Grand Island St. Stephen School

St. Stephen School News Page
2000-2005
School Website
St. Stephen Family School Association
President Bill Ortiz

St. Stephen School News 2006

St. Stephen School Open House
      St. Stephen School Registration - 2006
    St. Stephen School's Open House and Science Fair will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2006 to celebrate the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. The school will be open from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be served in the cafeteria. Come and see St. Stephen's School: "Character, Compassion, Values." Everyone is welcome.
Registration News:
   St. Stephen School will begin to accept open registration for grades Pre-K through 8th on Sunday, January 29, 2006. To be eligible for Pre-K, the child must be four by October 1st of that year and for Kindergarten the child must be five by December 1st of that year. The following documentation is needed for registration:
NON-PARISHIONER - $70.00 per child
PARISHIONER
Registration fee
one child: $70.00
2 children: $125.00
3 or more children: $145.00
• Birth Certificate
• Immunization Certificate
• Baptismal Certificate
   These documents are mandatory for your child to be registered and there will be no exceptions.
   There are also forms to be filled out in the school office, which will be handed to you when you register.

St. Stephen's Carnival Set for February 4 - 2006
   Come For A Day Of Fun - St. Stephen’s Family School Association is sponsoring a Carnival Day from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2006. The event will feature a bounce house, games, prizes, face painting, food, drinks and fun for all. Admission is free. Tickets for games will be available at the door and all are welcome. "Come see what a great school St. Stephen's is," Carnival chairman Bill Ortiz said this week.

St. Stephen’s Mission Club - December 2005

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   The St. Stephen’s Mission Club enjoyed a visit from David LaDuca on December 13, 2005. David is a missionary for the Franciscan Mission Service in Guatemala. His mission is to teach English to middle school students. Beth LaDuca also works with the 5- and 6-year-old students learning English. They have a young son, Philip, who is enjoying his visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the holidays. The program ended with a short Christmas treat. "We wish the LaDuca family continued success in their mission to help others throughout our world," a spokesman for the Mission Club said this week.

St. Stephen School 8th Grade Presents Gift To Church - 2005

St. Stephen School 8th grade students Adrian Tanguay, Jeremy Figler and Gabriella Ortiz with Father Paul Nogaro
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   Normally at the end of each school year, the students in the 8th grade class at St. Stephen School give a donation to the St. Stephen’s parish. In the past, they have given Bibles, children’s videos for the church library, and money towards the parish debt reduction.
   This year, they presented their gift to Father Paul early. Over the summer, the 8th grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Carol Buchholz and her daughter, Lisa, spent over two weeks in Italy. While in the town of Assisi, Mrs. Buchholz found the “perfect gift” for her class to give the Parish.
   So at a recent school liturgy, the 8th graders presented Father Paul with a mosaic chalice and ciborium from the town where St. Francis carried out his mission of faith and service. Father Paul accepted the gift and promised to use the chalice and ciborium at all school masses in the future, allowing the 8th grade class to see their gift in use all year long.

St. Stephen’s Students Enjoy Toe Tappin' Blues - 2005

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   Rhythm tap artist, Jimmy Tate, and Buffalo Blues musician, Rodney Appleby, recently performed to the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes of St. Stephen’s School on Tuesday, December 6, 2005. The performance culminated a series of presentations made to each class over the past few months. The students have learned about the relationship between the sound of ”The Blues” and the tapping sound of dance. Fourth grade tap dancers joined the artists in a dance routine. The whole audience participated in a tap routine and enjoyed “tapping the Blues” with the visiting artists. Toe Tappin’ Blues is a performance that is part tap choreography and Blues musical composition.

St. Stephen’s Students Visit Becker Farms - 2005

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   November 2005 . . .St. Stephen’s Pre-k, kindergarten, first, and 2nd grade students enjoyed a field trip to Becker Farms. Pictured are kindergarten students Michael and Joseph Pappano. They carefully selected just the right pumpkin.

