Springtime at SMA

Hello Readers

It is spring and the weather is as crazy as ever. The sun, rain, and clouds continue on a sporadic rotation every week. It’s wild. Within the past month, I have officially decided to attend Tulane University in the fall, so I am expecting much warmer weather next year. This month has definitely been dominated by making plans for a future, which is something the senior class can relate to. We’re planning our housing, classes, and overall futures. There is also a lot of online shopping, which is always fun. 

Also this month was the tennis sleepover. Often times, SMA sports team have team bonding activities during the season to work on teamwork and grow closer as a group of athletes. This year, we had a sleepover at one of the captain’s houses. We ate lots of food and watched movies. The next morning, a few of us went to Wilson and one of our teammates “promposed” to a German foreign exchange student. That’s another fun dance that is coming up next weekend, so I will write more about that in the next blogpost.

Fourth quarter is going by so quickly! Here is a short update on what I am doing in my classes:

Biology: hereditary unit

Calculus: study for the AP test

English: reading “Song of Solomon”

Chemistry: study for the AP test, working on electrochemistry 

History: studying industrialization in modern Europe

Psychology: watching “Ordinary People,” and studying emotions

American Government: legislative assembly simulation

See you next time!

Emma Rosenthal 

4th Quarter!

Hello readers,

3rd quarter is over and there is only one quarter left in my St. Mary's career. That is absolutely wild to me and I know I have said that in almost all of my posts, but it is really hitting home now. The stretch after Spring Break is always the fastest and I am so sad, but also excited, that it is all almost over. I will miss SMA, but college is fast approaching in a very exciting way!

Spring break is always relaxing. I spent the majority of my spring break with my family in Sunriver, which was an absolute blast. I went skiing with my brothers and then did Sunriver's March Mudness (Mud Run) with my mom. We watched a lot of movies, including Mockingjay and Room, and I watched all of "Making A Murderer." It was a really nice break from the stretch of school weeks.

In the coming quarter, there are many things that I am looking forward to. First, Prom is in May. It's always fun to dance with your friends and celebrate being in the last full month of school. Also in May is senior college decision day, when everyone wears their college shirts. I can't wait to see where everyone decides to attend next fall! I'm also very excited for senior assembly, which the senior class officers get to plan. The assembly focuses on the senior class with slideshows, performances, and lots of laughs and tears on our last full day of school. Last but not least, I am excited for graduation. I have met amazing teachers, made awesome friends, and had a supportive, fun, and life-changing time at SMA and it will be very hard to leave this June.

See you soon,

Emma Rosenthal 

Doernbecher Week

Hello Readers, 

This week has been dominated by Doernbecher. With the morning cafe, dodgeball, art competitions, assemblies, and dress-up days, Doernbecher Week is one of the most exciting weeks of the year. Each day, we have different dress up days. This year, the theme was BuzzFeed and every day was dedicated to a different quiz. Day 1 was “Who is your favorite character?,” Day 2 was “Who is your twin?,” Day 3 was “What kind of celebrity are you?,” Day 4 was “What salad dressing are you?,” and Day 5 is “What is your Hogwarts house?.” For character day, I dressed up as Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. For twin day, I wore my old basketball sweatshirt with two of my friends. For Day 3, I dressed up as Tom Brady. For Day 4, I dressed up as Thousand Island dressing in a Hawaiian dress and shirt. For Day 5, I dressed up in Gryffindor attire because I am a senior and our color is red even though I am actually a Ravenclaw (as proved through multiple online quizzes).  

Today, the seniors played the teachers in dodgeball. This is my favorite part of Doernbecher because instead of competing, the students come together and unite as a force against the faculty. The seniors won this year by a landslide. I mainly attribute that to the fact that Mr. Bedney, the MVP of the teachers, was on a teacher trip to the Apple Headquarters in California. Still, I am glad the seniors won.

