Star Connection
STAR OF THE SEA CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Spring 2016
Welcoming all families including military and those of all faiths
Congratulations Class of 2016
Front Row: Zach Giroux, Angelina Koester, Sophia Kuhn, Greg
Harris, Anamaria Duff, Isabella Fox, Joseph Karlis, Sarah S.
Back row: Carson Holder, Teagan Cooper, Elijah Young, Jack
Mayo, Luke Uroskie, Sophie Watson, Kaleigh Ritz,
Drew Edwards, David Dumas, Parker Schwartz
Renovations to Begin!
The school will be starting major renovations in
June! The roof will be replaced in the two school
buildings behind the church which holds our
Preschool-3rd grade students. In addition to the
roof, the windows, gutters, downspouts, and fascia
Inspection of the Roof
will all be replaced as well! All of these projects
are being made possible from pledges and
donations to the Living Our Mission Campaign
that was held last fall. If you would like to
contribute to the renovation, please contact our
Principal Mrs. Kelly Lazzara at
kelly.lazzara@sosschool.org.
May Procession
The annual May
procession
honoring our
school’s patron, the
Blessed Mother,
was held on May
6th. 8th graders
Kaleigh Ritz,
Crowning of Mary
Isabella Fox and
Sarah S. were assisted by 2nd graders Veronica
Lambertz and Natalie Ritz in crowning Mary. A
beautiful poem “Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue” was
read by 8th grader David Dumas and 2nd grader
Dillon Libasci. The second grade first communicants
sang a beautiful song at meditation followed by the
traditional recitation of a prayer by the graduating
class. Following mass, Marian awards were
presented to Brenda Gargiulo and Susannah Uroskie
for their tireless hours of service to the school for
over the last decade. HSA hosted a reception
immediately following to celebrate the award
recipients and the class of 2016 and their parents.
8th graders Joseph Karlis and Zach Giroux prepare to offer a
flower to the Blessed Mother behind 2nd grader Josiah Young
Second Grade First Communicants
In this Issue: Alumnus Award 2
Pastor & Principal 3
Science Fair 4
Hess Family 5
Campus News 6-7
Page 2
Alumnus Works To Give Back
Service to others is a lesson
that Carolyn Grandfield
Champion learned while she
was a student at Star of the
School when she would help
out the faculty and her
mother, Mrs. Adelaide
Grandfield, our very own
Administrative Assistant &
Admissions Coordinator in
the office. She has carried
that lesson of giving to others
Carolyn Champion
into her adult and professional
life. Thanks to Carolyn’s leadership, her employer,
Genworth Financial, recently received the Virginia
Governor’s 2016 Volunteerism Award.
In addition to being Mrs. Grandfield’s daughter,
Carolyn is Director of Corporate Social
Responsibility at Genworth. In this role, Carolyn
manages an international philanthropic giving and
sponsorship budget of four million dollars.
Carolyn provides leadership to the Genworth
Foundation Board; keeping members informed of
philanthropy trends and best practices and actively
engaging members in key community issues, mainly
focused on healthy aging for seniors and affordable
housing. She maintains all philanthropic
relationships in the Richmond, VA region and
oversees these relationships in other office locations.
Carolyn also leads business community relations
efforts, including employee volunteerism, employee
giving, and business sponsorships. In 2015,
Star Connection
Genworth employees volunteered over 20,000 hours
globally and gave $1.8 million to non-profits
throughout the globe. She also project manages all
major event sponsorships in the Richmond region.
Carolyn is passionate about giving back. She
empowers others, including employees, family, and
friends, to be involved through volunteer projects, non
-profit board leadership, advocacy and thought
leadership. She is a member of the Homeward Board
of Directors, project: HOMES Board of Directors, and
Leadership Metro Richmond’s Class of 2015. She is
an active student mentor at Peter Paul Development
Center and has previously served on the Homeward
Volunteer Action Council and the United Way Donor
Relations Task Force.
Prior to this role, Carolyn was a Senior Financial
Analyst at Genworth and previously employed at AOL
and Veris Consulting, Inc. in finance roles. She is a
Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of
Business Administration degree from James Madison
University in
Accounting.
Carolyn
graduated from
Star of the Sea
in 1997 and
from Bishop
Sullivan
Catholic High
School in
Carolyn Pictured with Governor Terry
2001.
McAuliffe at her award ceremony
Spring Mile Run
It was a beautiful spring day for our Spring Mile run
on Friday, April 15. The top male finishers were 8th
graders Drew Edwards (5:13), Luke Uroskie (6:16),
and 3rd grader Keene Lincoln (6:42). The top female
finishers were 8th grader Sophie Watson (7:16), 8th
grader Sophia Kuhn (7:18) and 5th grader Ashley
Huddleston (7:29).
