Volume 22
Homecoming
Open House 2015
Sunday, November 22nd, 1-3PM We encourage all interested families to attend our Open House to explore becoming part of the Bishop Gorman community. Interested students and their parents are invited to find out what a Bishop Gorman education can mean for them. Tours of our state of the art campus will be available and our outstanding faculty and staff, as well as representatives of our clubs, organizations and sports teams will be available to discuss our programs and answer any questions. The afternoon will include performances by our theatrical and musical groups, a BGHS parent/student panel session and presentations by our Finance and Admissions departments. To view the complete Open House program, please visit the Admissions section of our website at
www.bishopgorman.org
Issue 2
November 2015
2015 Homecoming week 2015 hit the ground running with the Powderpuff games taking place on Sunday, October 4th. The sophomore, Class of 2018 was victorious and two students were named MVPs, Skylar Minden ’18 and Kenzie Carr ’18. Throughout the week, students had fun dressing up representing the theme, Gorman is Beautiful 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 Durango Trailblazers. 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!
Boys’ TennisWins State!
Women’s Tennis Congratulations to Angelique Friedrich ’19 on her victory as the State Champion in Division 1 Singles!
see page 6 for more Athletics updates
Administration
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Campus Ministry
4
Athletics | Activities
6
Gael Pride
3
Academics
5
Advancement
7
Bishop Gorman High School
Diocese of Las Vegas
Administration
Placement Exam Throughout the country, schools and businesses close their doors on November 11th to honor our Veterans. The original intent was that the day would be spent honoring those who have served our country in the various military branches. However, for most young people today, the holiday has lost its significance and is seen as just another day off from school. Last year, the Administration at Bishop Gorman decided to conduct school on Veterans Day and hold a special assembly as a tribute to those men and women who have served in our armed forces, especially those from among our faculty, staff and family members. It is a unique opportunity for our community to reflect on the privileges and freedoms they enjoy as a result of the sacrifices made by our military. Without the dedication of so many we would not be able to worship as we please, voice our opinions openly, associate with those we choose and be all that we can be. Our goal is to help our students understand why this day is so important and what we can do to support our military – from little things like showing the proper respect to the American flag to helping non-profit organizations that benefit our troops. Last year, the students walked away with an appreciation for our military and the sacrifices they have made and continue to make. Thank you for your support of this important day. Sincerely,
Current 8th grade students interested in applying to Bishop Gorman High School for the 2016 – 2017 school year are invited to take our placement exam scheduled for
Saturday, December 5th at 8:00 am or Saturday, January 9th 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. Prospective students can pre-register for the exam by following the link on the homepage of our website, www.bishopgorman.org or register on-site the day of the exam. 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.
Winter Arts Extravaganza! Bishop Gorman’s Gaels Theatre Guild is proud to present its Winter Arts Extravaganza on Friday, December 4, 2015, and Saturday December 5, 2015 in the Jim3 House of Performing Arts Theatre. Performances begin at 6:00 p.m. with The Mini Musical: Mary Poppins and The One Act Play: Club Mojito followed by The Winter Music Extravaganza at 7:00 p.m., featuring Gaels on Broadway JV & Varsity, Heart and Soul, Directing Practicum, Knight Rhythm, Worship Chamber Musicians, KnightenGaels, Worship Choir and a preview performance by the cast of The Music Man.
Tickets are $15.00 and are available at
www.bishopgorman.org
Box Office: 702.476.4175 or performingarts@bishopgorman.org
John A. Kilduff President
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Gael Pride We are proud to share that the class of 2019 has been busy making positive contributions on and off campus.
Congratulations to the following Bishop Gorman seniors who are on the National Merit Commended Student List:
From Left to right: Haley Coleman Maria Geraghty Zachary Grech Isabella Riezler Alexander Schunk Samuel Sholeff Richard Standaert, III Madison Ulrey
Speech Debate & In the first Speech & Debate Tournament of the season, with over 600 students competing from all over Clark County, our BGHS Team came away with the following awards:
Kyle Melatti ’18 took the Top Presiding Officer Award for Congressional Debate. Isabella Riezler ’16 took second place in Congressional Debate. Newcomer Taylor Brown ’18 was a finalist in Congressional Debate taking 6th place overall. Then in October, the team competed at Green Valley High School, where once again there were over 600 students and over 1,000 entries. The results for that competition are: Alex Schunk ’16 and Noah Lea ’17: First place in Varsity Public Forum Debate.
