The Official News Source for Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School Alumni

The Immaculata November 2015

Dear IHM Alumni and Parishioners,

Saint John Paul II said, “A Catholic school is a place where students live a shared experience of faith in God and where they learn the riches of Catholic cul-ture...Catholic schools must help students to deepen their relationship with God and to discover that all things human have their deepest meaning in the person and teaching of Jesus Christ.”

I was thinking back to my own personal experi-ence with Catholic Schools as a young child. I truly feel blessed by the example that my teachers demonstrated to me of the importance of being close to Jesus and His Church. And, I think it was significant that my teachers taught me that lesson aside from just learning it from my parents.

Although it’s essential for parents to be the domestic church and instill the foundation of faith and love of Christ into their children, there is something powerful about those lessons being reinforced in the Catholic school. It shows the child that what the parents are instructing them lives elsewhere, and it also allows the children a vehicle to express their Catholic faith in their religious classes, as they celebrate the Sacraments, and are able to pray with their peers.

One of the most important lessons I learned while at Catholic school is that God is in charge of our lives. Even more so, I learned that God loves us every mo-ment of our lives. Attending Catholic schools helps to build a foundation of faith at an early age so that it becomes a part of your core self. I believe that anything worth doing comes with a cost – whether it’s your time or your money. In my opin-ion, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School is worth the cost because God is truly the center of an excellent education. It doesn’t much matter if you learn how to read, write, and do math if children don’t learn about God and His purpose for their lives then they will lack the true joy that God has in store for them.

I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School as we celebrate our 61st year in Monona. I invite you

to come and visit the school and meet our principal Mrs. Mary Bartsch, the faculty, and staff during our Catholic Schools’ Week Open House on Sunday, January 31, following our 10:15 a.m. Mass. In Christ, Father John Silva

Fr. John—Catholic Schools: Building a Foundation of Faith

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2015 Alumni Appeal All-School Reunion Photos

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Principal Mary Bartsch— What’s New at IHM School?

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Third Graders In Motion Fifth Graders Practice Stewardship

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IHM Hot Lunch Program Pope Francis—Children Are Never a Mistake

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Your Stories—Mrs. Sue (Niemczyk) Schumacher

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Promoting Catholic Vocations at IHM

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IHM Winter Gala 8

Inside this issue: Catholic Schools—Building a Foundation of Faith for Life

By Fr. John Silva, IHM Pastor

Nov. 2, 2015 The Wisconsin Reli-gious and Independent Schools Accreditation is pleased to an-nounce the accreditation of Im-maculate Heart of Mary School. IHM School has proven compli-ance with WRISA educational stan-dards and is a member in good standing. “We applaud the accom-plishments of the Immaculate Heart of Mary School community and its commitment to ongoing school improvement and high standards of excellence,” re-marked Beatrice Weiland, WRISA’s Executive Director.

The Immaculata November 2015 Page 2

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School

2015 Annual Alumni Appeal

Annual Alumni Appeal Gift Levels

*Archangels—$1,000 or more

*Guardian Angels ($500 to $999)

*Messenger Angels ($100 to $499)

*Cherub Angels (Under $100)

All gifts are tax deductible. Thank you for your support of the mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary School.

Photos of IHM 60th Anniversary Alumni Reunion—November, 2014

Welcome to our 61st year of Catholic education at

Immaculate Heart of Mary, and our 5th Annual Alumni Appeal!

Over the past four years, nearly $10,000 has

been donated to this appeal by alumni and friends of IHM School. We are extremely grateful for your support. Gifts to the appeal have been used to provide tuition assistance to students who qualify, salary in-creases to our teachers, and to help offset some of our school’s oper-ating expenses.

We are grateful to all those who have so generously given to this ap-peal. It is a blessing to see that so many of you have a special place in your hearts for IHM School, and that you desire to support the mis-sion of Catholic education. Please use the enclosed envelope to re-turn your gifts to the 2015 Alumni Appeal. Thank you!

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New School Addition Connects Entire School Into One Building

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School began the 2015-2016 school year with much excitement as our two school buildings were merged to create one long hallway (totaling about one-tenth of a mile in length!). A generous donor helped to make this wonderful construction project a reality. Previ-ously, the IHM students in grades 4K-8 attended classes in the large school building and the Pre-school, 4K and gym were located in the smaller gymnasium building. The older students had to

walk outside in order to go to the gym and the little ones would do the same to attend classes in the main building. Now, the two buildings are connected with a beautiful hallway, an added classroom, and a statue of Saint Maximilian Kolbe to watch over the students as they walk by. The added classroom may serve many uses: Band, World Languages, special services, counseling, afterschool care etc. We are grateful to all who worked on this project and made it a reality.