St. Stephen School First Quarter Honor Roll - November 2005
Grade 3: Miss Jennifer O’Loughlin
1st Honors: Michael Bobak, Nathan Ciffa, Nicholas Colan, Justin Figler, Luke McConnaghy, Nicholas Ortiz, Griffin Stone
2nd Honors: Mathew Balette, Colin Carey, Quinn Carey, Gabriella Congi, Brandon Costolnick, Anna DeMartin, Jacob Frosolone, Zoanne Gebhard, Alanna Mergel, Robert Nappo, Justin Palamuso, Zachary Penrose, Jessica Pontrello, John Sosnowski, Alexandra Sponn

Grade 4: Mrs. Ann Samplinski
1st Honors: Bridget Cauley, Carleen Conway, Quinton Corrao, Kara Hazelet, Julia Kelly, Alex Kovacs
2nd Honors: Marielle Buffamonte, Peter Chopra, Hannah Corrao, Kristin Kalman, Molly Meka, Nicholas Panepinto, Zoe Reda, Timothy Utz, Stephanie Voyzey, Kathleen White

Grade 5: Mrs. Jennifer Hoplight
1st Honors: Stephanie Neville, Erin McConnaghy, Chris Komin, Ashley Colan, Bethany Balette, Alan Wopperer
2nd Honors: Alyssa Pizzuti, Grace Olszewski, Lura Mazurek, Jeremy Lazatin, James Gallagher, Amber Carroll, Alec Buffamonte

Grade 6: Miss Sarah Lazewski
1st Honors: Katie Bierbrauer, Alex DeRosa
2nd Honors: Ariana Alizadeh, Emily Cardullo, Seth Carey, David Conboy, Emilie Kovacs, Rebecca Meyer, Jenna Saltzman, Jackie Sosnowski, Brendan Stone, Jonathan Voyzey

Grade 7: Mrs. Laurel Gibbs
1st Honors: Justine Lazatin
2nd Honors: Brian Bobak, Brennan Carey, Kevin Gibas, Joseph Piazza, Heather Smith, Catherine Sponn

Grade 8: Mrs. Carol Buchholz
1st Honors: Alexandra House, Sarah Neville, Mary Scherrer
2nd Honors: Evan Carey, Reba Conway, Jeremy Figler, Michael Mucci, Thomas Ray, Amanda Stessing, Adrian Tanguay

St. Stephen School Students Visit School House At Kelly's Country Store - 2005

Click for "larger student group photo"
   St. Stephen School students stepped back in time during a recent visit to Kelly’s Red Schoolhouse. The fourth grade class of Mrs. Samplinski and the fifth graders of Mrs. Hoplight dressed in period clothing of the 1800’s and packed lunches similar to students who would have attended the former School #5 located first on West River and later on Bush at Baseline roads.
   Students enjoyed an earlier visit from Mrs. Samplinski’s mother, Mrs. Dorothy Baker, who told what it was like to attend school in one room. Mrs. Baker explained how students would walk a mile each day to school. She told of field trips to neighboring schools for spelling bees.
   St. Stephen students enjoyed a day of geography, map skills, history, math, and a leaf craft project. The students took a tour of the candy production being prepared for the holiday season at Kelly's Country Store. An opportunity to make choices of the candy selections found at the store made the day conclude with a “sweet” memory.
   The classes were honored to be among the first classes to take an all day field trip to Kelly’s Red School House. "There are many useful lesson ideas on the grounds of this school for students of all grades and subjects. We look forward to our next trip to the school house," a St. Stephen School spokesman said this week.

St. Stephen School Receives Grant For Misplaced Students From Hurricane Katrina Disaster - October 2005
St. Stephen’s School is the recipient of a grant from the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo to pay the tuition and fees of five students removed from Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. Click for Buffalo News Story.

School Supplies, Book Bags Collected by St. Stephen Students - 2004

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The Mission Club of St. Stephen’s School has been collecting new and used school supplies and book bags. The school bags were filled with supplies donated by the students and are being donated to The Kid’s Café of the Niagara Falls Community Missions. The thirty-six school bags will be distributed at their after-school tutorial program. The generosity of the students of St. Stephen’s School was very much appreciated.

St. Stephen Art Projects Displayed At Grand Island Library - 2005

Artwork by the fifth and sixth grade students at St. Stephen School is on display at the Grand Island Memorial Library on Bedell Road. Next time you stop in to visit the Library, make sure you check out the display cases in the foyer. The students did a wonderful job creating sculpture out of styrofoam.