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As such, please congratulate our most recent Freshman PRIDE award winners: Lauren Whitmire, Alexis Kruljac, Victoria Orozco, Sebastian Burke, Nick Smirk, Jacqueline Leon, Brett McEachern, Alison Stanfill, Nicole Hunt, Jordan Allen and Michael Bonifazio.
Additionally, the class of 2019 participated in helping the Las Vegas community by collecting Halloween costumes for children who attend the Variety Early Learning Center in North Las Vegas, Maggie’s Garden (Children’s Heart Foundation affiliate), and Candlelighters children.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK CLASS OF 2019!!!
Christopher Catechis ’17: Finalist in Dramatic Interpretation, Quarter-Finalist in Lincoln Douglas Debate. Morgan Ebbers ’19: Finalist in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking. Isabella Riezler ’16: Finalist in Varsity Congressional Debate. Siena Prenger ’18: Quarter-Finalist in Lincoln Douglas Debate.
Campus Ministry
M I T E World Youth Day 2016 B O X RU L E S ! Krakow, Poland July 24-August 3, 2016
Mr. Radzak’s English 3H class!
In addition to WYD, we will travel to Warsaw, Czestochowa, Zurich, and other significant historical sights. This promises to be a wonderful pilgrimage of faith, discovery and enjoyment.
If you are interested in being a part of this life changing experience, Contact: Mrs. Martinez in Campus Ministry 702-476-4029 kmartinez@bishopgorman.org; or Ms. McCann at mmccann@bishopgorman.org
Br. Tripamer’s Honors Geometry 3rd win
Mr. John Goertemiller & Students Want
YOU
Mr. Gatto’s Spanish 2 class!
Student Services’ 1st win of the year!
Mrs. Houston-Bey’s English 2 class!
To consider serving with them at Three Square Every Tuesday evening from 5:00 - 7:00pm!
Bishop Gorman’s Faculty & Staff “Walk The Walk”! Monday, September 28th, was anything BUT a normal day for the faculty and staff of Bishop Gorman. Over 100 BG employees showed up at St. Therese Center in Henderson to volunteer their time in support of those living with HIV/ AIDS in the Las Vegas area.
The morning began with a continental breakfast and conversation with Fr. Joseph O’Brien, OP, who shared that the Center provides for over 7,000 individuals in Las Vegas who are living with AIDS. Immediately after breakfast everyone reported to various work stations to: bag water bottles, bake cookies, sort food donations, slice meats and cheeses, sand stairs, rake rocks, pull weeds, clean patios, make hygiene kits, bag food items, staple fliers, organize storage rooms, and do so much more to help St. Therese Center provide even more to their clients. The Faculty and Staff accomplished so much in such a short period of time! At the end of the day, everyone left with a real sense of accomplishment.
The experience of serving others was so successful that we plan to make this an on-going tradition. This was a great day for our Bishop Gorman community. 4
Academics
Sophomores Class of 2018
Counselor’s Corner Freshmen Parents
NAVIANCE FAMILY CONNECTION: Recently, Mrs. Witucki visited each freshmen English class and gave students a guided tour of the program. Each student registered and completed a homework assignment. Naviance Family Connection is a webbased service designed especially for students and parents. It is a comprehensive website that parents and students can use to help them make decisions about colleges and careers. Family Connection is a service that our counselors use in the Guidance Office to track and analyze data about our students’ college and career plans. Family Connection will allow you 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. • Research colleges - Compare GPA, standardized test scores and other statistics to actual historical data from students who have already applied from our high school. Freshman Parent codes: Parent codes were mailed home and we encourage you to also log in and help your child through this very important time. If you didn’t receive the code, please contact your child’s counselor.
PSAT RESULTS
PSAT results will be distributed in January 2016. To get an analysis of your results, visit the College Board website at:
(http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/psat/scores/student)
Senior Parents
Mark your calendar for Financial Aid Night
November 17th @ 6PM in Lecture Hall 326 We will have a guest speaker from the UNLV Financial Aid office to answer all of your questions.
NOVEMBER COLLEGE VISITS
Many colleges are visiting our campus on a daily basis. If you want to attend a College Visit, log on to Naviance Family Connection (under visit schedule) and print out a pass, no later than the day before the visit. If you have any questions please see Mr. McAllister.
