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Diocese of St. Augustine
DABBLES is published twice
a year through the Diocesan
Advisory Board of Education
(DABE). It has a circulation of
10,000 and is distributed
throughout the Diocese of St.
Augustine. We hope you find
the information on our
Catholic
Schools
both
interesting and informative. We
welcome any assistance either
through
sponsorship
or
advertising. Please call the
Office of Educational Services
at (904) 262-3200.
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Patricia Bronsard
Diocesan Advisory Board of
Education Chairperson
Judy Tibbitts
Guardian Catholic Schools
Mervin Denny
Region I Representatives
Judy Tibbitts
Janet Morton
Veronica Valentine
Fr. Jason Trull
Region II Representatives
John Whitehouse
Region III Representatives
Susan Hall
Region IV Representatives
John Holzbaur
Region V Representatives
Kathy Boice
Dan D’Alesio
Mike McCoy
Mike Goodbread
Ramon Molano
Angel Sanchez
Amelyn Morodomi
Region VI Representatives
Chuck Parliment
Deb DiCairano
Robert Walpole
High School Representatives
Bishop Kenny
John Whitehouse
St. Joseph Academy
Judy Tibbitts
Bishop John J. Snyder
John Whitehouse
St. Francis Catholic High School
Volume II, Number 25 - Spring 2014
Rename This Newsletter And You Could Win $250!
D
ABBLES, our community With this spring edition, DABE is
of schools newsletter, is turning 20 kicking off a contest to rename the
newsletter to more accurately
years old this year. First published
convey its purpose. “The newsletter
in 1994, DABBLES has been
published twice yearly since then to is an excellent tool for parents to
learn more about Catholic
inform the community about our
education and the many service
Catholic schools. With format
projects by students in
changes in 2001, our newsletter
our 29 schools,” said
has seen tremendous
Dr. Patricia Bronsard,
growth in circulation.
Superintendent of
DABBLES now has a
Schools.
circulation of 10,000 in
addition to the on-line
delivery and visibility
within our Catholic
community.
DABBLES was
originally named after its
author and publisher, The
Diocese of St. Augustine’s
Advisory Board of Education
(DABE). Over the years,
DABBLES has expanded Although the
to include highlights of
Dabbles
academic achievements,
Newsletter has
school profiles, articles by been around for
principals and alumnus,
20 years, the
spotlights on outstanding name has often confused newcomers and they
teachers and principals,
don’t know what it is. DABE would like to
special celebrations, school rename the newsletter in a manner that
board updates and
better reflects what it is, –– and what it does.
businesses who support
Catholic education in our diocese.
!
How to Enter
Our Contest...
The contest is open to anyone
associated with a Catholic school in
the Diocese of St. Augustine.
Students, parents, teachers, school
staff and parish members are
welcome to submit their idea for
the new name. One winner will
receive the $250 contest prize.
Below is a form to complete to
submit your entry to the Catholic
school associated with your parish.
Please limit your entries to one per
person. The deadline to submit
your entry to your school is April
30, 2014. Late submissions cannot
be considered.
Each school will determine their
own top three choices from all
entries submitted to their school.
Principals will submit the top three
choices from their school to the
Diocesan Advisory Board of
Education (DABE) contest judges
by May 6, 2014.
The winner of the contest will be
announced next school year in the
Fall 2014 issue of the newsletter, so
it’s important to provide complete
information on your entry form so
you can be contacted if you win.
Yes! I want to enter the contest to Rename the Newsletter!
Please Print. Please fill out ALL blanks completely and take this form to the Catholic School Administrative Office
associated with your parish. One entry per person, please. All entries must be received no later than April 30, 2014.
My Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________
(Please check One) I am: n Student in Grade____ n Parent
n Teacher n School Staff n Parish Member
Complete Name of School:____________________________________________________________________________
My Address: Street _________________________________________City_____________________ZIP______________
Phone _________________________________________________Email _____________________________________
Newsletter Name I want to Submit ______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Judges decisions are final. Only one winner will receive the $250 contest prize.
Bishop Kenny High School
T
his school year marks
cracked screens notwithstanding, I
Father Michael Houle’s 25th
am happy to report that our 1:1
year of service as president of
iPad implementation has gone very
Bishop Kenny High School,
well. I have spent a great deal of
as well as his 35th year of
time visiting classrooms and what I
priestly ordination. Father is
see is exactly what we envisioned
the first graduate of Bishop
with this program. Our students
Kenny to return to his alma
are highly engaged in learning
mater to serve as its president.
through the use of their iPads and
In the first of two parties
they are developing a skill set that
marking
Father’s
will help them prepare for college
anniversaries, the faculty,
and for life.”
staff, administration, and
This summer two major projects
invited guests celebrated both
will be undertaken on opposite
occasions at the annual
ends of the Bishop Kenny campus.
Christmas
luncheon.
Both the existing Demetree Library
Principal Todd Orlando
and portions of the football
spoke at the luncheon and (L-R) Msgr. Frank Mouch, who was president of the seminary Father Houle complex will undergo significant
presented Father with a attended, retired Bishop Snyder, Father Houle, retired Bishop Galeone, and renovation and improvement. A
beautiful plaque, a gift of the Bishop Felipe Estévez all attended the celebration of Father Houle's
new press box and brand new
faculty
and
staff, anniversaries in January.
men’s and women’s restroom
commemorating
this
facilities will be added to the
Iglesias, son of Paul and Elizabeth Lanahan
milestone year. After renovations to the main Iglesias ‘83 won the High School Category of William H. Johnston, Jr. Stadium. In all,
school lobby are completed this summer, the the Tomorrow’s Leaders Essay Contest, part more than one million dollars will be spent on
plaque bearing the inscription, “We Do Well of the City of Jacksonville’s annual Dr. Martin the two projects, both of which will be
Always and Everywhere to Give Thanks” will Luther King Jr. Day observance. Matthew, the completed in time for the beginning of the
greet all visitors to the school.
only winner from a private school, presented school year in August 2014. The BK Boosters
In January, guests including Bishop his winning essay to more than 2,000 guests recently made a pledge of $100,000 towards
Estévez, retired Bishops Snyder and Galeone, including Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and the stadium project.
as well as Father’s family, personal friends, and keynote speaker Soledad O’Brien, formerly of
It has been a memorable and busy year at
colleagues gathered for Mass, followed by a CNN, at a breakfast held at the Prime Bishop Kenny High School so far. Now we
cocktail party and dinner all held on campus. Osborne Convention Center. Matthew was look forward to all of the activities related to
It was a beautiful celebration of Father’s many presented with a trophy and a check for $250 the senior class and, of course, to
years of service to the Bishop Kenny and as his prize.
commencement exercises for the Class of
Diocesan communities.
