Southern School Notebook: Feb. 12

Holy Cross students help is heartfelt

Students at Holy Cross School in South Portland have developed some interesting new hobbies this winter, like searching under car seats, leaving no couch cushion unturned and cleaning out their piggy banks. Their motivation is not personal gain, it is helping kids more than 8,000 miles away.

During Maine Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 31 to Feb. 6), students squared off in “Penny Wars.” Students in each class placed pennies in their classroom jar. Students could go to other classrooms and deposit silver change and dollar bills, which was subtracted from the total of the other classroom.

But the real winners are the students at Ngamo Primary School in Zimbabwe, a frequent recipient of Holy Cross families since Principal Christine L’Abbé visited the area on an African safari last March.

“While we were there, we learned that students are sent home if they can’t pay their school fees. I couldn’t believe it,” said L’Abbé. The fees are $10 a trimester, and $30 for the year. Yet, many can’t afford to pay it.”

Since last spring, L’Abbe added, her students have adopted the school and held bake and candy sales and other fundraisers to help pay some of the fees.

Students at Holy Cross have and will continue to trade letters, pictures and videos with the students in Zimbabwe; all of the money collected during the Penny Wars will be donated to Ngamo.

“In this Holy Year of Mercy, our students are learning that a small act of kindness can make a huge difference in the lives of others,” said L’Abbé.

As part of their celebration of Maine Catholic Schools Week, Holy Cross students also participated in many fun activities, including student/faculty games, trivia contests and roller skating at Happy Wheels Skate Center in Portland.

Scholarships announced by Clarkson

Clarkson University has announced recipients of endowed, sponsored, and Share Clarkson scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year: Thanh-Phong V. Ho, of South Portland, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, received the Theodore Sr. and Wanda McWharf Endowed Scholarship, the Purcell J. and Edith O. Brownell Endowed Scholarship and the Nathan and Janet Owen Endowed Scholarship.

Joseph Anthony Barbera, of Scarborough, a freshman majoring in aeronautical engineering, received the Elwyn J. Rodee Endowed Scholarship.

Dean’s lists

Husson University

Victoria Charity-McGuirk, of Scarborough, enrolled in the business administration program.

Peter Iuretig, of Scarborough, enrolled in communications technology – audio engineering program.

Jonathan Grover, of South Portland, enrolled in communications technology – audio engineering program.

Lycoming College

Andrew Chase, of Scarborough.

Susquehanna University

Julia Raffel, of Scarborough, a 2012 graduate of Scarborough High School who is the daughter of James and Rachael Raffel. She is majoring in creative writing.

Assumption College

Scarborough: Maya Ahluwalia, Miranda Page

South Portland: Nemanja Kaurin

Tufts University

Cape Elizabeth: Josephine Barth, Mathias Barth, Vanessa Blair-Glantz, Helen Bourdeaux, Benjamin Hansel, Emma Inhorn, Sterling Weatherbie

Scarborough: Misha Linnehan

University of Maine Orono

Cape Elizabeth: Dylan Egeland, Charles Jones, Stefan LaRose, Rachel Matusko, Shannon Nicholson, Matthew Oberholtzer, Christina Ross, David Terwilliger, Ashley Tinsman

Scarborough: Alec Anderson, Jacob Bloom, Samuel Cekada, Danielle Cooledge, Courtney Daly, LaRae Discatio, Roy Garland, Christopher Gilbert, Jacob Gross, Christian Harvie, Sarah Hoops, Colin Hulst, Andrew Jones, Katherine Kirk, Joseph Lancaster, Alyssa Lewis, Benjamin Lindsay, Sarah Marshall, Nathan McLellan, Trevor Morin, Madeline Palmer, Kathleen Pride, Jamie Rowe, Daniel Slavin, Kristen Spencer, John Sullivan, Anthony Verzoni, Colby Yerxa

South Portland: Sarah Baird, Chelsea Chiamulera, Katie Dooling, Caleb Elsemore, Cassidy Fielding, Jennifer Fletcher, Casey Fournier, Tyler Gagne, Colton Gervais, Taaniel Kiidli, Lauren Magnuson, Jamie McDonald, Jackman Mickiewicz, Hannah Noll, Thomas Salamone, Jaclyn Salevsky, Jill Tuttle, John Wilkinson, Brianna Woodward, Samuel Woodward

University of New Hampshire

Cape Elizabeth: Samuel Donnelly, Emily Ham, Andrew Kelly, Rachel Seekins, Kate Bosworth, Anastasia Kouros, Thomas Lalouche

Scarborough: Daniel Farley, Hailee Flaherty, Elizabeth Kennerly, Nicholas Bagley, MacKenzie Bowker South Portland: Joseph Brown, Samantha Fuller, Joseph Hendricks, Kate Kunin, Angela Tirabassi, Jenna Wing, James Rudolph

University of Rhode Island

Scarborough: Brendan Thomas Lorello, Bridget Suzanne Cange, Elliot B Engelman