Heartbeat

By Principal Bob Hamm

Spring is arriving very quickly, and with it comes an increase in activities, both for children and for adults. Perhaps this is a good time to sit back and take a good look at our children and at our children under pressure.  Johnny's parents first suspected that they had a family problem when a note from the teacher came home about his declining grades and poor school performance. Angry at first, then puzzled, they searched for clues to his changed school attitude. He had always been a good student. He  made A's and B's. He seemed to like school; he approached each day with enthusiasm and interest. When had all this changed?

As many thoughts crossed their minds they first considered a visual problem, but their family physician ruled this out. Rationalizing that everyone gets a bad teacher at some point, they decided that the teacher was the cause of the problem. A conference with both the principal and the teacher convinced them this was not true.  They noticed that Johnny complained of frequent headaches and minor digestive problems. He surprised them with the news that he wanted to quit playing Little League. This was baffling, as he had always loved baseball.  When Johnny awoke one morning with bald patches on his head, they realized he had pulled his hair out during the night. Their concern quickly elevated.

Johnny was taken to the family doctor for a physical exam. During the visit, they were provided with the explanation that stress was the primary source of Johnny's problems. Determined to help their son, they reviewed their lives and lifestyles. They had never considered the fact that children suffer from stress and certainly had not been aware that they were the cause of most of Johnny's stress. Viewing the matter objectively, they realized that parents see their children as the ideals of all their unfulfilled goals, hopes and dreams.

One of the greatest sources of Johnny's stress was the pressure of his parents to excel in school. A's and B's weren't good enough anymore. Straight A's were expected. Little League, which should have been a time for relaxation, fun, and good sportsmanship became so competitive it lost its appeal. Johnny had little interest or talent in music. They dreamed of perfect piano recitals and demanded long hours of practice. Johnny retreated to the world of make believe television because it gave him a chance to relax.  Fortunately Johnny's parents came to grips with the matter before it was too late. They began to monitor the number of structured activities for themselves and for their son. They set limits on the amount of time committed to competition. They encouraged Johnny to invite friends over for play. They set aside time each week for a family conference. They tried to find a hobby of interest to all family members. They talked about the joy of learning for the sake of learning. They agreed that winning is wonderful, but losing isn't the end of the world. They learned to accept less than perfection in many areas of life, and learned that accepting this constitutes the ingredients of a healthy outlook on life.

Johnny, through the help of his parents, learned that stress is part of our lives. Accepting it and reacting to it makes all the difference.

Take time to evaluate your situation with your child. Let your child enjoy being a child. YOU can make it happen!

The Principal's Advisory Commission of Sacred Heart Academy has as its purpose, to support and implement the philosophy of Sacred Heart Academy and to act in an advisory role to the principal in policy formation and school development. All parents of Sacred Heart Academy students are eligible to apply for membership. Members of the Commission serve for a two-year term. The Principal appoints all members. In order to be considered for membership, parents must complete an application form and return the completed form to the Principal no later than April 18, 2000.
 

To keep you up-to-date on how financing for the new building is progressing, as of the end of February we have collected $136,745.00. This includes money collected from the $200.00 family assessment for this school year, individual donations from school families over and above the $200.00 assessment and donations from parishioners in honor of Msgr. Rhatigan and in memory of Mr. Jack Williams.

We thank all of you for being an active part in financing the new addition to our school. When it is in place next fall, we can all say that we had a part in making it happen.

Thank you to all the families who have actively supported our Stand Up For Kids Lenten project. We hope that all SHA families will become a part of this project to reach out in a special way to the children on the streets in our community.
On April 28-30, Stand Up For Kids counselors will be on the streets of San Diego, trying to reach as many children as possible to let them know about programs for them available through Stand Up For Kids and other agencies in our city.
Stand Up For Kids is counting on SHA students and families to provide the following for this project:

• Socks-preferably tube socks for adults - size 9 and larger
• Underwear-preferably boxers-waist sizes 28,30,32
• Water-personal size plastic bottles
• These items should be brought in on Wednesdays.