In a recent iPad update to BK’s parents, 2014 scheduled for May 24, 2014 at the UNF
In January, Bishop Kenny junior Matthew Principal Todd Orlando reported, “a few Arena.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools: Dr. Patricia Bronsard
T
his year marks the
20th anniversary of the
University of Notre
Dame’s Alliance for
Catholic
Education
(ACE) program in the
Diocese of St. Augustine.
Since 1994, 62 teachers
have served in our Catholic schools and
completed the program. The impetus for the
ACE program began as a way to bring talented
teachers to classrooms, especially to students
underserved in our community and nation.
ACE now places over 170 college graduates in
over 100 parochial schools throughout the
United States. Catholic schools have served
children and families across the Diocese of St.
Augustine and have closed the achievement gap
for poor and minority students.
To mark the anniversary of ACE, founders of
the program have been traveling across the
United States to visit each and every Catholic
school participating
in the program. The
bus tour entitled,
“Fighting For Our
Children’s Future”
had the name of
each of the Catholic
schools emblazoned
on the side of the
bus. Students at St.
Pius and Holy
Rosary celebrated
the
visit
by
showcasing speeches
they wrote. The
Diocese of St. Augustine Catholic schools
provide a remarkable education for students.
Like the mission of ACE, we believe Catholic
schools succeed because the Gospel commands
us to love one another – and to treat each
person we encounter as we would Christ. Our
schools work each day to live our mission in the
ways we teach and work with students and
Page 2
parents.
Our
measures
of
success are visible
in the many hours
students
and
teachers spend in
service to their
community and in
the 99 percent of
Catholic school
students who go
on to college.
Like ACE, we also
are aware of the
role poverty plays
in access to quality education. We note the
recent statistic that a black or Latino child is 2.5
times more likely to graduate from college if he
or she attends a Catholic high school. Thanks
to the support of Bishop Estévez, our schools
continue to serve the diverse community of the
Diocese of St. Augustine.
DABE Chairman Update by Judy Tibbitts
I
f you were able
to hear Father Joe
Corpora, CSC, speak
at the Cody Center
at St. Joseph Church
in Jacksonville in
February, you were
indeed fortunate.
Father Corpora, a
graduate of the
University of Notre Dame, is a Director of
the University-School Partnerships Alliance
for Catholic Education (ACE) Program. He
is also co-chair of the Notre Dame Task
S
Force on the Participation of Latino Children
and Families in Catholic Schools.
His message was that the benefits of a
Catholic education should be available to
students from all nationalities and socioeconomic groups. Our Catholic schools
should continue our uniquely American
Catholic tradition of providing quality
educational opportunities for all.
Father Corpora noted some questions to
help Catholic schools work toward this goal:
• Do our schools reflect the faith, culture
and values of the home community of the
children we seek to serve?
• What are our families’ needs and do our
programs and policies reflect and meet
these needs?
• As Catholic schools, how do we make
people feel when they first approach our
doors? Are we welcoming and helpfully
assist all who enter and make every effort
to meet their individual needs?
As we strive to be a culturally-responsive
school community, we need to listen to
experts like Fr. Corpora who have
successfully evangelized to the multicultural
communities across the nation. For further
information on successful programs, please
visit catholicschooladvantage.nd.edu.
Profile of Leaders
Sister Elise computer lab so that many students could
at one time. Before this was done
Kennedy, SSJ learn
(and it was just a matter of time) she saw to
St. Pius V it that all classes had at least two computers
ister Elise Kennedy, SSJ will end her
tenure as principal of St. Pius V Catholic
School, on June 30th of this year after 27 years.
Sister Elise is a hometown girl. She went to St.
Paul’s Riverside through 8th grade and
graduated from Bishop Kenny. She entered the
novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1962.
She taught in schools in many parts of the state
before coming to St. Pius in 1976 as the first
grade teacher.
St Pius Parish was established in 1919 and
the school opened its doors in 1921. It was
staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph. The parish and
the school were established for the AfricanAmerican community of Jacksonville. Sister
Elise has carried on that tradition
With reservations she accepted the role of
principal twenty-seven years ago. One of the
first things she wanted to accomplish was to
make the school and community aware of the
technology that the young students would be
facing in the future. St. Pius was one of the first
elementary school in the diocese to become
computer savvy. Her next dream was to have a
in their room. The rest, as they say, is
history.
Sister participates in activities involving
the school and church. She is an avid sports
fan and you will see and hear her presence
at athletic events, notably basketball and
softball games and more recently soccer.
For many years Sister has been
concerned about our students getting a hot
meal at lunch. In August of 2012 Sister
Elise and Mrs. Janice Hice went to a 3-day
workshop on how to have St. Pius become
part of the National School Lunch
Program and provide lunch free or at a
reduced price to qualifying students. They
came back to school, rolled up their sleeves
and began the process. By Thanksgiving
they had been approved for the program and
now their students are able to have that hot
meal every day.
Sister Elise says, “My 37 years at St. Pius
have been happy, joy-filled, and challenging. I
am grateful for the blessings of these years. I
am most grateful for our benefactors, for all of
Page 3
the “Guardians” who have so generously given
of their time and energy, who have kept the
doors of St. Pius and Holy Rosary open with
their donations, large and small, who have
contributed to our growth and provided
enrichment and support for our students and
teachers.”
Teacher Spotlights – Focus on Teachers
Joyce Racicot
St. Joseph Catholic
School
M
rs. Joyce Racicot is a
highly respected, much loved
part of St. Joseph Catholic School, and her
reputation as an excellent primary teacher has
been earned during the 25 years she has taught
first and second grade there.
Joyce’s road to St. Joseph was certainly a
winding one. After graduating from Holy Family
University in Philadelphia, PA, she taught second
and third grade in public schools in New Jersey.
She had only been married for 3 months when
the Army sent her husband and her to Thailand
where she taught Baptist missionary children.
Susan Hansen
Resurrection Catholic School
I
was born in Presque Isle, Maine to two
wonderful parents, Robert and Barbara Boulier. I
was the oldest of three
children. I have a brother,
Robert Jr. and a sister, Lisa.
My father was a career man in
the U.S. Air Force. So, I
grew up living in several
different places, the most
interesting and memorable
being two years in Portugal.
I graduated from the
University of Maine in 1976
and also married my
husband, Kevin, that fall. He
was in the U.S. Navy, so that took us to our first
home-port of Whidbey Island, Washington. We
Once back in the United
States, Joyce’s family moved
to Central Texas, where she
was a Reading Resource
teacher in public schools.
She was then hired at a
Catholic school in Tyler,
TX, where she taught
second grade and then again
became a Reading Resource
teacher while she earned a
Master’s Degree in Reading
from the University of
Texas.
The Racicots eventually moved to New York,
North Carolina, and finally, Florida. Joyce was a
substitute at St. Joseph for one year before she
was hired to teach second grade. She was grateful
for the opportunity to teach in the same
school her children would attend.