Even though Doernbecher is a stressful and, often times, competitive week, it is also a great time to come together and support some awesome charities. It is amazing what our community can do when we put our minds to it. I am so happy to be a part of such a supportive and social-justice minded atmosphere. Tonight, we will find out which class won in points for the week at the Doernbecher Dance, but it doesn’t matter. We are all winners for raising the money and fighting to make a difference for the charities we are supporting. 

See you soon!

Emma Rosenthal 

January + Finals

Hello readers,

January is always an interesting month. It marks the ending of break and the ending of 2015, but also the beginning of 2016 and the beginning of finals. Very bittersweet. Finals at SMA, while stressful like any other week of testing, are relatively controlled. SMA has many resources to help students, including tutoring programs, calendars to manage your time, and time dedicated to review for each class. I prefer to view finals as a celebration of the topics we have covered over the semester rather than a stressful week of grade-crushing exams. It’s all about perspective. 

In other news, on January 7th, SMA held its first blood drive! We collected 23 units of blood, which could save the lives of up to 66 patients. It was so exciting to see students, teachers, parents, donors, and volunteers come together for the American Red Cross. I hope that we will be able to host another drive in the spring and continue to host drives in the coming years.

One of my favorite parts of January is The Scoop. The Scoop is an event for eighth graders who are interested in SMA. We have game rooms, wiis, friendship bracelets, spa rooms, crafting rooms, cookie decorating rooms, board games, and of course, ice cream. We also have a photo booth, my personal favorite activity at the event. Core Ambassadors (student representatives for the school) mingle with eighth graders and try to give them the perspective of a current student. Through the event, the prospective students get a better sense of what their next four years could look like. They get a better idea of the kind environment, fun atmosphere, and loving community that they could be welcomed into next year! As my time at SMA is coming to a close, it was nice to see the class of 2020 in a very familiar position that I was in four years ago and a position that I find myself in again. 2016 is definitely a transition year for the class of 2016 and the class of 2020. It is all so exciting!

See you next time,

Emma Rosenthal  

Winter Break

Hello readers, 

St. Mary’s is officially off on winter break, but before we leave for the holiday season, let’s recap what has been happening in the past month. December, the month of cold weather and Christmas decorations, is my favorite month of the year. Not only does it give me an excuse to drink exorbitant amounts of hot chocolate, stay up late watching holiday movies, and wrap myself in blankets, it is also the month of my birth. On December 1st, 1997, I was born. This year, I turned 18, which was much more fun than I was expecting. At SMA, we always decorate each other’s lockers and shower the birthday person with gifts. In each block, the teacher and all the students will sing birthday songs until you feel thoroughly embarrassed. It’s a rite of passage. So the month of December was off to an amazing start. 

December is also one of the shorter months in the school schedule, so it zips by. Many of the classes are finishing up units and tying together final projects and tests before the break, which may be a stressful time for many. If you stay on top of your work and manage your time effectively, then this time is less stressful. At SMA, keeping track of your assignments and allocating your time to what needs to be done is key to your success in high school and the future. In English, we finished reading Hamlet and wrote our final essay. In Chemistry, I took my midterm and finished two labs on LeChatelier’s Principle. In Biology, I created a project comparing an animal cell to St. Mary’s with my friend, Nicole Panet-Raymond. In Theology, I presented on Phyllis Trible, a biblical theologian, with my friend, Camille Sullivan. In PE, we went bowling! As you can see, the classes don’t fizzle out before break, but remain on task and interesting. 

Spreading the holiday spirit with our Christmas families.

St. Mary’s is a community of giving. Each year, the different TAs are assigned families for which they buy gifts, food, and other items. Then, we deliver the gifts to the various families and are able to meet the people who we are helping. Each year is very different. For example, last year we had a family of 8, while this year it was only a family of 3. Some families have single parents with children, while others only have a single person. Regardless, SMA students work together to bring the holiday spirit to the families through gifts, letters, and love. 