Attention Seniors! - July 2005
   St. Stephen’s School would like to partner with the Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by Catholic Charities for this upcoming school year. This program is for seniors 60 years and over. The seniors will volunteer at St. Stephen’s School to work with the children. Volunteers are expected to work a minimum of 15 hours per week, and they will receive a modest stipend for their time.
   This program is a win-win situation. The children love the extra attention and help from the “grandparents,” and the “grandparents” love being a part of the school activities. The greatest reward is the special bonding that is shared by “grandparent” and child.
   Those interested in this program are asked to call Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent Program at 856-4494 and request St. Stephen’s School. "We would love to have you join our school family!" a school spokesman said this week.

St. Stephen School 4th Quarter Honor Roll - 2005
Click for Click St. Stephen School 4th Quarter Honor Roll.

St. Stephen Student Thomas Ray Takes 2nd In Memorial Day Essay Contest - 2005

St. Stephen School 7th grader Thomas Ray won second place for his essay titled "What Is a Veteran?" in a contest sponsored by the Niagara Falls Memorial Day Parade Association. Thomas received a $50 check, a certificate, and he rode in the Marine Corps League float for the May 2005 Memorial Day Parade. First place winner was a high school senior.

Anthony Yarussi, St. Stephen School Essay Winner - 2005

Anthony Yarussi, a fourth grade student at St. Stephen School, received first place in the Division Two of the SPCA School Contest for Humane Posters and Creative Writing. Division Two consisted of students from grades three and four. The composition topic focused on the duties a responsible citizen should have to make for the community to be a safer place for all living creatures. Anthony’s essay focused on stopping pollution, setting up wildlife preserves and shelters, and stopping animal abuse. Anthony will be honored at a reception at the SPCA.

St. Stephen Student Wins First Place In Essay Contest - Letters From Home - 2005

June 3, 2005 . . Alexandra House from St. Stephen School won first place in an essay contest sponsored by the Erie County American Legion. Alexandra's essay was based on the theme, “My Letter to a Person in the Armed Forces.” She will be honored at the Erie County American Legion Convention in June 2005, and her essay will be entered in the State competition.

St. Stephen Students' Poetry Chosen - 2005

The Young American Poetry Digest has selected the following St. Stephen School students' poems to be to be published in its latest edition:
• Grade 3: Bridget Cauley, Kara Hazelet
• Grade 4: Bethany Balette, Erin McConnaghy, Amanda Bruno, Anthony Yarussi
• Grade 5: Katie Bierbrauer, Emily Cadullo, Jenna Saltzman, Meggie White
• Grade 6: Anna Playfair, Justin Lazatin, Kevin Gibas, Catherine Sponn
• Grade7: Michael Mucci, Alexandra House, Jeremy Figler
• Grade 8: Sarah LeFevre

St. Stephen School Honor Roll - April 2005
For the St. Stephen School 3rd quarter honor roll, click for April 2005 Honor Roll".

St. Stephen School Students Compete In Annual 7th Grade Math Competition - 2005

St. Stephen School students (left front) Alex House, Sarah Neville and Amanda Stessing; (back) Jessica Manning, Thomas Ray, Nicholas Alizadeh, and Mary Scherrer made up the St. Stephen School 7th grade math team.
St. Stephen School seventh grade students participated in the annual math contest for seventh graders held Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute. The contest consisted of problems requiring ordinary arithmetic and simple geometry knowledge that were a challenge for the students. Approximately 280 students from Western New York schools participate each year. This year's team members are Alex House, Sarah Neville (Honorable Mention), Amanda Stessing, Jessica Manning, Thomas Ray, Nicholas Alizadeh, and Mary Scherrer.

St. Stephen's Welcomes Luis! - 2005

   The people of Western New York love to give in many ways, and recently had the opportunity to meet one who is being helped by their willingness to share. One of the Stella Niagara Medical Mission teams went to Palenque, Chiapas in Mexico to serve the poor in that needy community. They met a boy, Luis Felipe Gomez Penate, who was born with his bladder outside his body, requiring special surgery. The Mission team made arrangements with a Buffalo area surgeon and anesthesiologist who volunteered to perform the surgery April 6, 2005, and Kaleida Health will donate 100% of the cost of his stay at Women's and Children's Hospital. Luis had a 13-hour surgery that corrected all problems.
   Luis and his mother, Margarita, arrived here where they were hosted by a Lewiston family who have opened the doors of their home.
   The St. Stephen School Mission Club has been working to send much needed vitamins to those in need through the Stella Niagara Medical Mission. Sister Beth, Mrs. Samplinski, and Miss Fusco arranged for Luis and his mother to come to St Stephen School to meet the children there, and give the children a chance to speak directly to someone for whom they have prayer and worked in the Mission Club. With Sister Beth as interpreter, the children asked many questions, and learned a lot about this special boy and life in Mexico.