Joyce has been married for 40 years to
her husband, Gilles, and she has 2
children; her daughter is a veterinarian in
Jacksonville and her son is a junior at
FSU. She considers it a blessing to have
had such varied teaching experiences and
says that teaching first grade, which she
has done for more than 20 years at St.
Joseph, is by far her favorite grade
because the progress the children make is
wonderful to see. First graders are open
to the world and love to learn, and their
zest for life keeps Joyce energized. When she
ends her teaching career, Joyce says she will
always be grateful that God’s plan for her led her
to St. Joseph Catholic School.
had our first child, Nicole, there. Our next home
was in Patuxent River, Maryland, where we had
our second daughter, Kristen. From there we
moved to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
This is where I began my teaching career, at
the DOD school, W.T. Sampson Elementary, for
two years. Our family then moved to
Pensacola, Florida. I truly believe it
was the work of the Holy Spirit that
led me to Little Flower Catholic
School. I was not Catholic, but
Methodist. Sr. Marie Rene Azar
S.S.J., the principal asked me if I
could be “Catholic” during school
hours. I said sure, just show me, or
tell me what I should do. Well, she
did that so well, that I grew to love
the Catholic faith. I was also
inspired, when one of my
kindergarten students asked me to read a book to
the class about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. She had
also been a Methodist and a teacher. I converted
to Catholicism, and was received into the Church
on May 5, 1989. I still am very much connected
to Sr. Rene and the Sisters of St. Joseph in St.
Augustine.
My husband was then transferred to
Jacksonville. I interviewed at a couple of Catholic
schools here. But, I knew immediately that I
belonged at Resurrection Catholic School. I
loved the friendly, family atmosphere. So wow!
Where has the time gone? These past 24 years at
RCS have flown by. I have truly been blessed by
so many amazing students, parents, and coworkers. I have seen many people come and go,
and witnessed beautiful changes not only to our
facilities, but in the growth of our students. It is
an awesome gift from God to be able to come to
work every day and be surrounded by His love in
the smiling faces of my students. Thank you to all
who have made my days and years so special and
rewarding. ––Susan Hansen
School Advisory Board Highlight
Epiphany Catholic School
T
he 2013-2014 Epiphany
Catholic School Board has been
busy working on public relations
projects this year. The addition of
an eight-page pamphlet, which
includes information on teachers
and staff and testimonials from
current students, parents, and
alumni, has greatly enhanced and
showcased everything our school
Pictured (L-R) Eduardo Bedoya, Fr. Mike Pendergraft, Barbara
has to offer.
Mrvica, Robin Green, Pam Kahlich, Bonnie Green, Rita Klenk and
In addition to our standard K.C. Trowell. Not pictured: Larry LaTour and Suzanne Norris.
means of advertising through local
newspapers, flyers, community service stations, our facilities for meetings each week.
As we kick off the open enrollment period
and occasional radio interviews, we have
reached out to our sister churches in both Live for Step Up and McKay scholarships, we will
Oak and Branford, as well as the local cub be including opportunities for families to
scouts, daisies, and brownie troops, that utilize receive assistance in the form of utilizing our
Page 4
computer lab and the experience of other
families, to come on site on various Saturdays
and by appointment, to complete the initial
applications.
Another area of discussion and
implementation has been our increased
participation with Catholic Charities' projects
and programs. In addition to collecting food,
raising funds, the Angel Tree Project and
visiting the office to hand out food, the school
is currently raising monies for their Mobile
Outreach Project. Students in grade 8 will go
with Catholic Charities to one of the drop site
locations this year, and assist with completing
applications, translating for Spanish speaking
families, and handing out backpacks filled with
food. The Epiphany Board is proud of this
new opportunity for our young people to
provide outreach in their own community.
Alumni Illumination
A
ndrew Bieniek graduated from Queen
of Peace Catholic Academy’s first graduating class
in 2008. When we think of Andrew, we think of
a young man who despite his physical challenges,
was always optimistic, enthusiastic, loved to
accept a challenge and never allowed his disability
to get the better of him… Andrew is a little
person.
For Andrew the challenges of living with a
disability are an everyday task. Personal
computers, motorized scooters and modified cars
are the norm. His strength comes from his faith,
family and community.
“College is great and has been one of the best
experiences of my life. I am currently attending
Andrew Bieniek – Queen of Peace Catholic Academy
Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University in Daytona Beach
Florida. I am studying aerospace
engineering with a focus on
astronautics. Pretty much I'm
learning how to build rockets. I
love everything about this
school. Everyone here shares the
same interests as me and there is
so much to do. Our college is
right next to the airport and
planes fly over constantly. Most
people find it annoying, but I
find it amazing. Watching them
fly over every day reminds me that I am always
one step closer to my goal.
I would not be here if I did not have the
education from Queen of Peace Catholic
Academy and St. Francis Catholic High
School. Throughout my Catholic education
I learned valuable skills which most college
students don't have. Examples would be
time management, working with others and
independence, but the most important
lesson that I learned from Catholic school is
to be yourself, stand up for what is right and
stay true to your faith. I have seen many
people change who they are just to join a
sorority or a fraternity to become popular.
In the end they are not happy. I have stayed
true to myself, made friends, joined organizations
and I could not be happier.” ––Andrew Bieniek
The Guardian Catholic Schools
S
t. Pius and ACE Celebrate
Black History Month
In celebration of 20 years of the Alliance
for Catholic Education (ACE), the
University of Notre Dame is currently
having a National "Fighting for Our
Children's Future" Bus Tour. Jacksonville
and the Guardian Catholic Schools were
chosen as one of the stops.
During their February 18th visit, ACE
representatives attended a Black History
Month Presentation put on by St. Pius Students performing a scene from Aida during the
Black History Month presentation.
students and celebrated morning Mass with
Holy Rosary’s students. It was a wonderful
celebration of faith and diversity.
Congratulations to Sister Elise Kennedy and
Jim Selzer who were recognized during the
visit with the University of Notre Dame Sorin
Award for Service to Catholic Schools.
Regional Current Events From Our Schools
Region 1
Cathedral Parish School
We feel so blessed at Cathedral Parish
School to be in the heart of St. Augustine,
amidst the rich history of the Catholic faith
and our founders the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Catholic Schools Week was a wonderful
opportunity to reflect on who we are and to
share that information with our community.
The week included visits from noted city
leaders who led us in our morning prayer
and/or the Pledge of Allegiance, including
Dr. William T. Abare, President of Flagler
College; St. Augustine Police Chief, Loran
Lueders; and our very own Bishop Felipe
Estévez.
Students were actively involved in service
projects throughout the week, making
sandwiches for a local homeless shelter,
collecting items for Catholic Charities, and
collecting pledges in honor of St. Vincent de
Paul. The week was highlighted by a beautiful
Living Rosary where we were joined by five of
the Sisters of St. Joseph. CSW also saw the
first annual school 5k, run in partnership with
St. Joseph Academy. Students, teachers and
parents participated in this great run through
downtown. The whole city shut down just for
us!