Quote of the Month
“The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one”
Malcolm Forbes
With the second quarter under way, you may have noticed that Bishop Gorman is now on a four dean system, meaning each dean follows a Class through to their graduation. The Class of 2018 will be the first class to have had the same dean all four years as I was the freshman dean last year. During the first quarter, I have sent three updates to the parents and your feedback has been very helpful. Parents who have not received updates from me, please attach an email address to your sophomore’s active Edline account. During the first quarter, the sophomores had a guest speaker, Scott Maloney, a young man who made a fateful decision that altered the course of his life, as well as that of his parents. His talk focused on the one bad choice made during his senior year of college that caused his traumatic brain injury. I believe that his message was heard, and if it helps even one student to stop and think before making a wrong choice, then it was worth hearing. Sophomore, Class President, Emerson Wieczorek, presenting Scott with a memento of his visit.
New this year is the institution of Sophomore Saturdays! It is often difficult for sophomores to make that first initial call for direct service. Knowing that other students and an adult they know will be there seems to make it easier for them. My hope is that once they are familiar with how it works, they will continue to go on their own. Pictured here are some sophomores who were the first to serve lunch to the homeless on September 26th. Other dates have been booked through the first semester. In addition to the dining hall, many sophomores participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday October 24th. Also, Opportunity Village is hoping that our students will contact them to work during the Christmas break. There will be more service opportunities during the second semester as well. All sophomores should have 37.5 service hours entering the second semester. They need to be current with their service hours to register for classes for the following school year. I would like to thank you for your continued support, and if you have any ideas, comments, or questions you can reach me at extension 4259. Respectfully,
Irene Anderson, Dean
Class of One-Eight; Born To BGR8
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Athletics | Activities
Athletics Several of the current fall sports teams are currently participating in the Sunset Region and State playoffs. Our Men’s Tennis team captured their first Division 1 State Title in 25 years and the Women’s team had a great season finishing second in the state. Our Women’s Golf team won the Sunset Regional Tournament for the 3rd straight year and advanced to the State Golf Championships at Primm Valley Golf Club, finishing second. Our Cross Country team had a record number of participants and placed several athletes near or at the top in all of the meets they competed. Check back next month for playoff results.
games still ahead of them, they look to build momentum heading into the playoffs next month. The Bishop Gorman football team is currently the consensus #1 team in the country for the second straight year. After going undefeated last year and winning the National Championship, they look just as strong this year under first year head coach, Kenny Sanchez. The Gaels still have some tough games ahead of them, but they have a legitimate chance to once again run the table.
The Women’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball teams are currently at the top of their league standings and have a real chance to do some damage going into the playoffs. With a competitive preseason tournament schedule, both teams have a great chance to win the Sunset Regional Tournament and compete for a State Title. Our Men’s Soccer team has had several close games in the Sunset Southwest Division including three draws. With a few big league
Check back next month for playoff and ranking updates!
Activities Congratulations to our 2015 Homecoming King and Queen
Douglas McArthur and Katelyn Dunn
The 2015 Homecoming Court Madison Baker Ashley Dornak Mallory Gardner Addison Gragson Dayle Guttenberg Hollen Herbst Kalley Kenny Emma McEvoy Nicolas Caipa Chris Fredericksen Brandon Gahagan Michael Geraghty Noah Hill Alec Lazarou Zachary Pignatello Jonathan Shumaker
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Advancement
Early Signing Day
Early Signing Day is just
Thank You to our
Homecoming e t a Sponsors! g l i Ta
around the corner.
November 11, 2015 After school in the gym Come watch as several of our Bishop Gorman senior athletes sign their scholarships letters! Last year we had an impressive total of 34 athletes who signed athletic scholarships!
Join us after all home football playoff games All Are Welcome!
www.nextlevelflag.com
post-game family socials
Grade Based: Open to All Participants Grades K - 7th Season: Saturday Games, Jan 9th - March 12th Location: All Games Played at Bishop Gorman
It’s a great way to gather as a community and meet new people!
Register at:
JOIN THE FASTEST GROWING YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM IN THE WEST 7
in Ryan Hall
November 6th November 13th November 20th
8 NON PROFIT ORG.
Bishop Gorman High School 5959 S. Hualapai Way Las Vegas, NV 89148
U.S. Postage
PAID Las Vegas, NV Permit No. 37
For more information visit: www.bishopgorman.org.
Happy Shopping to All! We are excited to share this with the Bishop Gorman Community!
store.bishopgorman.org
Hammes Campus Store is now ONLINE! Go Gaels!