Well, that is all for now. I look forward to writing you again in 2016!

Emma Rosenthal 

Thanksgiving

Hello readers,

Thanksgiving break has come and gone, so let’s recap all of November. This month started out with the fall dance, which you can read more about in my past blogpost. Then, of course, there were many early college deadlines for November. Luckily, SMA has an amazing support system for the senior class. Moreover, the college counseling unit has been extraordinary throughout my time at SMA. During freshman year, students are introduced to college in a distant sense. You focus on developing a strong sense of work ethic through challenging classes, but also balancing your work load. During sophomore year, the counselors focus on challenging the student in coursework and adding extracurriculars that the student may be interested in. Junior year is all about researching your possible interests and college matches. Although junior year is considered challenging by many, it is all about finding a balance between your coursework and your outer life. Senior year is about solidifying that list and working towards the goals we set during junior year. As a senior, it is exciting that we are in the midst of the application phase. It is also exciting that we are almost past that phase in our lives.

Thankful for college preparation.

It is also a time for thanks. SMA gives thanks through a thanksgiving prayer service. At the service, each class presents a prayer for the coming year. This year, I was given the honor of writing the prayer for the senior class. Here it is:

The Class of 2016 gives thanks for the love and support we have received throughout our time at SMA. With loving friends and caring faculty, St. Mary’s has become a home to all of us. We have been blessed to grow both individually and as a class, deriving strength from one another in times of difficulty.  As we progress through this period of transition, we pray that we continue to support one another through our victories and our grievances. We pray that we can remember how far we have come and look forward to the futures that await. We pray that we continue to love each other not as classmates, but as family. Amen.

Thankful for friendship.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Emma Rosenthal  

Halloween

Halloween is here and along with it comes costumes, pumpkins, and Christmas music on the radio. October 31st marks the end of first quarter. I still can’t believe this is my last first quarter at St. Mary’s Academy as a student forever. Time really does fly when you’re a Lady Blue.   

October is dominated by assemblies, tests, and fun. Founder’s Day is one of my favorite masses all year. This year, as a member of National Honor Society, I had the opportunity to escort one of the alums to her seat in the auditorium and her place at the luncheon. Founder’s Day is a time to remember our founders and the privilege we have as St. Mary’s students, but also to bring the current students together with past students. I think for the majority of the senior class, the mass reminded us that we will be alums in less than a year! It’s always fun to speculate about the Founder’s Day that honors your class—Who will show up? will SMA still be in the same building? Will we still be in touch until then? The future is mysterious, but also very exciting.

That brings me to college applications. SMA students, along with students across the world, are submitting early action applications by November 1st. For me, the November 1st deadline is nerve-racking, but also exciting. The college process should not be scary, but a journey of discovery. Through researching different schools, filling out applications, and writing essays, I feel as though I have a deeper understanding of myself and what I want in my life. St. Mary’s has done an amazing job in assisting the process of self-discovery before filling out the applications. This is an important piece of the college search that is often overlooked. How can you apply to schools without reflecting on what you want? How can you pick the “perfect” college before truly understanding who you are? 

Anyways, I am just excited about all of the possibilities for the future and grateful for all of the experiences I have had during my time at SMA. I constantly have to remind myself that I have time left at St. Mary’s, but it’s going by so quickly that it’ll be graduation before I know it! 

Have a safe and sugar-filled Halloween, everyone.