We followed Catholic Schools Week up
with another great Cathedral Parish Festival.
This annual event draws from all over
Northeast Florida and is the biggest annual
festival in St. John’s County. It’s a whole
weekend of food, music, fellowship, and fun.
May God bless our school, our parishes,
and Catholic education!
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
In October, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Catholic School students, teachers and staff
came together to raise funds for the Florida
Hospital Flagler Foundation's breast cancer
fund which provides screening mammograms,
diagnostic studies and education to local
qualified women who are uninsured and
seeking assistance.
The event leader was Shanna Daly, eighth
grade teacher at SEAS. The middle school
hosted a pink bake sale to raise funds.
Additionally, for a $2 donation students were
able to "dress down" and wear pink! In all we
Page 5
were able to raise $900 to help women in
need obtain lifesaving detection services.
Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation
Administrative Director John Subers said,
"How exciting it is to see the youth of our
community do projects that will help others."
Palmer Catholic Academy
Palmer Catholic Academy celebrated
Catholic Schools Week with the theme
“Communities of Faith, Knowledge and
Service.” The students celebrated the week by
incorporating the Seven Pillars of Catholic
Social Justice into our theme. Students kicked
off the week by celebrating the community of
our parish by attending Mass at Our Lady Star
of the Sea. They were invited to wear their
school uniforms and serve as ushers, greeters,
lectors, altar servers and gift bearers. Two
recent Palmer graduates also spoke at the
Mass about the importance of Catholic
education in their lives. The week was filled
with fun activities such as: a dress-down day
to support our Sister Parish Mission, the
students made bookmarks with mustard seeds
on them to represent the importance of our
faith and wrote letters to the seminarians
praying for them and supporting them on
their faithful journey. We also had a
“Leadership Day” where the upper grades led
the younger students from pre-school
through 3rd grade in a Bible verse and craft
project. Throughout the week, students also
collected over 400 boxes of cereal for the
Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive for
Catholic Charities.
Recently, one of Palmer’s 8th grade
students was named the first place winner of
the Maryknoll Student Essay Contest.
Students were asked to consider Pope Francis’
call to serve the poor through their actions
and words. With more than 10,000 entries
received in this nationally recognized contest,
we are so proud of our winner and all of our
students who have followed our Holy
Father’s teachings through their words and
deeds.
Region 2
San Jose
The New Year brought much to celebrate
as San Jose Catholic School learned it had
been one of twelve schools chosen from
across the nation to receive the 2014
Innovations in Catholic Education Award
from Today’s Catholic Teacher Magazine. A
school delegation, headed by Principal Brian
Wheeler, will receive the honor at a banquet
on April 23rd, during the NCEA Convention
week in Pittsburgh. The award, in the
category of innovative project in promoting
Catholic identity, recognizes the school’s
sixteen-year fundraising commitment to
Guardian Catholic Schools through its theater
program. For the past two years, including
sold out performances to this year’s “The
Little Mermaid,” the cast has included
wonderfully talented students from Holy
Rosary School.
Academic, spiritual, athletic, and artistic
activities have made for a vibrant and
energetic school community. Young scientists
shone brightly in both the Diocesan and
NEFRSEF Science Fairs. Students continued
Sacramental preparations in retreats and by
living their faith in community service to
others.
As Bishop Estévez challenged us last year in
his Pastoral Letter, “Come, Live in the
Light,” students at SJCS are encouraged and
provided opportunities to continually
strengthen their Catholic identity and
become genuine instruments of the Church’s
evangelizing mission each and every day.
report writing, and gathering materials for
their visual presentations, the students were
interviewed by judges from the local
community and ribbons were awarded to the
top projects in each category. The winning
science fair projects were then taken to the
Diocesan Science Fair and the Northeast
Florida Regional Science Fair as well. Our
students represented the school very well,
with several receiving ribbons at the NEFRSF.
Catholic Schools Week was a wonderful,
faith-filled week of activities for our students!
We had visits from the BJS chorus and band,
Seminarian David Keegan, Brian Shields of
Lumen Entertainment, and Dana Edmonds
with her “Yes, I Did” presentation. We had
our annual Brain Bowl competition, Parent
Breakfast and Open House, Adoration for
Vocations and our Military, and Teacher
Appreciation Luncheon, during which the
faculty finally met Fr. Thanh and welcomed
him as our new pastor.
Thanks to Fr. Mike Morgan and the parish,
we have just had a new roof put on our
gymnasium, and we are very appreciative of
their support. We look forward to working
with Fr. Thanh now to continue our mission
of Catholic education.
San Juan del Rio
“The best way to find yourself is to lose
yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma
Gandhi
The students at San Juan del Rio have been
sharing themselves and their treasure with
others. During Catholic Schools Week, the
students had a “food collection” to support
the Vincentian Food Bank at St. Vincent’s
Hospital. Mrs. Richie’s 6th grade class
brought in the most food items and won the
food collection competition.
In cooperation with the Jacksonville
Humane Society, the students collected
blankets for the animals. About 125 blankets
were collected to keep the dogs and cats
residing in the shelter cozy and warm. This
opportunity not only provided students with
the chance to serve, but also gave parents a
reason to clean out and donate any unused
blankets or sleeping bags.
As Christian buddies, the students created
Valentines for the veterans at the Clyde E.
Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home. The
students made a variety of delightful valentine
notes of love and caring in thanksgiving for
their years of service to our country.
With Lent right here, our students will
have many other opportunities to serve those
in the community.
St. Joseph’s Catholic School Assumption
Assumption is excited
Winter 2014 has been a really busy time at
St. Joseph Catholic School. Our middle
school students participated in the Annual
Academic Fair in January, during which they
displayed their science, fine arts, and history
fair projects. After three months of research,
to have held our
second annual health fair. One of our parents
organized a weeklong event promoting good
health through our eating and exercise. Each
day students learned about healthy eating
choices and were able to taste different health
Page 6
foods during lunch. The theme was eating the
rainbow. On Wednesday, all families were
invited to attend our health fair on campus.
There were many booths, such as, Pilates’
lessons, a Jaguar player, petting zoo and
Trad’s Garden. All P.E. classes had a special
focus and emphasis on stretching for strength,
good posture and greater health. This helped
us meet our goal of greater overall health and
educating the whole child.
We have also started a service club that has
reached out to help those in need in our
community. Students made goodies for a
nursing home, lunches for the homeless and
bookmarks and learning bags for a children’s
home. We were excited to visit Catholic
Charities in February where we were able to
bag food for the homeless. Students learn to
count their blessings in the process of serving
those in need.
