, 2015 at The Dearborn Inn
Class of 1985 - 30th
Class of 1980 - 35th
HAVE YOU MOVED?
We are constantly striving
to keep our database up-todate. If you have a change
of address, email or phone
number, please contact:
alumnioffice@
divinechildhighschool.
org
www.divinechildhighschool.org
17
ALUMNI NEWS
Class of 1975 - 40th
Class of 1990 - 25th
Class of 2005 - 10th
Class of 1966 will
celebrate its
50th Reunion
L-R back row: Nancy (Bartys) Ranksi,
Bev Sansone, Janice (O’Neill) Sparr,
Kathy (Vanderwerp) Clark, Kathy
(Quinn) Partyka, Dorothy (Stando)
Burek, Kathy (Tremonti) Hermann
L-R front row: Janet (Carroll) Schillinger,
Kathy (Muir) Matusz, Marilana Branch
Girls night out for the Class of
1988 in Livonia, MI. Pictured L-R
Kathy (Waldchen) Isgro,
Michelle
(Whalen) Sugg, Kelly (Sellar) Bergen,
Denise (Karl) Smith, Kimberly PatrossoGorsuch, Cathy Stoner, Julie (Majeske)
Sladewski, and Beth (Jary) Krakowiak.
18
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
The Class of 1973 Lady Falcons
held a mini-reunion to celebrate their
milestone 60th birthdays. Gathering
in Mackinaw City, the group
reminisced and caught up on life
events since graduation. The
weekend included a cruise under
the Mackinac Bridge, a late-night
excursion to view the northern lights,
and brewery tour. Nancy (Bartys)
Ranski graciously opened her home. September 10, 2016
Dearborn Country Club.
The festivities will begin
Friday, September 9,
at Divine Child High
School for a prereunion wine reception.
Any questions can be
addressed by emailing
Mark Wojciechowski
at markandmargewoj@
tampabay.rr.com or Carl
Stevens at Carlfst@yahoo.
com.
ALUMNI NEWS
Sean LaFountaine ’85, pictured
with Jim Harbaugh, head football
coach at the University of Michigan,
attends the 95th Annual Football Bust
at The University of Michigan Club
of Greater Detroit. The University
of Michigan team was honored for
winning the 1986 Fiesta Bowl.
Divine Child alumna Megan
(Cameron) Steele '94, and her
husband Paul, stand in front of the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, the largest
Catholic church in the nation, in
Washington, D.C. They attended
the canonization Mass for Junipero
Serra, celebrated by Pope Francis
during his first visit to America.
Michael Seurynck ’85 is now
Vice President, General Motors
North America Clean Air Division
at Tenneco.
Robert Pliska ’65 at the Detroit
Economic Club with Mark Dantonio
and Tom Izzo. Pictured L-R: Ben
Maibach, CEO Barton Malow, Mark
Dantonio, MSU Head Football
Coach, Robert Pliska, Tom Izzo,
MSU Head Basketball Coach, and
Mark Hollis, MSU Athletic Director.
Austin Pearson ‘12 received the
Certificate of Appointment from
West Point Military Academy. He
reported to West Point in June 2015
as a New Cadet and completed his
Cadet Basic Training or “Beast,” as it
is affectionately known. In August,
2015, Austin was promoted to
cadet of the United States Military
Academy, Class of 2019.
Joining Austin at the 2015
Army/Navy football game in photo
above are fellow alumni Casey Baker
’14 (L) and John Solimanto ’13 (R),
who are attending the United States
Naval Academy and are Divine Child
Class Agents.
Emma Woods ‘14 (R), and her
teammate Shelly Grostefon, both
sophomores at the College of Wooster,
qualified for the American Collegiate
Moot Court Association’s 2016
National Championship Tournament
held in January at California State
University. Moot court is one of
the largest forensics activities in the
country.