Virginia Beach Mayor, Will Sessoms, poses with top female and
male finishers, 8th graders Sophie Watson and Drew Edwards
Like us on Facebook!
Become a “Fan”www.facebook.com/SOSVB
Follow us on Twitter @ Star_Sea_School
Page 3
Star Connection
A Message from the
Principal & Pastor
Star of the Sea STEM
It is hard to believe
that this school year
is already complete!
It was a busy year –
we welcomed a new
principal, conducted
a major capital
campaign, had
Mrs. Kelly Lazzara & Fr. Steve DeLeon
many academic
accomplishments, and several athletic achievements.
On top of all of that, we are very pleased to say that
renovations will be beginning this summer!
On April 30th, Star of the Sea STEM sent two teams
to the 10th Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional MATE
Competition held at ODU’s Pool. Teams construct
an underwater ROV to accomplish a set of
challenges at the bottom of the pool. The
Engineering Presentation requires the students to
explain and defend their design and material choices,
explain all of their systems and how they
accomplished setting them up, and why their
company should be the one selected. This is a 45minute interview in front of three professional
engineers.
Our parent satisfaction surveys were very positive
this year as well. When asked if they would
recommend Star of the Sea to others, 100% said yes!
We hope you will enjoy this newsletter by reading
about all of the wonderful things that happened this
spring. Be sure to drive by this summer to see the
progress of our renovations!
REDЯ, our Ranger level team, has competed in two
previous competitions. Team members, pictured to
the left are Joseph Karlis (8), David Dumas (8),
Isabella Fox (8), Ally Hudome (7), Rose Bannon (5),
Mary Grace Molyneaux (5), Ashley Huddleston (5)
and Connor White (5), and our fabulous mentor Mr.
Chuck Molyneaux.
God Bless,
Fr. Steve DeLeon
Pastor
Kelly M. Lazzara, M.Ed
Principal
Save the Date!
12th Annual Golf Tournament
Friday, September 23, 2016
Heron Ridge Golf Course
Virginia Beach, Virginia
As a Ranger level team, REDЯ, competed against
high school students from Virginia, Delaware and
North Carolina. REDЯ finished in 6th place, only
12.5 points behind 2015’s 1st place team.
(Continued on page 4)
Come see what’s happening at Star of the Sea Catholic School!
For information or to arrange a tour, call us at (757) 428-8400.
Visit our website at www.sosschool.org.
Page 4
Star Connection
Star of the Sea STEM (cont’d)
(Continued from page 3)
This was Aqua Infinity’s, our Scout level team,
maiden voyage. Team members are Nora Lewis (3),
Isabella Martinez (5),
Sydney Huddleston (3) and
Riley Justice (3).
Additional thanks to Heather Mericle-Sherburne
(Mentor), Rudee Sherburne- Mentor (Electronics/
Programming/Wiring), Jonah Mericle (MentorCADD/Electrical Diagrams), and Mr. Chuck
Molyneaux (Mentor).
As a Scout level team, the
team competed against
Middle Schools (Virginia &
North Carolina), Boy Scout
and Girl Scout Troops.
Aqua Infinity placed 4th in
the competition.
Special thanks to Star of the Sea Middle School
Science teacher Ms. Mericle who is their Coach;
without her efforts these teams wouldn’t be possible.
Science Fair
The annual Science Fair was held on Thursday, March 17. The results are as follows:
Grand Prize: Joseph Karlis
8th grade:
1st - Sophia Kuhn & Sarah S.
2nd - Zachary Giroux & Luke Uroskie
3rd - Teagan Cooper & Gregory Harris;
Isabella Fox & Kaleigh Ritz; Anamaria
Duff
7th grade:
1st - Chris Brehl & Luke Mooney
2nd - Brianna Coffelt & Ally Hudome
3rd - Kristen Glaser & Charlotte Walsh
Sophia Kuhn & Sara S.
Zach Giroux &
Luke Uroskie
Joseph Karlis
6th grade:
1st - May May Hubbard; Merreck Lincoln & Jacob Ritz
2nd - Briana Bellingar; Hayden Harris; Camille Holder
3rd - Chiara Baez; Annika Thoman; Delaney Winn
Gregory Harris
& Teagan Cooper
Kaleigh Ritz
& Isabella Fox
Great School. Big Sea. Bright Future!
Anamaria Duff
Merreck Lincoln
& Jacob Ritz
Page 5
Star Connection
The Hess Family & Relay for Life
For as long as I can remember, I have participated in
Relay for Life, but I never really grasped what it
meant to be a part of such a big event. Every year, I
walked laps and couldn’t put a face to what it meant
to “relay”. The people that linked me to cancer were
both of my grandfathers. My mom’s dad died of the
disease before I was born, and my dad’s dad had
been in and out of hospitals my entire life. I don’t
think that I ever fully connected them to having the
chronic disease.
