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Students Create Mosaic Mural of Founder, St. John Baptist De Lasalle
Barb Dawson • April 3, 2025
Celebrating Belongingness Week.
Under the direction of Fine Arts Department Chair and Music Director, Donnie Glowinski and Art Teacher Christiana Blatchley, Montini Catholic students were invited to participate in the creation of a beautiful mosaic of the Lasallian college preparatory high school's founder, St. John Baptist De Lasalle. St. John Baptiste De Lasalle was designated the Patron Saint of teachers by the Catholic Church in 1950. The artistic endeavor was an activity created as a part of Montini's celebration of Belongingness Week (March 24-28, 2025).
"Belongingness Week is designed to promote a sense of inclusion, connection, and community among students and throughout the school," said Principal Chris Tiritilli. "The purpose of this week is to enhance and emphasize an environment where each student feels known, accepted, valued and supported, regardless of their background, identity, or differences. During this week, we seek to provide several experiences and activities to celebrate the things that make us each unique and special, such as the backgrounds, experiences and traditions that we come from, all while also realizing that we come together and belong as one Montini community and family."
Throughout the week, each department wwas asked to organize an activity to align with one of the three main goals of the week: Building Positive Relationships, Promoting Inclusion, Increasing Self-Esteem and Emotional Well-Being. The mural was a way for Montini students to come together through a fun and artistic activity. Each piece of the mosaic symbolized an individual, with its unique shape, color, and position contributing to the overall 'masterpiece.' The final piece will be unveiled during Montini's upcoming Mass to celebrate the Feast Day of St. John Baptist De Lasalle which is April 7th.
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Under the direction of Alumni Relations Officer, Mary Albert, Montini Catholic High School is proud to continue their Lunch & Learn series throughout their spring semester as an opportunity for Bronco juniors and seniors to learn more about potential careers. This program, now in its 4th year, offers students a unique opportunity to connect with Montini alumni who have built successful careers in various fields. The informal sessions, each held during lunch periods, were developed to provide the opportunity for Montini students to explore career paths, ask questions, and gain valuable real-world advice as they plan for their futures. The first of four sessions was held on Wednesday, March 26 and featured alumni Sarah Sniegowski '14 (Senior Manager, Customer Story Development, Product Marketing at Salesforce Chicago), Alexandra Briggs '12 (Elementary School Teacher, Naper Elementary) and Mike Sullivan '94 (Managing Director & Wealth Advisor, The Wealth Management Group). Earlier in the year, students were asked to complete a career interest survey to help Lunch and Learn organizers to tailor the series to the most sought after careers. Among the careers most listed were those involving Sales/Marketing/Advertising, Banking/Accounting, Medical, Nursing, Public Service, Education, Engineering, IT/Computer Science, Political Science/Legal and Entrepreneurship/Business. Once preference information was received, Miss Albert invited those alumni holding careers in these specific areas to present at the Lunch & Learns. Montini Catholic juniors and seniors are able to register for the Lunch & Learn presentations online. The presentations are held from 12:15-1:15 PM on the designated days with pizza being served to the students as they 'listen and learn.' There is also an opportunity for students to ask questions and make connections for their future career goals. "Our first day of presentations was very successful," said Miss Albert. "Students were truly enthused and engaged to learn about their chosen careers. We are so appreciative to our alumni for graciously giving their time and for teaming up with us on this project." Upcoming Montini Lunch & Learn presentations/presenters are as follows: April 16, 2025 Finance Tom Wasilowski CFA, CPA, ‘05 – Financial Manager, Amazon Medical Dr. Megan Muscia, DO, ‘01 – Pediatrician April 28, 2025 Government & Law Enforcement Richard Starmann ‘89 –Former U.S. Secret Service April 30, 2025 Law Enforcement Guy Papa ‘94 – Law Enforcement Bureau Chief, DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Nursing Mariella Maduzia RN, ‘19- Registered Nurse, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Level IV NICU. Civil Engineering Dan Lowery, PE, ‘08 – Assistant Vice President & Construction Services Team Leader, Gannett Fleming TranSystems Image above: From L to R: Mike Sullivan '94, Alexandra Briggs '12 and Sarah Sniegowski '14 - pictured here with President Kevin Beirne (far left in blue) and Alumni Coordinator Mary Albert (far right)
Montini Catholic is proud to announce the addition of DeAndre McCamey to their award winning coaching staff. The former Assistant Basketball Coach at Montini Catholic has been selected as the new Head Coach of the Boys Varsity Basketball Team. Coach McCamey played an integral role this past season in coaching the team to their 20-win plateau and their 4th consecutive regional championship. (The announcement followed that of former Head Coach Adam DeMong stating that he was going to be stepping away from High School basketball to pursue greater opportunities in his professional career.) "We set out to find the best individual who can build upon our recent success and continue to grow and move our program forward," said Athletic Director, Brian Casey. "We knew we wanted to find a high character individual who can not only teach the game of basketball, but can positively impact the lives of our young people. After a number of conversations with area 'basketball people', college