Ed Peper '80, General Motors
Vice President of Fleet and
Commercial Sales, is instrumental in
bringing medium-duty conventional
cab trucks back into the GM
portfolio, strengthening Chevrolet’s
commitment to providing customers
with more choices for a versatile
lineup of trucks, vans and crossovers.
www.divinechildhighschool.org
19
ALUMNI NEWS - Babies and Weddings
Adam Fulan ’08 graduated
from Ferris State University with
a Doctorate of Pharmacy. He
completed a two-year research
project looking at methods to
improve teaching and information
retention. His rescue dog, Artemis,
was acknowledged as the Kappa Psi
Fraternity mascot, the year Adam
was president. He is living in Grand
Rapids and is working for Trinity
Health in Muskegon. He is currently
enrolled in a residency program
focused on ambulatory care, where
he will work in anti-coagulation and
HIV clinics while doing research on
clinic practices.
Marjorie (Sovinski) Haskell '97
(included in our feature article on
page 14) and Lt. Ted Haskell, U.S.
Navy were married on April 11, 2015
at the United States Naval Academy
in Annapolis, Maryland. Ted is a
2009 graduate of the U.S. Naval
Academy and is on active duty for
the US Navy. The couple reside in
Annapolis. The attendants included
Bill and Kelly (Simonie) Sovinski
'00, Kaitlin Sovinski '03, Johanna
(Sovinski) Zwally '05, Angela
(Sovinski) Bustamante '06, and
children Julia Sovinski and Danielle
Sovinski. Current Divine Child teacher
Roz Astourian visited Milen
(Bapna) Gala ’98 (pictured), and
Vinita (Bapna) Boopathy '00 in
Seattle, Washington, Gala's current
residence, while attending a seminar
at University of Washington.
Jim Solak ’91 and Carrie
(Carpenter) Solak ’95 were married
on October 23, 2015 at the Church
of the Divine Child with many alums
in attendance at the reception at The
Henry in Dearborn, MI.
20
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
Andrew Fulan ’12 will be
graduating in May 2016 from Wayne
State University with a degree
in Finance with University and
Departmental Honors. He received the
2015 School of Business Outstanding
Student Award for his excellence
in both academics and community
involvement. Andrew was a part of
the recent naming of the Mike Ilitch
School of Business. He has interned
at Quicken Loans and Ford Motor
Company, and has worked as the
Wayne State Corporate Finance tutor
before accepting a position at Ford in
the Career Foundation Program. He
has returned to Divine Child as one
of the Catholic Youth Organization's
assistant football coaches.
Roz Astourian visits Julia
Michel '91 in November, while
having dinner at The Texas Bleu
Steakhouse and Cellar, a restaurant
part-owned by alum Scott Robb ’90.
Ashley Elaine Loftus '03, married
Michael John Mastroianni '02 on
January 30, 2016 at The Church of
the Divine Child. Ashley received an undergraduate
degree in Elementary Education
from Wayne State University and
will receive her Master’s degree
from Grand Valley State University
in December. Ashley is employed
as a fourth grade teacher. Michael
received his undergraduate degree
in Construction Management from
Michigan State University. He
is currently a co-owner at Italy
American Construction Company.
Congratulations
to
Mary
(Murray) Laney '95, DC girls
basketball coach, on the birth of her
most recent Falcon, Owen. Owen
enjoys the love from big sis Ellen and
brother Niall.
Anthony Arbini '01 and Michelle
(Matusz) Arbini '03 (granddaughter
to Kathy (Muir) Matusz ’73)
welcomed their first child, Ava
Michelle, on July 9, 2015.
Jason and Katie (Zakar) Jones
'99, welcomed Lincoln Andrew
Jones to their family on November
18, 2015.
The
Divine
Child
High
School Science Department leader
Elizabeth (Giza) Bloomfield '01 and
her husband Andrew Bloomfield
welcomed their first child on October
17, 2015. Clint William was born at
University of Michigan Hospital and
weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces. The
happy family is doing well at their
home in Salem Township.
Jim Vergona ’98 and Crystal
(Nickerson) Vergona ’00 welcomed
Giavanna Marie Vergona to their
family on February 2, 2015. Crystal’s
sister Danielle (Nickerson) Eller '02
and Jim’s cousin Jerry Vergona '09
are Gia’s Godparents!
Matt Zemba '94 welcomed his
first child and son, Louis.
Our new counselor, Christine
(Ervin) Geoghegan '95 and Dan
Geoghegan ’95 welcomed their
fourth child and first daughter,
Clare. We are excited to welcome
Mrs. Geoghegan back at DC in the
second semester.
www.divinechildhighschool.org
21
Investing in
Divine
Excellence
The Outdoor Activity Complex to Break Ground in March!
