Students Learn Important Lessons About Martin Luther King, Jr.
Three members of Molloy’s Social Studies Department – Ms. Diana Rayappa ‘04, Ms. Sabina Kobinski ‘04, and Ms. Jennifer Lamb – have all received professional development through the Harvard Business School Case Method Project. This has provided them a strong foundation to teach real-life cases in a manner that helps their students better interpret and understand the material. This past week, Ms. Rayappa’s AP Government students studied the case of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights (1965), coinciding with Black History Month.
According to Harvard Business School Case Method Project, the Martin Luther King, Jr. case “traces the long history of black disenfranchisement and racial segregation in the United States, from the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. It describes the various strategies employed by civil rights activists, with a special emphasis on the civil disobedience protests of the modern Civil Rights Movement, and culminates in Dr. King’s decision of whether to lead protesters across Pettus Bridge on the famous protest march starting in Selma, Alabama on March 9, 1965.” Students are tasked to read and learn about the case, then determine the outcome based on readings and class discussions. On the last day of the project, they learn the actual historical conclusion.
Thank you to Molloy’s Social Studies Department for teaching this and many other important lessons every day!
Coming Soon: Stanner Life Magazine
Archbishop Molloy High School is excited to share the next issue of Stanner Life with our community later this winter. Our annual magazine features news from all around our school and alumni communities. This year’s issue includes many insightful articles about the wonderful programs available to our students, as well as the many opportunities alumni have to reconnect through events. In addition, we highlight the Fund For Molloy and several Named Scholarships that benefit outstanding students, including the Dr. Patrick Murphy Memorial Scholarship, the Curran Fund, the Kaitlyn Mendoza Fund, and the Karina Vetrano Memorial Scholarship.
Does Molloy have your most up-to-date mailing address? Have you or your child recently moved to a new address? If you would like to update Molloy’s records please contact us at communications@molloyhs.org and we will make certain that you receive a copy of Stanner Life. If you do not receive a copy in the mail by mid-March, please consider reaching out to our team. A digital version will be made available on the Molloy website after the magazine officially drops in mailboxes. We look forward to sharing Stanner Life with you and your family!
Molloy’s Parents’ Guild Celebration
On January 27th, Molloy’s Parents’ Guild hosted a special celebration for parents of current freshmen and sophomores. Participants enjoyed a delicious meal and time to connect with other parents in the community. The occasion marked the Guild’s first event of the year, and opened parents up to participating in our school community in a new way. Parents’ Guild volunteers worked the event by helping to set up, serve food and refreshments, and clean up.
Established in 2018, the Parents’ Guild represents a core group of parent volunteers who assist with various school functions throughout the year, including student events and alumni events. The Parents’ Guild also act as ambassadors who help raise awareness about Molloy in their communities.
Special thanks to President Richard Karsten ’81 and Principal Dr. Darius Penikas for their support, and to Mr. Lou Santos and Ms. Sandra Rosemond P’26 for their efforts in leading the Parents’ Guild and organizing this wonderful event. Next up: the Guild invites all current and past parents to a special Luau themed event here at Molloy on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Learn more about this event and the Parents’ Guild, or view photos from the celebration, by clicking the buttons below.
Molloy Hosts Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League
On February 3rd, Molloy hosted a full tournament welcoming students who compete in the Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League (BQCFL). Over 200 students and coaches from 15 different schools attended, while Molloy also welcomed alumni judges Jake Temkin ’20 and Tom Keane ’73! Molloy’s team placed third overall in the debate, while 12 students competed in a variety of other events and earned the following achievements:
| Isaac Contreras ’27 placed 5th in Novice Public Forum (NPF) while competing by himself. |
| The team of Anya Satyanarayana ’27 and James Vanegas-Molina ’27 placed 3rd in NPF. |
| Sophomore Lizeth Suarez ’27 was a finalist in the Congressional Debate while competing against mostly juniors and seniors. |
| Sofia Maroulis ‘25, Moises Nunag ‘25, and Camila Burga-Alcon ‘25 tallied a 2-1 record in their respective events – finishing just one placement shy of advancing to elimination rounds. |
A few weeks prior to the event, Lucia Vucetic ’24 competed in an asynchronous Speech and Debate tournament. She advanced to the top six performers in Poetry Interpretation, earning her a half-qualification for the NY State Championship in April. In addition, she received her first bid to the prestigious Tournament of Champions national tournament, where only a select number of competitors across the nation qualify each year.
