Volume 21
Homecoming
Issue 2
November 2014
2014 Homecoming week 2014 hit the ground running with the Powderpuff games taking place on Sunday, October 12th. The seniors, Class of 2015 were victorious and Whitney Werksman ’15 was named MVP. Throughout the week, students dressed up in different decades representing the theme, Glory Days: The Time of Our Lives with a final “Extreme Orange and Blue” on Friday allowing everyone to show their school spirit! On Friday morning, alumni, parents and friends gathered at the Chapel for the Alumni Memorial Mass and enjoyed tours of the campus and the ATC prior to the Homecoming assembly. Afternoon festivities included a Tailgate party on the upper field where everyone had a chance to mingle and reminisce with friends. Prior to kickoff, the band and cheer teams led the crowd to Fertitta Field where our Gorman Gaels took on the Legacy Longhorns! Then on Saturday night, capping off a successful homecoming week, students danced the night away and celebrated together with the newly crowned Homecoming King and Queen. See page 6 for details on the Homecoming court, the King and Queen!
Open House 2014 Early
Sunday, November 23rd, 1-3PM
We encourage all interested families to attend our Open House to explore becoming part of the Bishop Gorman community. Prospective students and their parents will have an opportunity to meet our outstanding faculty, administration and current students. Representatives from all clubs, organizations and sports teams will be available to present their programs and answer questions. The afternoon will include an art show, a parent/student panel discussion, a presentation about technology in our classrooms and performances by several of our theatrical and musical groups.
Administration Gael Pride
November 12th Early signing day is just around the corner. Look for several of our Bishop Gorman senior athletes to ink their scholarships on November 12, 2014. Last year, we had an impressive 38
For further information, please contact the Admissions Office at 702-476-4008 or visit the Admissions section of our website at
www.bishopgorman.org
Signing Day
athletes who signed athletic scholarships!
See page 6 for more Athletics news!
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Campus Ministry
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Athletics | Activities
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3
Academics
5
Advancement
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Bishop Gorman High School
Diocese of Las Vegas
Administration
gratulations! n o C National Merit Scholarship
Juliana Adams
Semifinalist
Lisa Borzage
Semifinalist
High School Placement Exam
2015-2016 School Year Current 8th grade students interested in applying to Bishop Gorman High School for the 2015 – 2016 school year are invited to take our placement exam:
Evan Link
Semifinalist
The National Merit® Scholarship Program
is
an
Saturday, December 13th at 8:00 am
academic
or
competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Alexander Perron Skylar Westbrook Maggie DiFederico Semifinalist Semifinalist Commended High school students enter the
Saturday, January 10th at 8:00 am Prospective students that take the placement exam in December or January are included in our first pool of applicants considered for admission. Additionally, exam results will help to determine a student’s placement in freshman year classes.
National Merit Program by taking the
Preliminary
SAT/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Prospective students can pre-register for the exam by following the link on the homepage of our website:
Commended students are in the Top Cameron Gordon Alexis Gulbransen Alexa Ivanov two-thirds of the approximately
Commended
Commended
Commended
www.bishopgorman.org or Register On-Site the Day of the Exam
50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/ NMSQT. Semifinalists represent approximately one third of the 50,000 high scorers.
The $50 application fee covers the cost of the exam. If you have further questions, please contact our Admissions Department at 702.476.4005 or admissions@bishopgorman.org
Alexander Ward Alexa Weidenfeld Gage Wilson Commended
Commended
Commended
Finance Dept. News Open enrollment for financial aid for the 2015-2016 school year begins on November 1, 2014. Please visit our website: w w w. b i s h o p g o r m a n . o r g . Under the Admissions tab continue to Financial information to find the link to connect to FACTS where you can submit your application and pay the required fee. Please be aware that you must be VERIFIED by FACTS Tuition Aid for your application to be reviewed by the Tuition Assistance Committee.
Christian Service hours can be EcoLogical
Incoming Freshmen that have been verified and reviewed by February 28, 2015 will receive notification of award mid-March. All returning students that have been verified and reviewed will receive notification of award mid-April.
Callville Bay at Lake Mead: November 15, 2014
9 a.m. – noon Callville Bay Clean-up - Come join Forever Resort and the National Park Service in a beach cleanup at Callville Bay! Volunteers are needed to help keep Lake Mead National Recreation Area beautiful by picking up litter around the marina, shoreline and desert. Individuals, families and groups are welcome to participate. BBQ lunch and prize drawing is available for all participants who register and sign in. So registration is a must!
Remember you must re-apply every year to be considered for financial aid.
