We're spreading the word and reminding everyone to join us for our Alumni Christmas Party!

What better way to catch up with old classmates and friends than in celebration of the holidays? Please join us for an evening of Christmas cheer and memories from both Bishop McNamara and La Reine High Schools!

We will be celebrating our BMHS/LRHS Alumni Christmas Party TOMORROW, Dec. 20 from 6-10 p.m. in the Andy Mona Student Center at Bishop McNamara High School.

We will have light refreshments and door prizes - you do not want to miss out! Click here for our official Facebook event.

Thank you for your Generosity this Year!

Another year is coming to a close, and as we celebrate this Advent season, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to the BMHS community of faculty, staff, parents, students and donors.

Our 2017-2018 Annual Report and Mustang Messenger will be in mailboxes soon, so be sure to look out for that, as it will have all the donor lists from the past fiscal year, current campus happenings, alumni news and more!

If you have already donated this year, we sincerely thank you. If you have not donated yet, but would like to do so before the new year, click here! Your support for our mission and various programs is always appreciated.

The amount you donate is not as important as the fact that you donate in the first place - and you don't have to donate one bulk sum all at once! You can commit to $10, $20 or $50 per month over the course of a year, which will amount to a donation of $120, $240 or $600 - you decide what works best for you!

Thank you everyone! Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you all!

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 20

Alumni Christmas Party

BMHS ● 6-10 p.m.

January 22

State of the School

BMHS ● 6 p.m.

February 6

National Signing Day

March 22-24

Spring Play

BMHS Fine Arts Theatre ● Time TBD

April 6, 2019

Military Appreciation Game

PG Sports Park ● 1 p.m.

May 9

Project PRIDE 20th Anniversary

BMHS ● Time TBD

Join us for our Military Appreciation Game!

We know it's a ways away, but we have an official date for our Military Appreciation Baseball Game this spring!

Join us on April 6, 2019 at PG Sports Park at 1 p.m. to support and celebrate United States military veterans and active duty military personnel. Bishop McNamara will take on Gonzaga, so help us cheer the Mustangs on to victory!

Admission is free and concessions are complimentary for all military personnel.

Calling all Project PRIDE Graduates!

We are celebrating 20 years of success for this incredible program - have you updated your information with us? If not, please contact Project PRIDE Program Director Tia Bell.

Please join us on May 9 for our Project PRIDE Anniversary Event! We would love to see all of you and learn more about what you've gone on to do since graduation. This would be a wonderful opportunity for you to reconnect with classmates, and learn more about how the program has evolved since your graduation. Current students enrolled in the program could benefit from your experiences and wisdom.

You can connect with current Project PRIDE students in ways that no one else can. We hope you can join us for this celebratory event!

Thank you for Helping us #StepUpOurGame!

Thanks to the outpouring of donor support helping us #StepUpOurGame, we are pleased to announced that all of the locker rooms now have been named! Special thanks go to the Rohan and Mammano families, to Dan Connelly '77, Mr. Chris Leonard, The Affordable Bus Company and the Athletic Boosters.

Naming opportunities for the Weight Room and Main Gymnasium, which is the most used space on campus, still remain! Click here to learn more. Please continue to be an advocate for this Campaign by sharing it on social media or through text or email.

BMHS Class of 2009 Reunion

Calling all graduates from Bishop McNamara High School class of 2009 - it's almost time for your 10-year reunion!

The planning process has begun, and your classmates created a short survey to get some information in order to best reach and accommodate everyone in your class.

Click here to access the survey. If you have any questions, please click here to email the 2009 Class email address.

BMHS/LRHS Class of 1969 Reunion

The Bishop McNamara and La Reine Cass of 1969 50th Reunion planning is underway!

Please contact Charlene Cornu Shaw LR '69 or join the Facebook Group for more information.

BMHS & LRHS Reunion Plans

Bishop McNamara is reaching out to the following Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School classes to help organize their upcoming reunions:

Bishop McNamara & La Reine High Schools: '74, '79, '84 and '89

Bishop McNamara High School: '94, '99, '04, and '14

If you or any of your classmates have questions, need help or are interested in forming a reunion committee, please contact the Advancement Office.

BMHS and LRHS class of 1969, we would love to help you plan your 50th reunion! Please contact Dr. Rob Van der Waag for details and for more information!

Join our Alumni Association!