The “Eagle Way”

How do the IHM students show their faith, good behavior, respect for self and others, and their IHM spirit? WHY, the Eagle Way! The IHM mascot is the Eagle and our students are happily showing their Eagle spirit by earning Eagle Way tickets. Showing the Eagle Spirit is about acting with respect, reverence, responsibility and safety toward others and yourself. The students who show positive behavior earn Eagle tickets, then place their names on them, and have the chance to win a weekly drawing where they can pick a prize coupon. There are many prizes to choose from; for exam-ple, “Use the teacher's chair for the day” or “No homework for one class.” The students who go above and beyond can win an Epic Eagle certificate which is hung in Marian Hall for all to see. The school as a whole can win a prize, too, by earning enough Eagle Way tickets for the month. Check out the Eagle Way Bul-letin Board in Marian Hall when you visit our school or attend our events!

School Uniforms

The 2015-2016 school began with students in full uniforms. The uniforms are the IHM traditional green shirts with white logo, plus a white shirt with green logo. The students have a variety of choices and can mix and match their colors – black, navy, or khaki for pants, skirts, skorts or dresses. The students have choices in sweaters, fleece jackets, vests, and a nylon jacket. IHM is establishing a school uniform store with clothing items for the families to visit and purchase or swap uniform items. You can go to the Lands’ End website and check out the Immaculate Heart of Mary uniform page. Immaculate Heart of Mary School continues to change, grow, and prosper, while maintaining the tradition of excellent academics taught with the compass of the Catholic faith.

What’s New at IHM School? By Mrs. Mary Bartsch, IHM Principal

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When IHM’s wonderful Home and School Association came to the teach-ers and told us we had the opportunity to write a proposal for anything we desire for our classrooms, I was ecstatic. Having, what I call, a “Learning in Motion” classroom has been a dream of mine for a long time, but I have never had the funds to make this dream a reality. Ever since my first year of teaching I have been looking for ways to keep my students engaged and active while learning. I have always had one or two students sitting on an exercise ball or rolly chair, or standing, so that they can “fidget” and yet remain focused at the same time. In my classroom I have Hokki stools, Ball chairs, and runtz chairs, which are ball chairs but with a sturdy base. Brain based research says that being active stimulates the brain and al-though my students are sitting, they are never still. Movement helps reten-tion of concepts in some students and, with ADHD on the rise, these chairs help students who really need to move. Kids like to move and having the option to sit on these “chairs” is one more reason for kids to get excited when they come to school. My students love all of the different options for seating. I am very thankful for the new seating in my room. Thank you IHM Home and School Asso-ciation for fulfilling this dream of mine and for enhancing the learning op-portunities for the students in my classroom.

IHM Third Graders—Learning In Motion

By Mrs. Callie Meiller, IHM Third Grade Teacher

Throughout the school year, all students at Immaculate

Heart of Mary School are given opportunities to take part in projects and activities that help and serve others in our community. Under the guidance of teacher Mrs. Marianne Kleinfeldt-Woock, the IHM 5th Grade class goes above and beyond in their practice of stewardship.

Each week, our Fifth Grade class helps the parish staff by stuffing inserts and flyers into the bulletins. It is pretty typical to have inserts in our bulletin every week during the school year.

The annual fall project of the 5th Grade class is to collect coats, mittens and hats for the Koats for Kids campaign, which helps needy children stay warm during the cold winter months. This year, the class collected 122 coats, 31 scarves, 59 pairs of mittens, 59 hats, 8 pairs of snow-pants and 7 pairs of boots! These students are an inspira-tion to all of us—may God bless them, and may we follow their example of faithful stewardship.