When I found out that my mom had cancer,
everything changed. I remember being upset,
confused, lost, and alone. I didn’t want to tell
anyone because I didn’t want it to be true. The day
after I found out about my mom, I told my
roommate. She had come back to our room after
doing public health related community service. She
had received flyers that promote self-examination
for breast cancer, the same cancer that my mom has.
In that moment, I realized that my mom’s diagnosis
didn’t have to be the end of the world, but a stand
against cancer. My mom became the reason why I
relay.
Relay for Life is a form of health promotion to
spread awareness through a non-profit organization,
the American Cancer Society. The global epidemic
is cancer. In one night, Relay for Life demonstrates to
the people on this planet the need for a cure. This
Relay, I will take a stand against cancer and fight for a
cure for my mom and everyone else who is affected by
this disease. Who do you relay for?
- Anne Hess
Anne is a proud Graduate of Star of the Sea (class of
2009). Mary Elizabeth Hess is a proud graduate of
Star of the Sea (class of 2010). Anne is a rising Senior
at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. She
has a double major in Exercise Science and Public
Health. Mary is a rising Junior at Hollins University in
Roanoke with a major in Math.
Norm and Lynn have been members of the Star of the
Sea family for nearly 40 years. They met, fell in love,
and married at Star of the Sea nearly 23 years ago.
Lynn and Norm have
loved and supported the
Star of the Sea
community, and thank
the whole community
for their unconditional
love, prayers, and
support in good times
and during this journey
with Lynn's cancer.
Norm, Mary, Anne and Lynn Hess
To Donate to the Star of the Sea Relay for Life Team, go to http://relay.acsevents.org
and search for the Star of the Sea Team under team captain Sue Budd
Annual Auction “Building Sandcastles” a Success!
Our 16th annual benefit auction was held on April
16 at the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Art.
The event netted nearly $54,000 for our school. A
free photo booth with crazy props was a big hit and
the auction committee added space to this wildly
popular event by renting a tent for the silent auction
items. Huge thanks to parent volunteers on the
Executive Committee, Christie Harris, Debbie
Giroux, Cathie Lincoln, Daniela Justice and Rhonda
Kotchka. Thank you to principal Kelly Lazzara who
MC’d the event and brought in more than $3,000
with her “principal for a day” and “pizza party with
the principal” packages!
Diana Socha and Alumni Parents
Beth McGloon & Elizabeth
Dickerson
Cameron Walsh
Page 6
News Around Campus
ATHLETICS
As we look back at our stellar year we have many
things to celebrate and excite us for more fun to
come next year. Kicking off the year, Cross
Country had the largest team in which Stars from
Grades 1-8th
pushed each
other to bring
awesome
running success!
It then provided
the incredible
conditioning
needed to take
Sophie Watson, Ashley Huddleston,
on Basketball
Rose Bannon and Charlotte Walsh
Season in force.
Having teams competing all the way into Semi
Finals made for some very exciting games. Our
4th Grade girls played in the Quarter finals and our
gym may still be vibrating from the fantastically
charged 8th Grade Boys Quarter final Game that
brought them to the Semi Finals. Our cheerleaders
provided spirit and show stopping cuteness every
time they took the court. We are also hugely proud
of our developmental basketball program with our
Grommet team that teaches the kids the
fundamentals that they build on throughout their
time in Star of the Sea Basketball! Our newest
program the Little Stars will continue next fall to
provide our youngest athletes with the
developmental knowledge to succeed athletically.
New next year we are hoping to build a Middle
School Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer Team!
We then had Spring Season sports end the year in
a buzz with huge success and records broken! In
field hockey, our youngest Stars the Star Lights
had an
incredible
season in
which they
were
undefeated!
With this
record they
earned first
place and the
Gold Stick
Undefeated Star Lights win the Gold Stick
that will
Star Connection
proudly hang in the gym until next year. Our Star
Brights rocked the Jr. Division in which they
challenged anyone that stepped on the field with
them. Our Shooting Stars played their hearts out
every game and represented our school well both
on and off the field. Our Golf team grew this year
and welcomed some younger players. They had a
strong season and two of our players Kaleigh Ritz
and May May Hubbard placed first and second in
the tournament. Finally our Track and Field season
broke two
records as well
in which
Brianna Coffelt
broke the
school Shot
Put record and
Drew Edwards
broke the
400m record!
May May Hubbard and Kaleigh Ritz
Our 4 x 400
Meter Girls
Relay took 2nd Place at the Championship
composed of 8th Grader Sophie Watson, 7th
Grader Charlotte Walsh, 5th Grader Rose Bannon,
and 5th Grader Ashley Huddleston.
