Three JPII HS drill team members, known as the Cardinal Belles, have been invited to perform in this year’s 82^nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of the Mike Miller & Associates Special Events dance production in New York, NY, on Thursday, November 27^, 2008.  They were chosen as a result of their individual and group awards which they received in drill team officer camp this past summer.  All three young ladies won the All American Officer Squad category as well as the Individual All American Dancer competition.  Only 20 individuals were chosen out of 300 participants.  The JPII Cardinal Belles who were chosen are Teresa Sinacola, senior and squad captain;  Bridget Ritzman, junior, squad lieutenant; and Brittany Siwald, sophomore, squad lieutenant.

With this being their first visit to New York, these young ladies are eagerly looking forward to experiencing the cultural aspects of the city.  While in New York, the Cardinal Belles will attend a Broadway show, In The Heights – A New Musical, and the Rockette’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.  Sinacola notes, “Performing in the Macy’s parade along with the famous Rockettes is something that I have always dreamt of doing.” 

Sinacola, the captain and leader of the Cardinal Belles, adds, “This is not only a great opportunity for us individually, but also for our school.  I think this can serve as a great recruitment piece and potentially draw more students to JPII HS.”   Sinacola will graduate this spring and plans to attend either University of Oklahoma or University of Kansas.  She hopes to participate in dance at the college level and plans to pursue a degree in modern dance.

JPII HS parent, Theresa Sinacola, comments, “We are extremely proud of Teresa and know that balancing her passion for dance with academics, family, and friends has not come easy. Teresa has overcome challenges through hard work, dedication, and leadership which have contributed to her successes on and off the dance floor. Whether it is a half time show or Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to Teresa, every dance is just as meaningful as the next. I know she will do an outstanding job representing JPII HS in New York and our family is very excited for her."

“I’m looking forward to taking in the whole experience. It will be great spending time with my teammates in a fabulous city.  This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Brittany Siwald notes.  When asked what she thought this honor would mean for John Paul II High School as a whole, she responded, “It will give great exposure for the school.  It also shows that we are committed to what we believe and through hard work anything is possible.” She also expresses a more playful anticipation by adding, “Believe it or not, I’m excited about watching the entire preparation process.  It will be really cool to see them inflate those giant balloons.”  Siwald plans to try out again for an officer on the Cardinal Belles next year as a junior.

Ritzman, who hopes to be on the Cardinal Belles officer squad next year, notes, “This will be a great experience for me, my family and my teammates.  Not only do I get to visit New York for the first time, but I will be there to do what I love.  I also look forward to seeing the Rockettes perform, taking in the sites and energy of New York – and getting a little shopping done,” Ritzman adds with a huge smile.  Her long term ambition is to start her own dance company after she graduates college.

These ladies’ successes have been, in no small measure, made possible with the support and commitment from their JPII HS coach, Kristina Steinhauser.  “As the drill team director of the Cardinal Belles, I am impressed that we were able to acquire this incredibly concentrated talent pool of 16 dancers and develop such a dynamic program in only 1 ½ years,” says Steinhauser.  “I have been working with drill teams for the past fifteen-years and these young ladies are by far the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to coach.  I am very proud of them and I look forward to sharing this wonderful experience with them.”

Siwald’s mother, Kathryn Siwald, offers, "Being a part of the Cardinal Belles has been such an incredible experience for Brittany. Not just because of the opportunity it has provided her to do something she loves which is to dance, but also because of the opportunity it has given her to count among her friends the beautiful, smart and talented girls that comprise the entire drill team. These girls are standouts -- from academic leaders, to class officers, to being involved in their community and church parishes. She has also remained active with the Life Teen program at St. Jude in Allen on Sunday nights and still finds the energy and focus drill team and her academics. Although this year it's just the officers who are headed to New York, they know they are blessed to represent the talent of the entire team and JPII HS.”  Mrs. Siwald and her husband will accompany their daughter to New York – they look forward to spending time with her, her friends and other JPII HS families.

In 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place on the streets of Manhattan.  It was such a huge success that Macy’s declared it to become an annual event and tradition for New York.  After a two-year suspension due to WWII, the Parade resumed in 1945 and was televised for the first time.  That year, Macy’s began using a route which is still being used to this date.  Today alongside this route, 2.5 million spectators line up to enjoy The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Each year, 44-million viewers tune into NBC to join celebrities, bands, and other amazing performances as part of one of the world’s most spectacular celebrations.  This year, the families and friends of John Paul II High School are proud that the school will play a part in what has become a truly amazing American tradition.

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John PaulIIHigh School, a 317,000 square foot Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school serving grades 9-12 is the first opened in the Diocese of Dallas in 40 years. It is located at 900 Coit Rd., Plano, Texas, at the corner of Coit and Plano Parkway.  The school is currently in its third year of operation with 585 students. The community of the school is a diverse body of learners and educators that strives for excellence, values individuality, fosters a passion for learning, promotes the balanced development of faith, mind, and body, encourages community service, and instills a respect for others.  Call 972-867-0005 or visit www.johnpauliihs.org