Nike Basketball’s Chosen-1’s Invitational is coming to Akron!

Catch both matchups of the Chosen-1’s Tour in The LeBron James Arena this Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025!

Girls Basketball vs. Richmond Heights — 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball vs. Garfield Heights — 7 p.m.

Everyone MUST have a ticket for a seat in the Arena. No passes of any kind will be honored. See the link in the Athletics section of the Irish Weekly to purchase a ticket.

Marcus Wattley Sr. Returns to Lead STVM Football

We are thrilled to announce that Marcus Wattley Sr. has been named the new Head Football Coach and Director of Retention & Academic Success at STVM.

Coach Wattley, a respected educator, proven leader, and highly accomplished high school football coach, returns to STVM after serving as Defensive Coordinator at Archbishop Hoban High School in 2025, where he helped lead the Knights to a 10–2 record and a regional final appearance in the OHSAA playoffs. Read more about Coach Wattley here and Go Irish!

You won't find a better deal on Christmas cookies than this! Stop by the Band Room Entrance at STVM (North Walnut Street across from the Cosgrove) on Sunday, Dec. 14 from 1-3 p.m. to get some tasty holiday treats! Homemade cookies are $6 per dozen. Proceeds will help the band students with their trip to Walt Disney World this spring!

Exam Week Study Day 

On Monday, December 15, 2025 STVM will hold a special Exam Week Study Day designed to help students prepare for their upcoming finals. Throughout the day, students will follow a shortened schedule that allows them to visit every teacher, ask questions, review material, and receive extra support before exams begin.

The day will open with Morning Meeting and an Advent Prayer Service, followed by eight abbreviated academic blocks, each 29 minutes long. Students will have the opportunity to check in with all of their teachers, clarify expectations, and make final preparations for a strong finish to the semester. We will have our regular two Lunch schedule and dismissal will remain at 3:00 p.m. This is a mandatory day. 

This structured study day is an important opportunity for students to organize their materials, seek help where needed, and build confidence heading into exam week. We appreciate your support in encouraging students to use this time well and come to school prepared with their study materials and questions.

COCOA & CRAM

Date: Monday, December 15 

Time: 3-6 p.m.

Location: Student Center/LRC

Bring your Chromebook, notes, books and join your classmates to get ready for exams.  

$2 Dress Down Day Monday, December 15

Students may dress down (spirit dress down) with a $2 donation, which will go toward caring for our Adopt-A-Families. Students who do not wish to participate should wear their regular uniforms. Donations will be collected as students enter morning meeting.

Fall semester exams will be held December 16-19, 2025. Click here for the exam schedule and details.  

**Semester grade point averages will be comprised of 45% 1st quarter grade, 45% 2nd quarter grade, and 10% final exam grade.

Adopt-A-Family Information

The Adopt a Family gifts are due Dec. 12, 2025. If you signed up but haven't turned in your item yet, please send it in on Monday so that we can get our gifts to this year's recipients. 

Cash/Venmo donations still needed: If you didn’t have time to shop but would still like to help, please consider sending a donation via cash (send to school office in an envelope clearly marked for Adopt-A-Family) or via Venmo to Parents' Club (@stvm-parentsclub, be sure to note that it’s for Adopt-A-Family), by Monday, Dec. 15. The donations will used to purchase gift cards and maybe a few more items to fill in the blanks.

Thank you to all students, staff, and families for your generosity and spirit of service. Together, we’re making Christmas special for 12 families who would otherwise go without. This is a beautiful, faithful STVM tradition that has been going strong for nearly 40 years.

Assignments & Instructions

• Adopt-a-Family Assignments

• Student Instructions

BACK TO THE '80s PURSE BINGO: SHOWCASE EDITION

Save the Date! Get ready for a totally rad night at St. Vincent–St. Mary’s 1st Annual Ladies Purse Bingo, presented by the STVM Ladies Association! Dust off your leg warmers and neon, grab your friends, and plan your table of 6–8 for bingo, laughs, and fabulous prizes. Each round of bingo wins a designer purse, and the table with the best ’80s-themed decorations will also receive a special prize.

When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 6-8 PM (Doors open at 5 PM)
Where: Jack and Ann Haag Student Center, STVM

Want to Help?
If you’d like to donate a new designer purse (Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Coach, Tory Burch, etc.), please contact Michelle Hlivko Schaeffer VM92 (mschaeffer@stvm.com). Monetary donations are also welcome, and we will happily shop for a purse on your behalf.

