Holy Redeemer School
4902 Berwyn Road  College Park, MD 20740
301-474-3993
www.holy-redeemer.org  school@holy-redeemer.org
August 7, 2014
Dear Parents and Students,
With August 25th fast approaching, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to another
school year. I hope this letter finds you well rested, recharged and ready for an exciting new
year.
As many of you have seen, we are UNDER CONSTRUCTION on our new web page. We
hope to have it up and running by September 1st, with a more interactive, attractive and dynamic
web site.
We were very busy this summer preparing for the children. We completely updated our
school library with new tables, chairs, book cases, and window treatments. New tile flooring
was installed in the faculty room, and the school hallways and classrooms were freshly painted
creating a very welcoming environment for our students. Our parking lot, too, has been
resealed and re-striped creating outside play areas and academic activities.
Saturday, August 16th, volunteers will gather to fix up the Holy Redeemer gardens and
grounds in anticipation of the start of the new school year. All are invited to join us from 9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Holy Redeemer School families can start working on their HRS Service
Hours and teens can get high school or Confirmation service hours.
A special thanks to our custodial staff, Mr. Brosnihan, Mr. Lattanzi and Mr. Romero, who
have been working very hard to ensure that your children start school in a building which is
clean, attractive, and safe. They have been instrumental in moving and installing classroom
furniture, painting, fixing and replacing appliances, and landscaping the surrounding grounds.
In welcoming you back I wish to inform you of a few personnel changes that will take place
this coming school year. As many of you may know, Mr. Andrew Dupont accepted a Fulbright
Scholarship to teach in Bangladesh. We were fortunate to have Mr. Dupont at Holy Redeemer
School for the past 2 years where he shared so much of his teaching skills, patience, kindness
and love for children. I am pleased to announce that Mr. Carrick Sweeney will be our new 3rd
grade teacher who also comes to us from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Mr. Sweeney
earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg,
Virginia and is now completing his Masters in Education Degree, with state certification, from
the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. Mr. Sweeney
comes highly recommended and with the combined supervision and commitment from Holy
Redeemer, the Catholic Schools Office and the University of Notre Dame ACE program, I am
confident that Mr. Sweeney will provide a dynamic, educational environment for his students.
Ms. Lauren Hartshorn will not be returning to Holy Redeemer School this year. She decided
to return to the public sector and accepted a teaching positon at Wilson High School in
Washington, DC. We wish her God’s blessings in her new endeavor and thank her for her strength in
teaching and her initiative in the co-curricular clubs of Literary Magazine and Debate Club. Mr. John
Dean will be filling the 7th grade teacher and middle school language arts position. He has
already spent numerous hours preparing lessons and setting up his classroom in anticipation of
his students. Mr. Dean has been a middle school and high school teacher for 10 years. He
earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in English Education from the University of Georgia
where he was a Presidential Scholar and received the Associated Press Award in Radio
Journalism. I am confident that with Mr. Dean’s vast teaching career he will create a dynamic
and challenging educational environment for his students.
Mrs. Marcela Calderon will be leaving our employ to teach part-time at a school
closer to her home. We wish her the best of luck and thank her for her
professionalism in raising our Spanish program to a higher caliber. Ms. Paola
Toquica will be our new Spanish teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in
Communications and Journalism from the University of La Sabana, in Bogota,
Colombia. For the past 2 years Ms. Toquica taught Spanish at St. Martin de Tours
Catholic School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She is highly proficient in
communications and technology and plans to integrate these skills into the Spanish
language classroom.
These new members of our Holy Redeemer family are positive additions to our educational
program. I am certain that, as you get to know them, you will appreciate not only their
competence but also their dedication to the education of children.
While our teachers and staff are busy these last few weeks of August preparing for the start of
school there are some important dates and details to keep in mind, which I’ve enclosed with this
letter. Please add them to your calendar or post on your refrigerator.
I am always excited about a new school year and I look forward to working with the School
Advisory Board, the Home and School Association and parent volunteers. Enjoy the remaining
days of summer knowing that we are preparing for your children. I look forward to seeing each
of you and your children when school resumes.
Sincerely and with God’s peace,
Maria C. Bovich
Principal
Enclosed: 1
Excellence in Education with the Power of Faith