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Schools

St. Mary Graduation Marks New Beginning for Both Students and Principal

The class of 2011, honored with a graduation Mass, will move on to eight different high schools. And their retiring principal will be moving on, too.

opened in September 1949 with a total enrollment of 27 students. The graduating class of 2011 totaled 35 students—and Principal Judy Rozgo.

Retiring principal Judy Rozgo tearfully addressed the graduates and shared how much she will miss them. She began as a teacher at the school, having her own children in her class. She spoke of many fond memories and encouraged the children to make good choices as they leave St. Mary.

She received an honorary diploma from the Rev. James Dvorscak after the graduates received theirs.  

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"Always remember our school theme from this year; J-O-Y. Put Jesus first, Others second and Yourselves last," Rozgo told her students. "Don't let failure go to your heart and don't let success go to your head."

She will be moving to Seattle, WA, to be with her children and grandchildren.

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The class of 2011 is the final group to have studied in the old school prior to 2003's $8 million parish center expansion, which brought a new gym, cafeteria, music room, art room, science lab and six new classrooms.Total enrollment is now 459 students, according to the school's website.

The 35 St. Mary graduates will be going to eight different high schools in the fall. Class President Cascidy Bandyk wiped away tears as she told her classmates she will miss them all. 

"While we are the Class of 2011," Bandyk said, "we also became a family."

Father Dvorscak told the class that everything you need to learn in life, you learn in a Catholic grammar school. While many schools teach the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, Catholic grammar school students hold the advantage.

"We still have the right to pray in school," he said. "Most of America no longer has that right."

He went on to say that prayer and faith combined with academics will take them far in life. The class of 2011 started kindergarten the same year Father Dvorscak began serving in the parish.

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