Emma Rosenthal

Spirit Week

Hello St. Marys,

What a year it has been. In just a few short months, I feel as though our school has grown as a community and as a family. September flew by and it’s almost Halloween! I feel as though stores push you to the next months quicker than you are ready to go because Christmas decorations are all over the malls already. I guess that is a conversation for another post. :)

Spirit week was late September/early October and what an amazing week it was. As I’ve mentioned in my past posts, each year there is a theme for the week. This year, it was “SMAmily road trip.” Each day, there was a different theme that related to the “SMAmily road trip.” Monday was Tourist Day, Tuesday was Boy Day, Wednesday was Middle School day, Thursday was Senior Staycation (grandparents day), and Friday was Family Reunion (class colors). I always have a great time dressing up with friends and seeing the people who really put there best effort forward when creating costumes. For each day, there was an activity planned at lunch. Students earned points for their class by attending the activities. The senior class officers planned a great lip sync battle for one of the activities. Each class had a group that lip-synced to songs including “No Air,” “Boyfriend,” “Nobody’s Perfect,” and “Party in the USA.” Three members of the staff judged and the sophomore class won that competition. On Friday, there was a student vs. staff dodgeball game and the students came out on top. The game was the highlight of my week because all of the students truly came together, regardless of their individual grades.

Seniors dressing up as seniors!

Lip Sync Battle

Hula Hooping Competition

Middle School Day!

Sophomore Class Officer Lip Sync Battle Dance

Boy Day at SMA!

In the end, the freshmen won spirit week with the seniors coming in second place. Even though my class didn’t win, the week was still amazing and brought the school together as one community. In fact, it brought me back to my freshman year when the freshman won spirit week! It was definitely a week I won’t forget and I am so excited for the rest of the year. Hopefully, we can keep this level of enthusiasm going!

STUDENTS WIN!

See you next time,

Emma Rosenthal   

Senior Year is Almost Here!

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. My life has been extremely busy with AP testing. This year, I am taking tests for US History and English Language and Composition. Also, last Saturday was a chaotic mix of the SAT and Prom. What started out as an early, and somewhat stressful time ended up with a lovely dance filled with fun photobooth pictures and a group of great friends. That next Tuesday, I ran for class officer. Five people are elected from each class to lead their class in various activities. I was a junior class officer, so I planned prom. Senior class officers are in charge of the senior wall, winter formal, and the senior assembly. Class officers are also a major part everyday life at St. Mary's. We work on bulletin boards, help make decisions with the administration, and act as role models for the school and our class. Anyways, I ran this year and my theme was Awkward Family photos. I photoshopped my face onto the Awkward Families and my slogan was "Join this Awkward Family!" I am so excited to represent my class next year and we are meeting to choose the theme for the Senior wall on Monday. I will let you know what it is when we figure it out.

See you all very soon,

Emma Rosenthal  

Spring Break!

Hello readers,
St. Mary's has been such a blast lately. In English, we just finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We watched films about the controversy the book brings to many high schools around the country and examined the themes within the plot. We are also preparing for the AP test in May. I am nervous, but I feel very well-prepared. In Pre-Calculus, we are learning about logarithms, logarithmic graphs, and logistic graphs. I am still working through the computer programming on teamtreehouse.com. I am learning how to code in Swift, which works on Apple products. Hopefully, I will be able to share my final project with all of you. In Social Justice, we are exploring different topics, including mass incarceration and the education gap. With AP US History, we just studied our WWII unit. In French, we learned the future tense and in economics, we watched a film on Enron.
My classes have been great, but spring break was a great rest from the work and weekly routine. Over the break, I played lots of tennis. Spring sports began in March and, so far, we have had lots of fun in our new sports league. Then, I went to Seattle with my mom to visit colleges. I went to University of Washington and Seattle University. If you ever go to Seattle, you have to see the "gum wall" near Pike Place. It is covered in grafitti and gum. It's crazy to think that I will be leaving St. Mary's in a little over a year, but it is mindblowing that I will be leaving my family. Time flies and it's important to be thankful for everything you have today.
See you next time,
Emma Rosenthal

