Marian Magazine - Marian High School

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18 and forming one’s own opinions. These skills have become more essential as technology provides greater access to information and not all is of academic quality. As extensions of the social studies texts, Marian’s social studies department subscribes to invaluable academic databases, which give students access to quality literature. In addition to college prep courses, students have the opportunity to take advanced placement or dual enrollment in European History and American Government. The dual enrollment coursework must match the syllabus at the accrediting institution and the instructor must be sanctioned. In addition to dual enrollment in social studies, Marian offers eight other dual enrollment courses in the areas of science, English, world languages and visual arts. At all levels, the social studies texts themselves encourage accelerated learning. All of the texts used are above grade level. By senior year, college prep students are reading texts designed for use in college. Within the honors program, the freshmen and sophomores use AP-labeled texts. The grade level and reading level for these is 13-plus grades. Marian’s program stacks up. The national average for AP American Government exams is 12% scoring at the highest level of 5. At Marian it’s 33%. Another 33% at Marian scored a 4, while nationally, those scoring a 4 was 13%. In addition the curriculum strives to give young people a variety of experiences that present various aspects of life. For example, the Growing on the Plains intergenerational life story project or field trips to the East Omaha correctional facility all encourage a broader perspective. Marian attracts very high caliber students and the particular environment fosters an attitude of achievement. According to Tom Baker, Social Studies Department chair, there is a positive competitiveness at Marian. “That’s where the Servite mission comes in: ‘We will try to outdo you, but not in the sense that it causes you harm.’ The girls are not satisfied with mediocre. Even a simple assignment is given 110%.” Peyton Horacek ‘13 The excitement of learning with my students makes each day worthwhile. They challenge me with their journey to understanding…They are willing to tackle any idea that I throw at them no matter how abstract. They make the final assignment better with their input and final production. - Tom Baker Religion At Marian, students have the opportunity to experience their faith both inside and outside of the classroom. The curriculum has both an academic component, the information, and a faith component, a personal experience. Within the Religion Department students have three avenues to explore and experience their faith – theology, service and spirituality. The theology is guided by the United States Catholic Bishops guidelines for religious education for high school. The students begin with the concrete study of the scriptures as freshmen and Church study as sophomores. By junior year they have evolved as more abstract thinkers – and are ready to tackle the issues of morality. By senior year they are capable of an applied faith approach; they spend a semester studying world religions to discover how others live their faith. Finally, they study how we as Catholics live out our faith through the sacraments.
Serving the community is an integral part of the spiritual foundation at Marian. Surprisingly, service hours are not required. According to Greg Golka, head of the Religion Department, “We see service as a logical consequence of faith development as well as a tool for faith development. All we have to do is encourage our students to give back to the community and set up opportunities for them to do so, and the students run with it… As it is, our students currently go way above and beyond any number of hours served than we might set…I believe that flows from the Servite tradition and core values.” Spirituality is a part of the Marian experience and crosses the curriculum. Each day at Marian begins with prayer, and students are given many opportunities to lead prayer. In addition, there is a monthly all-school liturgy that coincides with important Catholic holy days or with events significant to Marian. Class retreats are offered each year to provide students an opportunity to reflect personally on their relationship with God and with others, to witness and share faith, and to learn about and experience prayer. When girls consistently offer their best in all arenas, excellence thrives. Excellence is not an elective at Marian – it’s an integral part of its mission. Excellence at Marian means doing the best you can,” says Golka. “Sometimes doing your best may not mean a state championship or an ‘A,’ but one can expect no more than your best…We celebrate the successes, we offer support during times when the best was not enough, and we walk with each other during the effort. That’s what sets Marian apart as a school of excellence.” “Sometimes doing your best may not mean a state championship or an “A,” but one can expect no more than your best… - Greg Golka From All Girl School to Male Dominant Career What’s it like to leave Marian and enter an environment where, as a woman, you are in the minority? I called the Kelly house to visit with Sheila Kelly ’08, a civil engineering major at Iowa State University. Sheila spent her summer in Chicago for the summer working as an engineering intern at a nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Rosemary ‘09 stayed home, she just completed her first year as an environmental sciences major at Notre Dame. What’s it like to be a girl in a male dominant field? Rosemary – At Notre Dame, the sciences in general are more male dominated…Sometimes it seemed like it’s always boys who are at the board for chem tutorials. But there are also some girl whizzes and that’s cool! Sheila – At Iowa State in the engineering program, the ratio of men to women is 7:1. As a woman, you’re definitely in the lime light, whether you want to be or not. I feel like there are a lot of advantages…But I’ve learned what’s really important is not whether you are a male or female, but if you’re asking the right questions. How well do you feel Marian prepared you for college? Rosemary- I had no problems with writing, reading or assignments. Actually, calc was my easy class because Mrs. Baker and Mr. Wright had prepared me so well. Marian gave me the confidence to succeed in any field. Notre Dame is the type of place where people want to show they know everything. A big part of my ability to adapt easily was my willingness to ask questions and make mistakes - I credit Marian with that. Sheila – At Marian, we were not taught to be “sit-in-the-back-row” kind of girls. We were taught to be “front row” girls! The teachers were always sending you in the right direction. There was a big push for math and science, and I appreciate that. How do you think Marian influenced who you’ve become? Rosemary – By being a leader. Marian empowered me to lead in any environment – male dominant or not. Leaving Marian made me realize how awesome Marian is. It’s a place where you can do anything – there is no ceiling. It has given me confidence to speak out and to ask and answer questions. Sheila – I received a really good moral compass at Marian. There were such good role models. In junior year morality, Mrs. Tocco led hard discussions. She encouraged us to argue…that was really challenging. And of course, retreats were a Marian staple – they were big faith and friend experiences… I’m just 100% Marian girl through and through! 19
Page 1 and 2: Winter 2010 Marian Magazine Empower
Page 3 and 4: In this issue: Letter from Head of
Page 5 and 6: Leadership Marian’s Mission Comes
Page 7 and 8: Marian Named Dominant Dynasty On Se
Page 9 and 10: Nicole Methven ‘12 Empowered Lead
Page 11 and 12: Washington D.C. FBI Headquarters an
Page 13 and 14: In a speech addressing the student
Page 15 and 16: Excellence is Not an Elective By Su
Page 17: Senior Brittney DeWitt on experienc
Page 21 and 22: S e u s s ” • J u n i o r s ,
Page 23 and 24: Advancing the Mission of Marian The
Page 25 and 26: Marian Students “Walkin’ On Sun
Page 27 and 28: 2009-2010 Annual Fund Success Thank
Page 29 and 30: Marian’s Spotlight on Our Future
Page 31 and 32: Reunions are a very important compo
Page 33 and 34: Mary Mayberger Ambrose ‘78 Amelia
Page 35 and 36: Marian Legacy Joan Johnson McGill
Page 37 and 38: Nancy Ricceri Major ’72 was a cal
Page 39 and 40: Sarah Wemhoff ’98 married Joe Str
Page 41 and 42: Debbie Becker Stalnaker ’95 and h
Page 43 and 44: Anthony David, father of Christine

Marian Magazine - Marian High School

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