IHM Fifth Graders—Putting Catholic Stewardship into Action

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On a typical day at IHM School, you will find our students enjoying a wide variety of colorful, healthy food options as part of our hot lunch menu. Most everything is made fresh with many ingredients from local growers and vendors. The menu offers meals such as red beans & rice, served with a roasted vegetable mix and cherry jello. Or three cheese quesadillas served with tomato salsa, cilantro rice and apple crisp. Or chicken sandwiches served with sweet potato fries, green beans and blueberry buckle. None of the main en-trées are repeated in a given month. There is also a daily salad bar with many won-derful options to choose from, and dis-played around the kitchen are posters and signs describing the ways that different foods and a healthy diet are beneficial to us.

IHM’s Hot Lunch Chef, Mrs. Heidi Wal-ters, enjoys preparing the delicious meals and serving our students each day. "I grew up in Neenah and started baking about 20 years ago while in college at Oshkosh. From there my passion for baking and cooking took off. Over the years I worked in restaurants, bakeries and catering com-panies.

After moving back from Seattle in 2008 I began baking and cooking at Edgewood College, and was there for a number of years. My husband, Mark, and I have two great kids, Evan, 4 and Lainey, 3. In addi-tion to working at the school I make cakes and specialty desserts with a small busi-ness that I own. I am thrilled to be running the lunch program here at IHM, and have had such a wonderful and warm welcome." Mrs. Walters is assisted by parent volun-teers, including restaurateurs Patrick DePula of Salvatore’s, Marcia Castro of The Old Fashioned, and Patrick O’Hal-loran of Lombardino’s. The revamped hot lunch program has been received very positively by the students, parents and staff. Our hot lunch program was even featured on a recent Channel 3 TV news story.

In a recent Catholic News Service article, Pope Francis, during his weekly general audience at St. Peter’s Square, said that children are the greatest blessing God has bestowed upon men and women. “Children are never a mistake, and no sacrifice is too great for an adult to make so that children can feel their worth,” Pope Francis said. He said that chil-dren often suffer the effects of poverty, violence and the mistakes of adults. “The Church places her maternal care at the service of children and their families,” Pope Francis said. Children who are living without schooling or basic needs are not forgotten by our Father in heaven, the Pope said. “None of their tears are lost.” He offered a reflection on the Scripture passage where Jesus calls the children to him so he can bless them. “How beautiful was the trust of these parents and this response of Jesus.” Pope Francis high-lighted the social responsibility of each person and government towards children, stating that a society that values children is a “beautiful society”. Immaculate Heart of Mary School shares the vision of Pope Francis for children and dreams of a world where all children are valued and love. That is our vision for our students here at IHM. As a school community, we are willing to work hard and make sacrifices for each child so they know the love of Christ and face a future filled with hope.

Pope Francis “Children Are Never a Mistake.”

IHM School Implements New, Healthier Hot Lunch Program

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Back in 1957, Sue Niemczyk was in the Second Grade at Immaculate Heart of Mary School. That was her

first year at IHM, as Kindergarten and First Grade were not yet offered here. Sue attended through 8th Grade and graduated in 1964. Little did she know that some day she would return to IHM, not as a student, but as a member of the faculty, whom we now know as Mrs. Sue Schumacher. Sue recalls that the class sizes were much larger back then—around 40 or more students per class. At that time, the school building consisted of the original seven class-rooms (now the lower elementary classrooms). The school addition that now holds the office, Marian Hall and middle school classrooms was built when Sue was in the 6th Grade. The principal and teachers were nuns from the School Sis-ters of St. Francis. There was no cafeteria or hot lunch program, so students brought their lunches from home and ate them in their classrooms. Because the students at-tended Mass every morning, they also brought their own breakfast and ate it in school after Mass. Back in the 1950’s, before our current church building was built, the gym served as the church. Sue remembers that the stage served as the sanctuary and contained an elabo-rate, wooden altar. Folding chairs with attached kneelers had to be set up for Mass, then taken down so the students could have gym class. The Holy Eucharist was kept in a tabernacle on an altar in the chapel, which is now the room that serves as the Wraparound/Afterschool room. At that time, Father Jerome Mersberger was the pastor, and there were other priests who served as his associates. Sue also recalls the special outdoor processions on Catholic feast days throughout the year. Sue’s parents, Stanley and Betty Niemczyk, brother Tom and sisters Kate and Melinda, resided in Monona. Her parents were faithful Catholics and members of Immacu-late Heart of Mary. Sue remembers walking or riding her bike to school every day. During the winter, she remem-bers playing on the large piles of snow at the edges of the playground, something the students enjoy even today! Sue fondly recalls singing on the stage (in the gym) in the annual Christmas program. Sister Rosanita, the music teacher, was very special to Sue. She took piano lessons

from Sister Rosanita and loved singing in the choir.