Student Body Plays Bingo at St. Stephen School - 2005

Bingo "givers and Winners" were highlighted on Friday, February 4, 2005 as the entire student body participated in Bingo. The winners received large size packs of their favorite candy.

Outstanding Year For St. Stephen's Eagles Girls Varsity Basketball Team - 2005

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St Stephen Girls Varsity Basketball Team stocked up the school's prize display this year, adding four more trophies for their athletic performance. Team members shown front left are Abigail Engert, Amanda Stessing, Alexandra Avery, Emily Englert and Alexis Raepple; (back) Gabriella Ortiz, Sarah Neville, Jessica Manning, Reba Conboy, and Mary Scherrer.
The St. Stephen's Eagles Girls Varsity Basketball Team had an outstanding 2004-2005 season, bringing home many wins, including numerous tournament trophies. Demonstrating persweverance and poise throughout the regular season, they built a perfert 12-0 record that crowned them the Niagara Parochial League 2005 champions. The team, comprised of seventh and eighth grade girls, also earned victories outside of regular season play. They won the 2004 Niagara Parochial Preseason Tourney at the beginning of the year and were triumphant at the 2005 Niagara Parochial Tournament at the end of the year. The girls also placed well at the 21st Annual Mount St. Mary Academy Invitational. Congratulations to the entire team and also to coaches Mr. Brendan Conway and Mr. Patrick Neville for a fantastic job!

St. Stephen Student Wins Poster Contest - 2005

Congratulation to John Paul Bobak, a kindergartner at St. Stephen School on winning the Buffalo Home & Garden Show Children's Dream Room Poster Contest for the kindergarden division! John Paul, whose drawing was on display at the Home Show, received a $50 certificate to the Galleria Mall, three home show tickets, and a one-day family pass to the Buffalo Zoo. His class will also receive admission to the Museum of Science, and each child will receive a free combo meal from Wendy's. A special thank you to his art teacher Mrs. Sue Mann, for helping John-Paul with this project.

St. Stephen Carnival - 2005

Carnival Day, sponsored by the St. Stephen’s Family School Association, was held Saturday Feb 5, 2005. The day featured The event will feature games, prizes, face painting, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all. br>

St. Stephen's Carnival Set for February 5 - 2005
   Come For A Day Of Fun - St. Stephen’s Family School Association is sponsoring a Carnival Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 5, 2005. The event will feature games, prizes, face painting, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all. Tickets are available at the door and all are welcome.

Lenten Fish Fry Offered at St. Stephen School - 2005
   The St. Stephen Lenten fish fry begins February 11, 2005 and will run each Friday through March 18th. Dinners are served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with early bird admission for senior citizens beginning at 4:30 p.m. Dinners include fried or broiled haddock, shrimp, scallops, French fries, and homemade potato salad and desserts. Discount dinners for seniors. Take out menu available from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. by calling 773-4347.
   The St. Stephen's Fish Fry coordinators are Rosanne Panzica and Patty Avery. Due to the participation of so many dedicated and enthusiastic workers (consisting mainly of the school's parents, but this also includes the current 8th grade class, relatives, parishioners, and past students), the St. Stephen's fish fry is a greatly anticipated community event as well as a way to raise money for the school.

Blessing Of the Throats At St. Stephen - 2005

Father Paul Nogaro offered the traditional Blessing of the Throats to the children of St. Stephen School on the Feast of St. Blaise, February 3, 2005.

Below are Previous Articles - 2001-2004

St. Stephen Carnival Huge Success - 2004

(left) Jayce Claus, who turns three next week, gets in on the action as he tosses spiders into the cans to win a prize ticket at the Carnival. Ava Jackson tries her luck at the fish bowls in an attempt to win gold fish her and her sister.
Fred Claus Photos
The annual Carnival Day event sponsored by the St. Stephen Home School Association drew a huge crowd on Saturday, January 31, 2004. Kids of all ages enjoyed trying their luck at the games in hopes of winning prizes.