Holy Family
To celebrate this year’s Catholic Schools
Week, Holy Family Catholic School students
celebrated a special Mass with their
grandparents and showcased their projects
and classwork to family during our Open
House and Grandparents’ Day festivities. Our
school and parish community also enjoyed
our family-focused Fall Festival and recently
attended the drawing for our PTO sponsored
Mega Money Raffle. These efforts raised over
$35,000 for technology enhancements at our
school.
Our students continued to raise their
awareness of the needs of others by learning
about and collecting money for The Apple
Project. The goal of this project is to build a
new dental clinic in Jacksonville that will offer
free dental services to children and adults who
cannot afford dental care. We hosted an Apple
Dessert Baking Contest at our Fall Festival
and encouraged students to wear red on nonuniform days. Fifth graders wrote essays
about what it would be like to live without
teeth. Representatives from kindergarten
through eighth grade attended the
groundbreaking ceremony for the new dental
clinic and were able to experience firsthand
the effects of this worthwhile endeavor.
Holy Family Catholic School carries on its
tradition of challenging students with a
variety of academic opportunities. Our
students participated in the Diocesan Science
Fair as well as the Northeast Florida Regional
Science and Engineering Fair. Students in
grades six through eight sharpened their
public speaking skills through participation in
the Modern Woodmen Speech Contest.
Students in fourth grade utilized scientific
method to research, design and test
inventions for the Invention Convention.
Students in all grade levels are constantly
striving to deepen their faith, increase their
knowledge and selflessly give of themselves to
others.
Region 3
St. Pius V School
Father Tom Cody has been busy using his
carpentry skills at St. Pius School. We are so
grateful for bookcases for the library, storeroom
shelving, science room shelving, podiums for
classrooms, a podium for the church, and a really
classy (don’t laugh) sneeze guard, which was
required for our health permit for the lunch
serving line. Father’s next project is revamping
our trophy cases, which is timely, as our boys’
basketball team were the Division I league and
tournament champs. Many thanks, Father Tom.
Our annual Walsh/Selzer Oratorical Contest,
sponsored by the Guardian Catholic Schools,
was held on February 21st. Students in 6th
through 8th grade presented an original speech
entitled, “The Importance of Healthy Living ”
(also level 1 of the Modern Woodmen Speech
Contest.) Finalists from Level One: 1st Place Cody Southerland; 2nd Place - Monet
Cameron; 3rd Place - Jordan Kelly. Cody and
Monet participated in Level 2 held in March.
Students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade
presented a memorized poem.
St. Pius School is now proudly sponsoring
Holy Rosary School in the National School
Lunch Program. Their lunch program went
from serving 50 some lunches a day to over 150.
Holy Rosary School
Inspired by the vision of El Sistema, the
founding members of JUMP!, the Jacksonville
Urban Music Project, chose Holy Rosary as the
site of their new string program. After attending
workshops at Villanova University given by the
Play On Philly! staff from Philadelphia and at
Duke University where they were further
inspired by Durham, North Carolina’s
KidZNotes, Peggy Toussant and Patrice Evans
were determined to found a similar program in
Jacksonville.
Students in the first and fourth grades have
the opportunity to become members of the
inaugural class. The program includes weekly
training in classical, orchestral music, lessons in
music theory and literacy, and opportunities to
perform in the community.
On February 18, Holy Rosary and St. Pius
Schools hosted guests from the University of
Notre Dame who visited Jacksonville as part of
the ACE National Bus Tour. The national tour is
marking the 20th year of ACE’s service to
Catholic schools. Jacksonville was one of the
very first ACE sites 20 years ago and is currently
home to six ACE teachers serving five schools in
the diocese. Congratulations to Sister Elise
Kennedy and James Selzer who were recognized
during the visit with the Notre Dame Sorin
Award for Service to Catholic Schools.
St. Michael Academy
All of us at St. Michael Academy are grateful
that our Parish Hall is now complete, and
students are able to enjoy a hot lunch, thanks to
“My Personal Chef” catering. It is exciting to
once again have a space for school activities! Our
Middle School students enjoyed a holiday dance
with a “Polar Express” theme. Our younger
students celebrated a Saturday morning
Breakfast with Santa. Our Christmas musical
included all of our students in Prek through 8th
grade as they shared the story of Jesus’ birth. We
were able to once again host a Grandparents Day
breakfast followed by visits to our classrooms.
Teachers planned activities for grandparents and
grandchildren to complete together. We were
honored to have a parent of a former graduate
come back and organize our traditional pancake
breakfast for the last day before Christmas break.
After three years without a parish hall, our
current parents were given directions to keep the
traditions going after such a long gap!
Our students have participated in several
service projects including collecting baby and
toddler food items for Hope House; adopting
families for Christmas and delivering gifts and
groceries; as well as participating in the “Soles
for Souls” shoe project.
St. Patrick School - Jax
In June of 2013, the St. Patrick Catholic
School said goodbye to an old friend. Rooms
were emptied, computers packed and stored,
office supplies and library books inventoried
and set aside for a new destination. Yes, the
family of this community said goodbye to the
buildings on Broward Road built in 1964.
Page 7
Then the real adventure began.
St. Patrick Catholic School began its 49th
year in temporary cottages. The twelve
cottages, named after the 12 apostles, were
brought onto the Airport Center Drive East
location for teachers and students to use while
they waited and watched the construction of a
brand new school. Most could not imagine
the new school when all that could be seen
was such a large area of dirt –– piles and piles
of dirt –– which at times turned into bogs of
mud. The children have loved watching the
enormous trucks and bulldozers move the dirt
and "play" in the mud. Students and teachers
watched as a huge crane lifted the roof trusses
up, a set of bulldozers and tractors dug out a
new retention pond –– now home to many
geese and ducks. All the while inside, the
beautiful new building was being completed
with what one would say, is the best-of-the
best in furniture, technology, and supplies for
school. At times it felt the wait would never be
over.
And then... it was. The entire family of St.
Patrick Catholic School was able to enter and
occupy the classrooms, offices, media center,
science lab, and cafetorium in early January.
With great excitement and joy the students sat
behind their new desks ready to continue
learning. The teachers were just as excited (if
not more) with their new SmartBoards,
projectors, cabinets, closets, and all the
technology. Everyone eagerly awaited their
chance to use the new state-of-the art science
lab. It is something the children have never
experienced.
The school and church are still
transitioning –– but could not be more proud
of everything they have been blessed with.
Region 4
St. Paul’s Riverside
The excitement continues to flourish at St.
Paul’s Catholic School Riverside. Our special
family community has had a wonderful school
year thus far and activities this spring have
kept things electrifying! Catholic schools
week enabled us to collect over 400 diapers
for St. Gerard House, plus helping mothers in
need. We were also able to feed many families
as we collected for Catholic Charities, all the
while showing our hearts are at our little
school. We may be small, but certainly mighty
in helping those less fortunate! Our annual
talent show was a huge hit and we also
“Danced our Teals” off to raise money for
ovarian cancer research.
