VOLUME 18, ISSUE 4 MAY 2015 First Holy Communion May 2, 2015 FROM THE PRINCIPAL... Dear Parents, Thank you for another great year here at St. Vincent de Paul. Your support has contributed to many improvements for the coming school year. We are strengthening our science, technology, engineering, and math programs commonly known as STEM. The introduction of a more hands–on science curriculum will allow all grades PK-8 to create, observe and analyze science experiments they develop. Technology improved with the addition of brand new computers in the computer lab and a continuation of the one-toone Chrome books in middle school. Our Global Inventors program will add engineering in the form of student-built robots. Our math program will include new textbooks in middle school, team teaching in middle shool to address different learning styles as well as continued use of adaptive technology which has proven to strengthen math performance throughout the grade levels. which has done so much to enrich the educational experience of all our students and make this a great place to work for our teachers. The Dad’s Club has been extremely generous this year. Our Dad’s Club, under the leadership of Mr. Ralph Sepe and Mr. Carl Iverson improved our computer lab and added to our Adopt A Student fund which assists our school families in times of need. They generously contributed to our sister school St. Peter the Apostle as well as the Cardinal’s Circle which supports inner city Catholic schools. The community of St. Vincent de Paul is one of our greatest strengths. I am very proud of that. It is often one of the primary reasons families want to come here and stay 9 or 10 years. It is also why our waiting list continues to grow. This strong community, in one of the largest cities in this country, along with the spiritual development of our students and our school’s strong emphasis on academic excellence is something of which we are all proud. In addition, we will be using Writers in the Schools to train our teachers, provide a new elective in middle school and provide a summer writing camp for grades 1-8. We are adopting a new music curriculum and expanding the music program to add new instruments for our younger students. These new improvements will certainly add to the overall quality of our school. The 2015-2016 school year is shaping up to be an I wish all of you a healthy and safe summer. exciting one for all of us here at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School. Yours in Christ, I want to especially thank Mrs. Teresa Bogatto and the amazing PTO for all Carolyn Sears, M.Ed. their hard work and dedication to our school. It is truly an amazing group SVdP is bidding a fond farewell to a few beloved teachers at the end of this school year. Nina Maxwell Tammy Ducote Mrs. Ducote and her family are leaving Houston and moving near her childhood home in southeast Texas. After earning her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and masters degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her first career was in the food processing industry as a quality assurance director. After Mrs. Ducote got married and started her family, she joined SVdP as a middle school science and math teacher, where she developed her tremendous teaching ability over fifteen years. She is thankful to Mrs. Sears for giving her this first teaching position. Her family has grown in the SVdP community, where her children received their sacraments and are members of SVdP Parish. Mrs. Ducote will miss Msgr. Bill’s passion for Catholic education and his homilies. She has loved working with her middle school colleagues and will miss the supportive parents and awesome children entrusted to her. She will be missed by all who value her teaching. ability and high level of professionalism. Mrs. Maxwell is expecting her second baby this summer. She will be staying home to care for her baby girl and son Austin. Long before joining the faculty, Mrs. Maxwell attended SVdP as a student in elementary school and middle school. She earned her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and graduate degree from Grand Canyon University. Mrs. Maxwell returned to SVdP to teach PK for four years and she taught kindergarten this past school year. She feels like SVdP is her home because she received all her sacraments at the church and loved watching her students do the same. She will miss the caring and supportive staff and parents. She will also miss watching her students learn. One of her