Interested in joining our Alumni Association? Want to get involved with on-campus events and alumni reunions? There are some great perks that come from being involved with our BMHS/LRHS Alumni Association - Contact our Alumni Association President Marlo Ford LR '87 to learn more!

Legacy of La Reine

Innovation lies at the crossroads of fields, disciplines and cultures. At Bishop McNamara, we are developing tomorrow's innovators today by committing to provide cutting-edge spaces and facilities that foster collaborative learning and a hands-on approach to the study of science and technology.

The centerpiece of our vision for the future is the establishment of the La Reine Science & Innovation Center at Bishop McNamara High School. This planned state-of-the-art facility will enable us to expand beyond traditional science offerings, build on highly-successful programs already in existence, and create new spaces for exploration, creativity and discovery.

For more information about the La Reine Science & Innovation Center, please contact Director of Development Sandy Mammano.

Click here to learn more about contributing to the #LaReineLivingLegacy.

Victoria Mammano '09

On Oct. 18, 2018, Victoria Mammano '09 graduated as an Officer for the University of Maryland Police Department! Family and friends attended the ceremony to celebrate this occasion, and Lt. John "Zeek" Teletchea '92 of the Prince George's County Police Department (pictured above right) did her official uniform pinning, welcoming her as a fellow officer.

Above left, Victoria is pictured with University of Maryland Police Department Deputy Chief Dave Lloyd '88. Congratulations Victoria! We know you will continue to make everyone proud.

Jeremy Diehlmann '15

For the second consecutive year, the team from West Virginia University took home top honors in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration–Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Fall 2018 Competition!

On Nov. 3, Jeremy Diehlmann '15 and his teammates from WVU bested teams from University of Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Penn State to win the event, which was held at the Coronado Coal Mine Rescue Training Center, in Oakwood, Va.

Click here for more information. Congratulations Jeremy!

Last month, we posted a call to the BMHS community to help Holy Family School.

Great news! In the past six weeks, due to the efforts of teachers, parents and parish family, so many generous donors, and in particular, one amazing angel donor who gave $200,000, more than $270,000 has been raised to save Holy Family School!

We are very happy to hear that in light of these efforts, Holy Family will be open this next fall for the 2019-2020 academic year!

Thank you to everyone who donated in support of this endeavor. Holy Family School has kept their GoFundMe Page open to additional donations, so if you would like to donate in support of Holy Family School, you can do so by clicking here.

Mark Your Calendars: BMHS Senior Games

Join us over the spring season as we celebrate our senior student-athletes! There are different dates for our various senior games:

February 9 - Boys' Basketball

February 9 - Dance

February 12 - Cheerleading

February 12 - Pep Band

February 14 - Swimming

February 17 - Girls' Basketball

Be sure to join us for these games! Help us cheer on our seniors and give them a proper sendoff before they graduate!

Bishop McNamara Baseball Team: Remember the Fallen...Honor those who Serve

Through the pouring rain and blustery cold, members of the Bishop McNamara Baseball Team along with coaches, parents and families, joined together early Dec. 15 to "...honor those who serve..." laying wreaths and taking a moment to say the name of each veteran aloud.

"Wreaths Across America brings together people from all walks of life, uniting them in the common mission to remember the fallen, honor those that serve, and teach the next generation about the true cost of freedom," said Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. "We are not here to 'Decorate Graves'. We're here to remember not their deaths, but their lives."

Click here for the full story.

Cayla Cade '19 to sit on the Washington Journalism and Media Conference Youth Advisory Board

Cayla Cade '19 has been asked to sit on the Washington Journalism and Media Conference Youth Advisory Board hosted by George Mason University.

Cayla was nominated for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference by her BMHS English teacher in 2017, and was thrilled to attend the conference this summer 2018 at George Mason as a National Youth Correspondent. Her attendance at the WJMC qualified her to apply to the WJMC Youth Advisory Board which gives her the opportunity to assist the leadership team with future conferences and new initiatives.

Click here for the full story!

Science and Ecology Explorers Club Cooking Midterm Madness Soups

The Science and Ecology Explorers Club gathered on Dec. 12 to make 2 varieties of vegetarian soup.

Each year we hold a "Midterm Madness Soup Sample Give Away" featuring vegetarian choices and recipes to encourage everyone to make food selections that help the planet. Many people have never tried a wide variety of vegetarian options and are hesitant to experiment with a recipe unless they know how good it can be. Free samples seemed to a way to get people to try something new! This year we featured vegetarian chili and Moroccan stew. The chili was rich with tomatoes and the Moroccan stew features a blend of exotic spices. Students prepped the veggies and did a whole lot of chopping to make this work!

