Hi Nativity Alumni, How wonderful to be reaching out to our Nativity School alumni! Many of you probably remember me from the many, many years that I have been at Nativity School. I first arrived as a bright-eyed, go-ing-to-change-the-world-CU-graduate in 1974, and I have been here ever since still trying to keep afloat in the world. I began my teaching career after being hired by Sister Sharon Ekler and the school board for the very first 2nd grade with 16 students. After a few years teaching 2nd graders to read, I moved to 5th grade. My favorite memories were the “Student/Royal of the Week,” Friday movies, field trips, the little Christmas programs for the 1st graders, and comprehension ques-tions. During my last few years teaching 5th grade, my students

would recite Casey at the Bat for the talent show, and I always en-joyed the performance. I always thought and still do think that 5th graders are a wonderful level to teach; everything is black or white. They are old enough not to cry (too much) and young enough to still be kids, and they even own up to their mistakes. Mrs. Paula Beach had asked me

during the mid-80’s to be the assis-tant principal-mostly in name only, but in the 90’s, I taught part-time and had the official job of assistant principal. When Ms. Winnie Aiton was principal, and the school be-came completely 2 rounds, I be-came full-time assistant principal. When Ms. Laurine Halter resigned as principal in 2007, I was offered the job of principal by Father Ed-ward Hoffmann. I have people ask me how I could possibly work in one place for 36 years, and my reply is that every single day is different from the others. I have made so many fan-tastic friendships with teachers, staff, and students; many of my Christmas cards are sent to former teachers at Nativity. I have watched hundreds of little kids grow up to be wonderful, caring, productive members of our society, and I have met many priests that have guided my life. I also do have a life outside of school, and during my 36 years at Nativity, I have gotten married (33rd anniversary this summer), have 2 absolutely great kids of my own, Timothy and Katie, and have lived in Louisville for many years. I have 9 beautiful nieces and neph-ews scattered around the world. I

have lost a sister, a brother and my mother. I have traveled many places, shopped, read many books, cheered for many sports teams (especially the magnificent Bron-cos), loved my pets, tried to be-come a world–class bowler, and have enjoyed many family gather-ings. Once I get talking and in this case writing, it’s tough to slow me down! Back to our alumni, I want to find out what all of you have been doing. I love to hear about families, careers, travels, and where all of you live. Whenever alumni enter the school, they al-ways gravitate to the class pictures on the wall upstairs; they have to make fun of everyone’s hair style-thank goodness everyone wore uniforms, and then they begin talk-ing about the fun (mischievous) things that they have done. There’s that connection with your class-mates. Nativity School has been around for many years, and all of you are part of its rich history. Our goal is to gather together to recon-nect. Hope to hear from and see many of you in the near future! Best Wishes to All of You, Kathy Shadel

Hello dear Nativity School Alumni,

I would like to take advantage of this

moment to introduce myself.

I am Fr. Accursio Ciaccio and since

the beginning of this school year, I

am the new chaplain. Fr. Michael

Carvill, the new pastor, and I moved

from Massachusetts last July. We

belong to a fraternity of missionary

priests called Fraternity of St.

Charles Borromeo. Some years ago

Bishop Chaput asked our superiors in

Rome to send some of us to Denver,

and finally last summer we were sent.

And what a blessing it has been!

We met a very united and faithful

community that welcomed us very

warmly. Most of all, we are pleased

to have a school, which we consider

a great gift for the life of the whole

parish. When we arrived, Fr. Mi-

chael asked me to be the chaplain of

our kids, and this is something I

really love to do.

I was born in Italy on June 7, 1976,

and moved to the United States in

2007, shortly after being ordained a

deacon. On June 12, 2008, I was

ordained a priest. I always felt that

ministering to the youth was my call

since the very first moment that I

thought I would dedicate my life to

Jesus at 17 years of age. It really is a

joy to stand among the almost 500

students of our school. It fills me

with pride and humility at the same

time.

I already know many of you who I

met at the church, and I hope I will

come to know many more.

May God bless you All,

Fr. Accu

From the Principal’s Desk

NATIVITY ALUMNI N e w s l e t t e rN e w s l e t t e rN e w s l e t t e rN e w s l e t t e r

Leading the Way

Volume 1, Issue 1 Winter, 2010

Inside this issue:Inside this issue:Inside this issue:Inside this issue:

• Our Current Leaders -

Mrs. Shadel, Mrs.