2005 St. Stephen School Scholarship Winners - Feb. 2005

Shown front left: Lauren Kaleta, Meredith Stone, Emily Englert, and Sarah Le Fevre; (back) Jacob Paszkiewicz, Nathan Hamm, Sam Whopperer, Ryan White and Matt Hazelet
Congratulations to St. Stephen School Scholarship winners from the Class of 2005. Over one third of the class earned scholarships. They are:
• Jacob Paszkiewicz - St. Joseph's Academic Merit Scholarship
• Nathan Hamm - Canisius, St. Francis Xavier Quarter Scholarship and Academy Merit Scholarship
• Sam Whopperer - Canisius - CHS
• Ryan White - Canisius, St. Peter Canisius Scholarship, St. Joseph's and Academic Achievement
• Matt Hazelet - St .Joseph, Academy, President's Scholarship, Canisius, CHS Presidential Scholarship
• Lauren - Kaleta, Holy Angels Academy, High Academic Achievement Award
• Meredith Stone - Nardin Academy, President's Scholarship Award
• Emily Englert - Holy Angels Academy, High Academic Achievement Award
• Sarah Le Fevre - Holy Angels Academy, High Academic Achievement Award

Students, Staff Celebrate Catholic School Week - 2005

St. Stephen School children and staff marked the celebration of Catholic Schools Week with many special activities that included Mini-Olympics, keeping with the theme of the day, "Strengths." K-8 grade students competed together as teams, through various obstacle courses and challenges. While everyone had a great time, this year the Red team took home "bragging right."

Karaoke at St. Stephen School - Feb. 2005

Karaoke - Wednesday's theme "Performance" brought out the best in St. Stephen School students as many showed their ability to perform before an audience. Grade 5 led a Karaoke show which featured many classic hits. Pictured singers are (left) Jenna Saltzman, Kathryn Bierbrauer, Emilie Kovacs and Margaret White.

St. Stephen School Holds Dress Down Day For Leukemia - 2005

St. Stephen School children recently participated in a Dress Down Day for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Children in grades pre-kindergarten through 8th grade raised funds toward this worthy cause. The money raised was added to donations being collected by Emily Rallo who will be running a marathon at Walt Disney World dedicated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's goal of finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. Shown front left are Pavel Galenza, Emily Rallo, Adam Frosolone and Catherine Merletti; (back) Jamie Raepple and Alexandria Avery.

Catholic Schools Week at St. Stephen School - 2005

Creativity, cooperation, and community were found in the third fourth grade classes of Miss O'Laughlin and Mrs. Samplinski at St. Stephen's School during the celebration of Catholic Schools Week, January 30-February 5, 2005. Students individualized "huts" made from wood and cardboard to reflect their personalities. In celebration of the completion of the project, the students enjoyed sharing their lunch inside the "huts." Younger students will be treated to a special reading time in their "huts" by the third and fourth graders in the days to come.

St. Stephen School Mission Club - Jan. 2005

The Mission Club of St. Stephen School has completed its January 2005 project of collecting food for St. Luke's Mission of Mercy. The students and Grand Island Neighbors Foundation donated two pick-up truck loads of canned and dried foods for the mission's pantry. The Mission of St. Luke prepares 300 meals twice daily and donates over 500 bags of food monthly to persons in need. The St. Stephen School Mission Club thanks everyone for their generous support to St.Luuke's Mission.

St. Stephen's Carnival Set for January 31 - 2004
The annual Carnival Day sponsored by the St. Stephen's Home School Association will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2004 in the school, 2080 Baseline Road. Featured will be games, prizes, face painting, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all. Tickets are available at the door and all are welcome.

St. Stephen's Golf Challenge - 2003
   The sixth annual St. Stephen's Golf Challenge at River Oaks Country Club will be held Monday, October 5, 2003. The tournament, which supports St. Stephen School's athletic programs as well as contributes to the expansion and maintenance of the athletic facilities, is sponsored by American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. Co-chairing the event are Karen Figler, Lou Panzica and Karen Conboy.
   The schedule of events for the Golf Tournament which will be an 18 Hole Scramble, follows:
10:30 a.m.
Registration, Lunch & Driving Range
Noon
Shotgun Start
5:30 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
6:30 p.m.
Banquet, Awards Ceremony & Auction
   Sponsor opportunities follow:
$3,500 Partner - American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc.
$2,500 Titanium - Underwrites Dinner Banquet
$2,000 Platinum - Underwrites Evening Reception
$1,000 Gold - Underwrites Lunch
$500 Silver - Underwrites one of several Contests
$100 Bronze - Underwrites Tee, Green or Cart Sign
   A Gold Reservation at $125 includes Golf, Cart, Lunch, Reception and Banquet. (Approx. $50 is tax deductible)
   Reception and Banquet Reservation at $45 entitles attendee to spend the evening with Friends and Supporters of St. Stephens (Approx. $15 is tax deductible). Checks are to be made payable to "St. Stephen's Fund." For further information, call Karen Ludwig-Figler at 773-5254 or Lou Panzica at 773-2578.