favorite things about teaching was helping her students become lifelong readers. She is very excited to transition to being a stay-at-home mom and asks for us to pray for her while she makes this change. Joey Mann Mrs. Mann first came to St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in 1990, when her daughter began her academic career as a SVdP Tiger. She has taught third grade ever since, instilling her infectious love of reading in many of her students. Her love for all things “third grade” has made Mrs. Mann popular with and beloved by the students, parents, and faculty of SVdP for 25 amazing years. Mrs. Mann received the “2015 Legacy of Excellence Award” and was honored at the SVdP PTO Style Show and Luncheon on May 3rd. Melissa Pruet-Collins Mrs. Pruet-Collins is expecting her second baby this summer. She will be staying home to take care of the new baby and daughter Bradley. Before joining the SVdP family, she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from LSU. She taught second grade in New Orleans and then moved to Houston to complete an internship at Texas Children’s Hospital and become a Certified Child Life Specialist. She has been at SVdP for seven years - two in first grade and five in PK. She loves the familial environment of the school. Mrs. PruetCollins also loves her students and the joy of watching them learn something new or do things they did not think they could. Although she is very excited to stay at home with her girls next year, she will miss SVdP and plans to return to teaching when her girls are a little older. We wish all of them the best of luck in their future endeavors, and we pray for them as they embark upon their new adventures. PAGE 2 FROM THE PTO PRESIDENT... It is hard to believe that summer is here, and that this is my last letter to you as PTO President. It has been an outstanding year for everyone in the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School community, and for our PTO. Springtime has been busy, as always, and I hope everyone has enjoyed the following PTO-sponsored/organized events. Many thanks to the following PTO Directors, their committee members, and countless volunteers for bringing these events and services to life: Style Show & Luncheon: “No Place I’d Rather Be” celebrated the graduating Class of 2015, and honored Joey Mann with the “2015 Legacy of Excellence Award.” It was a fabulous event, and Mrs. Mann’s heartfelt speech was superb. Thank you to Style Show Directors Donna McClure, Monica Smith, and Maureen Swanson for this beautiful send-off for our 8th grade students and their families. Spring Musical: Per for ming Ar ts Dir ector s Rachel Bush and Olguita Santiago Rodriguez, and the Spring Musical Steering Committee supported Preston Smith, Carol Vacca, Devyn Warner, Katrina Van Maanen, and Angelita Rozier as they organized “The Golden Age of Musicals.” It was a marvelous show, showcasing the incredible talent of its student performers. Well done! Dr. Brian Goonan’s “Raising Authentically Successful Children” and PTO’s Getting to Know Middle School and Getting to Know Standardized Testing: Sheila Ber r gr en, in her r ole as PTO Secr etar y, wor ked with school leadership to organize these events, which provided very helpful information. We are so fortunate to have a school that provides educational resources for parents, as well as students! Teacher Appreciation Week: Hospitality dir ector s Kar i Clay & Lor i Etlinger planned and hosted the many activities to honor and show our appreciation for our wonderful SVdP faculty. I appreciate all of their efforts. Tiger Pride Days: Thank you to Enr ichment Dir ector s Lisa Gasper and Maria Jose Redondo Nieto for the treats they organized to show our children how special they are & how special it is to be a SVdP Tiger! Secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the following PTO Board Members, their committees, and volunteers for their diligent work behind the scenes on behalf of our school: Party Packs: Dir ector s Faith Sepe and Allison Sovany have cr eated and delivered hundreds of party packs, making our childrens’ birthdays extra special. Thank you! Tiger Market: Thank you to Tr icia Hoffman and Car r ie Schwar tzenburg for their creativity and organization in providing apparel and other items for SVdP families to show their Tiger Pride! Tiger’s Mouth: Dir ector Lucy Ander son has put in many hour s collecting details and photographs of the events and news at SVdP. Her talents and efforts producing our top-notch