We have exciting news to share on the progress of
our Investing in Excellence Capital Campaign. We have
reached another milestone in ensuring that academic,
spiritual and athletic excellence will endure at Divine
Child. On the heels of the successful completion of Phase
I, with the grand opening of a new auditorium in the
high school and the refurbishment of the locker rooms,
St. Teresa of Avila room, indoor/outdoor handicapped
accessible restrooms and necessary infrastructure at the
elementary school for the Outdoor Activity Complex, we
have secured gifts in excess of $2 million and will break
ground on Phase II before the end of March. The goal
is to complete the Divine Child Field* by the Fall. Our
hope and prayer is to inaugurate a new era of athletic
excellence for generations of Falcons to come.
Beginning in the Elementary School and Parish
through the Catholic Youth Organization all the way up
to seniors in the High School, many of our students play
at least one sport over the course of their participation at
Divine Child. A Divine Child field honors the investment
that our student-athletes and parents make every day.
The Divine Child Field* increases the opportunities we
have to schedule our athletes in many sports for both our
boys and girls, while at the same time, create revenue
generating opportunities in which we were unable to
participate in the past.
Your investment in the shared success of our studentathletes is a testament to the decades of sacrifice by
* actual naming of field will be announced at a later date
22 Advancement Office
313.216.0893
our priests, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and the
legions of Falcons who have called Divine Child home.
The challenge still before us is to bring to fruition this
important work that we have undertaken.
In addition, we are still seeking major gifts in the
following areas:
•Stadium Seating
•Lighting
•Visitors/Concession Building
•Home/Maintenance Building
Now, more than ever, we need your help to ensure
this project is a success. I urge you to consider a donation
and to consult the campaign website for the needs that
the executive committee has prioritized. With your help,
we will move just as swiftly to Phase III, the renovation
of both the High School and Elementary School science
centers, as we have moved over the last few months.
Future Falcons will benefit directly from our mindful
stewardship and our mission-driven vision.
Please make plans to stand shoulder-to-shoulder
with your classmates as one proud Falcon family. On
that day, the dreams of generations of Falcons will come
true. We will play a home game on a permanent field of
our own. Home field advantage is the result of a mighty
team effort. Thank you for your generosity.
Randy Doran
Executive Chair
Investing in Excellence Committee
Child Field a Reality!
Current construction plans include:
• Multi-purpose Synthetic Playing Surface
• Eight-lane Running Track
• Long jump and pole vault runway, landing pit,
discus/shot put circles
• Team Locker Rooms
• Offices and Restrooms
• Storage
We need your help now to advance us to the goal line!
Visit InvestingInExcellence.org
for Donations, Naming and Recognition Opportunities,
and all of the latest information about the Capital Campaign, or
Contact the Advancement Office at 313.216.0893 or [email protected]
www.InvestingInExcellence.org
23
ALUMNI EVENTS
Traveling Falcons 2016
The Divine Child Alumni Association will host various events at local
college campuses in March and April 2016 based upon the success of these
campus visits last year. Please mark your calendar and join us!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
University of Michigan - Cottage Inn - March 16
Eastern Michigan University - Aubree's - March 23
Michigan State University - Pizza House - March 24
Western Michigan University - University Roadhouse - March 30
Grand Valley State University - Peppino's Pizza - March 31
Central Michigan University - Pisanello's Pizza - April 7
University of Michigan - Dearborn - Buddy’s Pizzeria - April 14
Wayne State University - Tony V's - April 20
5th Annual Golf Classic
The 5th Annual Divine Child
Golf Classic was held on August
14, 2015. This year’s scramble was
hosted at the Dearborn Country
Club. Thank you to all the alumni
and friends who participated.
Special thanks to our hole sponsors,
gift sponsors, volunteers, and Gold
Sponsors Tom Barszczowski ’97
(Packaging Concepts and Designs)
and Dr. Matthew Hansen ’93 (Great
Lakes Foot and Ankle).