We are thrilled to announce the addition of
a second kindergarten to our school, as
evidence of our commitment to growth and
academic excellence. We welcomed our
accreditation team late February as we have
gone through the Continuous Improvement
Process together as a family, and look forward
to the implementation of our new goals and
procedures. Our 80s prom Annual Auction
and Gala was an absolute blast, with high hair,
great music and lots of fluorescent colors!
Three cheers for St. Paul’s and its spectacular
spring season!
St. Matthew
St. Matthew Catholic School returned from
Christmas break and has been moving non-stop
ever since! Catholic Schools Week was a
celebration of all things wonderful at SMCS:
alumni speakers, parent breakfast, Mass and
international rosary, performances by the BJSHS
band and choir, “Wake Up Your Faith Day”
where all (teachers included!) wore pajamas to
school to remind us to enliven our faith, food
collection for Catholic Charities, SVDP monthly
collection of $450, middle school biblical skits,
BJSHS student-led discussions, BKHS
NJROTC drill team, Dr. Stanley's Respect Life
presentation, Cybercrime program, JEAsponsored water and energy conservation
demonstration, PTO fundraiser "Fun Run,” and
Open House featuring student academic and
science fair projects and art show. And that was
just Catholic Schools Week!
Our students have also excelled in academic
and athletic endeavors this year. Both our soccer
and volleyball teams placed first in the regular
season and were runners-up in the post-season
tournament. Our Bishop’s Bowl team won at
the regional level and moved on to the finals,
and our Mathletes competed and placed against
many other middle school teams at the annual
Mathletes Meet at UNF. The varied talents of
our students –– and faculty –– were showcased
in an evening performance of our annual talent
show, which was a hit with the entire
community. Blessings have been abundant for
SMCS this year!
Annunciation
Annunciation has had an eventful New Year.
We began with the 1st Annual Alumni-Parish
Dinner where we invited our current and past
families, and parishioners from Sacred Heart, St.
Catherine, and St. Luke. The media center was
renamed in honor of former principal, Susan
Altieri. About 115 guests attended including:
Dr. Bronsard, Pastors Fr. Boddie, Fr.
Blaszkowski, Fr. Sullivan, and Fr. Rooney (ret.).
The packed house had a great night of fellowship
and history.
As we looked behind, we also looked ahead to
building a gym for our 25th anniversary that will
include a cafeteria/stage. There are FUNdraisers
in our future, but we know that we can rely
upon our parishes, parents, alumni, and
community sponsors to help us meet this need.
We are also looking ahead with technology. To
complement our wireless campus and Apple
TVs, we are adding additional laptops —
expanding students’ access to educational
applications and internet resources. Our new
Lego© Robotics and Math Counts teams round
out this STEM imitative.
In addition to rekindling relationships with
our alumni, we also built our ACS community.
On January 11th, our school joined the
Resolution Fun Run and sported 270
participants — we had by far the most
participants of any group, including larger public
schools. On Feb. 20th, we hosted our 1st
Annual Spanish School Mass and on March 25th
we celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation
with Bishop Estévez.
Sacred Heart School
Region 5
Resurrection Parish School
Resurrection Catholic School had a funfilled and faith-filled Catholic Schools Week!
On Monday morning the students were
surprised with a Praise and Worship Concert
presented by the Resurrection Ryte Band.
Students from pre-k 3 to eighth grade sang and
danced in prayer. The week was filled with
magic shows, service projects, school-wide line
dancing, and worship.
On
Thursday,
Jacksonville
Sherriff
Rutherford presented Principal Pat Donahue
with a service award for the school, recognizing
the students’ caring and commitment to the
community. Pastor Appreciation Day was
celebrated with Mass and ice cream for all,
(Father Zehler’s favorite treat!) Culminating
activities included a talent show and chili cookoff open to the entire parish. The evening was
a fun and a delicious success.
The Drama Department ended its season
with the presentation of Peter Pan. Reviews
were outstanding. Meanwhile our 3 year-olds
held their own Valentine’s Day production for
the residents of Hurley Manor. They also
received outstanding reviews!
Along with the opportunity to participate in
the upcoming softball season, students will be
offered two new clubs this spring: Beginning
Karate and Rainbow Loom. The school and
parish community eagerly awaited the
Eucharistic Congress in March. The 19
members of the school band, along with the
school choir, joyfully prepared for their
participation in the opening ceremonies. The
day held blessings for us all.
Sacred Heart welcomed January with a
wonderful build up towards Catholic Schools
Week. The wonderful highlights of the festivities
included a prayer service, pep rally, grandparent’s
day, school service projects, and appreciation
activities for all those individuals who make
Catholic schools the beacon of light that
communities expect. What a wonderful time to
remind others why we are here.
February brought recognition for our
students who competed in the Science Fair and
Spelling Bee. We were very proud to have
representatives move toward county and
St. Paul Beach
diocesan levels of competition. Seeing these
Catholic Schools week was a busy one at
students succeed reflects on the wonderful job
St.
Paul’s Beach this year. Every class was
the teachers of Sacred Heart continue in the
involved
in their own service project in
mission of service. Finally, March brought our
addition
to
the school collecting cereal for
annual Spring Carnival, which donned a
Renaissance theme this year. Rides, games, and the Catholic Charities Food Pantry. From
turkey legs were enjoyed by all as the three day making valentines for our troops in 1st
event allowed Sacred Heart to share the school’s grade, to collecting coats for foster children
in 8th grade, our students logged many
gifts with the community.
We are truly blessed
to have had such a
successful end to winter
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Page 8
hours serving the community. On Friday of
that week we hosted our annual Art Fest,
which featured the music, art, culture, sports
and food of Brazil. Every class moved from
room to room, eating new foods, learning to
dance, making crafts, watching performers
and more.
Service work has been diverse and fun this
year, with the Apple Project low-income
dental clinic receiving our attention early in
the year. Our school raised over $3,700 in
the fall and our partner here, St. Vincent de
Paul, added $1,300 to that to make an even
$5,000 donation! Several members of our
SGA, along with our principal, were able to
be on hand for “demolition day” in January
as they tore down the old clinic.
Our journey in the Seven Habits (our
Leadership program) continues as the
students learn the language of living the
habits in the classroom and beyond.
Students are taking on more leadership roles
in all of our classes, from kindergarten
through 8th. Later this spring we will host
the parents as our students teach them the
Seven Habits.
As leaders, our students led their own
conferences when it was Parent Conference
day. With the teacher in the background, the
student presented his or her work, goals, and
results to the parents. Our students really
understand that their choices about “being
proactive” (Habit 1), “beginning with the
end in mind” (Habit 2), and “putting first
things first” (Habit 3) mean the report card
is a result of those decisions.