school newsletter are greatly appreciated. Treasurer: Thank you to Clair e Hughes for her ser vice to the PTO tracking and reconciling the PTO’s financials. This is a 2 year position that does not culminate with a big event or celebration. Please know I greatly appreciate your ongoing time and dedication to this crucial job. VP/Communications: Michelle Bickham has been r esponsible for updating and maintaining PTO information on Edline and the external school website, coordinating all forms of communications to our school community, and maintaining the on-line SVdP Store. I greatly appreciate her time, dedication, and determination to ensure SVdP families are kept well informed. Yearbook: Thank you to Dir ector s Valer ie Cor tez and Melissa Ier o for the countless hours and meticulous detail put into creating a treasure for our families to enjoy & reflect on their time at SVdP! I would also like to thank PTO Executive Board members, for their time and dedication working to keep things running smoothly within our organization. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve by your side as President. Thank you to Elisabeth Yoder for her guidance, consistent vision, and advice. Finally, I am deeply grateful to Carolyn Sears for her enduring support, thoughtful guidance, and critical wisdom. We are all very blessed to have her as our Principal, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her this year. I wish you all a safe, happy, and restful summer with your families. See you in August! Gratefully, Teresa Bogatto PTO President 2014-15 2014-2015 PTO Board PTO Executive Board President: Ter esa Bogatto Vice President: Kelly Hogan Communications VP: Michelle Bickham Secretary: Sheila Ber ggr en Treasurer: Clair e Hughes Past President: Heather Montoya PTO Directors Auction & Gala: Cathy Holler bach & Ana Patr ick Auction-Elect: Er in Ayer s, Wendy J ohnston & Shannon Ramir ez Back to School: Kar en Haysley & Clair e Lynch Book Fair: Mildr ed Bautista & Gentine Meagher Breakfast with Santa: Patr icia Sayegh & J ennifer Visintine Cabrini Festival: Car men Fitzpatr ick Concessions: Laur a Sage Enrichment: Lisa Gasper & Mar ia J ose Redondo Nieto Hospitality: Kar i Clay & Lor i Etlinger Party Packs: Faith Sepe & Allison Sovany Performing Arts: Rachel Bush & Olguita Santiago-Rodriguez Public Relations: Kr istina Dr one & Mar ibel Nolla Room Parent Coordinator: Esmer Vale Sports Parent Coordinator: Mary Callaghan & Tiffany Leyendecker Style Show: Donna McClur e, Monica Smith & Maur een Swanson Tiger Bucks: Lizzy Culotta & Tr acy Rijken Tiger Market: Car r ie Schwar tzenbur g & Tr icia Hoffman Tiger’s Mouth Newsletter: Lucy Ander son Used Uniforms: Monica Cr uces & Maur ia Still Yearbook: Melissa Ier o & Valer ie Cor tez PAGE 3 PTO FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT 2014-2015* PTO Net Inflows - Events and Programs Auction & Gala Book Fair Breakfast with Santa Concessions Homecoming Party Packs PTO Dues Tiger Bucks Tiger Market Used Uniforms Total Net Inflows $ 193,857.69 $ 5,681.33 $ 6,200.00 $ 1,918.86 $ 457.47 $ 2,726.89 $ 8,458.98 $ 6,228.54 $ 1,156.43 $ 4,572.30 $ 231,258.49 PTO Outflows - Services and Supported School Initiatives Back to School $ (91.85) Buddy Family Program Cabrini Festival $ $ (104.30) (1,810.47) Hospitality Miscellaneous Positive Parenting Speaker Series Tiger's Mouth Newsletter Tiger's Roar Yearbook $ $ $ $ $ (2,809.75) (261.31) (5,509.01) (2,758.60) 2,571.00 2014/2015 School Operating Expenses 2014 Faculty Christmas Bonus Paid 2015/2016 Faculty Retention Bonus $ (43,000.00) $ (29,189.78) $ (26,000.00) 2014/2015 Auction Paddles - Up : Adopt - A - Student $ (26,670.00) 2014/2015 Concessions Sales for Athletics $ 2014/2015 Book Fair 2014/2015 School Office Rugs Total Outflow: $ (5,681.33) $ (4,816.50) $ (148,508.23) (2,376.33) *The financial data shown is through April 30, 2015 and is preliminary, as the school and PTO fiscal year ends June 30, 2015. This information includes estimations for the end of the year’s debits and credits for yearbook, and other PTO director positions; however, enrichment and style show financials are excluded since this information is still being determined. The following PTO services do not incur costs: performing arts (volunteer support), public relations, and room parent coordinator. Faculty retention bonuses given out in August of the upcoming school year are placed in savings by the prior school year’s PTO Board. A final report of the 2014-2015 PTO financials and PTO funded school