This year would not have happened without the
leadership of our amazing coaches that have given
our Stars such amazing seasons. We are very sorry
to see a few coaches leave us as their Stars
graduate. Others we lose to moves and can only
hope that they find their way back to us in the
future. With sincerest thanks, you will be
extremely missed.... Susannah Uroskie, Kristin
Markle, Tysha Edwards, Rod Budd, David Dumas,
and Heather Cravens. To the rest of our continuing
wonderful Athletic family, a huge THANK YOU
to all the parent volunteers who coach, manage our
teams, run concessions, and all the endless details
that go into making the sports year a success!
Without you the kids would never be able to have
this special experience that will be remembered for
the rest of their lives.
It was another great year for our FANTASTIC
STAR ATHLETES and we can’t wait to do it
again next year! Go Stars!
Page 7
News Around Campus
FOND FAREWELL
Preschool (3) teacher, Monique Lambertz, first
came to Star of the Sea in 2003. She has been a 1st,
2nd and 3rd grade teacher. Her two children,
Veronica (2nd grade) and
Varian (Prek 4) both attend
our school. Mrs. Lambertz
has been a much loved
teacher who has made a
positive impact on countless
Star of the Sea families. Her
husband Christian, recently
began a new job in Florida.
Mrs. Lambertz and her
children will join him after
Mrs. & Veronica Lambertz school ends. We send with
them our love and well wishes and knowledge they
will always have a home at Star of the Sea!
Since 2008, Karen Dales has been the epitome of
care, friendship, and
enthusiasm at our school. She
began as a volunteer when
her daughter, Maria (class of
2015) first attended. She
substituted, was a teacher’s
aid, and finally, a Spanish
teacher. She also worked in
the before care room for
Maria & Mrs. Dales
many years. She makes an
effort to learn each and
every student’s name. To say we will miss her is an
understatement. We wish Mrs. Dales all the best in
her public school teaching job. Come back and visit
often!
Star Connection
$1056.05 for HSA!! We also raised $1300 with Onie
Tonie t-shirts this Spring. The biannual clothing
drive resulted in 208 bags collected. HSA hosted the
receptions for the May Procession and the Marian
award recipients and for graduation.
STAR CONTEST WINNERS!
Kiera Psimas, 4th Grade, won the
2016 WHRO PBS Kids Young
Storytellers Contest.
Kiera had the opportunity to be
videotaped reading her award
winning story at the WHRO
station to be aired at a later
date.
Kiera Psimas
Audrey Swett, 4th Grade, won the Virginia Beach
Water Awareness Calendar Contest. Her artwork
will be featured in their 2017 Water Awareness
Calendar. Charlye Levine won an honorable
mention.
Catholic Daughters of America host an Art and
Writing Contest every year. Art Division 1 - 4th
Grader Audrey Swett 3rd Place
Star of the Sea Students Swept Art Division II!
1st Place - 8th Grader Drew Edwards
2nd Place - 6th Grader Jacob Ritz
3rd Place - 8th Grader Elijah Young
Honorable Mention - 8th Grader Luke Uroskie
Essay Div. I -2nd Place – 5th Grader Charlye Levine
Essay Div. II - 3rd Place 7th Grader Phi Lu
Middle School Science and homeroom teacher,
Melinda Mericle brought Catholic STEM (Science
Technology Engineering and Math) and Remote
Operated Vehicles (ROV) programs to Star of the
Sea, along with Lego Robotics. We lose Mrs.
Mericle to Christ the King, but know that a 5 minute
commute will be a blessing to her. Best wishes and
thank you for all you brought to our school!
HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (HSA)
This Spring has been very busy. We had a Spring
fundraiser with Mixed Bag Designs and raised
Mrs. Lazzara with Phi Lu (8), Luke Uroskie (8),
Elijah Young (8), front row Charlye Levine (5),
Audrey Swett (4) and Jacob Ritz (6)
Star of the Sea Catholic School
309 15th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Star of the Sea Catholic School
309 15th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
In This Edition of the Star Connection
In This Edition of the Star Connection
Field Hockey Jr. League Star Brights
Field Hockey Jr. League Star Brights
May Procession 2nd Grade
First Communicants
10th Annual MATE ROV Competition
May Procession 2nd Grade
First Communicants
10th Annual MATE ROV Competition
Chris Brehl & Luke Mooney 1st Place
7th Grade Science Fair
May May Hubbard 1st Place
6th Grade Science Fair
Parent Jay Kotchka with Parishioner
Terrye Decker at the Auction
Chris Brehl & Luke Mooney 1st Place
7th Grade Science Fair
May May Hubbard 1st Place
6th Grade Science Fair
Parent Jay Kotchka with Parishioner
Terrye Decker at the Auction