TEACHER FEATURE
By Van Thaxton
 

KAREN KOCH 8th Grade Home-Room Teacher and Middle-School Religion and English/Latin Teacher Ms. Koch grew up in the little Southern California beach town of San Clemente. She has two sisters, Kristianne who is 33, a photographer and a sailor and Katie who is 24, married and mother of baby Rose Elizabeth. Ms Koch attended Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School, San Clemente High School and then graduated from the University of San Diego with her bachelorâs degree. Ms. Koch has been teaching for 17 years, the last 6 of which have been at SHA. Before arriving at SHA, she taught at her alma mater, Our Lady of Fatima in San Clemente, at St. Michael Academy in San Diego and at Mater Di High School in Santa Ana. What inspired her to enter the field of education, she says, was a ãgreat 5th grade teacher.ä She also enjoyed creating bulletin boards, something that is no longer a favorite part of teaching for her. Now she gets a great deal of enjoyment in teaching others about religion, a subject near and dear to her heart.  What she likes most about Sacred Heart Academy is the religious and family feeling of the faculty and the kids. Ms. Koch is not married and has no children of her own to boast about. But just ask her about her new baby niece, Rose Elizabeth and her Godchildren· When she is not at school, Ms. Koch enjoys babysitting her Godchildren. She also likes to lift weights, do counted cross stitching, sing at church, sail and travel, something she does not do as often as she would like. However, in the past, Ms. Koch has traveled extensively, thanks in part to her parents and grandparents who are travel agents. When Ms. Koch reads, it is usually the Bible. She is an avid football and baseball fan and she is our resident Green Bay Packerâs fan! Her favorite color is blue and her favorite type of food is Mexican. In addition to her career and strong family life, Ms. Koch has enjoyed volunteering for the past 9 years teaching confirmation at her parish and also working with high school students.

SONIA CALANTROPIO  7th Grade Home-Room Teacher, Middle-School Literature and Math Teacher Shakespeare Festival Coordinator Mrs. Calantropio, more affectionately and easily known as Mrs. Cal, was the younger of two sisters growing up in Glendora California. She attended Cal Poly University in Pomona, with Mrs. Mac, and then attended San Diego State University. Mrs. Cal has been married to her husband, Frank for almost 10 years. Mrs. Cal has been teaching for 9 years, the last three of which have been at Sacred Heart Academy. When asked why she chose a career in teaching, she said this, ãIâve always loved children. This is a career that allows me to help create a better future through the children I teach.ä Before joining the faculty at SHA, Mrs. Cal taught grades 3 ö 8 in various schools. She has also done physical therapy with severely handicapped children in public and Montessori schools. Some of you may have even taken classes from her during the summer at the very popular Arts Academy. What Mrs. Cal likes most about SHA though, is the parental support she gets and, of course, the students. In addition to academic teaching, Mrs. Cal has taught gymnastics and vaulting, which she describes as ãgymnastics on horseback.ä In 1988, she was the U.S. National Champion for vaulting. A year later, she won a bronze medal at the World Championships. Then, in 1990, she took 5th place in the World Equestrian Games. She also participated in demonstration games in the 1984 Olympic Games. Mr. and Mrs. Cal do not have any children but they do have some saltwater fish, which she says, are ãreally, really cool.ä As you might imagine, Mrs. Cal used to have horses and hopes to have some again in the future. As far as extra curricular activities go, there are not may people who could keep up with Mrs. Cal. When she is not at school, Mrs. Cal likes to do ãanything physical.ä She enjoys playing softball and beach volleyball. She likes to roller blade, mountain bike, scuba dive, ski and camp. Her goals are just as vigorous as her activities. One day she hopes to dive at the Great Barrier Reef and climb the pyramids of Egypt. Most importantly, though, her goal is to be a great teacher who makes learning fun. Mrs. Calâs favorites are very much in keeping with what she has told us about her activities. Her favorite color is red (the color of extroversion) and her favorite movie is A League of their Own (about outgoing women who like to have fun). Mrs. Cal loves to read almost anything but especially enjoys scary books by Stephen King and historical fiction books as well (thrill and adventure). Her favorite animals are horses and dolphins (not surprising) and her favorite foods are French Fries, candy, donuts and ice cream (at least she can burn off the calories with all her strenuous activities).  When asked what else we should know about her, Mrs. Cal offered a few more surprises. ãI wrote on the Berlin Wall, I swam with dolphins, and I can hold a handstand for about as long as I want.ä Donât worry, Mrs. Cal, we wonât ask you to test your claim.