This year’s champions for the
second year in a row were Bryan
Beuckelaere '92, Fran DePlanche
'91, Cliff Lessnau '91 and Ben
Loiselle '92. The event raised
nearly $11,000 for the Divine Child
Alumni Association Falcon Legacy
Scholarship Fund, which awards
two $3,000 tuition scholarships each
year to incoming freshman children
of Divine Child Alumni.
SAVE these 2016 DATES
Spring Musical Alumni Night • April 23
Senior Legacy Photo • Monday, May 9
Alumni Band Concert • Sunday, May 15
Divine Child Golf Classic • Friday, August 12
Falcon 5K • Saturday, August 20
24
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
2015 Winners
Ryan Mangulabnan '16
and Lindsey Brewis '14
23rd Annual
Falcon 5K Run
The 23rd Annual Falcon 5K
was held on August 1, 2015. The
run is dedicated to the memory of
Mark Carpenter ‘68, former DC
track coach. Hundreds of runners
and walkers of all ages and abilities
participated in this event, which
started at Levagood Park, and
included the Tot Trot, 1 Mile Fun Run,
and the 5K Run. Congratulations
to this year's winners for the Men’s
Division, Ryan Mangulabnan ’16
with a time of 19:22 and the Women’s
Division, Lindsey Brewis ’14 with a
time of 19:22.
Thank you to everyone who
participated and volunteered for this
event! The Falcon 5K is a fundraiser
for the Dearborn Divine Child High
School Girls’ Cross Country Team
and the Divine Child High School
Alumni Association. Thank you to
Jim Demmer ‘75, of Jack Demmer
Ford Automotive Group, and our
many other generous sponsors for
supporting this annual event!
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
DCES exhibits
Prayer in Action!
Our DC Elementary School
students displayed their Prayer in
Action as they walked and prayed
the Mark Carpenter Athletic track.
This event will recur every school
day recess to pray in gratitude for
our DC benefactors past, present,
and future.
As our sign reads, "with our
steps and ribbons, we are praying
for our donors. Support DC!"
There is a ribbon for you - we
are grateful for YOU!
Science in Action
Students Gain hands-on Knowledge of Science Concepts
To wrap up a series of lessons on
motion, the eighth grade conducted
a lab in which they observed and
measured the forward motion of toy
cars. Groups of students worked
together to construct a ramp and then
timed the cars as they rolled along
a three meter track. The data they
collected was then used to calculate the
speed and acceleration of the cars at different points along the track. This
activity gave the students the opportunity to practice science inquiry skills
like hypothesizing, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. At the same time
they were reinforcing the concepts related to describing the motion of objects.
Seventh graders recently used modeling to help them understand the
relative motion of the earth, sun and moon that creates the moon’s phases. The
students acted as the sun. By moving the styrofoam moon around themselves
to simulate the moon's orbit around the earth, students determined different
angles of the light. They then recorded the phases of their simulated moon as
it moved through the sky.
In Memoriam
The Divine Child community joins in prayerful remembrance of
those who have died. Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to
the families and friends of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pauline (Kowalczyk) Demuelenare ‘67
Addison Donahue '16
Maureen (English) McCurren ‘91
James Montgomery ‘68
Robert Morrissy ‘79
John (Jack) Rychlicki ’63
James Surma ‘67
“Happy are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors
Revelations 14:13
for their good deeds go with them.” www.divinechildhighschool.org
25
Catholic Youth Organization Athletics is
in need of baseball, football and basketball
coaches. Please share your talents with
our CYO athletes. For more information,
contact Mark Ellul at [email protected].
“Falcon for a Day”
Shadowing Program
Prospective students interested in
attending Divine Child High School can
spend a school day with us. The visit
includes observing classes, touring the school and
enjoying a complimentary lunch, all with a Falcon
Student Ambassador. Full day visits are scheduled
from 8:00 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. Eighth graders can
shadow for a day most school days, and seventh
graders may shadow in the spring. This is a wonderful
opportunity to meet our students and teachers, view
our facilities, and experience firsthand much of what
makes Divine Child great. Please call Matt Saxer,
Director of Admissions at 313.216.0891 Ext. 268 to
register.
We also offer many athletic camps and enrichment
programs in the summer months to students as young
as third or fourth grade.
Did you know...