Good Time At St. Stephen Carnival - 2003

Fred Claus photos
Saturday's (February 1, 2003) annual Carnival Day at St. Stephen School, Baseline Road, provided fun and lots to do for everyone who attended.

St. Stephen Carnival 2003
St. Stephen School's annual Carnival Day is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, February 1, 2003 in the school at 2080 Baseline Road. Featured will be face painting, games, prizes, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all. Tickets are available at the door and all are welcome.

St. Stephen School Coach Receives Award - 2002

St. Stephen School athletes and Home School Association Presidents Jim and Nancy Attard surprised
Coach Sue Macguire with a cake at Sports Night in honor of her many years of dedication to the school's athletic program.
Mrs. Susan Macguire of Whitehaven Road was presented the St. Sebastian Award at a ceremony held at the Catholic Center in Buffalo. The award recognizes dedicated service to Catholic elementary school athletic programs. Superintendent of Catholic Education Robert Bimonte and Director of Athletics and Physical Education Sister Maria Pares, O.S.F. presented the award.
Mrs. Macguire brought her expertise in the area of basketball to St. Stephen School at both the girls’ junior varsity and varsity level. In addition to coaching girls basketball and softball teams, she also began an after school co-ed basketball and volleyball program. Most recently she served as the school's athletic director overseeing all athletic programs.

St. Stephen JV Girls Are Season Champs - 2002

Shown front (left) are Mary Scherrer, Abby Englert, Amanda Stessing; (middle) Reba Conway, Katie Hillock,
Jessy Manning, Alexis Raepple Back Row: Asst. Coach Pat Neville, Sarah Neville, Courtney Conway,
Molly Hayes, Denise Curcio, Rachel Olszewski, Allison Cornavaca, Megan Hayes, Coach Mike Hayes
The St. Stephen’s Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Team finished as regular season champs in the Niagara Parochial League with an 8-1 record. They also finished the league playoffs in the runner-up position. The JV squad is made up of girls in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades at St. Stephen School. Wins this year came over teams from Stella Niagara, DeSales, North Tonawanda Catholic, St. John de LaSalle and St. Peter’s.

More Carnival Photos - 2002

(Barbi Lare photo)
St. Stephen's Carnival goers were captured on film by Isledegrande.com staff photographer Barbi Lare. Liam McCabe, 10, is sporting the fancy headgear!

Lenten Fish Fry Offered at St. Stephen School
Lenten Fish Fries at St. Stephen School will be served in the cafeteria, 2080 Baseline Road from 5-7 p.m. on Fridays through March 22, 2002 with early bird admission for senior citizens at 4:30 p.m. Take out is available by calling 773-4347.

Fun Day At St. Stephen School Carnival - 2002

(Fred Claus photo)
St. Stephen's Carnival was a day of fun for all. Shown is Sidway School student Rachel Bailey as she sits for a face painting by Jennifer Lombardo.

St. Stephen Carnival 2002
St. Stephen School's annual Carnival Day is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, February 9, 2002 in the school at 2080 Baseline Road. Featured will be face painting, games, prizes, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all. Tickets are available at the door and all are welcome.