For more information contact Mr. Canfield at jcanfield@bishopgorman.org
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Gael Pride
Gaels Theatre Guild Speech Debate Congratulations to the students of Gaels Theatre Guild that competed at the annual Southern Nevada Thespian Technical Theatre Challenge! First Place in Properties: Carrie Letelier ’17 Second Place in the Technical Secret Challenge: Kristin Hill ’15 Second Place for Rigging: Daniel Shim ’17 Second Place for Make Up Design: Emily Sullivan ’17 Third Place for Make Up Design: Olivia Perry ’15
The week before homecoming, Bishop Gorman was very fortunate to host LVMPD’s Every 15 Minutes program. Thursday, October 9th, started out like any other school day, but it quickly took a turn when students assembled on Hualapai Way to witness a typical drunk driving accident. Students and staff watched as police, paramedics, firefighters, and coroner/medical examiners were called to the scene while BGHS students were removed from the mangled cars. Twenty-seven Bishop Gorman students participated directly in this program and were either involved in the accident scene or represented some of the numerous teens who tragically die in this fashion, as the “living dead”. The scene was very intense as one of the students was taken by Flight For Life to UMC, another went by ambulance to UMC, the DOA victim was zipped in a body bag and driven to the Coroner’s Office, while the drunk teen driver
In September Speech and Debate hosted a Congressional Debate tournament on campus. Competitors included 170 students from 13 different schools in the district. Fourteen Bishop Gorman students participated. Congratulations to: Isabella Riezler ’16 on taking First place in the JV Division, and to Trevor Papock ’18 and Joseph Mazzone ’17 who were Finalists in the Novice Division. In October, the Speech and Debate team competed at Green Valley High School among 27 represented schools and over 600 students. Congratulations to: Kyle Melatti ’18 who took First Place in Congressional Debate, Grant McCarty ’18 who took Third Place in Congressional Debate, and to Nick Brascia ’17 & Jonathan Stauss ’17 for their Third place in Policy Debate.
EVERY 15 MINUTES In the 1980’s, teen deaths resulting from drunk driving accidents averaged to be one every 15 minutes. Due to widespread education through the Every 15 Minutes program, that statistic has changed to an average of one every 51 minutes. However, texting and phone usage while driving have increased, causing a significant number of accidents; so the program now includes all aspects of distracted driving.
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was assessed, handcuffed, and removed from the scene to go to court. Following the crash scene, each class focused on this subject matter to intensify the experience. Additionally, there was a photo memorial of the student participants in the library, as well as a faux cemetery complete with headstones in the gym foyer.
Pictured L to R: Tyler Walker ’16, Patrick Meiszburger ’18, Kyle Melatti ’18, Alex Schunk ’16, Ms. Scoville.
On Friday morning, there was a follow up assembly in the main gym where a mock funeral took place to honor the “living dead” students. LVMPD showed a video that completely encompassed what took place on Thursday at the accident and during the several hours following. Guest speakers shared both the heartbreak of losing a loved one to a drunk or distracted driver, as well as the facts about the results and repercussions of teens choosing to drive while drunk or distracted. It was a moving experience for the entire student body and staff.
Congratulations to Katelyn Dunn ’16 who was asked to present her summer project at the Italian Maker Faire, October 3-5th.
It is hoped that many BGHS students now have a better realization of how fragile life truly is, and the school is extremely grateful to Las Vegas Metro Police Department for offering this very valuable and educational program to our youth.
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The project, a creative way to supply Wi-Fi connection in disaster affected areas, was presented during the “20 Under 20” section of the Conference. These are 20 young innovators from all over the world presenting their projects and ideas to change the future.
Way to Go, Katelyn!
Campus Ministry
Mite Box
What do you get when you mix a pinch of lacrosse players, a handful of baseball guys, and a double scoop of art students? I’m not sure, but they certainly came together with a few other students and faculty/staff to produce a gorgeous courtyard for the residents of New Genesis in downtown Las Vegas for our first GAELS GIVE HOPE this Fall!
IS STRONGER THAN EVER!
This school year has been the best ever for our Mite Box collections. Each week we have surpassed $1,000 and have also had two very successful Miracle Minutes. The first Miracle Minute, was dedicated to ALS and included our top Administrators taking the Ice Bucket Challenge. The second Miracle Minute was to benefit Veterans Village of Las Vegas, where their goal is to serve those who have served. Our Mite Box goal for this year is to surpass last year’s total donations which were over $54,000 and it looks like we are well on our way to accomplishing it! Thanks to all who continue to give!