Second Semester Begins

Now that finals are through and we are beginning to get into the groove of second semester, I will give you an update on St Mary's. After finals, we had Winter Formal. I went with a group of friends and we ate Chipotle before. It was lots of fun, but I was so tired at the end from finals and dancing that I slept for the rest of the weekend. Then, second semester started. My new schedule goes like this:
French 3
Intro to Computer Science
Social Justice and Leadership
Pre-Calculus
American History
Economics
English 11
So far, everything has been great. In French, we are learning a variety of new electronics vocabulary. In Computer Science, we are coding with Python and Swift. On the first day of class, we dissected a computer, which was very cool. In Social Justice and Leadership, we are planning the retreat for the Sophomore class, while looking into the social justice problems of the world and America. In pre-calculus, we are learning about imaginary numbers and conic sections. American History is all about World War I and the beginning of the 1920's with Hoover. In Economics, we are trading in a fake stock market and learning a variety of economic terms, such as supply and demand. In English, we are reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and studying for the AP test. So far, second semester has been amazing!
Talk to you soon,
Emma

Cake & Break

This was easily one of the best winter breaks I have every had. Let's start with the beginning...

 My friend, Annie Lee, and I went to see Zoo Lights for the first time. We were quite impressed. Did you know that there are more than a million lights every Christmas for Zoo Lights? My younger brother, Noam, took this picture after we ran around the zoo trying to find this rainbow colored light wall. We promised him an elephant ear for his "good behavior" at the zoo, but the line was too long, so I promised to take him back. Oh, the promises I make. In this picture, we are attempting our best impressions of lions.

A few days later, my family and I met my grandmother from Boston and my cousins from Washington D.C in Orlando, FL. I had never been to Florida, but my dad would go with his brothers in his childhood, so it was somewhat of a reliving of that. I was presently surprised. Walt Disney World was great and we barely waited in line because I used an online touring program that organized the rides we chose in order of the least amount of waiting time (including fast passes). We also went to Universal Orlando, which I preferred because of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Also, their rides are much more...adventurous? I feel like they don't hold back anything, where Disney World does. Also, Butter beer was delicious, but very sweet. Other than amusement parks, we visited the Kennedy Space Center, which was absolutely spectacular. We saw the suits the astronauts took to space, lunar samples, and the launch pad. After that, we went on a swamp tour, where we saw a large number of alligators. I was so scared the boat was going to fall over! 

This is Beze (pronounced like the Zambeze River in Africa). We got her in early December (somewhat in honor of my birthday). She is so energetic and keeps me up all night. There is give and take in this relationship. I have to wake up at 5 AM to let her out to pee and she spends hours, listening to me practice my memorization of "The Gettysburg Address." She's great company.

My birthday was December 1st and my friend, Bridget, had hers on the 2nd. We hosted a joint-birthday party at her house. It was Princess themed, so we took lots of pictures with a brick wall, which was our "castle." Then, we watched The Princess Diaries. It was a "magical" night!

See you all soon!

Emma Rosenthal

A November to Remember

Hello readers,
It's that time of year again. Where the weather fluctuates between rain and snow, every family overindulges on turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and the beginning of gift buying begins. November is one of my favorite months because it focuses on family. I also enjoy having the Thanksgiving break to take a break from everyday life. Aside from the rest and family, November is filled with extremely odd days. These include Cook For Your Pets Day (November 1st), National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day (November 19th), and National French Toast Day (November 28th). I  have always wondered who comes up with the odd days. Wouldn't that be an interesting job?

Anyways, I spent my break doing many different things. First off, I went through a marathon of movies. I went to the theatre to see Mockingjay with my brother. I liked it, but I felt like there was too much war. That was not the movie's fault because the book is written that way, but I still think Catching Fire is my favorite. Then, I saw Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, which I absolutely loved. It was probably one of the first Brad Pitt movies that I've seen and I always love Morgan Freeman. The movie was very unpredictable and suspenseful. Kevin Spacey was amazing, but I the movie is not for the light-hearted and you have to have a high level of tolerance for gore. The final movie I watched was My Sister's Keeper, which I will never be able to watch again. I could not stop crying during various parts throughout the movie. Cancer and dying dogs are two things that I'll never be able to stop crying at. Anyways, I loved watching all of them because they were all in different genres.