St. Stephen's Swimmers Complete Season
Individuals Excel in Post-Season Meets

Click photo for a larger view
St. Stephen's Swim Team 2001: front left: Daniel Mazurek, Andrea DeRosa, Rachel Meyer, Jeremy Figler. Dan Olszewski, Dennis Playfair; 2nd Row: Kevin Gibas, David Conboy, Emilie Kovacs, Molly Meka, Ricky Englert, Ariana Alizadeh, Meggie White, Maura Bobak, Becky Meyer, Brianna Catanzaro, C.J. Englert, Amanda Stessing, Anna Playfair, Grace Olszewski, Lauren Kaleta, Loretta Scherrer, Heather Smith, Conner Godfrey; 3rd row: Brian Bobak, Max Hyland, Tommy Kalman, Patrick White; top: Denise Curcio, Reba Conway, Courtney Conway, Laura Curcio, Alyssa Spada, Molly Hyland, Christian Bobak, MaryBeth Scherrer, John Meka, Thomas Meka, Nick Alizadeh, Vinnie Spada, Rachel Olszewski, Alexis Raepple, Megan Kaleta, Katie Hillock, Karen Hillock, Megan Hayes, Molly Hayes, Michael Playfair. Missing from photo are Jacob Breunig, Jenna Saltzman, Brianna Panzica and Louie Panzica.

   The St. Stephen School Swim Team closed out its 2001 season with a 3-3 record, giving the team a 3rd place finish in Division III of the Neumann Catholic Swim League. Wins were posted over St. Edmund's, Stella Niagara, and St. Peter's. Additionally, St. Stephen's scored a pre-season victory over St. Andrew's. Two of St. Stephen's 3 losses were by margins of less than 10 points. The team's eight-and-under swimmers were outscored in only two meets and captured first place in the division for that age group.
   Individual team members turned in outstanding performances at the league's post-season Championship Meet on November 11 at UB, where they competed with swimmers from all four divisions of the twenty-one team league. Molly Hyland led the team, earning St. Stephen's first ever gold medals in two very competitive events, the nine-and ten-year-old 50 yd. and 100 yd. Freestyle. Additionally, she led her 200 yd. Freestyle Relay team to a 5th place finish and her 200 yd. Medley Relay team to 6th place overall. Also swimming on those relay teams were Thomas Meka, Dennis Playfair, and Alyssa Spada. Spada also took 8th in the 100 yd. IM and 13th in the 50 yd. Butterfly. Meka placed 23rd in the 50 Free and 25th in the 100 Free, while Playfair finished 23rd in both the 100 Free and the 50 yd. Breaststroke.
   In the eight-and-under group, Max Hyland finished 15th in the 25 yd. Breastroke and 16th in the 100 yd. IM, and Ricky Englert took 17th in the 100 IM and 18th in the 25 yd. Butterfly. In the 25 yd. Backstroke, Brianna Catanzaro finished 9th and Kevin Gibas 18th. Also in that age group, The 100 yd. Medley Relay team of Jenna Saltzman, Hyland, Anna Playfair, and Gibas finished 14th and the 100yd. Free Relay team of Englert, Hyland, Gibas, and David Conboy and took 24th place.
   The eleven-and-over age group was led by Megan Kaleta, who finished 8th overall in both the 200 Free and the 200 IM, John Meka, who placed 10th in the 50 yd. Breastroke and 14th in the 50 Free, and Christian Bobak, who finished 17th in the 50 Free and 19th in the 100 Free. The 200 yd. Medley Relay team of Kaleta, Meka, Bobak and Courtney Conway finished 25th.
   Twenty members of the St. Stephen's squad posted times that qualified them to compete in the Neumann League All-Star Meet on November 18 at UB. The eight-and-unders had nine qualifiers--Brianna Catanzaro, David Conboy, Ricky Englert, Kevin Gibas, Max Hyland, Grace Olszewski, Anna Playfair, Jenna Saltzman, and Brian Bobak. Qualifiers from the nine-and-tens were C. J. Englert, Jeremy Figler, Molly Hyland, Thomas Meka, Rachel Meyer, Dennis Playfair and Alyssa Spada. Christian Bobak, Megan Kaleta, John Meka and Michael Playfair qualified from the eleven-and-overs.
   Molly Hyland again led St. Stephen’s in the All-Star Meet, finishing 2nd in both the nine-and-ten 50 yd. and 100 yd. Freestyle, beating her own personal bests set the previous week in both events. Other St. Stephen’s swimmers placing in the top fifteen in their individual events at the All-Stars were: eleven-and-overs Megan Kaleta, 7th in both the 200 Free and 200 IM, and John Meka, 10th in the 50 Breast and 15th in the 50 Free; nine-and-tens Alyssa Spada, 13th in both the 50 Fly and 100 IM, and Dennis Playfair, 13th in the 100 Free; and eight-and-unders Max Hyland, 12th in the 100 IM, and Jenna Saltzman, 15th in the 25 Back. The four eleven-and-over qualifiers combined to take 7th in the 200 Free Relay and 14th in the 200 Medley Relay. Molly Hyland, Thomas Meka, Dennis Playfair and Alyssa Spada finished 7th in the nine-and-ten 200 Free Relay, and Jenna Saltzman, Anna Playfair, Max Hyland, and Kevin Gibas took 11th in the eight-and-under 100 Medley Relay.