KELLIE MARGARETTA MARCARELLI 6th Grade Home-Room Teacher, Middle-School Science and History Teacher Science Fair Coordinator Kelly Margaretta Marcarelli, most fortunately called Mrs. Mac, comes from a family of nine! A self-admitted ãDaddyâs Girlä, she was raised in Tustin California and graduated from Tustin High School. She received her bachelorâs degree at Cal Poly at Pomona (with Mrs. Cal) and her masterâs degree from U.C.L.A. Mrs. Mac has been teaching for 6 years, the last 4 of which have been at SHA. When asked why she chose a career in teaching, Mrs. Mac has this to say, ãI struggled as a student and felt I had the tools to help future students succeed. I also love the middle school students and feel that I can identify with some of their struggles.ä Before joining the staff at SHA, Mrs. Mac taught at St. Ritaâs Catholic School, grades 6, 7 and 8, in science and history. She taught at Pacific Harbor Christian School in Los Angeles, grades 6, 7 and 8 in all subjects and drama. Mrs. Mac also co-directed several shows at the Arts Academy during the summers, with Mrs. Cal and Mrs. Valenti. When asked what she likes most about Sacred Heart Academy, her answer was short and to the point, ãThe Students.ä Also before joining the staff at SHA, Mrs. Mac was a competitive runner for 9 years. She acted in two nationally televised commercials and in one sitcom television show. Mrs. Mac has been married, (happily, she adds) to Ralph Marcarelli for five years. They have no children but they do have a small, furry, four-legged whiskered, purring ãkidä named Sebastian, named after a Shakespearean character in Two Gentlemen of Verona and also the crab in the Little Mermaid. When Mrs. Mac is not at school, she enjoys playing softball and volleyball. She also likes to grab her surfboard and ãhang tenä (do they still say that?). Mrs. Mac also takes her mother, who is paralyzed, to the movies every week, an outing they both enjoy and look forward to. Mrs. Macâs all time favorite book is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Her favorite color is green and her favorite foods are tostados and sanorias. As far as movies, anything action packed will get her attention. Her favorite sports are in track and field and her favorite animal is the cat, more specifically, Sebastian (he hopes). Other favorites are Cold Stone ice cream, chocolate and watching her husband, Ralph, hit home runs on their softball team. When asked if there was anything else that she wanted us to know about her she said this, ãI talk to God out loud in my car. I love time alone so I can dance and sing around my house.ä

CAROL LUZ Education Assistant, Grades 6, 7, 8 Mrs. Luz, the youngest of three siblings, grew up in Point Loma in a large extended family. Both her older brother and sister still live in the area as does her mother and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. During the years, Mrs. Luz has lived in two houses; that is, only two house during her entire life. The first home she occupied was the home she was raised in by her parents and the second home, which she now shares with her own family is a 75 year old home which originally belonged to her grandparents. ãAs you can see, I donât like change in my life!ä she says. Mrs. Luz has been married to local boy, Donald Luz, for 17 years. Though she did not know him growing up, their dads were friends through the fishing industry. Mrs. Luz says that the uniting of their two families through marriage probably linked half of the Point Loma Portuguese community into one family. Carol and Donald have two children, daughter Rachelle, a SHA alumni and now 16 year old sophomore at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and son Ryan, a Sacred Heart 8th grader and soon-to-be freshman at St. Augustine High School. Mrs. Luz attended Cabrillo Elementary School, Dana Junior High School and Point Loma High School. Later, she studied at Business College in training to be a medical office manager. Before joining the staff at SHA, Mrs. Luz was the office manager for Dr. McCord, a local pediatrician. She was also a nanny for a Point Loma family. After she married and had children of her own, she ran a day care operation at her uncleâs company and also started a day care in her own home. When her children entered school at SHA, Mrs. Luz was an active volunteer. In fact, she was asked if she wanted a (paying) job at SHA by one of the teachers because she was at school volunteering all the time anyway. Hence, her career as a teacherâs aid began. ãI have always loved working with children. I love watching them grow and learn and it is always fun to see and hear the funny things they do and say.ä At Sacred Heart, Mrs. Luz has assisted in grades 1, 6, 7, and 8. She says, ãIt is interesting to see the differences in working with 1st graders and middle school kids. It is sometimes challenging, and never dull.ä What does she like most about SHA? ãThere is so much love here! I love the dedication of the staff and families. I couldnât ask for a better group of teachers to work with. SHA reminds me of when I was a child in school in a wonderful small community where everyone knows each other. My children and I have always felt very safe here.ä Mrs. Luz goes on, ãI went to school with many of the parents whose children are here now, I also have many of my own family membersâ children who go to school here tooä. Mrs. Luz says that SHA is a wonderful place to work and she has no plans to leave us when Ryan graduates and moves on. When she has the time, Mrs. Luz loves to garden, sew and do various arts and crafts. She also loves to shop for antiques and attend her sonâs sporting events and shop with her daughter. Her goals are in keeping with her interests. She hopes to find more time to pursue her crafts and to raise her children to be happy, healthy adults. If she can find the time, she would like to work on her 75 year-old house and walk more for exercise. Her favorite color is blue (her house is almost all blue, inside and out), her favorite foods are seafood, Mexican food and all desserts, and her favorite sport is whatever Ryan is playing at the moment. Mrs. Luz has a pet rabbit named Biscotti and she loves to collect rabbits and rabbit-related things. Her favorite reading is anything inspirational (especially Chicken Soup for the Soul books) and anything craft-related. She enjoys romantic movies and also old movies. She also collects old things such as dishes, quilts, dolls, fabric and other antiques. In closing, Mrs. Luz would like to leave us with this.ã I feel we have the most wonderful kids from the area here at SHA. They are respectful and kind and show that they care so much for each other. I love being part of SHA. I feel that it is a second home to me.ä