Aside from watching movies, I finished a lot of homework. I love my American History class because the lectures are so interesting and we have to do an assignment called concept cards. The cards can be tedious at times, but they are great for studying and reviewing material. In pre-calc, we are focusing on trigonometric identities. I like them because they are like puzzles, but I have some trouble solving them at times. Lastly, I finally finished The Scarlet Letter. For the reading, we wrote response journals in which we would pick quotes, put them in context, and analyze them individually. I'm sure the journal will come in handy when we write our papers on the book. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but Hawthorne's symbols and metaphors are so blatant that it becomes hard to read. One of my favorite parts of reading is uncovering the symbols and finding my own opinions, not being told them repeatedly. Aside from that, the story was okay and the characters were somewhat uninspiring. I can't wait until we read my favorite classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   

All is well in the SMA world and I can't wait to keep you updated on the life of a junior student! 
See you soon,
Emma Rosenthal    

Summer Approaches

2 more blogposts to go. 1 month of school to go. We are coming to a close, my friends, and I will miss this little reflection space for the summer moths. Luckily, I am happy to announce that I will be returning to blogging for junior year. That means I will be back for another exciting, busy SMA year. Still, this year is not completely over, so let me talk about the past few weeks. After a few long weeks of campaigning, we finally had elections for ASB and the class officers for the 2014-2015 year. I always enjoy seeing different campaign themes. They range from Bruno Mars to bananas to New Girl to All State agencies. A variety of people with a variety of likes, dislikes, and ways of life. I ran for class officer with a Ferris Bueller theme. I was extremely nervous, but once I started my speech, I felt calmer. I ended my speech with "it's not what ARE we going to do, but what AREN'T we going to do Junior year" (my campaign slogan). I had a great time with the process of campaigning and am extremely excited to be representing the junior class of 2015. Congratulations to everyone who ran. It's extremely nerve racking to put yourself out there in these types of situations, but all of the candidates should be proud of their hard work.

This past Sunday was one of my favorite days to celebrate, Mother's Day. I always feel like I don't thank my parents enough for what they do for me, so this day is a designated reason to appreciate our loved ones. I started the day off by taking my mom on a trail run, followed by a large Indian buffet at her favorite restraints, Swagat. It was delicious, but we both felt a little sick for the rest of the day. Next, we relaxed at home and she watched her favorite shows, while my brothers, my dad, and I got her presents together. We made her a card, and bought her a massage bar, a box of her favorite chocolates, and a Fitbit Flex. Then, we had sushi for dinner. Overall, it was a great day for all of us. Another day that we celebrated was teacher appreciation day, in which we bought our teacher advisor a hat. Every day is a day to show appreciation and love to one another.

You're almost there. See you next time!
Emma 

Spring is Here

Hello everyone,

Wow. The year is flying by! It feels like just yesterday that I was getting my locker, buying new pencils, and meeting my teachers in September, but we're already past Easter! I always use Easter as a milestone in the school year. It marks the beginning of the end, a time for reflection and celebration. It's like the final few miles of a marathon. All of this work is pushing you forward. It's not a time to take a break, but a time to finish the school year off strong.

Even though many have their sights set on June and the beginning of Summer, St. Mary's is continuing exciting activities. Many students are going to be counselors at Outdoor School, running for class officers or All Student Body representatives, or pushing themselves on the sports courts. A few weeks ago, I travelled to Bend with the tennis team to compete in a large tournament. We got fourth place in the tournament and had a great time spending the weekend in sunny Bend, Oregon. The only thing that I would have changed is putting on more sunscreen...especially on my scalp!

Another activity that I was involved in was Poverty Awareness Day committee. This is a day dedicated to educating SMA students on different set topics. This year's theme was medical and health issues throughout Portland and the world. My group focused on the Philippines. We lead groups in making cards to send to the children and sold bracelets made by the victims of typhoon Haiyan. During the day, students went from group to group and learned about various issues and organizations. We also watched a documentary on female health issues in Africa and held a bake sale. The entire day was a huge success!