New Genesis, located near the Stratosphere, is a transitional non-profit housing complex with the goal of getting homeless off the street and into their first apartment. We renovated the courtyard of this complex in mid-September. Our baseball and lacrosse players, along with other students, Mr. Lieb, Mr. Cava, Mrs. Feely, and Ms. Seaman showed up to remove rock, hang shade sails, paint concrete, fencing and stairs, dig holes for new plants and flowers, and help Mr. Floyd Hale build benches and picnic tables for the residents. The second weekend of this project was dedicated to turning the barren courtyard into a park-like setting. Our art students showed up armed with plenty of paints to bring color and beauty. The laundry building now has a painting of a young woman pouring a pitcher of water. Beautiful totems made by our ceramics students were placed around the courtyard, as well as four different framed ceramic tile designs created by the Art Club. Art students created a mural on a concrete pad in the courtyard and creatively turned the wooden fence into oversized crayons. Flowers were planted and the finished product was beyond our expectations.
Student Services
Ms. Migneron
Mr. Crisp
Thank you!
Mr. Lieb
Shawn Buckley, Par 3 Landscaping, John Manfredi and Star Nursery for generously donating plants and supplies, Barry McColeman and Kim Bailey for assisting with the prep and artwork, Mrs Feely, Ms. Dawson and Ms. Samuels, for their time and effort to make this a successful service event, and Claire Yuan Zhu ’15 and Serena Morales ’15 for their mural designs. We would also like to thank all the students in Art Media, Studio, and AP Studio:Drawing who came together to create a bright and cheerful mood in the new courtyard for the residents to enjoy! Once again our Gaels Gave Hope to those in need!
Mrs. Delgado
Matthew 25 Board Helps Our Las Vegas Community
Bishop Gorman’s Matthew 25 Board is a student-run group that meets every Tuesday immediately after school. Their job is to determine where our Mite Box money will be spent, and they come to their decisions after reviewing ten to twenty applications per week from varying social service agencies in Las Vegas. The Board has been able to provide gift cards for food and clothing, rent money, utility payments, medical assistance, and more to assist those in need in our town. We have a consistent group of students
who are truly interested in doing the right thing and helping those who at this moment cannot help themselves.
Any
student who would like
to become a member of our
Matthew 25 Board to
fill
out
an
is invited
application
after the holidays and join the
Board for second semester. Questions? Just Susie Portz at bishopgorman.org
contact sportz@
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Academics
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Counselor’s Corner
he Freshman of the Week program has been in full swing as we have progressed through the first quarter. Already more than 150 freshmen have received at least one nomination for the Freshman of the Week award! This shows us that the transition to high school is going well. Students are embracing the attributes of the Freshman PRIDE Program: Prepared for class, Respect for self and others, Integrity in academics, Determination to do well, and Effort in all you do.
Freshmen Parents:
NAVIANCE FAMILY CONNECTION: Naviance Family Connection is a web-based service designed especially for students and parents. This comprehensive website helps students in making decisions about colleges and careers and is a service that the Guidance Office uses to track and analyze data about our students’ college and career plans. By using Naviance Family Connection parents and students will be able to: • Get involved in the planning and advising process - build a resume, complete on-line surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers.
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ach weekend, teachers nominate students who meet the following criteria during the preceding week: 1. The student must not have been absent nor tardy; 2. The student must not be missing any homework, classwork, quizzes or tests; 3. The student must have shown good behavior; 4. The student must show school spirit by wearing a spirit shirt on Friday. Each Monday a list is generated and dispersed to all of the teachers to comment on (student may be good in math class, but didn’t hand in their Spanish project). By the middle of the week, a decision is made, based upon teacher comments, the number of nominations for that week, and the total number of times a student has been nominated. Students who are named the award winners receive a lunch card, and the results are published on Edline and in the Gorman Daily News. The following students have been named Freshman of the Week winners: Avery Link, Carter Reback, Taylor Brown, Nicholas Salmons, Aislinn Coulthard, Ryan Gray, Christopher Merhi, and Riley Watson. Congratulations to these students and their families!
• Research colleges - compare GPA, standardized test scores and other statistics to actual historical data from students who have already applied from our high school. Mrs. Witucki spoke to all freshmen English classes and gave the students a guided tour of the program. In addition, each student received a “white card” with their user code.
Sophomores and Juniors:
PSAT RESULTS PSAT results will be distributed during English classes in early January. Visit the College Board website for further analysis of the results. (http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/psat/ scores/student)
Senior Parents:Mark
your calendar for “College Financial Aid Night” November 18th @ 6pm in the Lecture Hall, Room 326. We will have a guest speaker from the UNLV Financial Aid Office to answer all of your questions.
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ow that the first quarter grades have been posted, it may be time to reevaluate study times in your household. Some students may not understand that homework is so much more than written work. I know that the freshman class is definitely enjoying all the fun things that are a part of high school, but I want them to also remember that we are a college prep school and we take that part seriously. Again, never hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns.
