Read the full story

Freshman Mickey Redlingshafer takes a break from typing an assignment to pop her knuckles. Like that of other STA students, the habit of popping knuckles is regular and seemingly involuntary, but many do not know what effects the tendency has on the hands. Photo by Murphy Marx

by Murphy Marx Read the full story

by Nikki Rodriguez

Seniors Sydney Deatherage, front, and Kayla Loosen work during the Dart's publication night, April 15. During publication nights, the Dart staff lays out the design of an issue of the paper. Photo by Nikki Rodriguez

 

Read the full story

Sophomore Meka Kelly focuses on perfecting her teapot in Ceramics class. Kelly finds that ceramics is both a stress relieve and a stress inducer. Photo by Andie Drummond

by Andie Drummond

Read the full story

Latin teacher Sue Marquis supervises her Latin I students as they work on homework on April 14. The incoming freshman class of 2014 will be 10 percent larger, but Marquis and administrators are not worried about the size. Photo by Kate Rohr

by Kate Rohr

Read the full story

Visitation eighth grader Kathleen Connor finishes up a letter at home on April 18. Connor was one of 23 girls from Visitation who enrolled at STA for next year. Photo by Maddie Miller

by Maddie Miller

Sunlight streams through the window of the bustling Roasterie Cafe in Brookside as St. Paul’s eighth grader Maddie Horton sits at a table enjoying a strawberry smoothie. She grins as she recalls her shadow experience at STA. Horton continues to list reasons why STA was her number one choice. What pressured her to come here? Why did she choose STA?

Horton shadowed several places but she chose STA for next year. She visited Bishop Miege High School, Pembroke Hill High School, Shawnee Mission East High School, Notre Dame de Sion High School and STA. Horton said her parents would be happy if she attended any of those schools.

“My friends helped me decide which high school I was going to go to, we talked about it a lot,” Horton said. “Hearing all the positive things they had to say about St. Teresa’s really encouraged me to go there.”

Horton is excited that some of her friends are going to STA. She said that it will be fun having people she knows there.

St. Elizabeth’s Kelly Fletcher is a legacy at STA. Her mom, grandmother, aunts and cousins all went to STA, and her sister, Caitlin Fletcher, is currently a freshman here.

“So many of my family members went to St. Teresa’s,” Kelly said. “I knew I would have to go there so I didn’t shadow anywhere else.”

Caitlin said she helped convince Kelly that she shouldn’t consider any other high school.

“I really want my sister to come to St. Teresa’s because I think that it would be the best place for her,” Caitlin said. “ I love it so much, I think Kelly will too.”

Kelly loved her shadow experience. She enjoyed the classes and the campus and is looking forward to being in an advisory and meeting new people.

“It’s a good thing that Kelly likes St. Teresa’s so much because she had no other choice in high schools,” Mrs. Shauna Fletcher, Kelly’s mother said.

Visitation eighth grader Kathleen Connor will also attend STA next year. Her biggest influence in her high school decision was her sister, sophomore Caroline Connor.

“I do feel a little pressured to go to St. Teresa’s because my sister goes there,” Kathleen said. “Overall, I think if Caroline didn’t go there, I would still pick St. Teresa’s because of all of the fun girls who go there and the stories I have heard. I saw my sister having a lot of fun at St. Teresa’s, so I wanted to go there too.”

Kathleen said that her shadow experience was a “blast”. Kathleen’s favorite things about STA are that there are many of sports and events going on and advisories so freshmen can meet upperclassmen.

“My friends didn’t influence me in my decision to come to STA,” Kathleen said. “I don’t think it would be that bad to go to a high school without my friends because you meet so many new people and step out of your comfort zone.”

Kathleen said she decided to come to STA a long time ago when her cousin and sister came here.

“Ever sense I was little I have always imagined my self going to STA,” Kathleen said “That had a big role in my decision.”