Christ the King
Christ the King Catholic School is taking
continuous steps towards implementing
S.T.E.M. activities throughout all grade
levels. At the start of school, we participated
in a Green Apple Day of Service where
students, parents and community organizers
spent one Saturday getting many S.T.E.M.
projects off the ground. A raised planter bed
to grow nectar flowers to support a butterfly
garden was constructed in kindergarten’s
backyard. UNF students majoring in
construction designed a water collection
system to support our school gardening
projects. A green house was installed along
with a vermicomposting system. The
University of Florida Agricultural Extension
Office came to till the soil and provide seeds
that grow into plants, which condition the
soil. With their planter box, first grade is
conducting a comparison of sweet potatoes’
growth. The biggest project of the day
involved mulching a nature walk along
Strawberry Creek. Middle school students
captured video of a fox hiding among brush
along the path.
The next step in the process is to
incorporate a dedicated science lab for
elementary students and a modern media
resource center where students can
collaborate, think critically, create and
communicate their ideas. Plans are now in
progress to get these needs met.
Blessed Trinity
Blessed Trinity is making a name for itself
on the court, on the field, and off! Our girls’
volleyball team, in only their second year,
made it to the divisional semifinals. The
Eagles’ soccer team won the division
championship in a very exciting shootout!
Our elementary and middle school Bishop’s
Bowl teams won first and second place,
respectively, in the regional competition of
the Bishop’s Bowl! Way to go, Eagles! We
are proud of our students and their
accomplishments. Also, we give many thanks
to the coaches and assistants for all of their
time and effort. We appreciate you!
Blessed Trinity Catholic School students
give back! This school year we have
participated in various service projects
including making Thanksgiving Meal baskets
for needy families in our community,
gathering gently used clothing and shoes for
hurricane victims in the Philippines, and
donating Christmas gifts to children and
teens living at the Children’s Home Society.
Over 385 cans of tuna and chicken were
collected for the Souper Bowl of Caring.
These were donated to Catholic Charities
Page 9
and our parish food bank. We also will be
raising funds for several other charities this
spring. BTCS families have big hearts!
Morning Star
Spring is shaping up to be quite exciting
for Morning Star School. We will host our
3rd Annual Gala, Morning Star Celebrates
Old Florida, on May 3rd at Bella Sera,
located in Historic Riverside. It’s not too late
to purchase tickets or sponsor the event.
Tickets may be ordered online via the home
page at www.morningstar-jax.org. The event
will feature a live band and DJ, a silent
auction, food and signature drink, and
complimentary valet parking. The proceeds
will go toward special programs for the
school.
Morning Star completed its accreditation
visitation with Florida Catholic Conference –
the visitation team’s comments reinforced
the school’s quality instruction based on
Faith, Service, and Academics.
Our students continue to learn about the
importance of sustainability and their
stewardship of the earth’s resources through
our school garden. As always, the 8th graders
are growing restless as they approach
graduation. They are looking forward to the
fruit of their labors –– the end of the year
Junior High trip (funded by their monthly
bake sale) is right around the corner!
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit Catholic School had a
wonderful Catholic Schools Week. The
younger grades enjoyed an entertaining
performance from Mrs. Kate, which
emphasized Christian values and the
importance of good manners. The HAS,
with the help of numerous parent volunteers,
treated all students and staff to a pancake and
bacon breakfast. The entire student body
participated in a pep rally, recognizing
students on our sports teams and clubs. The
pep rally ended in an enjoyable volleyball
game between our 8th grade class and
parents/staff. The highlight of our week was
the Activated Story Theater brought to us
with the help of our beloved music teacher,
Judy Steinmeyer. All students were able to
interact with the professional actors while
experiencing storytelling in a whole new way.
Our Drama Club students even received a
special “acting lesson” from the traveling
actors.
Our 8th grade recently put the Corporal
Works of Mercy into action with a field trip
to the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. The
students prepared sandwiches, bagged
cookies, and organized canned goods while
meeting the faithful volunteers that serve
many homeless in our community. The trip
also included a tour of the beautiful Basilica
of the Immaculate Conception. We remain
truly blessed!
Region 6
Epiphany
Catholic Schools Week was a fun time for
all. The week was filled with theme days
that included Parent Appreciation Day,
Student Appreciation Day, Career Day and
BBQ lunch with parents and grandparents.
A “Coin Challenge” was also held to help
raise funds for Catholic Charities.
Epiphany was represented well in the
annual Science Fair held in January.
Winners from that event included
Alexandra Bedoya (8th), Veronica
Rosenbaum (8th), Mason Cooper (7th),
and Sarah Ordinario (7th). Congratulations
to all our students.
We held our “Open House” in February
and had a great turnout. Registration is
underway for the fall term, and we have set
the bar high for new student enrollment.
We have developed new marketing material
and updated our website in hopes of
reaching this goal.
Our Pulled Pork Lunch in February was
a huge success with the help of a local
“Award Winning” BBQ grill master! We
thank all our parents and staff for their
support in what now has become an annual
event.
Our dance team has some great moves
this year and they will be performing in an
evening of dance for the school and
community this spring. Plans are underway
for our End-of-the-Year Talent Show as
well. A great way to show off our students
and we are proud of them all!
We have created an Archery Team and
their first competition will be this spring.
Three staff members and one parent
volunteer have become trained archery
instructors. We wish the team much success.
Please check out our website to keep up
with all the current events at our school!
www.ecslc.org
St. Patrick’s – Gainesville
Service… It’s what we do!
Here at St. Patrick Interparish Catholic
School our theme this year is the Spiritual
and Corporal Works of Mercy. We chose
this theme to continue the vision of service
that is the ongoing message of our Holy
Father, Pope Francis. Our parents, teachers
and staff have been involved in many
projects that benefit those in need. Some
examples include donating over 1,000
pounds of food a semester to our local
Catholic Charities food pantry. Providing
Christmas gifts to 16 less fortunate families.
Supplying 17 Thanksgiving baskets and
over $500 of gift cards to be distributed
throughout Alachua County. Visiting the
retirement home, adjacent to our property,
quarterly. Spearheading a baby bottle
campaign for A Women’s Answer Medical
Clinic that provides free services to
expectant young mothers. Collecting pull
tabs for the Ronald McDonald House to
help children suffering from cancer. In
addition, we work with Sidney Lanier
School for the mentally challenged by
helping set up and run two events each year.
These are just a few ways that St. Patrick’s
had reached out to our local community.
When one of our eighth graders was
asked about our projects, he simply
answered “We’re St. Patrick’s School, it’s
what we do.” We believe that it is one thing
to teach the gospel in our religion classes,
but it is more effective when we actually
participate in spreading the gospel with our
time, talent and treasure.
Queen of Peace Academy
What –– no more library?