NOVEMBER COLLEGE VISITS: All students who want to attend a college visit must log on to Naviance Family Connection (under visit schedule) and print out a pass. This must be completed at least the day before the visit. If you have any questions, please see Mr. McAllister.
Irene Anderson Freshman Dean Email: ianderson@bishopgorman.org
The Medical Society Visits CareFlight
In October, nineteen members of the Medical Society had the chance to see a helicopter up close as they listened to a presentation by the Crew (pilot, medic and flight nurse) of CareFlight Air Ambulance at Southern Hills Hospital. With its advanced features, this helicopter is able to expedite transports and fly into higher elevation areas that other medical helicopters cannot access.
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Athletics | Activities
ATHLETICS The playoffs are here for many of the fall sports teams. Playoffs take place in October for tennis, golf, and cross country. In November, playoffs begin for soccer, women’s volleyball, and football.
Men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball are at the top of the league standings, and look strong going into the playoffs. Look for updates and playoff results next month.
Our teams have been very successful so far this year. As usual, our men’s and women’s tennis teams had good years and went far in the playoffs.
L.E. Baskow, LV Sun
The win catapulted the team to the #1 ranking in the country. The football team begins their playoff run on Nov. 7 at Fertitta Field at 7pm.
Our women’s golf team won the Sunset Regional Tournament for the 2nd straight year and advanced to the State Golf Championships in Reno. Our cross country team was one of the best in town all year, placing several team members at the top of most meets. Jacob Holland ’15 was the individual winner of our last two out of town meets which had over 300 athletes in each race. Jacob Holland and Robert Daseler ’16 are both within 5 seconds of beating the ALL TIME fastest 5k run by a Gorman athlete; the record set in 1988 is currently 15:58.0. Jillian Bzoskie ’17 has run a 20:44.9 5k which ranks her as one of the faster girls in the region, 39th fastest 5k run in the state this year, and in good position to qualify for state as an individual.
L.E. Baskow, LV Sun
It was an historic night on September 26, 2014, when the #1 ranked St. John Bosco Braves traveled to Fertitta Field to take on the #2 Bishop Gorman Gaels live on ESPN. The Bishop Gorman High football team wouldn’t be denied even after an hour-long delay for lightning and rain. The Gaels built a 17-point cushion by halftime against #1-ranked St. John Bosco and held on for a 3431 victory. An estimated 5,000 fans attended the game, including a packed G-Block student section.
Several members of the Bishop Gorman football team have also received individual awards this year. Wide Receiver Cordell Broadus ’15, was recently named to the Under Armour All-America Game. The game will take place January 2nd at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. Strong Safety, Nicco Fertitta ’15 and Tight End, Alize Jones ’15 were both selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3rd in San Antonio, TX.
Congratulations to all our fall teams!
Student Activities 2014 Homecoming!
GLory Days: The Time of OUr Lives
Congratulations to the members of our 2014 Homecoming Court Megan Caruso Maggie DiFederico Janey Fielden Monique Koman Erin McGarry Kevyn Robins Julia Stueve Alexa Weidenfeld
2014 Homecoming King & Queen Clark Adler and Corynne McEachern
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Blake Lobato Tony Ko Nicco Fertitta Jason Musni Joe Schmit Chase Jeter Kevin Land Danny Hong
Advancement
Now available in the Hammes Campus Store!
Commemorative Book
Bi
a great success! We would like to send a special Thank You to everyone for their support that weekend and especially our sponsors for making it very special!
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1954 2014
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Golf ssic
Bisho
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Anniversary
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Our 60th Anniversary Homecoming celebration was
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Get your copy before they’re gone!
orman High
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Homecoming 2014
“We’re supporting this campaign because we believe it’s critical to Bishop Gorman continuing its mission of providing the highest quality faith-based education.” --Mary Alice (Bauchman) ’80 and Scott Nielson
An investment in Bishop Gorman is an investment in the future. Help us to make a lifelong impact on generations to come. Remember that all pledges made before December 31st will be matched dollar for dollar.
For more details and to make a pledge, please visit:
www.bishopgorman.org
this is our legacy now 7
Friday, November 14th Spanish Trail Country Club
9:00am Check In 10:30am Shotgun Start Foursomes: $1,500 Individual: $375
Sign up at www.bishopgorman.org
Go Gaels!
Hammes Campus Store
Hours: M-Th 7am-2:30pm Fri 7 am-2pm
Stock up on your Winter Gear! scarves, beanies, gloves, hoodies, uniform approved outerwear, and items that will enhance your BG wardrobe!
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ORANGE and BLUE is the new
Black
For more information visit: www.bishopgorman.org. Permit No. 37 Las Vegas, NV
PAID
Bishop Gorman High School 5959 S. Hualapai Way Las Vegas, NV 89148
U.S. Postage NON PROFIT ORG.
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