I'm so excited for these last two months together and am looking forward to an amazing summer, Emma Rosenthal

Spring Break Fun

Hello followers of my blog,

Welcome back from spring break. I hope you all went on intriguing adventures, ate exotic food, and rested from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Personally, I slept in everyday and binge watched Netflix movies. But I also went on my list of things that I have been wanting to do for a while. I finally read The Great Gatsby and saw the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. I can't say I was disappointed because I liked the movie, but it was nothing like how I imagined the book. Especially with the way characters were depicted. For example, I thought Tom would be younger and more attractive because I didn't sense that there was a large age gap between Daisy and Tom. The party scenes at Gatsby's house were super impressive. Afterwards, I looked up that they had a budget of $105 million. That's insane. I love film making, so hopefully, I'll be able to make a movie with a fraction of that budget. 

I am not the only one crossing things off of my bucket list. A few days ago, my brother finished the fourth Harry Potter book. The fourth is easily one of my favorites, so we decided to celebrate in various forms. First, we bought a large amount of celebratory food. We bought cherry Coke, popcorn, peanut butter pretzels, and the new Peanut Butter Fudge Core Ice Cream. It was absolutely delicious, but something was missing. I remembered that a few years ago, I went to a candy shop in Multnomah Village, called Sweets Etc., that had Harry Potter Candy, such as Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans and Chocolate Frogs. It was a great night and it brought me back to my childhood, when we had to wait for the books and movie to come out. Now they have them at their disposal! 

Before spring break, I went on Sophomore Retreat with my fellow classmates. I can't say too much about it because it is supposed to be a surprise for the freshman and other incoming students, but I had a great time. The food was great, the venue was fun, and our entire class bonded through different activities that the leadership classes planned. I hope everyone can experience the amazing retreats that SMA has to offer and am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such an exceptional group of students.

I hope you all had a wonderful spring break!

Emma Rosenthal    

Spring Break Approaches

Hello readers,

I can't believe it's almost Spring break! Mostly because it feels like just yesterday there were piles of snow wherever I looked, but that's Portland weather for you. Speaking of Spring, one of the most exciting aspects of the season are the roses. The flowers and their scents, the attitude around the streets, and of course the Rose Festival Parade! This past week, Annette Holgado was named princess for St. Mary's Academy. She is an amazing representative of our school and I can't wait to support her at the parade and see where she goes after high school. 

In more school news, I took the PSSS (a practice SAT) this past Saturday. It was harder than I thought and I am definitely going to start studying for Junior year. Even though they don't affect me, I wonder what the changes to the SAT will be and how they will affect students' scores. 

Also, happy late International Women's Day! March 8th is celebrated around the world as a day to celebrate the appreciation and love toward women for their achievements. It is also a day to bring awareness on the struggle of women throughout the world for their political and human rights. I found out that each year is given a theme by the United Nations. Some include "Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future," "Women and HIV/AIDS," "Women in Decision-making," and "Investing in Women and Girls". This years theme, "Inspiring Change," fits 2014 very well. Women like Malala Yousafzai, Camila Batmanghelidhj, Mary Barra, Hillary Clinton, and so many more are defying stereotypes, helping the world, and inspiring girls everywhere. I am so happy to celebrate International Women's Day and can't wait to see the amazing things that women will do in the future.

Hug a woman today,

Emma Rosenthal

Fun Things in February!

