Brother Rice High School has an opening for a math instructor for the 2013-2014 school year.
Experience in teaching Calculus I Honors is preferred/desired. Qualified candidates should possess Illinois certification, type 09; M.S. preferred. Knowledge of Catholic school environment and a background in co-curriculars/coaching a plus.
Send cover letter with resume electronically to jaugustyn [at] brrice [dot] org by April 19, 2013.
Bob Twardy ’65, Br. Carty, and Dennis Duffy ’64 at last year’s Alumni Dinner.
With the fourth quarter here for Brother Rice students, Mr. Robert Twardy prepares for his last quarter at Brother Rice. After announcing his retirement, Mr. Twardy plans to bring his 40 year career at Brother Rice to a close.
Mr. Robert Twardy began at Brother Rice in a fashion not many people can stake claim to. As an altar boy at Saint Catherine’s Parish in Oak Lawn, Twardy served mass for the Saint Catherine parish on the Brother Rice stage while the church was being built. Graduating from Saint Catherine’s in 1961, Robert Twardy began his four years at Brother Rice as a freshman. Twardy is a lover of sports and quickly joined the Brother Rice baseball squad. A four year, varsity starter for the team, Twardy helped lead to the Crusaders to the first Catholic League Championship in school history during the 1964 season.
Twardy graduated from Brother Rice with the class of 1965, but he would not be away for long. Coming back to Brother Rice has a physical education teacher, Coach Twardy joined the staff in 1973. As a teacher, Coach Twardy taught more Crusaders than any other teacher, an estimated 13,500 students throughout his teaching career. Early in his teaching career, Twardy developed the Red Cross Swim Program for students that is still in use for the physical education students today and is used at other schools like Homewood-Flossmoor.
Mr. Twardy’s important work extended beyond the classroom; joining the football coaching staff, Twardy was a 11 year head coach for the freshman/sophomore football team and an assistant for the 1981 varsity state champions, 1973 and 1980 Prep Bowl champions, and 1985 state runner-up team. Coach Twardy also coached the 1978 track and field team, the 1975 wrestling team, and coached golf for nine years, taking the team down state in 2004. Coach Twardy was the only Brother Rice coach to take three different teams downstate and the only coach to take golf downstate.
With his athletic accomplishments and education success, Coach Twardy was inducted into three Hall of Fames at Brother Rice. In 1998, Twardy was a part of the second class of inductees for the Brother Rice Athletics Hall of Fame. He was later inducted to the 2003 Brother Rice Alumni Hall of Fame where he was also awarded with Alumni of the Year, and entered into the Brother Rice Hall of Fame in 2008.
All of Coach Twardy’s work, he says, is credited to the students: “If it wasn’t for all the students being phenomenal, respectful, and going 110 percent every day, I wouldn’t have lasted this long. No doubt.”
Now that Robert Twardy is coming to the final months of his time at Brother Rice, he will miss a lot from the school. Twardy says he will miss the great friends he has made at Brother Rice and miss the students, but he looks forward to the future. “I plan to do more of what I have always done,” said Twardy, “more volunteer work.” Twardy has been a Minister of Care since 1988 and plans to do more volunteer work now with his free time. He also plans to travel, something that he has always enjoyed. Alaska, Las Vegas, the Caribbean, and Europe are on the travel list.
Brother Rice will have to fill the Physical Education Chair position and the large shoes Twardy is leaving behind, but for now, Mr. Robert Twardy plans to finish out the rest of the school year and spend some much needed time with his wife Anita, four children, and seven grandchildren, and enjoy his well deserved time off.
Harold Cassidy, a 90-year-old World War II veteran from Homer Glen, poses at his home at his home in Homer Glen, IL on Thursday February 28, 2013. He served on the Island of Tinian on the day the Enola Gay departed to drop the atomic bomb which ultimately led to ending the war. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times Media
Named for the mother of its pilot, then-Col. Paul Tibbets, the Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber that was the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb on an enemy target in a war.
It took off from the island of Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on Aug. 6, 1945, carrying “Little Boy,” a bomb destined to be dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
The mission was unbeknownst to most of the world, including Harold “Pat” Cassidy, who was stationed on Tinian at the time.
“We didn’t know about the bomb being dropped until a week later,” said Cassidy, a South Side native who served as a Navy hospital corpsman with the Marines’ 2nd Division during World War II. “It wasn’t like today, with cellphones. Back then there was not much communication.”
Source: SouthtownStar | Donna Vickroy
Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, October 25, 2011, from 2:00 – 8:00 P.M.
Conferences are held on a walk-in basis for a brief update on student progress; if a longer conference is necessary, parents are encouraged to make arrangements with the teacher for another conference date, either in person or by phone. Teachers will be located in various areas of the school.
The Math, English, and History departments will take a dinner break from 4:00 – 4:45 P.M., and the Theology, Science, World Language, Art, and Business departments will break from 4:45 – 5:30 P.M.
Staff members from Guidance, Physical Education, Catapult, Dean’s Office, and Main Office will also be available for consultation.