St. Stephen School Collects for Red Cross

St. Stephen School's sixth grade students this past weekend collected donations for the American Red Cross to aid the relief efforts at the World Trade Center disaster in NYC. Shown in front of Tops Market are "Mom" Debbi Hayes, Mary Kate Sodoti, Molly Hayes, Kaitlyn Hayes with Supervisor Peter A. McMahon and Nick Sidoti of St. Stephen School. The students raised over $500.

St. Stephen Students Donate Mardi Gras Mask

Shown with the completed Mardi Gras mask is Allison Englert, Katie Gibas, Josal Diebold and Nathan Attard. Missing from the photo is Noelle Orlowski, Meghan Macguire and St. Stephen Art Teacher Mrs. Sue Mann. Students at St. Stephen School helped raise funds for MUDPIES Children's Museum during its "Love of Learning" campaign. The fundraising effort began February 23, 2001 with an event held at the Market Arcade. Decorations for the event were custom designed Mardi Gras masks created by children at area schools and will now become part of the traveling "Magic Masks" exhibit. Several of the masks were auctioned off at the event by Channel 7's Drew Kahn. MUDPIES Children's Museum is an interactive, not-for-profit children's museum chartered with the New York State Department of Education.

St. Stephen School Carnival

(Barbi Lare photos)
The St. Stephen School was a buz of activity on Saturday, February 3, 2001 with all sorts of games, goodies, fun and food available to school students and the general public. Nick Sidoti chaired the event and was the primary balloon man for the day. He is shown with Brianna Panzica, Molly Hayes and Hannah Panzica at the balloon table.

St. Stephen Swimmers End Season 5-1

(Don DeRose photo)
   The St. Stephen School Swim Team completed the 2000 season with a record 5-1 and captured the second place trophy in Division III of the Neumann Catholic Swim League. St. Stephen's 9- and 10-year-old swimmers were undefeated throughout the season, giving them a first place finish for that age group. A school record 25 swimmers qualified to compete in the league's post-season All-Star Meet at UB.
   Swim team members shown are: (front left) T. Gilewicz, A. Stessing, A. Englert, M. Gibas, K. Hillock, C. Englert, A Tanguay, L. McCabe, T. Gilewicz, R. Engert, A. DeRosa, P. White, M. Hyland, D. Olszewski, R. Meyer; (2nd row) A. DeRosa, L. Koller, H. Smith, A. Spada, D. Curcio, B. Panzica, K. Hillock. L. Kaleta, A. Playfair, G. Olszewski. B. McCabe, C. Conway, M. Hayes; (3rd row) D. Playfair, T. Meka, J. Meka, R. Conway, R. Meyer, M. Kaleta, L. Curcio, M. Hyland, R. Olsewski, M. Hayes, M. Macguire, K. Hayes, M. Macguire; (4th row) B. Ruotsi, M. Playfair, C. Bobak, N. Attard, J. Bruning, M. Gallagher, A. Englert, K. Gibas, J. Stoorza, M. Tanguay, S. Pickel, K. DeRose, N. Komin, J. Playfair. Not pictured are T. Wright and M. Bobak.

Carnival Day Coming To St. Stephen School
   Carnival Day sponsored by the Home School Association of St. Stephen School will open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, February 3. All are welcome and tickets are available at the door. The day will feature games, prizes, face painting, balloon animals, refreshments and fun for all.

If you are a member of this organization we need your help. GIECOM.Net has partnered with the Connections program to help Grand Island as a community "Get it Together". Please visit our website G-I-Together.ORG and fill out our SURVEY. Every group on Grand Island will have its own FREE webpage, listing: meeting times location, contact persons, your Mission Statement and a listing of events. We will also be linking your news events that appear in the local media and on IsledeGrande.Com, Grand Island's E-News Source, to your page, maintaining an archived journal of pictures and news. This is the perfect opportunity for your group to connect with potential new members and the community.