Hello Portland,

It has been a while ride since we last spoke. You were covered in snow just a couple of weeks ago and I'd like to thank you for giving me a nice mini winter break. I spent the time baking and eating, sleeping, and watching a variety of movies and shoes on Hulu and Netflix. It was extremely therapeutic, but I was happy to get back to my normal routine with school on Tuesday. Oh wait. It wasn't a normal routine because it was my favorite week of the year...Doernbecher Week! A week where our various costumes, exciting raffles, entertaining competitions, and SMA spirit contribute to making a difference in raising money for important organizations. This years organizations were Doernbecher Children's Hospital, FINCA (The Foundation for International Community Assistance), and Gale's Creek Camp. This year, I was actually on the community which helped plan the week. My group focused on the educational part of the week, so we planned an assembly to educate students and staff on the organizations we are supporting and the true purpose of the week: charity. I had a great experience and am definitely joining again next year.

Forecasting is coming up this week, which I always look forward to. I love looking through the booklet and imagining which classes I will be taking next year. Along with new classes, the Spring musical is coming up. This year, SMA is putting on one of my favorite musicals of all time: Beauty and the Beast. Many of my friends are in the production, so I will definitely be attending on Friday, February 18th at 7 PM in the St. Mary's Auditorium!

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day! I spent my Valentine's Day in the most romantic place in the world...the district swim meet. Aside from the lack of roses, there was a lot of chocolate and I had tons of fun ending the season with some of my favorite people. The swim season has been a tiring, exciting, and overall extremely rewarding experience. Now it's time to get ready for tennis in the Spring. :)

See you next time,

Emma Rosenthal 

Finals and Formal

Hello everyone,

Portland is wrapped up with a stormy grey sky, the rain begins to pour, and you realize you forgot your number 2 pencil. It is finals week. Luckily, we have passed that stressful time and moved on to happier things, like winter formal. Our Northern Lights themed dance took place on Saturday night at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. Even though I only went with three close friends, the entire group ended up dancing together. It's always fun to dance, eat good food, and take pictures at the photo booth with your closest friends. Sadly, this years venue did not have a chocolate fountain, but it did have an amazing campfire outdoors. It was cold outside, but the night sky was really beautiful, and you could hear the pounding bass from the DJ inside. I will definitely be attending next year!

Also, before all of this, we had our MLK assembly. At this event, we honor the different cultures that SMA cherishes in our diverse community. Students and staff give speeches about the discrimination in their lives and their hopes for the future. It is always very inspiring and I love getting to know people better through their words.

In my personal news, I have just started drivers ed. I was nervous at first because I had never driven for, but after a crammed week of squeezing in driving practices with my mom during finals, I was able to pass my first drive! Note to future self and possible New Years resolution: stop procrastinating.

See you next time!

Emma Rosenthal 

New Year for the Blues!

Hello 2014! 
St Mary's brought in the new year with an all-school mass. The masses are a time to reflect and think about the theme of the mass. I looked back on 2013 and realized what an amazing year it has been. The Cronut was invented, Miley Cyrus twerked on MTV, breaking bad ended, north west was born, Lorde broke out, the Boston marathon was bombed, and the pope took a selfie with some teenagers. There was a lot more to 2013 than that and overall it was an amazing year. As we say goodbye to 2013, we look forward to another amazing year at SMA!

So far 2014 has been just as busy as 2013. We are preparing for a week of finals, and then on Saturday we will be having our winter formal. The theme is Northern lights, so I'm excited to see the decorations! The highlight of last years dance would either be getting ready with my friends or the delicious chocolate fountain. It is the best way to celebrate the ending of the semester and the end of finals!

Recently, we had an event called The Scoop for all 8th graders looking at SMA. This year was different because there were more activities to choose from and Ben and Jerry's catered the event. I remember being unsure before coming to SMA, and this event really got me excited and made me want to experience St Mary's. It was cool to be an ambassador at the event because it was casual and we were able to connect with the new students. Different activities were in different rooms. These included the board game room, the spa room, the craft room, twister in the hall, the cookie decorating room, minute to win it, the ice cream buffet, and Just Dance. It was the first time I had played Just Dance, but I absolutely love it. It is number one on my wish list!

2013 was a blast, but 2014 is looking good so far. I hope you all had a lovely new year!
Emma Rosenthal