Our
Technology
Education
&
Communications Hub (formally known as
the Library) currently represents a work in
progress. The center focuses on instruction,
innovation,
idea
generation,
and
imagination to create an atmosphere that
promotes “outside the box” thinking that
stimulates the expressive, problem-solving
aspect of each student’s mind. Five new
digital collaboration stations have been
added to our media center including Apple
TVs mounted on mobile carts. Students are
able to mirror projects, assignments, and
presentations on these screens in an effort
to communicate more freely with a larger
audience.
So, how does a school transform their
library into a technology hub? One could
say it was a “leap of faith” to take the first
step. Every effort was used to maximize
funding on the transformation of the
iTECH vision through working with the
community, building relationships and
having a supportive parish. But, no matter
how pennies were saved, the biggest
challenge was the implementation and then
utilization of the technology and this vision
would not have been possible without the
collaborative efforts of our teachers, faculty,
parents, students, our principal, Sr. Nancy
Elder and our faith. God is good all the
time!
Dabbles would like to feature
notable alumni from our Catholic
Schools. If you would like to
suggest someone, please let us
know by contacting the
Dabbles Editor at
[email protected]
www.sadlier.com
Page 10
Brian J. Cabrey
Attorney at Law
4225 A1A Sout h • St . August i ne, FL 32080
904. 471. 3414 • 800. 342. 4007
www. oceangr over esor t . com
PARLIMENT
1460-AM WQOP
BUILDING PRODUCTS, INC.
Catholic Talk Radio
Jacksonville FL
Queen of Peace Radio
(904) 241-3311
qopradio.com
email: [email protected]
Page 11
Thank You
DABE and
DABBLES
Bishop John J. Snyder High School
M
arch for Life took on new
meaning for the 126 BJS students who
traveled to Washington D. C. on January
20th. Participating with thousands of prolife supporters on January 22nd in freezing
temperatures was memorable but what
occurred in a McDonalds on the way home
was unforgettable. When over 130 students
and chaperons crowded in the restaurant
wearing their Pro-Life sweatshirts, a young
woman approached five of our female
students. She told them she was scheduled
for an abortion the next day but seeing their
solidarity changed her mind. Just think…
one random stop, 126 kids and one life
saved.
Catholic Schools Week began with an
opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Estèvez
and Father Houle. Afterwards, Bishop
Estèvez met with our March for Life
students and visited our students in their
religion classes. It was a great start to a fun
week that reminded us of our commitment
to Catholic education. The week ended with
a funny student talent show, and we
collected over 500 cans of tuna for Catholic
Charities.
Our campus has been filled with activity
as we've hosted many great events including
the Diocesan Youth Rally, the grade school
science fair, the grade school and Dan
Brown (Catholic high schools) track meets,
the regional wrestling tournament and
Odyssey of the Mind. We are delighted to
have guests on campus to share our good
news.
Another exciting "first" happened this
year as we celebrate our first National Merit
Scholar finalist, Chris Buser. Chris attended
St. Joseph Catholic School before choosing
BJS for high school. College acceptances are
rolling in and students are receiving
acceptance letters from major colleges and
universities across the country. Additional
congratulations to Annunciation Catholic
School graduate, Kyle Cowman, on his
acceptance to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Our strong college preparatory program and
commitment
to
our
mission
of
"competence, conscience and compassion"
is working!
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School
“I
t’s a Great Time To Be A Flash!”
echoes through SJA as the winter sports
season closes with district titles and spring
sports are in full play.
Service is in the air –– frigid at DC’s
March for Life and a balmy 82 on our
Jamaica Mission Trip.
Curriculum-wise, St. Joseph Academy
can see the day the school will be
completely paperless. To get there the
school started a pilot program this year that
lets students and teachers get used to
Google Chromebooks. Next year the
school will make the switch to 1-on-1.
Science teacher, Grady Heiss, has worked
with students primarily helping to pilot this
transition through the newly added
Emergent Computer Technology course.
The course has been successful and other
academic areas have followed suit as
teachers “go back to school” using the
Chromebooks in professional development
meetings.
The school community is excited! This
summer St. Joe students can go to camps to
learn about creativity with Chromebooks
and using technology to be a better student.
A third camp “related more or less to
YouTube video” will also be offered –– one
that will help students in creating videos
and learning how to manage accounts.
Traditionally, the school has a 100
percent college acceptance rate, a trend they
expect to repeat this year. With computer
technology playing an increasingly large
role in higher education, the school wants
to better prepare students. The technology
shift also will make for more independent
students.
There’s another more observable
advantage. With textbooks stored in their
lightweight Chromebooks, students won’t
be lugging around 40 to 50 pounds of
books in their backpacks.
Lest we forget the arts, the spring drama
production was enjoyed in March and the
annual Fine Arts Show in early April. Yes, it
IS a great time to be a FLASH!
St. Francis Catholic High School
A
s we continue on our Lenten journey
toward our redemption and the holiest, mostimportant feast of the church, we anticipate our
spiritual celebration. Guided by our faith and
additional prayer and actions, we move toward
Easter.
We have been on the move with our students
and parents speaking at Masses about what
makes St. Francis a place of Faith, Knowledge
and Virtue. We held our annual Open House
on Saturday, January 11 and had over 50
families come tour our beautiful campus and
meet our wonderful faculty, students and
parents. We have already registered 52 students
for the Class of 2018 and are still in the process
of registering both incoming freshmen and
transfer students for the fall of 2014. Next year
will be truly exciting as we celebrate our tenyear anniversary.
Special recognition goes out to senior
Hannah Rose Glynn, who has qualified as a
National Merit Finalist, joining our ten other
alumni who have been recognized. Our
Student Government was also elected District
II Vice President in the Florida Association of
Student Councils. Saint Francis also competed
in its first FRC robotics competition in midMarch. The team is aptly named Wolfbotics and
is another first for our school as we continue to
enhance our technology on different levels.
Our 7th Annual Souper Fun Sunday was
held on Sunday, January 26. This communitywide soup tasting competition featured 35
delicious soups from 33 local restaurants,
caterers, retirement homes and culinary arts
schools. Our celebrity judges selected the top
three soups while the public voted for the
“People’s Choice” award, a most coveted
award by all the soup providers. This unique
event drew its largest crowd ever as over 850
people from the community visited our
campus. We raised over $20,000 for technology
enhancements and professional development
activities that will help all our students and
faculty become cutting edge.
Our 3rd annual Wolves Golf Classic will be
held on April 26th at the Mark Bostick Golf
Course at the University of Florida. All
proceeds go to our Student Activities Fund
supporting athletics, clubs, dances and robot
building; everything that our students are
involved in.
Truly, we are blessed as we move from our
Lenten fasting toward the fullness of our faith
that is Easter morning.
Dabbles Newsletter is also available for download online at the Diocese of
St. Augustine Website: http://.www.dosafl.com
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