coaches, opposing basketball coaches, school administration, faculty and staff and many of our current Montini players & families, it was very clear that our next coach was already in our building." Coach McCamey's promotion comes after serving as an Assistant Coach at Montini for the last four seasons. Prior to Montini, Coach McCamey served as an Assistant Coach at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, under the tutelage of legendary basketball coach, Gene Pingatore. Coach McCamey has also coached at Glenbard East High School, as well as on the AAU Circuit with the Illinois Wolves. "DeAndre will bring a passionate, enthusiastic energy and a vision to enhance and grow the program for even more success in future seasons," added Casey. "Being a full-time member of our Math Department, Coach McCamey will have full access to the student-athletes in our program, year round, to ensure their day-to-day development in the classroom, on the court, and in their lives. I am excited to watch Coach turn his vision into a reality!" Coach McCamey has made it evident in the way he coaches and teaches that he is passionate about building a program at Montini Catholic that instills character, teamwork and resilience. "I am genuinely thrilled about this opportunity and the chance to work with our kids. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Montini students, faculty and staff for their congratulations and support as I step into the role of Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach. Building a basketball program has always been a dream of mine. As I step into this role, I am filled with excitement and passion for the journey ahead. My goal is to not only build and develop the skills of our young athletes on the court but also to instill values that will serve them well in life beyond basketball. I believe that through hard work, dedication, and teamwork, we can build not just great players, but great young men. I firmly believe that a strong program is defined by the continued involvement and support of its community, including former players and their families." Image above: Coach DeAndre McCamey and Montini Athletic Director Brian Casey
Montini Catholic in Lombard congratulated the newest inductees into their Spanish, Chinese and French Honor Societies. This year's ceremony was held on Wednesday, March 26th in the lLasallian college preparatory high school's auditorium. Members and families were welcomed by Montini's Foreign Language Department Chair, Mrs. Jennifer Block along with French teacher, Mrs. Beth DiMarco, Chinese teacher Mrs. Sumin Xu and Spanish teacher, Mrs. Makenzie Long. The ceremony began with select language students reciting the 'Hail Mary' prayer in Chinese, French, and Spanish. "Tonight, we recognize an extraordinary group of students - young scholars who have demonstrated not only academic excellence but also perseverance, curiosity, and a deep commitment to language learning," said Mrs. Block. "Over the past three or four years, they have risen to the challenges of mastering a new language all while navigating its complexities with determination and enthusiasm. More than just excelling in their studies, they have embraced the beauty of communication across cultures: fostering connections that extend far beyond the classroom. Their dedication to linguistic and cultural understanding is both inspiring and commendable, and we are so proud to celebrate their achievements tonight. We as their teachers get to see them taking risks every day in class, and putting in the hard work to excel- we are so glad that they are being celebrated this evening." French Honor Society: The French Honor Society is a nationally recognized organization that honors students who have excelled not only in their French courses but in all of their courses at Montini. Additionally, these students must take French 4 or 4H next year to finish out their four years of French, or be a graduating senior who elected to take level 3 their senior year. They must be members of our French club and have an average GPA of 3.5 or higher in their French courses over the course of three years. Chinese Honor Society: The National Chinese Honor Society (NCHS) was established in 1993 to recognize those accomplished high school students who study Chinese as a world language. To be eligible for induction, students must maintain an average of 93 or higher and commit to pursuing language study throughout their four years at Montini. Eligibility requires that students have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, including a 4.0 GPA in their specific language, as well as a commitment to taking the foreign language all four years at Montini. This year 18 students were inducted into their respective language honor society. Spanish Honor Society: The Spanish Honor Society was founded by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese in 1953, for the students of North American secondary schools; The name of Montini Catholic's chapter is San Juan Butista de la Salle with the motto, “Todos a una”, “All together.” Students must maintain a 95 or higher in three prior semesters for Spanish to be eligible for Honor Society status. Congratulations to: Chinese Honor Society Inductees Michael May '26 Thomas Healy '26 French Honor Society Inductees Julia Ciaccio '26 Harry (Harold) Hall '26 Aubrey Podojil '26 Sophia Torres '26 Spanish Honor Society Inductees Sofia Flores '26 Savannah Gutierrez '26 Blake Heyer '26 Karissa Jones '26 Jonathan Kosinski '26 Ashlynn Lindt '26 Nicole Navarro '26 Yeon (Seoyeon) Park '26 Gabby (Mary Gabrielle) Paulino '26 Valentina Serna '25 Jackson Simek '25 Mia (Maria) Torres '26 Image above: Spanish Honor Society Inductees l to r: Sofia Flores, Savannah Gutierrez, Blake Heyer, Karissa Jones, Jonathan Kosinski, Ashlynn Lindt, Nicole Navarro, Gabby Paulino, Valentina Serna and Mia Torres;
Montini Catholic High School
A Lasallian College Preparatory High School
19W070 16th Street, Lombard, IL 60148