Congratulations to all competitors, especially our Stanner squad and coaches Dr. Jonathan Mangar ’09, Mr. George Reed, and Mr. Ryan Curran ’22.
Stanners Compete at SJU Hack-a-Thon
On Saturday, January 27th, seven Molloy students competed in St. John’s University’s Capture the Flag Hack-a-Thon! Offered by SJU’s Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, the event gives students the opportunity to work in teams to solve coding puzzles. Stanners present were Megan Chelius ‘26, Lea Chen ‘24, Carlos Delgado ‘24, Antonia Dey ‘24, Shlok Dharia ‘24, Bridget Jiang ‘24, and Juliana O’Keeffe ‘26, all accompanied by Molloy IT professional Ms. Destiny Barbery. Out of the 10 teams invited, Molloy students came in both First and Second Place! Congratulations, Stanners!
Molloy Welcomes Students from Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy
On Wednesday, February 6th, Molloy welcomed students and family members from Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy (Douglaston, NY) to enjoy a basketball game and performances by our step team. The students and their families arrived shortly before tipoff of the boys varsity basketball game against Bishop Loughlin. Our guests got a chance to meet and take photos with members of the basketball and step teams, as well as other student ambassadors, who were all eager to help them feel right at home. Following the game, guests were invited to a light reception to enjoy delicious chocolate chip cookies. We were delighted to welcome our friends from DWCA, and we hope they enjoyed their experience!
Dr. Alice Prince, who coordinated the event for Molloy, shares, “The energy throughout the evening was electrifying. The event started with Ms. DeNoto’s warm welcome and a hard-hitting performance by Molloy’s step team. The night progressed with contagious smiles from our amazing student volunteers, and the cherry on top was a winning basketball game. This was a great way to introduce new communities to our Stanner family.”
Girls Varsity Swim Team Wins City Championship!
Molloy’s girls varsity swim team ended their season undefeated! The team won the City Championship on February 4th by over 30 points, and all of the girls swam their best times. Congratulations to Grace Gilroy ’24 for winning the Career Swimmer Award, and to head coach Ms. Heather Green-Wresch for winning Coach of the Year! Congrats to all on an elite season!
Rising Track Star Breaks Pentathlon Record (Again), Ranks Nationally
Congratulations, Camille Munoz ’25! Last weekend, at the Ocean Breeze Invitational, Camille broke her own Pentathlon school record of 2,742, previously set in June 2023. Camille’s new high-water mark for this event is an impressive 2,924! Camille now ranks #1 in New York State and #16 in the nation! The Pentathlon is a track and field event featuring five different events, including 55m High Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump, and the 800m Run.
Merged Hockey Team Celebrates Senior Night
Earlier this winter, student-athletes from Molloy merged with players from Holy Cross High School to form a joint boys hockey team. This marked the return of hockey as an option for Stanners for the first time in nearly 15 years! Earlier this week, the team celebrated senior night, marking the contributions of senior athletes as the season winds down and they move one step closer to graduation. Congratulations to the merged Molloy / Holy Cross team for winning their Senior Day game against the St. Edmunds Eagles 3-0. Congratulations to all for participating in Molloy’s first hockey season in over a decade! We look forward to seeing more hockey available to Stanners next year.
Capt. Nicholas Minor ’04 is the Executive Officer of the 103rd precinct in Jamaica, Queens. He was recently interviewed by Lisa Evers of Fox 5 News about his crime-fighting strategies along Jamaica Avenue. Capt. Minor was also interviewed by amNew York newspaper about the same topic. Click the buttons below for more info.
On Friday, December 29, 2023, the NYPD hosted its Police Academy Graduation at the Hulu Theater. After the ceremony, Police Officers John Loeffel ’19 and James Loeffel ’19 graduated and posed for a photo with a fellow Stanner, PO Anthony Morales ’09. Anthony has been with the NYPD since 2019 and is part of the NYPD Running Club along with both of the Loeffel brothers.
We are saddened to share the passing of former Molloy faculty member Mr. Thomas J. Potenza ’67. Please keep Thomas and his loved ones in your prayers.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of George Wohlstadt, who passed away on January 7, 2024 at age 94. George was the father of Michael Wohlstadt ’82 and grandfather of Christopher DePasquale ’20. George briefly attended St. Ann’s Academy before graduating from a different school. He later served as a volunteer for a previous iteration of Molloy’s Parents Activities Committee. Please keep George and his loved ones in your prayers.