initiatives will be uploaded to the PTO Edline page following the fiscal year end. Please contact Teresa Bogatto, PTO President, at 713-666-9476 or Claire Hughes, PTO Treasurer, at 713-408-7567 if you have any questions. PAGE 4 The 2014-2015 school year was very successful for the PTO. Through your generosity and the hard work of the PTO Board and their committees, the PTO has raised $231,258 to date. The majority of this money was raised at the PTO’s annual Auction and Gala, which is the PTO’s primary fundraiser. Throughout the year, the PTO sponsors a variety of activities. Many of these activities are designed to provide a service to the school, while others are focused on development and community - building efforts. The charts below illustrate how the $231,258 was raised from various PTO activities and events, and how the PTO has allocated its funds for the benefit of the school. PTO Net Inflows - Events and Programs Homecoming 0.2% Tiger Market 0.5% Concessions 0.8% Party Packs 1.2% Used Uniforms 2.0% Book Fair 2.5% Breakfast with Santa 2.7% Tiger Bucks 2.7% PTO Dues 3.7% Auction & Gala 83.8% PTO Outflows - Services and Supported School Initiatives 2014/2015 School Operating Expenses 29.0% 2014 Faculty Christmas Bonus Paid 19.7% 2014/2015 Auction Paddles-Up: Adopt-A-Student 18.0% 2015/2016 Faculty Retention Bonus 17.5% 2014/2015 Book Fair 3.8% Positive Parenting Speaker Series 3.7% 2014/2015 School Office Rugs 3.2% Hospitality 1.9% Tiger's Mouth Newsletter 1.9% 2014/2015 Concessions Sales for Athletics 1.6% Cabrini Festival 1.2% Miscellaneous 0.2% Buddy Family Program 0.1% Back to School 0.1% Tiger's Roar Yearbook (1.7%) PAGE 5 FROM THE INCOMING PTO PRESIDENT... I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as your PTO President in the upcoming school year. I am especially gr ateful for the leadership of our soon-to-be PTO Past-President, Teresa Bogatto, and I am in awe of the time, energy, and dedication she has given to our children’s school. Congratulations to Esmer Vale (VP/President-Elect), Cecile Deutschen (Secretary), Rachel Parten (VP/Communications), and Gentine Meagher (Treasurer), who will be joining Teresa and me on the PTO Executive Board for the 2015-16 school year. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all of the new PTO Directors for their willingness to serve. The entire list of the new PTO Board is printed in this edition of the Tiger’s Mouth. improvements, playground, classroom Smart Boards, the library expansion, sound and lighting equipment, and the Tiger Patio. Service: With the assistance of a multitude of volunteer s, we car r y out many support functions for the school. These include Back to School, Breakfast with Santa, the Buddy Family program, Cabrini Festival, Career Fair, Concessions, Enrichment/Power of One, the Getting to Know SVdP speaker series, Hospitality, Party Packs, Performance Programs, Positive Parenting speaker series, Public Relations, Room Parent Coordinator, Sports Parent Coordinator, Style Show, Tiger Market, the Tiger’s Mouth newsletter, the Tiger’s Roar Yearbook, and the Used Uniform program. The incoming PTO board has already begun planning for the 20152016 school year. Please add the following PTO-sponsored events to We hope that you will become a part of the PTO and support these volunteer and fundraising efforts. Volunteer oppor tunities and your calendar: sign-up sheets will be available at Back to School on August 13th. The August 13, 2015 Back to School, 7:00-10:00am monthly PTO meetings (typically the 4th Tuesday of each month) are November 8-14, 2015 Book Fair open to all and I encourage your attendance. If you have questions or December 5, 2015 Breakfast with Santa suggestions, please contact me at 713.320.1077 or khamFebruary 20, 2016 Auction and Gala [email protected] Fundraising: As most of you know, tuition only cover s par t of the cost of educating our children at SVdP, and the PTO helps bridge that gap. Money raised through PTO activities helps to finance the operating expenses for our school each year. Our major fundraiser is the Auction and Gala, while critical funds are also raised via Book Fair and Tiger Bucks. PTO funds have contributed to many school enhancements, including the field renovation, trees on campus, technology upgrades, performance program equipment, science lab and art room Together, we can continue to build a strong school community and provide an exemplary education for our children. Yours truly, Kelly Hogan Incoming PTO President (2015-16) 