O’Connell and Father

Accursio Ciaccio

• Spotlight on an Alumni

Family

• Stewardship Today

• Gala Invitation

• Fun Facts

• Alumni Memories

• !ativity’s First Gradu-

ating Class

Today’s leaders at Nativity from left to right

include: Mrs. Johanna O’Connell, Assistant

Principal, Mrs. Kathy Shadel, Principal and Fr.

Accursio Ciaccio, Parochial Victor.

School Office:

303-466-4177

Email us: alumni@nativityschoolbroomfield.org

Visit us or register at: www.nativitybroomfield.org

PAGE 2 NATIVITY ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER, 2010

Not only did seven members of the Lenon/

Cavanaugh family attend Nativity but we re-

cently found three of their children here now!

Craig Lenon graduated from Nativity in 1980.

He attended Regis Jesuit H.S. and CU Boulder.

After college he moved to Boston where he

lived for 20 years before moving to Orlando.

Currently, he does Risk Management for Or-

ange County. In his free time likes to play at

the Disney Parks!

Stephanie VanCardo (Lenon) attended Regis

College and Creighton University in Omaha,

NE where she studied Special Education. She

is married and they have three girls and one

boy. Her 21 year old is a hairdresser, 19 year

old son attends Missouri Baptist on a lacrosse

scholarship, and her 17 year old daughter will

graduate from high school this year. She plans

to attend Missouri State and enter the Physical

Therapy program. Her 11 year old daughter

plays the viola and volleyball. She is currently

working for Fannie May Candies and attends

St. Louis Community College working towards

a business degree.

After graduating from Nativity, Kelly Day

(Lenon) attended Marycrest High School and

then UNC. After graduating from college she

moved back to Broomfield and started to work

at the Allen Company. She currently lives in

Broomfield with her husband Mike and her

three children Madison, Kaitlyn, and Brandon.

All three children attend Nativity School and

are in the second grade.

Shannon Cavanaugh graduated from Nativity in

1994. She attended Mullen High School. She

graduated from the University of Northern

Colorado with a degree in business in 2002.

She is now doing commercial real estate in

Denver and lives in Lowry.

Megan Kranz (Cavanaugh) graduated Nativity

in 1995. She also attended Mullen High

School. In 2003 she graduated from St. Mary’s

majoring in communications. Megan has since

lived and worked in Chicago. She got married

this past July and is currently living and work-

ing in Denver.

Karen Cavanaugh attended Mullen High School

and Notre Dame after graduating from Nativity.

She currently lives in Chicago where she at-

tends Loyola University and is studying medi-

cine.

Brian Cavanaugh graduated from Nativity in

1999. He also attended Regis High School and

graduated from Fairfield University in 2007.

After graduating from Fairfield University and

majoring in Finance, Brian has since lived and

worked overseas. He is now back and living in

Broomfield.

We look forward to finding and hearing about

more alumni families in the near future!

Where Are They -ow: The Lenon/Cavanaugh Family

Stewardship Today Nativity became my school home in August, 1979. I had been teaching at All Saints School in south Denver for the past 4 years. Archbishop Casey decided to close several elementary schools that year, and All Saints was among the chosen. Sister Sharon Ekler interviewed and hired me to take on the first graders that year. They were a joy to behold, such tiny little crea-tures. They didn’t know that I was just as apprehensive as they during that first year. But I soon knew that this would be home for a very long time. After five wonderful years, I moved up to the middle school. There I was entrusted with the eighth graders as my homeroom and teaching science and math, my first loves, to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

Some of my fondest memories come from the may retreats that I attended with my eighth grad-ers. Staying up all night with Miss Rathburn, guarding our mischievous charges, is at the top of the list, as well as, long hikes in the mountains, roller skating rink fun, volleyball games, and watching my eighth graders grow in their faith. It was always a mixed blessing come graduation day. But I always felt that Nativity had prepared them well and they would blossom as they grew.