Click here for more details.

Bob Corwin - Pass Tha Ball writer features Bishop McNamara Girl's Basketball

Bob Corwin, writer of Pass Tha Ball, featured the BMHS Lady Mustangs Basketball Team in his latest article from the She Got Game Classic DC 2018!

"The 10th Annual DC Area She Got Game Classic once again saw a plethora of talent parade forth over the weekend of December 14-16. A total of 124 high school teams from 11 states, the District of Columbia, Australia and Canada played one to three pre-set games at one of five host sites. The recently renovated Athletic Republic facility in District Heights, Maryland, served as the primary site with four courts in use. Approximately 130 college coaches (mostly NCAA Division 1 from the eastern half of the country) observed at least one of the three days of the event. Approximately 15 scouting services/media outlets (mostly online) also were in attendance."

Click here for the full feature!

Be sure to mark your calendars for our next home games:

Girls' Basketball: Jan. 8, 2019 6:45 p.m.

Boys' Basketball: Jan. 4, 2019 7:25 p.m.

BMHS Counselor Alicia Oglesby Co-Authors New Book

BMHS Senior Class Counselor and Assistant Director of College Counseling Alicia Oglesby recently co-authored a book with Rebecca Atkins entitled: Interrupting Racism.

The book provides school counselors with a brief overview of racial equity in schools. Thus far, there is only one copy left in stock on Amazon!

Imani West '20 Selected as Finalist for the Prince George's County Youth Poet Laureate Competition

Bishop McNamara High School congratulates Imani West '20 for being selected as one of eleven finalists for the Prince George's County Youth Poet Laureate competition. The PGC Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify youth writers and leaders who are committed to civic and community engagement, poetry and performance, human relations and diversity across the State of Maryland. This program is a partnership with Urban Word NY with Dialect of Prince George's County & Lyrikal Storm of Parkdale High School, with assistance from the Prince George's Arts & Humanities Commission.

Click here for more information!

BMHS Enrichment Zone! hosts Graduation Showcase for Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program

On Monday, Dec. 10 the Enrichment Zone! hosted a Graduation Showcase honoring 17 BMHS students who participated in and completed the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program. This 8-week program taught leadership skills and public speaking. At the graduation showcase, students demonstrated their new skills by running the entire program and presenting impromptu and prepared speeches.

Click here for the full story.

Maureen Barry Mussler LR '73, sister of Delores Barry Heil LR '69 and Kevin Barry '71 (deceased), passed away Dec. 4, 2018.

Demetris Calhoun, mother of Rudy Holland '18, passed away Nov. 22, 2018.

Margaret Hennigan, mother of BMHS supporter and community member Melanie Hennigan, passed away Nov. 22, 2018. Click here for her obituary.

Patty Lord Ryan LR '73 passed away Dec. 7, 2018. Her obituary is available by clicking here.

Ather McKelvy, grandmother of Tay-Lor Albright '20, passed away Nov. 26, 2018.

Walt O'Brien '70, husband of Patti Beetham O'Brien LR '70, and brother of Dennis O'Brien '76 and Patricia O'Brien Lesher LR '80, passed away Dec. 8, 2018.

Tyler Van Rossum, husband of previous BMHS faculty/staff member Sue Rossum, passed away November 2018.

Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Memorial Garden

Our Memorial Garden, named in honor of student Terrell Edelen '14, is complete and will give our community the opportunity to honor other deceased loved ones, family, friends and/or teachers. For more information on how to purchase bricks or benches in the Memorial Garden, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement. Take time to come by for a visit to reminisce, or even just for quiet reflection.

QUICKLINKS

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Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support BMHS every time you shop, at no additional cost to you. Amazon will donate a portion of your eligible purchase price total to BMHS.

Bernardine Sisters on Facebook

Bishop McNamara and La Reine alumni are invited to like the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Facebook Page.

Get the latest news on the Sisters from La Reine and see what incredible pictures and events they have posted.

The retired Brothers of the Holy Cross and Bernardine Sisters would love to hear from you. To contact them, use the information listed below. Thanks!

For the Brothers:
St. Joseph's Center
495 Maple Lane
Valatie, New York 12184

For the Sisters:
Sacred Heart Convent
460 St. Bernardine Street
Reading, Pennsylvania 19607-1737