2015-2016 PTO Board PTO Executive Board President: Kelly Hogan Vice President: Esmer Vale Communications VP: Rachel Parten Secretary: Cecile Deutschen Treasurer: Gentine Meagher Past President: Teresa Bogatto PTO Directors Auction & Gala: Erin Ayers, Wendy Johnston & Shannon Ramirez Auction Elect: Christina Lynch & Allison Sovany Back to School: Tiffany Moreno & Jill Pollard Book Fair: Yolanda O’Malley & Laura Rocha Breakfast with Santa: Olguita Santiago-Rodriguez & Patricia Sayegh Career Fair: Beatriz Ballerini & Jennifer Visintine Enrichment: Elizabeth Keeler Hospitality: Graciana Linardi & Janelle Reinoso Party Packs: Tracy Butz & Megan Leif Performing Arts: Rachel Bush Public Relations: Lucy Anderson Room Parent Coordinator: Jennifer Raymond Sports Parent Coordinators: Mary Callaghan, Andrea Vessels & Margaret Vinson Style Show: Gloria Mattiuzzi-Alvarez, Tina Swartz & Milu Vera Tiger Bucks: Phuong Liebl Tiger Market: Vivian Scott & Faith Sepe Tiger’s Mouth: Lynn Crow Used Uniforms: Lori Etlinger & Debbie Fraker Yearbook: Claire Hughes & Kymberly Venker PAGE 6 There was “No Place I’d Rather Be than this year’s Eighth Grade Style Show and Luncheon on Sunday, May 3rd at The Houstonian Hotel. Over 430 parents, siblings, faculty, students, and friends came out to support the graduating eighth grade class and honoree Mrs. Joey Mann. PAGE 7 ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS DUKE TALENT ID PROGRAM DI TEAM AT STATE COMPETITION The following 7th grade students received national and/or state recognition from Duke University’s Talent Identification Program: Grand and State Recognition: Robert Condron. State Recognition: Alisha Collaco, William Dickason, Nathaniel Fernandes Lilia Iero, Dominique Nanquil, Caimen Schneider, Davis Thames, Roman Vale and Annika Vinson. These students demonstrated exceptional academic ability and we applaud them for their efforts and achievement. VOCABULARY BOWL The SVdP DestiNation ImagiNation Team known as "The Seven Leaf Clovers" earned 6th place at the State Competition held in Dallas on April 10-11. They competed in the "Feary Tales" category. Fifth grade teacher Mr. Shaw coached the dynamic team and all worked diligently throughout the year preparing for the competition. The team included Amanda Butz, Ryan Hogan, Sofia Iero, Kate Pesek, Bailey Raymond, Peyton Tan, and Shawn Varkey. The team represented SVdP well at the State Competition. St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School was recently recognized as a Vocabulary Bowl Texas State Top 10 School. Every month, thousands of schools across the U.S. and Canada compete in the Vocabulary Bowl. Winning this award is quite an achievement. CALDECOTT CLUB St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students that read and passed quizzes on 75 Caldecott Award books made it into the Caldecott Club for the school year. Students that reached this goal were rewarded with a limo ride and pizza party at Colonial Park. Pictured are Caldecott Club members after being recognized by Principal Sears at Mass. PAGE 8 SVdP presented the "The Golden Age of Musicals" under the direction of Mr. Preston Smith on May 7-8. The annual spring musical included song and dance numbers from the golden age of Broadway musicals including Anything Goes, Oliver!, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Oh Kay!, and Swing! The two hour production included students in 3rd through 8th grades. Musical Numbers: Anything Goes, Food Glorious Food, Dance Tree Cheer, In the Mood, My Favorite Things, It’s De-Lovely, Bell Choir Spring Selection, Do-Re-Mi, Supercalifragilistic, Someone to Watch Over Me, Star Wars—Band, Spoonful of Sugar, Drumline Spring Skit, So Long, Farewell, Step in Time, and Swing! PAGE 9 Congratulations Tucker Alch Peter Bambace Lindsay Bevers Blake Bickham Christopher Bradley Matthew Castaneda Carl Chemaly Allison Clark Matias Cruces Brock Culwell Brianna D'Armata Kevin (Clay) Didway Sean Doyle Everett Ezell Katherine (Katie) Fitzgibbon Liam Garrison Catherine George Christian Groff Bryce Guidroz Michael Hansen, Jr. Mathias Hisse Alexander (Alex) Jacobs Delaney Kelly Caroline Kherkher James (Porter) Lee Kathleen Leyendecker Jacob Lynch Nicholas Mattioli Walker McCairns William McCairns Taylor McClure Grayson McCurry Connor Parker Tatyana (Ana) Passmore Shane Pesek Claire Thomas Piczak Luke Read Anna Rosenfeld John (Jack) Schell Harrison Schmidt Katya Smith Sofia Speight Abigail Standish Hannah Streitmann Kenneth Swanson Victor (Scout) Vacek Luis Valdes