When technology came to Nativity, I knew that I needed to be involved and so moved to teach-ing computers, and expanding our growing lab. Moving from a few Apple IIc to a full scale iMac lab over the years was a great accomplishment. When Mrs. Shadel and Father Ed asked me to take on the challenge of the Assistant Principal position, I knew I was ready for another change. It was difficult to leave my classroom, but I still fit in teaching pottery to seventh and eighth graders, and my job as technology teacher never ends with helping Mrs. Shadel, teachers and parents make the best use of our online communication tool, FastDirect.

I have been blessed to work with so many wonderful, interesting, strong teachers over the years. Many of them are still part our faculty. Their love of education and the children in their care are inspirational.

My hope is that Nativity remains a vibrant, faith-filled family. This became evident to me when my husband, Ray, passed away last year. After so many years of children’s prayers, the Lord took him to his peaceful resting place and my Nativity was there by my side the entire time. This family spirit is even more important to me now that two of my six grandchildren are attend-ing Nativity. Anjaleigh is in the second grade and Malachi in kindergarten. I know the tradition here at Nativity will only help to make them stronger and more successful in their future. I hope that many more alumni will continue to contact us. We love to see those grown up faces at our counter wanting to “just look around’ and see a few former teachers. Mrs. Shadel or I would love to show you around. You probably wouldn’t believe all the changes. I can hear you now. “How come all the cool stuff started when we left?” I guess that’s just the way things go. Look-ing forward to seeing or hearing from you. Hopefully, I will still recognize you.

God bless, Mrs. Johanna O’Connell

Path to Assistant Principal

Students at �ativity can be found giving to others year round. They

donate Halloween candy, collect personal care products, coats,

shoes and clothing for local charities, food is donated to neighbor-

hood food banks and teddy bears are delivered to the homebound

and area nursing homes.

WINTER, 2010 NATIVITY ALUMNI NEWSLETTER PAGE 3

Tables reserved for alumni! Come and visit with fellow alumni, teachers and friends!

The Nativity of Our Lord School Fund was established in 2005 to address both present and future needs. The Gala is one of the

avenues established to meet our goal of building the financial resources that provide the children of Nativity with a world class

Catholic and academic education, both now and in the future.

PAGE 4 NATIVITY ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER, 2010

The following teachers have been at

!ativity for 10 or more years:

Tammi Albrecht

Paige Barr

Debbie DiPetrillo

Pat Ellis

Tonja Gorrell

Woody Green

Lorraine Green

Lissette Gutierrez

Kristi Helbig

Mary Kircher

Linda Knowlden

Mary Beth Maes

Johanna O’Connell

Pam Rathburn

Kathy Shadel

Sue Shaver

Fun Facts MEMORY LANE

“I loved the Christmas masses and all we did during the holidays.”

“Meeting all of my friends I still have today.”

“I remember Miss Rathburn...she was the most amazing teacher EVER!”

“Nativity will always hold a special place in my heart, from basketball, to misadven-tures in the creek, and to all the especially devout teachers.”

“I will always have fond memories of my first teacher, Miss

Kircher. She epitomized what a teacher is and should be both in

and out of school and went well beyond her duties to help…”

“voting in student council to change our mascot from the Royals to the Knights”

“The singing nuns that taught us how to sing in harmony at the masses”

“my $30 gum fine due to Miss Rathburn before graduation”

What did our alumni have to say?

Thank you to all the alumni that have registered as members of the !ativity Alumni Association. We would love to hear from everyone! Please provide us with your accomplishments, announcements, memories and pictures. Please send any informa-

tion you would like to share to alumni@nativityschoolbroomfield.org. We hope you enjoy the first issue of the !ativity Alumni !ewsletter! The first issue of the newsletter has been enthusiastically developed by the School

Advisory Council (SAC), a group of parents/members of the !ativity community.

THE FIRST GRADUATI�G �ATIVITY CLASS 1963-1964

Top Row: Katheryn Kottenstette, Leo Sowers, Fr. George Weibel, Sr. Yvonne, Bruce Fitzgerald, Kenneth Helfenbein

2nd Row: Gregory Cukro, Barbara Long, Elizabeth Badding, Daniel Beck

3rd Row: Mary Rothermel, Bernadette Fortier, Thomas Rizzi, Lucille !ard, Thaddeus Brown, Mary Kathleen Leonard

4th Row: William Hart, Gary Crandall, Margaret Gallagher, David !orton, Gary Moschetti