Mr. Dunne is the new sophomore biology teacher here at Brother Rice and is also one of the new freshman football coaches. Before joining the Crusaders, he taught high school in Samoa. Mr. Dunne loves music and can play a few unique instruments, including the Irish flute. Growing up in Evergreen Park, he is very familiar with the area. He hasn’t even been a Crusader for a semester yet and he already loves the school. If his last name didn’t give it away, Mr. Dunne is Irish to the core, and hangs the Irish flag in the back of his room.
How long have you been teaching?
Three years
What was your first impression of Brother Rice?
It was a good school with a lot of interesting people.
What is your best memory of Brother Rice so far?
I don’t think I’ve been here long enough, but freshman football has been pretty good so far.
What got you into teaching?
I have always been interested in science, and I enjoy helping people figure things out about the world they never knew.
Have you had an embarrassing moment at Brother Rice?
Thankfully, no, not yet
What do you do in your free time?
If I’m not listening to music, I am usually playing it.
What inspires you?
Definitely music
What would you be doing if you were not teaching?
Either scientific research or playing music
What is your favorite book?
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
What is your favorite food?
I love all types of food; I couldn’t choose just one.
Where did you grow up?
Evergreen Park
Where did you go to school, both college and high school?
Evergreen Park High School, and for college I went to St. Francis in Joliet.
Cubs or Sox?
The Sox, especially since they’re in first place
If you wanted to meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Paddy Keenan, an Irish Uillean Bagpiper who is a founding member of the Bothy Band
Where is your favorite place to in the World?
Chicago, Samoa, or Ireland
In one word, how would you describe Brother Rice?
Inspiring
What are some of your hobbies?
I like to watch and play sports, cook, read books, and play music. I can play the guitar, the Irish flute, and the bagpipes.
What is your Super Bowl prediction?
Bears 48, Patriots 30
What is your favorite band?
The Bothy Band
What is your favorite television show of all time?
Lost
What was your favorite class in school?
Any type of history
Do you see yourself at Brother Rice in the future?
Yes, absolutely. I love everything about this school so far and I hope to be here in the future.
As this summer came to a close, Father Mark could not take it any longer. “To be honest, I missed teaching,” he said, and in the fall he was hired to once again teach sophomore Theology at Brother Rice High School.
“This year I had time to come back,” says Father Mark. “I also believed that it would help me become a better chaplain.” His selflessness and determination to become an even better chaplain than he already is truly shows what kind of person he is and his desire to obtain an even larger role in this great school. Quite frankly, the entire student body could not be more honored to have him back again.
In the fall of 1998, Father Mark Walter began teaching sophomore Theology at Brother Rice. He enjoyed his time greatly, helping these young men delve into the passages of the Bible and interpret the word of God in a way that would relate to each of their lives. Fr. Mark looked forward to coming to class every day and involving himself within the daily life of the school, but his last school year ended in the spring of 2005 when he was offered a new line of work.
Father Mark was presented a position to become the new pastor at Saint Christopher Parish in Midlothian, Illinois, in 2005. The new position demanded many important tasks and jobs for him right from the get-go, and in order to accomplish them all, he was forced to give up his role of teacher at Brother Rice and learn how to become a new kind of teacher.
Despite these new demanding responsibilities, Father Mark would not leave the Crusader scene. When the school’s chaplain Rev. Leo Lyons passed away in 2010, Father Mark took over the role, which allowed him the opportunity to still be a part of the Brother Rice family. For each prayer service and mass held at Brother Rice from then on, Fr. Mark has taken time from his schedule and led the service for the school. The faculty and administration were very grateful for his willingness to help out, as this saved them both time and effort looking for a chaplain for every religious occasion. He also has participated on several Kairos trips with the students and donates his time to the Edmund Rice Camp, a week-long summer camp held at Brother Rice for young children from his parish and St. Margret of Scotland who might not otherwise be able to attend summer camp. Clearly, Fr. Mark has made a strong effort to continue to be as involved with the school as possible, and the Brother Rice community could not be more delighted.
In his role as band director for Brother Rice High School, Daniel Briggs knows his job requires energy, patience, energy, hard work, energy, a love of music, energy, energy and more energy.
Was energy mentioned?
Briggs seems well-prepared, however, particularly in the energy department, because at 28, he already is a seasoned director, with more than one accolade on his resume.
Briggs’ work as a band director started his senior year of high school, when his band teacher took a maternity leave. Though it probably bent a few school rules, Briggs took over the class for six months.
Source: SouthtownStar | Patti Ahern
Brother Rice High School is seeking an experienced English teacher for the 2012-2013 school year. Applicant must be able to teach all levels of English, grades 9-12.
Qualifications:
B.A. in English; Master’s Preferred
Illinois Teaching Certificate
Catholic School Experience a plus
Drama and/or Yearbook Experience a plus
Please direct cover letter and resume to Ms. Jon Lee Hall, English Department Chairperson at jhall at brrice dot org by April 25, 2012.
Dear Fellow Crusaders,
Dorothy Mendes was the Alumni Secretary for 17 years, and yet, when her adult children asked me to find pictures of her at work at Brother Rice, I could only find seven of them, two of which view her in the deep background. Fortunately, Brother Collins had six more pictures from the night we honored her as the Alumni Woman of the Year in 2008, the year she retired.