Marcus Whitley Matthew Whitley Katherine PAGE (Kate) 10 Williford St. Thomas High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Thomas High School St. Pius X High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Pius X High School St. Thomas High School St. Thomas High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Thomas High School St. Thomas High School St. Agnes Academy St. Agnes Academy Lamar High School St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Thomas High School St. Thomas High School St. Agnes Academy St. Thomas High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Duchesne Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy St. Thomas High School Bellaire High School St. Agnes Academy Lamar High School St. Agnes Academy St. Agnes Academy Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Lamar High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Strake Jesuit College Preparatory St. Agnes Academy MAY CROWNING FIRST HOLY COMMUNION Fifty-four students from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School and Parish made their First Holy Communion Saturday, May 2, in a Mass celebrated by Monsignor William Young. The children dedicated themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in prayer, and led the singing of a song “Blest Are We/Bendecidso, Somos Santos” in English and in Spanish. PAGE 11 Tiger Bucks Update What a great day! We were excited to have 46 players brave the weather for our annual SVDP Dad’s Club Golf Tournament April 16th. Despite the foreboding forecast, players were able to get most of the round in before the lightning came. The Dad’s Club appreciates your support. Congratulations to the winners: Thank you to everyone who clipped away all year long. The grand total is 15,409 BoxTops for the 2014-15 school year, earning over $1,540 for our school. The winning classes will receive a popsicle party to thank them for their hard work: Primary - Mrs. Maxwell (KM) Intermediate- Mrs. Mann (3M) Middle School - Mrs. Zimbaldi (7Z) Low net score - Joe Louis, Joshua Pesikoff, and Kevin Ziegenhorn. Low gross score: Ricci Susong, Michael McConn, Drew Grams, and Jason Nybakken. With the help of our players and sponsors, the Dad’s Club raised $12,000 which will be used to support a variety of programs at the school and the parish. We would like to thank again all who came out for a day of fellowship and fun, while supporting our school. Carl Iverson & Chuck Bautista Congratulations winners! Keep saving those BoxTops! Collections will resume in the new school year. Save your box tops over the summer! Coach Jones Wins National Award SVdP Athletic Director Marion Jones was selected as a finalist for the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award. Coach Marion Jones was named as one of the top four coaches in the country out of 2,100 applicants. He was presented this award at the Positive Coaching Alliance’s (PCA) National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction in Palo Alto, CA on April 25, where he also participated in a panel discussion. PCA is a national non-profit organization devoted to developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to provide youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. The Double-Goal Coach Award honors those who strive to win while also pursuing the more important goal of life lessons through sports. Pictured above are ESPN Sports Analyst Julie Foudy, SVdP Alumnus Colin Thompson, Coach Marion Jones, and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Dusty Baker. PAGE 12 Field Day Teacher Appreciation Week We love our SVdP faculty and the PTO made every effort to make them feel special during the recent Teacher Appreciation Week. Jason's Deli was served for lunch on Monday, followed by kolaches and coffee on Tuesday morning. La Madeleine was served for lunch on Wednesday while lemonade, iced tea, and cookies were enjoyed on Thursday. A wonderful breakfast was served on Friday morning with afternoon desserts generously donated by Patrice Bruno from the Compassion Ministry. KIPP Spirit Middle School Chess Tournament The SVdP Chess Team won 3rd place in the Elementary Division on April 18th. Individual awards went to Luke T., Mabyn C., and Andrew B. Pictured: team members Luke T., Anthony E., Mabyn C., and Andrew B., and Coach Nathan Kinman. In addition, each day there were numerous drawings for gift cards from Target, Barnes and Noble, Pappas Restaurants, Amazon, and Edwards Cinema. Each faculty member also received