& staffed
[email protected]
313.216.0891 x268
www.DivineChildHighSchool.org
April 2016 marks
the 50th anniversary
of the band program at
Divine Child. In honor
of this momentous
occasion, all alumni
band members are
invited to perform with
the current high school
band for our spring
celebration concert.
If you are interested
in participating or
attending,
please
contact:
Bob Bush,
Director of Bands
bush@
divinechildhighschool.org
We are gathering an Alumni Band with Mr. Leo Tallieu, Guest Conductor
Practice music will be sent out as well as more information about the celebration.
26
Once A Falcon
Winter 2016
HIGH SCHOOL MISSION
Divine Child High School is a Catholic
high school centered in Gospel values and
Christian tradition. The school is rooted
in a long-standing tradition of excellence
and in an educational partnership with
students, parents and the community. We
are committed to providing opportunities
that nurture each student’s academic,
creative, social and spiritual growth. We
are dedicated to developing youth who
pursue lives of responsibility, leadership
and faith in action.
Once a Falcon magazine is
published semi-annually by the
Divine Child Alumni Association for
graduates, parents of graduates
and friends of Divine Child.
Scott Dickey ‘85
Alumni Relations Coordinator
313.216.0892
[email protected]
Karen Vuono Kruszka
Director of Marketing and
Communications
313.216.0891 x269
[email protected]
Become Published!
Share your thoughts and photos
with us! Contact us on Facebook,
Twitter, or by email:
alumnioffice@
divinechildhighschool.org
For inclusion in the Summer 2016 issue,
please submit updates and articles no
later than 5/15/16. If sending photos,
please provide original electronic files.
Send raw or uncompressed TIF or high
resolution JPG as an attachment. All
content submitted becomes Divine Child
property and may be edited prior to
publication.
OUR HERITAGE
Since 1950, the Church of the Divine Child has been a strong
Catholic presence in Dearborn and today remains one of the largest and
most vibrant Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit, serving
over 2,200 member families. Together, Divine Child Elementary School,
founded in 1953, and Divine Child High School, founded in 1958,
have grown to host one of the largest co-educational Catholic school
enrollments in Michigan.
With a heritage spanning 57 years, Divine Child High School has
imparted “goodness with knowledge” to generations of students and
continues to provide a Catholic education emphasizing spiritual, academic,
athletic, social and creative excellence. Over 10,000 alumni have gone
forward to build success on these values. Today, over 800 Divine Child
High School students enjoy the opportunity to study numerous academic
disciplines, compete in 26 sports, and participate in many extracurricular
activities, all built on a strong spiritual foundation.
Contributors: Rosalind Astourian, Rev. James Bilot, Mary Blicharz,
Liz Bloomfield '01, Denise Brewis, Bob Bush, Leanne Corak, Serge
Danielson-Francois, Tony DeMare, Scott Dickey ’85, Randy Doran,
Paul Egan, Detroit News, Gwen Frederickson, Just Gwen Designs, Erin
(Nalepa) Gianopoulos ’95, Damian Hermann ’89, Kristin (Szpunar)
Hermann ‘89, Melissa (Sinkevics) Hutchinson '90, Terry Jacoby,
MIPrepZone, Colleen Johnson, Lisa Kirsch, Kathryn Koehler, Melissa
Knepshield, Kurt Anthony Krug, Press & Guide, Karen Vuono Kruszka,
Donna (Marchetti) Kuczajda ‘88, Vicky Lezotte, Michael Martinez,
Detroit News, Kathy (Muir) Matusz ’73, Jeanne Micallef ’90, Patricia
Montemurri, Detroit Free Press, Vance Nannini, Jake Newby, MIPrepZone,
Marilyn O’Brien, Pat Pauline, Ed Peper ’80, J. Patrick Pepper, Dearborn
Press & Guide, George Pohly, MIPrepZone, Patricia Poirier, Mark Porada,
Mike Prevost ‘77, Jude Ripley, Yvonne Schuck, Matt Saxer, Rita
(Centi) Sherwin ’90, Sue Shinney ’65, Theresa Skora ’05, Sue Suchyta,
Times-Herald News, Ricardo Thomas, Detroit News, John and Naoko Vena,
Frank Wladyslawski, MI Prep Zone/Heritage.
Divine Child High School
Advancement Office
1055 N. Silvery Lane
Dearborn, MI 48128
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