She may have been in the background, but thanks to her devotion, Dorothy was the backbone of the Alumni Association in our efforts to bring alumni together, in support of Brother Rice. We were unable to pay her enough for this devotion, but that did not deter her from giving her all, all the time. In fact, Dorothy’s selfless devotion to Brother Rice began in the Mother’s Club and the Alumni Mother’s Club years before I hired her in 1991. In fact, while working part time as my assistant, she became the President of the Alumni Mother’s Club. A final testimony to that devotion is the decision of her adult children (Diane and Michael ’85) and their spouses to ask for donations to Brother Rice High School in her name (see notice below).
Now would be a good time to show Dorothy’s family that you appreciate her devotion. Mike Mendes said his mom was his biggest cheerleader when he played four years of Brother Rice football, but he admitted that her devotion to the teams exceeded his own when he graduated, as other responsibilities led him in other directions. But Dorothy would call Mike after every game, football or basketball, beginning her description of exciting victories with the expression, “You should have seen it!”
Please make every effort to be with Dorothy’s family on Monday or Tuesday, so they know you appreciate Dorothy’s unyielding effort to support Brother Rice. Or, if you cannot be there (see notice below for details), please send a donation in Dorothy’s name and/or reply to this with a message, and I will forward it to Michael and Diane. I am told they are going to set up some kind of shrine at Kurtz Funeral Home to remember Dorothy’s devotion to Brother Rice. Let’s pledge to do whatever we can to remember and carry on her devotion. We will work with the family to do something nice and needed in support of current and future Brother Rice Crusaders, keeping Dorothy’s support alive for as long as possible.
Dorothy M. Mendes, nee Kuldanek, age 71, of Mokena, passed away, Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. Dorothy is survived by her loving family, children, Michael ’85 (Donna) Mendes, Diane (James) Colburn; siblings, Lucille Obidowicz, Richard (Verda) Kuldanek; grandchildren, Joey, Stacey, Tommy, Sydney, Camille; sister-in-law, Mary Kuldanek and many nieces and nephews. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Vincent and Louise Kuldanek, nee Polhorsky; husband, Mike Mendes; sibling, Edward Kuldanek; and brother-in-law, Daniel Obidowicz. Dorothy was a former member of St. Linus Church and School in Oak Lawn. She was also the former Brother Rice High School Alumni Secretary. Family will receive friends Monday, March 26, 2012 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 102 E. Francis Rd., New Lenox, IL 60451. Funeral service, Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 11 a.m. at St. Linus Church, 10300 S. Lawler Ave., Oak Lawn. Interment, private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dorothy’s name to Brother Rice High School would be appreciated. For information, www.kurtzmemorialchapel.com or 815-485-3200.
Thank you for your support in memory of Dorothy Mendes.
Over the last six years, the community of Brother Rice High School has stepped up and responded to the challenge of St. Baldrick’s, a day that was made for helping others. Tuesday, March 13, proved no different. Throughout the course of that single school day, more than 140 students shaved their heads either before school or during their lunch periods in the North Gym, becoming a part of an event that has quickly become the world’s leading fundraising program for childhood cancer research.
“I think it is really touching to know that kids are stepping up to help other kids,” says Becky Pacetti, Director of Student Activities, who facilitates the St. Baldrick’s Day activity at Rice. Ms. Pacetti is actually the person who said “yes” when Fox News Anchor and alumnus Patrick Elwood asked if Rice could lead the “crusade” in bringing St. Baldrick’s Day to schools. That first year, 360 people participated at Rice, and $78,000 was raised. The incredible success was enough to earn Ms. Pacetti a call from Enda McDonnell, one of the three founders of St. Baldrick’s Day, who personally thanked her and the Brother Rice family for their outpouring of support on such a selfless day.
Since then, the event has actually spread among other area schools and parishes, creating a form of healthy competition between them. “Many families are choosing to shave at their parish schools,” Ms. Pacetti says. “As long as everyone is still helping kids with cancer, it really doesn’t matter what venue they go to.”
Of course, Brother Rice students and other participants get just as much (if not more) of a thrill than Ms. Pacetti. Many students love taking advantage of an opportunity that allows them to help peers in need. “If raising money and shaving my head gets us one step closer to killing the disease, I am 100% for the cause,” says Rice junior and student council member Brendan Hogan.
Other students have emotional connections to the event, especially if they are close with someone who has cancer. “I decided to shave my head because my mom is a cancer survivor. I want to help others who are going through what she did,” says Rice junior and varsity basketball team member Eric Dansart. Eric also won the raffle and the right to shave the head of varsity basketball assistant coach Dave Wills. In the end, every person has their own story, but united in the cause, everyone can stand up to cancer.
Yes, to put it lightly, St. Baldrick’s Day has been an enormous success over the last six years. Will Brother Rice continue to host this heartwarming event in the future? Ms. Pacetti has a simple answer: “As long as the Crusaders are willing to show their support, we will continue it.”
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