a home-cooked dinner prepared by an SVdP parent during the week. PAGE 13 S ri S orts Boys’ Baseball Girls’ Softball The St. Vincent de Paul Baseball team ended its season with many highlights, including beating rival Pin Oak to break its 27 game winning streak. Despite the numerous rain delays and the season starting after Spring Break, the boys managed to land in 1st place for the Southern Division of the GHCAA with a 5-1 record. Their opponents included St. Thomas More (which also had a 5-1 record), St. Laurence, St. Cecilia, St. Augustine, and Assumption. They started strong in the playoffs with a win over St. Ambrose, but fell short in the end. These boys were gracious with their victories and lost with dignity. The St. Vincent de Paul Lady Tigers Softball team has wrapped up a great season. In GHCAA conference play, the Lady Tigers won their district with victories against St. Laurence, Holy Family, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Pius V, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Augustine. The team played in the West University Softball Association's Junior division and had some exciting games. In the play-off run, SVdP clinched wins over St. Anne's Tomball and Holy Family, advancing to the championship game. SVdP ended its great season 2nd overall in a tightly scored 5-6 game. Team: Tucker A., Peter B., Ma hew C., Brock C., Clay D., Evere E., Bryce G., Michael H., acob ., ico M., alker McC., illiam McC., Grayson McC., Connor P., ack S. and Scout ,. Also on the team were 7th graders illiam D., acob F., Hollis G. and Mac S. S ri Team: Caroline K., Allison C., Catherine G., Delaney ., Abigail S., ate ., So a S., Mariana S., An ali T., Emily C., Alyssa C., Macken ie O. and Mia S. Coaches: ena Edwards and Charles ackson ra SVdP won 3rd place in the Track Championship in the 4x200 race. Relay Team Pictured: Eve Rosenfeld, Brooke Bickham, Isabella O’Malley, and Katie Berggren PAGE 14 Kids Triathlon On Sunday April 19, forty-two students from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School set out to compete in an event some adults would even not try. The Houston Texans’ Triathlon held at the University of Houston brought in competitors from around the state of Texas. The event was the largest kids triathlon in Texas boasting 3,000 competitors. The event was divided into two age categories. Juniors ages 6 to 10 completed a 100 yard swim, 3 mile bike ride and a half mile run. The Seniors - ages 11 to 15 completed a 200 yard swim, 6 mile bike ride and a one mile run. The race distances were set and sanctioned by USATriathlon and were designed to be challenging, yet achievable. Each participant wore a computerized chip monitoring his or her progress throughout the swimming, biking, running, and transition times between events. Prior to the triathlon, Coach Burns held several training sessions to prepare the athletes for the competition. Coach Burns, in coordination with the YMCA, is planning another series of training sessions next year prior to the competition. Triathletes embrace a healthy, active lifestyle focused on daily exercise, good nutrition, and having fun with friends and family. Most importantly, triathlon is a lifetime sport. Tu Pe Lin Bla Ch Ma Ca All Ma Bro Bri e Se Ev a Lia Ca Ch Bry Mi Ma Ale De Ca Jam Ka Jac ic Wa Wi Ta Gr Co Ta Sh Cla Lu An Joh Ha Ka So Ab Ha e Vic Lu Ma PAGE 15 Ma Ka ir Gra e Bio ra y ay SVdP third grade students celebrated Biography Day by Third graders prepared for several weeks by researching, dressing up as historical figures and making presentations to writing papers, and preparing display boards and speeches. parents, teachers, and fellow students in the MJPFC. It was a fun and educational day for everyone. oir o Best i lass at State i e o Members of the SVdP Children’s Choir took the “Best of Class” trophy and received a “Superior Rating” at Spring in the Park Music Festival in Dallas on Friday, May 1st. The judges were impressed by the choir’s pure tone and entered the SVdP Choir as a finalist for “Overall Non-High School Winner” This is the first time the choir was considered for that honor. etitio "Malo Malo" soloist Dominique Nanquil performed beautifully, as did all the middle school students, who were leaders in behavior and voice. Mrs. O'Neill, Mrs. Nash, and Mr. Nance chaperoned the trip. Lead by the SVdP Children’s Choir Director, Mrs. Mary Monks, the choir gave a beautiful concerT in the SVdP Church to thank its “angels” on the evening of May 6. PAGE 16
© Copyright 2024