All proceeds benefit Showcase 2026. Don’t miss this blast from the past! A link to register will be shared soon.

The STVM Ladies Association, which is proud to present this event to support Showcase, is made up of dedicated alumni, current and past parents, and friends who wish to support STVM and its students. Our 2025-2026 Focus Project is Campus Ministry, with a special emphasis on the Kairos Retreat Program. We invite you to join or renew your membership today! Your dues will directly provide financial support for Kairos and other Campus Ministry initiatives. To get involved or learn more, contact Susie Gaebel Wallace VM91 at ladiesassociation@stvm.com

SHOWCASE 2026

BACK TO THE '80s

Get Ready for Showcase 2026!

It’s time to celebrate a milestone! Showcase 2026 is back for its 40th year! STVM’s biggest fundraising event supports tuition assistance, campus improvements, and school operations, all while bringing our Irish family together for a night full of fun. Join us on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at House Three Thirty in Akron for an evening of delicious food, an open bar, live music, thrilling auctions and raffles, and plenty of laughs and memories with friends old and new!

Be Part of the Excitement!

We’re forming committees for Showcase 2026, and there’s a spot for every parent! Whether you love organizing, connecting with people, or just want to be part of the behind-the-scenes action, volunteering is a fun way to get involved and meet other STVM families. Sign up here.

Questions or want to be added to the volunteer email list? Contact Michelle Schaeffer, Senior Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, at mschaeffer@stvm.com

CAPSTONE 2026

As part of the 2026 Capstone Experience for seniors, here are the key dates and requirements to keep in mind:

Capstone Experience Timeline Your Capstone can take place at any point during the school year, but the dedicated Capstone Week is May 4-8, 2026.

Shadowing Hours
Seniors are required to complete 25 hours of shadowing outside of STVM. Hours may be split between multiple locations, and you may shadow outside of Ohio if you choose.

Community Sponsor
Each senior must contact and secure a community sponsor who will help guide their Capstone Experience.
 

Capstone Proposal

Your Capstone Proposal, including details about your sponsor and shadowing plans, is due March 2, 2026.

Capstone Presentation
After completing the experience, seniors will return to STVM on Thursday, May 14, 2026, to submit all required assignments and present on their Capstone Experience.

For complete details, please see the Capstone packet and proposal form available in MyIrish (Blackb under Resources. Please review everything thoroughly before submitting your proposal.

Questions?
If you have any questions after reviewing the materials, please contact Beth Dolan at bdolan@stvm.com

Start planning now and make the most of this exciting opportunity to explore your future career interests!

Capstone Proposal

Senior Capstone Experience Packet

This Ohio Scholarship Tax-Credit Program lets you “Turn Taxes into Tuition” by directing your tax dollars to our St. Vincent-St. Mary High School students.  The money will be used for tuition assistance for those students with the greatest need. This will help STVM meet its fundraising goals and keep tuition affordable. You don't have to have a student attending STVM to be eligible. All Ohio taxpayers can participate. 

How does it work? Make a donation to Angel Scholarship Fund, for which you may receive a 100% Ohio income tax credit of up to $750 ($1,500 if married filing jointly) against your 2025 state tax liability. These funds will be used to provide tuition assistance for Catholic school students, and you can direct the funds specifically to STVM. In other words, the state of Ohio allows you to "spend" some of the state income taxes (that you must pay anyway) to provide tuition assistance for STVM students. The Angel Scholarship Fund is a win-win-win for taxpayer donors, scholarship recipients, and our Catholic schools.

Click here to watch this short video explaining how easy it is to contribute to the Angel Scholarship Fund.

Click here to learn more and to make your gift.  

Click here to read the FAQs. 

THE LEPRECHAUN NETWORK
IS LIVE!

The STVM Broadcasting Team is actively publishing on the new student-run site, The Leprechaun Network. Thanks to the Educator Initiative Grant Program from the GAR Foundation, STVM students in the journalism classes can publish their stories while developing journalistic ethics and digital literacy skills.  We welcome the entire STVM community to enjoy the voices of our students as they share their stories of STVM from their unique perspectives.

2025-26 Yearbooks

For this school year, yearbooks can be ordered anytime through the Yearbook Order Center by searching for St. Vincent-St. Mary or entering school code #3108.

Please note: The price will increase in January, so be sure to purchase your copy of To the Heights now!

ATTN: Senior Parents! You can celebrate your student and express your love with a dedication; click here to learn more.