Student Life
Teacher Spotlight - Mrs. Murtaugh
By Amelie Dinh ('23)
When you first walk into room 201, you’ll see various posters of authors all along the wall, ranging from Maya Angelou to Gabriel García Márquez. If you ask the teacher, Mrs. Murtaugh the sophomore English teacher, she’ll say those are some of her favorite authors and maybe she’ll tell you about one of her favorite books, Love in Times of Cholera by Gabriel Márquez or Beloved by Toni Morrison. Mrs. Murtaugh and her classroom may seem like a standard English class and teacher but her journey to her IWA classroom might just surprise you.
Mrs. Murtaugh grew up in the midwest in the city of Chicago. From the very beginning, she knew she loved reading and writing. As a child, she would journal all the time and occasionally would set up toy classrooms with her teddy bears, perhaps a foreshadowing of the future. Following her passion, she attended college to major in English. At the time, she hadn’t thought a lot about teaching but when an opportunity to teach English in Taiwan came up, she readily took it. Mrs. Murtaugh expressed that she had always wanted to travel and absolutely loved her time in Taiwan. The students were eager to learn, ever curious, and extremely respectful and the island was amazing, full of fun experiences. After two years, she decided to move to Poland where she studied and got a degree in Central and Eastern European studies. From there, she moved back to Chicago, bounced over to Oregon, and then ended up in Houston and at IWA. She started as a long-time sub at IWA and felt extremely welcomed both by the students and the staff. When the position for the sophomore English teacher opened up, she accepted and became a part of the IWA staff.
Some of her favorite parts of teaching are hearing the fresh take young minds have and discussing literature with her students. Her favorite genre is Gothic fiction or magical realism; she enjoys how the stories are set in the real world yet still contain a fantastical aspect. Outside of the classroom, she’s working on a collection of short stories, the first work of many she hopes to publish someday. She also wants to travel the world again, her first stop being South America for the amazing food and beautiful nature. Maybe one day you will see a picture of her on the slopes of Machu Picchu posted on her classroom wall.
Pre-Foundation Day
By Mary Flaherty ('23)
Foundation Day is right around the corner! As everyone begins building up their excitement for the fun filled celebration of our school, members of Incarnate Word Academy share their favorite aspect of Foundation Day. “Foundation Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate our school as a community with friends and festivities!”, says Lily Coenen ‘23. Foundation Day includes a variety of yummy food and activities which everyone can enjoy! Mrs. Gibbons shares her favorite aspect of Foundation Day as, “the one day in which everyone can drop their roles as a student, or a teacher, and enjoy themselves as a community through dancing, karaoke, and of course the relay races!”.
Sophomore, Lauren Gentry, shares her first experience of Foundation Day, as a day which, “holds various options of activities which appeal to everyone, and is a day in which there is never a dull moment.” As Foundation Day approaches, let’s remember that our community is something to be valued and celebrated, for we are the oldest Catholic highschool in Houston! Senior, Tammy Phan, mentions her favorite part of Foundation Day is to have the freedom of choosing which activities to take part in and choosing the people you surround yourself with to celebrate our school’s foundation!
Hope you’re excited for Foundation Day 2022, and cannot wait to see you there to celebrate!
Spring Break - Europe Trip
By Elizabeth Hunt ('23)
This spring break, nineteen girls got the amazing opportunity to travel abroad to France and Germany during the IWA Europe trip! From exploring the Louvre in Paris, to visiting the castle that inspired Disney in Fussen—these girls have had an incredible time learning all about the different cultures and history Europe has to offer. After, when asked what their favorite part of the trip was, many commented that they enjoyed “walking around the cities and seeing all the different architecture” (Anna Galan) and “learning about their cultures and lifestyles” (Denver Fowler). Europe, being home to some of the oldest civilizations in history, is rich with historical treasures, such as the Arc de Triomphe of General Napoleon Bonaparte’ age—allowing for a trip not only for fun, but also for education! The group also learned a lot about historical events such as World War I and II during the trip, visiting more serious locations such as the Marine Monument in Balleau Woods and the Dachau Concentration Camp; the first Nazi concentration camp erected under Hitler’s reign. In summary, the IWA Europe trip was a week of fun, food, and history—the likes of which none of these girls will soon, if ever, forget!
Some photos of the trip are included below:
Prom Photos!
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