SLI, also known as Student Launch Initiative, has a very ambitious task: launch a 8-10 foot rocket 4,000 feet in the sky! You may say “There's no way that is possible!” Well, it is, but it is very hard. Since October 4th, 2023, the rocket has been under construction. On October 5th, the team met with NASA personnel via video conference and were given the month to prepare their preliminary design and presented it on November 1, then answered questions. Their next step is to write their Critical Design Review, which is due January 8th.

Academic Challenge is a great after school program that includes trivia! It also includes a great challenge known as the Brain Brawl! The Brain Brawl is a trivia tournament which has Catholic middle schools in the Ohio area compete to see which school is the smartest! The winner of the Brain Brawl wins a trophy for a year. Students that went to the Brain Brawl are Mary Anthony, Trevor Nitzsche, Molly DiMare, Brielle Pekarek, and Maria Masetta. The Brain Brawl was on October 7th at St. Ignatius High School. They competed in 5 competitions without elimination. They left with a record of 1-4. After a lunch break, they competed against a team with a similar record, but did not make it to the second round. Some of the answers from the day included: Listing all 10 of Taylor Swift’s Albums, Elton John, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, zodiac signs, magazine titles, and U.S. Presidents. 

Power of the Pen makes some of the most creative stories I have heard, and if you make a story good enough, you go to districts, and some of our own Mustangs qualified for districts! Those mustangs are Enza Maltempi, Aleena Kuttikadan, Stella Denholm, Kaylee Rich, Gabby Ubelhart, and Sarah Thompson! Mustangs that made the alternates are Michael Cora and Bella Phillips. 

A few other clubs students can join are Chess Club, Tech Time, Grace Notes, and After-School Spanish. Chess Club is an afterschool opportunity to improve chess attacks and defenses. Tech Time is also after school to learn computer coding. Both are proctored by Mr. Seislove. Grace Notes with Mrs. Seidita will perform at the Christmas Concert and the 5K. After-School Spanish with Mrs. D is to learn and improve your Spanish speaking skills. 

Be on the look-out for SLI and Power of the Pen updates!

If you’ve been at IHM, or even simply heard reviews about it, then you’ve most certainly heard of one of IHM’s greatest teachers : Mr. Hall. While everyone knows his name, how much do you really know about our school’s illustrious teacher? 

Did you know he was born in Alaska, and he has travelled all across the 50 states as well as Mexico, Canada, and Great Britain on top of it all? He has lived in 5 different states: Alaska, Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado, and Ohio, although his favorite remains to be Alaska. 

And, everyone knows he loves rockets. In fact, when he was a kid, he wanted to be a USAF fighter pilot. When he was a kid, he built tons of model airplanes and some rockets. In 2010, he assisted coaching his first TARC team and has stuck with it ever since. Though as surprising as it is, he didn’t start off with a degree in rocket science. He actually got degrees in fire science and photography from Linfield University, Oregon; the University of Alaska, Fairbanks;  University of Alaska, Anchorage; Honolulu Community College; and Regis University, Denver. 

For all of you who like to ski, you may be interested to know that Mr. Hall is a skier himself. In fact, he didn’t just ski, he also coached six-year-olds before he left Alaska, and he completed a few cross country ski marathons.

If you would like to know more about IHM’s favorite teacher, you can see him at dismissal or throughout the hallways. Feel free to ask him your questions, he’s always willing to answer. And remember there is always more to your teachers than meets the eye.

This 2023/2024 year, our IHM school musical is Peter Pan Jr. It is based on J.M. Barrie's classic tale written in 1904 about a boy named Peter and his sidekick Tinkerbell. 

One night, Peter and Tinkerbell visit the Darling's nursery. They sprinkle fairy dust on the siblings and begin their unforgettable journey to Neverland. Peter Pan Junior has the opportunity to see different sets, like the Darling Nursery, Neverland, and the deck of the pirate ship. This musical also has up to 16 songs, including “I’m Flying,” “Pirate March,” “Hook’s Tango,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” and more.

The musical will take place on April 19 at 7:00 p.m.; April 20 at 7:00 p.m.; and April 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Ava Shaker and Jordan Young

Since we are mustangs, how about we learn some facts about our valued horses!

1. Horses have 360° view, meaning they can see all around them!

2. Horses can't breath out their mouth, so what do they do when they’re sick?

3. Horses can sleep standing up! I bet their knees hurt!

4. Horses are social animals, Just like us humans!

5. Male horses have 40 teeth when they are adults, that's more than humans!

Thanks for tuning in to Five Fun Facts! I hoped you enjoyed It!

Photos by Ava Shaker and Jordan Young