As a student in Middle School, Sue remembers diagramming a LOT of sentences. She also re-members running in races on Track and Field Day on the athletic field. When asked how her Catholic School education at IHM influenced her as an adult, Sue replied that it influenced her in three ways: First, she was very well prepared for High School and col-lege studies because of the rigorous academic preparation she received at IHM. Second, the reverence and faith in God that was instilled in her as a child at IHM is still alive in her today. And lastly, Sue has maintained a strong, en-during friendship—her best friend from Second Grade re-mains her best friend to this day.

Attention IHM Alumni… We would love to hear from you! If you would like to share your story with other IHM School alumni, or if you would like to coordinate alumni events, please send an e-mail to Kathy Marshall at kmarshall@ihmparish.org

IHM teaching assistant shares memories of school years at ihm Your

Stories...

Sue Schumacher with her husband Larry from the 2013 IHM Parish Pictorial Direc-tory. Sue and Larry have 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren.

Mrs. Sue Schumacher assisting students in our After-School program

The Immaculata November 2015 Page 7

Vocations to the Priesthood: Catholic Schools Provide Positive Impact

The number of ordinations to the priesthood in the United States in 2015 was up from 2014 by over 25%. Bishop Michael Burbidge, Chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, reported in a USCCB news release from April 7 2015, “When asked about the positive influences they encountered while dis-cerning the call, those to be ordained responded that the support from their family, parish priest, and Catholic schools ranked high.” Over half of those who re-sponded had attended Catholic elementary school as a child.

Promoting Catholic Vocations at Immaculate Heart of Mary

This summer, we welcomed The Sisters of Mary Morning Star to IHM. The six sisters reside at the IHM convent next to the school. They will be sharing many gifts with our chil-dren, most especially their love for Jesus and their example of faithfulness and prayer. On Wednesday mornings from 8:30 to 9:00, the sisters lead one class of children in Eucharistic adoration in the church. All are invited to come and pray with them.

Before IHM Seminarian Andrew Showers returned to Rome this fall to resume his studies, he took some time to speak to our school students. He is pictured here speaking to the 8th Grade students about the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to the United States, and the canonization of St. Junipero Serra. Andrew plans to skype regularly with the school students throughout the school year.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Sue Keim, pictured here with her 2nd Grade class, is in her 13th year of teaching at IHM School. Sr. Sue’s love for her vocation and for her students is always very apparent in all that she does.

IHM Seminarian Tim Mergen, an alum of IHM School, greets parishioners after Mass. Tim’s summer assignment was here at IHM, where he received hands-on training in parish life, along with assisting Fr. John at Mass and pastoral care. Tim is in the seminary at Mt. St. Mary’s in Em-mitsburg, Maryland.

This past summer, we were very blessed to welcome newly or-dained Fr. Gabriel Lopez Betan-zos to IHM. Fr. Gabriel was assigned to serve here in the po-sition of Parochial Vicar. Fr. Gabriel returned to Rome in mid September to continue his educa-tion, studying Canon Law. We will see him again briefly during Holy Week and Easter.

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School Office: 608-222-8831 Web: www.ihmcatholicschool.org E-mail: secretary@ihm-school.org Parish Office: 608-221-1521 Web: www.ihmcatholicparish.org E-mail: ihmoffice@ihmparish.org

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IHM Winter Gala Recognizes Dedication of Long-Time Parish and School Employees Our 2015 Winter Gala was held on March 1 at the Crowne Plaza in Madison. It was an enjoyable evening of socialization, fine dining, games, a Silent Auction, awards and dancing. Pictured at left below, IHM School teacher Sharon Derks was presented with the Lifetime Service Award by Principal Mary Bartsch. Mrs. Derks has been teaching at IHM School for over 20 years. Pictured below at right, Mrs. Armella Sonn, surrounded by her children, receives the Stewardship of the Year award from IHM Pastor Fr. John Silva, and former IHM Pastor, Fr. Bart Timmerman. Mrs. Sonn has served in many capacities at IHM for over 40 years, within the parish and the school, and she isn’t quite ready to retire yet!

For more information or to reserve your seat, please call

Ivonne Blahnik at the parish office—608-221-1521, ext. 309.