St. Jerome School Alumni Archives

January 2004

ST. JEROME SCHOOL 3RD ANNUAL "TASTE AWAY" A STELLAR SUCCESS!

On Friday, January 30, 2004, the St. Jerome School PTO hosted their 3rd Annual "Taste Away" at Lombardo's in Randolph, Mass. The event raised over $19,000 - the most ever for the Taste Away! - in support of St. Jerome School's general operations. PTO sponsored events allow the school to sustain affordable tuition rates. This event is one of the school's three annual parent-organized fundraisers.

That evening, over 600 guests gathered in Lombardo's elegant banquet facilities where they were feted to the sumptuous dishes of 20 south shore restaurants, bakeries and caterers, tried their luck at the exciting raffles and auctions, and danced the night away to the crowd-pleasing tunes spun by master DJ (and St. Jerome School Parent!) J.J. Donovan. Adding to the elegance and festivities of the evening were Parent and Pianist, Jane Cleary, who's dulcet notes graced our guests throughout the cocktail reception; as well as the Minahan Family (also St. Jerome Parents!), who's Fun Photos gave guests the chance to have a keepsake pin or magnet as a permanent memory of the event.

St. Jerome PTO President, Sandra McGunigle stated, "Without a doubt, event Co-Chairs, Pam McKay and Chris DelVecchio outdid themselves this year, and on behalf of the PTO, we commend each and every member of the Taste Away Committee and our Parent Volunteers for their hard work and commitment to our faculty and students."

Said Mrs. McKay, "This project, over six months in the making, is a tremendous example of collaboration between our own St. Jerome Family and our south shore business community." She added, "Moving the event from Weymouth to Randolph was a big step, but it gave us the opportunity to expand this increasingly popular event. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Lombardo family, with a special acknowledgement to event manager, Bob Colia, for welcoming us to Lombardo's and for all he and his staff did to make the evening absolutely spectacular!"

Speaking of the incredible support from the south shore business community, Mrs. DelVecchio stated, "The focal point of this event is the chance to sample the fine dining opportunities the south shore has to offer. This year was the best year ever, thanks to the generosity and talent of the restaurants, bakeries and caterers that participated, and proves you don't need to go into Boston to get a great meal or variety!"

Participating Restaurants included: El Sarape, Braintree; Euro Trattoria, Weymouth; Hilltop Steakhouse, Braintree; Hingham Bay Club, Hingham; Indian Delight, Weymouth; Jamie's Grill & Pub, Braintree; Java Joe's, Milton; Kelly's Landing, Weymouth; Lombardo's, Randolph; Main Street Bar & Grill, Weymouth; The Ninety Nine, Hingham; Panera Bread, Quincy; The Purple Eggplant, Abington; The Red Parrot, Hull; Schooner's, Hull; Shaw's Markets, Weymouth; South Shore Catering, Hingham; Sweet Lemons, Weymouth; Tullio's, Quincy; and the Venetian, Weymouth.

DelVecchio also noted, "New to this year's festivities were a Silent Auction and Chance Auction, and a Gift Certificate Raffle. We are truly grateful to the many businesses and families who donated goods, services, and gift certificates for these programs, which contributed over $5,000 to the event's total!"

Organizers are already at work outlining the details for next year's "Taste Away," which will again be held at Lombardo's in Randolph, Mass. To all of this year's participants and guests, the St. Jerome School PTO invites you to join them again next year!

Lombardo's, Randolph, Mass.	Panera Bread, Quincy, Mass.
Schooner's, Hull, Mass.	Shaws Market, Weymouth, Mass.
The Venetian, Weymouth, Mass.	Shaws Market, Weymouth, Mass.

Burr Kicks Off SJS Community Partnership Forum

- Addresses Grades 7 & 8 on Investing in the Stock Market

On Friday, January 30, 2004, Bob Burr, President of the Boston-based Wallingford Group, a private equity management firm, kicked off St. Jerome's Community Partnership Forum with an open discussion with students from grades 7 and 8 on investing in the stock market.

Burr was introduced to the students by SJS Alumna and member of the Alumni Association's Board of Directors, Jennifer Lammers '87. She presented Mr. Rider's class with several books on investing and history, contributed in Burr's honor, in gratitude for sharing his expertise and time with the students of St. Jerome.

Rob Rider's 7th graders and Mary Swiatkowski's 8th graders are two-quarters into a year-long project on investing in the stock market. In October, students received a $20,000 inheritance from their "long-lost Uncle Joe," which they used to purchase stock in up to four companies. Any money remaining was deposited in the bank. So far, students have worked through two "quarters," calculating their profits or losses, and exercising their option to buy and/or sell some or all of their holdings.

Burr led the students in an open dialogue about their investments, using their input to outline some key decision factors used by traders, including: Buying what you know; Investing in Top Performers; Buying sale-priced stock; Investing for the long term; and finally, knowing when you are wrong and cutting your losses. He also went over the difference between stocks and bonds, answered questions from the students on their projects, and concluded the forum with a brief description of hedge funds. Burr hopes to return after the third quarter ends to see how students are doing with their portfolios.

Burr is a life-long resident of Canton, and a graduate of Boston College. He is president of Canton Little League, where he also served as a coach for six years. He is a member of the Canton Conservation Commission, and has just launched his campaign for election to the Town of Canton's Board of Selectmen.